A sad thing about the Magicant Ninten AU is that he didn't really die before getting stuck in Magicant. He would be in a comatose state, similar to Ness when he entered his own Magicant.
However, he can't get out because he doesn't know he's inside of his own mind. Or rather, his mind is preventing him from remembering and letting him go, like a protection mechanism. Life is perfect in Magicant, nobody suffers and he's still a leader, but one that can control his emotions, the things that happen around his kingdom and doesn't fall prey to trauma. His penguin friends love him and go on little trips with him, what could go wrong?
That's for Magicant. Because on the outside, he has been stuck in an hospital bed for days, maybe months. Ana tried contacting him via telephaty, but she was unable to hear or talk to him; is like his mind sunk so much inside of the world of Magicant that it can't be accessed from outside, like if it was far, far away (maybe they need to find an access point, like God's Tail?).
If it wasn't for his faint vitals, he could be mistaken as dead. And, while unable to reach him out, his friends won't leave his side, no matter what.
They'll be waiting and talking to him in case he can hear their voices and hold onto them to wake up.