Starving isn't so bad anymore (Don't Starve Together Fanfiction)

Chapter 12: Waxwell

I almost choked on my kabob, and I could've sworn Maxwell turned pale under that shadowy mist wafting off of him.

"Your sister's name is Charlie?" I asked as calmly as I could manage.

"Yeah, why?" Winona said looking as confused as Maxwell looked nervous. 

"Have you ever heard of someone named Maxwell, or if your sister had any connection to them?"

"Ugh, yeah my little sister kept sending me letters about some magician she was smitten with. 'Maxxy is just the best.' or 'Maxxy is so wonderful' made up a majority of what she wrote, or something close."

"It almost sounds like you were annoyed by the letters."

"I was. That is until she went missing."

"Missing?" I knew what she meant. When she and Maxwell were brought to this world, though I didn't know how they'd gotten here and I was extremely curious.

"Yeah... Witnesses said that the book Maxwell used summoned some demon and they were both pulled into the book by it. Until I was brought to this world I didn't believe it. I thought that Maxwell had just killed her and went into hiding. But now... I still keep hoping she'll show up one day. Or that this Maxwell guy will show up so I can wring his neck."

I struggled to suppress a smile as I turned to Maxwell, who was now deathly pale beneath the vale of shadows around him, and said "I feel sorry for the poor sap who'll receive that beating, don't you Maxwell?"

Maxwell stopped breathing for a moment, even though he technically didn't need to breath in his current state.

"What?" Winona said, dropping her kabob onto her plate, the other four leaving the table.

"M-My name isn't Maxwell, it's... Waxwell?" Maxwell said as he backed away from the table.

"If you flip the W upside down." I interjected as I took a bite of my kabob, a cheshire smile on my face.

"You're that bastard magician... The one who dragged my sister here!" Winona yelled as she knocked the table aside, while I grabbed my plate beforehand and rested it on my lap as I watched the show.

"Technically I'm just a copy of him... If that makes the situation any better..." Maxwell said as Winona walked towards him, she shook her head.

Maxwell had to lunge to avoid the punch that was aimed at his head, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the kick to his stomach.

"Stand still!" Winona shouted as she stomped on the already pained Maxwell.

Maxwell managed to crawl away and stand next to the doorway.

Winona ran at Maxwell trying to throw a punch but she tripped over something, said something seemed to be a flash of darkness that disappeared within an instant. 

"B-Before you try to kill me, just know that it may or may not work in my current state. Truth be told I'm trying to fix that issue." Maxwell said as he backed away from Winona as she got off he ground.

"You, explain!" she ordered as she pointed at me, as I put my now cleared plate on the ground.

"Maxwell here is trying to find a book that he believes he can use to free himself from Charlie's power and thus kill himself." I explained without moving from my chair.

"From Charlie's power?" 

I may have explained a bit to thoroughly. "Oh, well yes. You see, after the original Maxwell was freed from this world's grasp and died Charlie took control of the world and has kept this duplicate around though we don't know whether out of spite or otherwise."

"My sister... Is alive?" Winona's arms dropped to her sides as worry covered her face.

"Yes... Though she's... Different." Maxwell said with a shaking voice.

"Where is she?" 

"... In the Shadow Realm..."

"How do I get there?!" Winona yelled as she walked up to stand in front of Maxwell, tears welling in her eyes.

"You can't..."

Winona looked down as the tears started streaming down her face. She'd gone from rage to hope and then to despair in a matter of minutes. 

I got up to join Maxwell and WX-78 as they started inching towards the door, but Winona spoke up out of no where.

"You said this book you're looking for might kill you right?" she said with tears still flowing down her angry face.

"I believe so, yes." Maxwell said weakly.

"Well, then I'm gonna come help you find it. If I can't get to my little sister or the real Maxwell I'll take killing you as some kind of closure."

And with that Winona walked out the door and motioned for us to lead her to the boat. The only thing that surprised me more than that sudden turn in tone was that when we went to leave her four friends in the hut started packing things up.

"What are you doing?" I asked, very confused. 

"Well if Winona's going we're coming too. Plus there's no way we're going to miss out on a rad adventure." Walani said as she dumped assorted things into a bad and slung it over her should and carried her surf board under her other arm.

Warly filled a pack with food, plates, and eating utensils before picking up a small crock pot. Woodlegs brought a slightly rusted scimitar and odd trinkets. Wilbur brought bananas.

I almost fell to the ground laughing when I saw Wickerbottom's face as the eight of us approached the ship.