Marx was not entirely sure how a full year had slipped by, but it had done just that.
His new life at Castle Dedede was no walk in the park. It was the first time he had been given a real job, after all. Working for someone he hated was not what he would have preferred, but it was slightly better than doing nothing all day. Better than living in one room forever at least. Better than being feared and hated by everyone. It was the first time he had friends, too. Clueless Magolor and slightly less clueless Taranza made his arrangements bearable. Taranza was a complete airhead, but he was at least entertaining and surprisingly useful in the magic department. Magolor on the other hand, had quite a few problems on his hands...
He stopped talking for a while after it happened. The Halcandran spent nearly two weeks locked in their shared quarters, refusing to do anything but sit in a corner. Any attempts to remove the crown either did nothing or gave Magolor (almost literal) head-splitting migraines. Whether he liked it or not, he was stuck with it. They even brought a doctor from the other side of Popstar in to see him, though it did not help. The man saw nothing physically wrong with Magolor. Not even the red eyes seemed to indicate a potential health problem. However, the doctor confessed to Marx out of the others' range that magical artifacts and red eyes are never a good sign, and that it might be safer to send him away, or perhaps even kill him. The jester gladly showed him to the door... after a necessary ass-kicking when no one was looking.
Magolor was not a monster, and both Marx and Taranza were determined to prove it. After endless coaxing and reassurance, they half-dragged Magolor out of hiding to interact with the rest of the world. From there, the problem nearly fixed itself. The king adored his new accessory and congratulated him on finding such an interesting artifact. Kirby was absolutely fascinated with it, which prompted a million questions and dragging Magolor off somewhere to play. The servants hardly glanced in his direction, too busy with work to assume anything strange. Even Meta Knight himself seemed at least somewhat impressed that something so valuable ended up in their hands. The encouragement did wonders for Magolor. Slowly but surely, he began to act like himself again.
The instant word of his recovery was out, Meta Knight was at their door, ready to put them all to work.
After the truce with Meta Knight, plans were put into action. Now that everyone was on the same side, he reluctantly let Magolor, Marx, and Taranza in on what he did far below the grounds of Dreamland. He took them to his base at the coast of Orange Ocean, where his crew and associates resided. The large building was bustling with knights of every shape and size. They brought in information about everything going on in every corner of Popstar. Marx compared the fortress to a doomsday bunker for crazy people or perhaps an ant farm, but the knights did not appreciate his humor. He wanted nothing to do with this place, but it fascinated Magolor. It was probably the first advanced technology he had seen since he left his ship. He eagerly took in everything: engines, weapons, computers, scale models of machines, and just about anything else made of metal. The Halcandran was basically a kid in a candy store, much to Meta Knight's amusement. The knight took them to the lowest part of the compound to reveal his project.
It was the largest room they had ever seen, filled mostly with metal parts waiting to be assembled. It would be here that they would construct an impenetrable battleship, currently dubbed "Halberd" to escape planet Popstar. A crew had already been hired, and knights were on hand to build it, but Meta Knight was short of people intelligent enough to read and make blueprints for something so large and complex. Magolor agreed to assist in that department, which made the others reluctantly agree as well. Thus, a year of hard work flew by.
The alliance had a rocky start. Right off the bat, the knight argued with Magolor over the blueprints pretty much every time they looked at them. Meta Knight had left out many crucial safety and comfort mechanisms, and Magolor insisted on scrapping the entire design and starting over. This infuriated the knight, who was set on leaving out what they could to save time. After an hour-long ordeal (and one broken chair later), the ship was redesigned from the ground up, and the construction of the skeleton began. Actual construction was as long as it was tedious. When Magolor wasn't overseeing the Halberd, he took a liking to asking traveling knights about their journeys. Taranza assisted in the building process using his magic, though he took greater interest in other duties, such as cleaning, organizing, and even preparing food. Marx gladly accepted the opportunity to boss around the workers. He had read enough about building things to know when someone was screwing up, then never hesitated to scold, lecture, or even nip at their heels with his fangs. No one shirked their work when Marx was prowling around. Under the watchful eyes of Meta Knight, everything was running smoothly. For a while, at least.
Their absence from the castle did not go unnoticed, and little Kirby was outraged that Magolor never had time to play anymore. The project was strictly secret, and it was thought best that the king and other inhabitants did not know what was coming. To top it all off, exhaustion was setting in. They worked unyielding for hours until they fell asleep. Magolor informed Meta Knight that no one should be worked so relentlessly. The knight would have ignored him, but Marx tipped him off that a dead crew can't work, glancing pointedly to the dragging knights across the room. Construction was halted temporarily, and everyone returned full-time at the castle. This break was divine for the three friends, who had not had any time to spend together without Kirby or Meta Knight. They spent time reading in the library, concocting strange recipes in the kitchens, and playing in the surrounding forests. It was a breath of fresh air for everyone.
Yet all too soon, it grew stale.
-
Magolor yawned, tightening his grip on his blanket to keep out the chill. He was reluctant to leave his warm bed after such a peaceful sleep, but a Sword Knight rushed in their quarters at midnight, urging them to go to Meta Knight's room immediately. Marx growled at the intruder, but he obeyed purely because he was half-asleep. Taranza closed the door behind them as they silently trekked down the halls of Castle Dedede to avoid arousing suspicion.
Marx cursed under breath. "Doesn't Metal-head know that non-vampires need to sleep?"
"Let's just get this over with." Magolor quietly sighed, "It could be important."
The journey upstairs silent until they arrived at the knight's door. After a gentle knock, they were quickly brought into Meta Knight room, the door locked behind them. He as awake and aware as usual. Was Marx not kidding about this guy being a vampire?
"Do pardon the rude awakening. I received news that couldn't wait a moment longer. I have a job for you three."
"Oh, bestow upon my wretched soul such invaluable quests of wisdom." Marx proclaimed, not without laughing between words.
"I was just brought in-tell from various parts of Popstar that no one is dreaming."
This statement got the three to pause. After an exchange of confused looks, Meta Knight explained further.
"I mean what I say quite literally. People on every corner of Popstar are reporting the same thing. Every since about three days ago, no one has had a single dream. Not even those afflicted with terrible nightmares can dream. It is strange. Normally, I wouldn't care, but something this widespread could be a sign of worse things to come. If something is happening to Popstar, it could hinder our plans to escape. If we are on the subject of dreams, I need someone to investigate the Dream Spring and the Star Rod."
He then proceeded to explain these things to Magolor. On the edge of Dreamland, dreams and hopes once gushed forth from the Dream Spring, fueled by the Star Rod. The magic of the spring enhanced the dreams of those on Popstar, good or bad. It was theorized that either the spring was created by magic users who relied on dreams to see into the future or past, or that no one was meant to be able to dream on Popstar at all until the spring formed on its own. The fountain baring the Star Rod in the center of the spring regulated the dreams, and allows all creatures the ability to dream. If no one was dreaming, something must have happened to the Star Rod.
As the story was concluded, Taranza asked, "Do you think someone stole it? What would someone want with the Star Rod anyway?"
Meta Knight merely shrugged. "It could have simply fallen out of place, or knocked down by someone foolish. In that case, all you have to do is put it back in place. I'll cover for your absence while you take care of business. No one needs to know if there is an actual crisis, understand?" He made meaningful eye contact with each of them.
Marx was already turning around, heading for the door. He had not seen the fountain in a while, and it would be at least interesting to see it again. Taranza was quick to follow, now fully awake and pumped to go on such an important mission. Just as Magolor reached the doorway, Meta Knight called him back. "Hey, wait a moment."
Magolor hid any hint of nervousness. "Yes? Did you have something else to tell us?"
"I have something to tell you. not about the mission, though. I'm referring to your artifact." He responded bluntly as usual. "Given that it is magic, I strongly recommend you seek an apprenticeship somewhere and learn to use it properly. There's no sense in letting it go to waste just sitting on your head."
"An... apprenticeship? Where would I find someone able to teach me? Where would I even look?" The idea made sense, but Magolor was content pretending the crown did not even exist. The thought of using it brought up an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.
The knight seemed to detect his unease and tried to be reassuring. "There is no shortage magic-users on Popstar. You may even be able to learn some basics from Taranza. Just don't go burning down forests or raising the dead. We have a reputation to uphold."
Magolor decided to ignore that last comment. Does he have to make everyone sound like a burden? "I-I guess I'll look into it."
With that said, he left to catch up to the others. Magolor let his thoughts wander as Marx made plans to travel first thing in the morning. Sleep did not come immediately when they were back in bed. What kind of things can I do with the crown? I've seen creatures use things like fire and electricity... Maybe I can do that? Oh, I have no idea... I don't even know what I wouldwantto do. I guess Meta Knight is right. I need someone to teach me a thing or two about magic. Hey... maybe we'll run into someone while we investigate the Dream Spring.
-
The stars are brilliant tonight. Their light speckled the night sky, never ceasing to amaze the old warrior. He had mapped them dozens of times and used their positions to guide him through unfamiliar territory. Then again, the stars never changed. Was anywhere truly unfamiliar when they were always above him? He reminded himself of these things when nights were cold and lonesome. It was a brief distraction from the pains of travel as well.
The knight had acquired a scrape here and there, though the dislodged wing was more bothersome. Nothing he had not dealt with before, at least. Unfortunately, he was in no position to seek help. He could not even afford to stay in his makeshift camp for a prolonged period. The thought of sleep made him weak, but he roughly shoved the thoughts away, turning to the stars once more. No, there was no time to get comfortable. Not when so much trouble was on the horizon. The ability to dream had ceased, and never had he seen the inhabitants of Popstar grow so violent and restless. Were things things related... or was something darker at play? Either way, it was bad, and no one was doing anything about it. He had no choice but to take up the mission himself. Alone though, he was embarrassed to admit that he had achieved very little.
He allowed himself to rest against a tree, careful not to agitate his useless feathered limb.
Soon enough, I will find who is responsible for this, and I will not be kind.
I've lost my home once, and I won't let it happen again.