TW/Impaling, Graphic Depictions of Blood
I was wrong…
People… can't change.
We have no choice… but to live shackled onto the path dictated by this disease.
My family, whom I love so much, have tried to convince me, to turn me to their side…
…yet I was too slow. I was the only one who didn't understand, until it was too late.
Yes. A throne most fitting for such a pathetic lord, wouldn't you say…?
- Don Quixote Limbus Company (Canto VII)
Alan's senses returned much faster than before as his body accustomed itself to his mental realm. He silently panicked for a moment, unable to orient himself in the dense fog, fearful of any potential dangers lurking within the mist.
His worries quickly melted into anger, however, as Necrozma's illusory form separated itself from the hazy surroundings. With a wave of his claws, the mist parted, revealing the tables and chairs placed about his realm, their positions unchanged from Alan's last meeting.
"Awake already?" Necrozma said, a twinge of surprise and amusement mixed into his otherwise bland tone. "Quite courteous to allow me to part the mist, are you not?"
"Necrozma– You…!"
"Hmm… I expected a stronger reaction from you." Necrozma said, imitating a chin scratch with his illusory body. "Perhaps I was right to show you that memory."
"What? Your mistakes?" Alan snarled.
"Mistakes they are not. It was simply the cost humanity paid for failing their benefactor."
"Yet now you rely on me to get you out of whatever mess you're in?" His tails curled as an ice chill grew in his throat. "You didn't even return me my memories like promised! I know I was picked out of desperation but… c'mon man!"
Fuming with rage, Alan launched a Powder Snow directly at Necrozma's kaleidoscopic eyes. Necrozma sighed; a simple wave of his hand was enough to will the attack to reverse course. The counterattack splashed around Alan's feet, freezing him in place.
With his free hand, Necrozma conjured up a set of illusory chains, spiking out of the ground around Alan as they wrapped around his snout. Bound and frozen, the Vulpix could only struggle as Necrozma circled around him, waiting for Alan's rage to calm before loosening the chains around his muzzle.
"Such insolence. But a fair response. I shall overlook this transgression, but I will not offer such mercy next time."
Alan shuddered. He remained frozen in place, the ice blessed by Necrozma unable to melt under his presence.
"Ugh… fine."
"Good. We have much else to discuss, both between me as well as between you and your vessel."
The mist nearest to Alan receded, revealing the frozen image of Edward, his stony body balanced haphazardly atop a pedestal, similar in form to how it stood during his first meeting with Necrozma.
"M-My vessel…? Edward? What did you d-do to him!?"
"That is simply how I store him during our meetings. Present, but never acknowledged. Listening, yet never able to reply. Aware, but never independent." Necrozma answered. He glowed, a mote of light floating off his body and melting into the statue's mouth. "Rise, Vessel. Our time is fleeting."
Edward flopped forward as he regained control, his body crashing violently into the ground beside Alan.
"Augh… Alan… I-I…" Edward sputtered, dazed. He kept his head low, working through his headache and confusion as he swiveled around towards his captor. "Necrozma… we had–"
"An arrangement? Indeed, we did. Though for the purposes of this meeting, it is null and void. A statue may listen, but it is unable to speak. You have something to add to this meeting."
The Serperior hissed, retreating behind Alan. "I have nothing to say, Necrozma. Put me back. This freedom, I don't deserve it."
"Silence, vessel. This repentant mindset of yours is destructive and inefficient."
Edward relented, slinking towards Alan, gently coiling around the Vulpix. The added weight of the stone serpent shattered the ice, freeing him from his own attack. Alan made a mental note to always carry something to assist in melting the ice should a similar situation arise in the waking world.
"I can tell you… many things, Alan." Edward, though greatly annoyed, kept his tone with Alan gentle, both out of pity and respect for his… mental landlord. "Though… I believe I know what Necrozma is alluding to. Why he won't tell you himself is beyond me…"
"It is not my place to speak on behalf of your mistakes. You mentioned repentance, did you not? Yet you choose to repent without reflection upon your sins, a hopeless endeavor."
"Urgh…" Edward cringed, shaking his head in reluctant acknowledgment.
"Y-You don't have to! If you don't want…" Alan said, trying to alleviate the rising tension. "Necrozma, aren't you supposed to– why can't you treat him better? If he's supposed to be this oh-so-important thing that keeps me alive… Why do you treat him like complete trash?"
"It is because I deserve it…"
"It is because he deserves it."
They answered simultaneously, Edward hiding further away in between his coiled body wrapping around the Vulpix.
"Deserve what? I see you blame yourself for the state you left the kingdom in, but your life hasn't been in your control in centuries!" Alan argued. "You've already paid your price, watching the kingdom you've worked so hard to build crumble while you remained powerless to do anything about it! Why can't either of you see that?!"
"Silence!" Necrozma boomed, the intensity of his command heavily rocking their surroundings. "The vessel is under my domain. He will do what I tell him to do. Say what I want him to say. Think how I want him to think. Do I make myself clear?"
"Guh…"
"I have already overlooked a transgression of yours once this meeting. Any further disobedience will result in the termination of our little agreement. Do I make myself clear?"
"Urk! Y-Yes!" Alan choked. Necrozma's pressure was unbearable, the Vulpix and Serperior were both pinned under his crushing arua. "I-I won't… please…"
"Hmph." Necrozma snorted, shaking his head in disappointment. "Even in my weakened form, you two could not withstand my pressure. Perhaps my blessing has gone to waste. Vessel, speak."
Edward sighed, poking his head back out to face the Vulpix. He seemed… embarrassed, ashamed, with guilt written all over his marble face. Alan expected as much, given the Seperior's track record of inept and unprincipled practices.
"My reputation… I-I… am not as beloved as my cabinet tells you I was…" Edward sighed, a tired, regretful wobble piercing through his pained tone. "The residents outside my city… have not liked me for generations. They put a fake smile on when I visit… forced to, by my guards. I only realize now, how stooped in delusion and grandeur I was. I could've… should've done something about it…"
The Vulpix remained silent, allowing the Serperior to continue.
"Be careful, Alan. If that Monferno was anything to go off of, keep that crown hidden as best you can. Lie, deceive them if need be. Don't let them catch on. There will be many, many more that want me– you dead."
"That's it?" Alan snorted, incredulous. "You think I couldn't figure that out by myself? That most people fucking hate me? I'm beginning to understand why it was so damn easy for Celeste and Lorenzo to take advantage of you, Edward."
"I'm serious, Alan! It's much more than just a few 'mon wanting your head!" Edward uncoiled himself, slithering over to an empty spot in the room, forming a triangle between the three inhabitants of Alan's mental space. "You should be worrying about the Republic, more than anything. Given how widespread their connections are, I'm sure the upper brass already know all about our situation."
"The Republic…?" the Vulpix asked. In the time in this world so far, Alan hadn't heard of this 'Republic' entity yet. Not from Morgan, nor from the Royal Cabinet, or from any of the dozens of books he skimmed through in the Library.
"Quite secretive, they are, popping up from time to time, rallying the citizens of Krux to rise up against me. They specialize in acting discreetly: Assassinations, kidnappings, whatever else they need to do against those working for me to get closer to me. Just so they can control me as well, like everyone else during and after my lives…"
The Serperior hissed at Necrozma, who returned his gesture with an uncaring shrug.
"So why not them?"
"H-Huh? Excuse me?"
"If you knew everyone was vying for control over your life… why didn't you let them have you?" Alan questioned. "You were already miserable, weren't you? From how you described them, the Cabinet doesn't seem any better than those in the Republic…"
"Because at least the Cabinet pretended to care for me!" Edward snapped. He brought a few vines up to his face, covering the pained shame in his gaze. "The Republic is a group of heartless, sadistic bastards. They would have thrown me in a cell, burned the palace to the ground, murdered anyone associated with me, and left me to rot once they were done with me!"
"I…"
"I was stuck with the Cabinet if I wanted to keep on living… even through their lies and forceful ways… they– I cared for them!"
Alan was left speechless. Edward's outburst was… unexpected of him. He had seen some display of emotion from the Seperior before, though he was never as angry or spiteful as this. What surprised him even more was that Necrozma allowed this, instead of dragging him back into the mist in chains.
Is this… a warning? Alan wondered. A foreboding sign of things to come? Necrozma wanted me to hear this straight from Edward himself… Something to make me fear the outside world… so that I rely solely on Necrozma…? Well, it won't work on me, damn it! I'm better than that!
"They… don't know…" Edward continued. "They don't know how we reincarnate. It's a secret known only to me and the Cabinet. I-I'm aware… how selfish that sounds… but it was for the best no one else knew…"
"Fascinating." Necrozma nodded along. Even his interest was piqued by the Seperior's distressed rambling.
"By the time I realized how little power I truly had… I was in too deep. I had no other way out, aside from permanently dying. Though… given where I am now, maybe that would have been the better option… In fairness, it was lose-lose either option I chose…"
Necrozma chuckled, eliciting another fearful yip from the Vulpix. "Heh. You've been quite entertaining with your self introspection, vessel. For that, I shall free you from my shackles for the rest of our little meeting here."
"Urgh… How joyous…" Edward sneered. "Alan, heed my warning and beware the Republic. They act fast and strike faster. Hide your crown as best you can and speak of your situation as little as you can. That's all I can tell you. Now please... leave me be..."
Edward flopped onto the ground, tiredly raising his vines to hide his face once more. Alan walked over toward the Serperior, attempting to comfort him. As he approached, however, he felt his body glow a mix of gold and purple, Necrozma's psychic hold lifting him off the ground and forcing him to face the god once more.
"The vessel does not deserve any more attention. We have little time left, Alan. Your next assignment is ready." Necrozma said as he waved his hands, hiding away Edward's form under the dense fog of the mental realm.
"...right." Alan sighed. "But… you still haven't given me back my memories for the last task yet."
"I suppose my personal memories have gone ill-appreciated."
Alan sensed the crushing aura converging around him once more. "N-No! I mean– not at all… I just…"
"Hm?"
"N-Nevermind…" Alan sank into his robe, cowering. "Thank you… f-for the memory… s-sir."
"As expected. I will guarantee, however, that your next pebbles will contain memories entirely of your own. I hope those terms are admissible."
"As for your next task…" Necrozma waved the mist around, condensing some of it into a misty orb-of-sorts. He channeled a small amount of his radiance into the orb, causing it to rapidly expand past Alan and into the remaining fog floating around him. An endless whiteness replaced the dusty gray expanse of his realm, the Vulpix remaining in stunned silence as Necrozma worked his powers.
"A full reset…" Necrozma whispered to himself, though his booming voice could still be heard by Alan. "No matter, I can simply–"
Necrozma floated around, an explosion of color following wherever he went, almost as if he was 'painting' their surroundings into existence. The billowing grasslands, the dusty creeping pathways, and towns filled with crowds of faceless Pokemon. They were all oddly familiar to the Vulpix, almost as if Necrozma had pulled them straight from his memory.
"Curious. This is quite different from how I–" Necrozma jerked around, pulled out of his reminiscing by Alan's presence. Noticing his confused stare, the god answered. "Yes, I have constructed our surroundings from your memories. Having free reign of your mind allows me to do such things even with my limited power."
"Free… reign…?"
"Do not fear, Alan. I do not plan to impede any further on your memories, lest you provoke me to do so, at the very least."
Necrozma's unnerving glare was enough for the Vulpix to back down, nodding obediently without further comment. The response was satisfactory enough for the god, turning back to finish generating their surroundings.
"Quite nice, the world has become. Green forests, blue skies, flowing rivers…" Necrozma commented, a hint of pained nostalgia slipping through his usual plain emotionless tone, "Much nicer than the pure death and hellfire I left it in."
"You… N-Nevermind…" Alan shuddered, biting his lip to keep himself from speaking any further.
The screen zoomed in on a large cave entrance, one Alan recognized as having walked past on the way to the town. "Your next task, Alan, is to tame a Mystery Dungeon."
"T-Tame? I don't–"
"Do not act ignorant. I have already simplified my choice of words to match your understanding of this world. Remain quiet for this, your full understanding is needed to complete this task."
Necrozma led them onwards, zooming past the cave entrance and into the dungeon itself. As they progressed their surroundings turned darker and hazier, Alan's memories and knowledge of the dungeon proving increasingly lacking the deeper they dove. Before the Vulpix's mind could wander their surroundings suddenly turned clear, the once undefined fuzz collapsing into tiny white strands that guided the Vulpix's vision towards the center of the room.
A pedestal stood where the threads converged, gray fog similar in color and density to the one swirling around Alan's mental realm converging around it. Atop the pedestal was a crystal, its surface smooth yet roughly defined, entirely black yet still able to illuminate the room it sat within.
"My departure from the living realm was… messy, I admit." Necrozma's voice wobbled, the stark departure from his usual inflectionless tone not having gone unnoticed by Alan. "My… banishment was a violent one. My enemies shattered me, casting as much of me as they could into this realm while scattering what remained throughout the land."
Shattered…? Someone was strong enough to defeat him? Alan gave another confused look towards Necrozma, fully ignoring the Vulpix as he continued his rambling monologue.
"My shards still contain a huge amount of power, but they run wild without control. The smaller ones are easily discovered, dug up and used to augment one's battle prowess, while the larger shards are more elusive, embedding themselves into the ground and melding their surroundings into an ever-expanding dungeon instead."
"But… why would they even grow? If they're so powerful already?" Alan asked, reaching out at the image of the shard and pedestal in front of him.
"Similar to how fire heats the air and ground around it, the shards radiate power… my power… in the form of a dungeon. Hmph, such a pity how much of my potential has been wasted over– Nghk!"
The images flickered as Necrozma stumbled, his body violently crashing into the ground before dissipating back into mist entirely alongside the conjured images. As the realm returned to normalcy, Necrozma's booming voice was reduced to all but a quiet, disembodied whisper.
"...I see."
Alan, unaffected by Necrozma's violent reaction, called out for the god. "What was that?! You still have to explain what I'm supposed to do! Necrozma!"
"Ngh… I am still… present… do not fear." Necrozma said tiredly. "I was… you may call it 'limit testing', in a way. We do not have much longer, allow me to finish before we part ways once more."
A deep rumble echoed about the space as the fog began to close in. The ground at the edge of the fog cracked, splitting off and falling into the newly exposed void beneath as the Vulpix scrambled to stand at the center of the remaining land.
"Your mental realm is strained, I am strained. Do not worry, we will both recover in due time." Necrozma assured the Vulpix, his barely audible whispering having an oddly soothing effect on Alan. "As has been observed, I do not have the adequate strength to escape from my banishment. I require more of myself here, where I am able to better control my strength."
The air thinned as Alan began to suffocate as the void continued to creep dangerously close to where he stood.
"Your task is to enter a Mystery Dungeon and take my shard from its center, ending its expansion as you 'tame' the dungeon. I will explain how to return it to me at a more opportune time."
Alan's vision was fading as the fog closed in on all sides. His legs dangled over the void, the last of the ground beneath him moments away from crumbling into the nothingness below.
"Ah yes, payment. The same as we have agreed upon. A portion of your memories, and my strength you may use for yourself. Goodbye, Alan."
As Necrozma's voice faded the mist rushed into his body, filling his vision with gray in his last moments of lucidity. He tipped over, the minuscule amount of remaining ground unable to support him any longer. His mind slowed as the void encroached upon his body, gently dissolving him away as he plummeted. Alan, blessed with a purpose once more, smiled to himself as he drifted away back into the waking world.
"You couldn't find him?! Has all my training been for naught?!"
A Dewott laid pressed against the wall, bruised and bloodied as he cowered under Celeste's screaming. His spear was snapped in half, the sharp end impaled through his stomach and pinning him to the wall.
"I-It's not–"
"Answer me!" Celeste interrupted, bringing her claymore up to the Dewott's neck. "The next words out of your mouth better be his exact location or I will–"
Lorenzo stepped in, dragging the Sceptile away by the tail. "Ooookay. Goin' way too far there, Cel. Tone it down a bit will ya?"
"Too far?! For His Majesty?!" Celeste whipped around, swinging her weapon at the Aggron. Though a few hits connected, they were much too weak for Lorenzo to notice as he flung Celeste as far away as he could.
Lorenzo beckoned Hikaru and Chai to hold the Sceptile down, though she barely was able to put up any more of a fight. A half-sobbing half-cursing mess, the Lucario and Breloom guards were able to do little more than put their combined weights on top of Celeste as they attempted to keep her from causing any more damage.
"Traitors! Unhand me! In the name of King Edward and the domain of Arceus you will–"
"Enough!"
The Lucario and Breloom barely jumped out of the way in time before Lorenzo smashed the claymore into her face, silencing her. The Aggron's eyes were bloodshot, tired of her constant screaming and violence. Celeste was barely conscious, though much calmer than before, mental clarity and sense having finally been knocked into her head.
"Karu, Chai. Speak some sense into her and get her out of here. I don't want to hear another peep from her for the rest of today." Lorenzo commanded. "Sharron, with me. We'll have many more injured soldiers to deal with."
He shuffled over towards the Shaymin, already tending to the heavily wounded Dewott. Movement from the downed Sceptile panicked the two guards, though Chai was quick to put his weight back on her body. Fortunately, she was no longer able to resist, her muscles relaxing as tears pooled on the ground around her bruised and bloodied face.
"I… can't…" She whimpered softly, hiding her face in embarrassment.
"Madam Celeste, please…" Chai begged. He held his tail up, prepared to put the Sceptile to sleep with his spores. "Please let me and Hikaru search for him. We are his loyal guards, we are the ones responsible for his safety. You needn't worry, we will find him."
Celeste sighed, nodding weakly as Hikaru helped her stand back up. She gave the Aggron one final glare, before wordlessly limping away with the help of Edward's most loyal guards. A trail of blood and tears followed them as the three rounded the corner and out of the room.
"Lorenzo? Lorenzo! Oi! Help me here!"
Sharron was standing atop the Dewott, attempting to pull the spear out with his teeth. With each pull the Dewott gasped, whimpering through grit teeth as he pushed away the Shaymin every time.
"Don't… I don't deserve to– I failed… her…"
Sharron ripped off part of a nearby curtain, tying it around the spear for better grip. Lorenzo joined in, picking up the Shaymin and leaning back with his entire weight.
"GAAAH!" The Dewott screamed in agony, though he still remained pinned to the wall, impaled with such force that the tip of the spear had passed through the other end and completely embedded itself into the castle's stony walls.
"No use… Leave… me…" he stressed in between pained breaths. "This is nothing… compared to disappointing… her…"
Lorenzo sighed, sensing the futility in their attempts at freeing the Dewott. He stepped away, Sharron still in hand, whispering to him once the two of them were out of range.
"Confirm this for me, did the spearhead fully pass through his body?"
"...Yes?" The Shaymin turned, brows raised in confusion. "I believe so. Though I don't see why that would–"
He paused, shuddering. "N-No… His insides won't… Lorenzo don't!"
"Sorry for giving you more work, Sharron." The Aggron sighed apologetically. "I'll be gentle, don't worry."
Lorenzo turned, dashing towards the Dewott with such speed it almost seemed as if he was teleporting towards the otter. Without offering time for him to react Lorenzo grabbed him by the neck and legs, yanking his body off the rest of the spear's handle and freeing the Dewott in one swift motion.
"Orans! Sleep Seeds! Bandages! Now!" the Aggron commanded, Sharron scrambling to procure the requested items.
The screaming was ugly, and the mess of blood and fur staining the carpet even uglier. Lorenzo stemmed the bleeding with his fingers as Sharron rushed over, stuffing a hastily crushed mix of berries and seeds into his patient's mouth. A hush quickly fell across the room as the screaming quietened, the two remaining conscious Pokemon letting out heavy sighs of relief after Sharron applied the last layer of bandages onto the sleeping Dewott.
"Lorenzo, if I may?"
"Uhm… sure?"
Sharron hopped into the air, flipping around as he delivered a powerful kick to the side of the Aggron's head. Lorenzo, busy wiping blood off his arms and legs failed to react in time, the kick leaving a dent at the point of impact.
"Ow–!"
"You fucking idiot!" Sharron scolded. "Do you know how many things could have gone wrong there?! You're lucky ripping him out like that didn't shred his organs into pieces!"
"You're blaming me for this? It's not like I was the one who impaled him!"
"Ugh… never mind. Reckless bastards, the lot of you…"
The Shaymin slumped against the wall, paws on his face in a state of exhausted contemplation. Lorenzo joined beside him, quietly watching the sleeping Dewott from afar as he gave Sharron time to recover.
"...do you think what Celeste told us was true?" Sharron asked. "What Edward told her, I-I mean."
"Hrm. Celeste didn't even call him Edward anymore, did she?"
Sharron rubbed his eyes, lying on the ground with his arms splayed out. Lorenzo imitated him once more, carefully sliding down the wall so as not to accidentally crush the grass type.
"He… or whatever that thing was…" Lorenzo continued, "The things it mentions aren't things Edward would ever notice."
"So it's true then? That Edward's truly gone?"
"I can't tell… You're more well-versed in rituals and the reincarnation process than anyone here. It's your call to make, if anything."
Lorenzo stood back up, looming tall over Sharron, face now unburied from his paws and staring intently back at the Aggron.
"Though, if you want my… true opinions… pardon my language, but I think she's full of shit."
"What?"
"As I mentioned, if she were to be believed, whatever is possessing Edward's new body is doing so out of malicious intent. Edward doesn't have the constitution to break free of its control, or he would have done so at the first chance he got."
He paused, turning towards the Dewott, gently picking him up without disturbing his slumber. Sharron joined him, collecting the pieces of medical equipment strewn across the floor in the rush to save the injured guard.
"Therefore, it's plausible to assume that it was only acting from the knowledge that it and Edward had." Lorenzo conjectured, shifting the Dewott around into a more comfortable position in his arms. "What it spoke of… isn't something it knows, and isn't something Edward would ever notice."
Sharron's ears perked up, his interest piqued.
"It is, however, something she knows. The problems we know about…"
"Wh– What are you trying to imply?"
Lorenzo grit his teeth. "She lied! Edward was never possessed! It was all a lie from the start, her taking advantage of a scared and confused Edward to project her own frustrations onto a scapegoat! To try and subtly change our ways without being the one responsible!"
The Pokemon in his arm stirred from the commotion, though Lorenzo quickly stuffed another Sleep Seed into their mouth to keep them in their slumber.
"Slick bastard… she's lucky I care more about Edward's wellbeing than her stupid little attempt of a power grab…"
"What will you do about that then?"
"Dunno." Lorenzo shrugged. "It's unlikely he's escaped, so he's most likely hiding in the slums southwest of the castle. I've got my folks on the case, as well as Kirlia teleporting around."
"Your folks…? Aren't they your economic advisors?"
"Ha!" The Aggron let out a hearty chuckle. "They'll do anything short of rolling in mud as long as I promise to approve their policy suggestions afterward. We'll find Edward, and hopefully before Celeste manages to kill someone."
Sharron nodded in approval, though the Shaymin's concern still slipped past through with the barrage of questions he asked.
"What if he did escape? What if there was a hole in the wall he slipped through? Shouldn't we be sending a couple guards to search the countryside? Hikaru and Chai are pretty capable of that… as long as we get them to report to you instead of Celeste…"
The Shaymin picked at his bandages, the wounds Celeste inflicted on him still having barely healed.
"And what if something happened to Edward? We won't have another reincarnation ritual set up in time. How about a plan for a potential succession?" Sharron pointed to his head. "Before you do anything, Lorenzo, you need to account for everything first."
"Succession…?" Lorenzo glared at Sharron, each pronounced syllable dripping with an overflowing amount of anger. "Have Celeste's treasonous thoughts infected you too? I can't believe it!"
Lorenzo raised his arms in frustration, the Dewott he was holding landing on the ground with a heavy thud.
"Careful!" Sharron hissed, checking the Pokemon on the ground for any additional injuries. "And settle down! Remember, I am many millennia older than Edward is. I assisted the very first King of Krux in his conquests. I am much, much more loyal to the throne itself than any one ruler atop it. I too hope that we can recover Edward quickly, but we must plan for everything, Lorenzo. Even the worst-case scenarios you don't want to ever think about."
The Aggron faltered, brushing Sharron away and scooping the Dewott back into his arms.
"So let me ask you one more time… Given everything that's happened, what will you do? What is your plan if things go awry? What is your command?"
"I… You're right…"
Lorenzo sighed deeply, making his way towards the exit.
"Fine. I'll call for another meeting with every remaining member of the Royal Court. We'll set up a plan of action, and I'll use it to keep both Celeste and Melissa in check."
As he rounded the corner, the steel type doubled back for the final time.
"And you, Sharron… Try not to get yourself ambushed by Celeste again, alright?"
The room quietened as Lorenzo's footsteps faded into the background, leaving the Shaymin alone with his thoughts. A curious smile crept up his cheeks, Sharron shaking his head as he stared off into the distance.
"Hah… You… whatever you are, Alan. I sincerely hope you know what you're doing…"
Author's Note:
Happy 2nd anniversary to Royal Replacement! Thank you to everyone who has given my first real attempt at writing a read! These past two years in the PMD community have been a blast!
Progress has been slow this past year, with college ramping up and my focus placed elsewhere. The New Year's resolutions I made this time focus a lot more on writing this fic, so hopefully I'll be able to get chapters out in more reasonable intervals this time around. Related to that, one of the resolutions I made was to post a daily snippet every day, which I am currently doing in my forum on the PMDiner Discord server. If you are interested in seeing my current progress, or just see my random fic posting, you can find my fic forum in the server linked here: discord .gg/PMDiner
Thank you to Xuey for beta reading and corrections, and to the beta chat for throwing around ideas and spotting any plotholes and mistakes. Thank you for your continued support of the series, and I'll see you next time!