STAGE 1 GREEN GREENS
Progress was slow, and noon had long passed by. Beneath the cool shade of the trees, Magolor had stopped to rest, closing his eyes and taking in the breeze for a brief moment before continuing on his journey. He could not sit still for long, as he was certain that enemies would eventually find him. Apparently following the open path had not been the best idea. Hordes of Waddle Dees, Doos, and predatory birds camped out on these roads, bickering with each other and lashing out at anything that got close. Magolor knew that the creatures of Dreamland were dangerous, but seeing for himself just how dangerous it was in the wilds caught him off guard. Being armed with only a suitcase did not help much either. It made a decent weapon, but he preferred to run and avoid conflict. The Halcandran currently sat in an open area near the thickest part of the forest, taking a deep breath before deciding to move on. He wanted to stay on the move so he would not have to hide from another Dee or bludgeon an angry bird. If enemies kept slowing him down like this, there was no way he could get to decent shelter by nightfall.
Leaves rustled among the greenery to his left. Magolor stiffened as his ears twitched, trying to pick up on what it was. He clutched the handle of his suitcase tighter, raising it up to cover his chest. Still, nothing jumped from the shadows. The source of the sounds shifted among the bushes, moving around him in a circle as if to find the best angle to attack. Magolor had not encountered something like this yet and assumed running was not an option this time. The creatures he encountered so far were definitely not the brightest, but that did not mean that intelligent beasts did not live here. He was already tiring from getting this far and decided to solve this problem with his mind instead. Everything living in this forest likes to be aggressive. Maybe I can try intimidation? Magolor collected himself and called out into the forest.
"Who's following me?! You better show yourself... or else! I'll-I'll teach you a lesson!"
He inwardly groaned at his squeaky, nervous voice. His disastrous attempt at sounding threatening was met with restrained, then hysterical laughter. Magolor felt his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. Anger gave him a spark of bravery, and he hovered over to the bushes and pulled the stems out of the way. What he found was quite... interesting?
A round, purple creature was tearing up with laughter. He wore thick brown boots, somewhat caked with mud on the bottom, and duel colored jester's hat, blue and red respectively. A crooked blue bow tie rested below the jaw. Nearby was a large beach ball, which Magolor assumed belonged to the jester. At least he doesn't seem dangerous. Obviously rude, but not a threat. What's a jester doing out here? Magolor had seen other creatures in similar garb, though they were clearly a different species... and they threw bombs. He decided to wait until the laughter died down to start speaking.
"I get that I'm not that scary, but it's kind of rude to laugh at people like that."
His comment was met with a devilish grin and dark purple eyes to match. The jester bit his lower lip briefly to hold back a fit of giggles, revealing fang-like teeth.
"You make a good point, but I've always been told not to talk to strangers... so..."
"But you were the one spying on me! If you're not here to pick a fight with me, then you should apologize."
"You apologize. I was enjoying a peaceful stroll until you distracted me. So, this it your fault."
Magolor's frustration grew to the stranger's delight. He vaguely remembered using such dodgy, ridiculous logic to try to get differing reactions from the Lor and began to wonder if it ever grew this upset with him before. He tried to keep his temper in check before responding.
"I have nothing to apologize for!"
"I have nothing to apologize for!"
The jester continued in a high pitched, whining tone.
"I want the universe to cater to me and pity me while I beat people's brains in with my briefcase! Oh, woe is me! Hehehehehe! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Magolor was livid and losing his internal battle in trying to control his temper. That's it! I can't lose anymore daylight over this guy!
"Fine! Forget it! I don't have time for this! I need to get out of here before dark."
Fed up with being mocked, he turned around and headed back towards the path that lead to the depths of the forest. Barely a minute passed before the jester was at his side again, balancing on the multicolored ball. He practically jogged on it until he caught up with Magolor, a somewhat friendlier smile on his face.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't get so mad over one joke. Not that it was much of a joke. You did sound pretty pathetic, and you did beat people up with your suitcase. So, where are you headed? Business trip? Vacation? Shady drug deal under a bridge?"
Magolor intended to ignore him, but this was the first approachable person he had met in... How long had it been? Years? Oh, Stars... I don't remember the last time I spoke to a living, breathing person!
"I'm not doing any of those things. Not that you need to know what I'm doing."
"Oh... You must be really stupid, then."
The ball rolled into the Halcandran's path to halt his progress.
"You can't just run around in the woods by yourself. Unless you want to be someone's dinner. And I know you're not on business or a pleasant stroll. I live here, and I know everybody! Everybody but you. I've never seen you before in my life!"
The crooked grin twisted downwards into a scowl.
"Come to think of it... I've never even seen your kind around here before... Nobody walks around Dreamland alone and especially not strangers... Where are you going in such a hurry? Dreamland is a lazy place. Why so desperate?"
The extreme shift in mood made Magolor halt in his tracks, unable to think on an immediate response. The insane glare he was receiving made him feel no better.
"L-Look, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I'm just passing through, honestly! I've never been in this part of Dreamland before. That's why you don't know me!"
"If you've never been in the Forest Corner, then where are you from?"
"... There are corners?"
The jester looked at him as if he had suddenly grown another head.
"Yeah. Corners. Stars have those. This one has five. You really don't even know where you live? Your planet's shape? Seriously?! What do you know?"
Magolor felt the frustration rise again before realization dawned on him. I... I don't know anything. Lor kept me sheltered from everything, filtering out unnecessary information. His grip faltered, and the suitcase slipped from his fingers, thudding on the floor of grass below him. How am I supposed to survive the trip to the castle? I don't know how to get there! I don't know how to deal with people or communicate! The jester's harsh reaction suddenly made sense. After all, he was this strangething that just showed up. A really clueless thing that did not even know its planet's shape. Magolor hated the sinking, helpless feeling in his gut. However, facts were facts: he needed information, and he found someone who has some. Even if it was a risk, the truth had to come out.
"To be completely honest, I don't know much. I kind of lost my home today, and I'm trying to get to King Dedede's castle to get help. I didn't mean to act suspicious or cause trouble. I just have no idea what I'm doing. If you could point me in the right direction, I'll get out of your way, and I won't have to bother you ever again."
The confession was met with silence. The jester observed him carefully, looking for any indication of deceit. He saw none and answered slowly.
"The castle, huh? Makes sense. The king's a big push over. He'd help anybody who asked nicely. But, you're not going to get that far today. It's getting late, and one of the number one rules of Dreamland is 'don't travel at night.' Night is bad. Head out as soon as the sun is up and you should be able to hike up to Castle Lololo by noon. It's easy to get lost in there, but they love guests."
The jester continued to mumble directions that Magolor struggled to keep up with as he rolled his ball back into the woods. The conflicted Halcandran picked up his only possession and hurried after him.
"Hey, wait! Where are you going? I didn't hear that last part! Wait up!"
Magolor's strange companion lead him to a small wooden house hidden among the trees. It was about half the Lor's size, but it had a cozy appearance, as if this is what a real home is like. The jester kicked his ball to the side and shoved the door open with his foot. Still muttering, he walked in and left it open, apparently expecting Magolor to immediately follow. He suspected me of being dangerous and gave me a speech about how Dreamland is unsafe at night, yet he doesn't lock his door? Feeling a bit apprehensive, Magolor entered the jester's home anyway.
There were technically only two rooms: the bathroom and the rest of the house. One corner was a bedroom, with a thin mattress and end table. The corner opposite of it was the kitchen area which appeared normal, having a refrigerator, oven, and sink. The space immediately right of the front door was a sitting area, with three chairs and a crammed bookshelf. Between this and the kitchen was a small fireplace that desperately needed to be cleaned. The last corner was closed off in a bathroom. The furnishings seemed to match his tastes, either being red or blue. There was a faint scent of ashes in the air, indicating that a fire had been put out a while ago. The windows let in plenty of light, adding to a surprisingly calm atmosphere. Magolor had never seen anything like this before, but he liked it immediately. I wonder if the king could help me find something like this. He was brought out of his thoughts when the jester finally spoke up clearly.
"A joke like you wouldn't last five minutes at night, and you don't look like a serial killer, so I guess you can stay here tonight. Oh, and I'm Marx. I don't think I told you that. Did I tell you that?"
Magolor wanted to jump at the chance to stay in a place like this, but he was also aware that this "Marx" gave him some bad vibes. They had only met a few minutes ago, and he did not get a good first impression. Then again, he also recalled that it was true that Dreamland was more dangerous at night, though he did not recall the reason why. A kind invitation like this probably would not show itself again, and it was be silly to refuse it. Though Magolor hated to slow his journey even more, the chance to stay in a house and talk to a real person was too good to pass up.
"Thank you. I'll take you up on that offer. I am Magolor. It's... nice to officially meet you, Marx."
"You can skip the politeness-crap. Just don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong, and we'll get along just fine."
Marx made himself comfortable in one the chairs and waited for his new guest to do the same. When Magolor was seated, the devilish smirk made a reappearance.
"So! You say you lost your home? How did that happen? You don't look like the type to skip bills or irritate neighbors."
Magolor was not sure he want to tell a stranger about the Lor, but since he was being given board out of pure kindness (he hoped), he figured it was best to be completely honest.
"It wasn't anything like that. You see, I lived in a sentient ship called the Lor Starcutter. We got into an argument of sorts, it threatened to torture me and keep me locked up for the rest of my life before it just kicked me out... It was kind of my fault, though. I was badgering the Lor with questions of my past because I don't really know my past because it never told me anything useful-"
Magolor stopped when he noticed the look Marx was giving him. He looked confused and ,above all, dumbfounded. Is a situation like mine uncommon here?
"I'm sorry. Was that too much?"
He was met with a blank stare until it began to transform. The loud, uncontrolled laughter also made a return. Marx laughed until he fell out of chair and actually rolled on the floor. He attempted to speak between fits of laughter.
"You! Hehehe- You sound like you're on some serious crack, bro! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Sentient ships? That's a new one on me! Oh, my ribs! Hehehahaha!"
Marx eventually composed himself, wearing a semi-friendly, semi-mischievous grin.
"Wow, this is the most entertainment I've had in a long time! You and me? We're going to be good friends. Do you want something to eat? You look half starved in those baggy clothes. Go help yourself, then I want to hear more about this interesting life of yours!"