Ape escape

To say Marcy was uncomfortable in her situation was an understatement. She could handle being in irons. She could handle being in another dimension. She could even handle the fact that witches existed somewhere. What she couldn't handle were all the eyes watching her. The Ape homeworld had no shortage of curious, bipedal simians, staring at Marcy like some rare find. What really made Marcy uncomfortable were the fact most of them were licking their chops, and she could hear under-their-breath comments such as 'When do we get a taste of her?' or 'Dibs on the legs'. When she heard those, she was almost thankful for War Leader and Plague Bringer at the front and back of her respectively, escorting her to the holding cell they had prepared for her.

"Here you are, Light-keeper, your new, temporary home. You'll stay here until the Supreme Warlock comes, and then you'll be transferred somewhere far away from here," War Leader outlined. The cell door opened, and Marcy stepped inside. The irons vanished and the door shut behind her. "One other thing, don't worry about the Apes. King Gaul will make it explicitly clear you are not to be touched, let alone eaten. I told the Sentinel you'd be safe here, and I meant it," War Leader assured, in a surprising change of tone.

"Oh gee, am I supposed to thank you?" Marcy asked with sass.

"If you like, we could feed you to them after we extract that light spirit!" Plague Bringer threatened. War Leader held out his hand to restrain his colleague.

"To tell you the truth, I can't say I blame them. It has been generations since the Apes have tasted sentient flesh. They pine for the old days; when their armies would march under the Dark Master's command, conquering, enslaving, and devouring all they saw. After his defeat, it was nothing but animal meat on the menu. At least the Dragons of those days were merciful enough to let them eat an animal that reproduces faster than they can hunt them," War Leader explained.

"What about the Amphibians? Will they be spared, at least?" Marcy pleaded.

"With you here, we have no reason to lay siege to Newtopia. Our Master has decreed that Amphibia be left alone. After all, he only goes after those he deems unworthy to rule, like Andrias, or Belos," War Leader answered. That last name piqued Marcy's interest. In her time at Amphibia, she had never heard of any 'Belos'. Even the Core made no mention of anyone by that name.

"Who's Belos?" Marcy inquired. War Leader sighed heavily.

"A story for another time. What I will say is that Belos is someone we desperately need to get rid of, and this is the only way. I wish we didn't have to, I really do," War Leader replied, almost regretfully.

"We all wish that, but he's left us no choice," Plague Bringer comforted. Marcy started to feel bad for War Leader and Plague Bringer. If they were only doing this to get rid of someone who, from the sounds of it, needs to go, then maybe Marcy could understand. 'Maybe' being the appropriate word.

"If this 'Belos' is a tyrant like Andrias was, maybe me and my friends could help," Marcy extended an olive branch. War Leader chuckled slightly.

"I've seen what he can do with my own eyes. Trust me, you and your friends are no match for him," War Leader dismissed. He then traced the cell door with his finger and muttered incantations under his breath. "These enchantments will stop any apes breaking in here to get a bite out of you, and I've left you some reading material so you don't get bored. Prisoners of war are treated fairly here," War Leader said and left along with Plague Bringer. Marcy noticed that there were bookshelves in her cell with her. At least she wouldn't go mad with boredom during her incarceration. One book in particular caught her interest. It was titled 'Dawn of the Sentinels'. However, Marcy also had one other duty to fulfil, and that was to attempt escape. But she could not resist the temptation to study these texts for long, so she picked up the book and started to read.

Back at Newtopia, in the Parliament building, Sasha was in a depressive slump. Not only was Anne severely weakened due the Dark Master's possession, but also Marcy had been taken by the enemy. To make matters worse, Anne had been asking for Marcy. Words had failed her. She and Marcy came here voluntarily to bring Anne to the Sanctum so she could be saved, but now Marcy was the one that needed saving.

"Well, where is she?" Maddie inquired.

"I don't know, but she's not on Amphibia anymore, I can say that much," Sasha bluntly replied.

"What do we do now?" Sprig probed, hoping to get Sasha on her feet.

"We do what Marcy asked us to do," Olivia answered. This caught Sasha's interest.

"I don't remember her asking us to do anything significant. All she said was 'look after the place'," Sasha recalled.

"Exactly. It's a code we came up with during our adventuring days. When Marcy says that, it means she wants us to get the boat, or in this case, the city ready to withstand a possible siege while she distracts the enemy. It was her go-to tactic," Yunan explained. Sasha started to put the pieces together in her head.

"So, her surrender was meant to buy time?" Sasha guessed.

"Precisely. She knows what she's doing. She wants us to prepare the defences and evacuate the non-combatants and is going to give us as long as she can for us to do so. We should send messengers out as soon as possible," Olivia summarised.

"My sister currently leads the garrison closest to Newtopia. If I send word, she'll come running with every toad she can muster," Grime volunteered.

"Our rangers should be in fighting shape, although they've never faced apes before. I'll do all I can to prepare them for the reality of it," Yunan resolved.

"And I'll lead the evacuation efforts," Olivia concluded.

"What about Andrias' robots? Can they help?" Polly queried.

"The first thing Andrias did when he stood down was initiate a mass shutdown of the robot factories. He explicitly said that if he re-activated them, they'd revert to their original programming. That is not an option I'd consider," Olivia disclosed.

"So re-program them, problem solved," Polly rebuffed.

"To re-program each individual robot would take time we do not possess. To re-activate them, Andrias would have to use the Royal Protocol, and we'd be right back where we began," Olivia argued. Hearing everyone come up with solutions to this problem helped re-motivate Sasha, albeit just a little.

"Would Andrias know of any alternatives?" Sasha posed.

"It's…. possible, but I wouldn't want to hamper his rehabilitation. He's come a long way since losing the crown," Olivia answered.

"We don't lose anything by asking," Hop Pop stated.

"Hold on a minute. What about Anne? She's still too weak to move, and if the Apes lay siege to this place and get to her, she hasn't a hope. She should go with the other non-combatants," Sylvia suggested.

"Agreed. Anne may be a capable warrior, but not in her current state," Olivia concurred.

"Well, tough, because I'm not leaving without Marcy," a familiar voice asserted. Everyone turned to see Anne leaning against the wall for support while trying to stand upright, but looking like she could collapse at any moment. Sasha rushed over to her aid.

"Anne, you should be in bed," Sasha urged.

"I'll….. rest… when we get Marcy back," Anne meakly replied.

"Let me handle the rescue. Wherever Marcy is, I'll get her back, I swear it. Now please, get back to resting," Sasha pleaded.

"I'll hold you to that, Sash. Do you know where she is?" Anne probed.

"We're working on that, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine," Sasha assured. Sensing her sincerity, Anne relented and climbed back into bedrest. Sasha then turned to Annie. "You do know where she is, right? We were sent here to get Marcy to you Sentinels in the first place," Sasha asked. As if on cue, Annie's orb emitted a faint, green light, and an image, presumably of another Sentinel, a girl with similar height and build to Annie, although dressed very differently, appeared above it. The image started to speak.

"Chief, we have just finished our latest sweep of the Ape homeworld. Care to tell me why our scouts have reported seeing a human amongst their ranks?" the image quizzed.

"The Ape homeworld? She's there? Son of a Gnorc! I'm on my way. That human, Delilah, is Marcy Wu," Annie responded.

"Wait, THAT Marcy Wu?" Delilah said in a confused tone.

"I'll explain when I arrive, but do not lose sight of her," Annie instructed.

"It's not like she's going anywhere, Chief," Delilah stated. The image of Delilah disappeared, and the orb ceased glowing.

"Great, now we know where she is, we can mount a rescue," Sasha pressed. Annie, however, had reservations.

"Hold on a second, Sasha. While I sympathise with your desire to rescue your friend, the Ape homeworld is very dangerous. If they discover you….." Annie began.

"….then it will be no different from the other rescue ops I ran and took part in when I was leading the resistance against Andrias. You forget who you're talking to. Trust me, I can handle this," Sasha interrupted. Truth be told, the real reason Annie didn't want Sasha coming with her was because the Court might take issue with it, and she didn't want to speak to any of them right now, considering what she had just learned. But there were more pressing matters to attend to, namely Marcy's liberation.

"Alright, you can come, but you'll see strange things when we get there, so try not to freak out," Annie conceded.

"No stranger than Sentinels or cat Guardians or Ape Armies," Sasha commented.

"Point," Annie replied. She then brandished the orb she used to talk to Delilah and willed it to glow intensely. "This will feel a little rough," Annie braced Sasha for orb travel. Annie took Sasha's hand, squeezed the orb gently, and in an instant, Sasha was transported to the Ape homeworld, or at the very least, the scouting position Delilah had established just outside the Apes' stronghold. Sasha didn't feel all that different from travelling via the music box, but she did feel a sort of bounce coming in. That, however, was nothing compared to the sight that now fell upon her eyes. She found herself in a world that looked similar to Amphibia's wilderness, but instead of the lush green she would associate with a world recovering from industrial take-over, this world contained more brown than green, with a flimsy structure made of wood and leather, and supported by beams and pillars which Sasha strongly suspected were made of bones. The outpost Sasha and Annie currently occupied was the typical tent structure, like the kind Sasha's resistance would put up as a temporary command centre for missions in the deep wilderness.

"You said that it would be rough, but honestly, I've had worse. What was that bounce, though?" Sasha asked.

"Oh, that'll be the realm lock," came a voice Sasha didn't recognise. Sasha and Annie turned around to see a sight that slightly un-nerved Sasha but put Annie at ease. They saw another being, most likely a scout Sentinel, but this one was male, had eight green eyes to match his hair, black skin, and tiny horns on his head.

"Shawn. They put you on this mission?" Annie inquired.

"Delilah thought my eyes would make me a natural choice, and she's right. I've both seen and heard things that will make this extraction difficult, should we attempt one," Shawn clarified.

"We are. What are we dealing with?" Sasha probed, jumping straight into the thick of things. Another Sentinel, the one Annie was talking to before they came here, then came into view.

"The guard has doubled around where they're keeping…" Delilah began before she spotted Sasha. "…Chief, is that….?" Delilah queried.

"Yes, Delilah, this is…." Annie began.

"…..Sasha Waybright? Here? I am such a huge fan of your work, taking down King Andrias! Will you sign my sword?" Delilah requested, showing Sasha her blade. The blade itself was jet black, a stark contrast to Sasha's dual pink and silver swords. Delilah herself looked similar to Sasha, blonde hair, though she wore it short, with blood red, cat-like eyes. Sasha took a liking to Delilah almost instantly.

"Help me get Marcy back and I'll autograph your entire armoury," Sasha bargained.

"Deal!" Delilah agreed.

"You should know, her armoury is quite extensive," Annie commented.

"But in all seriousness, if Terrador sees her, he's not going to be happy," Delilah cautioned.

"Too late for that, Delilah," came a gruff-sounding voice from behind them. Sasha turned around to see a giant, green dragon surveying the scene.

"Ah, Councillor Terrador. This is…." Delilah began.

"I know who this is, Delilah. Sasha Waybright, leader of the Wartwood Resistance against King Andrias, Lieutenant in the Toad Army under Captain Grime, and one of the saviours of Los Angeles. What I don't know is what she is doing here," Terrador summarised. Sasha then brandished her twin swords, increasing the tension in the room.

"I'm getting my friend back, that's what I'm doing here, and if I have to go through you to do so, then I'll do it," Sasha stated firmly. Terrador remained steadfast.

"You've never met a dragon before, have you?" Terrador assumed.

"As a matter of fact, I have, but you're the first I've seen in the flesh. The first dragon I ever met possessed my friend and tortured her to near death, so forgive me if I don't have any love for your kind!" Sasha recalled. This sparked Terrador's interest.

"So, you've met the Dark Master, then?" Terrador quizzed.

"Spoke to him, too," Sasha added. Annie was horrified at this exchange,

"So, it's true?! The Dark Master was a dragon?! How long have you and the others been sitting on that one, councillor?! What else have you been keeping from us?!" Annie interrogated in an act of defiance not even Delilah saw coming. Her twin sister had never heard Annie speak that way to a councillor of the Court of Ancients. Usually, she would voice any disagreements a lot more diplomatically than her current tone would suggest.

"Now is not the time for this discussion, Annie. If what the scouts say is true, then we need to rescue the light-keeper as soon as possible," Terrador dismissed. Sasha seemed to agree, as she lowered her swords.

"Well, that's easier said than done. The Apes have put a realm lock in the stronghold, so we can't orb in and out, and their numbers are too great for a standard assault," Shawn evaluated, trying to ease the tension in the room. It seemed to have worked, for Annie had calmed down enough to get back on track.

"Do we at least know where she is?" Annie asked.

"Yes, unfortunately, that particular area has the most guards, and the cell door's been enchanted, so busting it open won't be easy," Shawn outlined.

"In the Resistance, we had a saying for situations like this. Where firepower fails, stealth usually succeeds. We could sneak in, grab Marcy, and sneak out before anyone knows we're there," Sasha suggested.

"An admirable plan, but there's no way you're getting through all those apes unseen," Terrador replied.

"So, we go through un-noticed. Do we have any disguises?" Sasha asked.

"Yes, we do. I managed to 'borrow' some ape uniforms in case we ever tried this, but the Apes have a strong sense of smell. I do have something to mask your scent, call it ape cologne, but be warned, it stinks to high heaven," Shawn briefed.

"I've opened one of Anne's durians at least once. I can handle it," Sasha bragged.

"Before you start, I would like to know the full extent of your knowledge, Sasha. How much do you know of all this?" Terrador queried.

"The Guardian told me and Marcy everything, about dragons, sentinels, all of it," Sasha answered.

"I see, so this exposure was not the fault of any sentinel. Forgive me, Sasha, we have a policy of non-exposure. Only when it is necessary do the Sentinels reveal themselves. Very well, you may proceed, but one more thing. I realise you speaking to the Dark Master means you do not trust us dragons. Honestly, I can't blame you, but we are not all like him. Much like the vast majority of Amphibians opposed Andrias, so do most dragons oppose the Dark Master," Terrador assured, and allowed Sasha to participate in this exfiltration mission.

"I get it. One bad apple doesn't ruin the whole tree," Sasha mused.

"If I might interrupt this tender moment, there is one other thing. I overheard the Apes saying that the Supreme Warlock themselves will be coming to take Marcy away from here, and when that happens, our rescue window closes for good, so whatever you're going to do, do it quickly," Shawn urged.

"Right, right, lay on the ape musk, already," Sasha pressed. After donning the disguises, Shawn then sprayed Sasha and Delilah with the odour. Shawn was right, it did almost make Sasha throw up in disgust. "OK, worse than a durian!" Sasha exclaimed in between gasps for air. It smelt like an open sewer, but Sasha held her nose and bore it.

"I still think I should go. I can do stealth better than you, dear sister," Annie observed.

"You need to cool off. Besides, I can do subtle, when it's required, and you should be thanking me. This way, you get some alone time with Shawn," Delilah rebutted. Annie's face turned bright red.

"Really? You wanna do that now?" Annie asked in an exasperated tone. Sasha couldn't help but smirk. Whether it was mere mortal humans or angelic, immortal Sentinels, some things stayed the same.

"Oh, stop complaining. I'm the one that has to spend days washing this off, and I had plans with Crystal later tonight," Delilah scolded.

"I'll send her your love. You two need to get going now. There's no telling when the Supreme Warlock will arrive," Shawn interjected.

"Ready to get Marcy back?" Delilah probed.

"I've been ready since I got here," Sasha replied. The two set off towards the ape stronghold, with Shawn providing directions via orb communications.

Meanwhile, Marcy was still reading the books War Leader provided for her. She was in the midst of forming a timeline of events that occurred during the Dark Master's campaign. She read all about his conquests, how his armies of not just Apes, but other races called Gnorcs and Rhynocs, served him as he attempted to unite all the realms under his banner. While there was resistance, it was swiftly crushed. Out of options, a quartet of dragons rebelled, united other races, and began to fight them to a standstill, and began pushing back. But none could contend with the Dark Master for long. In a final act of desperation, the dragons stole the spell the Dark Master used to make copies of his mind, but didn't know how to work it, so they took it to a remote realm far beyond the Master's reach. From this point, the book Marcy was reading was blank.

"I'm not paying the library fee for this one," Marcy quipped. Suddenly, text appeared on the blank page, as if in response.

"Ha! Good one. I apologise for the deception. The concealment charm I placed on this book means its contents from this point onwards are visible only to you and your fellow Light-Keepers," the book clarified.

"Fellow light-keepers? You mean there's more than one?" Marcy asked, pretty sure she was going insane for talking to a book.

"Yes, there are four of you, and the fact that you do not know the identities of the other three bodes well for us. For the sake of security, I will not divulge this information to you," the book responded.

"You have no idea who they are, do you?" Marcy guessed. The book paused before answering.

"OK, you got me. Do you want to see what's in here or not?" the book probed. If words could carry a tone, Marcy would interpret this as back-talk.

"I think some introductions are in order," Marcy asserted.

"Yes, you do deserve to know, don't you? I am the sorcerer that the dragons that would become the first Court of Ancients sought out to find a solution to the Dark Master's conquest, but you can call me Odin," the book introduced itself.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me. Odin is real? I thought he was a Norse legend or a comic book character," Marcy rebuffed.

"Well, as the saying goes; there is some truth in legend. The spells that not only created the Sentinels, but also split the Dark Master's power and soul from his body and sealed him away in the Realms Between, came from Asgard, and as you might've guessed, I didn't call my creations Sentinels," Odin explained.

"Does that mean…..?" Marcy began.

"Yes. When I created those beings, I called them Valkyries," Odin finished Marcy's train of thought.

"I can fill in the rest; these Valkyries helped you raise an army to fight what Norse mythology calls Ragnarok, or the end of days. I take it the truth is something else entirely?" Marcy surmised.

"The myths and legends of your world are half-right. The Valkyries did train an army in Asgard, but it was not to prepare for the end of the world. The Einherjar were meant to supplement the resistance growing in the Dragon Realms, but the Dark Master caught wind of our plan. Here, let me show you what happened," Odin corrected. The book then glowed with magical energy, and the cell was transformed, at least visually, into an entirely different setting. What was a dank, drab room with bars on the windows turned into a vibrant, colourful paradise. Marcy found herself following an elderly, wizened, gentleman wearing an eye-patch. This, Marcy guessed, was Odin. Marcy could also see winged, bipedal generals training soldiers in the fields. These were obviously the Valkyries. One of them approached Odin, distress in her voice.

"All-Father, latest from the Realms. The Dark Master has learned of what we have done here. He knows we used his spells, and he knows of the plan to imprison him in the Realms Between," the Valkyrie reported.

"I always knew this day would come. We prepared for this, Sigrun. Take your sisters and the spells and flee this place. My sons Thor, Loki, and I will buy you as much time as you need to get away. Hurry!" Odin ordered.

"No, All-Father, we fight with you!" Sigrun objected.

"If you are lost, so is any hope of stopping the Dark Master! Now go! Take Hildr, Gondul, and Eir and run! Get to the Court! They'll know what to do!" Odin insisted. A wolf and a lightning bolt both appeared on either side of Odin, and two men emerged, one from the lightning bolt, the other having transformed into a man from his previous wolf form. Knowing what she knew from Norse mythology, Marcy theorised that these two were Thor and Loki.

"Father, he has brought his most powerful golem to the assault. The wall will not hold," Thor reported.

"I don't expect it to. Get to Freya and marshal whatever defence you can. Hurry, my sons," Odin commanded.

"What of the Master himself?" Loki asked.

"I will hold him back for as long as I can. Hurry, rally the Einherjar!" Odin pressed. Thor and Loki left to carry out their father's will. Just then, the ground quaked as if in fear, and a projection of the Dark Master's face, surrounded by purple smoke, emerged high in the sky.

"Citizens of Asgard! You dare take what isn't yours! The Dragon Empire will not be undermined by antiquated shamans that profess to be gods! Behold, the instrument of your destruction, Ragnarok!" the Dark Master announced. A huge fire golem, the size of four high-rise skyscrapers rose up from the ground, sending the populace running and screaming as the golem trampled on anything that stood in its way. The golem stood so tall it blocked out the sun, leaving fires and ash wherever it walked.

"It will not be long before that thing finds Asgard's heart. Go now, Sigrun!" Odin ordered. Begrudgingly, Sigrun took three other Valkyries, created a portal to the realm where the Court was based, and fled, while the Einherjar, Thor, Loki, Freya, and whoever else remained fought valiantly against not only Ragnarok, but also the armies that the Dark Master brought to Asgard. The Dark Master himself, a fully-grown, purple dragon touched down on the surface to confront Odin.

"How clever. The Court distracted us with their pitiful resistance while you worked on their last hope, but it will do you no good in the end. We Dragons were meant to rule," the Dark Master menaced.

"You were once a promising figure in your Realm. I heard your name spoken in praise many times. What made you throw all that away?" Odin inquired.

"I saw their weakness. The future they would usher in would only bring stagnation. We had to expand if we were to survive," the Dark Master justified.

"The duty of the purple dragon is to bring peace, not war," Odin reminded.

"The duty of the purple dragon is to ensure the Realms remain strong, not that you would know anything of strength, old man!" the Dark Master scoffed.

"I know a lot more than you, fallen one," Odin rebuffed.

"Really? Let's find out!" the Dark Master challenged. Just as the two were about to do battle, the scene transformed back into the cell Marcy knew. The book then continued its written text.

"You can guess what happened next," Odin concluded.

"Asgard got wrecked, but those four Valkyries escaped?" Marcy surmised.

"Yes. Ultimately, the spells were successful, the Dark Master was imprisoned, and the war was over, but at great cost, and if he returns, it will all have been for nothing," Odin emphasised.

"Don't worry, I won't let that happen," Marcy promised. The book then turned blank again, and Marcy continued chronicling events like she would theorise about her favourite shows.

Meanwhile, Sasha and Delilah managed to infiltrate the compound. The scent they were wearing, while repulsive to the extreme, did its job. No Ape paid them any mind as they were being guided through the halls by Shawn via orb comms. However, Sasha quickly noted that each hall looked the same as the last one. Obviously, the Apes cared little for home décor. After about a half hour of following Shawn's directions, they came across Marcy's cell door. Sasha made to touch it, but a static shock sent her hand recoiling back.

"Shawn wasn't kidding about those enchantments. Watch the hall, I'm going to try disabling these," Delilah requested. Sasha then took watch over the hall, keeping an eye out for any apes that came by. Surprisingly, there were none to be found. In a bid to ease the discomfort, Sasha engaged in some small talk.

"So, what's up with Shawn and Annie? I saw the same thing when Anne started crushing on this one guy in music class," Sasha inquired.

"Oh, they are soooooo googly-eyed for each other. It's a little embarrassing, really. The great Chief of the Dragon Guard, Liaison to the Court of Ancients, vanquisher of evil, gets flustered by one guy with eight eyes," Delilah teased. Sasha chuckled.

"So, I guess Sentinels are somewhat human, after all. The way the Guardian put it, it seemed like you were immortal beings on a higher plane than the rest of us. No offence intended," Sasha replied.

"Nah, we're just like you, only we live longer, have wings, magic powers and weapons, we come in all shapes and sizes, and we're created. We can be born, but the Court discourages Sentinels 'mixing' with other beings," Delilah explained.

"What? Why?" Sasha asked.

"When I said we live longer, I mean a LOT longer. I was on Earth during the Middle Ages, looking exactly like I do now. That's the curse we bear. You mortals wither and die while we go on. Imagine watching that happen to someone you…. At the end of the day, it doesn't bear thinking about," Delilah clarified.

"I see, that must be very hard. One day, you'll see me living a life, graduating high school, going to college, finding a nice man or woman, getting hitched and growing old, all the while still bearing that face," Sasha realised.

"Yeah. Now you see why the Court has that 'non-exposure' policy. We make exceptions, when necessary, but we're not allowed to get attached. It's too painful. Some Sentinels have broken down upon seeing the slow death of mortals they grew fond of. It's something I've seen before. Recovery is slow, if they heal at all," Delilah responded sadly.

"I… I think I may need to book more appointments with my therapist when this is all over," Sasha resolved. A sudden, quiet snap could be heard coming from the door.

"That should do it, the last enchantment. Now to get this door open," Delilah updated. Since War Leader likely had the key, Delilah had to improvise. She then knocked on the door. "Marcy, you may wanna stand back," Delilah cautioned. She then super-heated her hands and pressed against the door, melting the metal away and destroying the lock, allowing her to pull the door open. Sasha took one look and Marcy and rushed over to hug her.

"Mars! Oh my goodness, I never thought I'd see you again," Sasha said happily. Marcy returned the hug in kind.

"Shoulda known you'd come to my rescue like a knight in shining armour," Marcy replied. The two broke apart and Sasha took note of the papers strewn about on the walls.

"What have you been doing in here?" Sasha probed.

"I got bored waiting for you to rescue me, so I made up a chronicle of the Dark Master's campaign. It's like something out of a streaming series. I just got to the part where….." Marcy began rambling.

"If we could please get out of here, I would be happy to let you peruse the Sanctum Library to your heart's content," Delilah urged.

"Is that offer extended to everyone in the room?" came an unwelcome voice from the cell door. Sasha and Delilah turned to look and found War Leader standing in the doorway, brandishing his sword. Sasha and Delilah drew their own weapons. "I knew you would stage a rescue, Sasha. I've been studying your methods during your time in the Wartwood Resistance. It made for some enlightening reading, and it also prepared me for anything you would try," War Leader added.

"Oh goodie, I have another fan. Sorry, but I won't be signing your weapon!" Sasha sassed. She lunged at War Leader with her swords, but War Leader effortlessly parried Sasha's every move.

"I've also been studying your fighting style," War Leader boasted. War Leader then blocked and evaded more of Sasha's assaults. "Captain Grime taught you close combat, always in the face of your opponent. It is crude, archaic and obvious, but it gets the job done, and doesn't waste time with dramatic flair," War Leader observed.

"Glad you approve!" Sasha rebutted before striking again, only for War Leader to counter her every move.

"You're also too emotional when you fight. It clouds your judgment. A true soldier enters battle with a clear mind," War Leader lectured in a condescending manner.

"Then clearly, you've never fought a Sentinel, buddy!" Delilah raged. She summoned her own blade, set it on fire, and engaged War Leader. Delilah, it seems, was a better sword fighter, because she actually tripped War Leader up. Delilah used this opportunity to summon a wall of fire keeping War Leader pinned against the compound walls. Sasha, Marcy and Delilah used this opening to make their escape. The fire wall fizzled out and War Leader began his pursuit.

"We need an exit, now!" Sasha urged.

"Not while that realm lock is still in place," Delilah shot down. Shawn then chimed in via orb comms.

"You're a few rooms away from the realm lock. Disable that and portal out," Shawn instructed. Following his direction, Delilah, Sasha, and Marcy found the realm lock. Just like the one in the prison complex, this one consisted of an orb atop a pedestal. However, the Apes had them surrounded, with War Leader at their head.

"Predictable. I figured you'd go for the realm lock to ensure a quick exit. I expected more from the leader of the resistance. You greatly disappoint me, Sasha Waybright," War Leader mocked. Just then, an explosion could be heard coming from outside that shook the compound. An Ape captain came rushing in.

"Sentinels! Outside! We're under attack!" the captain alerted. Every ape went running out the room and headed for the site of the blast.

"No, wait! It's just a distraction!" War Leader pressed, but to no avail. His soldiers had been redirected, leaving him alone with Delilah, Sasha, and Marcy. Delilah then rushed to meet War Leader blade upon blade.

"Get that thing out, now!" Delilah urged. Sasha and Marcy tugged at the orb powering the realm lock, while Delilah did her best to keep War Leader occupied, but Sasha and Marcy were getting nowhere.

"On three," Sasha suggested. She and Marcy counted to three, and at the same time, on three, gave the orb their strongest pull. It took a lot of their strength, but they managed to pull it out.

"Realm lock offline," the computer updated.

"Time to leave!" Sasha called out to Delilah. Delilah summoned another flame wall separating her and War Leader, then rushed over to Sasha and Marcy, and then used the orb to portal them out of the compound and back to Newtopia Castle. Delilah then called Annie on her orb.

"Prisoner extracted. Get out of there, sis!" Delilah notified. It seemed to have taken, because seconds later, Annie and Shawn appeared in Newtopia Castle, clearly exhausted.

"We must've alerted nearly every ape in the place. Lucky we didn't run into Gaul himself," Shawn updated.

"Be grateful you didn't have to fight War Leader. He's a real piece of work," Delilah replied. Annie and Delilah hugged it out, while Sasha and Marcy did the same; well deserved after that ordeal. A voice then came from Marcy's room.

"You got her back, Sash," Anne observed. Marcy then rushed over to hug Anne.

"As if there was any doubt," Sasha bragged. Anne and Marcy stayed locked in their embrace.

"Mar-mar, I thought I'd never see you again. I was so scared of losing you, permanently this time," Anne vented.

"It takes more than a few dumb apes and a pair of evil warlocks to get rid of me, Anna-banana," Marcy responded. Sasha then cleared her throat.

"Now that the reunions are finished, can we please get to the Sanctum, like the Guardian wanted us to when we got here?" Sasha directed.

"Wait, we're gonna bring humans to the Sanctum? The Court of Ancients will never go for that," Shawn interjected.

"The Malefic Order has already proven they're willing to cross dimensions to get the Light-Keepers. The Sanctum is the only safe place for Marcy," Annie stated.

"And I'm not going without Anne and Sasha," Marcy added.

"Besides, Sasha owes me an autographed armoury," Delilah joked.

"Well, when you girls are ready, we'll make the trip," Annie ushered Anne, Sasha, and Marcy together. Hop Pop then approached the trio.

"Here we are again, saying goodbye for possibly the last time. It was great seeing you three again, despite everything that happened," Hop Pop said warmly. Grime then said his piece.

"Don't worry about us, we can handle the Apes, the same way we handled Andrias, together," Grime assured.

"You will always have a place in Amphibia, beloved heroes," Olivia added.

"Thanks, you guys," Sasha said gratefully.

"If you make it clear to Gaul and War Leader that I'm not here, they should back off," Marcy guided.

"We really should speed this up. We've been here too long already. Here we go," Annie hurried. She squeezed her orb, but nothing happened. She tried again, same result. "That's strange," Annie noted.

"I'll try the crystals the Guardian gave us," Marcy got out her crystal, as did Sasha. They squeezed tightly, though not enough to break them, but again, nothing.

"I don't like this," Delilah said. Just then, a voice rang out from all around the castle.

"I see, by now, you found my realm lock, hidden in this large castle. Call it our insurance policy. I suggest you not waste any time trying to find it, and if you need any more incentive, take a look outside," War Leader's voice announced as if he were speaking on a tannoy system. Anne, Sasha, and Marcy looked outside, and they could see, beyond the city walls, siege towers, catapults, and a mass of apes gathering outside.

"What's happening out there?" Grime asked.

"Tell the citizens, Olivia, that Newtopia is under attack," Sasha informed.

Author's note: Again, I must apologise for the lack of updates regarding this fic. Grace and I have been working on our Pride Month submission. First chapter goes live tomorrow. Also, at my work, it's exam season, and that is, as I've just found out, a mob scene. Anyway, that has all been letting up and I can go back to my personal projects, at least until August/September, when Grace and I will drum up our Sharuby Saga 2nd anniversary special, after that, it's back to personal projects full-time for me. I appreciate your continued patience. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. All properties belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.