Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was an odd feeling, in that he couldn’t feel anything. It was almost as if his physical form had vanished from every plane of existence, his very being erased into nothingness. But he knew that wasn’t how it worked. It was impossible to completely destroy matter, so he was still there. His molecules were being rearranged into something greater, something new, something… happy. Even though his physical sense of “feeling” was gone, if there was any sort of emotion he was experiencing right now, it was all happiness.

He had just gone through a literal hell of his own making, one that forced him to improve as a person. At first, his only motivation was to escape, and exact revenge on those who had wronged him. He didn’t know when or how his driving force changed. Maybe it was a result of going through electric valleys, volcanic wilds, arctic grounds, and malefic ruins? Perhaps the rush he got from restoring his lost powers stopped being so addictive? By chance, was it the many supernatural battles he’d had against powerful bosses?

Or… was it one encounter in particular he had, one with the cursed relic that had gotten him into this mess in the first place? Was he destined to change from the very beginning? That harrowing battle with the wrathful wreath had nearly consumed his soul, but it was all over. After felling the parasitic creature, a portal had opened up, one with a sky blue appearance, signaling the end of his perilous journey. He was so happy that he only spent a second or two wiping tears away from his eyes, before floating toward the portal with glee. He wondered, though... maybe he should have LOOKED into the portal before jumping into it? The blue light emanating from it was powerful enough to be seen with his eyes closed, and he just kind of assumed it lead would him back to the blue skies of by far one of his favorite planets ever...

Little of that mattered right now. In time, he could see again. That blinding, bright blue light still consumed his vision, as it seemed to move past him. He figured that he was going through a dimensional tunnel, hopefully back home. He’d earned it, after all. Soon, he was able to feel himself again, wrapped in warm, fresh garments. It wasn’t a new feeling for him, but it had been so long since he had last been able to experience it, that he clung onto it for all that it was worth. His wounds felt like they were closing, and his yellow eyes watered with tears of joy, as he soared into oblivion.

Despite having just died, he felt more alive than ever.

It was at that moment that he swore that he could hear a voice talking to him. It was one of a medium timbre, completely unfamiliar, but also one he had definitely heard before. As visions of entirely different dimensions zoomed past him, he looked toward the voice’s origin, up above. It was almost like there was a hole in his vision, one that the voice was speaking out of. 

A figure seemed to materialize, one unlike any he had ever seen before. Its proportions were much taller and slimmer, and its face bore a disarming smile. It wore clothes, donned glasses, and had hair, the same way a lot of people did, but it looked so different on them. Clearly, they were not a being of this universe. What were they, then? An onlooker, of sorts? Some kind of wayfarer, like him? No… they couldn’t be a deity …could they?

Looking deep into this overwhelming presence’s eyes, he felt overwhelmed. He had never felt so scared before, not even when he was in mortal danger, a situation he had only recently been introduced to. He could hardly move, speak, or even think. Whatever was staring at him right now, he was in no position to fight against it.

But, thankfully, he didn’t have to. The figure calmly spoke to him, in its paradoxically-recognizable-yet-totally-alien voice, in a language he couldn’t even fathom. It wasn’t like any language he had studied before! It was more like some kind of higher-power speak!

“Ma… ho… roa…”

Was it saying his name? He couldn’t really hear it that well, probably due to the interdimensional antics happening all around him at the moment. The figure suddenly stopped, probably realizing that they couldn’t be understood by him.

Then, something crazy happened. The figure snapped their fingers, producing a (Click!) loud enough to be heard across the universe. Suddenly, he could perfectly understand what was being said to him.

“You have a long journey ahead of you. I will watch over you until you have done what you need to do. I… no. WE are all rooting for you. Don’t be led into temptation, and learn to deliver yourself from evil. You’ll know when you are finished with your duty, helping the people of the land.”

It was all so much to process for the wizard.

“There is no one else quite like you, my child…”

He began to slip under, his consciousness fading.

“...so please, do not let us down.”

Everything went light.

Chapter Text

“aaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

-OOF!!"

Magolor stopped screaming as he finally stopped tumbling. He had been falling for hours… or, at least, it FELT like hours. Despite the fact that he’d done several flips, twists, and turns, he felt surprisingly okay, making a deceptively soft landing on what looked like a cobblestone path, partially covered in moss. Quickly, he regained his bearings, looking up and around him, every which way. “Where am I? Kirby? You guys? …Hello…?”

Immediately adjusting to his surroundings, Magolor heard an ominous droning sound emanate from behind him. Swiftly turning around, he saw the star-shaped portal he just came through. The swirling, dark mass visible inside it captivated him completely, as he stood there, briefly reflecting on the journey he had finally finished.

“Wow… to think I was just on the other side of this portal, fighting for my life. Man, am I glad that awful crown is stuck in there, and I’m out here… but, what I wanna know is-”

Suddenly, the portal shimmered and shined, and it spat out a foreign object that clanked onto the ground next to Magolor, shocking him. Immediately after, it closed, never to open up again.

“Woah… what IS this?” Magolor questioned aloud, examining the object. It was shaped similarly to an apple, just like the giant fruit Magolor had to reform in order to regain his powers and escape Another Dimension. However, it was much smaller, and it looked as though there was something sprouting from it. It was a literal sprout, a baby tree, with a golden-something wrapping around its tiny trunk. The apple itself was also glittering and glowing, further heightening the similarities between it and the aforementioned fruit.

“It’s like a gem… apple. Dangit, Magolor, you need to expand your vocabulary. All those languages you’ve studied and yet you still can’t make a sentence sound smart.” Suddenly, he let out a loud sigh. “No… no bad mouthing myself. I didn’t come all this way out of HELL just to belittle my own efforts. Right now, I need to find Kirby, and-”

Magolor turned around while talking to himself, only to stop dead in his tracks, dropping the “gem apple” onto the stony ground beneath him.

Standing there, right in front of him, was a Waddle Dee wearing a blue bandana, frozen in fear. He was visibly quivering, his eyes were pure white, and he was mumbling incoherently.

“M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-”

“Oh #$%&!” Magolor said aloud, taken aback by this sudden presence. “Uh, ummm… crap, you’re, you’re uh… whatshisface! They, they called you… gaahhh…” Magolor snapped his fingers and racked his brain, trying to remember the name of this incredibly familiar face he had JUST gotten acquainted with (and tried to kill).

“Oh yeah! Bandana Waddle Dee!”

The Waddle Dee suddenly clammed up even further.

Magolor raised up his gloved finger, ready to apologize... only to stop. He just couldn’t get the words out, no matter how hard he tried. His finger then drooped, as he felt it get harder to breathe. “No, no, NO! Come on, don’t get stage fright NOW! This is it, the first step to redemption! I can’t falter, not here! TELL HIM YOU’RE SORRY ALREADY!!”

“I, u-uh…” Magolor stuttered, tugging at his collar, “I just want to say… well, y-you see… whew, it sure is… (gulp) w-wow, what happened to the atmosphere around here…?”

Suddenly, there were TWO babbling idiots in the middle of the town square. Magolor felt his cheeks go red (hopefully they weren’t visible through his cloak), as he started to sweat and shake a little, having to FORCE an apology out of himself. “Bandana Waddle Dee… I’m… ugh... s-sorry."

“...What…?” Bandana Waddle Dee spoke up, calming down just enough to hear the world’s worst, most unintelligible apology leave Magolor’s concealed mouth. “Did, did you say something-”

“I SAID I’M SORRY!!” Magolor suddenly shrieked, grabbing him on his “shoulders”. “I’M SORRY FOR MAKING YOU COLLECT THE ENERGY SPHERES, I’M SORRY FOR PUTTING YOU IN DANGER, I’M SORRY FOR BETRAYING YOU AND NEARLY KILLING YOU MYSELF, I’M SORRY FOR ALMOST TAKING OVER THE UNIVERSE, I’M SORRY!!”

As Magolor screamed his heart out, pouring out “sorry” after “sorry” after “sorry”, he was shaking Bandana Waddle Dee incessantly. The poor Dee was being rattled harder than a pair of maracas, while the egg-shaped wizard was going on and on about his transgressions.

“Please, I… I’ve learned! I’ve changed! Never again will I pursue power like that, at the cost of everything else!” Magolor said through labored breaths and frenzied tears. At some point, he stopped shaking Bandana Waddle Dee, and instead was leaning on him for support, trying not to just break down into a sobbing mess (sadly, he had already done that).

“So… j-just in case it isn’t clear…” Magolor said, as he clenched all his muscles, and immediately bowed on the ground beneath him.

“I’M REALLY SOORRRRRRRRYYYYYY!!”

…

Magolor looked up from his bow, seeing Bandana Waddle Dee stare dead at him. The silence was deafening. Magolor held back all his sniffling and breathing, just waiting for him to say ANYTHING.

Unfortunately, Bandana Waddle Dee then fainted. He fell backward onto the ground, totally unconscious.

“DUDE?!” Magolor yelped in shock. Quickly, he bolted upright, inspecting the fallen Dee. “Oh, for the love of-! Come on, don’t die on me! You were strong and brave enough to nearly kill me, but you pass out when I TALK to you?!”

“HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Magolor turned his head, hearing a gruff voice shout at him from a distance away. He saw more Waddle Dees, brandishing spears and wearing royal garb. “Leave that poor kid alone! GET HIM!!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Magolor groaned, as he grabbed Bandana Waddle Dee and ran from the storm of royal guards chasing after him. “Great. Way to go, Magolor. My biggest chance to put the past behind me, and it’s already gone.” As Magolor ran through the area, he took note of where he was.

“Looks like some kinda town…? That’s odd. When I was on Planet Popstar, the Lor didn’t tell me about any town that looked like this. I had it scan every last inch of that shining yellow star! I think I would remember a place like this existing, no?”

Other town residents watched on as Magolor easily outran the guards, even with an incapacitated Bandana Waddle Dee weighing him down. “Man, these guys aren’t very capable, huh? Like, I know YOU’RE strong, bandana-boy, but these other Dees are hardly able to keep up with me.” Magolor flew up to a rooftop, one that gave him a good view of where he just was.

“So, I guess I ended up in the town’s center… that’s interesting. It’s a very… uh… ‘charming’ place. …Oh, who am I kidding. This place is so primitive-looking that I think I just traveled back in time. Even Egg Engines in its incredibly dilapidated state had more going for it technology-wise. …Wait… #$%&! I left that stupid apple in the - AAUUGGHH!!”

Magolor let out an incredibly annoyed groan, watching from above as the guards investigated the only possession he currently had. “I NEED that thing, I know I do. The only way for me to get it back would be… ok, wait right here, Bandana Dee.” Without delay, the deceptive egg performed a Dimensional Vanish. He moved through the fabric of time and space, appearing as nothing more than a distortion in reality, one slowly moving down toward the town square.

“Well, what do you reckon it is?” One of the guards asked. He was poking the crystalline fruit with his spear. “I’m not sure, but if that guy had it, it’s probably dangerous,” another one responded. “Let’s put it away for safekeeping.”

(ZZWISH!) Magolor burst back into reality, clutching onto the apple tightly. “Gotcha! …Oh, uh, hi.”

He was surrounded on all sides by a very angry group of guards.

“BYE!” Magolor quickly performed a Magolor Surge, split into three parts. One of them sent him flying through a gap in the guards’ formation, which just so happened to point him back in the direction of the rooftop he was just on. The second one moved him toward the rooftop both horizontally and vertically, and the third one was entirely vertical, giving him enough height to make it back on top. “Phew!” He wiped the sweat off his concealed brow, before turning around to the sound of jeers and demands from the guards.

“Surrender this instant, ne’er-do-well! Release your hostage, and face the consequences of your actions!”

“Hostage?! I just wanted to tell him something, that’s all! MY BAD he passed out randomly,” Magolor said, irritated. “Redeeming myself is gonna be a lot harder than I thought.”

“Strong… so strong…”

“Huh?” Magolor whipped around, hearing murmuring come from behind him. It was from Bandana Dee. “Did you say something?”

“Brave too… he thinks I’m so cool…” Bandana Dee seemed to be having a pleasant dream, but it wouldn’t last long. All the noise from the guards caused him to wake up. “Ugghhh… my head. What happened?” As Bandana Dee sat up and looked around, he quickly came face to face with Magolor.

“Woah!” Bandana Dee said, recoiling in surprise. He nearly stumbled backward off the small roof they were on... but thankfully, Magolor extended his hand, grabbing Bandana Dee’s stubby arm just in time to save him from a nasty spill.

“Close one, eh?” Magolor quipped. “Hey, I know you just woke up from fainting, and this might seem a lot to ask of you, but can you tell these guards that I’m NOT trying to harm you? Please? I really didn't mean to scare you, or anything.”

“Uh… what?” Bandana Dee asked, looking over the rooftop at the lame excuse of an angry mob that had formed.

“Oh! The hostage!” One of the guards called out to him. “Are you alright, boy?! That stranger didn’t harm you, did he?!”

“No, I’m fine! He was just… trying to tell me something, don’t worry about me!”

The Waddle Dee Guards looked at each other, murmuring amongst themselves, before reaching a consensus. They then turned back to Magolor. “We’re sorry about chasing you down, mysterious traveler. It seems we had the wrong idea of you. Please excuse us, as we return to our posts.”

Magolor sighed, scratching his head. “Yeah, I guess you were pretty hasty. I mean, I really DIDN’T mean to make him pass out, and all. Sorry about that as well.”

And with that, the guards all disbanded, heading off on their merry way. That left Magolor alone on the rooftop with Bandana Dee.

“What an ordeal that was. So, Ban-OOF!” Magolor was cut-off mid-sentence as Bandana Dee tackled him to the floor.

“So, who are you?! What was that portal you came out of?! HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!”

“Hey, easy! I-”

Something important hit Magolor. “W-Wait! Did you just ask ‘who I am’?”

“Yeah!” Bandana Dee said, eyes ablaze with an unforeseen determination. “I’ve never seen anyone like you in my life, yet you knew who I was! Explain!”

Magolor managed to easily break free of Bandana Dee’s pin, dusting off his robes, before staring at him inquisitively. “You’ve… never seen me before. At all. Are you telling the truth right now?”

The bandana-clad Dee cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Uh, yeah. I think I’d remember an egg-shaped person wearing a white-and-green cloak, floating about all mysteriously.”

Magolor sputtered indignantly, trying to process ANY of this, words completely failing him. “HOW DOES HE NOT KNOW?! What kind of gambit is he trying to pull?! And, did he say the cloak I’m wearing is ‘white-and-green’?” Magolor quickly looked into a water bucket next to him. Indeed, his reflection showed him that he WAS wearing a white-and-green cloak.

“OK, this is insane.”

“Uh… tell me, Bandana Dee…” Magolor said cautiously. “Where, where would I happen to be right now? This is still Dream Land, no?”

“Dream Land? Well, the Dream part is right, but it’s more than just a ‘land.’ You’re currently in the one and only Dream Kingdom. There’s nowhere else quite like it in the entire universe! It’s a land famous for peace and quiet, the perfect little kingdom… well, if you like that sort of thing. I know I do!”

…

“OK, THIS IS INSANE.”

“So, are you gonna answer my questions?” Bandana Dee asked. “How do you know my name, where did you come from, what’s that thing you’re holding…" Magolor wasn’t paying attention at all. He was too caught up in the information he had just learned, trying to make heads or tails of it.

“Dream KINGDOM! Not Dream LAND! Probably not even Planet Popstar! PROBABLY NOT EVEN THE SAME UNIVERSE! WHAT KIND OF CRUEL TWIST OF FATE IS THIS?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO MAKE UP WITH KIRBY IF I’M STUCK IN ‘YE OLDEN TIMES’ WHERE NO ONE KNOWS WHO I AM?!”

…

“Wait. No one… no one knows who I am. The, the people here might look the same as the ones I knew, but they don’t know about my recent ‘misadventure’. If that’s the case, then I might be able to make up for my actions in a completely different way…”

“Ahem!” Magolor was forcefully interrupted from his thoughts by an impatient Bandana Dee.

“Ah, right!” The wizard immediately sprung forward toward Bandana Dee, startling him. All of a sudden, his mood shifted uncharacteristically, as he became a bit TOO happy. “Well, I can answer those questions for you right now! My name is Magolor. I come from a far-off land called Halcandra; in fact, that portal I just came out of? It leads there! Too bad it's closed… and now I have no way back… oh, woe is me… unless? Unless you have some kind of device here that’s capable of opening interdimensional rifts?”

“Uhhhhhhhhh-”

“I take it that’s a no. Hmmmm… ah well! Guess I’ll just have to get used to life here for a while. Anyway, you wanna know how I know who you are? Well… it was actually just a guess. You’re a Waddle Dee, and you’re wearing a bandana! To think that’s your actual name… kinda clunky. Mind if I call you Bandee instead?”

“UHHHHHHHH-”

“Oh, and this thing I have? It’s called… um… a “Gem Apple”! Yeah! It’s shiny, and sparkly, and- THIS FRUIT WAS THE CULMINATION OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF PATIENCE AND DECAY. THE ANCIENTS THOUGHT THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH PLAYING GOD, CREATING AN ARTIFACT OF LIMITLESS POWER, BUT IT ONLY CAME TO ACCELERATE THEIR DEMISE. EVEN AFTER MY AGONIZING DEFEAT, I WAS NEVER TRULY GONE. MY EFFORTS WILL NOT HAVE BEEN IN VAIN. ONE DAY, I WILL RETURN, AND ENACT MY REVENGE ON THOSE WHO HAVE SOUGHT TO STOP ME. FROM THIS FOOLISH WIZARD, TO THAT PINK BOY, NONE SHALL LIVE. DESTRUCTION AND DESPAIR SHALL CONSUME ALL, AS I UNLEASH MY WRATH ON-”

Magolor started speaking like he was possessed. His voice dropped to a demonic timbre, as his eyes began to glow a bright green. After talking for long enough, though, the glow faded, and he was back to normal, shaking his head. “Brbrbrbr! What was that?! Ugh, my head… anyway, uh… you got all that?”

Bandee was unconscious, twitching on the ground.

“Oh, great,” Magolor sighed, as he pinched the ridge of his invisible nose. “It’s interesting. The Bandee I knew was a bit meek, but he also managed to toughen up and be courageous when it counted. This is like a totally different person! He doesn’t have a spear, he doesn’t have any guts… though I bet he has the same heart.”

“Well… I guess I really AM stuck here. For how long, I don’t know… but at least I’ll have company. Come on, you.”

Magolor picked up Bandee again, and flew off in… no particular direction.

“#$%&. I need a place to liiiivvuuhhhh.” Magolor groaned again and sat back down on the roof. “And I nearly forgot this stupid Gem Apple. Again. What are you, anyway? A remnant of that horrid tree, probably. To think that pure fruit was tainted in such an awful way… ugh. I’ll never be able to see life the same way, not after the whole debacle with the crown. But, even now, I feel like... like it's still watching me. Tempting me. No, I can't let it get the better of me ever again. I'm sure there's SOMEONE out there rooting for me. I have to do it for them..."

Magolor looked up to the sky. It was cloudless, and indeed, very peaceful. The blue hue made him feel a lot calmer, as he decided to take a break from all this worrying and thinking. This was the first time he had seen a pristine, beautiful sky like this since he had taken Kirby to Halcandra. That reminded him; he definitely told a few lies to Bandee back there. Not a great way to go about a redemption.

Still, he took in a few deep breaths, and decided to take it easy. Lying down next to Bandee, who was still shaking in fear, he splayed out his hands. One of them clutched onto the Gem Apple; the only worldly possession he had left. The other one just patted Bandee on the head, trying and failing to comfort him. Eventually, though, he closed his eyes, and just drifted off, getting the first proper sleep he'd had in a long time.

It wouldn't be easy, but he'd find a way out of here... and finally make up for his terrible past.

Chapter Text

It had been two days since Magolor showed up in the peaceful Dream Kingdom. Though the calming blue skies and general quietness managed to help his nerves settle, they might have been a bit too effective. Now? He had just become tired. Often, he was too exhausted to do anything of importance, and simply lazed about all day. The determination he felt to leave or even apologize to Kirby was wearing thin. After all, how could he possibly get back to Planet Popstar? There was no way for him to cross dimensions and return to the land and people he fell in love with…

“Magolor… if you’re just gonna be still and daydream, at least move so I can sweep up this spot, please?”

Magolor sullenly rolled over to another spot on the wooden floor he was lying on, away from a sunbeam shining through the window above him. A tired Bandee slowly swept the spot where he just sat, the light showing all the dust filtering around it. “Come on, you could at least help me out a little, right?”

He groaned, but said nothing otherwise. Bandee sighed, and kept sweeping in silence.

He had been crashing with Bandee for two days now, and it only helped him realize just how BORING this place was. Nothing happened at all. The villagers seemed to enjoy the peace, going about their day-to-day lives with no fear of any threat to them, but Magolor was going to go comatose at this rate.

“Come on… Kirby’s friends hinted at there always being some kind of threat to tackle when he’s around… I wish he’d show up here. Not only would I be able to apologize to him, and maybe get to leave… but it would also be the first interesting thing that’s happened here EVER. This place is more boring than… than… uuuggghhh…”

Magolor couldn’t even complete his comparison, barely able to stay awake. He admittedly had been kind of a leech; staying with Bandee, eating his food, using a spare bed, and not doing anything in return. He was no better than that parasitic crown, feeding off of another like this. But still, Bandee, in his infinite compassion and eagerness to help, was the one who offered Magolor a place to stay, at least until he could find better housing for the wizard. The floorboards were a bit creaky, and the wood was a bit rotten, but it was better than nothing.

“Mail call!” A jaunty call to action broke the still silence of the otherwise boring morning, causing Bandee to drop his broom and walk outside. Magolor mustered every ounce of his strength to float upward and look through the window, seeing Bandee talking to another Waddle Dee dressed like a mail person, who then handed him several letters, before cheerily walking away, his mailbag still far from empty. As Bandee walked back into the house, Magolor floated behind him, following him to the dining room table, as he sat down on the far end. Bandee kept silently sorting through the letters, while Magolor just admired the Gem Apple sprout sitting in front of him, singing to himself in his head.

“Gem Apple, you’re a complete mystery~, I keep asking, and yet you won't tell me~, just whaat you aaarre~! You're probably evil, I beeet~..."

“WOAH!” Bandee suddenly exclaimed in surprise, shocking Magolor. “What, what is it?” The mage asked, very thankful for something interesting FINALLY taking place.

“Magolor, you’ve got a court summons! From the KING! He wants you to meet him today in his chambers, where you’ll be the subject of a royal a-adVISORY MEETING?!”

“Finally!” Magolor exclaimed. “At last, Dedede recognizes that a @#$%ing PORTAL opened up in the middle of his town and spat someone out. Took him long enough.”

…

Magolor suddenly became aware of an odd silence that had fallen over the area. He looked over to Bandee, who was staring at him curiously. “What? Did I say something weird?”

“Yeah, in fact, you did,” Bandee replied. “You’ve never been here before, yet you knew my name immediately. I could excuse it at the time, because… well, t-to be frank, I am a Waddle Dee, wearing a bandana. But… there’s NO way you could have known about our Great King Dedede! If you’re from another world, that is. And yet, you just mentioned his name, ever-so casually! How do you explain THAT one?”

Magolor froze. “...Crap. I didn’t think before speaking again. Of course, Dedede’s the king here too. I, uh… I gotta think of a good excuse, and fast!”

“Well, you see, my dear boy, it doesn’t require that much explanation…” Magolor bluffed, stalling for time. “After all… I… IIIIIEEEE-” 

He looked around the room, searching for something that could get him out of this jam… when he saw a giant portrait hung in Bandee’s kitchen of him and the king.

“-EEEE mean, come on! This GINORMOUS painting of him is literally sitting in a spot that’s impossible to miss!” Magolor said in an irritated fashion, despite him literally having missed this painting himself for two whole days. Floating over to it, he inspected it a bit more. Dedede seemed a lot more rugged here, maybe even a bit more serious… nah, it was probably his imagination.

“...OK, I guess.” Bandee seemed to take that explanation well, as Magolor let out an internal sigh of relief. “Well, let me keep reading here…” Bandee then put on a gruff voice, trying to imitate the king, no doubt.

“By order of His Majesty King Dedede, the far-flung traveler by the presumed name of Magolor is hereby summoned to His Majesty’s Chambers, by no later than midday TODAY. His caretaker… caretaker? Since when am I your… ah well. AHEM… his caretaker, Bandana Waddle Dee, is also expected to accompany him. Moreover, he is to bring the only item believed to be in his possession - an object that bears a resemblance to a common apple, albeit larger and crystalline. Should this missive be ignored, there will be consequences for the receiving party. Be on your best behavior, and dress accordingly.”

“Wait… CRAP!” Bandee said, catching Magolor off-guard, as he indignantly prepared a snarky reply. “Hey, that’s my li-URK!”

Bandee interrupted Magolor’s snide comment by grabbing him fiercely. “We gotta GO, Magolor! Midday is only in about an hour or so, and it’s going to take a while to get to the castle! I… I gotta eat, get dressed, clean up… s-so much to do!”

Magolor seemed relatively unfazed. “Get dressed? All you wear is a blue bandana.”

“Yeah, but this is the KING we’re talking about! I gotta get out my BEST blue bandana!”

Magolor groaned and pinched the ridge of his invisible nose. He quickly floated over to his Gem Apple sprout, grabbing it and taking a deep look into it, the way he usually did. Like expected, he was only able to see his reflection, turned weird across the uneven and ridged surface of the fruit.

His stomach rumbled loudly, snapping him out of his staring stupor, and he chuckled a little. “Wonder if this thing’s edible. It’s always had a bit of a sweet smell… nah, don’t eat it. Then the king would probably behead me, since he wants to see it so badly.”

Holding the apple in one hand, he then used his other free one to snatch up Bandee, who was still frantically running around. “H-Hey! What’re you doing?! I, I still need to sweep, and eat, and-”

“So why are you rushing? Take a chill pill, dude.”

“WHY AM I RUSHING?! It’s because midday is almost here, and if I don’t rush, then we won’t make it to the castle on time! It takes a while to walk there, you know!”

“Bandee. Look at me.”

“Y-Yeah, Magolor…?”

…

No one moved, or said anything. Magolor was calm and collected on the outside, but internally, he was flabbergasted. “No WAY he hasn’t noticed.”

The egg wizard gestured to himself, before shrugging. “Well?”

“‘Well’ what? Magolor, what are you trying to convey?”

“Oh my badness.” Magolor lifted Bandee up to eye level with him, above the floor. “Bandee. What am I doing, right now?”

“You’re… floating…?”

“Uh-huh. And…?”

“You’re… c-carrying me?”

“Correct.”

…

“O-OOOHHHH!!” Bandee suddenly exclaimed in surprise, as a realization hit him harder than the king’s heavy hammer. “You can fly! And that means, you can carry me to the castle, and it’ll be faster than walking all the way there, and we won’t be in trouble, and, a-and-”

“Alright, that’s enough. Go do what you need to do, at a REASONABLE pace,” Magolor said, slowly lowering the bandana-clad boy back down to the ground. “When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting outside.”

Bandee didn’t shoot off like a rocket, thankfully, instead walking at a normal speed over to his room. Magolor decided to venture outside, onto the house’s front porch. The sun was shining brightly, its powerful rays bursting through holes in the various clouds unfortunate enough to be in the sky today. People were going about their business as usual, cooperating on their duties.

A Bronto Burt was carrying a bucket of water from a well to a Cappy near a plowed plot. A Broom Hatter was endlessly sweeping up the town square, trying to ward off all the dust as much as possible. Some Waddle Dees were in the town square, huddled around a small construction area, building… something. A blue sunfish-like creature was motionless on a bench in the square, eyes shut. This kinda worried Magolor. “Is… is he dead…?”

All of a sudden, a large hamster-like creature walked by the bench, waving to the sunfish, who opened their eyes, and waved with a smile in response. “Guess not. Wow, this place is quaint. It puts Dream Land to shame, with how quiet it is. I wonder, though… just what are those Waddle Dees constructing?”

“OK, I’m ready!” Bandee shouted, running out of the house in a flash, locking the door behind him. His “best” blue bandana looked identical to any other ones he probably had. He was also wearing a small backpack, one that could probably fit any essentials for a trip like this.

“Well, alright then,” Magolor said, grabbing Bandee in one hand, and the Gem Apple in the other. 

Slowly, they began to ascend, floating high above the happy castle town. “So, what direction is the castle in?”

“That way!” Bandee pointed with his stubby arm. It was beyond the town square, off through a winding path. Though it didn’t look that far initially, Magolor realized just how long it would have taken if they walked, especially if they had to take breaks along the way.

All of a sudden, Bandee’s stomach grumbled very loudly. “You, uh, eat anything? At all?” Magolor asked.

“Nope! I have a bunch of bananas in my backpack, and I figure I can just eat one while you’re carrying me!”

Magolor winced, but a devious smile formed under his cloak. “I’m not sure you’ll want to do that.”

“Hm? Why not?”

“Is everyone ready? The Magolor Express is leaving the station!”

“Wait, why shouldn’t I eaaAAA-?!”

Magolor began to perform Magolor Surge after Magolor Surge, several of them in a row. Spinning wildly, there was now a red-and-blue blurring presence over the Dream Kingdom, heading straight for the castle. It zoomed through the air, catching the attention of all the residents, who simply watched in awe. Of course, though Magolor was enjoying the ride, having gotten used to the spinning by now, Bandee was not. The screaming young lad felt like he was going to die several times, as he clenched all his muscles and held on for dear life. 

Eventually, in record time (about 2 minutes), Magolor arrived at the entrance of Castle Dedede. The last Magolor Surge ended, and he dropped onto the ground slowly, lowering Bandee as well. “Whew! That was exhilarating! Using that move is so fun sometimes. Don’t you think, Bandee?”

“OOOOuugghh…” Bandee was so dizzy, that he teetered and tottered right toward the guards at the castle entrance, only to fall flat on his face in front of them. The guards quickly helped him up, and silently shot Magolor nasty looks, before carefully ushering him into the castle.

“O-Oops. My bad…!” Magolor called out after them, before just standing there at the entrance. He took a long, hard look at the castle in front of him.

“Architecturally speaking, it looks more like a fortress. I like those windows on the upper level that are made to look like eyes. I wonder if the other Dedede’s castle looks like this too… Well, there’s no time to waste. I should head inside.”

Magolor cautiously strolled into the castle, clutching the Gem Apple sprout tightly. There wasn’t much activity inside, much to his surprise. He figured a castle full of the king’s advisors would have more hustle and bustle to it. Maybe an official or two would walk by occasionally, but other than that, it was pretty barren. The fine brick floor had plenty of rugs layered over it, muffling the sound of each step taken on it. Magolor actually got a little paranoid, constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was sneaking up on him.

It then occurred to Magolor that he had no clue where to go. “That’s not good. Where exactly is the king’s chambers, anyway? Maybe it’s down this hall?”

Magolor strolled down a long hallway lined with paintings galore. There were paintings of many different faces, some of which rang bells! Whispy Woods, King Dedede… ok, maybe not that many he recognized. Plenty of them were Waddle Dees.

Finally, he came to a door at the end, labeled [His Majesty’s Chambers - Royal Court].

“I guess this is it…” Magolor said, steeling himself. “Here goes-!”

“EXCUSE ME!!”

Magolor heard a shrill voice pierce the air, surprising him. He turned around to see a Waddle Dee wearing some kind of outfit that made him look like a builder. A brown leather cap with black goggles adorned his head, and he also wore a utility apron. He was covered in soot and carried a small wooden hammer with him. “Would you happen to be Magolor, by any chance?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s me, alright. And you are…?”

“My name is Weapons Dee. It’s definitely a very clunky and odd name, I know. You can just call me WD. I understand that you got a missive from the king telling you to come here, but it left out a vital piece of information; while you’re in that courtroom, you’re not allowed to have the gem-apple-thing on you. The king instructed that I take it, not just for safekeeping purposes, but also because I’d get a chance to analyze it and see what can be done with it. Sound good?”

Magolor was very, VERY skeptical about all this. “Not to sound rude, or paranoid, for that matter, but I don’t exactly-”

“-believe that? Yeah, I should have known better than to just think you’d go along without any proof on my part. Here, let’s walk inside together, and I’ll show you!”

Immediately, WD ran toward the creaky oak door, opening it for Magolor, who casually floated inside, with WD right behind him. When the door then shut behind the two of them, Magolor was immediately overcome with a deep sense of regret, as the atmosphere turned incredibly harsh in a moment’s notice.

The room he was in was rather large, and there was a pathway leading him to where he should stand. He was to be in front of a group of 6 advisors and the king himself. There also seemed to be some kind of public gallery, full of town residents and the like. Bandana Waddle Dee was seated up high on a balcony behind Magolor, still very dizzy from his ‘flight’.

Magolor silently moved over to a spot in front of the council desk and throne, waiting patiently for something to happen. WD stood near him, his eyes glued to the crystal fruit, ensuring Magolor wouldn’t do anything bad with it. “Jeez, get a grip. Even if I could use this at all, I wouldn’t waste it on a bunch of townspeople.”

All of a sudden, a door off to the side opened, and the council members filed in, one by one. Magolor watched as they all took their seats from left to right, neatly and orderly. There was a large owl-like creature, a large cat-like creature, a Waddle Dee with a sailor’s cap, a mysterious person cloaked in all white, a fairy with a pink flower blooming for their head, and a pink being that looked kind of like a gumdrop, with an orange bow on their head. A similarly-shaped blue being (minus the bow) sat at a desk nearby. “Odd crowd. I guess these are the people I’m pleading my case to… whatever that even is. What, are they gonna boot me out of the town, or something?”

Finally, the side door opened again, and two royal guard Waddle Dees walked in, before scooting off to the side, to make way for the great and mighty King Dedede. His presence alone turned what little murmuring there was into total silence, as the large door he walked in through softly shut behind him. The crown he wore on his head was impressive, with large horns, and a skull-like appearance. “Don’t get caught up on crowns, Magolor. Thankfully, Dedede should be pretty easy to please. All I need to do is butter him up a little bit, which shouldn’t be too hard-”

Swiftly, the king sat down on his throne. He pulled out his large hammer, slamming it on a giant pad next to him. The sound it produced was ear-splittingly loud, but only Magolor seemed to flinch. “This meeting of the Dream Kingdom’s finest minds has come to order.” His booming voice resounded through the area, overpowering every other sound made. Magolor gulped. This was NOT the same King Dedede he once knew, and it wasn’t going to be easy to win him over.

“The subject of today’s meeting might appear simple to some, but we would not be gathered here if it truly was. We must discuss the arrival of a distant traveler, one who, for those unaware, suddenly appeared through an inexplicable rift in space and time.” The crowd suddenly started murmuring and whispering amongst themselves again, worriedly so. Some of them had their eyes solely fixated on Magolor.

“Do not worry, fair people. The aforementioned rift has already closed, and it does not seem it will reopen ever again.” Magolor cringed. “Don’t say that! How’m I supposed to get back home, then? …Wait, that rift would just send me back to Another Dimension! Nevermind…”

“Before we start our meeting proper, I would like to discuss a certain point that has just now come to my attention. Weapons Dee?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” WD quickly and stiffly bowed, clearly afraid of the king. “I was told that this traveler’s sole possession - the crystalline fruit which he is currently holding onto - was to be under your supervision during the proceedings.” “Yes, sir. That is correct.”

“Then why is it still with him right now?” WD started sweating and stuttering, realizing just how bad this looked for him. “S-Sorry, Your Majesty! I was going to take it from him, a-as per the instructions you gave me, but he didn’t believe me, which is fair because I didn’t really explain it well to him, s-so I led him in here to try and prove that I should be looking after it, but I didn’t think that we’d get this far in before-”

Magolor sighed in exhaustion. “Here, dude. Just take it.” He held out the Gem Apple sprout toward WD, stopping his incessant ramblings.

“Th-Thank you very much! There we go, Your Majesty! Crisis averted!”

The king grumbled. “Next time, please make sure this is done in advance. And provide more conclusive proof to dispel any doubts. You are dismissed.”

Quickly, WD bowed again, bonking his face onto the carpet beneath him, before scurrying out the door with the Gem Apple sprout. Magolor was now left to face the king without any support.

“Now, then, we can get this meeting underway. Council members, introduce yourselves.”

The council members started speaking one by one, left to right. 

“I am Coo, the council member known for my wisdom in the affairs of this kingdom’s history. It is an honor to remain on the king's council.”

“My name is Nago. I have been on the king’s council for many years, aiding with any issues related to meow-ney and finance.”

“The name’s Sailor Waddle Dee, but you can just call me Saidee! I help manage the military forces of our beloved kingdom!”

“Bonjam… I am Hyness. I help manage foreign affairs wherever possible. I have extensive knowledge in the ways of others...”

“I am Petunia. Just like Hyness, I'm also a foreign affairs expert and occasional diplomat. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Hi there! I’m Lalala, and I deal with matters related to infrastructure. Lololo’s my partner; he’s over there, acting as the court stenographer.” As she pointed out to Lololo, he looked up from his desk, and meekly waved to Magolor and the audience.

“I am the ruler of this kingdom, King Dedede. I oversee everything that goes on within these lands, and I try to govern my subjects with the utmost efficiency and care. Now that we have introduced ourselves, it is customary for you to tell us a bit about yourself as well, wayfarer.”

Magolor was hardly paying attention. “...Oh! I guess that’s me. AHEM! My name is Magolor, and though I know it sounds hard to believe, I did in fact travel here through an interdimensional tunnel from my homeworld of Halcandra.”

The people were now chatting excitedly, the suspicions being confirmed for many of them who did not witness the portal opening firsthand. “I GOTTA stop lying and telling people I’m from that volcanic wasteland… but how would they know where I’m from, anyway? For all they know, it could be a veritable paradise, full of gold and jewels.”

“Halcandra… I believe I’ve heard of the place…” Hyness said aloud. People gasped. Magolor flinched.

“@#$%.”

“I’ve read about it in a few of my studies… a distant land seemingly inhabited by vun powerful people, well versed in the arts of both science and magic. And you, Magolor… are an inhabitant of Halcandra?”

“Y-YES. I mean, ok, well, I… moved… there recently, so I don’t know much about its history, hahaha… ha.”

“I see… that is all I wished to confirm. Jamanke,” Hyness said, sitting back down in his chair. His voice was as silky as the white robes he wore, sending shivers through the silent Magolor. “If I ever saw this guy in a dark alley, I think I’d fear for my life…”

“So… what brings you here, exactly?” Nago curiously asked. “It’s not everyday that a tear in the yarn of reality transports someone to this place. In fact, it’s never.”

“I…” Magolor stopped to think. “What IS my story, actually? I never really thought I’d get this far… I could just tell them the truth, or maybe a slightly altered version of it? They don’t need to know exactly what I was up to, but… agh, I don’t have enough time to decide! Just wing it!”

“It’s a long story, really…” Magolor said, sounding a bit unsure. “You see, I had gone through a bit of a journey recently, one that threw me into a hostile environment against my will. At the same time, though, it was a consequence of my reckless actions. This place I was in, think of it like an interdimensional tunnel. Ah, of course, a DIMENSION is-”

“Spare us the details,” the king’s voice boomed, silencing everything again. “Why have you come here? What are your ambitions?”

“Gah! I-I’m not sure yet!” Magolor pleaded, suddenly bowing. “Your Majesty, I wound up here entirely by accident! No, wait! I mean, I just… it’s not like I PLANNED to come here. I didn’t even know where I was going, while I was flying between dimensions!”

The crowd immediately began whispering to each other again, louder than ever this time.

“That sorcerer is up to no good! Look at him shake and sweat!”

“He thinks he can hide behind a hood, but I can see nothing but mischief in his eyes!”

“Mommy, why is that man acting so funny?”

“Stay close to me, dear. You never know what someone like him is capable of.”

“Bunch of paranoid freaks…!” Magolor thought. “I gotta be more careful with what I say, or else they’ll have my head on a platter!”

“Quiet, all of you!” Coo squawked, getting the noise level to drop significantly. His voice then became calm and collected, with a hint of caring. “Magolor, was it? Take a few deep breaths, and a few moments to think. Let the truth flow out slowly and carefully.”

The wizard immediately took the owl’s advice, performing a shaky inhale, and an unsteady exhale. Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale. Within a few deep breaths, he had calmed himself down, and began to speak again.

“I don’t know how or why I ended up here. A portal that I thought would take me home led me to this place instead, and brought that weird Gem Apple thing with me. I PROMISE, I’m not up to anything bad! I’m… s… s-sorry for any apprehension I may have caused…”

It would seem that Magolor was still not used to apologizing at this kind of level. He felt himself shed a single tear, while his heart nearly beat out of his chest, pounding and pounding.

“Well, that apology seemed genuine to me, but there’s still a few things we need to discuss,” Saidee spoke up, voice lilting above the shameful silence. “Magolor, what will you do during your time here?”

Magolor stopped to think about it, rubbing his chin inquisitively. “Ummm… well, I doubt I’m getting home anytime soon, so what CAN I do, really?”

Petunia then piped up. “It’s not the first time that we’ve had wanderers take up permanent residence here, so maybe we can learn from their example. As the foreign affairs expert here, I should be able to figure out some kind of plan for you.”

“But, hold on!” Everyone turned their head toward Lalala, speaking up immediately. “I dunno if it’s a good idea to just let him do as he pleases-”

“Well, I’m not insinuating THAT,” Petunia interrupted. “Besides, I’ll need your help anyway, with your knowledge of infrastructure. We might be able to work something out, and maybe build a home for him?”

“Yeah, but that’s taxpayer money we’re talking about! Nago, you should know! We can’t just build whatever, wherever, WHENEVER without telling people what their money’s going toward!”

Nago seemed shocked, his eyes opening wide, with Lalala magically roping him into this discussion. “Nyow, wait just a minute! You’re right, Lalala, we can’t just-”

“See?” Lalala frantically gestured. “All I’m saying is that-”

“You all need to calm down!” Coo panicked, flapping his wings indignantly. “Listen here, I have an idea that will-”

All of a sudden, the volume started to get too loud. Four of the council members were now arguing over the fate of this new arrival within their fair kingdom, with a fifth one (Saidee) threatening to join in. Lololo was at his desk, hurriedly jotting down every word he could hear, leaving Magolor shocked, but not entirely surprised, at the chaos before him.

“How’d it get THIS bad? They were literally so civil a few moments ago! I’ll never understand politics… at least Mr. All-In-White seems to be keeping it cool. Either that, or he’s spacing out.”

Indeed, Hyness had his beady yellow eyes closed, either lost in thought, or totally asleep. Meanwhile, feathers were flying, fur was floating, and petals were being scattered about. Magolor turned around, looking up behind him at the balcony seat where Bandee was watching it all unfold. Bandee made eye-contact with him, tilting his head to the side in confusion. Magolor shrugged in response.

(WHAM!)

Everything went silent, as Magolor nearly fell to the floor in surprise. Turning again to face the source of the violent impact noise that kept ringing in his ears, he saw the king raise his hammer from the giant pad it had just struck.

“As expected, the discussion over this matter has grown volatile,” Dedede stated. “Council members, you are to set an example for our people here; do not make a mockery of this court with pointless arguments.”

Practically everyone hung their head in shame, as an awkward silence enveloped the area. Even Magolor felt kinda bad for them.

“Regardless, I believe I may have a solution. Magolor, allow me to ask you a question. You are to answer honestly, yes or no. Understood?”

“Yeah… I mean, yes, Your Majesty.”

“Do you have any familiarity with metallurgy?”

“...Um… do you think you can be more specific?” Magolor asked, thinking hard about the question. “I know my minerals, certainly, but I’m not sure what definition of ‘metallurgy’ this place might have. It could be wildly different from what I understand it to be…”

“How much do you know about forging armor and weapons out of different metals and elements, specifically?”

Suddenly, Magolor’s cat-like ears twitched in surprise. “Oh! I know LOADS about that kinda stuff. Weapons can be forged out of practically anything! Fur, stone, gold, fossils, you name it! I mean, there are some metals that are definitely hard to come by and even harder to forge, like Abyssium-”

“Juh?!” Hyness finally sprung awake. “You, you are aware of Abyssium and its properties?”

“Yeah… yeah!” Magolor said, sensing a hint of recognition in those hidden eyes of Hyness’s. “I know it’s real rare, only being found at the bottom of some oceans, and-”

“-and, indeed, there are deposits of it here, in the deepest trenches of our fair waters," Hyness concluded.

“REALLY?!” Magolor’s eyes shone with excitement. “Jes, really!” Hyness said back, eyes similarly sparkling.

(SLAM!) The entrance to the courtroom opened swiftly, revealing WD. “Did someone say Abyssium?!” The guards didn’t even try to stop him from rushing up to Magolor, huffing and puffing. “It may not be the most rare mineral out there, but it’s always so fascinating to examine! We’re currently examining it close-up to see if it’s possible to make it into tools and such!”

“NO WAY!” Both Magolor and Hyness exclaimed. Suddenly, there was a full on nerd-out happening in the middle of the Royal Court. Magolor, Hyness, and WD blabbed on and on about minerals and forging weapons and the sciences and… you get it. This went on for around 15 minutes, with everyone slowly getting more and more tired as it kept going. Bandee fell asleep. All the members of the council (save for Hyness) were bored out of their minds. Lololo sat impatiently at his desk, tapping away. Half of the audience had left, and the guards were now chatting amongst themselves.

“I see… so there’s a material even rarer than Abyssium… Platinum, it was called? Vun goppoko…” Hyness said, floating slowly around the room. Magolor floated alongside him, with WD walking under them to keep up. “Say, you ever wonder if there’s an even rarer material than THAT?” WD asked, still not having come down from the high of finding someone as invested in minerals as he was.

“I’m sure of it. The universe is big, really big,” Magolor said thoughtfully. “There are places that probably are lacking the stuff we take for granted, or have an abundance of the things we desire most…”

“AHEM.”

With the king loudly clearing his throat, “order” was restored to the courtroom. The council members all snapped up into place, Hyness floated back to his chair, and Magolor and WD found themselves back in the room’s center, where they had started talking. Everyone else finally started paying attention again.

“I’m glad that you were able to foster such riveting discussions on something you all enjoy. It’s good for us to find common ground with each other. More importantly, though, it seems my question has been answered.”

The king then got up off his throne, and walked toward Magolor.

“WD. I assume your presence here is because you are finished with your analysis of the Gem Apple?”

“Uh, y-yes sir, Your Majesty sir!” WD, again, bonked his head onto the carpet beneath him trying to bow. Saidee giggled.

“Good,” Dedede said, his expression softening somewhat. He then turned to Magolor.

“Magolor. With your knowledge of metallurgy and armor / weapons development, would you be up to the task of working as a merchant in town? You’d be selling weapons and armor to passing warriors. You would also help oversee the making of said items, and would be given a place to stay.”

Magolor was taken aback. “They’re being so… so nice to me? But why? I know my appearance must have startled the people here, but then they extend all this hospitality to me, and it’s so confusing! What have I done to earn this from them?”

…

“Wait… maybe, maybe it’s not about what I’ve done. It’s about what I HAVEN’T done. These people are naturally kind… just like the people in Dream Land. They don’t know I just tried and failed to take over the universe, all they see is a strange wizard who came out of a portal. Maybe they’re scared of me, but I’d be scared of someone like that, too. I-I guess this is the kinda stuff I took for granted back on Planet Popstar… if only I hadn’t been so power hungry, then I wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“Magolor, what say you?”

King Dedede’s booming voice snapped Magolor back into reality. “Ah! Yeah! I’d… be very happy to take up that position, King Dede-YOUR MAJESTY.”

“Good, then. If you perform well enough in your new role, that is all we are concerned with. You may have had a rather unexpected introduction to all of this, so allow me to finally, officially establish it. Ahem…”

“Welcome to the Dream Kingdom.”

There was audible clapping. People were getting excited at the prospect of not just an interdimensional traveler, but a proper merchant for the various wandering mercenaries who would occasionally show up. Hyness and WD were giddy to have someone who they could share their esoteric knowledge with. Lalala, Petunia and Nago were still not quite over their little spat, but the king’s own plan seemed to have settled the matter anyway, so they were immediately back on amicable terms. Coo and Lololo were talking off to the side, noting how nice it was that a Royal Court matter was settled so quickly and neatly. Bandee jumped down from the balcony above Magolor and ran up to the mage, locking him in a tight hug, as King Dedede laughed heartily.

Magolor was totally and utterly lost, in every sense of the word. Even as confetti rained down from above, and cheering engulfed his ears from all sides, currently, he was anywhere but here.

“Remember, it’s all about redemption. This is absolutely insane, stumbling across a place like this, but as long as I can make it up to my friends… or their weird, extradimensional copies, that’s all I care about.”

Steadying himself, Magolor feebly and weakly tried to reciprocate the various acts of appreciation extended toward him. It was all a blur for the young mage; whether it was because he was overwhelmed with joy, or fear, or uncertainty, or because he had some kind of vitamin deficiency, he didn’t really know.

For some reason, though, Magolor was fixated on the king’s crown. He told himself to stop looking at it, to stop caring so much about crowns, but this one seemed odd. He might have even seen it before, but where? Still, he had to practically tear his glare away from the object several times.

A party was being held in the middle of the Royal Court for him. Why couldn’t he just enjoy it? Why did he feel like he was being judged? Why couldn’t he just have been deposited back home instead of coming here? Why? WHY? WHY?!