FINAL STAGE: MT DEDEDE
The castle was bustling with people coming to the grand banquet. Magolor felt slightly intimidated among so many people in an unfamiliar environment. The castle had been thoroughly cleaned for its many guests, who often waved to Magolor as he and Kirby passed. Waddle Dee servants observed Magolor with much curiosity, though they scattered when Kirby shooed them away. The Halcandran took in all the sights and sounds, mud brick walls and grateful chattering. Kirby guided him through long hallways and into the throne room where the festivities were taking place.
Long tables surrounded by chairs had been set up in front of the king's throne, overflowing with more food than Magolor had ever seen in his life. People of all shapes and sizes were scattered around the room, eating and happily chatting among themselves. At the head of the table was the king of Dreamland himself, King Dedede, talking with an elderly couple. The king was twice Magolor's size and garbed in luxurious red robes. There was a jolly gleam in his eyes as he talked. Magolor suddenly felt nervous to approach the king in his tattered, fading blue cloak. Kirby did not allow his kitty to back down, though. The pink puff waved to the king and proceeded to drag Magolor to him.
"Hey, Dedede! Look what I found! I brought someone to dinner!"
"Ah, that's wonderful, Kirby. Bring him over!"
This is it. This is it. No turning back. Kirby and Magolor stopped at the king's side, where Magolor hesitated to introduce himself. Dedede seemed to notice his internal struggle and opted to speak first and shaking his hand in welcome.
"It is nice to see a new face today. There is no need to be shy. Everyone is welcome here to eat and enjoy themselves! That is the purpose of hosting a banquet, after all. A king should always open his doors to his people. Now, who might you be, and what corner of Popstar did you come from?"
Kirby spoke next, unknowingly covering for Magolor who struggled to remember all his previous lies. "This is my new kitty, Mark! Daddy found him and saved him from drowning! He's going to live with me now."
The king clapped his hands together, clearly overjoyed. "That's wonderful! Seeing you and Meta Knight spread some kindness is a grand sight. Welcome to the family, Mark. Please, have a seat with us. You look nearly starved."
Kirby was equally overjoyed by the compliment and scurried off to fill a plate with food. Magolor was frozen where he stood, unsure what to do. Part of him wanted to take up the offer and indulge in being treated so kindly. However, the other louder part of him argued that there were more important things to take care of right then and there. If Meta Knight truly desired to kill the king, someone needed to know. Magolor sighed, knowing the latter option would be the best choice. It would be selfish to ignore such an issue.
Magolor sat down next to the king, ignoring the succulent scent of fresh food in front of him. Where should I even begin... If he suspects nothing, he probably won't believe me. I'll just work my way up to it. Yeah, I'll start casual, and then get to the possible murder plot. His thoughts were interrupted when the king gave him a concerned look.
"Are you not hungry, Mark? If you are feeling unwell, I can send you to our medical staff."
"N-no, I'm fine! I was... just wanting to talk to you." Magolor lowered his voice as he continued, "I didn't really want to talk about... personal business in front of Kirby."
There was a knowing look in the king's eye as he nodded slowly. "I understand. There's no need to upset the children, after all. What troubles brought you to the castle?"
"W-well... I recently lost my home, and I heard about this banquet, so I thought I could come here for help and maybe find some answers for my past. I sort of... got into some trouble along to way." Magolor pointedly glanced at Kirby, hoping the king might understand his predicament.
The king did not move a muscle. "What kind of trouble?"
Magolor lowered his voice down to a whisper. "I'm kind of here against my will right now. I was planning to run away, but then I heard about a plot to-"
Magolor paused when Kirby returned with a loaded plate and took a seat next to him. Dang it! I was so close! He looked like he understood, too... Does this kind of thing happen a lot? The king went back to his cheerful self, covering their tense conversation to avoid Kirby's curiosity.
"Well, Mark. If you're looking for answers, I know someone who might be able to help. You see, we recently took in a strange fellow with amnesia that fell from the sky. Perhaps someone different like you could jog his memory."
It took Magolor a moment to catch up with the king's line of thought, and he quickly nodded. It's okay. I'll just have to warn him later. Now that I have his attention, it should be easier, right? Anyway, finding some answers will be nice, too. A guy with amnesia, and me not knowing where I came from... Could there be a connection? Dedede waved over some Waddle Dees and told them to bring their guest out of hiding. They silently agreed and dashed down the nearest hall. Moments later, they returned with a creature Magolor was unfamiliar with.
The "strange fellow" was some sort of arachnid, having six unattached hands, fours eyes, and sharp fangs. White locks covered his head, only disturbed by horns on either side. The guest wore some sort of green suit and a yellow scarf with a beautiful pink flower sewn onto it. Magolor had never seen a creature like him during his travels. As soon as their eyes met, the stranger adopted a goofy grin of joy and eagerly approached. He shook Magolor's hands roughly, surprising him with a strong grip. His voice was deep and loud.
"Wow! Another new guy! Isn't that amazing? Hey there. I'm Taranza! It's nice to meet you. What's your name? Where are you from? I want to know everything about you! Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to get in your face like that. I just like meeting people!"
Magolor tried to put some distance between them, unsure how to respond to someone so... outgoing and energetic. Taranza could not seem to sit still. The king laughed, unable to hide his amusement at their opposing personalities.
"No need to be shy, Mark. Taranza will surely have something interesting to tell you. Kirby, why don't we give them some time to get acquainted? You can help me get some desserts from the kitchens."
Kirby's big blue eyes shined as he dashed off, followed by the king at a slower pace. Magolor understood that Dedede had given him another chance to spread the word without Kirby or Meta Knight involved and perhaps solve a now growing mystery.
Magolor straightened up and introduced himself. "Hello, Taranza. My... My name isn't really Mark, but we can get to that later. I have something very important for the king to know and it can't wait."
"I'm sure you have something important to tell him! You came here to get help, right? Like a job or a place to stay?"
"Well, yes, but something more important came up! I was brought here by Kirby and Meta Knight, and-"
Taranza flinched, looking rather nervous. "Oh. I get it. You want to get out, right? There's no easy way to do that."
"Well, yes, but there's something else that's really important." Magolor made his frustration clear in his words, knowing that Kirby or the knight could show up at any moment. "Meta Knight said something strange about the king not being around for much longer. I think he's planning to do something to King Dedede. I tried to tell him, but I didn't want Kirby reporting to Meta Knight. Do you think there is anything we can do to stop him?"
The spider stared at him as if the Halcandran had grown another head. "Stop him? You think we could stop Meta Knight? Are you crazy?! Do you have any idea what would happen to us if he even knew those words left your mouth? We'd be in the dungeon forever! Or servants forever! Maybe even dead forever!"
Magolor tried to ignore the stab of worry growing in his heart. "I know he's kind of scary, but there has to be someone who can stop him. Isn't there something we can do? We can't let someone murder the king if we know in advance."
With a sigh of disappointment, Taranza shook his head. "Everyone is too afraid of Meta Knight to stand up to him. Anyone who tries to reason with him goes missing. Sometimes new people go missing anyway... especially his favorites. Look, I feel bad for you, but we're in the same boat apparently. I want to go home and so do you. If we try to leave, we'll probably never see the light of day again. If you really want to stop a guy like Meta Knight, we're going to need magic."
"Magic? You mean enchantments, potions, and such?"
Taranza nodded, now smiling again as he thought more about the possibility of freedom. "Yeah! Popstar is littered with special things, so the story goes. If we can find some powerful artifacts, we might actually be able to take him out and save the king! Maybe then I can go home... wherever that is..."
Magolor felt a wave of sympathy for Taranza, who was clearly dealing with some inner turmoil. When did I get mixed up with so many problems other than mine? I guess that's what I get for trying to be nice in a world that doesn't want to be nice to anyone... He doesn't look familiar to me, and he doesn't seem to recognize me either. I guess the king's theory is busted. I think I found another ally, though.
"Um, Taranza? I'm sorry about what happened to you. I lost my home, too, and I've been trying to find a new home. If you're willing to help me with the king, I'll try to help you as well. My name is Magolor by the w-mmmph?!"
Magolor was silented by a bone-crushing hug as Taranza began to weep dramatically. Tears flowed freely as the spider sniffled and cuddled the suffocating Halcandran.
"T-t-t-thank you s-so much! No one has e-ever been so nice to me before! If you need anything, you tell me, okay?!"
"OXYGEN"
It suddenly occurred to Taranza that Magolor needed to breathe and promptly dropped him. Magolor gasped for air, feeling broken but still somewhat accomplished. A new friend had been made, and a new goal was in sight that would solve all of his problems: stop Meta Knight's reign of terror.
-
After recovering, the two talked for a while and learned each other's story. Taranza had no memories of where he came from. Some Waddle Dees apparently saw him fall out of the clouds one day, unconscious and badly wounded from what looked like a terrible fight. He was taken to the castle, where he agreed to work until his memories returned or someone came looking for him. Meta Knight questioned him every chance he got, wanting to know where he came from and how he got here, which forced Taranza to spend half the day or more in hiding. The knight eventually dropped his hostility completely and put on a show of being friendly. He even surprised Taranza by offering him another job, vaguely mentioning that he was building something big and needed intelligent help. The newcomer nearly fell into the trap, but some of the castle's staff warned him that Meta Knight was bad news.
Magolor repeated his tale of being abandoned by his ship and traveling across Popstar at the advice of a friend. He shivered as he told of his strange near-death experience and being rescued by Meta Knight. When he mentioned how the knight wanted favors in return for his life, Taranza's face lost some color, though Magolor did not notice.
"Wow, that's quite a story. You've been through a lot. But we've got each other now! We'll get through this, no doubt! The king has a huge library, so we can research the nearest artifacts and start planning a way to go get them. It would be great if we could ask the servants for help, but we wouldn't want to deal with spies. I guess it's up to the two of us to-"
"HEY YOU! THE ONE IN THE STUPID OUTFIT!"
Magolor froze, instantly recognizing that scratchy voice. They turn around to see Marx himself, roughed up but alive and wearing a vicious scowl. Other travelers fled out of his way as he limped towards Magolor. He glared at the Halcandran with tears in his eyes. Taranza looked at him in awe.
"Whoa... That's the jester that everyone talks about. The one who isn't afraid of anything. Hey, that's the guy from your story, right?"
Magolor did not answer him, but left his chair to meet Marx halfway. "Marx, I can't believe you're here. Did you come all this way by yourself to see me? You look terrible... Did you get hurt?"
"Bite me," the jester sneered. "If you turn this into something emotional, I'll never forgive you... Go get me something to eat. I haven't eaten since yesterday. Eating takes too much of my valuable time."
"Hehe... Alright. I missed you, too. You should sit with us."
Marx huffed and never lost his frown, but he gave into exhaustion and sat down in a chair next to Magolor. The jester let the rim of his now dirty hat fall over his eyes, wanting to hide from the stares of other people. I can't believe I did this. I traveled half of Popstar on foot in two days or less for a clueless stranger. He only looked up when a generous plate was put in front of him, only to find that Magolor had not placed it there. King Dedede had returned and quickly noticed the new guest, one with an infamous reputation. He smiled kindly and patted the jester on the head.
"Well, if it isn't Marx! I'm surprised, but glad, to see you at my banquet. And it seems you're already making friends as well! This is just wonderful!"
Marx flinched upon being touched, though it was impossible to tell from his blank expression how he felt. The jester numbly stared at the food before him, noting that the king had actually remembered that he did not need utensils. No one's ever done something like that for me before... Magolor watched with fascination from a distance, wondering how someone as chaotic as Marx would react. Much to his surprise, the jester's look softened as he grabbed some fresh bread with his teeth and consumed it quickly. The king was satisfied that his guest was taken care of and went back to chatting with his people. Magolor could not help but to smile. His first friend and his new one were here with him when he needed them most. He joined them again after getting an assortment of food, sitting right next to Marx and across from Taranza. A mostly one-sided conversation, hosted by Taranza, showed no signs of slowing or changing as Magolor sat down.
"-but I'm pretty sure I landed on my head. That's what most people tell me after I talk to them for a while. What were we talking about again?"
Marx rolled his eyes and responded blandly, "I have absolutely no idea. I wasn't even listening for the most part."
"Wow... You looked like you were listening really well. Are you an actor or something?"
"Of a sort. I'm all about comedy if you can't tell from my dashing attire."
Taranza grinned and clapped some of his hands together. "Oh! Do you know any good jokes? Please, tell me one!"
Marx paused before developing the most devilish grin he could muster. "I'd be happy to!"
The jester proceeded to tell the dirtiest joke he could think of on the spot. Marx and Taranza were soon red in the face and laughing obnoxiously, though the crude humor went right over Magolor's head. This earned him some sympathetic looks. He started eating while they laughed and joked, trying to ignore the fact that people were avoiding them now. The Halcandran tried his best to pace himself after not having anything to eat since he met Meta Knight and Kirby. Never had food tasted so good. Fresh bread and hot soup did wonders for him. Eventually his companions calmed down and started to dig into their plates as well. The three did as the king intended, eating until they could no longer. Magolor relaxed in his chair and leaned back, wishing he could fall asleep there and pretend that nothing was wrong. A young voice that stiffened his spine prevented him from doing so.
"Mark! Are you finished? Let's go play now! Hurry, hurry!"
Kirby had returned, eager to play with his new pet. The little puff wore a stubborn expression, meaning another distraction may not spare him this time. Magolor looked to his friends for help. Taranza was awkwardly sipping at his drink and avoiding eye contact. Marx was staring at Kirby like the child had just announced a mass murder. Kirby took notice of the jester and stared back curiously.
"Who are you? You look funny... and dirty. If you make a mess, you better clean it up before Daddy gets mad!"
Marx snarled at him, "Lots of dangerous things look funny and dirty. Go mind your own business, puffy. Scram!"
He finished the statement with a hiss, drawing his lips back to reveal sharp fangs. Magolor swore that there was a tinge of fear in the jester's eyes. Kirby stumbled back, bottom lip trembling in his fright, and took a deep breath. Magolor thought that he would cry from being frightened. He left his seat and approached the boy to try to mend the situation, but Kirby unleashed a near deafening scream before he got the chance.
"DAAAAADDY!"
As the name was uttered, the liveliness in the room died. Any travelers left in the room fled before the storm hit, for fear of being caught in it. Waddle Dee servants ushered the king to safety, despite a brief protest. Taranza ducked down under the table just as Meta Knight entered the room, sword drawn. Cold golden eyes landed on Marx and Magolor, lingering on the latter. The knight strode confidently to Kirby's side, pausing only a moment before he spoke in a calm, collected manner.
"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. The lonely forest trash. Read anything interesting lately?"
Marx huffed and jumped out of his seat, putting on a show of bravery. "What's wrong? Surprised that trash slipped under your psycho radar? You must be getting rusty."
Kirby spoke up before Meta Knight could retort. "He said mean things to me! And I didn't do anything wrong! And he sat in my spot next to my new kitty!"
"Is that so? That won't do at all." The knight faced Marx again. "I don't know exactly what relations you have with Mark here, but they don't matter now. Kirby has made it perfectly clear where he belongs, and I am making it very clear now that no one wants you here. Things like you don't belong anywhere. I'll only ask you nicely once to leave."
Marx paused for a moment, letting the meaning of all the words and Magolor's difficult position soak in. So, he didn't actually make it to the castle. He was dragged in by this pompous dirt-eating windbag. This creep wants to make him a pet. Like hell am I letting that happen!
"Thanks for the advice, pal, but I'm not leaving without my friend here. Finders keepers, you know? If you want to get technical, I have first dibs... and I'm not letting anyone else get dragged down by the likes of you. Not while I'm right here. I know all about how twisted you are, and you know how twisted I am... How about we settle this the Popstar way?"
The knight eyes gleamed with excitement. "A duel? With you? You don't stand a chance against me. I have much more battle experience than you, and I actually have a weapon."
Marx smirked right back as Magolor watched the exchange in silent horror. "Whaaat? Is the great, all powerful Meta Knight scared of losing? That sounds... That sounds just like... a coward."
This was the magic word for Meta Knight. He charged forward, sword held high, ready to cut the jester in half. Marx nimbly dodged by jumping onto the table. In a swift motion, he kicked a glass of champagne into the knights face, giggling as he shivered with barely restrained anger. Magolor ducked under the tables where Taranza and Kirby now hid. Oh, this is terrible! Meta Knight might kill Marx... and it will be all my fault. He only came here to find me... A hand tugging at his scarf dragged him away from his thoughts. Kirby was slowly making his way out of the room, and Taranza was pulling him in the same direction.
"We've got to leave before things get ugly, Magolor!"
"But what about Marx? He might get hurt!"
"If we stay too close, we'll all get hurt! Can't you see that he's buying us time? Let's go while that knight is busy. We can escape!"
The spider ignored Magolor's further protest and dragged him out from under the tables and through a doorway. He looked back for a last glance at his friend. Marx was holding his own, using his teeth to cling to Meta Knight's arm. The knight could not stab at him without risking his own limb in the process. Keep it up. You can do this.
The fight echoed down the halls as Taranza tried to put some distance between them. They moved as quickly as they could, as if the enemy were breathing down their necks. The pink puff ahead of them opened a nearby door and closed it behind him. Taranza was about to pass it when Magolor suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Oh no. I forgot that Kirby took my things. He still has my case from the Lor and my Warp Star! I can't leave those behind!"
"B-but this is our chance to escape!"
"They're the only clues to my identity! Please, I need to get them back!"
Taranza began to wring a pair of his hands nervously, and the other pair finally let Magolor go. He would give anything for clues to his past and did not want to take that away from his new friend. The Halcandran immediately knocked on the door, praying for cooperation.
"Kirby! Please give me my things back!"
A small voice responded, "No! If you're leaving me, then leave!"
Magolor picked up on his hurt tone. "I-it's not about you, Kirby. I have important things to do, and I can't do them here. Please, I have to find out what's in that case and where it came from..."
The door opened just a crack, revealing a curious blue eye. "Can I see what's in it?"
Magolor nodded quickly. "Fine! If we can find a way to open it quickly, I'll let you see."
Taranza whined in protest as Kirby let them in. Kirby's room was surprisingly bare, having only a bed, wardrobe, and a box in the corner for a few toys. Magolor expected someone like Kirby to spoiled with nice things, given his behavior so far. The Halcandran spotted his things on the bed and grabbed the locked suitcase, turning it around to face the lock.
"Okay, the lock has four numbers on it and a button... so... um..."
He toyed with the numbers, rolling the pieces to make different combinations. Taranza was getting more agitated by the second.
"We don't have time to try every number! That knight could notice that we're missing at any moment. Can't we just break into it?"
Magolor hated the idea of trying to break it, but he also felt the pressure of time and reluctantly agreed. Each took turns throwing it, prying at it with objects, and even biting at the lock. Nothing seemed to help. Magolor was about to give up when Kirby gave it one last try. He put in a random code, 0824, and threw it to the ground when nothing happened.
"Maybe it's already broken. It won't do anything!"
A small click indicated success, and all three stood frozen in place. By a stroke of pure luck, Kirby had input the correct sequence. However, no one moved for it right away. None had even the slightest idea what lay inside. It was the mysterious foreign gift from foreign technology. Whether it was meant to help or hinder was unknown.
Kirby shyly covered half his face with his hands. "You guys look first. Tell me when it's safe to look."
Magolor approached with caution and slowly moved the lid back. Inside the case was a strange golden object, embedded with jewels and baring sharp spikes. He dared to pick it up, surprised by its light weight. It glowed softly, radiating a strange aura. He thought it looked like a hat of sorts, but it was far too fancy for casual wear. Holding it made his skin prickle, and it inspired a strangely familiar feeling of nausea in the pit of his stomach. What is this thing? Why do I get these bad vibes from it? It's so... familiar. But I can't place it... I guess we found our "magic artifact."