"Alright, first mission ever. This is going to be interesting." Wilson said, looking at the portal before him, Woodie standing next to him. "Ready?"

"Sure am." Woodie lifted his axe over his shoulder. "Lucy?"

"You know it, Love."

"Good." Wilson took a deep breath. "We're not going to be looking for much since Grandmother hasn't been able to localize other survivors yet but we're going to see if we can find anything she can't."

"And we're also checking to be sure Maxwell isn't trying anything, right?"

Wilson grinned. "But of course and if he is, take him down or at least scare him off." He cleared his throat, giving a determined look. "Now, CHARGE!"

Woodie grinned, running in with him. Soon, they found themselves back in the Shadow World, though in territory they didn't recognize.

"This… isn't the throne room." Woodie said, looking around. "I thought there was only one portal."

"Was." Wilson quipped, looking around. "Grandmother has been trying to connect the islands by building more of these Florid Posterns as she calls them."

"I see… and how exactly does the system work? Do they just randomize where you go or do they take to the Light Dimension if you enter them from this side?"

"I believe the destination to the Light Dimension is the same regardless." Wilson explained. "Though it would make sense to not have us start off in the throne room."

"Right." Woodie held Lucy in a ready position. "I just don't recognize any of this terrain."

Wilson pulled out his map, looking at it.

"Hrm… I… don't recognize it either. Well, we'll just have to figure it out."

"Right." Woodie started looking around with Wilson, keeping to his side. "It just never crossed my mind there would be other terrains besides the one we were all surviving in. Makes you feel rather small realizing how big this world actually is."

"It's a strange feeling, that is for sure." Wilson looked around, noticing some of the things he was seeing.

"... Is that… a living tree?" Wilson asked as he walked up to an odd looking tree. "... It has a face."

Woodie looked at it as well, tilting his head.

"... I ain't cutting that." Lucy dead panned. "It has a face. That would just be mean."

"Agreed. I'm calling it Frank."

"Very well." Wilson jotted it down on the map. "Frank the Living Tree." He looked around. walking further… not realizing something was lurking under his feet. "Ah and here's a swamp-"

A large tentacle shot up, wrapping itself around his leg. "WAH!"

Wilson flailed, dropping his map as the tentacle thrashed him about. "OOOOF! NONONOO!"

"Hang on Wilson!" Woodie gave the tentacle a hard swing with Lucy, causing it to drop him, Woodie acting quickly to catch him. "Got ya!"

The tentacle came in from a second attack, Woodie jumping out of the way, giving it another hit with Lucy.

"BACK OFF!"

It slithered back into the ground. Wilson gave Woodie a grateful look mixed with a sheepish one.

"I apologize."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Woodie set him down. "We've never been in a swamp before so it kind of spooked me too."

Wilson nodded, dusting himself off. "Just so much curious territory. I just wanted to see more of it."

"And I do too. Let's just try not to get ourselves killed."

"We'll be safe."

I hope.

They decided to continue onward, minding the swamp area in case more tentacles decided to catch them off guard. Thankfully, bubbles in the ground were enough to be warning signs. Though Wilson couldn't help but notice something else. Woodie was generally rather relaxed for the most part in the times Wilson had spent with him. But as it were right now, he wore a more serious and alert look and had Lucy ready to swing too. It… was kind of odd. Plus, at the slightest sign that something was going to attack, Woodie got in front of him.

After another unfortunate encounter with a tentacle, resulting in said tentacle's demise at Woodie's hands, Wilson had to speak up.

"Woodie, what's going on with you?"

"Eh?" Woodie looked to him confused. "What do you mean?"

Wilson raised an eyebrow. "I haven't seen you ever get this… protective. At the slightest sign of danger you do all the fighting." He lifted up the prize from the latest tentacle kill. A spiked weapon. "I think I can handle myself-"

"I just don't want you dying, okay?" Woodie replied quickly, turning away from Wilson. "Isn't that what friends do? Make sure the other doesn't get himself killed?"

"Yes, so let me do my fair share-!"

"No!"

Another tentacle came up out of the swamp, wrapping itself around Woodie, bringing him into the air, thrashing him around.

"WAH!"

"Woodie!" Wilson cried before growling, lunging at the tentacle, attacking it with his newfound weapon. "LET GO YOU SLIMEY MONSTER!"

There was a shriek but it held its grasp on Woodie, tightening its grip. Woodie cringed, finding himself gasping for air.

Wilson's eyes widened in horror before he snarled.

"I SAID…." He summoned a large shadow flame in his hand before slamming it against the tentacle. "LEGGO!"

There was a loud shriek at the tentacle died, turning into shadows, leaving behind remains, dropping Woodie to the ground. He coughed as he was finally able to breathe again.

"Augh that smarts."

Wilson knelt by his side, patting his back, looking him over for injuries. "Are you okay? Where's it hurt?"

Woodie lifted up his arm, pointing to his right side.

"Really sore around here."

"Oh, Love." Lucy said, almost whispered, worry in her voice.

Wilson frowned, gently feeling the spot. "Oh no."

"What…?" Woodie asked, wincing a little.

"Woodie, I think you broke a couple of your ribs."

"Oh… that's just dandy." He groaned, lying his head on the ground. "First mission and I blow it."

"Oh yes, because EVERY mission requires everyone coming back not at all injured. Yes you certainly did - Woodie how could you have expected a TENTACLE to start thrashing you about like a rag doll?" Wilson told him, going through his supplies, starting to patch him up. "It is in no way your fault and you didn't blow anything."

"Sure." Woodie didn't meet his gaze, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"Woodie."

Woodie seemed to relax, someone stroking his hair that Wilson couldn't see.

"Lucy."

"Relax… and Woodie, don't be so hard on yourself. You've gotten hurt before and… just be honest with Wilson."

Woodie sighed.

"I can't help it."

"Come now, you can trust him. Like you trust me."

"Something you need to tell me?" Wilson asked, raising an eyebrow.

Woodie was silent, before looking up, giving a small nod.

"I haven't been honest with you on… why I'm acting like this. Why I've… been rather protective."

Wilson frowned. "I won't judge. You can tell me."

Woodie sighed, closing his eyes.

"Remember when we met, I told you I had been stuck here for nearly a year and a half?"

"You mentioned." Wilson finished treating Woodie before starting to work on getting a campfire starter. "What about it?"

"I saw a lot during that time. Lot of terrain, beasts… but the one thing that sticks to me is all the death I saw." Woodie opened his eyes, a bit of a mortified look in them. "I met people, even tried making friends then… but before I knew it, they would be gone. Some I didn't see how they died. Others…" He shuddered. "It hurt watching them slip away and me being unable to do anything."

Wilson gave him a sympathetic look, taking one of his hands and squeezing it gently.

"You're worried if I slip away again there'd be no way to return me to this life. You don't want to lose anyone else. I can respect that."

"You're the only one who came back." Woodie squeezed his hand. "I saw you die but then I also saw you come back. I… I just don't want to see it again." Woodie rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "I just don't want to lose friends. I have Lucy but… we don't like seeing people go. Not like this."

Wilson nodded. "I promise you I'm not leaving anytime soon and I'm not letting anything happen to anyone if I can help it. I've lost people too. The pain never really goes away, you know?"

"Yeah." Woodie sat up, sighing a bit. "Lucy was my first real loss." He picked up the axe, hugging her close to him. "Sort of."

Wilson's gaze softened.

"May I ask what happened to her?"

"Lucy?"

"I don't mind."

Woodie nodded, stroking the base of the axe.

"Lucy… she and I were on the same farm land. I was a lumberjack just going about my work days and she was one of the girls who helped cooked meals for us to eat and even helped with the animals. She got very sick one day and… well… slipped into a coma. The doctors said she might never wake up. I was heartbroken that day. I kept praying day and night for some miracle to wake her up and bring her back to me. I was getting desperate. Then one fateful night, I heard a voice call to me through the radio, saying I could have Lucy with me again. By my side for the rest of my life and make me the best lumberjack as a bonus."

Wilson frowned. He had a bad feeling he knew where this was going.

"It was Maxwell, wasn't it?" He asked, feeling dread.

"Yes." Woodie lowered his head. "I made a pact with him. He brought Lucy back… but… Oh what he did." Woodie looked to Lucy. "Sealed her into an axe that never breaks and me, cursed. Much like your dark knowledge, I was given my own brand which is the werebeaver curse. It related to my wish, so, Lucy got to be by my side and me, the supposed best lumberjack because I'm part beaver."

He squeezed his shoulder. "What he did to you both is despicable and I swear… I swear to you both when I find a way to bring Lucy back to her real self. I'll even treat her illness. You two WILL have a life together."

Woodie smiled a bit.

"We'd like that very much, Wilson. Thank you."

Wilson smiled gently. "Anything for my friends."

"Heh…"

"See?" Lucy giggled. "Much better."

"I can agree."

"Now, how about I cook us up some dinner?"

"That, sounds wonderful."

Wilson nodded before getting straight to work, humming a little.

Woodie kept by the fire, chuckling to himself as he watched Wilson work.

"Guess he really is my friend Lucy." He whispered. "I haven't made any in so long."

"And I'm so happy for you." She giggled, Woodie grinning as he felt a kiss on his head. "I know you've been wanting it for a long time now and so have I. I love your company but nothing makes things better than having friends around to share things with."

"It really does make a difference and he sure is one heck of a friend." He sighed in content. "I'm just glad everything's turning around now."

"Just keep your head up and remember, you're never alone."

"I won't forget that one. That's for sure."