Unity
- Gyz Research Labs -
As the war between the kingdoms takes place, Zootopia's small genius with a big brain is hard at work in his office, setting up the ultimate plan of all times while trying to get in touch with Lyra. He is sitting in a comfortable chair of his size and with a control panel right in front of him with a display...
Gyzmoo: Still no contact...I'll have to begin without her....
He closes the secret comms network after not hearing back from Lyra and continues with the operation without her...
Gyzmoo: Just a few finishing touches and.....ALL SET!
With the last press of a button, he initiates a sequence which opens the ground just next to the building with hundreds of advanced drones in it.
Gyzmoo: I don't know where you are Lyra or if you are still alive, but the truth is about to be exposed to the public...
He pushes a few more buttons on the control panel and fully seizes control of the drones that are ready to launch....
Gyzmoo: Hayden, did you really think you could outwit a world-class scientist and beguile me into developing tech for your army without knowing your ill-conceived evil schemes for world domination? I am the one who's going to throw some dust in your eyes and blow the whistle on you! The moment I've been waiting for is here! Fly high, my little birds!
A huge swarm of drones soar into the skies, all controlled by Gyzmoo and start heading out of Zootopia's airspace to join the war far beyond the horizon...
- Near the Odynhood Palace -
The ZDF Euphoria has entered the airspace of Gryphonia, undetected. Hayden is fully prepared for the invasion as well as his armies of near-unstoppable sergals. He is at the bridge of the ship, standing in the middle of the room while staring out of the wide window with a nice view at the whole Odynhood Palace and Gryphonia's metropolis around it.
Norm: Destination reached. Those poor people have no idea the onset of Gryphonia's takeover is about to begin...
Hayden: This place will be soon under my sway. Our forces must be scattered across the four winds so they can eradicate all of our enemies. Norm, you know your orders. Make sure this fortress has someone to look up to and follow while I am on the ground.
Norm: Of course. I know I am making a sound decision right here fighting by your side, master. You can count on my sedulous approach to this much appreciated duty!
Hayden then speaks through the PA system of the ship...
Hayden: My brothers and sisters, the dawn of sergalian dominance is close at hand! The golden age of our race shall come to a resumption today after so many years of dormancy! There will be no more stagnation, only growth!!! Our enemy is beneath us, we will close in on them via teleportation. Target every single military site, defile their palace and demoralize their armies with your gifted power to an extent they will raise a white flag and bow before a much more superior race destined to be prominent in this galaxy! Obeisance and capitulation is their only way of survival! Our global takeover begins with Gryphonia's downfall or submission! Show them who we are!!! For our glorious and coveted future of prosperity and greatness!
He ends the speech and puts his black and gold helmet on his head ready to join his army on the ground. The sergal army moves into the many teleportation chambers on the ship...
Norm: I know what's next...
Hayden: Do the honors...
Norm: Initiating decloaking sequence....
The gigantic vessel appears in the Gryphon skies striking every single resident with terror with its ominous and sudden appearance out of nowhere. Neyla is at the western wing of the Odynhood Palace courtyard with many imperial guardians wielding heavy battle axes and automatic plasma cannons.
Neyla: Take defensive positions and fortify the palace! Show those unprincipled animals the true grandeur of Gryphonia as they go down in flames! There's no definition for fear in our books, nor defeat. We are the Gryphonians!
Her orders spread widely fast across the palace, with every military unit getting fully prepared for the attack...
Neyla walks up the stairs to the edge of the courtyard to have a better look at the flying fortress. She growls angrily with her scepter gripped tight in her hand...
Neyla: I'll make their people remember this day with repentance, the day they tried to destroy us, that's if I won't make them go all extinct with the Worldshaper, of course.
The Euphoria sends down bright yellow beams to every corner of Gryphonia with military sites, which teleport large groups of sergals equipped with super weapons of the Armsmorpher class, not to mention their boosted defensive power thanks to the Reinvigorator, which makes them "almost" unstoppable and immortal. The sergals enter offensive mode and start killing anyone hostile holding a weapon who isn't on their side....
Meanwhile....
Near Trinity Island, the aerial battle keeps on going with both the Gryphon and ZDF sides suffering heavy losses. Nero is still in one piece, leading the entire fleet with great courage and resilience. His cruiser is way too impervious to critical damage and it's the only ship in the Gryphon force to take out the most ZDF ships.
He is sitting in the middle of the bridge, overseeing his fellow officers and keeping the ship in one piece with his professional leadership.
Nero: Maintain the intensity of our balanced offensive and defensive maneuvers, their forces are dissipating which augurs well for us! We are going to triumph over these fools very soon!
When it seemed like victory was near, Nero received an urgent call from the heart of Gryphonia requesting reinforcements from his fleet if possible...
Nero: That's some disruptive news...we cannot continue fighting. We'll have to fall back to defend our home. Our real enemy just slipped through our radar and is invading our kingdom so we've been fighting needlessly. Turn back and reallocate all our remaining power to the engines of the ship and its deflector shields!
Gryphon Captain: Commander, our primary weapons will drop below twenty percent of efficiency...
Nero: Just do it. Send out more ships so they can create the right diversion for us and provide covering fire while we withdraw from this senseless fight and fly back to the palace!
Gryphon Captain: Aye, aye, sir!
Even more squadrons fly out from the hangar of the cruiser and join the fight as Nero retreats with his cruiser to aid the Odynhood Empire in battle against the sergalian uprising....
- Somewhere in the middle of the ocean -
Zack and the party are safe and sound flying into the unknown while discussing what they should do next....
Regina: Zack, do you have any clear idea where we are flying?
Zack: That's what I wanted to ask myself too. Perhaps you got a suggestion?
Regina: Yup, take us back home please! Our mission is done!
Blake: Let's just call it a day and head back home. We are powerless against Hayden or the Odynhood Empire anyway so why bother? Our kids must be in desperate need of parental love already! I suggest we fly back home as well.
Ash: I will not rest until their crummy empire falls so get those risible suggestions out of here! The only person on a mission here is me and I am hell-bent on revenge and completing this mission that cost me everything already. We are NOT going back home until we have destroyed them all!
Everyone remains silent, showing sympathy and respect to Ash as he gets emotional over his sister's death...
Ash: She....looked like she lost her will to live back there...and I am the only one to blame. I was her brother, her everything just like she was mine and I failed her. My life won't be the same anymore without her. But if there's one thing I want to do right now is make sure her sacrifice wasn't meritless and for nothing. If we don't stop this war now, your loved ones will suffer for our dereliction of duty. It's not over yet, you all got something to fight for, a journey yet to finish.
Zack: He is right, I am sorry Blake and Regina, but I am going to be forthright. Being apathetic is not the answer. The future of Zootopia and your children depends on YOU! Cosmo and Rudolph will not be safe until this conflict is resolved...peacefully. I find it quite inexpedient to fly back to Zootopia while the whole kingdom is at war with another one, a war that can spread further if we don't do something about it. We can still make a change and do something together to stop this. Your kids will wait even if your absence is abjectly bad for both of them, but our enemy, whether it is the Odynhood Empire OR Hayden's forces, they won't stop until there's only one winner and millions of dead innocent people, an exacted heavy price.
Blake and Regina look at each other...
Blake: Let's kick some butt then!
Regina: They are not ready for our wrath. Let's get this done!
Zack: What about you, mom? You grew really quiet back there...
Lyra: I am just...so moved by his sister's death. I shouldn't have been so pugnacious and unfriendly towards them. And look, you wanna join the fight and increase the chances of ending this war sooner before it can have a devastating outcome, go for it, I am strongly wedded to this cause. I can't simply say no since my fate and future are all dependent on you. You aren't tied to my apron strings.
Ash: Hey, no hard feelings. Your solemn expression of compassion towards my loss says a lot about your true character and that makes us be on friendly terms now.
Zack: And that just consolidates our little fellowship even more because if we all work together towards the same mutual goal as a team without being influenced by antipathetic feelings for each other, then there's no reason to have a sense of foreboding about this whole war and the result of our actions. Victory will be ours!
Zack then turns the dropship and starts flying to Gryphonia...
- The Odynhood Palace -
Nero arrives to Gryphonia which is now being overrun by Hayden's army. The sergal army is way too powerful and nearly unstoppable for the Gryphon armies to neutralize. The Odynhood Palace still stands strong even despite being under siege, with royal guards making sure no hostiles enter the place. They are trying their best to repel every attack coming from every direction, but everything changes once ZDF ships start dropping sergals right into the palace from above, breaking through their defenses. To make things worse, ZDF troops get teleported straight into the palace through ZDF Euphoria's teleportation devices to aid the sergals in battle. Nero's cruiser stops near the palace's airspace. They see a kingdom in flames with sergals killing their people and their soldiers while destroying everything valuable around...
Nero: We are late! How did they manage to sneak past us with that monumental piece of junk? Argh! It doesn't matter! They will pay the price for their mindless invasion! Destroy all enemy aircraft and hit them hard with suppressive fire while I locate the empress! We....will...PREVAIL!
Nero stands up from his chair and heads down in the hangar to board one of the many dropships still available. He leaves the cruiser with a couple of more aircraft as it remains in the sky shooting down ZDF dropships.
- Odynhood Palace Courtyard -
Neyla was about to strike the ZDF Euphoria with the power of the Worldshaper, but got quickly interrupted by the sergals who breached through the defenses of the royal guards and made their way up to the empress. She is being protected by the heavily armored imperial guardians who struggle to fend off the enemy despite being the most elite force in the empire. They all fall before they can return fire or get up close and personal with the attackers leaving Neyla all alone with no defensive barrier in front of her. She is surrounded and has nowhere to run and escape. She is standing in front of her father's statue with imposing pillars placed on both sides of the courtyard, waiting for the right moment to take the necessary action.
Neyla: You are not of Zootopian nature. I will make sure you get the most vicious and unforgiving comeuppance imaginable! The Odynhood Empire will forever reign supreme!
The sergals ask no questions and open fire at the beating heart of the Odynhood Empire. Neyla prepares her scepter to defend herself. No matter what form their Armsmorpher weapons are in, every single bolt, blaster, grenade launcher or even rockets get dissolved in the air before they can reach Neyla.
Neyla: You are powerless against the might of the Odynhood!
She raises her scepter and uses its elemental power to vanquish her enemies. She brings down some columns on them, crushing them. They may have the Reinvigorator booster flowing in their veins, but it will never protect them from extreme physical damage. She freezes the incoming projectiles in the air and deflects them back at the sergals fazing them, then she lifts them all up in the air with the power of Zephyrus and throws them off the ledges of the courtyard. They land in the sea below, with some hitting the rocks real hard.
- Aboard the ZDF Euphoria -
Norm: Sir, do you see that? Someone just single handedly wiped out groups of our forces! There has been a serious reduction of active units on the battlefield all thanks to one individual...
Hayden: A single unit? Impossible! Where?
Norm: We've detected unusual activity down on the western wing of the Odyhood Palace.
The Euphoria has advanced camera systems that allow it to view the smallest details down on the ground. Norm and his officers have found Neyla's location...
Norm: Down there!
Hayden: Zoom in on that!
Norm: Could that be their leader? Their queen, empress or whatever? She is holding some kind of magical weapon! You may wanna get your mitts on that one!
Hayden: That's her!!!
Norm: Perfect! Now we can use Euphoria's destructive power to wipe her off the surface of Gryphonia!
Hayden: No, she holds the most powerful legendary weapon imaginable which makes her a truly deadly and indomitable foe. This is a weighty matter that only I am ready to deal with. I will face her alone. That weapon is going to have a new owner very soon! Send a few more troops to her location who are willing to sacrifice their meager lives to keep her busy in the meantime. The command station is yours Norm! Take care of this vessel!
Norm: It won't go down in flames while I am in command, that's a solemn promise! And what about their flagship?
Hayden: It's still airborne...make sure it isn't anymore!
Hayden puts on his helmet and leaves the bridge with his plasma saber in his hand...
- Odynhood Palace Courtyard -
Nero makes a landing near the collapsed columns. He gets out of his ship with a few Gryphon troopers. He is the one carrying a spear powered by the mysterious purple crystal...
Nero: The omnipotent ruler of Gryphonia crushes the rivalry! That was an impressive counterstrike, Neyla!
Neyla: I see you received our message. How did they get past your forces?! I refuse to believe you didn't see THAT monstrous ship!
Nero: My bet is that they used some kind of cloaking device, we might have slightly underestimated their craftiness..
Neyla: Something tells me we are fighting more than just one enemy. Those beings that just confronted me...it's their species that is responsible for the death of my father. They think they can bring me down too, but they have no idea about the trials and tribulations of invading this kingdom under my reign. I will not go down easily. They killed my father and I will make sure they will pay for my pain ever since that day with their downfall!
Nero: Fools, they will soon realize the irreversible mistake they have made by invading our kingdom. Whoever their leader is, it's clear they have misconducted the whole operation. We will fight back till there is nobody to kill, nobody to defend ourselves from. If you use that scepter responsibly against them, they will not have a hope of hell winning this. No underhanded tactics will save them from their destruction!
Neyla and Nero are confronted by ZDF troopers flying on three dropships. Two of them appear in front of them flying above the cliff of the palace ready to fire at them from the miniguns while the third one drops a few sergals behind them. Neyla does not mess around and uses the scepter's immense power to squash the dropships in the air until they are just two squeezed balls of metal and makes them explode, killing everyone aboard instantly. Nero uses his special spear to impale the sergals. He throws the weapon and as soon as it hits and pierces through its target, it returns to his hand with a glove that is calibrated with the spear and is used to make it return to its caster. Nero soon realizes the spear's unique ability granted by the purple crystal is the most effective way of dealing with the sergal threat. Every affected and hit sergal falls in front of him upon being poisoned by the spear...
Nero: So the reports are true. Weapons powered by Ameryth are their weakness. Turns out there's imperfection in every perfection. Those nasty creatures have so many shortcomings to suffer from mainly because of that prepossessing scepter you hold...
Neyla: I will not let them ruin the splendor of our kingdom with their violent acts. First they separate our kingdom from Zootopia upon provoking a large scale conflict that ends with the slaying of my father to keep us all banished in hell and now they are trying to destroy us, that's just so unconscionable and witless, without any clear reason. What did we do to deserve this? At least our attack was meant to be based on good sense unlike theirs....
Gryphon reinforcements arrive at their location to protect the two...
Nero: What took you so long? Fortify the courtyard and await further orders!
More Gryphon dropships arrive with Gryphon soldiers rappelling down them, they all take defensive positions all across the courtyard...
Suddenly they hear thunderous explosions in the air. The ZDF Euphoria completely obliterates Nero's cruiser with its plasma cannons and lasers. The cruiser falls into the sea in flames, piece by piece...
Nero: There goes my aerial office. Wait no more, it's about time you turned the tide Neyla! Bring their fortress down!!!!
Neyla: That does it!
Neyla uses her scepter one more time and creates several whirlwinds that rise from the sea below to take down the ZDF Euphoria but the scepter drains her energy to a critical level. She stops forming the whirlwinds and falls down on her knees, releasing the scepter. It remains floating above the ground, vertically.
Nero: Neyla? What just happened? Are you okay?
Neyla: Just a...small repercussion I can quickly recover from...
Nero: Now I understand why it is deemed too dangerous. Not only can it have devastating effects on the environment all around us but it also impoverishes its wielder over time...
Neyla: No....it doesn't!!!
Nero: Look at you! It's sapping your life away from you! It's time for someone else to bear the responsibility for the fate and future of our kingdom!
Neyla: Nero, don't!
He grabs the scepter and it immediately gives him all the power he craves for. His orange stripes on his body start to glow as well as his eyes.
Nero: Behold, your new ruler! I think it's time for you to abdicate, my dear. I will finish what you could not, Neyla!
Neyla: You cannot win this without me! Your pompous attitude will not help you defeat our common enemy. You will relinquish the scepter now or face dire consequences of your treachery! I trusted you the most in my empire Nero! Why are you doing this?!
Nero: You think it will all backfire on me? Just watch and see how it is done! I am no wimpy girl like you inhibited by your past, negative thoughts and insecurities. I will show you how a true emperor reigns!
Neyla tries to stand up to stop Nero but she doesn't have the strength to do anything at this point...
Neyla: Just... STOP! Selling me down the river will not change anything, it will only make everyone regard you with repulsion!
Nero: I will refute your claims eventually, Neyla!
The Gryphon soldiers are confused and unsure who to obey....
Nero: You will follow my orders, all of you. If you fail to do so, I will bathe the courtyard in your blood!
The Gryphon soldiers do not intervene and let Nero do his job while their empress is down on the ground, unable to stand up from fatigue...
With shootings and explosions occurring all around Gryphonia, Nero prepares to destroy the source of all evil, The Euphoria with the help of the Worldshaper, stronger than ever before thanks to its unthinkable power. Before he uses the scepter to do something nasty to the flying fortress, an orange beam comes flying out of the ship, aimed directly at the courtyard, which makes Nero stop whatever he was about to do with the scepter. The beam reaches the middle of the courtyard and a strong bright light appears as it touches the ground. A figure of a sergal starts forming in it. It's all fun and games until the teleportation process ends and Hayden walks out from the light with black and gold armor and a helmet, wielding a powerful saber. The Gryphon soldiers expect a ridiculously easy fight...
Nero: Are you kidding me right now? Is this really the best they can send? How utterly risible! I ain't got time for this so you know what to do, shoot him to pieces, I got an airship to obliterate!
Hayden: So much ignorance! You hold something that will soon belong to me! Give up the ghost or they will all die for your disinclination to pass the scepter to me! We don't have to fight for that scepter like some savage, uncontrolled and uncultivated barbarians!
Nero: Ha! I've never seen someone approach me with that much of sheer foolishness and irrationality before! What are you? Their captain? Informant? Leader? Because YOU are the one invading my kingdom and causing this barbaric slaughter! There's no peacemaking with you measly spoiled creature from another world! Soldiers! What are you waiting for? Annihilate that trifling alien creature already! I don't want any more distractions!
The Gryphon imperial soldiers get ready to shoot at Hayden with everything they have...
Hayden: You denied my personal peace offering, now you will all shuttle off this mortal coil one by one! PREPARE TO FACE MY UNBRIDLED FURY!
The Gryphon soldiers open fire on Hayden all at once, making him use his telekinetic powers to freeze and seize every single plasma projectile. He deflects them all back at the soldiers, getting several consecutive kills in just a second. Then he starts chopping the soldiers into pieces with fast paced saber attacks while deflecting all incoming projectiles with his power until the last couple of soldiers remain standing between Neyla, Nero and Hayden's wrath.
Neyla: Drop that scepter and run if you want to live or you will die just like my father....it's him Nero, he is the one who killed him...
Neyla manages to stand up, even though she isn't in the best shape...
Nero: Only a coward runs away. I will not back down so easily. It's not how I work. It's not who I am. I don't care who he is, he is going to experience my malignity and the extraordinary power this scepter holds and I will avenge your father at the very least!
Hayden forces some of the remaining Gryphon soldiers commit suicide using his psychic power. They use their own weapons and shoot in their heads, making Nero worried now, then he proceeds to lift the last couple of soldiers in the air and hurls them far behind him, some hit the pillars of the courtyard, crushing their bones and some have a rough landing...
Neyla: Nero...
Nero takes one last look at Neyla with a smirk on his face, determined to do away with the sergal in the quickest manner. Before he is able to use the scepter to rain every disastrous spell on Hayden, Hayden breaks through his defense and manipulates him with his mind from afar with his hand held out. Hayden's eyes and back glow because of being thoroughly concentrated on his victim. He makes Nero hallucinate and partially lose his consciousness and that's when Hayden forces the scepter to wing its way up in the air so it cannot be reached by anyone. It remains floating in the air, being held in one place by Hayden's power while he deals with Nero first, who's vision and hearing are both disrupted, he screams in one place, looking for the light in his head to escape Hayden's hypnosis which is way too strong to be resisted. The sergal starts slowly approaching him. Neyla is completely disheartened and shocked, unable to do anything because she knows she is no match for the most powerful being on the planet. Despite not resisting, she is frozen in one place and thrown down on the ground, back on her knees by Hayden, just in case she attempted to interfere with him as he lifts up Nero in the air and pulls him close enough to stab him several times with his saber and slicing his body until he is a bloody half alive, half dead mess, then he proceeds to walk over to the ledge of the courtyard with him. Neyla is looking down on the ground, avoiding eye contact with the sergal. She knows it's the end of her "former" Supreme Commander and actually feels terribly bad for him even after his betrayal. Hayden flings him down into the ocean, his body hits the rocks hard down below and disappears in blood. Hayden then pulls the Worldshaper down into his hand, giving him the power necessary to conquer the whole world with ease.
Hayden: Ultimate power is mine! None shall stand in my way!
With the Worldshaper in evil hands, dark stormy clouds appear above the Odynhood Palace.
Hayden: How enchanting!
Neyla: First you slaughter my father and now you dominate my kingdom. Are you happy now?
Hayden: You...
Hayden releases Neyla from paralysis....
Hayden: You remember me?
Neyla: I never forget....and I never forgive. You got what you wanted, so waste no more of your precious time and kill the last descendant of the Odynhood Family!
Hayden: I am not going to kill you. And you know why? Because I want to see you watch this kingdom burn with your own eyes. I want you to see the rebirth of my kind, right on these lands! This is a fulfilling moment for me as the soon to be emperor of every corner of this planet! I will enslave your people, degrade everyone around us and make my race grow once again!
Neyla: How can someone like you be so shameless? I don't care what happens next but I want you to remember that nothing lasts forever, not even your moments of exultation!
Hayden: My forces are sustainable unlike yours. Do not expect any miracles to happen here.
Neyla: They won't concede defeat, not until I do so. You will never truly conquer this kingdom while I still breathe!
Hayden: Don't tempt me princess, I don't want this to end so soon!
A miracle does indeed happen when Gyzmoo's swarm of drones enter the Gryphon airspace. He is controlling the majority of them comfortably from his lab, sitting on his chair with control panels and multiple screens in front of him...
Gyzmoo: Let's get the show started!
The swarm of drones spreads all across Gryphonia. They start attacking the sergals with a special type of ammunition that negates the effects of the Reinvigorator, making them extremely vulnerable in the fight, that's when the Gryphon forces start overpowering them, getting easy kills and gaining an advantage over the battlefield. Norm detects the major problem and immediately informs Hayden...
Norm: Sir, do you copy?
Hayden answers his call via his helmet that has a small speaker built in it...
Hayden: Norm, where did these come from?
Norm: We've identified their nature. They flew from Zootopia. Suspicious...
Hayden: From Zootopia? Who else could've sent the drones here other than....
He pauses for a second...
Neyla: What's wrong? Someone is not as loyal to you as you thought? I know that feeling. Now you're thrown in the deep end and I am itching to see you go all extinct right in my kingdom! There's no place for you unearthly monsters! In the end, I am going to be the one having the last laugh.
Hayden: Not before I make sure your fate is interconnected with your father's!
Hayden uses the scepter to push Neyla across the courtyard until she hits one of the pillars and fades out...
Norm: Sir! These drones are making your fellow sergals lose their vigor and partial immortality!
Hayden: Then get rid of these dense machines!!!
Norm: But sir! With the use of our destructive power, we risk the lives of the sergals down on the ground. Our systems cannot precisely target the drones for some reason...
Hayden: I may be unstoppable with this scepter in my possession, but my sergal force must be preserved! WHOEVER has this audacity to unleash this hell upon us must be stopped RIGHT NOW NORM! Order them to retreat to Euphoria! I'll do this on my own then and trust me, everyone will suffer immensely!!! MY MORALE REMAINS STRONG AND UNSWERVING!
Norm: Will do. You go hard with those problematic flying parasites!
Gyzmoo's army of highly resistant and agile drones with advanced capabilities weaken and even kill many of the sergals, who are now forced to make a hasty retreat. The Gryphon armies have gained an upper hand in the battle and are starting to gain reinforcements from every corner of Gryphonia. ZDF troopers remain on the battlefield, being forced to fight and lose their lives for nothing. The Gryphon soldiers quickly realize that the drone swarm is not a real threat to them and that they are helping them to fight against their enemy, which really boosts their courage and will to fight for their kingdom.
A lone Gryphon dropship enters the airspace after traveling a long distance over the ocean. Zack and his party is finally here...
Lyra: Well, well well, it looks like your "father figure" sergal started his little conquest already...
Ash: He's not the one to be held accountable for this war. Let's just try to find that fiendish hellhound Neyla and do away with her first and foremost. She indirectly killed my sister! She must pay for the emotional pain she caused to me for a lifetime!
Regina: Ash, I understand the pain you're going through right now, but we gotta do this one step at a time. Being way too rash and vengeful will compromise our mutual goal and the chance of getting this done right.
Blake: You should always listen to my sweetheart. She gives some really useful advice!
Ash: Guys, I...don't...care! Once we land with this ship, nobody will be able to divert me from my very own goal. If I die, nobody will ever miss me anyway. So I'll just do my job carelessly even if it means our mission and lives get exposed to danger. My happiness has been overshadowed with the loss of the most important person in my life. I'm sorry everyone.
Zack: Ah, the boy thinks his existence is purposeless now without his counterpart. You may not get over that anytime soon, but shit is still worth fighting for. We all go through travails and hardship, but in the end, what matters the most is who you become after everything is over. I doubt Ashley would like to see you suffer such a fate where you cause your own downfall out of sheer dejection...
Regina: Absolutely, Zack! And look Ash, you will meet her again one day in paradise, but your life doesn't end here. It still has so many beautiful things to offer, so cherish it. That's what your sister wanted the last time she stared deep down into your eyes, Ash.
Ash: Y'all trying to be uplifting, I can see that but that's not going to work on me. Now focus on the mission!
Zack: Whatever you say. That ship of biblical proportions, please tell me it's not theirs...
Ash: It's Hayden's base of operations. He isn't there. He must be somewhere on the ground, looking for that hellhound already! I hope he didn't steal my kill!!!
Regina: Holy fox! That thing must've taken decades to build!
Blake: And a fortune!
Lyra: No way, the drones have been dispatched! Go for it Gyzmoo!
Zack: What? I see them too! How do you know they belong to that small erudite rodent? They seem to have proven to be a major encumbrance for the Gryphonians...or wait. What even are those?!
Zack and the crew start seeing hundreds of sergals fighting against the Gryphonians while being heavily shot at and killed in masses by the drones, the majority of them are fleeing from the battlefield after receiving an order to retreat back to Euphoria.
Lyra: Do you see the truth now? This is all part of my and Gyzmoo's plan. We tried to warn people about Hayden's evil plans for world domination, including Neyla and also some very specific individuals in Zootopia, but everyone just shrugged us off. Our voices were silenced and we were both marked disreputable, especially in Gryphonia. Now, I am not saying the Odyhood Empire is on our side, we just need to find a way to divulge everything that wasn't visible to the naked eye in order to reach a peace treaty. This is all happening because of the sergals, an extraterritorial race that is on the verge of extinction and wants to find a new home to start anew. This is only the beginning, they won't stop until they have seized control of the entire planet and subjugated OR extinguished its intelligent life to have no competition.
Ash: Girl you must be dreaming this up right now...
Lyra: Just how much proof do you need to believe me? It's right in front of your eyes!
Zack: No one is going to take over the planet while I still walk on its surface! Sure, I admit it treated me unfairly, but I will use my powers to defend it from unwelcome guests at all costs!
Regina: I know this is a horrifyingly shocking revelation, but isn't it hands down impressive how they could simply keep everything on the down-low and even build a whopping flying fortress carrying an entire army of aliens?
Blake: I have known Hayden for as long as I can remember. He was my superior back when I was an enlisted cadet of the ZDF. I always had this impression that he would plot something this insane one day because of his unnatural appearance. Somehow, he managed to walk freely in public and become a general and basically a goddamn self proclaimed ruler of Zootopia.
Lyra: He has the power to manipulate everyone around him using his arcane abilities.
Ash: I am going to strike up a really serious conversation with him. Somebody needs to explain this to me right now, somebody I trusted my whole life...
Zack: I think I see him! Down there on what it looks like to be the courtyard of the Odynhood Palace!
Regina: He retrieved that overpowered scepter!
Ash: How about that? Take us there before we get shot down and die! I have a strong irresistible desire to rip that hellhound's heart out of her chest! There's no resting place for me until I have offed her!!!
Zack flies down to the courtyard. He manages to land the ship safely without being shot down by any hostile forces. Ash has become very impatient and frustrated. He is the first one to stand up from the seat and head towards the door in a quick and nervous manner.
Ash: I'll handle this alone.
Zack: What do you mean alone? I forbid that kind of tactic!
Regina: It's too dangerous to approach him solo Ash, even if he raised you.
Ash: Just stay out of this and let me do the talking...
Zack: What are you going to do precisely?
Ash: Seek answers and satisfy my lust for revenge, that's what.
Lyra: We will be right behind you. Go.
Blake: Regina, you stay close next to me, okay?
Regina: You are playing the overprotective partner game, aren't you?
Blake: Well, isn't that normal in our relationship? I wanna make sure my princess returns home safely...
Regina: Let's go kick some sergal ass then! There's no safe return until we have taken care of that thing!
The dropship's door opens and everyone gets out with their weapons ready. Ash is the first one to rush out of the ship. The courtyard gives off some really unsettling, gloomy and depressing vibes already because of the corpses of dead Gryphon soldiers and sergals. The sky around the courtyard is covered by near pitch black clouds.
Regina: The weather got stormy really fast...
Blake: Oh no, there he stands! The root of all evil!
The group spots Hayden in the distance, standing on the near edge of the courtyard, getting ready to send down a devastating curse on Gryphonia...
Zack: Let's stop him before he does something diabolically wrong and irreversible!
Lyra: We will have to get our feet dirty first by walking through this necropolis...oh crumbs...
Ash picks up the pace and goes straight towards Hayden, leaving everyone behind...
Zack: Hey! You may wanna decelerate brother!
Regina: Slow down Ash!!!
Blake: Aren't you guys getting tired of him? He reminds me of my older self, unstoppable, determined, heck even stubborn like a mule. Just listen to nobody, go straight in for the kill...and you will hopefully get the job done eventually, somehow. This is his current mindset.
Zack: Kinda... at least he is not complacent. I understand his pain. He wants to do justice for everyone else around him because he knows how messed up the world is around him right now. I can really relate to him...even though he lacks prudence.
Lyra: He is going to extreme lengths to learn the truth, I like that.
The group is trying to catch up with Ash. The courtyard is just so long and huge that it takes them some time to finally reach Hayden...
Blake: We should have landed just a bit more closer to Hayden. I am starting to be dead on my goddamn feet!
Zack: To attract his attention and so he would just erase us from the sky before we could make a landing?
Blake: Hmmm, you've got a point there...
Regina: Oh sweetie! This short leisurely walk will only get us amped-up for whatever awaits us at the end of this courtyard!
When Ash comes close enough to Hayden, he starts shouting his name, interrupting him. He turns around rather relieved and happy to see Ash alive..
Hayden: Ash? You made it!!!
Ash: Please! Don't....just don't give me that guilt-free face and act like everything is okay...
The group catches up and stops right behind Ash...
Blake: Well, hello there, Hayden...or should I call you...general? General Fluxx? The Deceiver!
Regina: This is the guy who overthrew our mayor fifteen years ago and took over our government in mysterious ways?
Zack: As imposing as this sergal creature may be, I'll enjoy dismantling his soul...
Lyra: C'mon Gyz...where are you?....
Hayden: You brought that company of losers with you? I told you not to form any relationships with anyone outside our circle!
Ash: What circle? There was no circle, even if there was, it was already broken!
Hayden: What do you mean? Is it because of my secret army? Please, refrain from treating me with such bitterness.
Ash: You know damn well what. You got a lot of explaining to do. I'll be as straightforward as possible with the questions. Please...give me the truth. What are you doing? This is not what I had in my mind before the invasion. You lied to me!
At that moment, dozens of drones surround the courtyard and focus on Hayden, who tries his best to ignore them while he talks to Ash...
At Gyz's Labs -
Gyzmoo is one small step away from exposing Hayden and his sergal army to the kingdom of Zootopia and beyond...
Gyzmoo: And now, you will let the whole world know about your conniving nature and how threatening you really are for everyone around the globe!
With the push of a special button, Gyzmoo's super computer hacks into every single broadcasting station in Zootopia and far beyond, interrupting every TV channel in a wide range. The drones are recording and broadcasting a live feed to every channel in Zootopia making nearly everyone aware of what's going on beyond the horizon...
Hayden: I can make you understand. Come to me, please.
Ash: You are not using any of your mental trickery on me. I want to hear you say it. What are you DOING??? You've lied to me my whole life! You didn't say a single word about your people, about your world domination, NOTHING! Is this all true? You are not doing this for the people of Zootopia, are you?
Hayden: As selfish as it may sound, I am doing this for....uh....Ash....can...we not...talk about it here and now?
Hayden is really disappointed in himself for having failed Ash, he is unable to find the right words to explain himself. Zack, Blake and the rest of the group are just standing there silently, letting the emotions between Ash and Hayden freely flow....
Ash: It's now or never! Don't make this even more painful for me than it already is...
Hayden: Your sister...where is she?! I don't see her anywhere...
Ash: Don't frickin' try to prevaricate, answer my question first!!!
Hayden finally speaks up after being reluctant and withdrawn. He starts speaking, the courtyard is deep down in silence with a few explosions and shots happening in the background...
Hayden: You want some candid answers? Just like everyone else? Fine. Let's enjoy this moment together in a peaceful way one last time before your "friends" and enemies all get consumed by darkness and death! This is for my own survival and for the preservation of my race, our culture, our traditions. Several decades ago, our planet was consumed by the dying sun in the galaxy far away, forcing us to flee from our home. I've lost everything on that planet and only a few thousand of us survived out of billions. As the emperor of the Xilnarth Empire, I vowed that I would find us a new habitable home after the destruction of our planet, a home where we would get back on track and start to grow and prosper once more. With such power and sovereignty in the palm of my hands, comes great responsibility. I was the only one to not get hibernated during our odyssey through the stars to make sure our spaceship reached a safe planet fitting for our living conditions. It was Terra...generally called Earth. We landed near Zootopia and at that moment, investigative teams were dispatched to our location to conceal and hide our existence from the public. That's when I was forced to use my power against them. I brainwashed everyone around me, manipulated everyone to my advantage and made everything look normal. I made sure our arrival to this planet was just an illusion for everyone and that is how I became prominent in the military. I used the most deceitful ways to slowly climb my way to power and governance by targeting high-ranking individuals in charge of the government. Once I seized control of their mentalities, I crowned myself the unsung king of Zootopia and then proceeded to study this rocky planet full of life and wonders for many years, rigorously learning everything about its inhabitants, cities, military strength and nature while the Euphoria, the flying fortress you see in the sky now was under construction with my dormant sergal army in it. And yes, I am the reason Zootopia and Gryphonia are at war today, both separated from each other, with Gryphonia being the banished and condemned side. Neyla's father....he was a wise and perceptive man. One day, he imperiled the lives of my brothers and sisters, threatening to destroy my race once and for all. He knew I was hiding something and that I didn't belong to this community and this world. He was the only one to tore open a hole in the illusion I created which led to our clash that would later decide the fates of both kingdoms. My psychic abilities were all counterproductive against him so I winded up tangling with him face to face to resolve this threat that he was. My blades did a number on him and I gotta say, I never felt so gratified before upon slaying someone with such excellence yet so many shortcomings...and now...his daughter is still yet to follow the same destiny...
Hayden centers his vision at Neyla in the far back, nodding his head which makes everyone turn around and look at her as she stands back up on her feet...
Hayden: What do you say Ash? Let's finish this together, as father and son!
Ash: JUST SLOW DOWN THERE!....This is just so much to process....I can barely remain sane anymore...
Blake: This was my boss back at the military academy, I am sickened...
Regina: This guy, a pack of lies and fake persona kept everyone under some kind of curse all these years, pretending to care for everyone just to buy himself enough time to unleash his plans for world domination. Disgusting...
Lyra: Me and Gyzmoo have foreseen this all along...
Zack: This jiggery-pokery ends here! Ash, just say the word and his head will be rolling on the floor! There's no reasoning with this menace!
Ash: NO! Don't barge in on our personal wrangle!
Zack: Just how long do you want to carry on this ineffective talk with him? It's not like he's going to beat a retreat or anything. He's got the Worldshaper to defend himself with and we all know what it is capable of!
Hayden: I don't need this scepter to defend myself against some unsophisticated and negligible earthworms!
Zack: Tactless scum....
Neyla: Zootopians, hereby I declare you innocent and irreproachable! The Odynhood Empire stands by your side!
Hayden: There's no Odynhood Empire! Only an empire of ill-fated animals still believing in their redemption!
Neyla: You reap what you sow Hayden...you will pay dearly for your acts of moral turpitude!
Ash: Neyla...
Ash can barely control his intense grudge that he bears against Neyla and tries to ignore her. That is when reinforcements arrive at the scene. Several dropships land just behind Neyla, bringing a considerably large amount of Gryphon soldiers and even elite imperial guards including the muscleman himself, Brutus, who drops down next to Neyla with his heavy armor on and his favorite minigun in his hands...
Brutus: Sorry it took us this long, Your Highness. I just got done smacking those funny looking WEAK creatures with my iron hands. I can't help myself but admit that battering those dummies to death really did awaken my memories of my good old school days protecting my classmates and friends from bullies while being a big bad bully myself...
Neyla: Brutus, cease the inappropriate blabber about your recollections from your teens, for now. We got one last sergal to take care of...
Brutus: Right! And there's my former boss and a good friend, then another crimson red friend and my favorite and former co-worker too! This should be as easy as weightlifting!
Zack nods with his head with a smile on his face, acknowledging Brutus' welcomed presence with his battalion, and so does Blake and Regina.
Regina: I guess spending fifteen years in prison really does change you as a person and even helps you muscle up to your near limits...
Blake: It's good to have you on our side, king of the mountains!
Lyra: It's been a while, hunk. Welcome back!
Gyzmoo: I am eagerly awaiting the time I will finally get the chance to talk to this bulky buffalo again! It's been a while indeed Lyra, I wish you could hear me right now, all of you...but that will soon be realizable!
He said it while sitting in the comfort of his home, alone...
Ash: Hayden, why keep this all secret from me and Ashley? I thought we were everything you could've ever had...
Hayden: I was planning on telling you everything before the invasion but you and your sister went missing. I told you everything you sought answers for. I justified myself to you and now you are going to tell me where your sister is...
Ash: Hayden....
Ash looks back at Neyla, wanting to blame her for everything so much but decides not to....
Hayden: She's safe right? Out of harm's way? Are those TEARS?!
Hayden notices the tears in Ash's eyes that start to flow down his face...
Ash: I lost her....she sacrificed her life to save ours. The world around me is just so cold and colorless now and you are not making it any better.
Hayden: Ashley...
Hayden closes his eyes dolefully after receiving the news about Ashley's death. That really hits him deep in the feels. Suddenly, a heavy downpour starts with the increasing anger and despair boiling in Hayden...
Ash: Are you still so insistent on conquering this planet? What even is a world without Ashley, RIGHT? Why can't you just accept things as they are? You don't have to destroy everything around you to live on with your kin...
Hayden: This world will never accept us. The sergals were the only predominant living intelligent life in the galaxy and we will be once more. And now, with your sister gone, there's no more beauty to behold anymore. This planet took her life and for that a heavy price must be paid.
Ash: You don't care or need anyone except your already extinct race....I am really ashamed I was raised by you...
Hayden: You are partly right. I don't need or care about anyone else....except you. You will forever be my son, Ash. Say goodbye to this harmful world around you and your fake friends. Everyone hostile towards us will be consigned to oblivion and a new empire will rise from the ashes of the old world, the sergals shall shine in the galaxy once again with YOU by my side!
He raises the scepter up in the air.....
Ash: Hayden! PLEASE NO!!!
Zack: Crap, brace yourselves!
Brutus: Your Highness! Behind me now! Everyone, form a defensive barrier!
The Gryphon soldiers and imperial guards take defensive positions to protect their empress as Hayden hits the ground with the scepter's pommel, releasing a shockwave that causes all the drones around to malfunction and blow up in the air. The shockwave is strong enough to disable the plasma rifles of everyone present in the courtyard. Gyzmoo's connection with the drone swarm gets cut off and his screen turns red with an error message saying "Connection lost". The broadcast also ends at this point. The citizens of Zootopia are left disgusted and horrified. Their trust in Hayden is lost...
Gyzmoo: NO! There goes my connection along with the broadcast! Congrats Hayden, you uncovered the biggest weakness of my drones! I should have made them more resistant to electromagnetic pulse blasts! I am sorry, Lyra...and everyone....why am I even sorry, they can't even hear me...
He slams his tiny paws on the desk in anger and frustration...
Gyzmoo: It's over for me....but on the bright side, everyone knows about his evil schemes. If Lyra and her friends come out victorious with the sergal race slain for good, then I, the world's little big genius, will stay peerless till the end of times and my technology will evolve like never before!
He gets interrupted by one of his workers...
Lab Assistant: Sir, your coffee as you requested....
Gyzmoo: Oh, thank you! Even a little wizard like me needs a break from time to time to recharge his seemingly unlimited supply of brain power.
The lab assistant gives him the coffee of his size and the little genius starts sipping it while relaxing on his chair....
With all of their weaponry disabled, Hayden has the utmost advantage in this situation. He is getting ready to wipe the courtyard clean from everyone except Ash...
Blake: Shit, I can't shoot!
Regina: Our weapons are fried!
Lyra: Why are we still holding these defective guns in our hands?
Brutus: Whatever he did to our weapons they better be repairable because I just got this bad boy! What am I saying? I don't need any ranged weapons to take on that bloody-minded freak. I can tear him apart with my bare hands and dump his ass into the sea below!
Neyla: Brutus, get a grip of yourself. He's got the Worldshaper and we lost the upper hand...
Zack: You still got me! Stay back everyone, I'll stop him once and for all!
Hayden uses his telekinetic powers to lift up Ash and start drawing him close to him...
Ash: This will not work out for you Hayden! STOP THIS MADNESS!
Hayden: "Madness" is an overstatement. All's fair in love and war, Ash. We'll reshape the world together for the new generation of the sergal race as father and son!
Ash: NEVER!
Zack: I hate to be that big killjoy but I'm gonna scotch your dream and your world domination plan in a jiffy!
Zack fires a large electric bolt from the palm of his hand and hits Hayden, who nearly tumbles over from the hit. Ash then falls back on the ground...
Hayden: Who or what even are you brave one?
Zack: Someone who will not fool around with you!
Hayden: You cannot bend the rules of nature and stop the unstoppable! ME!
Zack: I am sorry to burst your bubble buddy, but I am nature itself! The embodiment of all good and decency!
Zack's body is fully electrified and powered up to its limits...
Hayden: Then you will die with the purest of valor!
Hayden aims the scepter at Zack and unleashes a bright red beam of deadly energy mass. Zack does the same and shoots a blue energy beam from his hands towards Hayden. The two beams collide, making Zack and Hayden struggle. Zack is using all of his strength to keep Hayden's beam far away from him by using his own beam to push the red beam back towards Hayden, who is slowly starting to lose here. Zack turns out to be far more powerful than the Worldshaper in this ultimate showdown between good and evil. He manages to push the red beam dangerously close to Hayden. It's almost over, Hayden is on the brink of total defeat but then...the unexpected happens. Nero's spear, enchanted by one of the purple crystals called Ameryth, is lying right next to Hayden's side. He conjures up a quick emergency idea and lifts it up in the air with his telekinetic power. He launches the spear at Zack and unfortunately enough, it ends up in the side of his stomach. The spear's sudden penetration into his body only momentarily disrupts his beam coming out of his hands and he doesn't seem to be way too fazed and concerned about it until the mysterious and harmful effects of the spear start kicking in with strong pain in the affected area of his side. Blake and Regina look worried sick about the consequences of this showdown now, seeing Zack scream in pain like never before as he pushes the beam even stronger, giving it all to diminish Hayden's incessant, continuous flow of energy coming out of the Worldshaper. Hayden is unable to cast any other spells with the scepter under this state because if he did, he would have been instantly exposed to Zack's beam. The Worldshaper has reached its limit and it's no longer able to overpower Zack's beam. He finally overpowers Hayden's beam and pushes it back right into the scepter. The red beam gets sucked back into the Worldshaper along with Zack's blue beam and Hayden gets pushed back so hard he almost falls off the cliff. It's done. Zack used everything he's got to overwhelm Hayden. The Worldshaper starts acting strangely, shaking, vibrating and emitting a large number of small electric sparkles. Zack is standing there, not taking his eyes off Hayden at all as he pulls out the spear from his wound, but it only gets worse as the Ameryth's detrimental effects are starting to take away his vigor, noticeably. The Worldshaper is in a critical state, it has been destabilized due to the excessive amount of power it has accumulated within itself. It starts making loud buzzing, electric sounds....
Hayden: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!
And then in the blink of an eye, it releases a bright white glow strong enough to temporarily blind everyone around and explodes, creating a powerful devastating shockwave of unspeakable size, electromagnetic energy and a force that sends everyone falling to the ground. The pillars in the courtyard begin falling down, killing many Gryphon soldiers. Brutus quickly covers Neyla with his own body while others including Blake, Regina, Lyra and Ash make the necessary maneuvers to avoid getting crushed by falling debris. The whole courtyard now lies in ruin and it doesn't end here....
The shockwave impacts the entire kingdom, cutting off power in every region of Gryphonia. It also reaches the Euphoria and sweeps through the entire vessel, sabotaging the ship's vital functions including its engines. An alarm sets off throughout the ship indicating a fatal failure in Euphoria's engines and power. A panic breaks out after it starts to blow up piece by piece. Norm remains calm, sitting on the command chair...
Norm: NO! WHAT'S HAPPENING?!
Command Control Officer: Sir, our ship has been critically damaged by some kind of EMP blast...we have to evacuate! All systems are failing!
Norm: No....it's too late for that now....
He tries to contact Hayden but gets no response. He is no longer "reachable"....
Command Control Officer: Sir, your orders?!
Norm: Defeat.....humbly....accepted. Thank you for placing your trust in me Hayden. I did my best. I really did....and now, the captain goes down with his ship...
Norm does not give any further orders. He just sits there, having accepted defeat, knowing that this is the definitive end which makes the officers in the bridge turn desperate and start running out of the room in great fear while the Euphoria slowly lights up in flames from all the explosions coming from its engines and power systems. Norm stands up from his chair to have one last look at the kingdom and the sunset. He takes off his hat and salutes before the entire room lights up and blows up with him. The Euphoria starts falling down in flames into the sea below. It leaves the sky dark around it from the pitch black smoke and then it hits the sea, creating a massive wave that almost floods the islands around including Gryphonia's metropolis. The entire ship with the sergal army vanquishes underwater with one last devastating explosion that raises the water high up in the air. Not a single living being was able to evacuate in time. It is the end of the sergal race and the biggest threat that ever arose on this planet and affected the two kingdoms and other nations beyond.
The courtyard is ravaged and all the survivors of the blast are just coming back to their senses, helping the injured and those who are alive and trapped beneath debris. Blake, Regina and the rest of the main gang have survived with just minor injuries, they all come together to celebrate their victory...
Blake: Holy shit! That was the craziest explosion I've ever seen! Is everyone alright?
Lyra: The world's strongest bun still stands on her feet! Science gave me the necessary strength and endurance to survive under super hazardous circumstances. What about you guys?
Blake: Don't need to ask me cuz' you know, Reinvigorator....
Lyra: That's rather obvious...lucky one.
Ash: He's gone...
Blake: And that means the day is saved...
Ash remains standing in one place, feeling empty, like he really lost everything in one short and cruel day....
Blake: Regina, babe, you alright?
Regina: Yes, standing triumphantly with just a few laughable injuries...next to my special fox...
She is slightly bleeding from her head and her arm....
Blake: Oh, gosh! Let me have a look at them!
Regina: Hey, it's alright. I am totally responsive and capable of talking and moving around.
Blake then hugs her carefully to not cause her pain due to her wounds....
Regina: I missed this so much....the warmth of your body...your love...everything about you...
Blake: I can't express how happy I am to see you alive after this otherworldly showdown. This day will be long remembered. How about we finally start anew? Give our kids the best time of their lives together as a one big happy family with Zack joining?
Regina: Oh, I can't wait to get back to Zootopia and finally have a normal life with our kids now that there's nothing that would make it impossible... and Zack...oh no!
Blake: We gotta find him NOW!!!! ZACK?!
Lyra: That's very concerning....
Zack is the one missing from the group. Blake and the rest begin searching for him around the ruins. Meanwhile, Brutus rises from the ruins, uncovering Neyla beneath him, without a single scratch. Many of the Gryphon soldiers survived too. They are crawling out from underneath all the debris, but some are still heavily injured and need help.
Brutus: And that's how you protect your queen! Who needs a shield if you have a body made of iron!
Neyla: We....won?
Brutus: Seems like it. The courtyard is resting in eternal peace though...
Neyla: And you saved my life...
Brutus: I did....yeah...heh I really did. Those years spent in prison are finally paying off! Your Highness, I would be honored if you hired me as your personal bodyguard...
Neyla: You can be more than just my bodyguard...
Brutus: Does that mean.....
Neyla: You'll be replacing Nero....
Brutus: I can't be! He was always far better than me...in terms of leadership, not in strength of course.
Neyla: Nero is no more.
Brutus: Excuse me?
Neyla: He died as a treacherous coward...
Brutus: There's no place for cowards in the Odynhood Empire. I just wonder what's next for me after everything that happened today. This war ended way too soon which is good but I was just starting to have some fun....
Neyla: There's so much in store for you in the future, Supreme Commander Brutus...
Brutus: SUPREME?...you really want me to pass out from excitement? You don't call me like that out of the blue because trust me, if this muscle factory passes out and kisses the floor, an earthquake will finish what the sergals started....hahaha!
Neyla: You are talking to your empress Brutus, behave yourself at once...
The fun between Neyla and Brutus ends here as Neyla doesn't find anything Brutus said funny and gives him a rather very serious unimpressed look...
Brutus: I...I am sorry I didn't mean to sound awkwardly goofy...
Neyla: Please, never EVER stop being so goofy...
Brutus: Say what now?
Neyla: I was just joking, probably for the first time in my life....You are far better already than Nero. He always scorned me for my insecurities and deprived me of my strength and will to keep fighting for a better future.
Brutus: That's history now, Your Highness. Better times are on the horizon!
Neyla: Just call me Neyla....
Brutus: With honor! Need a hug?
She gets all bashful looking at the ground...
Neyla: Oh...eh...we....haven't gotten to that point yet...but maybe one day.
Brutus: Mkay...so, with the sergals gone, what's next? What are we going to do with...them...and Zootopia?
Neyla: We wait and see what happens next. I am hoping to reach an agreement about re-establishing friendly relations between Gryphonia and Zootopia so we can unite once more just like before the dark times...before that sergal came and took my father's life. I am just....so tired of being at war with them. It leads to no solutions, only death. If we keep being hostile against each other and continue with this senseless war, there will be no winners, only suffering....
Blake and the rest find Zack, lying on the ground, still living and conscious, slightly covered in debris. Blake, Regina and Lyra run up to him as fast as possible, getting on their knees around him...
Blake: Hey, bro! We're here! You did it! You saved us all!
Zack: WE....did it. This...wouldn't be possible without you...guys.
Blake: We did it...but at what cost?....
Regina: He is going to be alright? Right? Please, tell me we are not losing him....
Blake looks at Zack's wound while Zack holds it tight....
Zack: Nothing....will put down the savage animal in me my friends...
Blake gently lifts his head up, and leans it against his arm...so he can lie there comfortably with a nice "pillow" under his head.
Lyra's ears drop and her face turns gloomy when she realizes Hayden injured him with Nero's spear, which had an enchanted head and is lying close nearby....
Lyra: No....he got injured with a poisonous substance made from a crystal called Ameryth! It's incurable and will gradually weaken him to critical condition...
Zack: C'mon mom! It's nothing. Don't stress yourself over this. Just take the long view of our victory and my very first and also the last heroic action. There will be no more war, no more suffering...
Regina: After everything we've been through together, it pains my heart to see you ....dying. You are stronger than some kind of stupid spear!
Everyone around him except Ash sheds tears of great sadness....
Zack: Guys...please don't sob over me. I am not...dying...I don't want to...I really don't. I just want you to look at the positive...side of everything. You can now live peacefully with your families. I am just a purposeless, failed, imperfect creation of the world's most beautiful, ambitious, successful and perfect bunny, nothing more....
Lyra: My most perfect creation...
Blake: You saved us Zack. Now it's up to us to save you! There must be a way!
Regina: You deserve to live a normal life and have a family you always wanted to have, us. Lyra, there must be a way to save him....
Lyra: I don't...know what to say...I am sorry. There's no antiserum for Ameryth's toxic substance.....
Blake grabs his hand strongly...
Blake: You will make it. You have to or else I am going to kick your ass so badly you'll regret letting that poison get the better of you!
Zack: I would never be able to blend in and live a normal life in Zootopia knowing what I did in the past. I know you all forgave me for everything dastardly I've done, but what about all the innocent lives? And everyone who survived?
Regina: You were lied to your whole life Zack....it's not your fault...
Zack: That's....a very...poor...excuse...my dear...
Blake: Zack, listen. Hayden was the one to blame for everything, because if he didn't come to this planet, then our kingdoms would never be separated and Neyla would never fill your head in with lies to take back what she and everyone in Gryphonia lost that day. I did much more wicked things than you and yet here I am still walking on this planet freely knowing what a monster I was....
Zack: A monster for everyone else and a precious treasure for me. Always. From the very beginning to this day...
His voice starts to shake and weaken...
Zack: Blake....Regina....m....m...mom...I love...every...single...one of you. You are my family....my home. You are....everything...I've...ever...wanted...
The last light in the darkness of his struggling heart diminishes and Zack becomes the fallen hero of everyone around him, now lying against Blake's arm peacefully, traveling to a better world, a better life.
Blake: Zack....bro....wake....up....
He starts cherishing his face gently...
Blake: Don't leave me again....I am begging you....please don't go....
At that point, he comes to acceptance and cries profusely over his best friend's passing. Regina is deeply heartbroken as well. She places her paw on Blake's shoulder to comfort him while tears drip down her face. Lyra grieves over her son too. Ash watches from close behind. A few minutes later, Neyla and Brutus approach them from behind with a few surviving Gryphon soldiers...
Ash: Stand back, all of you!!!
Neyla: Please, allow us to offer our condolences to the bereaved...
Brutus: Move it or get buried underneath the ruins...
Ash remains standing in their way, shaking, full of anger and despair...until Regina comes up to him...
Regina: I know what pains your heart the most. Wherever she is, she sees you and hears you. You can make her proud of you by making a rational course of action by simply doing the right thing here that doesn't evolve violence.
Ash holds an intense grudge against Neyla and wants to free himself from all the pain by killing her....
Ash: I can't....I cannot live knowing my sister's death will go unpunished....
Neyla: Everyone's fate including ours hangs in the air. Peace treaty or not? Your call.
Neyla stretches her hand expecting a handshake from Ash...
Regina: Don't spread suffering and hate, spread love...be a better person your sister always wanted you to be. The world's fate depends on the decision you will make here. What would Ashley do right here and now? She believed in you. She believed in your pure heart.
Ash: Why reach a peace treaty through me? I am just grieving coyote, bereft of all hope and happiness...I can't do much to end this.
Brutus: I'll take it from here. Let me tell you something. You are the only high ranking unit out here with the proper rights for running negotiations about the peace treaty of the two kingdoms. Hayden clearly held you with high esteem, making you his second in command, I am convinced you have a lot of respect back home. You have what it takes to be a great leader but only if you make the right choice here and end this war once and for all. You know, I do enjoy using my muscles to barefacedly obliterate the undeserving, the weak and poor when my queen's life is on the line but it gets so mundane over time and I need a break. What....I mean to say is that I'd HATE to kill those you hold dear or those who are innocent, so PLEASE get to it! Or this powerhouse is going to be forced to do some hard cleaning in Zootopia...
Regina: Brutus, that's not how you kindly ask someone to agree to do something...
Brutus: Well, sorry but fifteen years spent in prison have made me uncouth and of course way more stronger!
Regina: You forgot to add "boastful".
Brutus: I did? Hmph...
Ash: The war ends today....
Ash shakes Neyla's hand, agreeing to cease hostilities once and for all...
Ash: In the name of Zootopia Defense Forces and the entirety of the kingdom, I accept a peace treaty to restore the friendly status of our kingdoms.
Neyla: You just made my dream come true. Thank you.
Ash: The world around us is becoming a better place but what's between you and me will forever remain an antagonism!
He turns around and walks off emotionally...
Regina: He lost his sister. He needs some time alone, so he can reflect and recover from his deep sadness.
Neyla: I will not confront him anymore as long as he will keep his word and make sure Zootopia and Gryphonia will form an everlasting alliance.
Regina: I am sure he will do the right thing...
Regina returns back to Blake and Lyra. Neyla and Brutus follow her to them...
Blake and Lyra stand up after crying their hearts out....
Neyla: He will be remembered as Zootopia and Gryphonia's greatest warrior and hero. Allow me to hold a ceremony dedicated to him as a final goodbye...
Blake: He's yours...I need to go home....It's gonna take a lot of time to dust myself down. I really need the best therapy right now and that is spending a shit ton of time with the love of my life, Regina and my two little donuts at home.
Regina: Awww....don't make me cry again cuz I have no more tears left. Zack's passing stabbed my heart real bad.....ah shit....
She wipes her face with her paw as more tears start flowing down....
Blake comes closer to her and wraps his arms around her...
Blake: It's these moments that make me appreciate you even more because I don't know if I would ever be able to cope with any of this without you.
Neyla: You will be assigned a pilot with a dropship which will be your free ticket back home. Take your time and cherish your life with your family. It's something I could never do.
Brutus: Zack's death is going to haunt me for ages. I didn't even get to talk to him properly after all these years. What a shame, man. Stay STRONG Blake, just like me and heal those wounds in your heart by spending time with your family!
Blake: Thanks Brute. We'll meet again.
Lyra remains kneeling next to Zack's body...she has something important to say...
Lyra: I can....bring him back....
Regina: Wait...what?!!
Blake: HOW? He is GONE!
Lyra: I still got his DNA code stored in my database back in my labs. I can create him again....give him a better childhood, a childhood every kid deserves to have. A new start....a second chance at living a meaningful life.
Blake: Are you serious right now?
Lyra: Yes...why would I not be serious? I can create the same Zack you've known till this day, but as an infant, he will have no memory of his previous life. I cannot replicate the memory of this Zack and transfer it to an infant version of him. It's going to be a clean start for him, but this time, he will not be abused and will not suffer. I want him to grow up being loved and cared about....
Blake: You will....be a great mother for him.
Regina: He needs all the motherly love he can get and a normal life where he can be whoever he wants to be without being used as a tool. Good luck Lyra. We are going to miss him a lot....
Blake: Promise me that I will be allowed to see him when he will be ready to socialize and make friends. I may get old and scrawny by the time he will be old enough for that, but I will never stop being his best friend.
Lyra: You may visit him anytime. I'll allow it.
Blake: Thank you so much Lyra. That means.... A LOT!
Lyra: Safe travels my friends. I'll see you around.
Neyla: Your ship will be ready in ten minutes...
Blake: We'll wait with Ash then. Thank you too for your kind help.
Neyla: It's nothing. Your friend, Ash....he's there. Go...raise his spirits.
Blake and Regina walk away to go and talk to Ash while Neyla speaks to Lyra....
Neyla: It appears every cloud has a silver lining. You go and get the job done. I will not interfere with your scientific studies and experiments anymore.
Lyra: It's very strange to hear that coming from you...I am sorry for my past misdeeds, deceitful acts and strong mendacity.
Neyla: Hey, don't sweat it. Whatever happened between us two is far behind us. I don't care anymore, I just need a break to get back to ruling this kingdom with a brand new mindset. The old Neyla is gone. This is the new Neyla, got it?
Lyra: Yes, Your Highness. I...still have something to ask you. May...I visit my family in Bunnyburrow?
Neyla: Permission granted. Brutus, your first task as THE SUPREME Commander will be rebuilding my courtyard....
Brutus: Do you expect me to do this all by myself?
Neyla: I don't care how you do it. Just restore it to its original state!
Lyra: Neyla, what about Zack's body?
Neyla: He will be carried away and honored in the entire kingdom very soon.
Neyla then walks away heading straight into the palace with a couple of guards...
Brutus: Okay then. YOU!
He points at one of the soldiers....
Brutus: Bring here as many hardworking men as possible for some back-breaking muscle building. As the new Supreme Commander of the Odynhood Empire, I will make sure they work their asses off like crazy!
Blake and Regina walk up to Ash, who is standing on the near edge of the courtyard amid the ruins, staring into the sunset...
Blake: Hey there...
Regina: It's a beautiful view, isn't it?
Ash: It sure is....
Blake: I know things are really hard for you right now, but let me tell you something. Before I met this charming fox, I had a family long before that in my late teens. I was married and I lost them all under one day in such a short time and then ended up lost in deep sorrow and darkness, just like you. But somehow, I kept fighting my inner demons and never gave up because there's always something to fight for in life. I choose to stay alive because I knew my wife and kids would hate me so much in heaven for committing suicide so I decided to choose justice instead of that. We all go through some shit but in the end, it's never too late to start chasing new dreams and reasons to keep living on. Words can't describe how much I've suffered for like ten years, alone and depressed, being a monster doing unspeakable crimes until I have finally avenged my family and found a reason to live and be happy. Her.
He looks into Regina's emerald green, beautiful glittering eyes. She is almost crying from Blake's words. Then he turns back to Ash...
Blake: Your sister may be gone, but your journey doesn't end here. You gotta keep searching for reasons to keep living for. You are respected and well known back home, you can do so much more as one of the highest ranking officers and have a family too if you choose to never give up, just like me in spite of the darkest times. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, Ash. Always.
Blake taps his shoulder while Ash looks at him with a smile, having been reminded how important he truly is to everyone. A Gryphon dropship lands behind them ready to take them home. The three board the aircraft and it takes off flying towards the setting sun until it disappears on the horizon.
This is the end of the conflict, a conflict that lasted for decades between the two kingdoms of Gryphonia and Zootopia. With the agreement of both parties, friendly relations are about to be finally restored and peace will reign once again!