Mash Burnedead and the meeting of the Beauty and the Beast

"Y'all see what I'm seeing?"

"Yes, a long-going metal walkway of some sort?"

"...a ladder on the ground?"

"Maybe, like a tower used to be here? But then, boom! The tower disappeared into myth and all that was left was the ladder, but because of your stupid personal magic, the ladder could only fall to its doom!"

"You act as if I control this entire realm's gravitational pull! That's Jabberwock on the highest level."

"Don't taint that beloved book series with your silver tongue, ya devil!"

"My tongue is not that wealthy!"

"How's I supposed to know?"

"Maybe we should climb it?"

Daut and Lance looked to the side of the red cliff they were standing on to gaze at Mash. The mushroom-headed boy didn't notice any of this as he sat on his feet with his arms wrapped around his knees. Cans of red sap made from recycled tin cans that used to be their rations sat near them.

The fallen ladder could lead to civilization or even just a way out of the woods they've been stuck in for weeks now. First, it was the green forest they met the bandits in, next it was giant trees that Mash and Daut kept climbing. Lance had to physically scrape them off the sides of the mighty oaks so they could continue their journey. But now, they were lost in some red forest with its colors so saturated that it made it hard to see where one was going!

It's been weeks since Mash had a creampuff! The only reason he wasn't dealing with withdrawal was because of the extremely sticky yet filling tree sap. The sweetness of said treat was enough to keep him preoccupied, for now.

It didn't help matters, however, when more of those dark beasts kept showing up. Especially when some of them seemed to be attracted to the scent of the red sap. They weren't hard to deal with, for the most part, just an utter nuisance that wouldn't go away.

Shadow bees! And Wasps and ghosts and boars, so many monsters were constantly attacking them that the Adler boys wondered if anyone besides the bandits were still alive in this hellhole.

Daut leaned over to Lance, "We're running out of sap, should we get some more?"

"We're heading out to the ground below, not many trees there it seems. We should collect as much as we can for the road."

"So… that's a yes?"

Lance sighed, "What do you think?"

"...I'ma take that as a 'sure'."

Daut turned to collect more sap with Lance right behind him. As the two approached a nearby red leaf tree they prepared for the harvest. Daut readied two empty cans as Lance raised his wand.

Gentle manipulation of the world's gravitational field led to Lance slowly squeezing the tree, careful not to permanently damage said tree, it would be rude to just destroy a forest.

Chugga Chugga...

Chugga Chugga...

Choo Choo!

In surprise at the unfamiliar noise and the rumbling, it startled Lance and his concentration on the gentle spell slipped.

Spurt!

Daut said nothing as his entire frame was drenched in the squirted-out juices of the red sap tree he was kneeling against. Face blank, he looked at the jars and saw they were full. "Well, at least we have our sap." A large glob of red sap splattered onto the red grass. "And some extra."

Lance had the decency to at the very least look apologetic, "I'm… very sorry. We haven't slept much due to the constant attacks and I-

"Ya still have my dreamcatcher?"

"Of course, it works wonders."

"Thanks, now take a nap soon so I don't blow you up next time this happens."

"Noted."

MSHL

Mash perked up at the rumbling coming closer, peering into the trench to see a large metal machine speeding towards him.

Leaning over in interest and child-like excitement, Mash watched in earnest as two dark shapes jumped onto the speeding contraption.

Both of the shapes were wearing black, one with long black hair and the other had a long coat fluttering in the wind behind them. It was also black.

Golly, they really loved black huh?

The dark duo seemed to hop into one of the big boxes on the machine. What were they doing in there?

Wait, could they be…

...sitting down!?

Yes! They're catching a ride to the next town over. The two of them might've even been as lost as them. Hopefully, they won't mind an extra 27… no wait three! Yes, three passengers.

Mash turned around to call for his friends, then blinked at the sight of Daut.

"..."

"..."

"Can I-

"No, ya can't eat me."

"Aww…"

"What is infernal noise?"

Mash perked up, now was their chance to get out of this gods-forsaken forest. "Oh, the ladder on the ground has a big machine riding on it. I saw some guy and a girl hitch a ride."

Lance pounded a fist into his open palm, eyes shining. "Then we should make haste if we want to follow their example."

Daut, on the other hand, was already leaping onto the contraption when Mash first said 'big machine'. "Woohoo! Get me outta here!"

Lance was quick to rush after him, "Don't you dare leave without me!"

Seeing his chance, Mash did a maneuver he's always wanted to do. "Cannonball!"

Timing his jump just right so that he smoothly slipped into the hole in the ceiling of one of the boxes, Mash found himself in a dark room with a bunch of red squiggly lines.

No wait, those lines are moving around? The two dark shapes from earlier were expertly cutting the red squiggly metal people into coleslaw. Cold, metallic coleslaw.

Daut and Lance were facing their own metal knights? People? Eh, didn't matter since they were getting absolutely destroyed by the combined might of Explomb and Graviole magic.

Smoking armored arms and legs flew into the cramped walls of the metal box they were in, sending out loud clunks and clanks into their ears.

Mash stepped on a few flattened bodies and wide swords as he made his way to the black duo. Even Mash could make an educated guess where the flat parts came from.

As the red and black-haired swordsman swiftly cut a knight in half, he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. On instinct, he twisted his hips and swung in a large arc behind him. Crimson sword ringing in the air, as if announcing its next claim of a victim.

Two fingers delicately caught his blade mid-swing.

The swordsman's eyes behind his bone mask widened in shock, did a mushroom just catch his blade with his fingers?

Mash nodded his head to the still in shock sword guy, "Hello, I'm Mash. You look familiar, do I know you?"