The Magnificent Maxwell

Sighing softly, Walter grabbed a white bunny once again and put it on his lap, with sullen pout leaning against his usless at this season sledge. He naively thought that just at the snap of fingers, everything would be alright again… But it was not. Maybe it would be easier to just start over? Though, seeing how Maxwell was trying to keep him alive, it wasn’t an option. What a shame…

Which is what he was trying to do for Walter, but he just had the most sinking suspicion that the brat would rather off himself than survive this mess. What an absolute pain he was. Between Walter’s childlike attitude and Maxwell’s raging headache from splitting his consciousness into shadows, this was all truly becoming a pain.

But... As much as Maxwell would love to dwell on his own woes, daylight was diminishing quicker than his hopes of escaping his throne. Which meant the demon had less time to concoct a manner to deal with Walter’s horrible attitude. In theory, Walter would probably be in better spirits if Maxwell did something such as... Make him a flower crown, for instance.

But there was no way in the seven hells that Maxwell would ever do that. He hated flowers.

The tall magician glared over at the idiot with the rabbit. At least the bunny seemed to be helping... But you know what would help even more, Maxwell? Flowers.

No. No no. No flowers. The rabbit would do just fine. Surely Walter’s attitude would improve once he got some food on his stomach as well. Yes... Yes.. that’s all he needed.

Now to all tormenting a pilot distresses, joined anger quickly boiling into helpless rage. Even if he would want to do anything to stop him, no doubt he wouldn’t be even able to do so…

“Don’t even LAY A FINGER ON THEM!” He nearly barked scowling at him. Oh he hated hated HATED this man, his job was done, why couldn’t he just LEAVE. He was even worse than this Maxwell who loved to see him mauled and suffering, argh…

“Congratulations... You may actually have a chance at surviving the night, Mr. Firelly.” Crossing his arms, Maxwell glanced about the sad little campsite, making a mental list of all the pilot would need to heal. Ugh, this was going to be such a bother...  If only he had some help...

Wait.

The magician reached into his suit jacket and pulled out an old book with a large letter M on the cover. Although Maxwell was trying to avoid using magic that was given to him from being on the throne... Could he possibly use some magic from the book without Them catching on to his little plan? It was worth a try at least... Though it would test his patience and sanity in the process.

What’s the worst that could come of losing some more sanity though? Killing Walter? Well that would be inconvenient... ‘I can handle this. If I just split my mind I can tackle these tasks while keeping the boy in line... This is nothing that the great Maxwell cannot handle.’

Flipping the book open to a well used page, Maxwell skimmed the page, muttering the words under his breath. Moments later, a surge of pain rose in his head as three shadow copies of himself formed in front of him. As if they already knew their purpose, they split off in three different directions. One to gather food, another to gather wood, and the last to find whatever odds and ends were needed to ensure the pilot’s survival.

“I can handle it…” Ginger muttered trying to stand up. What could be easly predicted, he couldn’t, as second after he was kneeling again on the ground.

One problem was gone, but he gained new ones, just great. And to make it even better, pilot didn’t have much to in his camp right now, even that much to help Maxwell, help himself. His already gone, monstrous appearance brought with it some benefits beside inconveniences, he didn’t have to worry about darkness for example. Because of that, there was only as much wood in his camp as was needed to cook something from time to time. By the way, there wasn’t much to eat there either…

He took a heavy breath and closed eyes for a moment. Alright Walter, you withstood worse things than headache, nausea, general pain, and… and… Oh who are you trying to fool!

Ginger groaned quietly and hunched over in pain. Maybe he was miserable, but he still had his pride. Or so he wanted to think.

Thankfully, that ruled out the plan of using physical labor to drag the ginger’s sorry ass into the shabby campsite. Which meant Maxwell was going to have to be a bit clever to get the pilot moving. That should be easy since Maxwell is the most clever person on this island. ....Ignoring the fact that he got himself bound to a throne, of course.

With a shrug at Walter’s pitiful pleading for him to leave, Maxwell scoops up the nearby white rabbit and walks into camp. He then comes across Walter’s pet rabbits, such darling little creatures they were. The magician sat his white rabbit down with the three black ones, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he looked over the little group.

“I am a gentleman, Walter.... I could hardly consider leaving without helping you survive this night.” Maxwell started to smirk deviously as he continued to look at the rabbits, “...And seeing as you’re short on supplies, I suppose... I will be forced to stock your camp.”

Sure, maybe he felt like he was going to throw up all his guts in a second, his mind was a mess on the border of insanity and generally he felt like a trash, but there were some good things about it! How long it was since he saw his hands not black and clawed, but pale and with completely normal, human nails? Or how long it was since he felt how hot is outside, it was summer at last, but all he could felt as partial shadow was cold…!

Trying to keep himself collected, ginger took a quick look at creature separated from himself… And shuddered when his sanity started to pack up for holidays. So THAT’S how he looked like…

But it was gone. This thing was finally gone. Gonegonegone forever. The monster was tamed. Walter sighed in relief, but didn’t have much time to enjoy this moment, as Maxwell destroyed it with his bloody catchphrase.

Maxwell looked up to the sky again, letting Walter rest a moment while the magician took judgement of the time. ‘Hm... Nightfall is soon approaching. He won’t survive the night like this...’ Maxwell peered back down at Walter with a slight frown. Walter was going to need help to survive the night... and perhaps even longer after that. And thus, here was where the catch came in... For once, the catch was for Maxwell.

His survivors were of no use to him and his plans if they were dead, even if they would return shortly after. It always meant beginning again, after all. Death was such an annoying inconvenience.

But alas, there were no other survivors here to care for the idiot, and those rabbits were going to be of no use in that department as well. Which only left one being in the immediate area to help the moron survive, Maxwell.

Maxwell. The demon. The magician. And the.. ...very tired god.

This process was too draining on him, he really didn’t want to muster up more magic than would be required of him right now. He would have to conserve his strength where he could... Which meant... Maxwell might actually have to do some sort of physical activity in order to help this foolish pilot. Surely it wouldn’t come down to that.

Though... If he couldn’t get on his feet and make it fully into the safety of his camp... Then... Someone might have to drag him over there.

Maxwell. You might have to drag Walter the rest of the way into camp where he can rest properly.

Although, after he opened mouth to object further, a cold, disgusting feeling pierced his guts. Opening eyes wider and moving lips helplessly like fish out of the water, instead of on arguing with demon, he focused now on staying alive. As shadows moved inside him, pilot clenched teeth trying not to scream, as he couldn’t even take a breath, paralyzed with horror and disgust. His face and hands twitched while shadow hands were doing their research.

Ginger already felt like he probably would throw up after this casual surgery, but after what came next, he was sure of it. The moment shadows clenched inside him, he took a deep breath out of surprise. It didn’t hurt, because they wasn’t touching anything physically. But probably it was worse than if they would grab onto his liver or something, their cold, nasty claws, while grabbing stuff of nightmares, felt like they touched something more important than organs.

Walter didn’t have time to think about it anymore when Maxwell drew hands back.

He felt pain of wings being ripped from your back, snapping in half, being splattered on the ground after being thrown down from great height, and much more, but even after all this nasty things that happened to him, he wasn’t ready.

Screaming.

How Maxwell longed for the days when the panicked screams of a man actually bothered him. No... They used to do more than that. They used to frighten him. Back before he was a monster, himself...

As the creature took form behind the pilot, Maxwell made quick work to direct his shadows to focus on clinging to the bird rather than Walter. In the process, the rightfully cowardly ginger was dropped to the ground like an old tattered rag doll. His focus now entirely on subduing the beast, Maxwell directed his shadows to swarm and engulf it in darkness. The demon snarled as the beast struggled to escape his influence. How dare it try to get away from The Magnificent Maxwell. Such a frustrating beast... No wonder this form gave Walter so much trouble.

Finally, the last bit of shadow managed to swallow up the avian beast, keeping it suspended in the air, awaiting Maxwell’s final command. With Maxwell’s swift gesture to the ground, the shadows drag the beast down into the darkness below. The puddle of shadows then quickly disappear, leaving not a trace of the events that just transpired... ....aside from the discarded pilot, of course.

Looking a little worse for wear around the edges himself, Maxwell slowly approached the pilot, towering down above him. He let out a short breath, trying to recollect his thoughts before he spoke again to the boy. This process was a bit more exhausting than he would like to admit, it wasn’t everyday that Maxwell had to disperse curses from unknown sources.

Clearing his throat, the tall magician finally spoke.

Also the vision of turning into the monster forever… He had the taste of this already, until he discovered how to control change. But as Maxwell said, there was always possibility of losing control. He clenched hands into fists nervously.

“Now... Try not to squirm too much. I would hate to accidentally kill you in the process...” A dark smirk for a dark joke. Maxwell, most people don’t find it funny to poke fun at their mortality when they’re grasped by the essence of darkness itself. Scratch that... No one finds it funny but you, Maxwell.

The magician gestures again for more shadows to rise and cling to Walter. But their grasp had changed, no longer were all of the shadows grasping the man’s body... Oh no. Some of these shadows reached deep into his back, grasping for something else entirely. The shadows were searching for the source of nightmare fuel deep within him.

Meanwhile, Maxwell looked deep in thought as he focused on the task at hand. He watched the shadows grope and dig around inside of the pilot, his thoughts and gestures guiding their search. Finally... Yes... It had to be. He could just sense it. It had to be there!

Mentioned owner though, wasn’t in much better condition than them; actually most probably, he was scared just as them, or even more, looking at Maxwell with eyes wide open.

The magician simply crossed his arms, his gaze softening somewhat as he looked away from the pilot. “Of course, Walter... After all, a minor inconvenience and pain now is unthinkable to endure compared to the alternative. The alternative being that you would slowly lose all of your humanity, eventually trapping you in that beast’s form forever.”

“I… I don’t think I was paying much attention to this… “ He mumbled more and more resembling lost kid, than a man fussing about and snarling with bared teeth from while ago.

Maxwell’s gaze went from the frightened boy to the rabbit, then back to the boy. It was almost amusing how similar the two were at this moment. And Maxwell would have actually found it amusing until Walter spoke the cause of the curse: a coin. A simple coin. Honestly... How stupid were these people on this island? Yes, let’s put all of our faith and well being into the hands of a magic coin. That sounds like a brilliant idea.

The demon was feeling rather insulted at this moment, he was essentially at the same level of a bloody coin. He and the coin served the same purpose to these idiotic survivors; a magical source of solving problems and fulfilling wishes.  Was that really how these survivors saw him? If there was a coin that did the same thing, then why on this beautiful island would they ever even dream of attempting to usurp Maxwell’s throne? There would be no luring people in with the promise of ultimate power (with a deadly twist) if a bloody coin could do the same thing.

Maxwell pressed a gloved hand to his temple as he tried to drag his mind out of his racing yet frustrated thoughts. It was always so easy for him to get carried away with fits like this. After all, any distraction kept his mind off of the awful noise in his chamber. But... this distraction was keeping him from his real purpose, and was needlessly riling him up.

He stood there, looking blankly and holding the bunny. Was it possible? That this demon had his ways, to take away from him this curse? He tried everything, making everyone around worry about him, making Walter wish he never made any friends here… Maxwell couldn’t of course take away all flaws of his personality, but still, it would be one problem fewer…

On the other hand, it was Maxwell.

“…It sounds great.” He muttered. “…If you really can do this.” Becaus somehow Walter still doubted that. Ginger stayed silent for another moment.

“…So. You will help me to get rid of foreign magic, right…?” He thoughts were running, he couldn’t help uncomfortable feeling that if he will be thinking over it for too long, demon will lose interest and change his mind. Should he go for it, or back off, was it unexpected act of kindness, or just another trick…?

He bit his lip, looking away for a second, qucikly coming back with eyes to Maxwell.

The magician then closed his eyes briefly as he politely nodded his head, “As you wish, Walter...”

With a small flick of his wrist, shadows swarmed the ground around the pilot before they snaked up his legs and around his torso. Although intimidating, the shadow's grasp was gentle yet firm, even starting to just barely lift the pilot off of his feet. The dark hands wrapped around the man’s torso and legs lifted him up to meet Maxwell’s eye level so he could get a better look at Walter. Maxwell rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked over the man and the rabbit in his arms.

“A proposition?” He repeated after him unsure, slightly rising shoulders and moving fingers uneasy. Last deals he made with demons of any kind, were ending worse and worse, could it possibly be even more bad? Even despite his aversion to Maxwell, curiosity won, as usually.

Maxwell then sets the rabbit in Walter’s hands as he circles back around to in front of the boy. “And before you ask how I benefit from such a seemingly noble gesture... Well, you see... Your problem happens to be one of my weaknesses. I admit that I am a jealous god, I cannot stand others meddling with my survivors. The magic that binds you to your curse is not my own, so I would gladly do what I can to get rid of its influence.”

There is always a catch.

He stopped almost against his will, still with back turned at his interlocutor. This story… This story after this phrase sounded almost unpleasantly familiar. With different people as heroes of this tale, long time before he and Wren even arrived here. As the saying goes, history repeats itself.

He clenched fists, looking at rabbit beneath his feet. Suddenly, the snort was heard and ginger started giggling hysterically. Walter turned, as his laughter started to sound forced and almost painful.

“I just don’t get you! Why are you…! Why are you trying to make me feel better about myself?! Why! You’re… You’re the one who always brings suffering, you’re like a fucking horseman of the apocalypse! What is your point this time! You stand here and preach me like you know everything about me!” He honestly didn’t know anymore, how to feel about Maxwell trying to convince him, that he’s not a monster he saw in himself. He frowned, keep smiling with forced anguished smile.

“…Everyone’s a monster deep inside and this place only helps to show us our true faces.“ Ginger grumbled under his breath, now clenching and relaxing claw-like hands. “It brings out what’s worst and killing people over and over it’s killing something more important than their bodies. It’s trampling over their will, tearing apart the smallest bright thought, burning to ashes all hope, leaving… Only bitterness.” His voice faded, being barely louder to breath at this point.

The magician closed his eyes, taking in the pilot’s words. Although the pilot may not have been the brightest of the survivors, his words struck a chord with Maxwell. ‘So bitterness is all that remains...? Perhaps that is why my plans falter. The imitations of myself have drained these survivors. They cannot fulfill my desires if they are only filled with bitter distrust for any by the name of Maxwell. Perhaps.. ....Perhaps I will have to throw them a bone if I wish to use them..’

Maxwell’s form becomes entirely black before melting with the shadows, disappearing from the tree he had been leaning against. Barely moments later, he reappeared in front of Walter, now with the white rabbit in his hands. Sorry, Walter, Maxwell heard your little whisper. There’s very little on this island that he doesn’t hear. After all, it’s better than listening to a certain tune in his chambers.

He stayed silent for a moment, but not for too long. He didn’t like silence. Pilot blowed one cheek, thinking fast.

“… I don’t know. It was first thing that came to my mind. So? What do you want? Laugh at me? Go ahead. Send something after me? Go on! Really, I don’t care anymore. Do what you want.” Ginger waved hand at him and turned on his heel to come back to his camp.

“Actor, you say...? You know... That reminds me of another man that once was on this isle. He was a performer, you see... A good man with a desire to bring smiles to the faces of others through his mystifying performances. Unfortunately, he found himself poor and unsuccessful.” The magician paused, smiling,”...His only companions were his assistant... and his rabbits.” Although Maxwell stayed at the tree, his voice seemed to carry well enough so that Walter had no troubles hearing him, no matter how far away the ginger would walk.

“When I came into his life, I offered him a deal. To do the impossible, to make his art true so that his problems would all disappear.” Maxwell started to frown, “...I held my end of the bargain, of course. But as you very well know... There is always a catch...”

“Not only was he dragged to this island like the rest of the survivors, but his assistant was stolen from him. You say you are a monster because you have killed... But... Killing is an act of mercy in this place. No... Instead of killing her to further punish the man, her form was twisted with the very shadows of the island. A true killer of men now, she was still not a monster... For if she was able to control herself in such a form... She would never kill.”

Maxwell glanced over to the ginger with the rabbit in camp. “...That is something that is true of every survivor left on this island. If they could control their fate, they would not do many of the horrible acts they have committed in this place.”

The magician smiled again, looking away as he feigned interest in the forest around them. “...In trying times like this, I am reminded of that man... A shame he couldn’t survive. In the end, he truly did become a monster...”

“I PROVE MYSELF RIGHT KILLING SOMEONE IN AMOK!“ Ginger pointed finger at demon, baring sharp teeth in unnaturally wide smile. “If you came here to drag me on your side, just because I made my mistakes, I swear to God, I will get myself killed again just to make you choke your words back!” He yelled throwing his little tantrum.

Oh how he hated this man.

His smile twitched lightly when ginger glared at little illusion. 

“I guess… Perhaps… It was… I would say it would be impossible for me to encounter that beast, because… uh…”

He pursed lips and become silent.

The magician takes some long strides to follow the pilot, though he keeps a distance between them as to not frighten the man. “Hm... Such a shame. You appear to know less than I do. Perhaps I should enlighten you then...” Maxwell then walks past Walter and leans against a nearby tree as he continues to speak. “The bird-like creature I speak of... From what I know, it first appeared here as a whim, a wish... ...A selfish desire. Simply put, over time it has grown to be much more than that.”

The magician motions with his hand, a small shadow of Walter’s creature form floats just above Maxwell’s palm. The conjurer looks over the illusion with slight interest, “Now it is more than just a dream... It is a depressed beast that has driven away its companions.” Maxwell motions with his finger, almost as if he was urging the little illusion to take flight. The small shadow creature glided from its perch in the air above Maxwell’s hand until it swirled around Walter’s head.

He knew, he knew.

“…Large bird-like creature, you say…” He started finally, but unsure and more muttering faintly than speaking. “And why do you ask, is it making troubles, or, or, or… Messing with your greater plans…?” Gradually his speech turned into higher pitched babble, when he started to gesticulate vividly. 

“Interesting... You think I’ll answer your questions when you have forgotten to answer mine.” The demon frowned, looking dully down upon the boy and his rabbit. “If I told you the creature was interrupting my greater scheme, I have no doubt in my mind that you would suddenly forget ever becoming such a beast...” The frown slowly turns into a smirk, “Oh... I’m sorry. I meant to say encountered the beast.”