A person

As they made their way out of the store, Penelope was doing her best to hide her excitement at her newfound weaponry; even if they were toys, she was going to make them as deadly as the real thing! But if they were heading to another shop, she was going to have to find an interesting one. She glanced around, and looked for somewhere interesting to go. Penelope: Mmm...I'm not sure where I want to go...all of these places look so interesting!

Without a moment of hesitation, Penelope proceeded to nab both the boxing gloves and a sword she thought looked super cool, then brought them over to Melina. Ooooh, her plans were coming together really well! Penelope: Hehe, thanks, Melina! I'll make sure I train a lot!

Penelope gazed at the sword, but with her attention brought to the boxing gloves and someone good with hand-to-hand right next to her, both things seemed rather appetizing. But then again, Lilith might also be good for general training. She then got a brilliant idea: why not get both and train with both?! Then she would be unstoppable! Penelope: How about...we get both, and then I can become the ultimate fighter?! Maybe I could even fight in tournaments to make money, too! Royal Guard 1: Very well, I ask that you keep your distance. The other guard was clearly suspicious of the group, but hadn't said anything. Royal Guard 1: Turn around and look for the sign that shows a gift box, and you will find the souvenir shop. I do not know if the shop is open at the moment, but they may be willing to sell something despite the castle being off-limits. The other guard remained silent, but was clearly watching them closely.

Was she okay? She did not feel homesick right now, but that could be because of how much fun she was already having! But her parents must have been worried sick about her...the police might have already been searching for her as they spoke! Penelope: Now that you mention it...they might've already started a search for me. I'm enjoying my time here and all, but...I do miss my parents. I don't wanna have them so worried about me... In that moment, her eyes caught sight of an aisle that held what looked to be a stockpile of swords and sticks for pretend play, and she stopped for a moment to look over at it, thoughts of what she could do coming to her mind. But since most of them were foam, she realized that there probably wasn't much she could do with some foam or plastic swords...so she continued along, trying to find something she could carry with her. Maybe something that reminded her of home? Or was that a bad idea? Maybe being reminded of home was a bad idea...ahhh, they had to have something they could get in this shop! As the group approached the raised drawbridge, the guards seemed to notice them and raised their hands. With the armor they wore and the weapons they wielded, it was obvious that they were royal guards. One of them spoke up. Royal Guard 1: Halt, state your names and business. The King has requested that there be no audiences unless there is an urgent matter to discuss.

Penelope thought about the question for a moment. "Barbara" dolls were really popular with some of the girls, but she always thought the hard plastic stuff was too annoying to work with, and the hair was kind of annoying, too...she really liked stuff dolls, though! Penelope: Weeeell...I really like stuffed toys, like plushies and stuff! I have a huuuuge collection back at home, they're all over my room! I've even got this life-sized Dragonzard plushie next to my bed! I never really got into those Barbara dolls, though...I never liked the hard plastic things because they always broke somehow. Really, they always broke because she was trying way too hard to pose them in crazy poses, but they were still not as fun as plushies! She glanced around the store to see if she could possibly see some more plushies that she could take with her! Well...take with her when she finally got the chance to go home, anyway. Or maybe even a toy sword or something, just something she could use to kinda help out!

Penelope had a super wide smile form on her face. Although...the only thing she really wanted were some dolls, and maybe a sword to practice with, if they had something there, but...this wasn't the time for toys. But whatever, if she could be a kid, she was going to be a kid! Penelope: I was born ready for this! Let's goooo!

The group would soon find themselves entering into the main stretch of Candor City, where the city's mix of medieval and modern soon became quite obvious. It was almost as if the city had been split by its distinct styles, with the city's center, being where the massive castle was located, having consisted of the medieval townhouses and buildings that also seemed to house more of the wealthy folk and much more expensive shops and restaurants as opposed to the more modern parts of the city, where the conditions of the streets were very good and the street corners had a guard at each one. In fact, all around the center, there was at least one guard at each part of the circle around the medieval section where all of the city's roads eventually led to, all converging into 4 large roads that seemed to lead over a moat that was equally as large as the castle itself. It might as well have been a lake. However, the bridges into the castle were currently up, so there did not appear to be any normal way to get to it at the moment. There were guards stationed at every side, so one couldn't force their way in as well. The area around them did have some interesting buildings, however, such as a large cathedral in just on the other side of the medieval circle, and a structure that looked to be a tower with a series of spinning brass globes hovering above it with no visible method of locomotion. They seemed to be orbiting a ring-shaped structure, though it was unknown what exactly they were depicting. The population when getting closer to the medieval circle also seemed to be much larger as the sidewalks were filled with people of a host of different races, though it was clear that they were all from this world most likely. The businesses along the medieval circle seemed to have signs showing what they were: on the modern side, it was lined with several restaurants and bars with outdoor setups and fences to keep people from directly walking onto the road, with the occasional clothing store and even a thrift store. There was also a toy store with a very colorful, whimsical building that looked as though it was made out of balloons tied together, though it was evident that it was likely just an outer shell of some kind as the windows on the facade of the building hinted at it still being a normal stone building on the inside. At the circle's edge, people seemed to be enjoying themselves, most of them looking like they were within the middle or higher classes of the city with clean appearances, while the inner part of the circle seemed to hold the floating cars and the wealthy, who seemed to prefer more archaic appearances over the much more comfortable modern ones. There did not appear to be any robots among the wealthy, but there were several of them among the normal citizens. They seemed to be living normal lives, similar to the humans, but did not have a need to wear clothing; instead, some of them made themselves stand out by having their bodies made of different parts that, though they still had a humanoid appearance, made them look more like war machines. Penelope followed behind the group, taking in the sights and sounds of the city in awe. She hadn't seen anything like this before; maybe the edges of the city, but certainly not the center! The robots living among people, the host of different races, especially the ones with animal ears, ahhh, it made her want to squeal in joy! But that would make her look really weird, she thought, so she didn't do it. She spotted the toy store as well, letting out a slight gasp at its appearance. It looked so cool! Man, if only she actually lived here, it would've probably been a really nice experience! And the flying cars, oh maaaan, this place was incredible! Penelope: Aaaaah, look at thiiiis! It's like a big ol' treasure trove of stuff! I wish I'd lived here!

The guard glanced in the direction of another guard, who proceeded to write something down on a digital device before nodding. The guard turned his attention back to Lightflare. Guard: Okay, we've got it noted. You guys are free to leave. The guards would step aside to allow them a pathway to walk through to the main street.

Penelope didn't really know how to feel about being called "Lil' Sis" by someone that wasn't really family, but what the heck; she was away from her real family anyway, so it didn't matter anyway! She was just going to embrace it to the fullest! Penelope: Okay, Big Sis! I'm coming, too! Hopefully this wasn't super creepy. Guard: How many of you are leaving? We need to take that into account before we let you leave, just in case things really do happen.

Penelope: Tsk, come ooooon, it's haaaaard! Besides, all of this stuff happening at once makes it even harder! I don't even know if there's any quiet spots around here! Gimme a break! Penelope sighed. Maybe she could try it right now...if she really felt like it. She really wondered what was going on outside, though; all of those guards in one spot had to mean something was about to happen! Guard: Heh, we'd gladly let you know if we needed something. Just make sure to let them know that they probably shouldn't try getting involved should that portal reopen, since we don't know what's going to come out next.

Penelope: Eheheh...weeeeell... She had completely forgotten about that. It's not like she knew how to do it, anyway! It was probably super hard anyway! Maybe she could learn from someone else, though... One of the guards happened to be kind enough to pay some attention to Darkflare. Guard: We'll be here for a couple of hours, unfortunately. I don't know if Detective Abraxas told you, but we've had portals reopen before, usually between a few seconds to a couple of hours. We're just keeping guard here in case it happens again. If it doesn't, we'll be on our way.

Abraxas took a glance at his watch again. Detective Abraxas: I am terribly sorry, but it seems like it is time for me to take my leave; there is somewhere that I must return to. I am certain that I will meet you all at a later time, so, until then, take care of yourselves. The man waved at the group and proceeded to make his way out of the Warrior's Hangout, followed by his entourage. The guards outside, however, did not depart with him as he made his way through their barrier. He came to a halt by someone decked in armor and seemed to whisper something to them before continuing on his way out of the area. Penelope let out a sigh of relief. Penelope: Man, something about that guy makes me really nervous...

Abraxas carefully watched the recording, paying closer attention to the creature than anything else, but still keeping an eye on the methods they used to attack it. Once it was over, he nodded. Detective Abraxas: It seems like our work is cut out for us. We have yet to encounter that variation of creature, but it seems as though it is one of the more capable of them. It seemed to be highly aware of its environment, though not to the point of omniscience as it was clear there were vulnerabilities in its style of combat. However, that ability to absorb projectiles could be quite troublesome...I would not want to face them in a group. The one you faced was quite easily the most intelligent and capable of the creatures we have encountered thus far. It makes me wonder just what else is in store. Detective Abraxas: Actually, yes, she is a former commander of a now-defunct unit formed during a somewhat turbulent time. People often referred to them as "Crusaders", though if there was any kind of crusade, you could say that it was against the monster forces that originated from the witches that once plagued the land. It's strange now that magic which was once seen as a bane upon humanity is now widely recognized and loved, and Her Majesty doesn't even bat an eye at the thought. Detective Abraxas: Unfortunately, yes, the chance for a portal to reopen is always out there. I suppose it would be safe to assume that a portal is always persistent in an area, but remains mostly invisible to the naked eye when inactive. If I had to guess, they leave some manner of "residue" in the area they opened at previously that regathers when it is time to open again. I just wish there was some way for us to confirm that theory. Detective Abraxas: Haha, quite eager, aren't we? It seems that not even a foe as dangerous as that one can dampen this one's spirits! He proceeded to check his watch. Detective Abraxas: Ah, I have to return to what I was doing soon. Before then, does anyone have anymore questions?

Detective Abraxas: Unfortunately, our efforts to find some manner of weakness were probably as successful as your own, though we may have battled much different creatures as well. So far, only brute force has sufficed in ridding of the creatures; I do not doubt that there is a shared weakness among these creatures, but, chances are, we do not have it. Neither our magics nor our weaponry were enough to fell them quickly. All I hope is that the samples we could retrieve will prove fruitful in the labs they are in. Penelope quietly smiled at Flandre to show that she was at least listening. It sounded like they were all safe, at least. Detective Abraxas: Yes, there are many more of those creatures. Intuition suggests that they are most likely from another world, though what that world may be is unknown to me. As far as how many there are...well...they may be as infinite as whatever universe they reside in. Our branch has battled at least four types of them already. While I am on the subject...would you be willing to describe its appearance to me? Knowing as much as I can possibly figure could help in determining a way to halt their entry into our world. Detective Abraxas: Considering the circumstances, I would not be surprised if you start to see more of the Royal Guard making their way to your establishment; to have the possibility of an encounter while being able to train in the same area would be like a dream to some of those among their ranks!

The man proceeded to bow. Detective Abraxas: Ah, where are my manners! I am Abraxas Haydn, a detective of sorts. I am the one His Majesty goes to when a case proves to be...abnormal. The man chuckled, seeming to find humor in the situation. Detective Abraxas: Haha, you don't have to worry; the goo in front of the building is enough proof for us. However, his amusement quickly faded away. Detective Abraxas: What we are doing is ensuring that, should another appear, it doesn't manage to escape. Detective Abraxas: Normally, I would not be so keen on sharing that information with you. However, considering the cirumstances... Detective Abraxas: That was not the only one of its kind. Perhaps you may have seen the previous scene on your way here? That, too,, was another occurrence of the same type: a vortex appears, a creature leaps out of it and causes havoc. We were able to dispatch the creature before we suffered any casualties, and had the same result as the creature you slew outside. I can confirm that the creature was no longer a threat after its body collapsed into the strange goo; I have a feeling the same applies to your situation. But... Detective Abraxas: Those vortexes can reform at any given moment. There are currently five other sites that are actively being monitored at the moment, three of which have reopened and created multiple creatures, each different from the last one. Intel also reports that activity is greater outside of the city and within Applebell Forest. And all of this has begun happening within the last week. Detective Abraxas: Would you happen to have anymore questions about the situation? Oh, and do please keep this information to yourselves; sight of the vortexes is causing enough of a panic as it is.