Return to the Stars

Prologue - Unexpected Visit

A titan waded through dark water, observing his surroundings carefully. Tall cave walls surrounded him, creating a ravine-like passage. Floating cubes slowly travelled through the air, awaiting for someone to peek inside one.

The small purple titan had been here before, and yet the strange realm covered in greens, purples, oranges, and blacks still made him feel uneasy.

Where is it? The titan pondered, He said it'd be this way...it can't be much farther.

In the distance, a pastel blue door with yellow stars was just visible, carved into the wall of the ravine. It looked unnatural in this realm, as if it was waiting for someone to find it. The titan felt his heart lift, and a wave of relief wash over him. He pushed his legs through the strange black water that covered the floor of the ravine and made his way to the door.

Now that he was closer, the purple titan could see the door was about twice the titan's height, maybe taller, and a brown door knob lay in the middle of the door, just low enough for the small titan to reach. He took a deep breath, and put his claws on the doorknob, twisting it.

A golden light shone through the cracks in the door and the lines of the engraved star patterns. The entryway swung open, waiting for the provoker to enter.

With one more glance at the strange green realm, the titan stepped inside, the door immediately closing behind him and letting the glowing light fade away.

The titan was in a completely different place. The space was was fancy and open, with two grand staircases that stood tall in front of the titan. There were a few entrances to different hallways and rooms, making the place look complex. Fancy curtains draped the walls, and the theme of suns and moons was prominent. The whole place was shades of pastel pinks, purples, blues, and yellows, an aesthetic familiar to the titan.

"Hello?" The titan's voice echoed through the open space, reaching for an answer.

The entryway at the top of the grand staircases's curtains were practically ripped open, and replaced with a short floating child. He wore pajama-looking clothes, with the same aesthetic as the castle around them.

"King!" The child exclaimed, floating down to the titan.

King replied, "Hey, Collector!"

The Collector smiled, pulling King into a quick hug, "I've been waiting foreeverrr to see you again!" he groaned, sitting in midair, "Sooo, how's the Boiling Aisles? Oh! How's Luz? And the Owl Lady? I wanna hear everything!"

"Oh, it's great! Everyone's doing great. The rebuilding process is going pretty smoothly after- ...you know." King explained, immediately regretting bringing up the topic.

The Collector looked away, yet King could practically see the guilt in his eyes.

King hesitated, "Hey, a lot of the damage was done by Belos, too! Plus, everyone already forgives you, so there's nothing to feel bad about." he said, trying to be reassuring.

"Thanks, King." The Collector smiled, "Oh, oh! C'mon, I'll give you a tour of my new house!" he giggled, flying away.

"Psh, you call this a house? I'd call this more of a mansion, or a castle!" the titan remarked, chasing after The Collector.

-Couple hour timeskip-

King and The Collector approached the blue door, giving each other a big hug.

"Bye, Collector. I'll try to visit as soon I can!" King promised, releasing the starry child from the hug.

"Waiwaiwait! Hold on!" The Collector yelped as King reached for the door.

The titan turned to face the boy, "I was thinking..." The Collector said, "We should visit each other every month! I've been wanting to explore other worlds, so then I'd know when to be home!"

King nodded, "O-kay! Starting today, we meet here every 30 days." he announced.

The Collector smiled, "You proomiise~?" he teased, holding out his pinky.

"Pinky swear."