Nowhere To Go But Up

The Queen's Domain

"So what happened back there, actually? How did my cup get back on the table?" Taranza asked his traveling companion while setting a sandwich on the table.

Magolor picked up the sandwich and took a bite. "I heard you through the wall, and knew that the act would only work if Meta Knight came in and saw exactly 1 cup of hot chocolate on the table. So I came out from under the bed, put your cup on the table, went back under, and drank the rest of mine as fast as possible so he didn't notice anything coming from under the bed." He took another bite.

"That is really impressive that you picked up on where it was going, Magolor."

"Heheh, we could be a team of conmen! Well, except you're a good person and I'm not."

Taranza definitely wasn't expecting him to be so self-deprecating. Of course, there was that mistake he made, but it was just that, right? "I do not understand."

Magolor looked at Taranza, unsure of how to respond. It probably would've been better if he just didn't say anything. "Uh... nothing. Never mind." He averted his eyes as he ate the rest of his sandwich in silence.

Taranza left the room, leaving Magolor with nothing but the comforting atmosphere and the regret that came with pushing Taranza away by accident, like he'd done with everyone else he's ever met. Right when his mind was drifting back to Marx and Susie, Taranza came back. "We are almost there! Could you help me put the dishes in the sink, please?" It pulled Magolor out of the downward spiral he was entering, and he grabbed the empty sandwich plate and the tray the mugs were on.

As Taranza grabbed the mugs themselves, he asked: "Do you have any idea why Meta Knight chose to lie in the way he did?"

"No, no clue. I imagine he was thinking about King Dedede and it just slipped out."

This looked like an alright time for Taranza to learn a little more about the lower world. "Who is that?"

"Oh, he's the self-made King of Dream Land. And a hero, too!" Taranza made sure to keep that in mind, as it seemed important baseline information to have.

After the two deposited the dirty dishes in the sink, they went up on deck. Magolor's eyes went wide as he took in the vast castle before him. "Wow... it's huge!" He looked rather out of place here, though that was mostly because his clothes and face were burnt. "I've never seen anything like this before!" The castle was alive with various citizens milling about. Even though the sun was setting, the lights from all the windows and smaller buildings scattered around made the island shine like it was noon.

Many took notice of the arrival of the ship, and there seemed to be almost a standing ovation for Taranza, having found a person and keeping him in such good spirits. "Please make way, I must be meeting with Her Majesty soon." The crowd obliged, and Taranza led the rather overwhelmed Magolor down the main road to the center of the island. "Over here, we will take the lift." They got on an elevator that began moving up past an enormous pink crystal-shaped building to what must have been Queen Sectonia's chambers.

It was a lot to take in, but of all the things Magolor could say, Taranza certainly didn't expect the result. "There were so many people down there and not even one of them tried to eat me. Is this what it's like to live somewhere normal?"

Taranza couldn't tell how to respond. "I... think so?"

Magolor was tracing in the moisture on the window. "Wow... life is crazy." He sounded genuinely amazed. "I suppose it is, yes." Taranza's worry for this guy he was bringing to Her Majesty was growing by the minute.

Magolor backed away from the window. He had drawn a gear. A small look of childlike ecstasy crossed his face. "This window is amazing! How do you make them like this?" What had this guy been through that had him so entranced by moisture on a window?