[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/72bEcUi.png[/img][/center]

Lily had turned mid-run towards the corner of the wall that led towards the front gate of the castle when Alex stopped her verbally, reminding the group of the bizarre enchantment that pervaded over the colossal fortification. She blinked as Mr. Kite spoke up, having forgotten the helpful guide that Magical Dream Princess had given to them alongside the rainbow unicorns.
[color=fff200]”Right! Crossing eyes!”[/color] Seemingly more experienced with the ocular orientation than might have been normal, the green-haired girl navigated towards the secret entrance. 

Once the group was in the shadow of the wall and out of sight of the main road, the animal companions, unaffected by the spell, handed the narcotic fruits back to Gaia before they clambered and flew towards the colored stones in the arch-formed section, and pressed each of them in succession. As a result, a rectangular section of the wall shifted to the side, revealing a stone stairway that led down into darkness. 
[color=fff200]”Yes! We can get inside!”[/color] Lily cheered. However, Branch Nose was less enthusiastic; the tall tree slightly bent downwards to look at the opening. 
“The passage is too small for me to pass through…It seems this is the part when I must bid goodbye to you brave children.”

However, that was when the group heard voices in the direction of the main path. 
[color=fff200]”Oh? Did the soldiers already return? Or could it be…”[/color] She quietly approached the corner of the wall, her bow drawn at the ready.

[hr]
Rachel nodded, agreeing with Alicia. However, she noticed that Miko seemed distracted. "Hm? You spotted a foe?" Miko’s Super Map revealed that Lily and the others were indeed just past the corner and claimed so. However, due to having to take a moment to review the artifact, Rachel had already taken off towards the corner, hammer in hand. “Sounds like a monster stalking local wildlife. I’ll deal with it before it attracts unwanted attention,” she spoke, and briskly walked up to the corner, only to meet face to face with Lily. The green-haired girl screamed loudly, while Rachel gave out an uncharacteristic little yelp of surprise, followed by a blush of embarrassment. “Lily! Quiet!” She aggressively whispered, causing Lily to clap her hands over her mouth.

[hr] 
Nefer had stepped out of the truck by the time Mac had presented the false hologram to the false Penny and others, a cheeky smile on her face. “Well, well well, I wish I could be called a good [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWnrRn9LruM]g-gwak!”[/url] She quickly found herself tackled and on the sandy ground, with Mac right on top of her, their faces mere inches away from each other. The look on the artificer magical girl quickly changed from surprise to a wide smile, her cheeks now red.
“Ooh, how rough~ I should have known you were into police roleplay, cutie~”
The lack of resistance, the blush on her cheeks…Mac quickly realized this was no impostor, robotic or otherwise. Akhenaten, who until this point had been quiet as a rock, grunted, stepping closer as a warning sign to Mac. However, Nefer simply gave an aside glance to the black golem. “Oh, Mackie-D here isn’t a threat. In fact, I wouldn’t mind being arrested by her, since I have been naughty~”

Meanwhile, the false Penny blinked as Mister Plier was summoned, and grabbed the sentient tool with her hands with a surprised look as it tried to open her up.
[color=9e0039]“Wait, you’re mistaken! There is nobody trapped inside me!”[/color]
With a single move, she wrestled the pliers down, and then lifted her hands as a sign of non-hostility, momentarily looking like she was dancing the robot.
[color=9e0039]“I am a spare built by Penny Prime. She sent me to deliver this truck and accompany Nefer. I believe she is still testing the duplicator, but will soon accompany us.”[/color] She glanced towards Nefer, who sighed.
“It’s true. While Penny and Justine are cuties, they’re a bit boring. Besides, I realized I couldn’t leave Aken all alone with my inventions. He can be a bit of a rockhead~”

[hr]
The Queen smiled as she took Mariette’s hand. “Then let us depart! But where to go first? Penrose has so many sights, sounds, smells, touches and tastes…” She mumbled, as a new portal rose up from the floor. That was when Mariette heard the faint sound of a girl screaming, far below them: she recognized it as Lily’s voice. However, the queen did not hear it, absorbed in her next bout of rambling.
“Oh, I know! A lovely rose garden, hidden yet beautiful! Yes, a fine first jaunt for us, is it not, my dear Alice? After all…There we shall find our first mirror.”
And so, the portal opened, and the two stepped to a place Mariette recognized: it was the underground forest where one of Asengav’s mirrors had been placed: Esther’s den.
The queen let go of Mariette’s hand upon arrival, and outstretched her arms, slowly making a single spin around as she immersed herself in the gloomy, yet strangely serene atmosphere. “Ah, isn’t this nostalgic? So many pages ago, your thrall had taken root here, all part of a grand plan, once forgotten. But now, we shall reflect ourselves anew on the looking glass, so that we may see the truth of our destiny.”

[hr]
As Chloe worked on setting up defenses for Penrose, she was contacted by Viper: she was now in her disguise of a masked Heart Commander, with the voice of an adult man to match.
“The Queen’s invasion force has arrived. Good news, Nykannis’ barrier has prevented us from proceeding. Bad news, the Gryphon is now running the show, with the Queen nowhere to be seen: I think she’s making her own move. Do I proceed with the sabotage mission?” She asked the broker.

[hr]
Mayra deftly swerved back and forth, avoiding the haphazard gunfire that the Club soldiers shot from pegasusback, and even the more accurate sniper fire from the long-ranged Spade soldier after her and Brittany, who was of course singing the entire pursuit, accompanied by exciting chase music playing out of nowhere:

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQDfabokzZg]“One jump ahead of the slowpokes,
One skip ahead of my doom,
Next time gonna use a smoke bomb or two
One jump ahead of the hitmen
One hit ahead of the flock
I think I’ll take a stroll around the yard!”[/url]

The chaotic dragongirl, for once, had an actual plan: she led the pursuers right into the path of the Mermaid Princess’ mainland marine forces, a magical river enabling their rapid move across the plains and hills of the land. The magic rifles of the soldiers clanged uselessly on shell shields crafted in the high-pressure depths of the sea, and in return a great white shark chomped on them, followed by tridents skewering them where they rode, causing the pegasi to flee, having lost their riders. The mermaid princess, clad in beautiful coral armor that shone brilliantly in the sun, approached Mayra on the back of an orca whale, looking down on the fiery girl with utmost surprise. “Greetings, fair dragon!” She spoke, seemingly finding nothing strange about Mayra’s appearance, probably a first for her.
“You were pursued by the cruel queen’s soldiers. Perhaps you are also mounting a resistance against her tyranny? If so, then let us engage in jolly co-operation, so we may have freedom, and finny fun!”