Chapter Text
“This place has always thrived because of, well, what else? Advertising!” Edward exclaimed, throwing his hands up for exaggeration and performance, “We’ve got a few consistent channels. Surely you received a brochure in the mail, or saw our billboards or met someone drawn here by a beam of magical light? Those are just a few tools of the trade, and they served us well during our residency here. But do you all know the most successful type of advertising?”
The three living glanced at each other before almost simultaneously saying; “Word of mouth."
“Magnus, you landed on skull in the last round, didn’t you?” Edward asks, tilting his head with faux curiosity.
“Yes,” Magnus states loudly.
“Bad Luck,” Edward smirks.
Taako and Merle both watch helplessly as the animus bell chimes and Magnus starts to spasm almost violently, a sudden light leaving his body before vanishing. When Magnus’ body finally relaxes he throws a foot back to prevent himself from losing balance, using Railsplitter to help stand up properly. Then, almost scarily casually, he looks back up at them with a small grin.
“You know, boys,” Magnus says as he holds Railsplitter up and twirls it around slightly, “I don’t think Wonderland’s that bad. You know, I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself here, and I feel like our friendship has grown even more powerful, don’t you think?”
At that moment Lydia steps out from behind Magnus, or possibly not Magnus, wearing an elegant, black-and-white, Victorian-era dress and a large, devilish smile. Taako and Merle watch as Magnus smiles just as wide and a faint outline of Edward briefly appears, pictured as surrounding Magnus’ body.
“I think I’m gonna head to Neverwinter and tell everyone I meet to get down here to Wonderland ASAP! Lots of riches! More than I could even carry out!” Fake Magnus announces, using more hand gestures and pizazz than Magnus is known to use.
Taako and Merle give each other a quick glance as if to confirm that they both know what’s happening here. Merle sighs as he steps forward to talk to ‘Magnus,’ trying to get the lich twins to give them the Animus Bell.
Meanwhile, Taako is trying to figure out where the hell real Magnus is. He can’t be in his body right now or else he would’ve been putting up one hell of a fight with Edward. Edward may be powerful but Taako’s known Magnus long enough to know that the man has enough willpower to withstand anything. So maybe he’s not in there at all, like they took out his soul? If his soul got pushed out of his body then… would he be going where most detached souls go? Would he be going to the astral plane? Holy shit is he dying! If Taako wasn’t panicking before then he sure as hell is now. Can he figure out a way to save Magnus?
“Yeah!” Fake Magnus says loudly, bringing Taako’s attention back to the conversation, “I’ve got a way better idea, and hear me out, boys, my best friends. My very good best friends, Merle and Taako. What if you guys turn around and go back into Wonderland and I’ll keep the bell. And you’ll get to go back in there, but you’ll get to live! How does that sound?”
The wheels in Taako’s head is turning as an idea finally formulates in his head.
Get out of your body, rescue Magnus, kick some lich ass.
“I got a fuckin’ idea for ya,” Taako says as his eyes go blank and he falls to the ground.
~*~*~*~
“Ahem,” Magnus says, pretending to clear his throat, “I didn’t say that.”
But he doesn’t say that, neither he or his body say that. Simply because souls can’t talk. Instead, he watches himself, no, Edward rant about how amazing Wonderland is with a body that doesn’t belong to him. All eyes are on Magnus. But Magnus isn’t really Magnus right now, because the real mind of Magnus is drifting away from his own body, further and further away.
He’s not alone either, there are little, white, humanoid figures in this room with him that Magnus can see at the corner of his eyes. However, when he turns to look at them they scurry off and away from sight. They’re vaguely familiar but Magnus has no time to think about it since he has to deal with this dying situation first.
Magnus tries to move towards his body but he can’t, something is holding, no pulling him back. He turns his soul around only to see a rift. He recognizes it too from a few months ago. From when he, Taako, and Merle saw Kravitz’ portal to the astral plane. From when they caught a glimpse of the bright light from the sea of souls.
Except for today, there is no light. It’s covered in what can only be described as a blanket of darkness. Despite its unwelcoming state the rift still beckons for Magnus’ soul.
Magnus is frantically, desperately trying to swim away from the astral plane. He can’t die, he refuses to die today! He has so, so, many friends he wants to protect, and right now his two best friends need his help in kicking Edward and Lydia’s asses. But right now, right this second as Magnus drifts into the astral plane, there’s nobody to save him. That is, of course, until he sees Taako collapse and his soul start flying towards Magnus.
Neither of them can speak as Taako grabs onto Magnus, hugging him from behind and trying to pull him away from the astral plane. Taako manages to inch them away but the pull of the rift is too strong for Taako. They’re both being sucked into the astral plane and the more Taako thinks about it the more he realizes that only one of them can make it out of this.
Taako can either return to his body, letting go of Magnus or Taako can push Magnus away and drift into the rift alone, technically killing himself.
Taako floats over in front of Magnus so his hands are on Magnus’ shoulders and his back is to the astral plane.
Neither can speak right now, but if he could, Taako would tell Magnus to give those liches the fucking stitches they deserve.
Magnus, after realizing what Taako was doing, would try to desperately convince him to stop, tell him that he doesn’t have to do this.
But neither of them can speak as Taako pushes Magnus right back to the catwalk and inevitably pushes himself straight into the astral plane.
The lid, holding the magic jar in Taako’s bag shut, falls off, deeming the jar empty.