"Do you want me to paint you a lovely portrait, bro?"

"No, I want directions."

"I could paint you, bro!"

"I want to get to the Butter Buildings."

"Or your friends, bro!"

"Butter Building."

"You know what, bro? You guys need a lovely portrait."

" R-"

"Gee, I haven't had visitors in so long, bro!"

" G!"

"It's done! What do you think, bro?"

"Stars above, someone kill me!"

Progress was being made... Slowly but surely. The semi-cooperative quartet had finally reached the home of the next guardian, Paint Roller. The artist had been ecstatic about receiving company for the first time in a long time. The four were quickly invited into his home among the towers above the Ice Cream Islands. Though, it would have been more accurate to call it a livable canvas than just a home. Shelves were full of paint buckets, and easels lined the walls with finished works, some holding hasty doodles while others held delicate paintings that conveyed a surprising level of skill and passion. Magolor thought the guy was a bit too quirky at times, but he clearly did not mean them any harm. Paint Roller seemed a bit lonely and no doubt wanted to find excuses for them to stay.

Naturally, Marx did not get along with him. Magolor never expected him to, of course. The jester had been barking at him for about an hour now, trying to get information out of the overenthusiastic artist. As Paint Roller spoke, he would draw shapes and creatures that immediately popped off the canvas and bounced around them. Magolor never imagined such a thing to be possible. He automatically flinched when drawn Waddle Dees and objects wandered too close. As opposed as usual, Taranza was thoroughly delighted by the living art. He would talk to them, pet them, and try to pick them up. Of course, nothing ever bothers him. I wish I had his confidence... Then again, I don't think it's a good idea to be brave enough to befriend one-eyed demon monsters...

Since Marx was making no progress, Galacta Knight eventually intervened and approached the guardian politely. "Pardon us, sir. Your work is truly admirable, but we are in the middle of a crisis and in a bit of a hurry."

"Hm? A real crisis, bro?" The artist stopped rolling around and faced the knight, casting a side glance at the other three. "Are your kids sick or something?"

He flinched. "No. We have a very important delivery to make to a friend. There may be grave consequences if we don't get there quickly."

"Why didn't you just say so, bro? I know a short cut," Paint Roller replied, gliding backwards in a carefree manner towards a doorway opposite of them. "Roll on down the hall, take the slide down to the docks, and sail my boat to the mainland, bros! Keep on truckin' on the main roads for a few hours and you'll hit a sign pointing you to Butter Buildings, but that will take a whole day, bros. Instead, you should totally take the first side path you see! It takes you between the mountains instead of over them! Pretty sweet, right bros?"

Marx narrowed his eyes at him. "What's the catch? Short cuts always have a catch."

"Knights camp out there sometimes, bro," the artist laughed nervously and looked down in embarrassment. "It's faster but more dangerous."

"We aren't concerned about them," Galacta assured him. "Thank you very much. We really appreciate this."

The comment about knights did not sit well with the guardian. "Oh... You bros work for... him?"

"We really need to get moving," Marx cut in, "We're wasting time."

Paint Roller's orange face paled as he moved out of their way and pointed to the exit. "R-right. Uh... I guess this is the part where I tell you bros not to cause trouble or else. Us guardians have to keep our lands safe, bros. Our people are upset enough already." He took a moment to stare at them, searching for any hint of deceit. "All people are upset actually... No one can dream, and it's making all my bros tense."

He reluctantly sent them away. They claimed to be on an important mission, which he hoped and suspected to be tied the strange happenings across Popstar. Paint Roller watched them go, wondering how such a group could have come together and gotten tangled in such a mess. All four were clearly determined, but there was definitely something strange under the surface. Was it malicious? No. Intentionally harmful? Doubt it. Likely to cause trouble in the future? Absolutely. Paint Roller had painted and studied many faces throughout his lifetime protecting the Ice Cream Islands. While they were an unusual bunch, he saw no evil in them... but they were definitely in way over their heads.

-

The structure itself looked impossible at the moment. Butter Buildings dwarfed the sky towers from the islands, endlessly stretching outward. It was essentially a city, something uncommon on Popstar, which was dominated by hardly-tamed wilderness. They were already exhausted from the journey there, and the thought of conquering such a beast was even more taxing. The sun had set as the group passed through the mountains, as per the guardian's directions, silently walking past an empty knight's camp. It was well into the night when they reached the base of the buildings. They all sat on the cold white cobblestone walkway leading to the main entrance, sprawled out and weary at the sight of their next endeavor.

"I don't want to move at all," Taranza complained loudly, "We haven't stopped all day!"

Magolor was quick to agree. "I think we need to find somewhere safe to rest. If we have to get into a fight or get caught, we won't win in this condition..."

"You're right," Galacta Knight relented, though he would rather stay on the move. "We can probably set up a decent camp over-"

"We're not camping out here," Marx stated, shooting a glare at the knight. "You probably didn't know, but there are tons of empty rooms in this place. We block off the door, and it's ours. I'm not sleeping in the dirt with you dweebs again. I want an actual bed and sturdy walls. We'd be a lot safer in there than out here."

The inevitable had come, and Galacta politely fired back. "I understand, but none of us don't know what's in there. If we corner ourselves, one ambush could kill us all."

"So then we'd try again next time," the jester replied with smirk, purposely showing off his fangs. "Now let's move. I'm tired."

Marx then entered the building without hesitation. As always, the conversation was over when he decided it was over. One by one, the others followed, Magolor being the first and Galacta Knight being the last. Taranza seemed to ignore the tense exchange. He was more interested in finding somewhere safe to sleep.

The were met with enemies upon entry, but Marx and Galacta moved into action first without hesitation. The jester's fighting style was unpredictable and aggressive, contrary to the knight's equally strong but more fluid movements. While they handled most of the actual fighting, Taranza and Magolor made their jobs easier by managing the fight. Using his ability to levitate freely, the Halcandran could easily distract opponents while safely out of their reach as he herded them towards the warriors. The spider, being highly skilled in magic, could trap any sneaky foes and put them in a well deserved time-out (they could not avoid being spotted by his many eyes). Working together in this manner allowed them to explore quickly and effectively. Before they knew it, they had traveled halfway through the city's tallest building. Just in time, they eventually happened upon a large storage room. At Marx's instruction, the doorway was sealed with an assortment of blocks and dusty furniture.

With a safe zone secured, the group began to settle for the night. Marx did not sit still long. After ten minutes of uncomfortable silence, the jester insisted on scouting the immediate area for anything useful they may have missed. The tenseness in the room did not sit well with Magolor either, who chose to go find extra food. Taranza and Galacta Knight were left to hold their claim until they returned, though intrusion was unlikely given that the room was dusty from disuse. With nothing else to do, Galacta leaned against the wall and began a few doodles in his old sketchbook. As a rough sketch began to take shape, the knight's thoughts slowly drifted to the issues ahead.

Galacta was not sure how to approach Marx. The jester had a tough and immature exterior, though he suspected that the opposite was true inside. He had to be at least somewhat compassionate to be willing to endure two trips around Popstar, gang wars, and Meta Knight's antics just for Magolor and Taranza's sake. As far as he could tell, Marx had no goals in life. He cared for little, maybe not even himself. There was more to Marx than meets the eye though, but he would probably rather die than show that to Galacta Knight. He needed to know more, just enough to know how to avoid further arguments. He wanted to help this planet, but the task would be difficult alone. In that department, his only options were to talk to Taranza or Magolor. Magolor was out of the question. Galacta could hardly look in his direction. Taranza liked to talk, though. About anything. And almost everything else. However, he was not as foolish as he looked. The spider would gladly report to Marx if he were suspicious. The three were obviously close and always looking out for each other. Galacta was still new and not quite part of their... what was it actually? Back home, such a group would be called a "burrow," but that title would imply more heart and bonds that were unbreakable. Is "herd" or "pack" more appropriate here? Regardless, Marx was clearly a leader of sorts, and there would doubtlessly be consequences if he knew that Galacta was questioning his subordinates. At least Taranza seemed to like him well enough. As long as he was careful, he might learn something that could get him on better terms with the jester.

Taranza was sitting in the floor, tracing invisible lines on the map. The task was technically pointless, but the repetitiveness of the activity seemed to satisfy him. Galacta Knight sat down in front of him but chose not to interrupt. He watched the spider moving his hands across the map several times before he realized that he was tracing the course they traveled, from the beginning at Castle Dedede all the way to Butter Buildings. Is he tracking distance? Time? Or maybe just the path we chose?

This went on for another ten minutes before Taranza looked up and gave him a smile. "Hm? Did you need something?"

"Not really," Galacta began, "You seemed busy, and it might have been important."

Taranza straightened out the map and pointed at the castle near the middle. "It's really far away now, and we still have a long way to go. I hope finding the other Star Rod pieces will be as easy as the first one."

"I'm impressed with how well you three have done," the knight admitted sincerely, "Traveling Popstar is difficult, but you make it almost seem easy."

The spider playfully shoved his arm. "Don't be silly! It wasn't easy at all! It's only possible when we work together!"

Galacta Knight thought that this would be a good chance to steer the subject in his intended direction. "Taranza, you know Marx pretty well, right?"

"Yeah," Taranza replied as he smoothed out the map again.

"Since I'm still getting to know you all, and Marx is a very busy guy, maybe you can tell me more about him," he ventured, hoping that he would get some answers.

The young man shifted uncomfortably and kept his gaze on the map. "Um... I don't- I don't know. He doesn't talk about himself... and he doesn't like it when people talk about him either."

"I understand that he probably advised against that," he added quickly, "but he won't let me get to know him. He's determined to hate me. If I could at least find some common ground, maybe we can get along. You don't have to tell me any terrible secrets, but I need to know something about him. Marx will certainly never tell me."

Taranza's blank look turned into a frown. "Asking things behind his back is cheating. It's not right."

Galacta bit his lower lip, knowing this was going nowhere. He switched tactics and lightened his tone even more, like talking gently to a child. "I'm sure it won't upset Marx much if you told me something. Please, Taranza. I don't want to start an argument every time I open my mouth." When the spider maintained a blank yet slightly displeased expression, he started to lose hope. "Do you understand what I mean? I can make it simpler for you-"

Taranza pushed him to the ground viciously, fangs bared too close for comfort. "You-! You-! ARGH! People like you make me so angry! You think I'll do whatever you want and say whatever you want because I'm not as quick as the others! You think I don't get it, but I do! I'm not stupid! I don't want to talk to you anymore! Go away and leave me alone!"

Reacting on instinct, the knight dodged out of the way and made for the door. He squeezed past the blockade and did not pause until he entered a different room. Gods, I'm an idiot. Now two of my allies hate me. Galacta berated himself for letting his desperation get in the way of doing the right thing. Impatience lead him to insult Taranza. The darkness on this planet is affecting me... I'm bullying children now. I've forgotten my training. You can't make a wild bird come to you. To hold it, you must wait for it to accept you first. The wise teachings of his former chief and father-in-law had guided him far in life, and the knight was ashamed to acknowledge just how much he had forgotten during his time on Popstar.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Galacta turned swiftly, a hand naturally prepared to draw his lance. Magolor flinched, nearly dropping the food he had just gathered from the floor above them. The knight took a breath and stilled himself, making a half-turn as to not face the Halcandran directly. "Pardon me, I didn't realize it was you."

"It's-It's okay," Magolor laughed nervously, "I'm on edge here myself. What are you doing out here? You were supposed to- well... you and Taranza were in charge of watching our base..." He did not want to directly accuse the knight of abandoning his post, but he thought it was definitely strange for Galacta to just be standing around elsewhere.

"I needed to step out for a moment," the knight replied shortly.

Magolor paused for further explanation but did not get one. This was the most Galacta Knight had ever even spoken to him. Does he hate me or something? Magolor had noticed early on that the knight avoided being around him, speaking to him, and even looking at him. Try as he might, he could not think of anything he had done to deserve such a shutdown. It had been Magolor's decision, after all, to save his life. I didn't do anything wrong... Just a little gratitude would be kind of nice... He's treating me like I'm a disease or something horrible...

"Do you consider Marx a friend?"

The question was so soft and quiet that Magolor nearly missed it. "Of course. He can be hard to get along with, but that's just how he is. He likes everyone to think that he's tough. N-not that he isn't! Believe me, he can take care of himself."

"Hehe... I've noticed," he muttered in response.

"He won't talk to you, will he?" Magolor took a guess at what inspired the sudden conversation. "I'd rather not say things behind his back. Just give him more time, okay? He'll come around eventually."

Galacta had his back turned to him. "Time isn't exactly on our side, and we're diving head first into trouble. There's no good ending to what we're doing," the knight said honestly, "You know that, right?"

The Halcandran shifted uncomfortably before taking a deep breath. "Yeah... I know, but I've been through quite a few challenges already. I can do it again."

The knight's good wing relaxed and drooped slightly. "She said the same thing," he said wistfully.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." He immediately changed the subject. "How is your training? Are you getting more in control of your powers?"

"I think so," he warily replied, aware more than ever that something strange was going on.

A one-sided conversation ensued, where Magolor described the few fights he ran into while gathering food. He had learned to create small orbs of energy in his hands to throw at enemies. He had discovered this accidentally when trying to push an aggressive Waddle Doo out of his way. He had a creeping suspicion that the crown could do more, but it would no doubt take a while to figure out how it all worked. The thought of being more useful in battle was thrilling to him, though there was a bit of fear as well. Galacta made no comments as he got wrapped up in his newest revelation. At some point, Galacta Knight simply left him there mid-sentence. Magolor gaped for a moment, searching for some possible explanation as to why he was being treated this way.

He eventually gave up and began lugging his cargo back to their base. Only Taranza was there, and he must have fallen asleep at some point. Magolor suddenly remembered just how tired he was from their long day, dropped the bag in a corner, and collapsed in a pile of old blankets and pillows. His troubles temporarily faded as the softness and exhaustion lulled him into a deep sleep.

-

Taranza wrung a pair of his hands nervously as he waited by her door. Another pair cradled a bouquet of pink flowers (the queen's favorite) behind his back. Today was the big day. After much consideration, he finally decided that he was ready to ask what the others called "the big question." A few others said "the ball and chain," but he did not like how that sounded. Those people were quickly silenced though, usually by a crowd of squealing maids. When Taranza first mentioned proposing to Sectonia to her most trusted servants, they were in fits with excitement. Suddenly, everyone knew about it, and he started getting tips and reassurance from everyone he walked passed.

With everything he learned still in his mind, Taranza hoped he was prepared. The queen was precious to him, so everything had to be perfect. It had been arranged for them to have a nice dinner together. Months in advance, he made sure that important work was completed and that the kingdom was patrolled and running smoothly. It was hard work by himself, but he wanted to make sure that his queen would have no worries while she made her decision. He would provide the perfect evening for her. Her favorite foods, a walk through her rose garden, and star gazing... Taranza would make sure she was happy, then he would ask for her hand and promise to make sure she always stayed happy. He wanted to see her smile forever and to smile at her forever. She had changed his life, given him a purpose, and showed her whole kingdom that that he was capable. Sectonia made life worth living.

Taranza steeled himself and knocked on the door to her private chambers. His heart was hammering in his chest as he heard the doorknob turn, and-

Taranza opened his eyes to the storage room and immediately shut his eyes again and covered them with his hands. Flashing images of blurred faces rocked his mind as an unbearable headache threatened to drive him to tears. The struggle was brief, and the pain quickly subsided. Taranza breathed heavily as he tried to make sense of what just happened. That dreamlike sequence could not have been a dream. Dreams would not be possible until the Star Rod was back on the fountain. The spider froze in place as more of the fog left his mind, taking some of the details with it. My... My amnesia is fading. I'm remembering! A wide grin came to his face as he put together what little facts he got from his first memory. He was from a kingdom unlike anything he had seen so far on Popstar, he worked in a castle... and he was in love with someone important. Try as he might, no names or faces came to mind. He only knew that this person was amazing beyond words, and his cheeks felt warm thinking of them and how wonderful they were.

This realization brought emptiness. He had no idea how long he had been gone. Is anyone looking for me? Are they waiting for me? His heart broke at the thought of being assumed dead and forgotten. Or worse, his beloved mourning him while he still lived. More tears fell as he curled up tight in his bed of abandoned clothes and blankets. There was nothing he could do. He had no way of finding his home. In all of Marx's tales of his journeys around Popstar and stories of other planets, he had never described what Taranza saw in his memories. Wherever that magical kingdom lies, it was far away.