Grayscale stood in the barren landscape of Caelid under the blood red sky, garbed in the Royal Robes of Queen Rennala and brandishing Lusat's Glintstone Staff. Before him stood his challenger. A Monstrous Dog about a story tall roared in his face, supported on muscular hind legs, while the forelegs were stubby and short, somewhat resembling a cross between a K-9 and a T-Rex. Grayscale wasn't intimidated by its roar however, merely scowling and taking one of the small pots from his inventory and hurling it at his foe. The pot smashed against the Monstrous Dog's cheek, the abomination flinching slightly as a cloud of pink mist encompassed it. Grayscale arched an eyebrow. The Monstrous Dog should have been assaulted by vengeful spirits, why was it engulfed in pink mist?
 
 
Then the mist dissipated, Grayscale, and even the Monstrous Dog, looked on in perplexion and shock. The huge mongrel now sported a set of massive breasts that would make a K-cup look puny in comparison. Flabbergasted, Grayscale looked at the Cracked Pot that had reappeared in his inventory. It read Furbait Pot, not Rancor Pot.
 
 
"Goddamn patches!" Grayscale cursed as the Monstrous Dog seized him around the waist in its right hand and drew him towards its mouth, shamefully covering its new boobs with the left.
 
 
—
 
 
Grayscale awoke with a start, leaping to a sitting position and shaking his head. What a dream. He couldn't decide whether to clarify it as a dream or nightmares however. Despite the context, those breasts had looked splendid.
 
 
"So, you're finally awake."
 
 
Grayscale was taken off guard when he suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice. Looking to his left, he saw a Kirin doe standing next to him. Surprised, Grayscale scrambled up against the far wall.
 
 
"Who are you? What are you doing in my room?" He asked worriedly.
 
 
But as he registered his surroundings he realized he wasn’t laying in bed as he expected, nor anywhere remotely similar to the room at the inn. While the room he and Sonata shared was humble yet cozy, this place was cramped and cold, hardly bigger than the inside of an empty moving van, and just as uncomfortable. thin beams of flickering firelight shone down from above, barely illuminating the rough stone walls and floor. Looking up, Grayscale noticed that the low ceiling was made of flat, dark metal and honeycombed with quarter-sized holes, hinged on either side with a crease down the middle, indicating it was some kind of trapdoor. Grayscale was suddenly reminded of the Rancor pit from Jabba’s palace, though far less roomy. The thought made him gulp nervously.
 
 
"What… where am I? What is this place?" He asked hysterically.
 
 
"We appear to be the latest victims of Azhore's disappearances," said the female Kirin as she trotted closer to him.
 
 
"And who the hell are you?" Grayscale asked, his whole body tense with fear and outrage as he tried to control the tremors wracking his limbs.
 
 
"My name is Ikon,'' the Kirin introduced herself. "I'm one of several operatives assigned by Queen Miari to investigate all the disappearances that have occurred in Azhore as of late." She looked up at the trapdoor ceiling, so low she could easily reach up and touch it with her forelegs. “Unfortunately, in doing so, I have fallen victim to it myself, as have you.”
 
 
Ikon's words sparked a moment of recollection in Grayscale. He remembered that massive bulletin board covered in missing persons posters he had seen yesterday. And now he and Sonata were part of that statistic.
 
 
With sudden realization Grayscale stood up, nearly stumbling on his shaking legs. “Sonata! Where is she? The sner- uh, I mean, the naga I was with? Is she here?” He ducked past the kirin to peer down the opposite side of their prison cell. With the paltry light from above he could make out a familiar pile of pink coils, sending him scampering over to her. “Sonata! Sonata, wake up! Are you okay?”
 
 
It took just some prodding to arouse her, Sonata looking up as Grayscale shook her shoulders.
 
 
"Mmhm, ready for another round, Gray?" She asked, misinterpreting his frantically shaking her awake as eagerness to get busy.
 
 
Grayscale was briefly relieved that she was in good health, but quickly became concerned again as he remembered the current situation.
 
 
"Sonata, you need to get your mind out of the gutter pronto!" He said, grabbing her arms. "We're in trouble!"
 
 
The moment he said this any grogginess vanished from Sonata's expression and was replaced by shock. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?" As she propped herself up on her hands, the feel of cold stone jolted her awake, her coils tightening up closer to her body as she stood up. “Where the hell are we?"
 
 
“No idea,” Said Grayscale, looking back over to Ikon. "I don’t suppose you know where exactly we are?"
 
 
"Other than in some kind of dungeon," said Ikon as she trotted closer, “I’m as much in the dark as you two. I don’t even know if we’re still in the city.”
 
 
"And who are you?" Asked Sonata, eyeing the Kirin that was supposedly imprisoned with them wearily.
 
 
"My name is Ikon. As I explained to your companion, I am an operative assigned by Queen Miari to investigate the disappearances in Azhore."
 
 
"Remember all those posters about missing people we saw yesterday?” Grayscale elaborated further. “Looks like we’re now one of them.”
 
 
Sonata's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?" She buried her face in her palm and groaned. "Just fucking fantastic! As if we don't have enough to deal with!"
 
 
Grayscale could only sigh in agreement. "So what do we do now?" He asked Ikon. "I don't suppose you can use your Kirin magic to get us out of here, can you?"
 
 
“Do you think I would still be here if I could use my magic?” Ikon snapped, clearly frustrated.
 
 
“Sorry, sorry.” Grayscale muttered. “So what, is there some kind of magic lock on the door?”
 
 
Ikon shook her head, then pointed up at the ceiling with a forehoof, drawing their attention to the source of light above them: a great spherical cage hung above their prison cell made of iron rings the size of hula hoops, with an orb of glowing orange fire hovering within. It was clearly magical in nature, as the flames looked thicker and goopier than normal fire, like the wax in a lava lamp.
 
 
“The door above us is mundane metal, but that thing up there is a Flame of Nullification,” Ikon explained. “It cancels out any natural magic abilities nearby. My horns are useless in its presence.”
 
 
Both Sonata and Grayscale simultaneously facepalmed. "Locked in a dungeon with some kind of freaky magic canceling feature in place," Grayscale droned. "This is beginning to sound like a shitty D&D quest."
 
 
"Yeah," Sonata agreed, then something occurred to her. Did their Kirin cellmate say that those flames nullify enchantments? Looking down, her concerns were confirmed. "Gray, our disguises!"
 
 
Grayscale looked over to her then looked down at himself. Sure enough, his belly scales were back, and his fur was spinach green once more, not muddy brown. Looking up, he noticed Sonata was furry again, not a trace of scales where a Snerret wasn't supposed to have them, and her hot pink hair was back in place of her cobra hood.
 
 
Slowly, they both looked to Ikon, who was obviously staring at them, seeing them as Snerrets.
 
 
"Well…I guess the cats are out of the bag," said Sonata nervously.
 
 
Ikon tilted her head. "I was beginning to wonder why your friend here was inquiring about a naga," she commented, glancing at Grayscale. "So you were both in disguise when you came here… though I’ve never seen creatures like yourselves before."
 
 
"Uh, it's not what you think,"Grayscale insisted, remembering this doe was part of some form of investigation team. "We weren’t looking to cause any trouble!"
 
 
"It matters not why you two were in disguise," stated Ikon simply and without suspicion or concern. “Even if you were, you’re obviously not involved in the kidnappings. Whatever your reasons, we have more pressing matters to-”
 
 
“My piercings!” Sonata screamed. “Where the hell did my piercings go?” Gray and Ikon looked over to see Sonata gripping her breasts in both hands, revealing that her silver barbell piercings were, indeed, gone. She went back down on her hands, scanning the floor for the missing barbells.
 
 
“No doubt our captor has stolen them,” said Ikon. “All the things I was carrying with me were taken as well… including my earrings.” She wiggled her ears, drawing attention to the bare holes in her lobes.
 
 
Sonata stood back up and growled angrily, fists balled in rage. “Aaaagh, those were my favorite pair! And they took FOREVER to break in!” She looked down at Grayscale, fury burning in her violet eyes. “If I find whoever did this, I’m not just gonna eat them, I’m gonna eat them one limb at a time!”
 
 
Gray’s ears fell back at this sudden outburst. He thought about making a quip about how she gagged at the sight of blood, but held his tongue.
 
 
Thankfully, Sonata took a deep breath, shrugging her shoulders as she regained her composure. “Sorry about that… So, what do we do now?” She asked Ikon.
 
 
Ikon smiled. “Well, thankfully I have a solution.” Ikon stepped over towards a nearby wall and smacked her left antler against it, snapping the top half off cleanly. As it fell to the floor, Gray and Sonata caught a glint of something shiny at its broken base. A nudge from Ikon revealed her antler was hollowed out from within, allowing a shiny gold ring with a small blue gemstone to roll out onto the floor. She tapped it with her hoof. “We investigators always carry an emergency talisman in case we need it.”
 
 
“I thought you said that flame nullified magic, though?” Said Sonata.
 
 
“Normally, yes,” Ikon explained, “But these rings were made especially for this investigation. Many of the people who have gone missing were practiced magicians, so we suspected the perpetrator was using some form of nullification power. This ring has several enchantments on it that allow the magic within to bypass most anti-magic, though the enchantments themselves are very costly, and so the magic inside is very limited. But it should be enough for at least a couple-”
 
 
Ikon's explanation was cut off as the trapdoor ceiling suddenly opened up, allowing more orange firelight to flood their tiny cell. There was no time to escape, however, as a massive, reptilian head covered in dark scales lunged down from above, jaws gaping. It clamped right down over Ikon's entire upper body, a long slimy red tongue slithering out to coil around her middle. The Kirin started letting out muffled, frightened bleats, her hind legs thrashing as she was casually lifted up through the open hatchway.
 
 
"Ikon!" Screamed Grayscale, running to grab the struggling Kirin by the leg, but was just a second too slow as he grabbed nothing but air. However, just as Ikon was lifted out of the cell, another head identical to the first lunged in, snapping up his upper body as well.
 
 
“GRAY!” Sonata screamed in a panic, leaping forward to grab her friend by the tail, but the huge lizard-like monster again proved too fast as she fell flat to the floor. Looking up, Sonata saw a third reptilian head poised to lunge down at her, connected to a long, serpentine neck. With a rush of adrenaline, Sonata snatched the talisman ring and jammed it on her finger, a tranquil blue light surging up her arm as the gemstone glowed brightly. As the beast lunged at her, she leapt out of the way while clenching her fist tightly, hoping this gambit of hers would work.
 
 
The huge beast missed her by inches, snapping angrily at the floor before turning to look at her with predatory hunger before hissing angrily, showing off its slimy snakelike maw lined with teeth, all curled back towards its dark gullet. Thinking fast, Sonata thrusted her magically-charged fist at the beast’s face, shutting her eyes tight as she concentrated hard on the first weapon she could think of. She was rewarded by a howling screech of pain followed by a splash of something hot across her front, which turned out to be the creature’s blood as she opened her eyes to see the long, glowing blue blade she was now holding in her hand, the other end sunk deep into the roof of the monster’s mouth. The huge beast threw its head back in pain, belching thick bouts of blood from its maw as it pulled away from Sonata’s blade to retreat from the cell. Sonata took this opportunity to climb out from her cage and into the larger chamber above.
 
 
The prison they were now in was a great round dome roughly twelve stories high and just as wide around, the edges of the dome lined with big metal trapdoors similar to the one she had just escaped from, each with a Flame of Nullification hanging above by iron chains attached to the walls. But what truly drew her attention was in the center of the dome, where the three serpentine beasts were reaching from. It was there she could see that the three reptilian creatures were not creatures at all- not separate ones, at least. They were not a pack of giant dragons or snakes as she had first assumed, but the heads of a massive hydra, their three long winding necks meeting and connecting at their bases along with six more necks and heads, totaling nine in all. The colossal body they were connected to was thick with muscle and scales, far larger in the front to make room for all its heads, like a buffalo with the hide of an alligator. Its four squat, oak-trunk legs and fat knobbly tail curled up on the floor in a shallow pit in the center of the room.
 
 
Sonata looked up at the many heads wavering about in the air. Most of them were focused on the one she had injured, watching it cough and thrash about in pain while flicking gobs of blood in every direction. Off to her left, Sonata turned her head just in time to see one of the heads throw its jaws up and open, Ikon’s hind legs kicking uselessly between its teeth before sliding down the hydra’s gullet in two quick gulps. A squirming bulge slowly slid down that head’s neck, giving Sonata a preview of what would happen to her and Grayscale if they didn’t escape in time, quickly turning the other way to try and spot her fellow snerret.
 
 
Soon enough she spotted a hydra head swaying off to the right, a familiar green tail tipped with an orange rattle whipping about from between its lips. Grayscale was certainly putting up quite a fight, but the smaller snerret certainly wouldn’t last long in that beast’s mouth. “Hang on Gray, I’m coming!” Sonata hissed to herself, lunging forward at the head holding her friend hostage while her mind raced to find the best possible way to beat this enormous creature. The Hydra was half as big as this whole chamber, and even with her climbing skills she couldn’t get to Grayscale in time to free him by hand before the hydra gulped him down. Just as she considered that, she watched in horror as Grayscale’s tail was snapped up, his cry of terror cruelly cut off by the monster’s throat swallowing him whole. It was now or never: Concentrating with all her might, Sonata focused on a particular memory of hers, and thrust her arm out towards the base of the hydra’s neck, just before the bulging lump that was Grayscale could reach the point of no return.
 
 
In a flash of sky-blue light, a familiar weapon whipped out from Sonata’s grip and wrapped itself around the neck of the hydra- it was Ivy Valentine’s whip-sword from Soul Caliber, the many razor-sharp segments of the blade digging in fast and deep through the hydra’s flesh. The hydra-head let out an angry roar of pain, turning around to lunge at its attacker. A great surge of raw energy reverberated through Sonata’s body, her sheer willpower driving the magic coursing through her arms to give her the strength and leverage to yank the whip-sword towards her with a single mighty jerk. Twisting tight like a sausage link, the thick scaly appendage was suddenly and violently torn from its base, a great torrent of blood and fluids gushing out both ends like a sewer pipe. With a gurgling death howl, the hydra-head thrashed about before finally going limp and collapsing to the floor, finally dead.
 
 
Panting hard, Sonata wiped the sweat and blood off her brow just in time to see Grayscale get unceremoniously vomited out of the ragged stump of the severed hydra’s neck, thoroughly drenched from head to tail in at least three different bodily fluids. Sonata rushed over towards Grayscale, scooping him up in her arms. “Gray! Gray, are you alright?” She shook him firmly, biting her lip nervously as he lay limp and silent.
 
 
Grayscale first took a small, weak breath, before finally coughing loudly, spitting out a mouthful of slime before shaking his head in sheer disgust, "Blech! Ugh!” He sputtered as he tried to shake off the slime covering his arm. “Fuckin’ hell, first that plant-maw, and now giant snakes wanna eat us? I’m really starting to hate this place!”
 
 
“Couldn’t agree more, Gray!" Said Sonata as she propped him back up on his feet. "But it's not snakes we're dealing with!"
 
 
At her words, Grayscale was drawn to the din of hisses and roars, turning around to see the massive eight headed monster before them, one head still bleeding profusely while another was just a bloody stump.
 
 
"Holy shit!" he cried, stumbling back in surprise and horror. "It's a Hydra!"
 
 
As Grayscale said this, the neck-stump began to quiver, before rapidly sealing back up into a dense lump of flesh, no longer bleeding. Within seconds it suddenly blossomed out into two more identical necks, and in no time at all they grew as long as all the others before sprouting a pair of fully-formed heads, giving the Hydra a total of ten.
 
 
"Fuck, that’s a hydra alright!" Shouted Grayscale, before looking down at his gore-drenched self. “Well, at least its blood’s not toxic like in the myths… just disgusting.”
 
 
“Watch out!” Sonata barked as she pulled Grayscale away just in time as one of the newly-formed heads lunged at them, nearly snapping him up again before another head reared back to try the same. Keeping Grayscale behind her, Sonata threw her whip-sword out at its face, slicing the hydra head across the eyes to blind the beast, sending it reeling back screeching in pain as its now-useless eyes wept rivulets of blood down its face.
 
 
A few more hydra heads went to try and snap at them, some shoving one another out of the way to try and get at their prey first. The others focused on either licking the blood off of their injured fellow heads, or were busy devouring the remains of the head Sonata had just severed.
 
 
"Come on!" Said Grayscale, grabbing Sonata's hand and running off in a random direction. "We gotta find a way out of here!"
 
 
—
 
 
"There! That's it! Up ahead!" Declared Nillyna, pointing her talisman cane out to a hill in the distance.
 
 
Queen Miari glared at it. "Strange, that hill isn't on any regional maps."
 
 
"It must have been set up by Naqatt as a means to dispose of her victims discreetly!" Nillyna surmised, turning back to the ruler of Azhore. "Queen Miari, I have a plan, but I require your help! Will you assist me?"
 
 
"You don't even have to ask!" Said Queen Miari. "What can I do to assist?"
 
 
"I need to break into the structure concealed inside that hill swiftly! So you think you can transmute it into an extremely fragile material?" Nillyna requested.
 
 
"Consider it done!" Said Queen Miari, her antlers sparking with arcs of lightning.
 
 
Nillyna nodded gratefully, her and Queen Miari closing in on the hill.
 
 
—
 
 
"Damnit, there's no way out of here!" Sonata screamed, dodging to the side as one of the Hydra's lunging head's missed her by a fraction of a hair, materializing a barbed staff, which she jammed into its nearest eye. The head retracted, its ruined eye trickling blood.
 
 
Sonata and Grayscale had made several laps around the perimeter of this place, but found all the walls to be completely seamless. Not even a hint of a way out. It didn't make sense. How had they been brought here in the first place?
 
 
"Uh oh!" Called Grayscale as the Hydra poised to strike again, all ten heads arching back, the injured ones looking especially enraged.
 
 
Sonata tried to manifest something to use in their defense, but, to both their horror, the ring on her hand just flickered a few times before going completely dark. Grayscale gulped nervously, "I…think this thing just ran out of juice…"
 
 
"Oh, now ain't that just fucking great!" Swore Gray. "Now what do we do?"
 
 
"We run!" Said Sonata, seizing Grayscale and throwing him over her shoulder and slithering off, just in time to narrowly avoid the first lunging head.
 
 
So focused on not being an hors d'oeuvre, Sonata and Grayscale didn't notice the slight crackling of electrical arches weaving through the walls, who's coloring was beginning to alter.
 
 
—
 
 
"There, I've done all I can!" Called Queen Miari from the base of the fraudulent hill, having just configured as much of its general makeup into loess as she could.
 
 
Nillyna nodded as she fluttered above, moving into position. She knew from the information she had seized from Naqatt what to expect upon entering this place; a Hydra and a massive collection of Flames of Nullification. It seemed like a tremendous effort simply to gather valuable merchandise illegitimately, actually. The Hydra wasn't the bigger issue however, the flames were. Even her extensive skills would be useless in the presence of such a magic adverse agent. She would have to deal with it first. But the only way to deal with Flames of Nullification was to drown it out with more magic than it was capable of neutralizing, basically washing it out.
 
 
And Nillyna could only come up with one course of action that could accomplish this.
 
 
Positioning herself to where she had Aquasa's mystical sun at her back, Nillyna prepared herself, letting the sunlight bathe over her body, her body beginning to illuminate as she took in so much magic from being in such direct contact with the sun.
 
 
"Hang on, Sonata, Grayscale, I'm coming," Nillyna silently declared, an immensely powerful forcefield forming around her, right before she plowed forward towards the hill as fast as both her wings and magic could carry her.
 
 
—
 
 
"Gray…" Sonata said hopelessly. "It's been good to know you…"
 
 
"Sonata…I love you…" Grayscale said in response, pulling her into what he believed to be their final hug.
 
 
The Hydra had managed to back the Snerrets into a corner and was bearing down on them, leaving them no way to escape.
 
 
But before anything else could happen the far side of the chamber suddenly exploded inwardly in a shower of rubble. Both Snerrets and the Hydra looked up just as aquamarine sunlight poured in and momentarily blinded all. The flames in the dangling cages suddenly dimmed, then fizzled out, unable to cope with direct contact with the source of all magic on Aquasa. A figure was silhouetted in the immense light like some kind of angel, but the gossamer wings soon revealed to them who it truly was.
 
 
"Nillyna!" They cried in both surprise and hope.
 
 
Nillyna stared down at the mighty ten headed serpent with a sinister glare as it hissed threateningly at her. Deciding not to let it make the first move, Nillyna reared back her talisman cane and thrust it forward, unleashing a torrent of magic fueled not only by the talisman's stores but by the sunlight at Nillyna's back. An unstoppable wave of arcane energy enveloped the hydra like a tsunami, the great beast’s claws digging deep into the ground to brace itself against the onslaught of raw power. It writhed and thrashed about, but its movements gradually began to stiffen. Sonata and Grayscale had covered their eyes, but as the intense light quickly faded, they looked up to see that the Hydra had been turned to stone, petrified by Nillyna's magic.
 
 
For a few seconds all was still and silent, before it was broken by the hydra’s body suddenly crumbling apart like burnt-out firewood in a chorus of soft cracking noises. In mere seconds the once-mighty beast collapsed into a great heap of ash-colored rubble. Once the silence returned, the Snerrets slumped against each other in relief.
 
 
"Sonata! Grayscale!" Said Nillyna as she flew over to hover before them. "Are you both okay?"
 
 
They looked towards their insectoid savior, before suddenly tackling her in a sudden enthusiastic embrace, laughing as they hugged her tight. “Oh man, your timing couldn't have been more perfect!” Sonata cried as she nuzzled Nillyna’s cheek.
 
 
“Well, maybe a few minutes sooner…” Grayscale joked.
 
 
Nillyna at first was too shocked by the sudden embrace to say anything, but soon joined in the laughter before hugging them both back. “Well, I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic!” She chirped proudly. “I’m just glad you two aren’t hurt…” She then pulled away from them with a sound like wallpaper being peeled off, realizing just then how utterly drenched they all were in blood, mud, and other unsavory sticky fluids. “...although I do think we are all in dire need of a thorough Downpour session.”
 
 
The sound of a throat clearing turned their attention behind Nillyna. Queen Miari was standing there gazing upon the trio, saying nothing but holding a stoic gaze upon them.
 
 
Nillyna and the others stepped away from each other, turning to look upon the queen. “Oh, uh, hello your majesty!” Grayscale said nervously. “So… you’re probably wondering what exactly me and Sonata are-”
 
 
“I already know,” She said plainly, stepping closer to them. “Or rather, I realized you two were in disguise the moment I saw you.”
 
 
Nillyna’s antennae shot up in surprise, her grip tightening on her cane anxiously. “What? That illusion spell should have been impenetrable!”
 
 
“It was, my dear Nillyna,” replied the queen. “Of course, just because you can’t see who is behind a mask doesn’t mean you don’t know a mask is there. I could sense that illusion magic was being used to conceal their true forms, but this is the first time I’ve looked upon them…” She trotted up carefully towards Sonata and Grayscale, both of whom didn’t move but tensed up like cornered alley cats. Queen Miari simply looked them up and down, her analytical expression making it hard for either of them to tell if she was simply studying them, or deciding on what punishment to inflict upon them for their crimes. “Hmm, you are no amalgamations, I can see, yet you are neither nagas nor beastkin of any kind. Indeed, you are unlike any species I know about on Aquasa.”
 
 
Sonata and Grayscale looked over at Nillyna, who glanced back at them for a moment before closing her eyes and slowly nodding. They turned back towards the queen.
 
 
“That’s because,” Grayscale explained, “We’re not from Aquasa…”
 
 
Queen Miari's stoic expression shifted for the first time for Sonata and Grayscale, a hint of surprise leaking in.
 
 
"I had my suspicions as soon as I saw your true forms but this confirms them. You two are not of our world!" Declared the royal Kirin, her eyes narrow. "So what are you? Demons from the netherworld? Celestials from the afterlife?"
 
 
Sonata and Grayscale blink in perplexion at Queen Miari's speculations. Though they were far from spot on, it was still unnerving to see her try to deduce what their identities were, especially since they had gone to such lengths to conceal them (as well as the revelation that demons existed, but they didn’t have time to unpack all of that). Gulping nervously, they proceeded to elaborate on themselves: "Would you believe we’re actually from another planet?" Gray inquired.
 
 
This time Queen Miari's words were genuinely stolen from her, her hunches impacting the stone floor, stunned.
 
 
"You had best let me explain," Nillyna stepped forward.
 
 
Grayscale and Sonata gave each other worried looks, holding each other's hands for comfort. From there Nillyna explained to Queen Miari how the Snerret's came to be in her care. Playing with the little magic mirror prototype with her girlfriend and the lightning storm overcharge that resulted in an unstable portal between Aquasa and the world of the Snerret's. She thankfully left out more personal details, such as Sonata and Grayscale's actions before being sent here, but they also realized Nillyna was circumventing Lily's true identity, making it sound like Nillyna was in a relationship with another Lepidopteran. It seemed strange that she’d be concerned about such a thing, given the interspecies couples they had seen before in the city, but Nillyna must of had a good reason so they stayed silent.
 
 
But this wasn't the time to dwell on that little detail, for Nillyna just let the truth of their visit to Azhore spill.
 
 
"An Arcane Capacitor?" Inquired Queen Miari, her expression serious. "You walk a dangerous path, Nillyna. There is a reason for the strict regulation around those forbidden mystical constructs. Even those who attempted to build one with pure intentions ended up unleashing great destruction."
 
 
"I know," Said Nillyna with conviction. "But it's the only way. An Arcane Capacitor is the only thing capable of providing the power needed to open the portal without the aid of a reflective surface!" She looked over at Sonata and Grayscale, her heart aching at the hopeless expression on their faces. "So what will you do, Queen of Azhore? Will you uphold the law and turn us in for the crime of attempting to assemble an Arcane Capacitor?"
 
 
Queen Miari looked at the Snerrets as well, who quivered under her gaze.
 
 
"As Queen of Azhore that would be my duty," she said with authority, Sonata and Grayscale huddling closer together at her words. "But, by my own judgment, I think that would be a poor way to thank Nillyna for her contributions towards recent events."
 
 
Sonata and Grayscale blinked in surprise and faith.
 
 
"Wait, wait, wait, does that mean you're not going to arrest us?" Grayscale asked.
 
 
"I feel that it's unnecessary, given the circumstances," clarified Queen Miari with a supportive smile. "Nillyna's participation has ensured that no further lives will be lost due to the machinations of this "Naqatt" and it would be in poor gratitude if I was to interfere with her endeavors now, especially since they don't concern me or my city directly. And besides, Nillyna’s reputation and expertise in magic is more than enough to ensure she will not be sloppy with its construction."
 
 
Sonata and Grayscale whooped in joy and held each other, further spreading the atrocious glop coating them, but neither seemed to care at the moment. Afterwards, Queen Miari instructed Sonata, Grayscale and Nillyna to remain here at this pit of death for the time being while she returned to Azhore to retrieve their belongings for them.
 
 
"Wait, you're just going to hand over the parts for the Arcane thingy?" Asked Sonata.
 
 
"They're not assembled into an Arcane Capacitor yet," Queen Miari assured, turning away from them. "As of now, they're merely things Nillyna purchased in Azhore and I have no right to keep them from you."
 
 
"Well, if that isn't ambiguity I don't know what is," said Grayscale snarkily, until his slime wetted hair was suddenly offblown back when Queen Miari sprinted out of the chamber through the hole Nillyna made with the same amount of swiftness that had allowed her to keep pace with Nillyna. "Damn! She could have warned us…"
 
 
It would take quite a while for Queen Miari to return, and in the meantime, Nillyna graciously conjured up a spray of water to help rinse the excess slime off of them all as they waited. They wished they could have gone back with her, but according to Queen Miari, all this was going to make it hectic in Azhore for the next few days and they shouldn't be around, given their circumstances and how closely they were involved in the case. In the meantime, Nillyna explained what all this was about and why the Kirin Naqatt did what she did.
 
 
"Huh, that's a bit underwhelming," said Grayscale, folding his arms. "All this to commit petty theft. How pathetic."
 
 
"Yeah, what a bitch!" Declared Sonata. "Kinda disappointed that you fed her to Lily though, Nillyna. Wanted to gorge myself on her greedy ass myself!"
 
 
"Oh you don't fool anybody Sonata," said Grayscale cheekily, nudging her in the side. "You'll just take any excuse to nom on a Kirin's delectable rump."
 
 
"That…" Sonata seethed, aiming a fist at Gray, but soon deflated. "... may be true. However, I wouldn't regurgitate that one like I did the first!"
 
 
"And I don't think anyone would blame you," said Gray in support. “But hey, maybe next time Lily will share with ya, Lady-and-the-Tramp style…” He gave an amused snort at the sight of Sonata’s face blushing from the mental image.
 
 
Eventually Queen Miari returned, hauling two bags on her back.
 
 
"Wow, even royalty is humble here." Said Sonata, having expected the queen to return with servants holding the bags for her or something. Either Queen Miari really didn't mind doing what royalty on their own world would consider grunt work, or she was being as discreet about this as she possibly could. She wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be the latter.
 
 
"I believe I managed to retrieve everything," said Queen Miari, setting the bags down and gesturing to them one at a time. "These were recovered from the Inn. This one was from Naqatt's store…"
 
 
No sooner had she said this did Sonata seize the bag and begin to rummage through it frantically. "Where are they? They'd better be in here, damn it!"
 
 
Nillyna, Grayscale and Queen Miari looked at the scene with varying expressions.
 
 
"What…is she doing?" Queen Miari asked, tilting her head in confusion.
 
 
"Looking for her barbell piercings," explained Gray, putting an exasperated hand on his face.
 
 
"Her what?" Queen Miari asked.
 
 
"Piercings for her, uh…" began Nillyna, trying to think of a less "crude” title for the body part in question to refer to the queen. "Mammaries."
 
 
Queen Miari's eye widened then lowered in understanding. "I see. Are they that important to her?"
 
 
“Of course they are! At the very least they were expensive!” Sonata replied as she finally pulled out a familiar pair of silver barbells. “I gotta put them back in before my nips heal over!”
 
 
“Sonata, didn’t you get those way back in freshman year?” Grayscale asked.
 
 
Sonata didn’t even look at Gray as she busied herself with affixing a piercing to her left nipple. “Even so, I don’t wanna have to go through all that bullshit again.”
 
 
Grayscale shivered, remembering those sleepless nights. After the procedure was over, Sonata's breasts had hurt so bad that for four weeks afterwards, Grayscale had to gently massage them to ease the pain each night until she nodded off. Gray adores Sonata's breasts, but even he soon got bored with fondling the glorious orbs of flesh after a while and it was soon more for Sonata's benefit than anything else. Especially with how often those sessions would end with Grayscale getting stuffed down her throat before she fell asleep, rejuvenating Gray in the morning after digesting him throughout the night. Needless to say, it was rather inconvenient for Grayscale, as strange as essentially dying and being brought back to life would be considered “inconvenient”.
 
 
"Ah, there we are!" Proclaimed Sonata, looking down at her chest and admiring the reflective beads adorning her nipples once again. "Now I feel whole again."
 
 
With that done the rest of the supplies were gathered up and the trio prepared to return to Nillyna's estate.
 
 
"Your majesty?" Inquired Sonata to the queen, slipping the spent talisman ring off her finger and offering it to her. "I think you'll want this back."
 
 
Queen Miari looked at the talisman. They had told her about the investigator who had been imprisoned with them and about what happened to her. She was going to have to track down Ikon's family and inform them of what's happened.
 
 
"You should keep it," she said, her regality returning to her voice.
 
 
"Wait, really?" Asked Sonata.
 
 
"After all you have been through it's the least you deserve," insisted the queen. "And from what I have heard, you're going to need all the assistance you can get. Besides, it's not a big loss on my end. Those talisman's are just standard equipment for my law officers. Easily replaced."
 
 
With that Sonata, Grayscale and Nillyna had no further reason to stay, vanishing in a flash of Nillyna's teleportation. Queen Miari returned to her throne as well, silently wishing them the best of luck.
 
 
—
 
 
Lily had spent the better part of the morning focusing on the individual residing inside her. The Kirin had long since ceased struggling so Lily was concentrating on breaking down her carcass for nutrition. She had to admit, Kirin made for an excellent meal. A flash of light later, however, revealed Sonata, Grayscale and her girlfriend appearing in her meadow.
 
 
"Sonata! Grayscale!" She exclaimed at the sight of the Snerrets. "You're alive!"
 
 
"Don't gotta sound so disappointed," Sonata snarked, but her expression softened once she saw the concerned look on Lily's face as she took in their gore soaked forms. Had she been genuinely worried about them.
 
 
"Are…you both okay?" Lily asked.
 
 
"We're fine," said Gray supportively, him and Sonata simultaneously deciding to drop all pretense of sarcasm. "We're just filthy is all."
 
 
"Which is why we should get to a Downpour Chamber," said Nillyna, hefting the bags. She would love nothing more than to hug her girlfriend as soon as she got home, but she was just as filthy as her Snerret guest's.
 
 
"Um…would it be ok if I joined you?" asked Lily.
 
 
"Why?" Asked Grayscale in confusion. "You didn't have a runin with a half eviscerated Hydra."
 
 
"Well…I want to see what it's like to bathe," said Lily. It was a half truth, for she was curious what it would be like to bathe, but she didn't want to admit she had been lonely.
 
 
But nobody had any objections so, after returning her choker to her, Lily joined them in the Downpour chamber. It was quite the experience for her, especially since the rain was lukewarm, something she had never experienced.