So, I re-wrote the ending to The Iron King for an assignment in English, and I decided to post it. I used most of the same dialogue (besides the last couple paragraphs it's exactly the same) I just didn't include some lines at parts. The ending is mostly the same with little changes. I DO NOT OWN THE IRON KING! Thanks for reading!
I stood at a large iron door, which bared a picture of a barbed crown. I took the bow off my shoulder and attached the Witchwood arrow to the string. The arrow was white with reddish veins running down its body. The veins on the stick throbbed faster than before as it fit to the bow's string.
I put my hand on the door handle then pulled it away. Could I really kill him? I didn't even know who the Iron King was or why he wanted me so bad. I'm not a warrior like Ash or a trickster like Puck, I don't even have the power of my father Oberon. I was just Meghan Chase, a normal sixteen-year old girl. Then I remembered my friends who helped me on this journey. Puck, who was shot in the shoulder, for me, and hasn't woken up yet. I don't even know if he will wake up. Then…Ash. Ash was dead…he died for me. He wouldn't have died if I hadn't made that deal with him…Then the Elder Dryad who had also died, for me, to give me the Witchwood arrow, the only thing that could kill the Iron King. Grim had left us before entering Iron Fey territory. All my friends that had helped…they were either gone or dead because of me. Because I needed to get my brother Ethan back home. Ethan! My hand shot back to the door handle, remembering my little brother. He had been kidnapped by the Iron King, only because the Iron king wanted me. That's it, I was done with this. I stepped forward and opened the door.
Inside was a garden made completely of iron and metal. Metal trees lined a stony path, their branches sharp and twisted. Then I looked towards the middle of the garden, where a fountain stood. On the bottom of the fountain lay a large figure, chained down with iron.
It was Ash.
I let a gasp escape my mouth as I ran towards him. I made sure to look out for traps and ambushes, but my eyes didn't leave his body. Please, don't be dead, oh please! His shirt was ripped to shreds, revealing red claw marks on his skin. The skin where the iron links touched him was raw and bloody. It didn't look like he was breathing.
I drew his sword from my belt and slashed at the chains, they instantly shattered and fell away. I dropped the blade to the floor and picked up Ash, laying his limp body against my chest. "Ash," I whispered. I couldn't cry, not anymore, not after everything I've been through. "Ash, come on," I shook him but got no response. "Don't do this to me. Open your eyes!" Still there was no response, no movement. I buried my head in his hair letting the tears finally stream down my face.
It wasn't very long before I heard it. The laughter.
The wall behind me sunk to the ground. Metal trees continued to follow a stone path, this time leading to a large throne. Around that throne stood a squad of armored knights, all with weapons pointed towards me. Behind me I saw more knights come through the iron door blocking the exit. Then I saw him, Machina, the Iron King.
He defiantly wasn't what I was expecting him to look like, being a little-brother-kidnapper-friend-murderer type of person. The man stood at his throne, smiling at me with sharp fangs. His body was tall and elegant, with silver hair and pointed ears of the fey. He wore a long black coat that flapped in the wind and energy seemed to crackle around him. "Meghan Chase," he said calmly. "Welcome. I've been expecting you."
I grabbed the bow from the ground and spun sharply, quickly aiming the arrow at his chest. The guards around him tensed with shock and started towards me with warrior grunts, but Machina didn't even twitch. I didn't waste another second and let go of the string, watching the arrow fly. I saw the guards spin on their heels and smiled as the arrow got closer and closer towards Machina. Then I saw him, Quintas, the man who had beaten Ash while he was already dying from the iron, the fey's one weakness. Quintas leaped in front of the King, collapsing as the arrow pierced his chest. A horrified scream rang out in the air, and I realized it was me. The only thing that could kill the Iron King and save all of the fey, was in another man's chest. At least it wasn't a complete waste, killing off Ash's murderer.
King Machina didn't blink; he just walked over Quintas' body. The knights stood dead still, "Leave." Machina spoke. The knights still would not move, "Leave," he repeated calmly. With that, all the knights and guards silently left the room. Leaving only me, Machina, Quintas, and Ash. And two of us were dead.
The Iron King walked towards me, never losing his smile. "You are as beautiful as I imagined. Beautiful, fiery, determined." As he walked wires sparked to life at his side. "Perfect." I looked back at Ash for a moment, then faced Machina's deadly grin. "I'm here for my brother. Please, let him go. Let me take him home." The King waved his hand behind his head, and instantly a small object near the throne followed, a bird cage made of wires.
And inside was Ethan, reaching his arms out to me for help.
"Ethan!" I screamed and raced towards him, only to be stopped by Machina's wires. They whipped out and slapped my arm, forcing me to the ground. I held the wound with my other hand, feeling the blood ooze out of my body. "Meggie!" I heard Ethan scream. I looked up at Machina, who was now standing right in front of me. "Let him go! He's only a little kid, what do you want with him anyway?"
"My dear you misunderstand me. I did not take your brother because I wanted him. I did it because I knew it would bring you here." Already knowing that, I forced myself to my feet to face him again. "Why? Why not just take me instead? Why drag him into all of this?" His dark eyes stared into mine, sending chills down my back. "You were well protected, Meghan Chase. Robin Goodfellow is a formidable body guard," I flinched when he mentioned Puck's name. "Fortunately, your brother had no such protection. Besides, I needed to test you, make certain you were truly the one. If you could not reach my tower on your own, you were not worthy."
"Worthy of what? What do you want, Machina?" I was tired and knew I couldn't win; Machina held me at checkmate. "You said you wanted me. But let my brother go, let me take him home." Machina smiled sharper, "Of course, let us make a deal." I froze. A deal with the Iron King, in exchange for my brother's life? I was going to lose in any situation. "What kind of deal?" I asked. "You are a half-fey who is immune to iron, yet has the blood of the Summer King in her veins. So much potential."
He took one step closer and touched my shoulder, his finger tips were cold and I could feel his power. "I want you to be my queen, Meghan Chase. I offer you my kingdom, my subjects, myself. I want you to rule at my side. Say yes, and you will live forever, your brother can go home. I'll even let you keep your prince if you wish, though I fear he may not adapt well to our kingdom." I glanced back at Ash, still motionless behind me. "Isn't this what you've always wanted, to belong?" I didn't know what to do. Yes, I've always wanted to belong, but not like this. If I agreed to the deal he would take over all of Faeryland, the Nevernevers would die along with the rest of the fey. This is when I realized Ash was right; my greatest strength was also my greatest weakness. I would do anything for a friend, for a family member. I would even become the Iron Queen. "What if I refuse?" Machina stepped back and pulled his hands away from me, "Then your prince will die. And your brother will die."
There was rustling behind me, but I didn't notice. "Is it really so terrible to rule, my love? One word, that is all you have to say. One word to send your brother home, to save the prince that you love." He raised his arm behind his back, an iron archway rising up from the ground. Through it I could see my house and knew it was the portal out. "I will send him home now, if you only say yes. One word, and you will be my queen forever." I breathed, "I—"
And Ash was there. I didn't even know how he could stand, but he was, at my side. Gripping the sword tightly with his hands, he charged towards Machina. For once, Machina stepped back in shock as Ash plunged the sword through his chest. I couldn't move, had we really killed Machina? Was it really over?
Sadly, it wasn't over yet.
The Iron King grabbed the blade from his chest and ripped it out, creating a horrible ripping sound. The blade covered in fey blood fell to the floor, this time Ash staggered back in surprise. The wound seemed to have no effect on him, veins made of wires sealed it back up in just seconds. His face tight with rage, Machina thrust his arms forward, sending cables flying through the air towards Ash. He was too weak to dodge and they gripped his arm. With another wave of Machina's arms the cables threw Ash towards a metal tree. He collided with a loud crash then collapsed to the floor, motionless once again.
While Machina's attention was on Ash, I focused on the surviving trees that lay buried miles beneath the palace. They were weak, the iron taking over what was left of them. My hands touched the ground as I nudged them to come to the surface. I felt them pushing through the earth with all the strength they had left. Like father, like daughter. Suddenly, roots broke through the surface of the palace. Machina yelled in alarm as the roots circled his body, lifting him into the air.
Guards flooded in from every direction, charging towards me and Ash, who had once again gotten to his feet. Still holding the grip on Machina I ran towards Quintas, the Witchwood arrow still in his chest. With a hard pull, I ripped it out of his body, causing more blood to flow onto the ground. I turned and ran towards the Iron King as Ash tried to dodge the guards near him.
I came closer and closer to Machina and finally jumped up in the air, ready to stab the arrow through his heart. Then a cable came out, wrapping around my arm and holding me mid-air. The cable squeezed my arm tighter and tighter until I could feel the bone shattering. I screamed in agony as I lost feeling in my arm. Then a blade cut the cable and I fell into Ash's arms. He was still too weak to catch me and his legs buckled under my weight. Quickly getting up, I looked up at Machina only to see him glaring down at me with his cold eyes. "I would have made you a Queen," he said, his face getting whiter from the roots' grip. "I would have given you everything, why reject such an offer?"
"Because I already have everything I need." I sunk the arrow through his heart with my good arm, blocking out the screams of agony that echoed throughout the palace. I let go of my hold on the roots and they fell back into the ground, dropping the Iron King's body. The guards around me made no sound, but quickly ran away to avoid their own fates.
I turned and saw Ethan in Ash's arms. His eyes were wide with shock and he was constantly squirming. "Ethan!" I ran towards him, grabbing him from Ash. "Meggie," Ethan cried. "Let's go home." Ash followed behind as we walked towards the portal. I stepped through, only to find myself on the other side of the archway, still in the palace. Suddenly, a loud rumbling shook the palace. The throne collapsed and the ceiling was caving in. "The whole tower is coming down! We have to get out of here, now!" Ash yelled.
Then I heard a familiar voice, "Human, this way. Hurry." I turned only to see Grim, the cat that had left us right before we entered the Iron King's territory. "I thought you weren't coming," I gasped as I tried to keep up with his scurrying legs. "Trust you to take the hardest route possible. If you had only listened to me, I would have shown you another way. Now, hurry. This air is making me sick." He lashed his tail and disappeared through two metal trees.
For a second I just stared at the portal, holding Ethan in my arms. I looked behind me to see the Iron King's palace collapsing in front of my eyes. Then I saw Ash. His eyes were swollen and red, his face scarred with cuts and slashes. Blood was still trickling down his face from the battle. Yet he still smiled at me, my heart melting as I stared into his eyes. We could never be together, he was a Winter fey, and I was a Summer. But right now it didn't seem to matter; only my love for him did. Ash took my hand and guided me through the portal. I was finally leaving Faeryland and all my fears behind me, ready for a new beginning.
I woke up to find myself on the ground and Ethan sleeping at my side. We were surrounded by computers, every one of them was shut off and the room was dark. I realized we were in the computer lab in my school, but nobody was here. I stood up and stretched my body, wincing as pain shot through my arm. It was still broken and bloody, I would have to go to the doctor soon. I turned around to see Grim staring at me, his green cat eyes bore into my body. "Well, it's done. The mission has been successfully completed." He stated. "Where's Ash?" I asked, realizing he wasn't in the room. "Oh, he left a while ago, Human. His condition still wasn't good; I suppose he went back to Winter fey territory to heal. Anyway, I should be heading back to." He jumped smoothly to the ground. "You can go home now, too. You're safe; there aren't a lot of bad fey around your town. But remember our deal, Human." With that he jumped out the window and vanished.
Turning back towards Ethan, I smiled at his sleeping body until he woke up. "Meggie," he whispered, "is the scary man still there?" I walked towards him and picked him up in my arms. "No, Ethan. The scary man won't bother you anymore. He's gone now." He closed his eyes and rested his head against my shoulder. "Can we go home now? I miss Mommy." I opened the door in the computer lab and walked into the school hallway. "I miss her to, Ethan. Don't worry, we'll be home any minute now." The hallway was dark as I walked towards the school entrance. Opening the door, I smiled to see I was back on Earth, back where I belong.