//------------------------------//
// Third Eye 
// Story: The Disaster Pokemon 
// by Onomonopia 
//------------------------------//

"I'm sorry, what?" Limestone asked.

"I am Prince Sol. Sol and Spiral are one in the same," Spiral cackled. "It was my greatest secret, one that I, unfortunately, took to my grave. But yes, fools, the Prince of Equestria and the king of the dead are one in the same."

"But that...doesn't add up with anything that we've heard about you," Absol muttered, trying to piece it together. "The legend said that you trick Sol and used his soul to turn yourself into a being that could raise an army of specters. That Solace asked for you to revive his sister and instead you betrayed him. For the two of you to be one in the same would be..."

"Ah, that's the problem with legends, isn't it? So much information lost over the years and even if the information is kept, bias and self gain can change even the greatest of legends," Spiral sighed, before getting back on track. "Take my legend for example. Here is the true version of what you've heard. I had two identities. The benevolent, all loving, Prince Sol who was worshiped by his subjects. And Spiral, the scientist who would do whatever it took to learn the secrets of the afterlife. All so that he could restore his fallen sister. That bit was true."

"But the whole benevolent leader charade was only that. A charade. I needed to be the kind and loving prince so that no pony would ever bother me or question what I was truly doing when I went missing for days at a time. See, when you're universally loved by all in your nation, you can get away with anything. Volunteers, acts of evil: you name it, I could do it."

"So after years of acts that would make the two of you gag, I finally achieved what I desired for so long. A way to return the spirit of a being to the land of the living. Turns out I was too late to save my sister, she had moved on to a better peace, but in the afterlife I found millions of souls that were unhappy or jealous of the living and wanted to take their revenge on them. They wanted a way back to the land of the living and I wanted an army. So we helped each other."

"Why take over the world then?!" Limestone snarled at Spiral. "You failed to save your sister. I get it, that would hurt like nothing else in the world, but why take over the world? These ponies have done nothing to you!"

"Simply, really. See, there's a little bit of my story that I didn't tell you. Solace found out. Found out that Sol and Spiral were one in the same. Learning this nearly drove him mad with guilt and rage, but my brother was a strong one. He unlocked the power of the Elements and managed to seal me away. Guess he couldn't bring himself to kill me. And then he told the world that Spiral had tricked Sol and killed him. I'm guessing he did that so the ponies wouldn't have their spirits shattered upon learning who I really am."

"How horrible for them," Limestone snarled.

"Yes, indeed. The ponies of this world have always been fragile little snowflakes. But the point of this story is that I can't do what I want if there are those that oppose me. I'm not saying I'm going to kill everypony that doesn't agree with me, but I have to do something with them. That's when I decided to learn how to control minds. I tested that out the last time I got loose, though unfortunately the royals at the time were able to seal me away before I could revive my army. Made sure to avoid that possibility when I came back this time."

"So it's not that I want to rule the world, it's just...it would be easier to do what I want if the whole world stays out of my way. And so to do that I needed to become ruler of the world. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, that you're crazy, you want power, and that I'm going to enjoy taking you down," Absol snarled as he stepped forward. "There's plenty of flaws in your crazy plan, but here's the biggest one: me. I'm going to bring you down and then expose you to the whole world. And once they see who you are, they'll not only lock you away once more, but then they'll know that your legacy is nothing more than a lie. And you'll be nothing more than a ghost story."

"Ah Absol, as just and thick headed as ever. You think I didn't account for this?" Spiral asked Absol. "Two problems with your plan. The first is that the ponies will never listen to you. Because I've gone and made you public enemy number one."

Absol gave Spiral a look of confusion, one that made Spiral's smile grow even wider. "The whole event with Palkia has already spread across the land. I told the land that you brought Palkia to this land, that you are the reason that he tried to destroy the world and, if given the chance, you would bring even more ruin to this land. After all, you're classified as the disaster pokemon."

"The ponies may not believe Absol, but they'll listen to the princesses! And once we free them-!"

"They'll repeat what I've just said," Spiral smirked, before he motioned back to the ponies behind him that were held captive by his magic. "They aren't hearing any of this. And when I release them from my power, they won't remember any of it. That's the beauty of my spell. While they are under my control, they remember nothing. So whenever I need to do something a little dastardly, the magic goes on. When I'm just Prince Sol, the magic comes off. That way, the princesses and ambassadors are on my side, Prince Sol is the beloved ruler returned and my experiments go undisturbed. Now are there any flaws with my plan?"

"Just one. Me!" Absol roared as he cloaked his horn in darkness. In the next moment he lunged towards Sol with darkness trailing behind him. "I don't care how powerful your magic is or what spell you've put on the princess! None of that matters if I strike you down here and now!"

Spiral smiled as Absol approached, waiting until Absol was nearly on top of him before he activated his hidden trump card. Absol noticed that magic was forming around Sol's head and had just enough time to realize that a magical, third eye had appeared on his forehead...before a blast of magic caught him in the chest and hurled him across the room. He slammed into the wall and slid down to the floor, feeling the stings of magic for the first time in his entire life. But the stings of pain that he felt was nothing compared the feeling of horror that clutched at his heart as he shakily rose back up to his claws.

"But that's...impossible," Absol whispered.

"Oh, I would agree with you, had I not learned a little something from the short time Palkia was under my control," Spiral smiled. "See, I only wanted Palkia to arrive in this land so that I could shift the ponies rage away from me and put it on you. But then I learned something amazing from Palkia. That there was a technique that could allow my magical attacks to harm you, despite you being a dark type. And once I mastered that...I knew that there would be nothing to stop me from claiming the world as my own!"

Another blast of magic slammed into Absol's chest, hitting him with enough force to smash him through the brick wall and send him tumbling down to the first floor in the main entrance. Pain flooded his body as he struggled to get back up, but before he could Spiral shot him in the chest once more and sent him rocketing into the main doors. The doors were shot open by the force of the pokemon slamming into them. Absol tumbled across the front lawn of the castle and ended up near a crowd of ponies that had gathered outside the castle, having been drawn in by the appearance of the ghosts.

"Is that Absol?"

"What's he doing out here?"

"Seems like somepony's been kicking the crap out of him."

"Oh my gosh, it's Prince Sol!"

"He's even more handsome than the legends say!"

"Is he fighting Absol?"

"What disaster did Absol bring on us this time?"

Their words clawed at Absol, but he had no time to correct them on their line of thinking. He pulled himself back up and turned to face Sol, who was glaring at Absol with a look Absol had only seen on the other Royals before.

"Absol, it is time to bring an end to you and your disastrous powers," Sol said in the voice of a leader. "Not only have you endangered the ponies by being a key factor in the return of Spiral, not only did your presences bring a monster that can cross space to our world...but then you have the gall to attack the princesses when they tried to stand up to you?! Truly you have no soul!"

The sound of the ponies gasping told Absol that Sol's words had hit their marks, but he knew changing their minds was a futile effort. So instead he would strike down Sol and run the risk of what would come after. With a roar he charged towards Sol, his horn cloaked in darkness. Sol smiled slightly, before his eyes went wide with horror and he took a step back as if his life was in danger. Then, in a flash of white, Celestia appeared between Sol and Absol...right in time to take Absol's attack to her side.

"NO!" Absol roared as Celestia let out a scream of agony and collapsed to the ground. The ponies behind Absol began to scream in panic, drawing the attention of all of the other ponies that had been nearby and drawing them into the ground. Absol was aware of all the eyes that were on him as gazed down at Celestia, who was writhing in pain with a new black slash mark on the side of her body.

"Behold, ponies. This is what awaits you if you cross this being," Sol said with a snarl. Absol took his eyes off of Celestia and lifted them to face Sol, who was now flanked by Luna and the Ambassadors of Harmony. Absol swallowed his fear and prepared for the toughest fight of his life, before Limestone leapt over the heads of the Ambassadors and landed beside him. She flashed him a quick smile before she turned to face Spiral, a snarl on his face.

"Don't worry, you won't have to fight him alone," she promised Absol. "I'll be by your side till the end. That's my promise to you."

"How sweet. You have actually come to...care for this being," Sol said just loud enough so that only Absol and Limestone could hear him. "Which will make it all the more tragic...when Absol strikes down the only being that has ever cared for him in this world."

"I would never..." Absol began, before Spiral smiled.

"Absol, don't you remember? You gave me your name," Sol reminded him. In the next moment Sol's horn glowed and Absol's eyes went blank, mirroring the eyes of the Ambassadors and the Princesses.

"Absol, what's the matter?" Limestone asked Absol, who didn't reply. Then, slowly, Absol lifted his head and turned to face Limestone, his horn beginning to glow with dark power. "Absol, what are you doing? You're scaring me."

"And there is the greatest part of this new ability of mine, Limestone," Spiral cackled as Absol menacingly stalked Limestone. "Not only his he now able to be harmed by my spells...but now his mind is not shielded from my power either. Behold Limestone. Absol is now mine to control."