//------------------------------//
// The Original One 
// Story: Flurry Heart and The Original One 
// by Sirdubya 
//------------------------------//

The frost monster escorted Absol and Flurry Heart to a cave entrance further in the small valley that was just big enough for it to lead them through it. It ushered them in after itself and bid them farewell. Within the cave in front of them was another flight of stairs that seemed to go on forever in the darkness, but when they ascended it, it made a sharp right turn and at the top of this flight was a light at the end of the tunnel. Flurry could feel a welcoming breeze blowing down from that exit, and she excitedly ran out. What she saw absolutely amazed her.

She found herself in an open ruin that resembled a stone temple that had lost its roof. There were stone pillars, some pointed and others flat at the top, and each were easily 30-40 feet high. Rubble from the fallen roof lined the edges of the floor, and in the center was a mural carved into the stone floor. It depicted the summit of the mountain and pulses of light emanating from it and spreading across the world around it. Curious, she looked around and gasped when she realized that she was at the summit. All this time, there were ruins of an ancient altar of unknown origins, and nopony was the wiser to it. She could picture Sunburst frothing from excitement if he could be here.

It was then that Flurry realized why she felt so uneasy about the mountain in the first place- it was some sort of sacred ground that she probably should never have treaded upon. However, Absol brought her here for a reason, and that reason must’ve been here at this summit. Absol walked up the center of the temple where the mural was and placed the pink plate onto it. It motioned for Flurry to back away, and she did. Absol then backed away slightly from the plate and howled. “SOOOOOOOL!!!” It bowed its body as if to worship whatever deity might have been enshrined there, and for a moment, all was still…..almost too still.

The plate suddenly began to slowly ascend on its own until it was about level with the tips of the pointed pillars, Flurry watched in awe as the pillars alit at their tips and shot beams of light into the sky, all of them connecting at one point far above the plate and in the clouds. The congregation of light above ‘took’ the beams of light from the pillars and folded them into one large beam that shot down onto the plate. The plate rose into the clouds and was swallowed by the light. A burst of light erupted from the clouds, and Flurry could then make out a shape descending towards them.

It was an equine form, but not quite like a pony, more like a centaur. Its thin mane seemed to be only attached to the back of its head rather than its neck and flowed out behind it, but didn’t wave nearly as much as Celestia or Luna’s. The same went for its relatively small tail. As its form became less shrouded by the lack of sunlight, Flurry could begin to make out its true appearance. Its coat was white, but had a gray underbelly with the same color scheme as the shade of the lower half of its mane and tail. Its neck was somewhat tall for what it resembled and had two tufts on either side of it, and it had a face that was the same gray as its underbelly, but it didn’t seem to have a mouth. However, it had emerald green eyes with red pupils and a green circle underneath each. Strangely enough, there seemed to be a piece of gold on its forehead, and its hooves, which were oddly pointed were also golden. The elephant in the room was the golden pinwheel that seemed to be wrapped around its torso and had four emeralds in either corner where some parts of it crossed. Flurry started shaking when she saw how big it was; it was easily 10-11 feet tall, dwarfing even Princess Celestia. Absol maintained its bowing position as the being floated its way down.

The white being floated there just above the floor of the altar staring down at Absol and Flurry, the latter uncontrollably trembling in terror and crouched like a frightened foal as she eyed the being without blinking. She could feel its gaze looming onto her as it hovered there, and she could tell that it didn’t feel threatened in the slightest. It then slowly let itself down onto the ground, but as gently as its hooves touched the ancient stone floor, its sheer power caused a terrible shock wave to resound across the area, nearly throwing Flurry down and causing her to whimper like a scared puppy. She had seen any assortment of powerful spells and artifacts ranging from the Elements of Harmony, Celestia and Luna moving the sun and moon, the Crystal Heart purging the Frozen North’s blizzard from her empire, the Changelings ability to seamlessly shape shift, etc. But this being…..this one singular entity held a terrifying power that made all of those combined look like squirt guns. Standing close to it felt almost oppressive as its power radiated from its body, so much so that Flurry feared that if she stood too close to it, its very presence would kill her.

Flurry began crying from utter terror as she looked up at the godlike being like a child begging their abusive parent not to hit them, but it seemed so calm as it eyed her back. Absol continued to bow to it, which told her that perhaps this was indeed the god that was once worshipped here, and she had just haphazardly walked onto its holy ground. There was a terrible tension between them for a moment…….until the being broke it. “Speak.” It said gently.

“AIIEE!!” Flurry jumped, startled to suddenly here it talk to her. It didn’t react to her pitiful behavior, as if to give her room to becalm himself. Somehow, Flurry managed to find the words to reply. “Y-Y-You…..ca…..c-c-c-can talk?”

It maintained its neutral gaze onto her. “All living beings can speak in one way or another, verbal or otherwise. I am merely able to communicate and translate between all manners.” It had a grand male voice that sounded like a stallion of 50-60 years even though it must have lived for far longer. “Why have you ascended this holy summit?”

Flurry trembled as she felt as though she was being interrogated despite the being’s consistently mellow demeanor. “U-U-Umm…..Uh-Uh-Uh!!!” She gulped heavily. “A-Absol brought me here.” She stammered. She felt horrible for potentially throwing her new friend under the bus, but it was the truth and she didn’t want to lie to this god.

He faced down at the bowing cat-goat. “Is this true, my child?” it softly asked.

Absol rose from its bowing position and faced up at its apparent god and nodded. “Sol.”

“Is that so? Why?” the being asked.

Absol turned pointed out to the left. “Ab. Absol.” Out in the distance was the darkened Crystal Empire, shrouded over by Sombra’s evil magic. Seeing it now made Flurry’s heart sink.

“Oh dear…” the being muttered, sensing the obvious darkness. “And my plate was there in her possession?”

Flurry panicked upon hearing that. She didn’t want him to get the impression that she had stolen it for the fear of feeling its wrath. “N-N-NO!!! I –I DIDN’T TAKE IT!!! S-S-S-SOMEPONY FOUND IT UNDER ANOTHER MOUNTAIN AND-”

“Where was it found?” he asked.

Something about the way he asked was strangely soothing, and Flurry managed to ease her nerves so she could answer. She stammered an explanation of how Sunburst had led an expedition into Canterlot’s mountain where the plate was ultimately discovered and brought to the Crystal Empire for exhibition and study. “It…..belongs to you?”

“It does.” He said. “But it seems that the world has changed far more than I could have imagined in my absence. I recognize nothing that you made mention of.”

“A-Absent?” Flurry asked.

“Yes. I have slept for many millennia, and only now has my Pixie Plate been recovered and returned to me. I honestly began to lose faith that I would ever rise again.” He replied. “What is your name, child?”

Something about his tone seemed not so much threatening, but rather than of a stern yet benevolent father figure that meant no harm, but Flurry couldn’t blame him for being weary of her as she too was a foreign entity. Nevertheless, she began to feel gradually less threatened by the being, and she was now only mildly shaky. “My….My name is Flurry Heart- Equestria’s Princess of Balance.”

“Princess you say? And how long have you been in power?” the god asked.

Flurry heavily sighed as the harsh truth gnawed at her heart, especially given the circumstances. “I….I was actually just coroneted today….” She mumbled as she held her head down in shame.

“Hmm…. And I’m to presume that the celebration was rudely interrupted?” he asked.

“That’s putting it lightly.” Flurry muttered. “Who or what are you anyway? Us ponies have great historians, but I think I’d know something about a temple at the top of Mt. Everhoof.”

“Mt. Everhoof?” he inquired. “I have only ever known this mountain as Mt. Coronet, and this summit, the Spear Pillar. Hmm…. It would seem even I have become nary a memory.” He said. “But to answer your question, my name is Arceus, but I have also been known as The Original One.”

Flurry’s eyes widened in curiosity. “The… ‘Original One’?”

Arceus nodded. “I have faint memories as this was eons ago, but in the chaos that was the birth of this universe, I was the lone form of life that had been birthed with it.” Suddenly, seventeen of the stone plates, including the Pixie Plate that she had returned to him appeared and orbited perfectly around his torso. “As my infant self explored the creation of reality itself, I came across these seventeen fragments of creation, each being the very essence of an aspect of Nature itself.” He explained.

“Fragments….of creation?” Flurry inquired.

“Think of them as the universe’s afterbirth where I had been born. As such, they were a close part of me. Gradually, I realized the power they held and my ability to control them, and I eventually realized that I had been given a responsibility. Using the power of my plates, I allowed the very essence of the universe to surge all around it, and life other than myself finally began to churn. Before that though, I formed three other beings that I could trust to maintain one respective aspect of the universe that were each of far greater magnitude than all others- time, space and anti-matter. The universe would be in balance this way. As time went on, I realized that the power I still held then was growing unstable, and I might have collapsed in on myself. My initial idea was to spread more of my power across the universe, but that would then throw it all off balance, so I simply decided to pick any singular point in the universe where I could spread my essence and maintain it so that I might become stable.” Arceus explained.

Flurry’s initial terror had now become sheer disbelief. If what Arceus was saying was true, then she was speaking to something that was as old as the universe itself! She could only imagine the kind of answers that he could provide, or the wisdom he’d accumulated over his eons of living. “And that place was Equestria?”

“It was indeed this world, but not as you know it now.” Arceus answered. “In ages past when this world was at its own infancy, my essence allowed the evolving life to become as sensitive to the aspects of the universe as I am, but not nearly on the level of my mine. It became a norm. Some were fish of all sizes that could control water, some were plants and stones that gained sentience and dominion over their elements, some were spectral beings that were the very essence of death, and others were fearsome dragons, but even that only scratches the surface- life is quite a creative artist, you know. Over time, I began to view and care for them as my own children. However, they were not the only creatures occupying this world.”

“Were they the people that built this place?” Flurry asked.

“They were.” Arceus said. “They called themselves ‘humans’, and they were a people of great complexity. My children had become quite accommodated to their presence, and they had even begun a sort of symbiotic relationship.”

“What sort of relationship?” Flurry asked.

“My children had a pension for testing their strength against one another, and they allowed the humans to use this common instinct to become a worldwide sport for them. They would venture deep into the wilds and catch them, and then train them to battle to their fullest potential, helping them to grow as living beings in the process. It became a common form of friendship, and they even coined a collective name for my children- Pokemon” Arceus explained.

“They made each other fight!?” Flurry exclaimed. “That just sounds cruel and abusive!”

“To the uninitiated, it may seem that way, but that was just how things were. My children valued their relationship with the humans, and over time they even helped give them more identity than I could. Those who studied my children gave them names to go by, often after the distinctive sounds they each made or simply by how they appeared. I merely caught on.” Arceus explained.

“Even you, Absol?” Flurry asked as she faced her new friend.

“Absol…” It nodded before gently nuzzling his god’s leg.

Arceus faced down towards his child. “Absol in particular is what is known as a Dark-type. It is in tune with the aspects of the universe that those with a will to survive would rather repress, evil aspects- the dark side and cruelty of Nature.” He faced out towards the darkened Crystal Empire. “Such as the evil that plagues your kingdom now.

Hearing such an explanation suddenly made Flurry weary of Absol. “Is that…..good?”

“Do not presume that means that Absol is evil itself. Even I cannot escape the dark side of the universe, so to understand it rather than fear or succumb to like many otherwise would is truly a strength to bear.” Arceus said. “In Absol’s case, they have the ability to foresee coming catastrophes, and they warn those that would be affected by appearing to them.”

Flurry gasped upon hearing. “It appeared at my balcony just last night before Sombra awakened!”

Arceus looked down at Absol. “Did you now?” Absol nodded. He then looked back at Flurry. “Is this the first time one has appeared to you?”

“Yes! We had no idea such beings even existed! We’ve had plenty of disasters that we were able to take care of, but why would it appear now?” Flurry said.

“Perhaps you just answered your own question.” Arceus said. “Absol will not appear before those who will not be left helpless to stop whatever disaster may come to pass, but it is quite clear that your situation now is most dire.”

It was then that Flurry realized why Absol had brought her here. She gulped before speaking. “Mr. Arceus, I-I know it may not be my place to ask, but…..will you help me defeat Sombra?”

Absol perked up and faced his god as if to plead. Said god stared at her for a moment before speaking again. “Princess Flurry Heart, I do not believe I finished my origin tale.” He said. “I mentioned before that humans were a species of great complexity- I meant that on an intraspecies level. In the latter years of their existence, wars erupting between them became almost a daily occurrence, and my children were often caught in their crossfire, sometimes literally. They had forgotten what it meant to live, to share this world and embrace its beauty, and they became more concerned with controlling it and even Nature itself…..the fools. Each day, more of my children became victims of their violence as did the planet itself. It would have cruel to simply exterminate them, so I withdrew my children from them and let them drive themselves to extinction. The world had become desolate, and I was forced to fall into a deep slumber along with the titans I had created. However I planted the Pixie Plate, the most frivolous aspect of Nature in my control in hopes that something, anything would come of it, and that my plate would return to me once the world had been born anew.”

“That’s…..That’s terrible….” Flurry’s heart sank upon hearing the tragic ending.

“So I must ask you one simple question, and if I am satisfied with your answer, then I will lend you my aid.” Arceus said. “And I must trust that you will speak for the whole of your kingdom’s populace as any ruler ought to.”

Flurry’s breaths suddenly became heavy. She knew that Arceus had no real obligation to help her or Equestria, but she was desperate and wanted all the help she could get now that Sombra’s power had grown too much. Plus, looking into his eyes, she knew that Arceus was willing to do the right thing. She mustered some confidence and nodded. “Ok!”

“Very well…” Arceus said. “My question to you is this: What sort of world do you envision?”

Flurry mulled over his question, knowing that Equestria’s fate was riding her answer. She thought back to her life and all the accomplishments she had performed. What did they all truly mean? Why did she do it all? Was it all just for the sense of accomplishment, or did she really adhere to her beliefs? She then thought about what her world was like beforehand. Would it have been better that way with everyone largely separated? Would their unity today do more harm than good?.....No. If she was truly doing so much harm, then her actions wouldn’t have so celebrated, and she suddenly knew why.

“The world I envision is as simple as this, Arceus: You shared all of your essence, your wisdom with everything around you because you thought it could hold true beauty in all sense of the word. I’ve always thought the same for this world alone, so I did everything I could to bring everyone together when there would otherwise be unbuilt walls between us, walls that others were too afraid to break down, but I knew those walls prevented this world from growing further than it had before. I want to see a world where no one can be afraid of expressing their own beauty while accepting others and balancing each other’s out if need be. I believe that a balanced world is a truly healthy one.”

Flurry looked at Arceus with confidence, but deep down, she was incredibly anxious. Arceus had been completely expressionless this whole time, and the suspense was killing her. “I see….” He finally broke the silence. His tone remained as neutral as his expression, making the tension even more gut-wrenching. “And you hold these values of friendship that you preach close to your heart?”

Flurry nodded. “Friendship is practically the very basis of our culture.”

“So you say…” Arceus said. He took another glance out at the dark cloud that had now completely shrouded the empire, and for a moment, Flurry could swear she could detect a hint of pity in his eyes. He then floated his Pixie Plate towards her. “I will allow you to make use of my Pixie Plate if you would so desire, so long as you return it to me.”

Flurry shook her head and gently pushed it away. “No thank you, Arceus. This plate is a piece of you that you finally got back. I couldn’t take it from you again in good conscience.”

“Hmm…” Arceus returned the Pixie Plate to its orbit around his torso. “I now see why your subjects revere you so. Very well. I will gladly help purge this ‘King Sombra’ of yours and the darkness that he would use to infect the world.”

“<GASP!> You will!?” Flurry asked. When Arceus nodded, she was about as overjoyed as a high school filly who had just been asked to prom by her crush.

Arceus then leaned his head down and looked at her more closely. “Hmm?” He seemed to be eyeing her necklace. “Well now! How did I not notice that right away?”

“Huh? You mean my necklace? I got this as a coronation present today.” Flurry said.

“Did you? Well, that jewel that adorns it holds more significance than you may realize.” Arceus said.

“Oh? Does it belong to you too?” Flurry asked.

Arceus shook his head. “No. It is what is referred to as a Key Stone.”

“Key Stone?” Flurry asked as she looked at her present. “What does it unlock?”

“Power, Princess of Balance. Power that can only be attained by a strong bond between trainer and Pokemon.” Arceus answered. “Although, it seems that this one has lost its luster over the many centuries it must have been buried and unused. Let me mend that.” The emeralds on Arceus’s pinwheel started glowing, and they shot little beams of light towards Flurry’s jewel, which seemed to awaken it. Flurry looked it at in amazement as its grey hue had become something of a beautiful rainbow luster, and the DNA-like pattern in it was much more defined as it had turned black.

“Wow….” Flurry cooed. “But….there aren’t any Pokemon trainers in Equestria, Arceus, least of all me.”

“I beg to differ.” Arceus said as he looked down at Absol, who was walking up to Flurry. “You seem to have formed a bond with this Absol quite nicely. While you are indeed not necessarily its trainer, it has nevertheless put its trust in you.” His emerald glowed again, but this time, they created a silver necklace around Absol that also had a pendant. While it was similar to Flurry’s Key Stone, Absol’s jewel was a marble that had the color scheme of its body within its swirly pattern.

“Is that a Key Stone too?” Flurry asked.

“No. It is a Mega Stone, specifically an Absolite. Absol is one of few Pokemon that can Mega Evolve during a battle. When this happens, its power drastically increases, and it dissipates when all has become calm.” Arceus explained.

Flurry eyed her friend in awe, imagining what Absol would be able to do with whatever this ‘Mega Evolution’ was supposed to do to it. “Wow… Really?”

“However!” Arceus said sternly, startling Flurry. “Mega Evolution puts quite a strain on my children, and is often very painful for them. I remember a few instances where it was even fatal, so you must solemnly swear that you will use it as an absolute last resort and nothing else.”

His suddenly shift in tone was a little frightening, but Flurry could tell that Arceus was being a watchful father to Absol, as he should have been. “I swear on my honor as the Princes of Balance.”

“Good.” Arceus’s tone was back to being neutral. “Then I see no time like the present to awaken forth some ancient reinforcements.” Arceus rose back up into the sky as his golden pinwheel began to shine brighter than Celestia’s sun. When he reached the clouds he emerged from, he unleashed a massive pulse of light that raced across the land.