Great.
Wrong door.
Again.
Magolor sighed with frustration and brushed off his loose cloak, now showing clear signs of wear and tear. Finding my way around this place is harder than I thought. Marx was right about getting lost easily in this place.
Castle Lololo was proving to be much more of a challenge for Magolor than the forest. The small fortress was practically a labyrinth inside, filled with hidden passages and doorways that lead to traps and dead ends. However, the building itself was quite interesting. Large arches that gave way to open balconies, decorated pillars standing in every hall, fun checkered patterns painted on the walls with care, and there were even rooms filled with crystal clear water. Magolor did his best to avoid these rooms, given that he did not know how to swim and doubted he had the ability to do so. The Halcandran had a few close calls with the residence, though many regarded him as a minor annoyance and ignored his presence entirely. Most of the creatures in the castle appeared to work there, sweeping the floors absently and bumping into him without watching where they were going. The only creatures he recognized were the ever-present Gordos that wandered throughout the castle, probably acting as guards. The spiked spheres watched his every move carefully, as if waiting for a reason to attack. Magolor made sure to give them plenty of space. He gave one of them a friendly wave to show his good intentions, but he quickly realized his error when it glared back him, specifically his hands.
He wandered aimlessly for a while, eventually getting to the roof of the castle. Magolor paused to take a break, taking in the spectacular view. After being dropped off at the entrance of the castle by the Warp Star, he had somehow failed to notice that the structure was built right next to the ocean, which was beginning to turn orange as the sun set. Did I really spend all day getting lost in here? From this point on, there appeared to be nothing but water speckled with small islands. After closer inspection though, there did seem to be a mountainous region somewhere to the west, but it was quite far from the castle. He vainly hoped to spot Castle Dedede, but had no such luck. Magolor turned around to look behind him, looking back at the forested region he left behind. More mountains blocked his view. He thought that perhaps he could see Marx's house from this height and felt a bit disappointed. The jester's encouragement resurfaced, and Magolor put on a confident smile. I'll have to repay him someday. His advice got me through this death trap, so I guess I owe him one. He turned back towards the only doorway left, tightened his grip on his suitcase, and entered.
Had he watched the forest a little longer, he would have noticed a trail of smoke rising far in the distance, a black cloud slowly forming in the cheerful skies of Dreamland.
-
He waited patiently for the flames to die, watching the little cottage blacken and eventually start to crumble. The heat went straight through his armor, but he did not care. After a few moments of eerie silence, he entered the charred dwelling, eyes bright and eager to catch movement. Unfortunately, not much survived the fire. All the furniture was ruined and strangely barren. No food was in storage, no clothes were put away, and the bookshelf was clearly missing a few volumes. The inhabitant took whatever they could and left in a hurry. How disappointing. I was hoping to do this the easy way.
Though his original plans now needed some fine tuning, Meta Knight was not overly concerned by the jester's escape. Part of him had expected the freak to get away despite his carefulness. He was more capable than he looked. Finding him would not be difficult, but the knight thought that shifting his focus for now would be equally effective. After all, he did not want the jester, just information on the strange new anomaly that was quickly making its way through Dreamland. Word of a new presence on Popstar traveled fast, but it always reached Meta Knight first. His informants near Wispy Woods ran to him in a daze, claiming to have seen a strange new species of cat flailing helplessly in the woods and talking to the jester. Normally, they would receive the harshest of punishments for telling such tales, but when they mentioned hearing the roar of a strange but powerful engine in the sky, it got Meta Knight's attention. Popstar tended to have limited technology or none at all depending on location. He took to the skies, searching for signs of a vessel and found it rather easily. Almost exactly in the middle of Popstar, there were imprints in the dirt. The lack of grass in that area indicated that something had been sitting there for an extended period of time. Strangely, the impressions resembled that of a boat, not a star ship. Yet, whatever was there was long gone without a trace. The only clue to its identity and origins lie within this newcomer. What could they be? A tourist? An invader? A warrior? Popstar isn't a popular sight for tourists, though it does tend to draw in trouble.
The Puffball's lungs began to ache, demanding to seek fresh air away from the smoke and ash. Meta Knight left the burned cottage behind and proceeded to stroll leisurely through the forest. The clank of his armor rang like bells of death to the natives, scattering them as far from his path as possible. None dared to cross the knight. To do so was completely out of the question. This fact brought a smile beneath that sliver mask. To be so unquestioned, unbeatable, powerful, was invigorating! There were times when Meta Knight felt concerned for feeling this way. Why should destruction make him shiver? Why should fearful eyes excite him so much? He was not concerned enough to stop it. No, the point of no return was long gone.
Meta Knight had plans for Dreamland and everyone on it.
No stranger was going to stand in his way.
-
Magolor's gaze quickly traveled upward, trying to make sense of the strange tiered room. Each level of the room had a door on each side, though he could not see anything beyond them.
"Hello? Is anyone here? I'm just passing through, and I was hoping to get some directions and maybe a place to spend the night if it isn't too much trouble. Hello?!"
At first, his called were not answered. The sound of dragging wood caught his attention, and Magolor tracked it to the left door on the level above him. He jumped up to meet it, almost hitting his head on a large wooden crate. An embarrassing yelp escaped his throat, and a small blue creature ran out from behind the box.
"Whoa, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay? I didn't hit you, did I?"
"N-no. You just surprised me a bit. Who are you?"
The creature was close to his size, though he had hands and feet. His eyes were big and bright, smiling brighter than a mouth probably could.
"I am Lololo. This castle belongs to my sister Lalala and me. I'm assuming you're a traveler, right? Heading to the king's banquet? We have helped quite a few travelers heading that way, too. You are the only loner, though. Did you lose a friend on the way?"
"That's... accurate. But yes, I am trying to get the the castle. I need the quickest and easiest way to get there."
"A beginner, huh? Well, don't worry too much. We know the perfect path for you to take. You see, the lands can be pretty dangerous, especially in the dark. However, you can skip the deserts and mountainous terrain easily by going right over them! Wait right here. My sister can explain it better than I can."
"Thank you! I really appreciate this."
Magolor was immensely relieved by Lololo's kindness. The news that his journey to the king could be simplified for him was even better. Soon enough, Lololo returned with his sister, whom looked just like him except for having pink skin and a cute orange bow on her head. The three sat down on the floor and began plotting a course on a piece of thick paper. Magolor saw the shape of Popstar for the first time as Lalala drew it out and began labeling destinations. She explained each point to him in a gentle voice that almost embodied comfort itself.
"From the castle, you will need to cross through the Float Islands. As you follow the beach outside the castle, the land beaks up into a bunch of little islands. Sometimes the gaps between the bits of land are too much for a normal jump, so swimming for flying will be necessary. It gives way to ocean eventually, so you can either use a boat or go underground. It's faster to enter a cave. Just avoid the spikes and dead ends, and you should be okay. Once you reach the exit, you can use our boat to reach our friend who can send you up to Bubbly Clouds. You can actually walk on the clouds! Amazing, right?! You can walk right over those nasty obstacles and relax in the skies! In some places, you are high enough to see the stars! It's the perfect place to take someone special! After you reach the guardians, Kracko Jr, and Kracko, you will be right on top of the mountain King Dedede lives on! See? It's easy!"
This... doesn't sound very simplified... Magolor was not so sure about this route. He did not know if he could fly, he probably could not swim, and the Warp Star always left him behind so he could not ride that. Can I navigate caves? Cloud worlds? Falling from the frickin' sky onto a mountain?! Oh, this isn't what I had in mind at all!
"I... um... I appreciate this, really I do! I'm just not so sure if it is the best way for me..."
Lololo exchanged a concerned look with his sister.
"Well, you could go through the desert and climb the mountain, but that's a bit much for a novice without help. I know this isn't the straightest path, but the islands and caves give you more opportunities for things like food and water. Plus, Kracko takes good care to his clouds. You shouldn't run into many conflicts there. Out in the desert, people fight over resources all the time."
Lalala shivered and chimed in immediately after her brother:
"Besides all that, knights patrol the entrances of the castle all day and night! If you approach from the wrong entrance, they might just snatch you up! I don't know why, but the king trusts them and lets them stay there all the time. Surely you've heard the awful rumors about the knights! They pick on poor exhausted travelers, snatch them up, and nobody ever sees them again!"
This second warning made Magolor's fear resurface. This is exactly like what Marx told me... It must be worse than I thought. What would such a nice king want with guys like that? Magolor was about to voice his thoughts when Lololo shook his head at his sibling.
"That's not the worst thing I heard. It's just a rumor, but I heard that they don't kill the people they catch. Some wandering Waddle Dees told me that any soul unfortunate enough to get caught has to join their cause and work for Meta Knight himself... I think that would be way scarier than dying. Have you seen that guy? He's super creepy. I'm glad we work here and not at the main castle. I'd quit before day one started!"
"Hush, Lololo! You're going to scare him!"
Lalala had noticed Magolor's growing anxiety and gave him a comforting pat on the back.
"Don't let my silly brother get to you. Just stick to this path, and you will be okay."
The siblings felt a bit guilty about frightening Magolor and quickly let the subject drop. The two lead him through their labyrinth and into a guest room on the top floor. They ate dinner with him and showed him around the castle. In an attempt to put his mind at ease, Lalala gave Magolor a red and white parasol as a parting gift. She insisted that the object was a good weapon and could be used to float safely down to the castle from the cloud world. When that last rays of light vanished, they escorted Magolor to his room and allowed him to rest. The Halcandran curled up tight in the blankets, unsure whether or not to feel safe in the castle. Too many thoughts and ideas bounced around in his might, constructing the worst scenarios that could possibly happen during his journey.