#sky king

Yes, but not just MC.

The riddles were based on all the festival games and activities that MC and her friends showed the Sky Prince when they traveled back in time. Because of that, only MC and the friends who experienced those memories could truly understand and solve them.

The whole point was to make sure the right people found him, not just anyone. If a random Darkwick student had solved the riddles before MC arrived, it would've defeated the entire purpose.

So the riddles served two purposes:

to reunite the Sky King with the people he met 10 years ago

to ensure only that specific group could reach him

2. If the Sky King created the riddles to reunite with MC, how does that work in SS1 when they hadn't met yet?

This is actually explained in SS2.

The ghouls ask why the Sky King and the Observer didn't simply tell everyone who they were looking for instead of hiding everything behind riddles.

The answer is because, at that point in the timeline, MC and her friends hadn't traveled back yet.

Time travel in Lost Star works like a closed loop. The Sky Prince meets MC in the past, but the Sky King can only remember who she is after that trip actually happens.

Before the time travel, he knows there are people he's supposed to meet, but he doesn't know their names or faces.

Think of it like a canon event (as Lucas refers here as "fixed event"). Until that event happens, those memories can't exist.

That's also why SS1 plays out differently. Since MC and the others never traveled back in that route, they never met the Sky Prince. Without those shared memories, neither side could recognize the other or solve the riddles.

As for why the Sky King specifically chose to travel to Hotarubi, I actually don't think it's that complicated.

My guess is that MC and her friends simply told the Sky Prince about Darkwick and Hotarubi during their time together. They already introduced him to the Star Festival and all the activities, so it wouldn't be surprising if they also mentioned where they came from.

On top of that, the Sky King's civilization is far more technologically advanced than Earth. The Observer can gather information about Earth almost instantly, so if the Sky Prince learned the names "Darkwick" or "Hotarubi" the Observer could easily look them up and locate them.

So when the Sky Prince eventually became the Sky King, he already knew exactly where he needed to go. He traveled to Earth, specifically to Hotarubi, and waited for the day MC and her friends would finally arrive and solve the riddles.

On how he still knows that in SS1 then I'll explain in (3)

3. Why was the Sky King crying in SS1?

I think there are two reasons.

First, even though he couldn't remember MC specifically, he still knew he'd come to Earth for someone important. He could feel that something was missing, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Second, he knew MC was running out of time because of her curse.

(they told the Sky Prince in the SS2 so maybe his subconscious still remember that)

He can only visit Earth once a year. If that year's festival ended without the riddles being solved, then he'd lose his only chance to find the person he came for before her curse claimed her.

That's why the moment feels so heartbreaking. He knows this might be his last opportunity, but he doesn't understand why he can't find the person he's searching for.

My theory is that integration also plays a role, just like in SS2. If he returned to his planet without fulfilling his purpose, he'd likely be integrated and lose his chance to come back to Earth.

In SS2, after everything is resolved, the Core Matrix allows him to continue observing Earth. That's why he can stay for the rest of the festival and even promises to keep researching MC's curse after he returns home.

4. What's the significance of the Wings of the Heavenly Maiden?

Canonically, it's a rare artifact kept at Hotarubi.

During the Star Festival, it's supposed to be used in the Kagura performance, but it's stolen by the student possessed by the Mask anomaly disguised as Lyca.

In SS1, Subaru mentions that everything lost during the festival was eventually recovered except the wings.

At the end of the event, the Sky King is also recorded as a "lost anomaly." It suggests they always belonged to him.

If that's true, then the wings symbolize the Sky King's protection over Hotarubi.

So in SS1:

the King is lost

the wings are lost

Hotarubi loses his protection

In SS2, the opposite happens. The King is reunited with everyone, keeps the wings, and even promises he'll continue visiting Earth. The report still marks him as "lost" but the ghouls and MC know he'll return. That's basically their little secret.

This next part is just my own theory.

We know someone sabotaged the events of SS1.

If MC and the ghouls failed to solve the riddles, then they would never travel back in time. Without that time loop, the Sky Prince never meets them, so the Sky King has no reason to keep returning to Earth.

In other words, breaking the loop means Earth loses the Sky King's protection.

That would explain why someone tried so hard to prevent everything from coming together in SS1.

In SS2, that sabotage becomes much harder. Dionysia's artisans return, Mio strengthens security, Clockwork anomalies are scattered around the area, and both Tohma and Alan are present during the festival. On top of that, the ceasefire between Vagastrom and Frostheim makes it much more difficult for a spy to interfere.

One more thing I find interesting is the real-world inspiration behind the Wings of the Heavenly Maiden.

In the original legend, a heavenly maiden's robe or wings are stolen, preventing her from returning to heaven.

That makes me wonder if the stolen wings in Lost Star are meant to parallel the Sky King's situation. Without them, perhaps he couldn't properly return home or travel freely between Earth and his planet.

Or, if you prefer a more symbolic interpretation, the wings simply represent the bridge between the two worlds.

In SS1, that bridge is never completed because the time loop fails.

In SS2, MC and the ghouls successfully complete the loop, allowing the Sky King and Earth to reconnect. In that sense, the wings become a symbol of the bond they restored.