Chapter Six: Follower

Well... That was certainly a disappointing result. I expected it but that doesn't make it any less disappointing.

I can't say I hoped to kill them in my first experiment. To be honest, I was quite glad to know I didn't have to find two new lab rats to replace them. That would've been more trouble than it was worth.

I figured Willow would use her pyromaniac skills to get rid of the tree guards. And it was pretty amusing to watch those idiots run, screaming, from a pair of angry, flaming tree guards.

Anyway, I've come up with a new theory that I'd like to test. And maybe this one would end in a bit more suffering.

That would be splendid.

The pair of trouble magnets got an early start. As they wandered, they collected what ever they could find. Maxwell carried rock, twigs, and dried grass in their back pack. Willow picked a few flowers and to Maxwell's pleasant surprise, she didn't set any of them on fire. She did, however, dance around Maxwell and shower him in petals. The man was not amused by this.

"He he! Smile, fairy princess Maxy," Willow crooned.

Maxwell brushed several petals out of his hair. He maintained his grumpy expression. Willow had come to the conclusion that he was not a morning person.

"You're such a downer sometimes," Willow complained. She discarded the remaining petals and stems. "Why can't you just smile like a normal person?"

"I'll be happy when I get out of here and have a nice long bath," Maxwell stated flatly. "I feel disgusting."

Willow paused. A bath sounded fantastic right about now. She was covered in dirt and she was positive that she still had twigs and pine needles stuck in her hair. Her eyes went wide as she stood there silently.

She suddenly let out the longest and loudest whine anyone has heard.

Maxwell slapped his hand onto his ears. "What are you doing, you crazy child?" he growled. "Knock it off!"

"Agh! I miss baths and my bed and my teddy and houses and cookies and people who don't smell like giant cow farts!" Willow shouted at the sky.

Maxwell's frown grew at the "cow farts" comment. "You smell just as bad, pal," he barked. "And join the club. I miss my bed too."

"I miss it more..." the girl grumbled with a tiny sniffle.

"I've missed it for centuries," Maxwell said. "So get in line."

Willow gave Maxwell a confused look. "Centuries?" she said incredulously. "Maxwell, I know you're old but you can't be that old."

"Honestly, I have no idea how long I've been away from my home," Maxwell sighed. "It certainly feels like it's been centuries."

Willow stared for a bit. She almost felt bad for Maxwell. He looked tired. Even when he was yelling at her and insulting her, he looked tired. It was like the only thing left was his dignity and the clothes on his back.

Of course... Willow could relate. It was a bit unfortunate to have essentially lost everything and get dumped in the middle of nowhere with little to protect yourself with.

The girl shifted her weight between her feet awkwardly for a moment. "Let's go kill a few bunnies," she suggested quickly. "That'll make you feel better, right?"

"Why do you care all of a sudden?" Maxwell questioned suspiciously.

"I don't. I just wanted some meat," Willow snapped. She spun on her heel and stuck her nose in the air before marching away.

Maxwell rolled his eyes and followed with a sigh. This was beginning to feel like a babysitting job more than anything else.

After a few minutes of walking, Willow had begun talking about how she had fallen in love with fire. Metaphorically of course. "My aunt didn't think it was very funny that I set the class pet on fire and got expelled," she explained. "But I thought it was hila- Oof!" She suddenly tripped and fell flat on her face.

Maxwell didn't bother to help her up. Instead he crouched by her and chuckled, "Did a hamster get his revenge?"

Willow picked herself up and dusted off her skirt. "Ha ha. It was a stick," she snapped before glancing at her feet.

It was not, in fact, a stick that she had tripped over. It was actually a bone. A strange-looking bone that had a tuft of fur at one end and what looked to be little horns.

Willow tilted her head. This certainly wasn't the strangest thing she had seen here but it was still pretty odd. She poked the bone. It did nothing. No movement. No sound. She then picked it up.

The tuft of fur housed an eye that shot open suddenly. Both Willow and Maxwell jumped, Maxwell taking a defensive step back. The eye looked wildly around for a moment then it snapped its attention to Willow.

Willow had a short staring contest with the strange bone. It didn't seem to be doing anything other than staring at her. It must be harmless.

Wait... What was that noise?

There was a soft rustling of bushes and grass. Willow decided to use the bone as a weapon and Maxwell was prepared for a bit of old-fashioned fisticuffs. They waited for a few agonizing seconds of silence.

The fluffy creature rolled clumsily out of a berry bush, its rusty-brown fur covered in berry juice. Willow blinked. This little thing looked harmless. And kinda cute. It had horns similar to the bone's and four stumpy little legs. It panted a bit like a dog with its huge pink tongue hanging from its equally huge mouth. In fact, it seemed to be all mouth. It didn't even have eyes.

It waddled up to Willow, sniffed her knee, then plopped down in front of her.

It took Willow and Maxwell a moment to register what happened. Willow was the first to react. "Oh my gosh! He's so cute!" she squealed. "I'm keeping him and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Maxwell smacked himself on the forehead. "We don't even know what it is," he attempted to argue.

"Something the great Maxwell doesn't know about?" Willow said with a vicious grin. "Well that just settles it. I'm keeping him." She patted the little creature and purred, "Now what to name you?"

Maxwell let out a heavy sigh. There was no use arguing. He knew Willow would threaten to burn all of their supplies and run off if he tried to argue any further.

"Let's just find something to eat," Maxwell grumbled. "I'd really like to avoid dying of starvation. That'd be embarrassing." He glanced over his shoulder in that paranoid way that he does. He always seemed to think someone was watching him. Especially since they saw Wilson.

"Sounds like a plan," Willow chirped. "Come on, little fella. Let's go catch some rabbits."

The little creature bounced after them as they began to look for some source of food. Willow spent a good hour suggesting names for their new little friend. Bernie, Poppet, Gary, Fuzzy... She rattled off as many possibilities as she could until Maxwell finally added his input. "How about we just call it Chester?" he growled. Willow decided she actually liked that name.