CLIMAX!!! No time to be depressed! It's time to fight! [Part 2]

I was finally ready to face Jack. Sure, I was still terrified about telling him the truth. Horrified, even. But after confronting my fears in that weird dark void, I felt as if a massive weight were lifted off my shoulders.

No longer was I going to lie to others nor myself about who I was. Going forward, I promised to always be myself, and if others didn’t like it, well, that was their problem.

Yes, that even included Jack. But deep down, I had faith that things would work between us.

But before any of that could happen, I still had to save him from Red Sandrea!

I marched back outside where my sword was lying in the grass. Red’s card sat beside it. The sky was pitch black…

Wait, huh?

“Wasn’t it still evening like five minutes ago?” I asked, looking up at the night sky in confusion.

Sure, the sun was setting and all, but there normally would still be some twilight around this time. Was I really crying for that long?

“It’s 11:40 PM,” said Belliney.

Startled, I turned to her in confusion. “...Huh?”

“You were asleep for close to six hours,” she said as a matter of fact. “But don’t worry, there’s still–”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN I WAS SLEEPING FOR SIX HOURS?!” I yelled, shaking Belliney by her shoulders. “WASN’T I IN SOME SORT OF WEIRD POCKET DIMENSION THINGY?!”

Belliney shook her head. “You had a lot of inner turmoil, so I thought it best to help you conquer your problems in your dreams!”

“SO ALL THIS TIME WHILE JACK’S LIFE HAS BEEN IN DANGER, I’VE BEEN NAPPING?!”

I pushed Belliney aside and picked up my sword and Red’s card.

“I’ve got no time to lose! I need to…”

Gripping my sword, I noticed that it felt as light as a foam bat. The heaviness was completely gone.

“I… I can lift it!” I said, smiling.

“Congrats!” Belliney cheered. “I knew you could–”

“THERE’S NO TIME TO CELEBRATE!” I yelled. “JACK NEEDS RESCUING!”

I awkwardly held up Red’s card before me, deciphering how best to cut it without cutting myself by accident.

Belliney walked up and took Red’s card from me. “Here. Let me help.”

A white glow suddenly emerged from Belliney’s hand and engulfed the card. Moments later, it shot up into the air and hovered before me, frozen in place. “Thanks,” I said.

Belliney smiled with a cheerful “Mhmm!”

Gripping my sword with both hands, I raised it above my head, then swiftly brought it down to slash the card.

SWISH!

The card was cut clean in half with ease. Dark smoke poured out from the cut segments and swirled around me. The smoke then formed a portal similar to the ones I’ve seen Red create numerous times. But unlike other times, Shadownyans were not pouring out of it. This portal was meant specifically for me.

“Guess I just gotta walk through it, huh?” I asked.

“That’s right,” Belliney answered.

I placed my sword back into my pouch. Turning to Belliney, I reached over and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you,” I said.

Belliney returned the hug. “I’m always here for you, Lune.” She then turned me around and pushed me toward the portal. “Okie dokey! Time’s a-wastin’! Don’t want to keep your cute boyfriend waiting for you, right?”

“Right!” I said. “Wish me luck!”

I looked up at the portal, unsure what would happen next. Regardless, I did not hesitate. Stepping forward, I entered the portal.

***

On the other side was a distorted landscape unlike anything I’d ever seen on Earth. A massive forest full of twisted trees unfolded before me. The sky was blood red with thick, ash-colored clouds. A symphony of cicadas sung in harmony, accompanied by a percussion of creaking wood.

Looking for a way forward, I spotted a cobblestone pathway that led into the forest and disappeared within the trees’ shadows. In the far-off distance, rising above the treetops, a towering fortress appeared.

“Is this the Monster Realm?” I asked aloud.

“Yup!”

I jumped in shock as I didn’t expect someone behind me. When I turned around, I saw Belliney standing there, smiling.

“B-Belliney?! What’re you doing here?!”

“I tagged along for emotional support!” she cheered, giving me a thumbs up.

“But why?! Wait, you’ve been here before?!”

She nodded. “Course I have. You aren’t the first magical girl I’ve had to escort on a rescue mission, you know.”

“I see. But won’t it be dangerous for you?”

“I’m not worried, because if anything were to happen, I know you’ll come to my rescue!” she said, picking me up and twirling me around.

Then she dropped me to the ground like a sack of old potatoes.

“Oh!” she said, pulling out a pocket watch. “We better get going! There’s not much time left!”

That wasn’t something I had wanted to hear. I already wasted so much time before coming here. To suddenly find out that there was a time limit made me anxious! Was Jack’s life on the line?!

I quickly jumped to my feet and took off down the path. “Then let’s go!”

Since the portal opened right in front of the cobblestone path, I assumed that was the direction we needed to go. I had a hunch that the path led directly to the fortress. Knowing how these sorts of tropes played out, Jack had to be there. It was the hallmark of a climatic battle.

On and on we ran, following the cobblestone path. It twisted and turned, never going in a straight line for more than a few feet at a time. The monstrous trees towered over us, casting dark shadows. A thorny thicket lined the pathway, forcing us to remain on course. “How long is this path?” I asked Belliney.

“I don’t remember. It’s been a while since I took it,” she answered.

That wasn’t good. The longer I spent following the path, the less time I had to rescue Jack. It would’ve been nice if it was a straight shot to the fortress. Course, that’d be too convenient.

What surprised me, however, was the lack of any sort of resistance. You’d think Red Sandrea would have some Shadownyans or something waiting to ambush us. But other than the buzzing of insects, there didn’t appear to be another soul in that demented forest.

Was it intentional? Or was there something insidious lurking around the corner that I was oblivious to?

Suddenly, the pathway split.

“Crap!” I shouted.

There was no signage showing which to go, nor did I know if the paths would reconverge at some later point. For all I knew, one could lead into a dangerous trap.

“Which way should I go?” I turned to Belliney.

She shrugged.

I could either go left or right. Looking down in each direction, neither choice looked different from the other. Both went deeper into the dark woods, obfuscating what laid ahead.

“I don’t got time for this!” I cried, grabbing my hair in frustration as I looked up at the red sky above me.

I continued looking up into the sky when an idea popped into my head.

Summoning my wings, I flew upward, out of the woods, and over toward the large fortress. Belliney followed suit.

“Why didn’t I do this from the start?” I asked myself.

I arrived at the fortress in seconds flat, landing before its entrance. It appeared ancient, made from stone that had eroded over the ages. Tall spires pierced the sky like skyscrapers, with gargoyles lining the edge of the roof.

In front of me were two wooden doors standing nearly two stories tall. Evidence suggested that the doors were once painted red, but most of it had long since chipped off. The permanent scarring in the stone ground just below the door frame indicated that these doors had been in use for a long time.

Was this where Red Sandrea lived? How much was she getting paid at that pizza place to be able to afford it? She must get amazing tips!

“That was a good idea flying out of the forest like that,” Belliney said as she came up behind me. “I was worried you’d run out of time if we’d kept following that path.”

“Yeah,” I said. “But now the real fight begins.”

I approached the door, gripped its metal handle, and pulled. The heavy door slowly creaked as it scraped against the ground. Putting a foot against the other door, I pulled with all my might until there was just enough of an opening for me to squeeze into. No use in opening it all the way.

Inside the fortress was pitch black, save for spots of light entering from the open window. But once I stepped inside, dozens of torches suddenly lit up like magic, revealing a massive foyer. You could duplicate my house ten times over and still not fill the place.

Suits of armor lined a dirtied red carpet. Large wooden chandeliers suspended by metal chains swung overhead. Numerous rusty swords and shields decorated the walls, with red rust trails leading from them to the floor.

“Wow,” I said, my voice echoing against the stone interior. “Feels like I’m in a video game.”

It was no time to marvel at the wondrous sight. Jack needed my help, and each second wasted was a second closer to something terrible happening. Probably.

I looked ahead and discovered a staircase leading up to the next floor. Just as I was about to run toward them, I paused.

“A Shadownyan!” I said aloud.

I reached into my pouch and gripped the hilt of my sword, prepared to fight.

But then I let go as I studied the Shadownyan. Slowly, I approached. Its long body laid curled up like a snake on the stairs with its head resting on its long body.

It let out a soft snore as it slept, unaware of my presence.

I sighed in relief, seeing it as a waste of time to fight. I quietly tiptoed up the stairs, making sure not to alert it. Then, as I made my way up, I found another Shadownyan sleeping soundly. This one had its body stretched out across the length of the stairs, requiring me to step over it.

And there was another. And another.

“The heck?” I whispered to myself as Belliney and I quietly stepped around the maze of sleeping Shadownyans.

At the top of the stairs was another set of doors. And just like the stairs, there too was a sleeping Shadownyan blocking the entrance. I looked around to see if there was perhaps an alternate route I could take. Sadly, there was none.

I knelt before the Shadownyan as I thought about what to do next. It looked so cute and peaceful as it slept. I didn’t have the heart to force it away. Well, that and I worried about it alerting the others and causing an all-out brawl. Sure, they’re cute and all, but their scratches can hurt like no other if I’m not careful.

I felt around the inside of my pouch to find anything that could help, but there was nothing.

Pressed for time and out of options, I slowly put my hands behind the Shadownyan and gently scooted it aside.

“Nyah?” it said, squinting its eyes open.

I instantly froze.

“...Nyah.” The Shadownyan rolled over, back to its original spot in front of the doors.

“Ugh. Come on,” I whined quietly.

Once again I began scooting it aside, except even slower so as not to disturb it again.

Slowly…

Carefully…

Gently…

After minutes of work, the Shadownyan was finally out of the way, still fast asleep.

I wiped off the sweat from my brow, happy with what I had accomplished.

“Way to go!” Belliney cheered. Her voice loudly bounced off the stone walls.

“NYAH?!”

Every single Shadownyan woke up simultaneously, confused as to what was going on.

The one I had spent all that time moving aside noticed me. “NYAH!!!” it cried out.

Without a second to lose, I swung the door open, slamming it against the wall. Belliney and I then bolted down the hallway appearing on the other side.

“Why the heck did you do that?!” I cried.

“I’m sorry!!! I was just excited that you managed to pull it off!!!”

“But now look at what you’ve done!!!” I shouted as I looked behind us.

It was like something ripped from a horror movie. The Shadownyans flew in the air, spinning and twirling around one another as they hissed. Their sharp claws were bared as their paws swatted violently in the air at us.

“Okay! Maybe don’t look!” I cried. “Just keep running!”

The two of us ran for our lives as the Shadownyans gave chase. I had absolutely no clue where we were going, but as long as there was a way forward, we took it. We dashed down hallway after hallway, barging through room after room. Whenever a door appeared, I bulldozed through it, smashing it off its hinges. If we slowed down at any moment the Shadownyans would scratch us to death.

We dashed up another staircase, only to later dash downstairs. We crisscrossed familiar rooms, making me think we were running in circles. When we came across a dead end, we hopped through a window, landed outside in a courtyard, found another window, and hopped back inside. The Shadownyans were smart enough not to squeeze through the windows all at once, going in only a few at a time.

After seemingly running forever, it felt like we’d been through just about every room in the fortress, yet there was still no sign of Red Sandrea or Jack.

Then, as we ran past some oddly placed curtains for the fourth time, I noticed something. Looking back as we ran by, the curtains flapped open in response to our presence, unveiling a dark passageway.

“That’s it!!!” I yelled.

I immediately stopped, causing the carpet underneath to slide, which almost made Belliney trip and tumble over. “Wah!” she cried out.

I grabbed her, lifted her over my shoulder, then sprinted toward the Shadownyans.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” she screamed.

“There’s a hidden path behind those curtains!”

“BUT WHY ARE YOU AAAHHH~!!!”

Belliney covered her eyes as we approached the flying mess of Shadownyans. Their eyes glowed red from the torches illuminating the halls. Their sharp claws twinkled, ready to slash our throats.

Just as we were about to make a direct collision, I squatted down and braced myself. The force from my sudden stop caused the carpet to back to where it had been originally. As we slid, the Shadownyans flew overhead. Their soft tummies grazed the top of my head.

“NYAH?!” they cried out, only to slam into the wall of the upcoming T-intersection in the hallway.

Still carrying Belliney on my shoulder, I ran to the curtains where I saw the opening. Sure enough, a dark hallway was hidden behind it.

“NYAAAAAH!” the Shadownyans hissed out, scrambling to resume the chase.

I bolted down the hidden path, which led me up a series of stairs, another hallway, and even more stairs.

“Okay! I think we’re finally getting somewhere!” I cheered.

“I hope so!” Belliney shouted. “Because the Shadownyans are closing in!”

Sure enough, they were getting closer and closer. The combination of running upstairs while also holding Belliney slowed me down. The Shadownyans, however, had no handicap.

“NYYYAAAH!”

We eventually exited the secret hallway through another pair of curtains, just outside a large, ornately decorated golden door.

Without hesitation, I kicked open the door, chucked Belliney inside, then quickly closed the doors behind us.

WHAM!

“NYAAAAHHH!!!”

I held the door closed as the Shadownyans kept ramming it in an attempt to force it open.

“Here!” Belliney said, finding a large piece of lumber.

There were two posts for the lumber to rest upon, locking the door shut. Once secured, I slid to the ground, exhausted.

“Finally!” Belliney sighed, collapsing backward onto the ground. “We’re safe!”

“I’m not so sure about that,” I said.

Looking across the room, I noticed a large golden throne on a raised dais. Purple curtains with gold trim covered the wall behind it.

The throne, however, sat empty.

That was because its assumed occupant, Red Sandrea, was face-down across the floor looking severely depressed.