The Director walks down the halls with a calm cool demeanor after telling such a blatant lie she knows her kingdom believes with two knights following, behind. Another knight comes rushing over, a bit panicky. "Ma'am, incoming report from Sir Thoddeus." The woman snaps lightly at this. "And? What is it?"
The conversation is cut short when a tremor is felt throughout the building. The director looks around a bit before going to her balcony, her eyes scanning all around to spot what the cause of the shaking is. The people in the city noticed it and stopped what they were doing, fear and confusion settling in all of them.
Ambrosius quickly goes to work, ordering other knights behind him. "We need barricades on Avenue A through F. And can we clear these streets? These people are in danger." The knights nod and spread out, getting straight to work until a harder thud is felt. Ambrosius stops, his eyes fixed on the barrier to the forest a few meters before him.
A snarl right from the gut echoes past the building, making a chill run up everyone's spine. After a few moments of tense air, black smog leaks past the metal-wired gate, people back up slowly but soon run screaming as blindingly bright eyes like spiders open up, giving light to show the shape of the creature's face.
The creature stands up, towering over the buildings. Its body is made of heavy smog, its thick layer like a cloak as a beating white light in the chest lays somewhat hidden under it. Ambrosius takes a step back as he watches this his face hardening with determination.
The director shakes as she watches the creature rise, her body shaking and her heart ringing in her ears. "It's happening." She mutters to herself before saying it in a more harsher tone.
"Sound the alarm! Sound the alarm! Hit it with everything we got!" She points her staff at the creature as the knights run into position. An alarm blares through the town as an automated voice is heard. "Monster attack. Monster attack. This is not a test."
The creature shakes its head a bit before its maw opens to let out an ear-piercing roar as it takes steps into the city, crushing some street electronics and people scream and take off. "It's the monster!"
"Everyone stay calm!" Ambrosius orders as the knights aim their weapons at the creature. One of them hits the creature, making it stumble a bit. Its eyes go to the institute, narrowing with a set mind and walking to it.
In a control room, people type furiously on their computers, one of them announcing. "Drones engaged." The small mobile weapons curve past the corner, firing at the back of the creature and setting some of the city in flames. The being roars in pain but continues its path, not easily giving up.
As people run out of the way of the creature, an older woman and child fall to the ground, right where the creature is about to take its next step. Ambrosius gasps and runs over to them. "Look out!" He tries to pull them away until he feels a tug on him and he finds him and the two people he was about to save in the air. He looks up to find Mandy and some other witches holding them.
"You good, Golden boy?" Mandy asks Ambrosius, who slightly nods. The witch continues. "Right. Okay, people! We got orders from Her Majesty! Get any people to safety. Anyone slower goes on the broom!" The witches pipe up with a yes ma'am and all diverse, letting down some people Ambrosius recognizes from the famous L/n knight family, all going to help and some staying with the witches to help them.
As Ambrosius is on the ground, he hears Todd speaking through the comms. "Hey, Goldie. Watch how a real knight gets it done." He comes zooming in his chariot, his men following behind. "All right, monster slayers! Let's shoot some darts and break some hearts! I'm gonna be a freaking hero-"
"TODD!" A shrill voice catches his attention and he looks at the ground where the knight family is. "Mom?!" He yelps and comes to a halt. He sees something moving and slowly looks up to see the creature glaring down at him. A girly scream leaves him and he bolts the other as the monster opens its maw. "Outta my way! We need more firepower! This thing is gonna kill us all! Mommy!" As he screams, he rams into another knight, spiraling out of control before he hits a board with his face on it.
The director looks around frantically before looking at the model of the city, her face hardening and she marches off. "Get me to the wall."
Bal stumbles into the city, looking around in disbelief and fear as fire and destruction are around him, watching as knights and witches frantically try to help the citizens. He hears another roar and notices the creature, wailing in agony as it marches in its path. A broken stare is held in his eyes as he mumbles to himself, "What have I done?"
Mandy flies around as y/n follows after her, keeping an eye to see if everyone is getting to safety. The young one notices the creature and her face falls. "Nimona..." She mutters and Mandy notices the dismay. "We got this, make sure your girlfriend doesn't kill anyone. If you can't snap her out, make sure people don't get hurt by her."
With a nod, y/n speeds after Nimona as another line of laser blasts hits her back. Another scream of pain comes from the shapeshifter and she falls to the side, where an ad is playing on a screen about a board game. "The game that lets you be a hero."
A child lights up and holds out a toy proudly. "I killed a monster!" A girl holds up others like his. "I killed two!" With a growl, Nimona swipes the screen off of the building and presses her foot on it, disabling it with harsh force. She then continues her path.
With the knights and witches, they are leading all the people underground, some witches making a slide to get people down there faster. Ambrosius and Mandy and rushing people in, and some knights and witches helping kids, the elderly, and people having difficulty going down with speed. "Come on, let's go. Keep moving, get everyone underground." He demands.
As he looks up, he notices Bal on a horse, going after Nimona, he tries to follow after the man he loves before hearing an alarm. He looks to see one of the defense weapons on the wall turning to face the inside of the city, some cement coming apart as it's not meant to face inside. Ambrosius watches with disbelief. "You gotta be kidding me." He presses his ear to contact the director. "Ma'am, someone is turning the cannon into the kingdom."
The woman is calm as she walks to the barrier, looking upon the city with cold eyes. "I know. I gave the order." She tells the knight, who is silent for a second before trying to reason. "But firing them will take out half the city. Innocent people will die."
"And so will the monster." The director coldly replies, showing her real self to the knight. Ambrosius gores to argue but looks around him. Smoke and fire with many people running for safety, witches trying to help knights get anyone injured to safety. It was a scary sight all around him. With this, he finally asks an important question. "What are we doing?"
Nimona walks along the bridge the pain becoming harder to ignore the pain on her, so she leans on the supporting wires for a second, her eyes on the Institute up ahead. She gathers herself and continues, not hearing y/n calling out, still behind her. "Nimona! Please!"
The people around the institute see Nimona approach and scream, running as far and fast as they can as she keeps getting hit. She gets hit on the side of her head, making it hit a hard screen. Unable to walk much further, she slides onto the ground, her eyes falling shut.
As people keep on yelling and watching her carefully, her eyes slowly peek open as she recalls her words.
I don't know what's scarier. The fact that everyone in this kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart...
She looks up to see Gloreth's statue, the golden sword glistening with all the lights pointed at it. Getting back up, her eyes stay on the face of someone who truly broke her heart the first time.
Or that sometimes... I just wanna let 'em.
With her mind set, Nimona stands up on her hind legs, opening the smog to reveal her core to be exposed to the sword. People watch from the side, wondering what she's doing with no sound escaping them. The shifter takes a deep breath before looking up and giving the most heartbreaking shrill, a woman's voice hidden in the high shriek, screaming all the pain that someone who has lived a long time could ever hold. It feels like it's taking centuries as she slowly leans her core towards the blade, the intention dawning onto people that she is killing herself.
But the scream comes to a halt as everyone, even her, has a look of shock painted across their faces. People gasp as they see past the smog two hands on Nimona's heart, standing on the sword. Ambrosius arrives at the cannon, ready to stop the director, but sees what's happening at the institute, silencing him. Bal and y/n look up at the girl, both of them crying but standing tall. Bal quickly holds out his arm and drops his sword, the metal clattering to the ground.
As everyone watches them, Nimona slowly looks down at the two, a blank look in her eyes. Bal looks up at her, panting heavily. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He takes a moment before offering a smile. "We see you Nimona...and you're not alone."
Y/n holds back a sob as she speaks. "Being with you was wonderful. You made me feel comfortable enough to talk about me...you mean so much to me...and you still owe me a date." She chuckles a bit through her tears.
While Nimona didn't say anything, her body retreats into her core, the light turning into a bright pink and she returns to her usual punk form, a bit beat up and bruised from the attack. The girl pants a bit as she looks at the two.
The knight and witch watch with wide eyes as she sobs and tries to walk to them, but starts to fall, so they grab and hold her close, Bal holding both girls close as they cry, letting themselves be heard by the citizens. The l/n family watches this and the dad sniffs, taking a handkerchief a witch offered him with a thanks, dabbing his eyes. "They're okay...thank goodness."
Mandy chuckles as she watches with crossed arms. "She's a good witch...and she'll make a great queen." She confesses before glaring at the dad. "Supervised monthly visits." She says and the day looks at her. "If she's okay with it. I don't wanna force her to see us." Mandy nods at this, done with the conversation as it comes to a resolution.
The director watches the scene coldly, her face blank as she speaks chilling words that freeze Ambrosius' blood. "Fire the cannons. Kill it." Silence meets her, and she lets her anger and desperation show as she turns to face the knights. "I said fire the-"
"No." Ambrosius cuts in, all the knights standing behind him as he glares at the twisted woman before him. "It's over." He states, taking a step to the woman as she slowly shakes her head in denial. "It's fooling you. Fooling all of you! Can't you see this is what it wants? For us to let our guard down!" The woman's breath starts to get sharper as her teeth grit. "I see what it really is, and so did Gloreth! The monster is a threat to our very way of life!"
"And what if we're wrong?" Ambrosius argues, taking a step towards her. The director's face softens, prompting the golden knight to go on. "What if we have always been wrong?"
The director looks away in shame, gripping her staff tightly. She looks at her staff, the diamond tip opening to reveal a familiar green light glowing as she gives an unemotional stare to the knights, hitting the knights with the same laser that killed the queen, knocking them down and out of her way.
As Nimona, Bal, and y/n pull away from the hug with a smile, a blast catches their attention, making them look to see a cannon lighting up as it changes its shot into the city. People go into a panic once again and they start running, Bal stares at the weapon with a new fear bubbling in him. "That gun's gonna kill everyone." Y/n stares at the people running, some knights and witches trying to help. "Not even a barrier we can all conjure up together will stop it."
Nimona stares at the cannon, an idea flashing in her head and she smirks, speaking in her usual confident tone. "Hey, boss, and beautiful." The two look at her, the fear still on their faces as she goes on. "Be right back. I'm gonna break some stuff."
"Nimona, wait. what are you-" Y/n tries to stop her, but there punkette's mind is set as she pulls the witch closer, kissing her head. "It's time to rewrite this story." She says and runs off the sword, turning into a bright fiery phoenix as she swoops off the ground, missing the citizens watching her with shock and bafflement.
As Nimona flies to the cannon Ambrosius, Mandy, and the l/n family help get the knights away. The director growls as her weapons align to the shifter. "Go back to the shadows from whence you came!" She growls as she fires the cannon when Nimona hits it, a bright blast forces everyone close to the ground, dust enveloping the area.
In just a few moments, Bal and y/n arrive at the site, looking around frantically. They keep looking around, calling for Nimona, desperate for a response. "Bal..." Y/n calls out softly, making the knight look to see the witch watching a fading pink light falling slowly before the two. They see there's more around them.
"Come back. Please come back." Bal quietly begs as he and y/n watch as the lights fade away. Y/n looks up higher and notices a light brighter than the others falling towards her. She holds out a hand, ready to catch whatever is left of the girl who loved her as she was from the moment they met.
The light dims out before it can touch the witch's palm. Her lips quiver before her knees meet the ground, a scream of agony leaving her, shrill and broken as tears stream down her cheeks while Bal holds her tightly. Ambrosius looks at this, clutching his arm tightly before jolting as a hand meets his good shoulder, seeing it belongs to Mr. l/n. "Please... she needs comfort. I'm not the one who should do it after what I've done. She needs good people like you and your partner right now." He shakes his head as he stumbles off to help the citizens who might have gotten injured.
Ambrosius takes the man's words and goes to the two, kneeling before them as he embraces them tightly, listening to them sob over the loss, y/n still screaming as she cries.
Ambrosius looks up, his eyes widening at the sight pass the now shattered part of the wall where the cannon was, a serene sight of mountains, lakes, and a gorgeous starry sky as it passes on to a new world the citizens of the realm have ever seen.
As some people look at the sight, just a bit away from the destruction, outside the wall, some rubble shakes and moves away as it is revealed to be the director, disheveled and her outfit torn. As she breathes heavily, she looks around, not seeing Nimona. She starts laughing, becoming hysterical. "I did it...I killed the monster! I win!" She laughs some more, but it dies down as she hears some rustling.
She stops, looking at the line of trees, and gasps when she sees many glowing eyes staring at her. Once they see that they've been spotted, they rush out, revealing to be many of them in different colors. Brown, green, red, and blue. They were all small but so skinny, you could see where their ribcage and stomachs were. The skin sank into their bones, and their ears were of elves, some of them seemed to have theirs have a chunk bit out of them.
They surround the woman, too scared to say anything. Another figure roams out of the forest, a cloak over its small form. A young woman's voice comes from this. "Thought I'd let you take the easy way out, madame? You're highly mistaken. If you wanna see real monsters...I'm happy to show you them and their...potential."
The hooded figure takes out a pale hand, holding a writing quill. As she moves it, it seems to leave an existing marking in the air until it takes the shape of a doorway, bending and twisting until it becomes one that leads into a room that glows a violent red. The hooded figure looks at one of the creatures before her and commands, "See to it this one is around people...let's make sure all see her have no power over what happens."
The creature cackles, talking in a shrill voice. "Take criminal away! Keep bad lady all to ourselves!" The creatures grab the woman, who snaps out of her daze and furiously shakes her head, begging and screaming to be let go as she's dragged into the doorway, holding out a hand in hopes someone will come and help her. But no one does.
As the woman and the creatures are gone from sight, the woman looks towards the readers, only a smile visible on her face. "Told you I'd take care of her." She looks back and walks through the doorway before it disappears, gone as if it never existed.