The Reign of the Nightmare King (A Don't Starve fanfic)[CURRENTLY ON HOLD]

Chapter Two~ The Iconic Duo

We walk quietly yet quickly through the camp. Everyone has their own space, surrounded by stone walls. Mine is decorated with a scaled furnace and a scaled floor, and, of course, some potted succulents for decoration. I'm pretty sure Wilson's has a bunch of sciency stuff. I've seen it before and it's a mess, with papers strewn across the floor and unfinished experiments left lying around. I don't know how he lives like that. I find science kinda boring.

"So, have you seen Webber around lately?" I ask. Maybe we can figure out where he is so we don't have to spend hours looking for him.

"Huh? Oh, I saw him and Wendy playing jump rope earlier. He wanted me to join in, but I'm not really the jump rope type."

"Oh."

"Um, have you seen him?"

"No. I've been getting everything ready for dinner all day. I tried to cook, but Wicker wouldn't let me. I dunno why."

Wilson lets out a small laugh. I look at him.

"What?" I say accusingly.

"Sorry. It's just that you really burned the turkey last year."

"I did not! The turkey was fine!"

"Wickerbottom tried to cut it, and she couldn't. It was burned rock-solid all the way through."

"It tasted fine to me." I huff, crossing my arms and looking away.

It's quiet for what seems like a long time after that. We finally make it to Webber's base. We told him he couldn't surround it with spider nests after an incident that involved Wolfgang and a horde of angry arachnids. It didn't end well.

Wilson goes inside the gate to check, and finds nothing. We decide we should check the forest when we hear a sharp cry from behind the base. Wilson and I sprint to the edge of the woods, near the source of the cry.

First I notice a large mound of black and white fur on the ground, as big as a house. My eyes adjust and after a moment I realize it's a sleeping Bearger. But that's not the weirdest part-- two spider queens are lurking nearby, and the ground is littered with dead spiders. One of them has human- like legs and arms.

"Oh my god," Wilson mutters.

"Webber!!" I shout.

"You're gonna wake the Bearger up!" He hisses. "We need to get the others!"

I don't hear him, because I'm already sprinting into the field of fallen spiders. I kneel down at Webber's side as soon as I reach him. I put my head on his furry chest; some of the fur is mangled and matted with blood, but I keep my ear planted above his heart. It takes a moment for my own heart to stop pounding in my ears, but when there's silence, I hear a faint 'ba- bum ba- bum'.

"He's alive!" I shout to Wilson, who is still standing, stiff as a board. His eyes are frozen on me. "Well don't just stand there, help me hoist 'im up!" Still frozen. I squint at him; it's hard to see well because it's nearly night. His eyes aren't quite on me, they're... behind me.

I hear a faint rumbling, like the motor of a car. I stiffen. Not a car. I twist around as a shadow falls over me. The Bearger is awake. I don't even think, I just grab Webber and run. I run out of the field and past Wilson, and I keep running.

"Don't just stand there!" I yell again.

Suddenly, as if life had returned to him, Wilson full- out sprinted away from the Beager.

"I'll go get the others!" he shouted, out of breath. "Keep him away from base!"

He starts to leave, but I stop.

"Wait! Take Webber!" I fling Webber at him, and he flies limply through the evening air.

"Wait, wha-" He notices the airbound spider and sticks his arms out just in time. "Oof!" Webber lands on Wilson, knocking him down in the process. "He's heavier than he looks!"

I sprint as fast as my legs are willing to go, and at this point I'm running on pure adrenaline. The Bearger lets out an ear splitting roar and stomps the ground angrily, sending me to my knees. I wait for the shaking to subside before I get back up. This is going to be a long night.

                                                                         •••••

Back at base, Wilson runs toward the glowing lights of the long table where all of the other survivors are waiting. Not being the athletic type, he slows to a jog, and when he finally reaches the table, he doubles over with his hands on his knees and pants like a dog. He hadn't run like this since his first winter on the island, when he was all alone and discovered a stray deerclops. Wilson sets Webber gently on the ground. When he glances back up at his friends, they all wear shocked expressions. Well, except for Maxwell, whose face remains a constant scowl.

"Oh my, what happened dear?!" Wickerbottom exclaims.

"He fell like a tree, eh?" Woodie notes.

"Found him... Bearger... spider queen... Willow...," Wilson pants.

"Slow down dear," Wickerbottom says as Wilson regains his breath.

"Not the athletic type, eh?" Maxwell scoffs.

"Shut up, Maxwell," Wilson retorts, catching his breath, though Maxwell is right. "Willow and I found Webber just behind the base with-" Wilson starts.

"Oh yeah, where is little fire girl?" Wolfgang interrupts.

"I was getting to that," Wilson glares. "We found Webber with two spider queens and a sleeping Bearger. He was unconscious, but alive. Willow's running the Bearger away from camp, but we need help."

"Well, we must act fast! I völunteer tö fight!" Wigfrid roars. She produces her battle spear out of nowhere.

"Where'd ya get that from?" Woodie asks, confused.

Wigfrid just purses her lips into a small smile and remains silent.

"Er, anyways," Wilson continues, "We need a plan. Wigfrid, Wolfgang, Wx, Woodie, Winona, and Maxwell, if you can use your shadow clones, go take down the Bearger. Everyone else stay here and help with Webber. I might go fight if you need me. Oh, and take some healing salves too." He begins to dig through a chest in search of healing supplies.

"Who put you in charge, Higgsbury?" Maxwell pipes up. "I used to rule this place, you know."

"Me," says Wilson, not even glancing up from what he's doing. "Do you have any better ideas?"

"I've got plenty of better ideas," Maxwell huffs.

"Oh, shush." Wickerbottom says sternly. "Wilson's plan is fine. Now, we haven't got time to lose!"