"What's going on…?"

Junji and Opal looked more than a little confused at what was going on right now. The cousins had been talking in the hall when suddenly everyone just... stopped. "G-guys, are you pulling some kind of prank on us or something?" Junji asked as he looked over Raleigh and Levi. The two had been walking down the hall when they just froze.

It was too weird. They were still in mid stride, and their mouths frozen in mid sentence. It was like time itself had just stopped and Junji and Opal were the only ones still able to move. "I don't like this…" Opal said. Some was definitely very wrong here.

"You can still move!"

The two whipped their heads around and saw Amber at the end of the hall. She had a worried expression on her face, and looked a bit out of breath. "Amber!" Opal said as she and Junji made their way towards the girl. "Do you have any idea what's going on? Everyone is frozen solid."

The princess nodded. "I think… I think it might have something to do with Oberon. I think he's here. C'mon, we need to find everyone who can still move and gather out front," she said.

Junji looked shocked, while Opal narrowed her eyes. She didn't know all the details, but she had heard enough from some of the others to know that this Oberon was bad news. If he was powerful enough to do something like this to the entire base… just what were they about to deal with?

"Let's go."

Outside, Astro and Nia stood side by side and looked off in the distance. The both of them looked on edge, and had their weapons ready. From what they could tell Oberon wasn't anywhere near them. If they had to guess they'd say he was halfway across the city. But even from that distance, the amount of magic they could sense was suffocating.

"Damn it, I thought we would have just a bit more time…" Uran muttered.

Alexander of course didn't look pleased either. Realistically he knew there would never have been 'enough' time. But that didn't mean he hadn't also hoped to get a bit more before they were thrown into the fire.

Astro gripped his sword. This was… this was even worse than his father. He glanced over towards Nia and saw the girl was shaking. "Nia, calm down," he said. "We need to keep our heads cool and focus. We're going to need to be ready for anything."

Nia hadn't even heard him. The girl just kept staring forward, not realizing how heavily she was breathing. She knew this moment was going to come, but… were they really supposed to fight something like this? "Nia!" She snapped her head over towards Astro, who had a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down… we can do this."

She slowly nodded, and then turned back around. "Maybe… maybe they should just go back to Mewni. We shake them there," Uran suggested. He knew his father, and the very idea of his little girl going up against him frightened him to the core.

"No," Alexander said sternly. "That's not going to work anymore. He's been able to track her long before she tamed her powers. There's no running from this. Unless you want to take this back to mewni, then we need to make a stand here."

"Maybe we should take it back to mewni! I mean we have more-!"

"You honestly don't think he won't burn that entire dimension to the ground to get to her?" Alexander asked. "If that was an option, I'm sure Astro would have made her go back weeks ago."

The door burst open behind them, and Amber came rushing out, followed by Junji and Opal. Not far behind them were Ezra, Dai Tai, and Vivian who were also able to move. "Where's everyone else?" Nia asked.

"They're frozen," Junji said, holding his hands out. "It's like time froze!"

Alexander hummed. "It's likely Oberon's doing. He likes to keep mortals as uninvolved as possible in his business. He's probably frozen everyone in the city. I'm assuming that the only reason you all can still move is because you have some magical heritage about you," he explained.

"Are you serious?! He froze the whole city?!" Ezra asked.

Astro pulled out his sword and got ready. "You don't have to fight him," he said. "We'll keep the fighting out here. Just go back inside and make sure everyone else is protected. None of you volunteered for this, so if-"

"Yeah right," Dai Tai said, stepping forward. The others were quick to follow. "We're not going anywhere. We're the Vanguard. Nobody messes with one of our own."

Alexander looked at the lineup of youngsters and hummed. He honestly wasn't sure how much help they could be, but he wasn't about to turn away anyone willing to help them out at this point.

The air around them felt even more heavy as they saw three figures in the distance. Astro and Nia quickly made out one of them as Umbriel. And beside him was a woman with long pink hair. Both of them had magical power practically pouring off of them.

But out of the three, it was clear the one in the front was the most dangerous. They didn't even need to ask if it was Oberon. The way he carried himself made it very clear who the one in charge was. Uran sighed and then stepped forward. "What are you doing?" Nia asked worriedly.

"Trying to appeal to what little decency my father has within him…" The three came to a stop, and Uran stood before them and then bowed his head. "Father. Mother."

Oberon hummed. "Ah, Uran. I see you have escaped your imprisonment. I must assume it was at the hands of your daughter… or perhaps your nephew," he said turning his gaze towards Alexander.

He smiled back and offered a wave. "Hello Oberon. It has been quite a while hasn't it? Grandmother, always a pleasure to see you. And Umbriel, look how much you've grown," he said holding his hand out. "What a nice little family reunion. We're having. May I ask what brought this impromptu visit."

Oberon narrowed his eyes. "Do not play the fool child. You are fully aware that we are here to collect the child, and I am in no mood for any defiance from either of you. You will step aside and surrender her to me, now," he said.

Uran stepped closer. "Father, please listen. She's not of our world. She's not even of this one. She doesn't belong on Avalon. She should be able to-"

"I will not hear it. Years ago I was convinced to permit Alexander to stay in the realm of mortals, and though he was able to make use of his abilities, his true potential was nevertheless squandered. This one had far more untapped power, and I will not be persuaded to make the same mistake twice. She will return to Avalon, and there will be no further discussion on the matter."

"You know, 'she' has an opinion on it too…"

Everyone turned towards Nia, who had finally decided to speak up. She glared towards Oberon, who hummed as he looked over her. "So, this is the child." He started walking towards her. "Yes, you truly are a talented little one. When your abilities are properly honed you shall be a more than suitable potential heir."

Nia lifted her sword and pointed it at him. "What if I don't want to go…"

He raised an eyebrow. "Titania… no, you refer to yourself as Nia, do you not?" he asked, not even bothering to wait for an answer. "You have yet to realize just how much power you wield. Even as a mere infant, I was able to sense your divine power. You are far too young to understand, but one day you will understand why-"

"If you just want to train me, that's fine. But I don't want to leave with you," Nia said cutting him off. "I have friends here, and my family is back in mewni."

"Irrelevant."

She pouted. "It's not irrelevant! Look, I don't want to fight if I can help it. Maybe we can make some kind of deal and-"

"My dear girl, Oberon does not compromise." His eyes began to glow brightly, and the ground began to shake. "Oberon, commands."

Everyone tensed up and prepared for Oberon to attack. Everyone except Astro, who had already leapt forward and was on the attack. He shifted into his monster form and lifted his sword, aiming right at Oberon's neck. "You're about to be sorely disappointed!"

He aimed Ocean's Kiss right at his neck, but suddenly Umbriel appeared in front of him, sword raised, and blocked the attack. Astro looked surprised as the other boy smirked at him. "Grandfather. I'm interested in testing this one's abilities. May i deal with him?" he asked, easily holding his ground despite how hard Astro tried to push him back.

Oberon nodded. "Deal with him quickly. I don't intend to stay for long."

Umbriel brought his hand back and swung his sword, and Astro raised his own to block it. Metal clashed against metal, and the prince was sent flying back from the impact of the others watched as he was sent flying back. "Astro!" Umbriel rushed after him, followed by Amber, and the others moved to go after them before being stopped by Alexander.

"Don't, we Astro can handle himself. We need to focus here," he said.

Oberon looked a bit amused. "I would have thought you knew better than to challenge my might Alexander. Do you truly intend to try and stand in my way?"

"Not by myself…"

The others began to move forward, including Uran. "I'm not going to let you do this father," he said reaching down and grabbing the sword Astro had given him.

Nia went into her mewberty form. "And I'm not going with you…" she warned.

Oberon grunted. "I was not seeking your permission, nor your cooperation," he said as his eyes began glowing. "Defy me if you must, but know that whatever fate befalls those who choose to stand with you, will be on your hands."

Nia glared. Nobody threatened her friends. She rushed towards him, swinging her sword and aiming right at his head. Oberon raised his hand and casually stopped the blade with his hand. Nia grew wide eyed as he lowered the blade. "You're a spirited little one. And powerful. But your talents have not been properly cultivated. This is precisely why-" Before he could finish, Alexander appeared before him and blasted him back.

Oberon barely looked inconvenienced by the attack, but Alexander pressed forward and got ready to blast him again. "You forget yourself Alexander. It is unwise to interrupt your betters." He fired a blast of his own, and Alexander was sent flying back and knocked through the wall of the Vanguard ball.

Nia looked towards her cousin worriedly, but then turned back to Oberon. She raised her hands and fired two blasts of winds towards him. Oberon just snapped his fingers, and the blasts both vanished. "What the-?!" How did he do that? There was no way he could just cancel out her spells, could he?

"C'mon! We need to help!" Dai Tai said running forward.

Nia kept trying to blast at Oberon, who was easily swatting them aside. While he was distracted, Ezra shot the claw at him and caught him by the wrist. He tried to pull his hand away to give Nia an opening. Oberon looked towards him. "You must be the living remnant of Kurr. How disappointing to see how far such a mighty beast has fallen…"

Oberon pulled his arm, yanking Ezra towards him. He looked ready to catch the child by the throat, but Junji swooped in and caught him. "I got you!" He landed and then spat a ball of fire towards Oberon, who didn't even bother trying to dodge or block it. He simply let it hit him. The flames did nothing.

"Ah, someone with the blood of dragons. How quaint."

Dai Tai rushed around the other side of him and slid to a stop, then took a deep breath. She knew there was no point in holding back right now. She let out a sonic scream, and Oberon slid back a few feet. He narrowed his eyes.

"This scream… a banshee? No…" He started to walk towards her. "This horrid sound is familiar. It seems that Typhon was not the only one who has spawned a child since my absence. You surrounded yourself with a few individuals of interest I see."

He kept walking, and Dai Tai glared. She stopped, and then went into her goddess mode. Her throat was going to be killing her later, but she'd deal with it when this was all over. She let out another scream, this one even more booming than the last. Oberon was once again pushed back, and this time it looked like he was struggling to move forward a bit.

Junji flew next to her and then fired a blast of flames, and Opal quickly joined them, stomping her foot on the ground and sending a wave of ice at him. Nia flew up above and threw in a blast of went, and the four all pressed their attack. They couldn't really see Oberon within the mix of fire, ice, and wind, but he didn't seem to be moving forward, so they must have been doing something.

They kept the assault up for a bit longer, then all stopped. They looked up to see how much damage they had done, and then all looked shocked when they saw him still on his feet. He lowers his arms, an annoyed look on his face. There wasn't a scratch on him. "The novelty of this experience wore off quite quickly…" he said.

"What is this guy?" Opal asked, getting into a fighting stance.

Dai Tai got ready to scream again, but Oberon raised his hand. Suddenly a seal formed right over her mouth. Shocked, she reached up and tried to tear it off, but couldn't remove it. "Hush now child…" He rushed forward and then knocked Dai Tai off of her feet. Opal yelled and kicked at him, but he grabbed her foot. "Hmm… I sense dragon blood in you. Tis faint, but present. How odd."

Junji growled and charged at him, claws out and ready to strike, but Oberon turned around and threw Opal into him. They tumbled to the ground, and Oberon looked ready to blast them until he felt something hit him in the back of the head. He turned around and saw Uran swinging his sword at him.

Oberon reached up and caught the blade in his hand, and then snapped it in two. Uran looked down at the broken blade, and then scowled again before stabbing at him with what was left. Oberon swatted it away and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. "My dear foolish son. The limit to which you try my patience is truly astounding," he said shaking his head. "How disappointing."

Uran narrowed his eyes. "If I'm a disappointment it's because you raised me that way…"

Nia yelled and charged in at him. "Get off him!" She turned the wand into a spar and jabbed at him, but Oberon reached up and easily caught it.

He looked over the weapon curiously. "What manner of toy is this?" he asked before throwing Uran aside. He flung the spear and sent Nia straight to the ground, then tossed the wand aside. "A keepsake from your mortal mother I presume. But ultimately a crutch. Your abilities far exceed anything a mortal creation can offer you."

Nia glared up at him, but then another blast hit Oberon. Alexander was back on his feet, and slammed his hands together. The ground around Oberon moved and slammed into him. Alexander then moved his hands, and a few of the street lights nearby were torn out of the ground. They wrapped around the mound of earth, and then tightened.

"Not yet…" He lifted his arms, and a number of nearby cars were lifted into the air and then dropped down on top of the pile. He knew this wouldn't stop him, but it would at least buy them a little time. Not much, but something.

Nia got up and went for the wand again, but then stopped when she saw Queen Titania standing nearby. She froze, not knowing what to do here. The woman hadn't made a single move since she'd been here, but she was with Oberon, so she had to be their enemy, right? "Have no fear child. I have no intention of participating in this skirmish. I am merely here to observe," she said simply.

The princess looked hesitant, but then slowly began making her way back towards the wand. "For what it's worth my child, he speaks the truth. That weapon of your will only prove to hold you back," Titania said simply.

Nia's hand hovered over the wand for a moment. Maybe… maybe she was right. She remembers what Astro said about her channeling her magic through it. It was like a funnel. But did she need it to be funneled right now? Right now she needed it to go on full steam. She let out a breath and then turned around and bawled her fist up.

"No funnel. No wand. Just me…"

Alexander kept piling on whatever was nearby, but then saw a light shining through the crack. "Oh boy…" He jumped back right as everything was blown apart, and Oberon dusted his shoulders off.

"Perhaps your talents have not dulled as much as I assumed Alexander. Nevertheless, you should be far more powerful," he said before turning towards Nia. "This poor display of power is precisely why-"

Nia rushed forward, and before Oberon could react, she landed a kick right to his stomach. Oberon's eyes widened as the air was knocked out of his lungs, and Nia quickly brought her fist back and punched him right in the jaw. Oberon flew back, hitting the ground hard and sliding into the wall of the base.

Everyone, save Queen Titania, looked shocked. Alexander hummed and rubbed his chin. "Wow, you… you looked like you just really hurt him… do it again."

Oberon rose up from the ground and rubbed his jaw. To their surprise, there was a smile on his face. "Very impressive child…" he said chuckling. "I had begun to worry that I had misplaced my hopes in you. But I do hope this is not the limit of your hidden talents."

Nia let out another breath. She had to focus. Channel the magic through her body like she did with the wand. "Let's do this…" she said glaring up at her grandfather.

A/N: Oberon has arrived, and the fight is getting intense! You think Nia tapping even deeper into her powers will have a chance at fighting off her grandfather?! Going to have to keep reading to find out!

Astro, Amber, and Umbriel are going at it, and while we will see how it turns out we won't be seeing (or reading) much of the fight. This is Nia's arc, so I want most of the focus to be on her. Astro will get a proper fight, just not yet. And if you're wondering where certain players are, they'll be showing up later.

Also, I had Oberon freeze everyone but certain people just to make the fight scene easier. Pretty much anyone with mystical or fae blood was still in the fight.