Chapter 020: A Bad Nightmare

Maou eyes opened to see a sunny, vast, open, flat and slightly hilly grassy land. Black and white birds flock and soar throughout the sky. 

"Where… am I?" Maou asked, getting to his feet. "When did I… get here?"

He started walking around the land, searching for Shelly or Arthur or anyone he knew, but to his terror, he couldn't find anyone.

"Shelly! Mr Noodles! Arthur! Mr Meats! Chelsea! Mr Potato! … ANYBODY!!!" 

Maou sprinted along the flat and slightly hilly grassy terrain, calling out the names of all he knew. Maou hoped for a response… any response, but there was none. Only his voice returned to him in an echo.

"Where is… everyone?" Maou stood there, staring at the ground ready to cry. "Why did they leave me?"

Just then, the birds descended one from the sky, surrounding the saddened Maou. 

It was like a mini black and white bird tornado filled with the loud and numerous sounds of wings flapping.

"Huh? Why are they… doing that?!" 

As the birds got closer to Maou, he closed his eyes, shielded his head with his arms and crouched to the ground.

The sound of wings eventually stopped and the previous quietness of the land returned. 

Removing his hands, he saw a strange sight surrounding him. Countless black ravens with silver eyes stretched out along his left. Countless white doves with obsidian eyes stretched out along his right.

"Um…" Maou stopped crouching and observed the bizarre scene before him. "Oh, wow… This is… weird."

Both colour birds stretched out for miles. They made the ground looked as if it were painted in black and white, a totally different look from the grassy lands previously.

"None of you… are gonna hurt me… right?" Maou asked the glaring birds uneasily. 

Surprising Maou, the birds moved aside, making a long trail forward of him.

"Should I just… walk down the path?" Maou pointed at the open path before him, questioning the quiet and staring birds. "Okay! Enough said. I'll take that as a yes then."

Maou, feeling uncomfortable, walked down the open path made by the birds, whose eyes stayed glued to him every step. The further he walked, the birds would close off the area behind him, forcing him to keep moving forward.

"So… has anyone seen my friend… or anyone else besides me." Maou tried talking with the quiet but staring birds. 

"Okay… not a talking type any of you? That's fine… I can stay silent too… I think." 

At the end of the bird path, Maou saw something. It was two flames. One flame burnt pure white on the side with the doves and the other burnt pure black on the side with the ravens. 

The closer Maou came to the flames, the bigger they appeared. When he was three metres away from the flames, they both were thrice his height.

"Wierd…. The flames don't feel hot… but they're not cold either." Maou held out his hands to the flames. "Should I… touch it…. No way! If Shelly was here, she'd give me an earful if I did."

Maou stood there contemplating with his curiosity steadily growing. Looking at the birds, Maou saw that they were no longer staring at him but the flames in front.

"Hmm…. Just one small touch won't hurt." Maou optimistically thought to himself, "but which one should I touch first…"

Maou covered his eyes with one hand and decided with a tune he made up. 

"Chicken Beef! Turkey Grease! Which one of you will be my feast?" His finger pointed to the left. "Then black it is!"

Maou skipped over to the black flame with bliss. 

"Here goes nothing! …. But please, don't eat my arm." Maou stuck his hand in the flame. 

"AHHHH!" He screamed in anguish.

Maou was immediately smashed with an intense feeling. His mind was being harshly flooded with information. 

The first thing he felt was an endless supply of power, that washed over him like the waves of a tsunami. Then, in the sea of power was a deep sadness. It was like the entire sorrow of the world condensed all in that water. 

"I don't want to lose you guys! Please! I can't lose my friends! I can't! I can't! I CAN'T!!! Please don't leave me!" The voice kept blaring louder and louder. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I SWEAR!!! I'm not the Demon King. DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" 

Those words drummed in Maou's brain seemingly endlessly. 

"Ahh! My chest… hurts! It hurts! IT HURTS!!! Make it stop! Make it stop, PLEASE!" 

This sadness, which was not his own, nearly crushed his heart and sent him insane. 

"Maou! Maou! Wake up!" Shelly shook Maou out of his nightmare. "Are you okay?!" 

Maou jumped up from the pillow, wheezing heavily, drenched in sweat and trembling in fear. 

"I… I… thought… I was gonna die." Maou buried his face into his palms and started weeping. 

Shelly instantly pulled herself closer to Maou for a hug. Putting his teary face on her chest.

"I'll be right here… cry all you want." She comforted the distressed Maou. 

Shelly repeatedly ran her fingers through his hair, slowly massaged his back and brought her face closer to his. 

"It hurts…. It hurts so much." Maou sobbed, latching his arms around Shelly's back. "There was so much… sadness…. I don't want to feel that pain again." 

"You had a really bad nightmare. But I'll stay up with you until you feel better. Do you want that?" Shelly spoke in a soft and caring tone. 

Maou nodded, his face still on her chest. "Yes, please… I'd like that."

Shelly kissed Maou on the head and started humming her favourite lullaby. It was the one her Mom sang to her and Kelly when they were little children and afraid of the dark.

"Hush, little Maou don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a chicken bird. And if that chicken bird won't cook. Mama's gonna buy you a Magic book…." Shelly soothingly swayed from side to side with Maou in arms. ".... And if that apple does taste dry. You'll still be the best Maou in my eyes."

Shelly glanced to see Maou sleeping peacefully on her chest. 

Using her finger, she removed a tear from the corner of his eyes and whispered in his ears.

"The words weren't coming to my mind before, but Maou… I don't ever want to lose you. You're too precious to me."

Soon after, Shelly fell asleep. The midnight moon glistened directly on the two. It was a beautiful and mesmerising sight to behold. It's such a shame that their path together will be filled with even more thorns and stones. 

Maou, a horn-headed mysterious child with an even more mysterious backstory. 

Shelly, a girl without any clues but still looking for her long lost brother, Kelly. 

Hopefully, nothing will separate the dynamic duo from one another… but only time can tell what the future holds in store for these two. 

Welcome to the beginning of the "Epic Adventures of Maou and Shelly". I do hope you enjoy the ride.