//------------------------------// // The Most Unusual Family Reunion // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Exploud Canyon. Magehold. Day. Outside, the confrontation between Equestria, the Shadow Army and Rosa Maledicta continued. The goal was to try and completely nullify Oblivion Wing, getting one crucial threat out of the way. Valerie's Wigglytuff had been tasked with pulling it over with her move 'Disable'. The smoke cleared as all they've managed to do so far was avoid anyone taking any hits from Oblivion Wing and it showed. Parts of the ground have been completely obliterated by Oblivion Wing which has been redirected constantly by the Pokemon Trainers. Exploud Canyon has been scarred by this battle, all the while, Rosa Maledicta was sitting pretty over at her castle which was further protected by a massive array of roots. Emerging from the smoke in the air was Princess Celestia, or more specifically, Celestal-Gardevoir. She and Gardevoir had entered their fused state, aiming to end this as soon as possible. But with the Lich Queen, soon was not soon enough. Below her, the various Gym Leaders from different regions were battling to try and free those captured by the shadows. And one of them felt very personal. Bea had witnessed her good friend Korrina overtaken by the Pony of Shadows, becoming a Nightmare Version of herself. "Korrina! How could you let yourself be overtaken by this!?" Bea shouted at Korrina, trying to reach her. But she was far too gone for words to be of any use. "Answer me, Korrina!" It was pointless to shout out at her. In fact, it was only further riling up the Nightmare Variant of Korrina. She can't hear me at all. Then, the best way Pokemon Trainers communicate will be the answer! Machamp! Cross Chop!" Korrina would give orders to Lucario but her words simply came out as hollow cries. Lucario's cries were also hollow as it would use Bone Rush in response. This wouldn't be the first time Bea and Korrina have gone up against each other but the circumstances were very much different. Machamp's massive four arms formed an X as they were about to meet with Bone Rush, only for Lucario to get the better of her. He used one bone to block all four of Machamp's arms while the other struck the side of her torso. "C-Champ?!" This attack felt different from the rest. This Bone Rush was devastatingly strong, shocking even Machamp. Lucario would hit her again, this time in the face which would spin the Superpower Pokemon around. Afterwards, both bones were swung, sending Machamp back, much to the surprise of Bea. "Cross Chop again!" "Champ!" Machamp would regain her balance before sending in another Cross Chop, this time with only one of her hands. Lucario was ready to engage, expecting both arms, only for a single one to show up. This was due to Machamp using the other arms to grab the ones, preventing Lucario from landing a hit. "Ma!" Machamp's Cross Chop connected, stunning the Aura Pokemon for a moment. The other two arms were raised, continuing the Cross Chop while tossing away Lucario's energy bones. The Aura Pokemon managed to block the next Cross Chop, but barely. The impact stunned him once more, causing his left eye to close. And the final arm came into play. The last arm chopped Lucario's gut, getting the better of him. With a super-effective blow, Lucario was pushed back as shadows trailed out of his body. However, other Pokemon came to his aid, using the shadows to catch him. Bea gasped as the shadows prevented Lucario from crashing or anything like that. The Shadow Pokemon would then assist Lucario by retaliating for him, unleashing a stream of shadows at both Machamp and Bea. Bea braced herself while Machamp put her arms up, shielding herself and Bea from the shadows. But they were incredibly heavy to deal with as they already started pushing Machamp. The shadows dragged her feet across the ground as Machamp was putting everything she had to try and keep them away. And with each passing second, she was getting closer to Bea, struggling to hold these shadows back. "Hang in there, Machamp!" Bea bellowed. But it was no use. The shadows won, breaking through Machamp's defences and fully landing a hit on her. Machamp cried out as she was sent flying in Bea's direction. Bea would end up being struck by her own Pokemon as the duo were forced to the ground. Having such a big Pokemon such as Machamp land on her was painful, even for Bea who was very fit. The shadows weren't done, however. As Machamp and Bea were on the ground, they attempted to strike them while they were down. And with so many of them heading their way, it looked like they would get that chance to land their next hit. "Dragon Claw!" "Gar!" Coming to their rescue were Cynthia's Garchomp and Cynthia herself. The Mach Pokemon would cut the shadows with a draconic energy emerging out of her limbs in the shape of claws. Garchomp slashed furiously, fending off the shadows that came close to Bea and Machamp. The shadows noticed this as the Pokemon who originally unleashed them would do it again. This time, some of them would try and get up close and personal, approaching Garchomp. while multiple shadows followed them from behind. "Scale Shot!" "Electivire, use Thunder Punch!" Joining in was Volkner, who had his Electivire deal with the Pokemon that wanted to get physical. "Gar!" First Garchomp fired multiple black-and-white-glowing scales from her body at the shadows and some of the Pokemon that approached. As the scales travel, they left behind purple trails of energy, sniping some of the Pokemon in the air and sending them down. The shadows were her main target though as the many scales would meet with the shadows, matching their numbers and getting in their way. "Hariya!" Some Pokemon were still getting close while Garchomp was still unleashing Scale Shot. She was rather vulnerable until Hariyama intervened. With his signature trait, he would thrust his massive arms at the Shadow Pokemon, knocking some of them aside. The other Pokemon that came close would receive another Arm Thrust as the force of Hariyama's attacks sent a majority of them airborne. "Let me try and get in that castle! Scolipede! Steel Roller!" "Scol!" Clearing the way was Roxie's Scolipede who curled itself and started rolling as fast as it could. Even with this massive body, Scolipede could still roll at an impressive rate that matched Whirlipede's movements. Scolipede would tackle through some of the droves of Shadow Beings that stood in its way, knocking them aside. But just as Scolipede was charging through its foes, the shadows put a halt to that, changing the terrain itself. The ground would gain a rockier and rougher appearance, throwing Scolipede's momentum greatly off balance. The Megapede Pokemon exited its circular form, stumbling over the rough rocks that got in its way. This left it wide open for an attack as the shadows would try and whip the Bug-Poison-Type. "Stone Edge!" "Probo!" Roxanne's Probopass would intervene, shooting out huge crystal rocks from its body that would just narrowly save Scolipede. The crystals would pierce the shadows with their sharpness while also knocking some of them away. But as a form of retaliation, some of the shadows would grab onto the crystals that Probopass threw, using them to their advantage. The Shadows threw the crystals back while also hitting Scolipede with some of them, dealing super-effective damage which forced the Megapede Pokemon to the ground. Probopass received his own attack back with shadows around the stone to give them that extra oomph. Luckily for him, he resisted it greatly to his advantage as a Steel-Type. All the while, the trainers would look up, remembering that Yveltal was still an issue. And they were right to look up as the Destruction Pokemon was about to unleash yet another Oblivion Wing on them. The violent blast was being built up but it wasn't without another Pokemon Trainer making sure everyone was safe. Getting in his way was Celestial-Gardevoir, who would unify Infinity Energy and Equestrian Magic into one. She combined Celestia's natural magic and Gardevoir's Thunderbolt into one attack, unleashing it as a massive beam which would meet with Yveltal's Oblivion Wing. The two attacks blew up once they clashed in the air, setting off the most fearsome yet dazzling explosion that blew even the clouds away. "Another close call..." Celestial-Gardevoir said, knowing that there were far too many close moments here. She couldn't afford to let a single Oblivion Wing get to anyone but it was rather hard keeping track of Yveltal will all the battling happening around. "This won't end until Yveltal's Oblivion Wing is taken down. Celestia and Gardevoir can't handle Yveltal forever. Not with how things are." Cynthia took a deep breath, assessing the situation. "Yeah, well I've been trying to break into that castle with Steel Roller. I say we charge in and go after the Lich Queen." Roxie suggested. "Wigglytuff just has to get close enough to unleash Disable but Yveltal's far too frantic right now," Valerie grumbled. "And those roots and shadows keep getting in our way too." "They're not indestructible though. Ash said that removing the souls within them will weaken them gradually, making them beatable." Drayden replied. "Cynthia. Can I trust your Spiritomb to handle this?" "Of course, you can. If you need souls to be removed, Spiritomb can sort that out for you." Cynthia smiled as she had a Pokemon fit for dealing with souls. Spiritomb was more about spirits as the name suggested but it still had the intangibility of a Ghost. Knowing this thanks to what Drayden received, to get these massive roots out of the way, they needed to remove the souls trapped within first. Not all of them had the means of doing that but they would at least try and buy some time. "Your majesty..." While Rosa Maledicta stood in her throne room, overseeing the battle, she received a message via telepathy. Even when in her throne room, she still had to be on the lookout for any attacks that right and reach her. "What is it? I'm rather busy at the moment." Rosa Maledicta replied, not wishing to be bothered all that much during this intense confrontation. Her roots would whack away a stray Hyper Beam from one of the Golurk that attempted to hit her. "It's about the Box of 100 Demons. We've retrieved it." "Oh? Forget what I just said." Music to her ears. The Box of 100 Demons was once a powerful weapon that the Dread League constantly used. And now, it sounded like the box had been taken away from the Changelings, who were the rightful owners to it in the first place. "But, it wasn't easy. And there's more to it... We had to really wrestle to get it back and as for the demons, we had to infect them." "Are you telling me you placed a Magehold DIsease on those demons?" "Melody Moon and Bittersweet did. It was the only way they could get the box from the Changelings." "They infected the Demons?!" Rosa Maledicta roared, appalled by what she was hearing. The Box of 100 Demons was successfully taken but with the demons all gaining Magehold Diseases. The vampire who reported this news stepped back, shaking uncontrollably. "I-It was the only way! The Demons...they did not listen to us. They rebelled and sided with the Changelings. So the only thing we could do was subdue them so that it would be easier to bring them along. Plus, we've infected the Changelings too!" "Tch! We can work with this. I have another use for those demons. Bring them to me at once." While she was annoyed that the demons have now been infected, she would still use them. There was something to gain from them that not many knew about. Within Chrysalis' Space. And with this recent development came a reaction from Chrysalis from the inside. Her beautiful flower-filled area was disrupted the second something truly awful happened outside. She could feel it. The Changeling Queen stood up, sensing this disturbance. It felt very familiar to her. In fact, it was something that already infected her. The Magehold DIseases which are absolutely brutal and unforgiving in so many ways. Chrysalis was suffering from one as well which led her to her own space. "This feeling! A disease?! What's happening?!" Before she could wonder, she saw one of the 100 Demons enter her space once more. Through that crack in the sky, this single demon would arrive but in a horrible state. The Demon that resembled a Ladybug fell over, having Dark Magic trail out of its body. Before it could fall to the ground, Chrysalis caught the demon. The demon was gently placed down on the flower-filled land, infected by one of Magehold's many and cruel diseases. For this Ladybug Demon that was absolutely massive and had skull-shaped spots while possessing deep crimson eyes, it appeared very weak. So weak that it needed Chrysalis to bring it down. The Changeling Queen ran over to her creation, checking up on its condition. And the disease that befell it had already dealt some damage, tearing up parts of the ladybug's wings and showing its insides. The inside of a demon that Chrysalis created was full of Green Magic, similar to what she uses. That was only further confirmation that she created them by accident when she was a baby. "Are you alright?! What's happening out there?!" She asked the Ladybug Demon, staring into its terrifying eyes which now looked less intimidating because of the state it was in. And even though the Ladybug Demon was incapable of speech, the sounds it made could be understood by Chrysalis. Changelings always had some similarities and relation to bugs and it showed when Chrysalis perfectly understood what the Demon said to her. "You all are infected?" Chrysalis gasped, gaining context as to what was happening out there. She couldn't wake up at all, unable to see the events that were unfolding outside. She feared for her subjects. Ribombee, Thorax and Anthophilia were being exposed to something truly horrific and Chrysalis wasn't there to stop. The Ladybug continued explaining everything it saw. The events that transpired were shared as Chrysalis was envisioning them. And by envisioning them, she managed ot do something that she wasn't even aware she could do in this space. Some of the flowers around her were transforming when reacting to what Chrysalis envisioned. The flowers had transformed into Despair Plants, showing the ones that the Ladybug explained. Chrysalis gazed at these transforming flowers which had the same green energy around them. But it didn't stop at just the Despair Plants. More flowers would transform into Changelings, showing Thorax and all the others effortlessly as it was setting the scene based on what the Demon described. One of these Despair Plants ended up being Despair Plant Bullfrog. The demon that was responsible for spreading diseases. Chrysalis envisioned it unleashing all these horrifying diseases in the form of a dark purple mist. Obviously, prior to all of this, the Changelings were fighting for their lives, having the Pokemon they already had on their teams and the ones living at Faye Mountain to back them up. But most noticeably, the many demons that Chrysalis met within this space were shown. There were enough demons to replicate the 98 Demons that were unleashed as Thorax ended up going through with the plan. Pharynx was the one who suggested in the first place, wanting plenty of help. The demons, upon arriving, stuck by the Changelings' side through and through. They did not falter and betray them. They refused to go back with the Dread League now the Box has been returned to its rightful owner. Alas, this made them enemies to the Dread League as they were not spared either. The flowers then showed the battle that happened at the Changeling Hive now that the Demons got involved. And they most certainly turned things around. The demons took on the Despair Plants, proving to be powerful enough to handle these creations from Magehold. Chrysalis wanted to experiment for a moment, however, seeing how these flowers were acting. She would use her own magic which was all the magic here either way, interacting with them. With her power, she managed to animate the flowers, showing movement. Chrysalis' suspicions had been confirmed. She could do more in this space. By animating the flowers, she saw how the Despair Plant Bullfrog quickly changed the tide of battle in an instant thanks to its disease-spreading mist. Thanks to that mist, the Demons were also infected, gaining diseases from Magehold which greatly hindered them. This allowed the Dread League to make a turnaround, gaining the upper hand. Chrysalis now received the full context of what happened but it wasn't over yet. As things were looking dire and even though Melody Moon managed to retrieve the Box from Thorax, who was doing everything in his power to keep it safe, Anthophilia was seen taking action. This baby Changeling may be small but she has proven to pull off some impressive things, specifically with her magic. Much like Flurry Heart, she was a prodigy and it showed. The moment Melody Moon took the box away, Anthophilia's Magic would be unleashed, striking the singing vampire. Chrysalis saw how she managed to repel some of the mist a powerful spell while also damaging the Despair Plants. Chrysalis got a closer look at it by transforming more of the flowers, seeing what Anthophilia specifically did. Lo and behold, Anthophilia managed to remove some of the souls from within the Despair Plants. She saw the souls leave the Despair Plants, making them howl as loud as they could, louder than they ever have. And with those souls leaving their bodies, they lost some of their ridiculous durability, making it easier for the Pokemon to damage them. But right as the Despair Plants had been greatly weakened, Melody Moon and BIttersweet retreated, combusting themselves and returning to Magehold with the Box of 100 Demons at their disposal. And at this very moment, the Despair Plants were still attacking the Changeling Hive despite being weakened. The Black Crusade wouldn't stop its path of destruction after all. The CHangelings were still defending their hive but with one major difference. The Demons were gone. Before Melody Moon and Bittersweet left, she used the Box to retrieve all of the demons, sucking them back in so that they would be their captives. The only one that managed to escape was the Ladybug Demon who entered Chrysalis' Space. "So that's what happened...and what is happening," Chrysalis said, taking it all in. Her hive needed here more than ever. Thorax was still doing his best as the current ruler but it was clear even he couldn't beat out the disease. And poor Anthophilia was still just a baby who shouldn't be exposed to something like this. "I can't stay in here forever. I have to get out there." Alas, Chrysalis was in her own predicament ever since the Lich Queen hit her with a cruel disease. She has not even healed as the only one who could do all of the healing was Chrysalis herself. She wasn't sure how and neither was she aware of that method, but that wouldn't stop her from doing something. Chrysalis thought for a moment before attempting something that would put her at risk. But it was for the sake of those she loves. "I can't let them go on like this. I love them too much. I'm sorry if this is a bother, but could you send me to the real world?" Chrysalis saw only one way out. And that was by how the demons entered this space. She would try and use that crack as a way to return to reality. The Ladybug Demon gazed at Chrysalis for a moment, knowing how risky that it was. She was in a terrible condition that was threatening her life and even a demon couldn't afford to have its creator suffer. But when looking at Chrysalis, it saw that Chrysalis would suffer if she didn't help defend those she loves. Chrysalis would gladly put her life on the line for them. Understanding Chrysalis, the Ladybug Demon would accept her request. "Thank you. And rest easy." Chrysalis smiled before looking up to the see the crack forming in the sky once more. This was her chance and she shouldn't waste it. Not for a moment. She would let the Ladybug Demon rest here, making sure it wasn't taken away by the Dread League if they ever saw it. With her wings out, Chrysalis would take flight, flying through the crack and leaving her own space. Magehold. Magehold Contest Hall. Meanwhile, over at the Magehold Contest Hall, Fantina had called off the Pokemon Contest, putting the safety of the citizens first. The entertainment she loved so much was actually put aside for the well-being of others. And to keep them safe, she would stray them away from the fierce battle happening outside, having the workers of this Contest assist them. "This way, please! Stay away from the battle happening outside!" Fantina guided them, as one part of the Contest Hall had already been damaged thanks to the powerful crash. As for where they would all go, their homes have been ruined thanks to the raging battle and everything else that's happened. Eccentrick watched as they were all walking off but she knew this was for the best. "Fantina!" Just then, entering the Contest Hall was none other than Volkner. He was already searching for his fellow Sinnoh Gym Leader, who he hasn't seen for months. All the vampires took notice of Volkner who barged into the contest hall by pushing through the doors. And right behind him was his partner Electivire. "Hm?" Fantina looked over as some of the young vampires would hide behind the Hearthome City Gym Leader, intimidated and startled by Volkner's appearance. It didn't help that an Electric-Type was behind him. Fantina stayed defensive, making sure no one would feel threatened, being a true defender in every scenario. "There you are...Man, it's been so long." Volkner breathed in and out as his jacket was a bit of a mess. He certainly had to get through a lot to reach Fantina. "Who are you?" She questioned, being highly cautious considering the situation "W-Who am I?" Volkner stuttered as that wasn't the welcoming response she expected after not seeing Fantina for so long. "Fantina. It's me. Volkner." "Electivire!" "Hmm..." Fantina pouted for a moment. She couldn't make out who she was looking at all, much to the chagrin of Volkner. He patted himself, hoping to spark something back in Fantina's memories. But alas, they have been tampered with so much that she could not recall Volkner's face or voice. "Not at all." "Gh!" Volkner pulled back, bewildered that Fantina had truly forgotten about him. "Figures...the Lich Queen would have crazy powerful mind control..." "But...you're not here to harm us, are you?" Despite not recognizing him, considering what was happening outside and gaining context about the whole thing, Fatnina could tell that Volkner was not dangerous at all. "Y-Yeah. I just came to bring you back. But it looks like you've made yourself comfortable here already..." Volkner sighed. "Even if you don't remember me, you have to help out here. I don't know how long this gonna go on for but it'd be great if you chimed in." "Miss Fantina. Who is that?" A little filly questioned, unsure of Volkner's presence since he was a fresh face during this rough moment. "I have no clue...but I feel like I can trust you." Although her memories were disrupted, that sense of familiarity that she felt with Ash kicked in for Volkner. In this case, it was a sense of trust. "Well, we trust each other. Well, when your memories weren't all jumbled up." Volkner shrugged. "And this looks like a Contest Hall...Here at this place? What have you been up to Fantina?" "A lot. If you're here to help and you want my help, can you please help everypony here to safety? I'm not sure where to take them during this time. Their homes have been ravaged by the destruction." "Nowhere's really the safest. Even if we do find somewhere, the Black Crusade will try and reach it. Honestly, the best thing to do is just put a stop to it as soon as possible." "Stop the Black Crusade?" Hearing this caused a rabble amongst the many vampires. This was shocking to them as Volkner mentioned stopping something that their own nation created. It was certainly something that got a reaction out of them. As for how they spoke about it, all the vampires here were not involved with the Black Crusade at all. It was only the Dread League after all. It was their goal in life while the citizens were just minding their own business. Something like a Pokemon Contest is what they've been waiting for this entire time. But the Black Crusade was still something that lingered across Magehold, even for the citizens. "Is that even possible?" And to them, even though they weren't involved in it, they saw it was an impossible task. Considering how destructive the Black Crusade was and everything they've heard, it seemed impossible for it to fail. And plenty of things have pointed to it being a seemingly unstoppable force that no one here could overcome. "It is possible." Eccentrick was the one to answer them. Not Volkner. Attention was brought to her, which she absolutely loved. But this time, it was for another reason. "It's 100% possible to stop it. It's not like it's unbeatable." "How do you know?" Another vampire questioned. "I've got enough proof." Eccentric crossed her hooves. "The Black Crusade's not indestructible, just like how the Lich Queen isn't invincible at all." "Hey! Don't say that!" That was rather risky for Eccentrick to say here at Magehold. Some vampires ducked for cover, fearing that the Lich Queen would strike at her since she was constantly in on her subjects. "I'm not all for that Black Crusade thing. It's what Opal's a part of after all. And right now, I don't feel all that scared of the Lich Queen. Just look what's happening outside!" Eccentrick then diverted their attention to the outside. They saw how those defending their homes were doing their best to prevent the Black Crusade and they were doing a fairly good job at it too. "Not scared of the Lich Queen?! Impossible!" To some, that seemed like an impossible task and for a good reason. It seemed impossible to be afraid of the Lich Queen in every possible way considering what she was capable of. "Well, I'm not. Maybe now might be the best time to forward about it. I'm trusting in those trainers from elsewhere to put an end to this whole Black Crusade thing so I'll speak my mind and be honest." "You're speaking as if you wanna stop it too..." Her opponent who she was battling against before said, shocked by Eccentrick's sudden bravery and bravado. "Well yeah. It's because I did something." Eccentric proudly raised her chest. "I managed to damage the Lich Queen." "You WHAT?!" All of them shouted in unison. After hearing this bold confession from Eccentrick, some of them felt like fainting. Some of them did faint in the process, blown away by Eccentrick's honesty. She was as honest as she was energetic. "Look at you being braver than before." Fantina complimented, laughing afterwards. "I suppose you have nothing to fear now, you're letting it all out." "That's right, Fantina. I really want this to end so now's a good enough time to say it. Even if it hasn't been that long. Plus I really wanna finish this contest too..." "Even if you're against her, can you eat her?" Some vampires were still judgemental about this, seeing it as an incredibly difficult task. "Won't know unless we try. Fantina. Let me chime in again, okay?" "So, you'll help out after all. We could use all of that help." Volkner smiled. "You've made a pretty great friend here, Fantina. As to be expected from you." "Mhm." Fantina nodded before gasping for a moment, realizing there was one more friend she hasn't checked up on at all during the Black Crusade. The Potion Specialist Ebony Rhyme. "Ebony!" Elsewhere, Opal Vivacity was struggling greatly against the Sirens who have made quite the entrance, overwhelming the cruel vampire who was their half-sister. And with Rarity and her Pokemon healed of their horrible conditions, the odds were greatly against Opal Vivacity and her massive Mega Evolved Form that she was within. "Stop messing with me! You're not better than me! You can't be better than me!" She growled as her anger correlated with the mannerisms of her Mega Evolved Being. She breathed in and out, trying to recollect herself but that seemed rather impossible for her. "Opal, that's far enough!" Arriving at the scene was Fractured Note as he already cast the Underwater Breathing Spell on himself to move through this watery area. "What?!" Opal turned her head, spotting her brother Fractured Note. But in reality, he was actually her father. "Tch! Took you long enough to finally make an appearance! What a useless older brother you are!" Even when help seemingly arrived, Opal berated Fractured Note, insulting him out of anger. "Hurry up and help me out here!" "Brother?! We have a Half Brother?!" Sonata let out a prolonged gasp, surprised to see her family tree growing. Fractured Note was extended family, but not the kind Sonata and the others were thinking. "Is he part siren too? It looks like it's a spell that's helping him underwater." Adagio pondered, seeing the Underwater Spell's aura around his head. "He shouldn't need to if he's our Half Brother." "As if I know. If he wants to get involved, let him. We'll smack him silly just like we're doing to Opal here." Aria shrugged. "That voice..." However. VIvace saw more than just some random vampire showing up. When hearing Fractured Note's voice, she heard someone familiar in there. "That face..." Even the face looked familiar. Something was clicking for Vivace as she felt like she's seen that pony before. "Where's Merry Dread? She should be here dealing with these nuisances." Opal questioned. "And don't just stand there. Help me take these gnats out." "Merry Dread's not helping out. At least, not for you. She'll still be on my side though." Fractured Note shook his head. "What'? Starting your own little team just to branch away from me?" Opal groaned at such a thought. "If I get on your nerves that much..." "It's not that, Opal. I'm not helping out in the Black Crusade at all is what I mean." Fractured Note corrected her, revealing something that no member of the Dread League wished to hear. For the second time in a row, there has been a betrayal. "What did you just say?" A haunting voice came from Opal. "What did he just say?" Rarity repeated, having a different reaction to Fractured Note's response. "As your older brother, no...as your father. I order you to stop this at once." "...Huh?!" Naturally, Opal Vivacity was greatly confused by this. She went from being agitated, aggravated to downright confused. "Uh...Wha?" Aria blurted as her eyes spun around for a moment. She took in that selection of words as something was not lining up here. Fractured Note went from being OPal's Older Brother to being his Father. Adagio paused, making a poker face as she wasn't sure how to process this. Sonata was already jumping to plenty of conclusions as her jaw was wide open. "You did not just say that. Have you gone crazy? Did one of those Pokemon do something to you to make you say such stupid things back to back?" Opal questioned. "Nothing's happened to me. I figured now was the best time to reveal it. I am your father. Honestly. But you're seeing me as someone else who does indeed exist." "It can't be! Greyvine, darling! Is that you?!" By putting it all together, Vivace called out the name of her first-ever husband. King Greyvine. She saw a bit of him in Fractured Note. The Mane Pattern and the voice backed it all up for her. "Vivace?" It took Vivace's shout to grab his attention. He would also hear that familiar voice that has escaped his ears for so long. "Greyvine? Wait, you mean-!" Adagio was flabbergasted as her brain still didn't have time to process what was said earlier. Now her mother drops something just as baffling. The name Greyvine was brought up when they were at Kalos as they learned about Vivace's previous husband before she met the Father of the Dazzlings. "Sorry for the confusion." Fractured Note sighed. "For you see...Fractured Note is real. Very much real. His the fourth sibling in the family that was born after Dimstar, Merry Dread and you. But he is only known as the oldest because of my interference. The truth is, I am the reincarnation of the first Lich King. King Greyvine. And for my reincarnation, I became one with the final child in this family. This makes me the youngest and oldest at the same time." "No way...!" Aria finally managed to understand it and it blew her mind. Sonata's conclusions were debunked as she couldn't even spout them out since this reveal was absolutely wild to her. "You can't be serious. You're my father?!" Opal even found this hard to believe. "You?!" Of all ponies?!" "I regret having to steal the life of my final child. I didn't even mean to reincarnate as him at all. I was planning on going for something else entirely. But this was what the reincarnation chose for me. It's a rather finicky force, you see." "I had a final child?" Vivace even found this to be strange. Did she ever recall having one more child here at Magehold before she returned to the sea to have the Dazzlings? "The birth of Fractured Not went under your radar, Vivace, dear." Fractured Note AKA Greyvine said. "He was born outside of Magehold while you were out at sea. It was also done while you were asleep and it was more magical than natural, honestly. I'm sorry I didn't stop to chat with you. I was carried away by the sea, back to Magehold after all. Then again, I couldn't have as a baby." "I need a moment to think..." Adagio turned around, trying to comprehend what her ears just heard. Her Family Tree got wild all of a sudden. It was already strange thanks to the existence of Dimstar, Opal Vivacitiy and Merry Dread. But Fractured Note, also known as Greyvine, threw a massive wrench in it. "Besides that, I've still kept my main goal in mind even in this reincarnated body. I was too late to stop the Black Crusade from ever being a concept but it's never too late to stop it for good. I've waited this long so I can't let it go to waste here." "So you're a traitor too. I could honestly care less if you're my brother or father or whatever. You made a poor choice turning against us, even if you meant it from the very beginning." Opal sneered. "I refuse to lose to you as well! I already have these annoyances to deal with!" "Well, if you can actually beat us." Aria taunted. "But you're not getting anywhere with that, eh?" "You think not...?" Opal grinned, having something up her sleeve. Always. "If I can't beat you out in strength or even speed...I'll blow you all sky high and everything around it!" Opal was going for one massive attack that was incredibly risky. Self-destruction. Not uncommon for the vampires but what Opal was about to do would surpass all of it. And it would be done from the Mega Evolution Construct. A pulse came through, already giving a sign to them all of what was about to come from this. The most dastardly combustion was about to occur, all for the sake of Opal making sure she would be on top, no matter the cost. As the journey continues. Chapter 187 End.