Exactly five years ago, the Kings defeated the evil Kaita, introducing their happily ever after. All was going well, after all, even if Brady still hadn't returned. Lanny decided not to return to Lanada and stayed at the palace instead. He was nicer and made an effort not to be evil all the time. Mikayla had entered a happy relationship with a nice village boy, as Brady hadn't come back. Her husband owned a weapon store and was the official royal weapon supplier. Mason finally received some respect from the Kings and stepped down from his position as Head Guard so Mikayla could fill that role. When Rebecca chose to stay on the island, regardless of her father's wants, she and Boomer dated again. Two years later, Boomer proposed. They married and now, she was expecting twins.
Boz watched it all happen with a sad smile.
He, too, changed in those five years, though much also stayed the same. He was still single, still silly (though to a lesser degree), and still spent most of his time in the jungle. He was calmer and more mature and still the co-king – in name only. He abdicated the throne to Boomer, whom he believed should be the only king of Kinkow. Boomer wouldn't hear of it, though, and therefore Boz still held that title, even if had no power.
Sometimes, Boz wondered how Brady experienced his short time on Kinkow. Rebecca and Boomer told Boz he was pretty cool, Mason described as one of the Kings of Legends, Lanny claimed he hadn't liked Brady at all and Mikayla changed the topic whenever Boz asked. She still believed it was her fault he left – one of her big mistakes. Only later Boz learned of Brady's massive crush and he stopped bringing up the topic.
Today was the five-year anniversary of the defeat of Kaita. Which made it the perfect day to enact his plan.
Boz left his room in the castle with a filled backpack and jogged through the jungle, the place he used to call home. After all this time, he could barely remember what territory the Dark Side had claimed, Its grounds would never be dangerous anymore, and some creatures even called it their home. Mount Spew did still tower over the landscape, drawing attention from every angle. That's where Boz was running towards.
Nobody was allowed to enter the inactive volcano. It was written into law. Since then, it had been a helpful storage space for ancient and dangerous artifacts that nobody should have access to, not even the king. Storing it in a chest in the volcano was better than throwing it in the lava.
Boz helped move some of these artifacts to the volcano – that's why he knew where he was going, even if he got lost once or twice. Still, he eventually found the right chest.
He let out a deep breath as he stared at the chest. A bad feeling washed over him. Should he be doing this? He thought he'd learned to be the master of his curiosity – but this wasn't an act of curiosity. There was doubt, restless doubt, ever since he arrived on Kinkow. Doubt that wouldn't shut up. Doubt that overpowered him, especially when the topic turned to Brady, Boomer's other half, one of the Kings of Legends. Who was Boz compared to him? How could he ever live up to expectations?
He put his hands on the chest. This was it. He could still turn back, walk away. This didn't need to happen.
But he was here now. Would be a waste not to do anything.
Boz opened the chest and saw a smaller box inside. One big chest for such a small item in an equally small box might seem overkill, but it was paramount nobody lose track of this beauty. A golden Do-Over watch, a little bigger and more ornate than the one Brady and Boomer had used. They hadn't known how to use it properly. Simple-minded as they were, they spoke the words without thought. There was a reason people used to be trained to handle these objects. Boz knew enough to give it a purpose again and use it in a way the Kings never could.
Boz took off the backpack and looked inside. Had he brought everything? He spotted Mikayla's diary entries, willingly given, some notes from Lanny and Mason, all about the kings and certain events, so Boz was prepared for specific dates. He also checked for personal belongings: a phone with his favorite music from the past eight years he couldn't do without and a picture of him, Boomer, Rebecca, and Mikayla. A happy photo. Boz could see he forced a smile.
Boz closed the bag and swung it over his shoulder. He turned his head to where the palace should be. What he was about to do was not without consequence. He could only hope he didn't harm Boomer or Mikayla or even Lanny.
"I'm sorry, guys." Their pep talks hadn't worked. Boz still felt like shit. They didn't know, because Boomer was hopelessly naïve and even Mikayla couldn't see past the strained smiles and forced jokes. Only Lanny, of all people, realized, and he gave no comfort or support.
He needed to save Brady. Brady needed to stay on Kinkow. But Boz couldn't pinpoint what made Brady leave – it had to be more than Mikayla making an off-handed comment on his maturity. The next best thing was guiding them and making them better, so Brady could stay. So Boz could stay clueless on Mindu, without the added burden of being a King of Legend. Without being the spare called upon when one had left.
Eight years is a long time. Even if they saw the Monkey King of Mindu, they wouldn't make the connection. Hopefully.
Boz closed his eyes to block out the surroundings. He took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
"Do over."