The Storm Empire (Completed)

Chapter 13

"Lark's always been a coward. He's up in the mountains somewhere, trying to escape the destruction he's caused," Lila explained, "I've always loved him.. But that doesn't mean I approve of some of the things he's done. And please.. Put that knife down. It's not very respectful to the person who's trying to HELP you."

"I think the person with the weapon should decide that," Crystal muttered feasibly, "And what does Lark even have to do everything that's been going on?"

Lila rolled her eyes, then laughed idly to herself. Gray raised her eyebrows then stared at Crystal who reflected the same expression.

"He's a mono; someone who can shapeshift into any person he wants. Monos are extremely rare, and they are also known of their ability to change people's memories. However, there are certain side effects to this power. Every time a mono changes someone's memory, that person's brain becomes unbalanced in a way where all of their thinking and reasoning skills vanish due to loss of energy from the power."

"So what does that mean?" Gray asked.

Lila sighed, "It means they lose their train of thought and become psychos. Sound familiar?"

"Too familiar," muttered Crystal. Gray dug into the back pocket of her jeans, and pulled out an old photo. Her mother's dull face stared back at her, as she viewed the photo. Standing in the back corner of the photograph was a ghastly, familiar face that belonged to Pebble.

"I still don't understand. Our mother never came into contact with Lark," commented Gray, "How could he have changed our mother's memory?"

"Every mono has a stage to test out their powers. They choose a family and alter their memories to get in."

Crystal shook her head, "Are you saying Lark is part of our family?"

"No, not now. But he was, many years ago. One day, long ago, Larkin was looking for a family. He needed a family that would be small and no one would notice if they went insane. But, one day, he met a little girl in a field. She was happy and bright, things that he had never encountered. They became friends, and forgetting that he would ruin their family, he altered memories and became a part of it, until he 'died' and went home to the Shadow empire."

"But that's impossible! This was our family at the time," Gray showed her a picture of their family. It was a perfect picture of them in their natural habitat. Pebble was reading, Crystal peeking over his shoulder and asking him to turn the page, shoulder length hair falling over her face. Gray was marveling over her new pair of weapons, the silver knives glinting. The sheaths were simple leather, hanging at a belt by her waist.

Lila pointed to Pebble, "I think that's Lark. He told me he played your little brother"

"Pebble?!" Gray and Crystal exclaimed at once. It was a hard thought to process. No one could've ever guessed that the menacing phantom was actually their little brother.

"Let me get this straight.." Gray recapped, "So Lark altered our mother's mind in order to make her think he was her youngest son. That's why she's mentally ill?"

"But if that happened, then why are we sane? Why didn't he change our memories? Well, kinda. I don't know about Gray." Crystal didn't relinquish her snide demeanor. Gray frowned then shoved her sister slightly to the side.

"I'm not sure. Lark always has his way of doing things," Lila shrugged, "Anyway, there's more to the story. So, remember those two innocent apprentices Strikepaw and Thunderpaw?"

Gray perked her ears at the mention of their names. Horrible memories began to replay in her head.

"When Pluto went to kill them, he didn't exactly do it in private. Eclipse, Frost, and Silent ended up seeing him commit the murders but Lark changed their minds so that they forgot. That's why they betrayed your clan.. Because their brains were all messed up as a side effect and they had no idea what they were doing."