"Senior drem-a-wha?" Taro asked, his face a mask of total confusion.
"A Dremapol," the star repeated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's not even that hard to pronounce."
"Forget the pronunciation!" Taro yelped, slowly raising his hands into a clumsy fighting stance. "Who are you? And most importantly, how the hell are you talking?"
"Calm down, tough guy. I suppose I owe you an explanation," Mexus's voice was annoyingly composed. "I'm a Dremapol. And since you obviously have no idea what that is, I'll just go ahead and explain that, too."
"Okayyyy... go on," Taro said, still wary, his hands hovering in the air.
"In your waking world, you might not know it, but there are forces that make sure you sleep soundly at night. We're Dremapols. The Dream Cops. Our job is to ensure peace and harmony in the dream world. I'm one of them. Mexus."
Taro immediately burst into hysterical laughter.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!You can't seriously expect me to believe that! So you're saying there are cops roaming around in my head when I sleep? Ha ha ha! Oh God, this is as funny as me trying to have a conversation with an actual person! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"Okay, okay. Laugh it up," Mexus said, unperturbed. "But here's the thing: you're literally talking to a star. Is it really that hard to believe, after seeing this, that such a concept exists?"
Taro's laughter died in his throat. He paused, actually processing the logic. Well, he does have a point... to an extent. But how do I know it's true?
He moved a bit closer,peering directly at the star. "Alright, smart guy. How am I supposed to know anything you're saying is true?"
"In your dream, Taro, you literally turned into one of us!" Mexus exclaimed.
"Wait, what?" Taro's eyes widened with intrigue.
"You totally went full Dremapol and K.O.'d those Nightdax! You think that just happens? Man, have you never had a dream before?"
"Have I... n-n... uh... hmm." Taro faltered, the memory of the powerful green energy surging through him. "Ok, but if that's all true, then if I really was a Dremapol, why don't you look like one? Is that how all 'Senior Dremapols' look? Like a piece of craft supplies?"
The star pulsed in a way that felt exactly like a long, suffering sigh.
"Well,I would look like one... if I had a proper body. Right now, I'm... bound to this form. It's a long story."
Taro blinked. "Bound forms? Is this even real, or did I eat expired ramen again?"
"I'm as real as the fist you almost threw at your math teacher last week."
"Screw you."
Mexus chuckled. "Well, the point is, I need your help. And in a way, I think you need mine."
"What do you mean?" Taro asked, a spark of wonder in his voice.
"I need you to get me back into the dream world. That's the only way I can get back into my proper Dremapol form. Pronto."
"But how am I gonna do that? Hell, I don't even dream... em... often."
"Don't worry. With a Dremapol such as myself guiding you, you'll fall asleep quicker and you'll definitely dream. So, c'mon. What do you say?"
Taro thought for a moment. "Hmmm. Well, I'm not gonna lie. If I said no, my life wouldn't get any worse. Or any better. So... why the hell not?"
"That's the spirit! Now get to bed."
Taro lies down on his bed.
"Oh, and by the way, put me near you when you sleep. I need to be close to materialize with you."
"Hmmm, alright." Taro slips the glowing star into his pajama pocket.
He closed his eyes, expecting a long wait. But before he could even ponder the absurdity of the situation, the world dissolved around him. He was back. The same impossible, golden-skied dreamscape stretched out before him.
"Great! You made it, and quick! I didn't have to use much dream power at all," Mexus's voice echoed from a point of light hovering beside him.
"Ok, so what am I supposed to do now?" Taro asked, looking around.
"Just give me some of your dream power. Just a little push, enough for me to catalyze my own transformation and get back into my Dremapol form."
"Alright then..." Taro scrunched his face, his entire body tensing with the effort of trying to... do something. Anything.
"What the hell are you trying to do?" Mexus asked, exasperated. "Hold your shit together! Just give me some dream power! It should flow naturally!"
"If I knew how, you wouldn't still be a talking nightlight!" Taro shot back.
"Oh, for the love of—ah, just transform! It'll start flowing from there!"
"Ummmmm how?!"
"You Can't Even Transform? What the hell?"
"Cut me some slack! This is all new to me! Why don't people ever think twice before saying things to people like me?!"
"Alright, alright! Seems we're gonna have to do this the artificial way."
Suddenly, a single, glowing green pill materialized in the air before Taro. He caught it.
"What's this?"
"A catalyst. It'll force your latent energy to the surface and trigger your Dremapol state. Just put it in your mouth. It'll work like magic."
"Alright." Without overthinking it, Taro swallowed it.
The effect was instantaneous. A torrent of raw, green energy erupted from him, skyrocketing through the dreamscape. The air crackled and hummed. "How's this?!" Taro yelled over the roaring power.
"PERFECT!"
A flash of light, a hundred times brighter than the first, consumed everything. The energy radiating from the epicenter was so immense it made Taro's own power feel like the tip of an iceberg.
As the light faded, a tall man stood where the point of light had been. He was clad in a sleek black and yellow suit, stylistically identical to Taro's own dream-form. He had dark, intense hair and wore a wide-brimmed straw kasa hat that shadowed his eyes. He looked at Taro, a confident smirk on his face.
"Thanks for that," he said, his voice now a rich, real baritone. He tipped his hat. "The name's Mexus. Senior Dremapol. And it's good to be back."