anyone can join, max is just practicing stuff

Maximus needed a sparring partner. Someone upright maybe, preferably 12 feet tall. Selenite was a good choice, but then again, Selenite wasn't really available when they were, so maybe not. Aside from them... was anyone two-legged in the Chaos Forge?

They thought about it as they walked towards the trees of Pegasus, out to both get food and practice their sparring to keep their body fit and ready. A quick spell and they saw only birds and animals out and about in the little clearing they'd taken as their own little 'spot', which was good. They didn't want to be surprised or interrupted.

Of course, if someone wanted to join in, that was fine.

Max stepped into the clearing and called for Nibbles, setting their spear down as they did some stretches, humming softly under their breath. They drew their music box from their bag and turned the key before opening it, sighing softly as music flowed from the small thing.

They set the box aside, well out of reach of their activities, not wanting to break it accidentally.

As Nibbles arrived they summoned a small banana, breaking it in half to give one piece to their companion and to eat the other. They didn't want to be hungry throughout their exercise and any chance to spoil Nibbles was a good one.

The rabbit munched on the banana happily, his little nose wiggling as he munched away happily.

They watched Nibbles for a while with a content smile on their face, their banana finished and the peel discarded into the woods. The rabbit was just so... cute.

"... Hey Nibbles," Max said, watching the bunny look up, "You're cute."

Nibbles stared for a moment before sneezing and continuing to eat, though the scooted closer to present his butt for scratched, which Maximus eagerly complied.

Finally Maximus stood up and stretched, ready to get to work. They picked up their spear and twirled it, thrusting it forward at an invisible enemy before using the base to propel themselves forward into a jump kick.

They summoned a pumpkin a little ways away and stepped back across the clearing, leaving Nibbles off to the side where it was safe. They threw the spear and stuck it into the ground just to the side, unfortunately not where they were intending for it to go.

Maximus sighed and let their head tip to one side, rolling it and their shoulders. They had to practice their physical abilities as well as their magical ones, so may as well combine the two.

Letting their magic spread out, they walked forward, the grass around bending to face them as they walked. It took some focus but the branches above did too, everything caving in to follow them as they walked. Once they touched their spear the spell ended, the strain giving way. With a soft sigh they held the spear in their hand, staring at it and then at the plants behind them, before looking at their hands.

Perhaps... they had more power within them that they hadn't yet realized.

Their transcendence trial had granted them a new ability, though they hadn't used it quite yet. Perhaps now was the perfect time to do so.

"Don't panic, Nibbles," they said, and then they reached down deep.

Maximus closed their eyes and felt magic well up to their calling, sparking along their gemstone eagerly. They opened their eyes and looked up, reaching up as far as they could, right to the ceiling of Pegasus. Like a wire touching a tesla coil, there was a spark sent between them, and the lights of Pegasus flickered.

Their eyes widened and they stopped immediately, staring around like a kid who'd just done something bad.

Nibbles was staring at them with wide eyes, also waiting for the other shoe to drop.

When nothing happened they relaxed, shoulders sagging. Nibbles continued to graze once Max was calm, ignoring them as they continued to practice. They ought to get their magic back up to the expertise they had before.

They gathered their magic and walked up to a tree, touching a single leaf and watching it start to glow. With a smile they moved on to try and do the same for another, to light up the whole tree in different, pretty colors.

Another touch, another leaf lit up, this time in blue, the first having been a yellow-white. They swayed gently to the music playing behind them, humming along to a tune that had always given them such happiness.

And they reflected.

The beginning of the end had been the moment they ran away from Draconua, when they became so tired of her foolishness and had broken. Another few seconds and they'd have succeeded, and all would be fine. But one little mistake was all that was needed to ruin their life.

Maximus reached out to touch another leaf, right as they were about to promise to themselves to never fail again. It was like the universe thought they were a joke too, toying with their delicate emotions.

A spike of agony was driven right through the center of their head, a strangled cry of pain leaving their mouth as they staggered backwards and gripped their head tightly. They whined and fell to their knees, quills raising as they tried to rub at their skull to get it to stop.

One of these days Maximus would have to realize that they were nothing more than a pathetic failure. That's what the universe was trying to tell them.

Magic draped over them, protecting them. Swathed in shadows, they were safe. As tears welled up and fell, both from pain and misery, they could cry freely, without anyone to tell them that they were weak for feeling.

They sat up slowly and thought back again, their skin tingling as the chill of night started to set in, the lights growing dimmer and dimmer.