The night sky over Wrath burned a deep, hellish crimson. The Harvest Moon hung low and molten above the festival grounds, casting long shadows that flickered with every torch and bonfire. The air was thick with the scent of churned soil, lingering gunpowder, and the fading adrenaline of a day full of violence and chaos.
As the crowds thinned, Max and Loona walked the dirt paths now scattered with discarded weapons, broken game stalls, and drunk imps belting off-key country tunes. Wrath's version of "winding down" still looked like a war zone.
Up ahead, Moxxie and Millie were resting beside a half-collapsed stall. Millie's brightness remained intact, though her leg was heavily bandaged. She perked up with as much cheer as she could manage when she spotted them.
"Oh hey, y'all!" Millie called, waving enthusiastically despite the wince that followed.
Max slowed, concern breaking through his usual calm.
"What happened, Millie? Festival accident, or did you get too competitive in the games?"
Millie chuckled sheepishly. "Accident, sugar. When that no-good snake Striker threw us in the storm cellar, I landed right in a bear trap." She tried to shrug it off, but the memory still shook her voice.
Max knelt in front of her.
"I'm not exactly sure how healing magic works on hellborn imps… but I've got something that might help."
Before anyone could react, Max's shadow spread out beneath him — and swallowed him whole. He vanished without so much as a warning.
Loona rolled her eyes.
"So typical… I finally get comfortable and he just poofs."
Millie giggled softly.
"So… how's your engagement going, hon? That Overlord of yours seems real sweet — and completely smitten with you."
Loona's ears twitched violently.
"He's… great," she muttered. "It's just a lot sometimes. He's got… others to juggle, I guess. But he tries. I mean—he's fine."
Millie's grin widened.
"Sweetheart, you ought to lighten up. He's a catch through and through. If I wasn't married to this man, I'd be after him myself." She pulled Moxxie close and kissed his cheek, making him turn scarlet.
Loona sputtered, "I'm fine! Totally fine."
Her tail wagged anyway.
Moments later, Max emerged from his shadow, brushing stray darkness off himself. In his hands were two glowing vials — one crimson, one azure — each humming with magic.
"Hm," he murmured, frowning. "No clue which works better on imps. Standard HP potion or full recovery."
"What are those?" Moxxie asked, inching closer.
"Healing potions," Max said, offering Millie the blue one. "Should fix your leg. Hopefully without blowing you up."
Millie blinked. "And here I thought you only kept food in that spooky shadow pantry."
"Normally," Max said, shrugging. "But I keep the important stuff locked in a sealed box. You know — the explosive, toxic, or 'will-kill-you-if-you-accidentally-grab-it' items."
Millie didn't hesitate. She downed the potion.
A wave of warmth rippled through her, blue light flaring across her body. The bandages glowed — then vanished — as her leg healed completely. Millie hopped to her feet like someone had flipped a switch.
"Well, I'll be!" she exclaimed. "I feel better than a greased hog on payday!"
Max smirked. "Guess that one worked."
He uncorked the red vial and drank it himself. Nothing happened.
"…Damn thing must be weak."
He grabbed another bottle labeled Full Restoration and chugged it.
Heat shot through him — and his missing arm regrew in a brilliant surge of magic. Flesh knitted together, muscle and bone reformed, and the limb solidified in seconds.
Loona let out a relieved grin.
"Thank Satan. You looked weird all lopsided."
She grabbed the arm, testing it.
It hung stiff as stone.
Max grimaced. "It's numb. No feeling yet. Might take a day or two."
Loona snorted. "Yeah, that's gonna be weird."
But her smile lingered.
Millie, fully recovered, spun in place and seized Moxxie's hands.
"Come on, sugar! Let's jump back in and win that hog ridin' contest!"
"Millie—wait—!" Moxxie cried as she dragged him away at mach speed.
Loona chuckled watching them vanish into the torches.
"Those two never stop, huh?"
"Guess not," Max said, fastening a sling around his half-dead arm. "Anyway, nothing left to do but watch imps try to kill each other. Let's avoid Stolas — he's not even pretending to hide how obsessed he is with Blitz right now."
Loona rolled her eyes fondly.
"Yeah, that tracks. And Wrath doesn't really have anything worth buying unless you want weapons or sharp things."
"Millie would love it," Max said.
The night deepened, cicadas buzzing, bonfires snapping sparks into the air. Loona's voice softened.
"So… you're still sleeping in the van tonight?"
"Yep," Max replied. "Made enough room once we dumped the bags. We're leaving tomorrow, right?"
"I guess." She pushed her hair back, avoiding his eyes. "I'll hang out there with you. Might as well get used to it."
Max raised a brow, smirking.
"Oh? Planning to make that a regular thing?"
"No! I mean—maybe! Shut up."
Her ears burned red as she instantly buried herself in her phone.
---
They made their way to the van parked on a ridge overlooking the glowing farmlands. Max had done his best: blankets stacked into a makeshift bed, a couple pillows, the faint smell of brimstone and his cologne blending in the cramped space.
"Thank Satan it's warm," Max muttered. "Used every blanket I had to make this even remotely comfy."
He checked his phone — messages from Charlie and Vaggie asking how the "date" was going, Octavia sending gloomy song recommendations, and Bee spamming rave photos that looked seconds away from exploding.
When Loona climbed inside, the van instantly felt too small for both of them. Limbs tangled. Tails bumped. One of her ears poked the ceiling.
Finally she stopped resisting and let herself settle against him, not quite comfortably, but close enough.
"Don't get used to this," she muttered.
Max smiled against her hair.
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Her tail betrayed her — curling upward, intertwining with his in a slow, timid motion.
Neither said a word.
Warmth, exhaustion, and the distant hum of festival laughter lulled them to sleep — Loona tucked against Max's chest, a faint smile softening her usually sharp features.
Max watched the molten Harvest Moon one last time before his eyes slid shut.
For one night, Wrath felt almost peaceful.
[Author Note: How is Max doing being engaged to all of them? I tried my best so that the girls and verse is as close to their cannon selves as possible. If im missing anything, feel free to comment. Also, Max's status drastically changed from Chaoter 1 when he was officially granted power by God. One last thing. People say that Roo is supposed to be female and Max calling him brother is problematic. My plan is that Roo likes chaos so he switches genders often, like Loki can. And the form seen before was his raw form, barely anchored to the physical plane. Currently only Max is but that will change. Might even introduce Roo and God undercover. What do you think?]