The next day, the Mane Five, Sarah, and her entire family were continuing on their way to Bridlewood, unaware of the danger that would be closing in on them later on throughout their journey. Now, after camping out for the night and managing to get away from Zephyr Heights, they were walking in a vast daisy field as they came to a large floral tree from a map Sunny has on her.

"There it is, that's the same tree from the map. That means it's, this way," she smiled, leading everyone else as Zipp, Izzy, Sarah, her family, and Tsukmaro followed.

However, Hitch and Pipp picked up the rear as both of them didn't like what was going on for different reasons. Hitch was vehemently against coming along for the ride given his previous xenophobia and his remembering to bring Sunny back to Maretime Bay and have her answer for her actions but he was outvoted and they were far away from his and Sunny's home so he has no jurisdiction to act upon his initial motives. Despite knowing that she and Zipp had to go on this journey since it is their only chance to save their family's lost dragon and Pokemon companions, Pipp was still miffed from her life being ruined since her sister and their new friends had to go against the status quo the Pegasi had been following for moons.

"What am I even doing here? Hoofing it across daisy fields, getting close with these mindless beasts, looking for a magical crystal that doesn't even exist!" he grumbled.

"I heard that," Sarah glowered lowly, making him yelp before he resigned himself to grumbling again.

"You think you had it rough? Last night was supposed to be my best show ever, now it's over. I'm a wanted mare, all because of......." Pipp began, still sore from the previous night.

"Definitely not, e-did I just agree with a Pegasus?" Hitch replied in agreement before he blinked in surprise and Pipp caught up with her sister.

"Hey, Sis! Are you sure that Earth Pony even knows where to find this other crystal based on her sense of direction?" Pipp asked, skeptical of Sunny.

"Don't you trust me at all, especially knowing why we had to do this?" Zipp quizzed back.

"Oh, I don't know since you used to have better things to do back home. I want Ryu, Tamu, and the others back more than anything just as you and Mom do. But, you, your idiotic and persistent questioning of the status quo, and your rebellious attitude are what got us into this mess in the first place! You were the one that blew my cover and got Mom thrown in jail! Remember that?"

"Look, I'm sorry but we have no choice. This is too important for us to ignore and if Scarlet really is back, we have to be ready for her. Once we get our magic back and we finish her off and get the Pokemon and dragons back with us including Ryu and the others, they won't even remember what happened back then. You'll be a hero when we're done, Pipp."

Pipp just rolled her eyes, doubtful of Zipp's hope despite knowing that she's just as desperate for a solution to bring back their extended dragon and Pokemon family and friends. While the two sisters squabbled for a bit, Hitch caught up with Sunny and began to strike up a conversation with her for the first time in two days.

"We're almost to the river, everypony!" Sunny updated, making him groan before he got her attention again.

"Sunny, listen. I don't know what you're planning to do or why you decided to align yourself with another princess from another world we know nothing about. But, after this whole escapade is over, you're coming back with me to Maretime Bay. Is that clear?" he demanded with a snarl.

Hitch smirked back as he started to brag about his position. "Great! 'Cause as you can see here, this badge here proves that I'm the sh-" he began but feeling nothing as he felt a vacant spot where his badge was supposed to be, making him panic.

"AH! Oh, no! Wh-where is it, where is it?! No, no, no, no! That's impossible! Where's my badge, what happened to my badge?! Hey, YOU!"

Hitch quickly pointed to Izzy, immediately suspecting that she might have something to do with his lost badge. "I know Unicorns like you like shiny things!" he accused, getting annoyed looks from some of Sarah's Pokemon and dragons that heard him.

"That jerk's really asking for it," Hydro snarled, hating his xenophobia more than ever.

"This is all his fault! If he and his own fellow ponies haven't freaked out and antagonized us, this would've been smooth sailing for us!" grumbled Jolteon, giving Hitch the stink eye.

"Let's not get bogged down about that too much. We'll deal with him later; right now, we must focus on finding a way to restore Equestria's magic, reunite the ponies with the dragons and Pokemon, and deal with Scarlet Nightmare when she appears," replied Cobalion firmly.

"If she shows her ugly face, you mean," implemented Wyveon, getting a knowing nod from Twilight and Dawn (Deathgripper).

"Are we there yet?" asked Stufful innocently while she rode on Sugarcake with Sugarcoat and Siren in either side of them.

"Not yet, Stufful, sweetie," smiled Sugarcoat as she looked at the small Flailing Pokemon sweetly. "Hopefully, the forest of Bridlewood should be past this daisy field."

"You know something, guys, I can't help but wonder if everything that's happening to all of us is because of Scarlet Nightmare," pondered Zarude, remembering the legend pertaining to the dark Alicorn mare. "Do you think the ponies themselves are the ones responsible for throwing their own home into decline after they banished the dragons and Pokemon, allowing her to return?"

"You think they caused the seal that was placed on her by King Doug and Queen Delilah to weaken and allow her to somehow break free?" asked Curly worriedly.

"If so, and she's somehow at large with all the chaos that's been running rampant aside from our own actions to help Sunny Starscout restore Equestria's magic and reunite the pony tribes along with the Pokemon and dragons, we'll probably have more of our work cut out for us," Rubble mused.

"But, there's one thing I don't get about Sunny's theory and what we just saw from Mischief's illusion flashback of Ryu's final memory of the battle against her. And, I think it has a few holes in it," interjected Blossom, also skeptical of Sunny's current plan. "It is true that we needed the Unicorn's Eye and the Wings of Loyalty but don't you think she needed to know about the Earth Pony Hope that we saw being created by Ryu and Helioseon?"

"And, not only that, I honestly believe that it'll take more than just those crystals together that can help bring magic back and end Scarlet's power. Remember when they and the others got Delilah and Doug to trust them with them and their powers being held in them?" Zorro added.

"Yes, it has to be the power of trust that allowed them to use the crystals. The Wings of Loyalty, the Unicorn's Eye, and the Earth Pony Hope together are powerful but they can't reach their full potential if someone doesn't have the courage to take the first step and bring everyone together to end her monstrosity," nodded Virizion.

"Well, let's hope we're ready for her somehow if she somehow rears her mugshot by the time we get to Bridlewood and get the Unicorn's Eye," Ching Wan hoped.

Later, everyone soon made it to a bridge that's along the path to Bridlewood but when they looked at it, they noticed that the middle section of the bridge was missing.

"It looks like part of the bridge is gone," Tsukumaro replied, examining the bridge's missing section. "This could be either due to wear and tear from the steady march of time for having been here so long or the Unicorns, in their paranoia-filled drive to keep others out, intentionally sabotaged it for their own safety."

"I'm betting money on the sabotage part, Old Man. If those Unicorns are anything like those Earth Ponies and Pegasi that'll freak out from anybody who's not like them in any way, shape, or form, I wouldn't be surprised by their reactions," put in James knowingly.

"They must be really that desperate to protect their own if they had to destroy part of their bridge leading on the way to Bridlewood after they lost their magic as well and started suspecting the Earth Ponies and Pegasi having stolen it for themselves when it could be the work of Scarlet Nightmare," mused Nikki thoughtfully.

"Well, Zipp, any more of your bright ideas?" Pipp quipped accusingly at her older sister.

"Uh, let me think. Uh........ You know what would be great right about now? Hmm...... Maybe something like, oh, I don't know..... THE ABILITY TO FLY?!" she responded, resulting in the two of them getting into a squabble.

"Or, you know what would've been even better? Something like, oh, really..... Not being stuck out in the middle of nowhere, being nothing more than MERE OUTCASTS FROM OUR OWN KINGDOM?"

Hitch gulped as he saw no point in continuing on and the situation was making him very, very nervous. "Oh, boy...... Well, that's enough of that for one day. Guess it's time to go home; I wish I could say it was nice meeting you but it wasn't. Come on, Sunny," Hitch excused, trying to get away before......

"No, you don't," Zarude said, giving him a warning glare as he used his Vine Whip to drag the cowardly Maretime Bay sheriff back, much to his displeasure.

Lolita tried to think of a way for everybody to get across the bridge even though she knew that the dragons and Sarah's Flying Types can help them get across as Pipp and Zipp's squabble began to escalate and Hitch continued to try and make excuses to get back to Maretime Bay to the point of his protests becoming more frantic as he was given glares and being questioned by some of her cousins and siblings.

Then, when it all became too much for her as she failed to concentrate, she eventually snapped at everybody going bonkers.

"Will you all just SHUT UP?!" she bellowed, getting everybody arguing or snapping at one another behind the others to stop and turn to her in surprise and bewilderment while Sunny looked thankful to Persian's daughter, eager for the noise to stop. "I can't think straight on how we can get across that bridge between your screaming as well as my brothers and sisters' justified demanding of you, Mr. Hitch, and the Sisters Grimm's petty squabbling!"

"As much as I would want to condone my daughter's brashness, she is right," agreed Persian, sharing Lolita's frustrations.

"This is no time for us to be fighting when so much is at stake! Scarlet Nightmare will be at large and Ponykind will still be at each other's throats if Equestria's magic isn't somehow returned and we can't stop her! To that end, we must all put aside our differences and agree to work towards a common cause which is the return of Equestrian Magic, Scarlet Nightmare's defeat, and the return of the dragons and Pokemon of this world!"

"They're right, both of them! This senseless fighting is getting us nowhere! Look, we're gonna get to the other side, find the Unicorn's Eye, and bring back our magic! And, once we do, you'll both get to fly and have your Pokemon and dragon family back, you'll get your fans back, and you'll have me in custody! Everypony happy now?!" Sunny snapped as well, snarling at the startled Hitch, Pipp, and Zipp and looking between each of them.

Suddenly, before things could get out of hand with everyone and anybody else could break up their fighting, they all heard a loud CRASH in front of them. They all turned and to their shock and surprise, they saw Izzy standing next to a chopped down tree which she had used to act as a bridge.

"No.........!" gasped Sarah, Tsukumaro, Nikki, James, slackjawed in shock by what they saw her do.

"I think she just solved our bridge problem, everybody," noted Zeraora, rubbing his eyes to make sure that he's not dreaming (which he isn't).

"Don't tell me you just cut down that tree, resorting to cutting it the same way that a beaver did with its teeth!" Zorua replied, gobsmacked at the happy-go-lucky Unicorn who simply nodded proudly.

"I gotta hand it to that Izzy, she's really something of a mystery," Danny smiled, also impressed.

"Well, come on, everyone! Time is of the essence, we must be absolutely punctual if we're to make good time on our way to this Bridlewood!" Noctowl told everyone as Sunny nodded in agreement.

"Let's go!" she declared as they walked across the tree together with the dragons and Sarah's Flying Types following them from the air.

"You do know you could ride on us whenever you're tired of walking, Sarah," noted Shadow.

"Where's the exercise part in that,? We need our exercise and we'll be fine as long as we take it easy and don't draw any unwanted attention to us," replied Sarah, getting an amused yet knowing chuckle and headshake from the older Night Fury as they all continued on their journey.

Darkness fell as nighttime rolled in again. For the second night along their trip to Bridlewood, everybody decided to make camp with Zipp lighting a campfire along with Flareon and with Audino supervising them while Sarah bringing out her enchanted tent and pitching it up with Tsukumaro's assistance and Noctowl's keen eye to ensure there were no mistakes as usual. When Pipp saw the interior of the enchanted tent along with Zipp (after the campfire was made), she thought it looked absolutely gorgeous as it looked like a palace-on-the-go from within according to its two-story design.

In addition to the usual fixings that were in the tent the previous times she and everyone else before Hitch, Pipp, and Zipp tagged along, it now had a small kitchen inside which allowed Sarah and her family to make dinner for everyone while Sarah stashed two Shaderoot and Iceroot Carrots for Spectrier and Glastrier (to their absolute joy as they ate away).

Hitch, on the other hand, was sitting alone nearby and he was trying to light up a campfire the old-fashioned way with using two sticks and without matches.

"Urgh, mmm, come on..... Come on, you stupid stick," he grumbled as he rubbed the sticks together.

"No, thank you! I got it. Come on, urgh, if only I had a match," Hitch grumbled, only managing to get a single spark before it fizzled out, annoying him.

"Yeah, no. If you want to try going against the tried-and-true method of fire without matches, Hitchy-Baby, be our guest!" Zorua quipped.

"Totally, that's just sad, way too sad. Come on, dude, quit trying to be a hero. Come and get warm," Zipp smirked, chuckling.

Feeling sorry for her childhood friend and despite their still brimming turmoil towards each other initially, Sunny decided to comfort him as she came over to his spot.

"Sunny, are you sure about all this? There's not much we can do, it's pointless," Hitch said. "Because, if we just go back to Maretime Bay and simply-"

"What have we got to lose? What makes you think all of it would be a waste of time when there's so much we could still do to help everypony?" Sunny questioned, not wanting Hitch to dampen everyone's spirits and hopes for a better future.

"Have you forgotten, by giving magic back to our enemies? Also, getting the dragons and Pokemon our people had to banish for our own safety to come back? What have we got to lose, you say? Uh, let me think, oh, I don't know....... After everything we've just gone through earlier today, uh....... Oh, I know, how about- A LOT?!"

"Come on, Hitch! You telling me that it's not worth our time to continue helping our new friends and looking for a way to bring back Equestrian Magic for everypony, we're not the only ones who've had it rough as far as we know. Do you really want us to live our lives as ordinary ponies and continuing to be scared of the unknown for the rest of our lives? Do you really want me to give up Sugarcoat, Sugarcake, and Siren, after everything we've been through together?"

Hitch groaned, wondering why he was even putting up with Sunny at all, "I don't know, Sunny, the world's broken ever since we lost our magic. We can't afford to trust anypony anymore."

Sunny frowned as she gently retorted, "Or, maybe the world's broken and we lost our magic and we don't trust anypony now aside from our new friends because everypony chose to. Isn't that the case?"

Hitch chuckled a little when he heard how wise Sunny was becoming despite her adventurous attitude and their previous misgivings before. "You know, you sound just like your father," he replied.

"I really do want to believe that our world and magic can be restored but how can we when the world's proven us otherwise?"

"We can still make it happen once we find the Unicorn's Eye and set things right!"

"Your fellow ponies back home and those angry Pegasi back at Zephyr Heights would tell you otherwise, Sunny."

"That doesn't mean we can't keep trying if only to save everypony as we hoped! There's still a chance for all of us to fix this mess we've all gotten ourselves into!"

"Yeah, and you know what happened when you took that first step? You turned your back on your own ponies and betrayed me and Sprout, you joined forces with an Alicorn and other ponies we know nothing about, and we're on the hunt to find and use crystals that don't exist to save this world from its own demise and from an evil Alicorn mare that's nothing but a fairy tale! Look around, we're a world full of ponies who are fearful and mistrusting of others because we can't stop fighting over who's to blame for the loss of magic! You want to know why Pokemon and dragons don't belong with us despite what they did to protect and care for us back then, Sunny? They could potentially turn against us and plot to take over the world and steal it and our magic for themselves, even if we do bring them all back!"

"Sunny, I'm done believing in that nonsense. None of it matters anymore since it's all still a fairy tale, what's important to me now is making sure you're safe and we get back home so you can face the consequences for your actions. I really want to go back to Maretime Bay where I'm needed."

Sunny sighed as she frowned at her childhood friend before she gave a determined glare and sighed as she gently smiled at Hitch, knowing that he'll eventually come around as long as she can convince him to take a chance despite his own disgruntlement over everything.

"If that's what you want, I won't stop you. But, you should know........ I'm now actually glad you're here, Hitch, we all are," she told her before going back to the others.

Hitch was left speechless by what had been discussed between them and what Sunny had told her. He didn't know what to say as Sunny sat next to Zipp and joined urged him to join everyone else, to which he did despite his own feelings.

As everybody else gathered around the campfire with some of the dragon hatchlings, younger Pokemon, and the Night Lights playing together a small distance from the campsite, Sunny began to lay down the groundwork for the final phase of her plan to restore magic to Equestria could be. But, as she did so, Izzy started to feel down as she realized that with their potential final moments together, this could be the last time she could see and be with her new friends.

"So, at first light, I think we should set off for our last stop - Bridlewood. That's where we'll find the Unicorn's Eye and once we get that and put it together with the Wings of Loyalty, our magic will be back to normal and Scarlet Nightmare will be put to a stop once we're done," she began before she saw Izzy's downcast look.

"Nothing...... It's just, oh........ Being with you all, ponies, Pokemon, dragons alike, you've all been the best thing that's ever happened to me," she spoke out, sighing sadly. "I've got to see, do, and learn things with all of you that I've never been able to do so on my own. I......I guess I just, don't want our adventure to end."

"But, Izzy, remember what we promised? You'll get your magic back after everything that's happened."

"Hold on, I got a question to ask you, Izzy. Why did you come to Maretime Bay, really?" asked Hitch, now curious as to why Izzy would travel all the way from Bridlewood to their hometown in the first place.

"I've always wanted to visit but everybody at Bridlewood keeps telling me stuff that'll make a normal Unicorn there to hightail it back to their homes and never come out about places like that as well as you all, the Pokemon, and the dragons. But, I held hope that I would one day go there and make a new friend. When I was a little filly, I found this pretty lantern with a message that said, 'I had friends in Maretime Bay'."

She then pulled out a piece of paper from her mane and unfurled it to reveal a drawing that looked like an Earth Pony, a Pegasus, and a Unicorn, all of them together as in the ancient legends Sunny read in her journey and was told about by her father that said: "Hello, Pegasi and Unicorns! Come visit Maretime Bay, you have a friend there". There was even a Galarian Rapidash and a dragon drawn on it, waving and smiling along with the ponies on it. Sunny gasped, stunned as she saw the drawing Izzy was holding, the Unicorn then looking at the drawing and the surprised look on her face which told her what she was now realizing.

"I-I-It was you! Sunny, did you make this?" she gasped as she handed it to Hitch (who was also surprised to see the drawing) for the two Earth Ponies to see.

Startled by this, Sunny's Rapidash Guardians came over and saw the drawing, recognizing it as Sunny's handiwork as well as her signature on it. "Sunny, is this really your old drawing?" gasped Sugarcoat.

"You never told us what happened to it after it somehow disappeared," Sugarcake said to her.

"It still looks as beautiful as ever. Did you really draw this, your dream on paper?" Siren breathed in awe.

Sunny nodded fondly as she took back her childhood drawing, "I made it with my dad when I was just a filly. Before he died and left you three with me, we promised each other that someday, no matter what happens, we would prove that all ponies, Pokemon, and the dragons were meant to be family, friends. We'll do our part, hoof to hoof, heart to heart."

Everyone smiled warmly at each other as well as at Sunny for the vow she made with her father and the dream they shared for the future of Equestria that it so badly needed. And, as much as he didn't want to admit it, Hitch realized that his childhood friend's dream wasn't as crazy as he once thought. Maybe she's right from the very beginning; Ponykind, the Pokemon, and the dragons really do deserve to be together, after all.

"Hey, um....... Guys, I can see where you're going....... Listen, I know I gave you a lot of trouble before, and....." he said to them, looking between the and the Night Furies playing with their fellow Pokemon/dragon siblings and seeing how cute they really were. "If it helps, I want to do my part. Sunny's right, what've we got to lose, right?"

Izzy, Pipp, and Zipp were delighted to hear this as they cheered for Hitch deciding to take a chance to believe their, Sunny, and everyone else's noble cause. The others, despite their own eagerness of having Hitch believe in their cause, were understandably still skeptical of him and if he genuinely believes in restoring Equestria back to its normal self, reuniting the ponies, Pokemon, and dragons and stopping Scarlet Nightmare. But, they had to agree that he's starting to see the light.

"I don't trust him, he's probably up to something since he planned to arrest Sunny and throw the book at her," Jolteon snorted.

"But, at least, he's able to see that things aren't as hopeless as he used to think," Mudsdale replied.

"Hopefully, he'll fully understand what we have to do now that he's joining us," Winter added.

"For now, let's give him a chance. He's already realized where he went wrong despite his own feelings on the matter so the least we can do is trust him," put in Umbreon.

"I hope we can, Umbreon," nodded Hashimoto before he turned to Sarah, Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro for their opinions on Hitch. "What do you think?"

".........I suppose it wouldn't hurt for him to further see why a united Equestria is worth fighting for," Tsukumaro eventually spoke. "He did have the best intentions for the Earth Ponies at Maretime Bay when he did what he did."

"I'm sure we would've done to same thing if Ponchita and her friends are in danger," replied James and Nikki.

"I have to admit, really...... A Unicorn forest like Bridlewood does sound kind of magical," Hitch smiled as he now felt a little more comfortable with the group...... Until, however, they eventually reached Bridlewood and saw how lifeless and dull it has become without magic. "Or, not....."

"You were saying, dork?" Eternatus quipped with a groan, raising a skeptical and irked eyebrow at Hitch, who just shrugged.

"Come on! My house isn't far from here, we can stay there until we have a plan to get the Eye!" Izzy called, leading everybody through the forest.

However, despite her cheerful demeanor managing to lighten up the atmosphere around them, everybody couldn't help but notice that Bridlewood, even from its outskirts, looked boring. With the Equestrian Magic gone, the forest was slightly dark and lifeless and there were very few colored plants and florals dotting the area. In hindsight, remembering the legend about Scarlet Nightmare and what she did back then along with the banishment of the Pokémon and dragons that used to live in Equestria, they realized that the Unicorns also suffered as harshly as the Earth Ponies and Pegasi have been.

"Well, this is totally depressing," Zorua stated, looking around. "I'd imagine it being more lively and the Unicorns roaming around and being more jumpy with some leftover magic."

"Never thought a Unicorn forest with actual Unicorns like Izzy could be something like this."

"Well, they don't have magic anymore like the others besides Master Sarah, her adopted parents, and Master Tsukumaro do, remember, Ani-chan?" Ching Wan and Hashimoto bantered.

"I never thought the Unicorns would also be hit hard with losing own magic," Sugarcoat admitted. "And, the Earth Ponies and Pegasi think they're responsible for their magic losses."

"Which is why we have to do this, girls," reassured Siren as they arrived at Izzy's house in a light-filled area.

"Well, here we are! La Villa Izzy!" chirped Izzy, opening the door to her home with a cheerful smile. Everyone was stunned as they entered Izzy's home with some of Sarah's larger Pokémon having to stay outside due to them being unable to fit in her literal treehouse abode. Everywhere they looked, they could see little bits and bobs of the many things that she was able to make and cycle up with her own unique creative touch, and all without the use of her magic. "Wow......!"

"I can't believe there are so many things you've built up without having your lost magic!" Lilac gawked.

"Incredible, an assortment of toys, cutlery, every-day human items for ponies all by your own hooves!" blinked Calyrex in fascination. "You've must've had quite an artistic eye in order to conjure up these magnificent pieces!"

"You must've had a mountain of art supplies big enough to fill even a giant kitchen pantry in the White House," Nikki and James admitted, also completely awestruck by Izzy's hoof-made things.

"Very creative and from a Unicorn such as you, Ms. Izzy," nodded Tsukumaro, impressed.

"I also make friendship bracelets along with this stuff! Oh, wait, wait! Watch this, hold everything! I've never actually gotten to do this with any actual friends!" Izzy continued, bringing forth a mobile table in the shape of a flower and opening it to reveal a tea party set she personally made. "TA-DAAAA~!"

"I so wish I had live-streamed that!" Zipp, Rosethorn, Mai, Pearl, Amethyst, Diamond, and Pipp gasped in awe at the table and the tea party set by Izzy.

"Hold it there, girls. I'm sorry to be a party pooper but as much as I would like to relax, too, I'm afraid we still have a lot of work to do," Sarah reminded gently.

"Sarah's right, we don't have time for that stuff right now. We came here to restore Equestrian Magic and if we can find any available information about the Unicorn's Eye, we have to dress the part," added Sunny in agreement, getting to the task at hand. "We can't stick out like sore hooves to the Unicorns and if they're anything like the Pegasi and Earth Ponies, we must keep my guardians and Sarah's family hidden. To that end, we need to look like Unicorns in order to blend in."

"Wait, does that mean......makeovers?" Pipp perked up as she squealed in delight, bringing dread to her older sister. "YAY! Makeovers, I just love makeovers!"

"Oh, no. No, no. No. This-t,this is not what I signed up for, no. No how, no way," Zipp stammered in embarrassment, chuckling nervously.

"Oh, boy........" James peeped quietly as he and Tsukumaro looked at each other in dread.

"That's only for Pegasi and Earth Ponies, in this case, James. Tsukumaro's fine but we'll need to spruce you and Nikki up and keep her wings hidden," Sunny clarified in reassurance. "And, Sarah, we'll have to hide your windows as well to make sure they don't recognize you as an Alicorn."

"I'm down with that," nodded Sarah before she turned to Izzy. "Izzy, can you do something about all this?"

"A glow-up for your entry to Bridlewood? Honey, if you want a glow-up, you've come to the right cottage!" she smiled brightly.

"Oh, not again......" Silvally groaned, knowing that another song number is coming up.

"Okay, I'm all for musical numbers as long as they make sense and aren't boring but this is just way too predictable even for a kids' movie," Shaymin remarked, making a fourth wall break.

"What is it with these ponies and their song and dance numbers?" grumbled Hydro with a pout, sharing their sentiments as Izzy began to sing.

(Fit Right in - MLP: A New Generation - Izzy Moonbow)

I thought Earth ponies were the pony ladder's bottom rung

I heard that Pegasi were brutes you'd hate to be among

"You smell like fishes! You're vicious! I bet you eat your young!"

Meet any one of you, the thing to do is run away

But although I know we're all a bunch of different breeds

Take away our wings and horns, and we're just frightened steeds

So let's put aside our differences, 'cause what we need's a win

Come on, rip out all the pages of your history books

Just because we're undercover doesn't mean we're crooks

When we walk you through the crowd and give your brand new looks a spin

You're gonna fit right in

Hitch Trailblazer: This is a new low.

You're gonna fit right in

Hitch Trailblazer: It's never gonna work!

They taught us unicorns were super-scary maniacs

With horns like razors and tongues like tasers and teeth like tacks

They take your hooves and then they grind them into midnight snacks

The basic gist of it is unicorns are not okay!

Zoura: And you’re done

Look, I know we're riskin' everything for this endeavor

But look at us, we're brave and strong and weird and clever

We're runnin' out of options and we're desperate to begin

You're gonna fit right in

Hitch Trailblazer: [chuckles] If you say so.

(Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow)

You're gonna fit right in

I know you will, now watch and learn

This is how a unicorn walks (walks)

This is how a unicorn talks (talks)

This is how a unicorn hoops (hoops?)

This is how a unicorn—

Hitch Trailblazer: Oops!

Sunny Starscout: Oh!

This is how a unicorn struts

Oh, watch us shake our unicorn butts

Now you're in the unicorn know

Sunny Starscout: Whoa!

Soon you'll be a unicorn pro!

Oh, a unicorn horn makes a unicorn stride

It's the more-head on your forehead, it's the source of your pride

Every unicorn who's born has worn a horn that's unique

So we'll whip them up as we speak, you'll be lookin' très magnifique

And with those rocks in our pockets, we'll reap the reward

And folks'll be floored, we'll strike a new chord

Our magic restored!

Lately, all Equestria has lost its heart

But if we can help to find it, we should play our part

If we fail, we'll go to prison

But if not, we'll start to grin

(Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow)

We're gonna fit right in

This is how a unicorn walks

This is how a unicorn talks

Now you're lookin' unicorn strong

This is how a unicorn...

(Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow)

...ends this song!

Later, after going through the final preparations, Sarah, Pipp, Zipp, Hitch, Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro all have their disguises ready from Izzy and they were on their way to meet the Unicorn leader of Bridlewood and inquire him/her of the Unicorn's Eye.

For Zipp, Pipp, and Nikki, they were given unique horns designed by Izzy along with small jackets that covered up their wings, James, Sunny, and Hitch just had her horns fitted on them and as for Sarah, she was given another small jacket to cover her own wings while her horn helped to pass her off as a Unicorn.

With the Pokémon and dragons, the majority of Sarah's family would have to hide out until the Unicorn's Eye can be found but with Rapidash, Ponyta, Siren, Sugarcoat, Sugarcake, and Keldeo would join them in the village for despite their own unique colorings, they were the only Pokémon that can be passed off as normal Unicorns without setting somebody in Bridlewood off and arouse suspicion amongst them.

Taking their first steps into the village with Izzy leading the way, she pointed to many of the crystals in the forest and gave them a tour of the village of Bridlewood while giggling happily along the way (being eager to show her disguised friends her homeland). But, her cheerful demeanor wasn't shared by the rest of the Unicorns upon entering, each of them looking downcast, moping around as they all sulked gloomily.

Little did they know, however, that the Shadow Braivary belonging to Scarlet Nightmare was eavesdropping on them from out of sight, smirking slyly at the heroes.

"Whoa, what's with the Unicorn snore fest?" Siren admitted with a whisper, a little uneasy as they walked.

"Seems like the losses that they had also occurred in the past due to Scarlet Nightmare's attack, brother," replied Sugarcoat, also not liking what she's seeing.

"Well...... I guess we just found out why Izzy's so happy to meet us when we first met her and Sunny at Maretime Bay," Sarah squirmed a little.

"Those poor darlings, it must be terrible for them without their magic to make them happy."

"Ponchita's right, they're looking even worse than kids who just flunked an important elementary school test and got into time out for bad grades," Nikki and James agreed, gravely concerned for the Unicorns.

"It's no wonder why Ms. Izzy would be so eager to have new friends when she first found out about Ms. Sunny's lantern drawing," stated Tsukumaro, also concerned.

"I don't like this, everybody. Those Unicorns are nothing like Dear Izzy and they could be looking for trouble if they're having a bad mane or hair day," warned Rapidash as she looked to her only daughter. "Darling, stay with us and don't try to mingle with them if they give you any trouble."

"These other Unicorns around us seemed to be a whole lot different from you," Sunny commented to Izzy, feeling unnerved by how depressed and lifeless the village Unicorns are. Hitch looked around at the crystals in the forest, his previous suspicions and his doubts about Izzy's plan to "fit right in" still running high.

"This is all well and good, Izzy, but how can we tell which ones can use magic?" he asked the happy-go-lucky Unicorn, getting shocked gasps from some nearby Unicorn foals they just passed.

"Ooooooooh, you just said a bad word, Mister!" a male foal suggested, surprising Hitch as he raised a confused eyebrow while the foal turned to the other foals with him. "Hurry, dance! Before we all get jinxed!"

Then, surprising the small party along with Hitch, the Unicorn foals snorted to the foal's warning before they did a strange dance as they bounced along their hooves, singing or scatting, "Bing-bong-bing! Bing, bong! Bing, bong! Bing, bong! Bing, bong!"

Everyone in Sunny and Sarah's party was bemused by this with the Mane Five looking on in confusion and Sarah and her family shrugged at each other, stumped over what they saw.

"Uh...... Could somebody explain to us why those foals acted like that?" Keldeo replied, unsure of what to think.

"Yeah..... Uh, I'm gonna need some context on that jig they did," Zipp agreed with an awkward nod.

"Oh, that? Unicorns are very superstitious. If a pony ever says a forbidden word like that, we usually have to do a ritual to ward off the Jinxies."

"You know. Like, 'magic', 'wing', 'Pokemon', 'dragon', 'scale', 'feather', that kind of stuff, oh! And, 'mayonnaise'."

"But, what in the Sam Hill is wrong with may-?" James began in confusion before Izzy frantically muffled him to avoid setting off a nearby Unicorn behind them, who continued to sulk.

Izzy sighed in relief as she released James and shushed everybody. "Come on, there's something I want to show you," she replied, leading everybody to a building in the village that looked like a moderate Unicorn teahouse/restaurant/bar.

"The Crystal Tea Room?" asked Keldeo, reading the sign. "Why did you bring us here?"

"Amongst all of us Unicorns, there is a pony inside who collects crystals including the Unicorn's Eye. Maybe he can help us with what we're doing."

"That's great, Izzy! You're the best!" smiled Sunny before she gave a warning look to James. "And, James, remember what we all agreed on just now-"

Sticking close to each other as they entered the Crystal Tea Room, the small party saw that the atmosphere from within the restaurant sadly wasn't all that different from the rest of the village. Like the rest of the villagers, the Unicorns dining inside were miserable and a quartet of them were singing just as pitifully on stage.

The group looked around to find the pony who is responsible for being the best crystal collector in all of Bridlewood until Izzy pointed them to a middle age Unicorn stallion having a darker brown and yet short mane and tail at one of the tables off to the left side. "That's the pony I was talking about, he's our finest collector of crystals. If you're looking for the Unicorn's Eye, that guy's your man," she informed them.

Nodding to her, Sunny went over to the Unicorn and began to make inquiries on the second of the Equestria Crystals. "Hi, there. So, word has it around this forest that you collect crystals, on top of being the best crystal collector or hunter in the area. Do you happen to know anything about one called the Unicorn's Eye?" she questioned to him.

The crystal collector sighed as he nodded before he went on to dramatically explain what he had done with them. "Yes, I do. I used to have quite the collection on me throughout my travels. I did, really, no problem. But, I've lost them all competing in a limbo contest with....... D'oh...... Alphabittle!" he finished, wailing dramatically.

"Huh.....?" "Who or what names their pony Alphabittle?" Sunny, Keldeo, and Sarah blinked in surprise and confusion.

Izzy gasped in horror, dread coming across her face as she feared the worst. "Oh, no..... I know that name from anywhere in this forest," she began, a small bell ringing catching their attention as they looked to the source of it.

The party saw that in the midst of what looked to be a contest involving a Rubik's Cube with another Unicorn pony named Jasper, a tall and great Unicorn with a small white beard, mane, and tail, revealed to be Alphabittle, had managed to solve the difficult puzzle in no time. Jasper was disheartened when he failed to solve it in time just as he did.

"I'm sorry, my boy. But, your time's up," Alphabittle smirked smugly at the disgruntled Jasper. "Guess that makes me the winner, again. Now, pay up."

"Urgh, fine. Just don't think you'll roll over all of us with your stupid victory streak," Jasper snarled, handing over a knickknack that looked personal to him to the arrogant Unicorn before he sadly walked away.

"You could always try winning it back!" the Unicorn player called before he took it and placed it on some shelves behind him amongst whatever other "prizes" he had won and stole from the losers including the Unicorn's Eye. "Alright, suit yourself, chap. Heh-heh....."

"Hey, that wasn't fair!" spat Ponyta in shock as Rapidash held her back gently, not wanting her daughter to get into a fight.

"Izzy, dear, do you know him?" Sunny's Galarian Rapidash guardians said, finding Alphabittle already to be unpleasant and aggravating.

"That's Alphabittle, our leader. He's always had a knack for winning possibly every game and messing with his opponents to win every time," Izzy replied fearfully, gulping as everyone's eyes were on him. "They said he's never lost a single game or puzzle and he's never made any friends by winning all the time and being a genius which gave him some respect but also some loathing from others while growing up. His opponents have a hard time dealing with him in every game because he usually places so much pressure on them and seeks to outdo them in everything involving games and puzzles including making bets with their personal knickknacks. He takes advantage of them losing anything they possess and care about to him and playing off of their fears to win!"

"If you ask me, I think he's got no honor, at all," scoffed Keldeo. "What's the point in winning a game or something or being a genius if all you're going to do is push everybody who wants to play for fun and be your friend for the sake of having fun and being happy away?"

"I don't know...... We've never gone up against anybody as competitive as that," Sunny replied worriedly. "If we can't get the Unicorn's Eye, how are we supposed to bring everypony's you-know-what back?"

"Sarah, are you sure you can go up against Alphabittle?" Izzy asked, greatly concerned as she walked with her along with Keldeo, who knew what she was thinking.

"If beating him at his own game is the only way to get him to hand over the Eye, I have to do it before Scarlet Nightmare appears again," she reassured her Unicorn friend. "Then, we can find the Earth Pony Hope and once we face down Scarlet and get everyone to stand against her, we're home free."

"You're not going to back down as usual with situations like this, are you, Princess?" quizzed Keldeo. "What if he wants something out of you like your eggs from that dead Night Fury couple we'll been safeguarding from Berk?"

"I have my old crown that I've found amongst my parents' wealth in the treasure room months ago. It'll be no big deal, you guys can make me a new one but whatever time I have with it, will always be the best I've ever had with another thing to remind me of them. What's more, I have your support and faith, that's all I need in order to win."

".......Okay, but be careful, Sarah. Alphabittle can smell fear and he's never lost a match," Izzy relented.

"I've faced down creeps much worse than him along with some humans back in my world. He's got nothing as far as I can see," replied Sarah as she went forward.

Meeting with Alphabittle at his table, she sat down and brought out some gold coins from her family's wealth as she gave the surprised yet intrigued Unicorn leader a hardened glare. "Tea, please," she said lowly.

Alphabittle hummed curiously as he looked at Sarah while a hedgehog-like critter with him brought the princess her drink but she stopped it as it tried to give her some milk, her glare unwavering.

"Hmm....... You look like a strange fellow for someone of your type," Alphabittle began, chuckling smugly at her. "Those eyes of yours, I haven't seen eyes like that in a challenger for some time. I assume you're here for business or something else in mind, right?"

"I get that from ponies all the time," Sarah rebutted simply, unfazed as she sipped her tea. "I take it you're quite the game player with all of those knickknacks you've 'won' from your challengers, right?"

"It passes the time, always looking for a challenge on anything considering I've been a genius for my whole life and a real competitor. Champion of Champions and Master of Games, that's what they all call me. Why, do you play?"

"Of course. In fact, I don't just play games, I win 'em." Alphabittle smirked, finding Sarah to be interesting from her hardened declaration. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. And, what's more, since you're so eager to play, I'll make an offer you can't refuse," she nodded, eying the Unicorn's Eye before pointing at it. "I challenge to play a game for a prize worthy of only my liking, amongst all the crystals you've won from the crystal collector - the Unicorn's Eye!"

This gamble of hers garnered surprised and shocked gasps from virtually every single Unicorn and the Mane Five (sans her oarty from ehr family) in the restaurant as they stopped what they're doing and turned their attention to the duo, just as a shadowy pony figure was lurking in the village and arrived at the Crystal Tea Room.

"That thing...... Hmm-mmm-mmm, do you really think you can beat me?" smirked Alphabittle again. "You really are a strange unicorn, aren't you?" "Only one way to find out and that's to play hard or go home."

"On the contrary, I've been medium-sized according to my tastes," retorted Sarah, bringing out a beautiful crown that was made for her when she would be older back then in Alola's past. "This enough for you, what do you say?"

But, just before Sarah and Alphabittle can get their game duel going, the doors to the Crystal Tea Room were kicked open with a loud BANG, startling everyone as they jumped from the noise. They all turned to find a small, all-black Kantonian Ponyta standing in the busted doorway with a powerful red-eyed glare at Sarah and Alphabittle and gasped in shock.

"Hold it!" the Ponyta called, pointing at the two before it came over to them while everyone else watched on worriedly and suspiciously with a twinge of fear.

"Something tells me that is no ordinary Ponyta," Hitch, Zipp, Sugarcoat, and Sunny whispered, greatly concerned.

"I don't know, Big Bro. Who's that Ponyta going towards Sarah and Alphabittle?"

"Somepony horrible by its appearance, I'd reckon," quipped Shortcake and Siren.

"Watch yourselves, everyone. This could mean trouble," warned Tsukumaro, throwing the black Ponyta a warning glare as it reached Sarah and Alphabittle's table.

"Are you the Unicorn leader and the so-called Master of Games in this lowly pony dump known as Bridlewood, Pops?" asked the black Ponyta (voice reference: Norm - Fairly Oddparents)) bluntly.

"Yes, that's right. I'm the Unicorn leader and the Master of Games," answered Alphabittle, regaining his cocky smirk. "And, throughout my life, since my very first games as a little foal, I've never lost against anypony once. Do you want to play against me for something and lose, too?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," nodded the Ponyta before it pointed to the Unicorn's Eye as well.

"I would also like to challenge you for the Unicorn's Eye. How about it, two-on-one? You obviously know more about any and all games with your know-how. If this Unicorn and myself win, the Unicorn's Eye will be ours. But, if you win, you can start on what special valuables we have, right?"

Sarah was surprised by the appearance of the mysterious black Ponyta and what it was doing for the Unicorn's Eye. She suddenly had the same uneasy feeling about the strange visitor to Bridlewood as her friends and her family had but she didn't want to speak out too much just in case there really is something off about the weird Pokémon before her and everyone else. Deciding to dwell on that later, she looked to the Ponyta curiously.

"Excuse me, are you sure you want to do this? We won't be playing fair by going up against one Unicorn," Sarah questioned the Ponyta, who gave her a soft, sweet look regarding her concerns.

"Where's your sense of competition, Missy? I'm sure we can have fun and win the Unicorn's Eye if we both try hard do our best. Trust me," it said to her before looking back at the amused and still-intrigued Alphabittle.

"........Have it your way, Little Pony," Alphabittle smirked again, feeling overconfident in another victory for him. "But, if you're both going to win it, then you'll have to beat me in one of my favorite duels ever played."

"One of the oldest duels ever known in the history of Ponykind: a duel......of Song!"

"Huh?!" The Mane Five, Nikki, James, Tsukumaro, Sugarcake, Sugarcoat, Keldeo, Rapidash, and Ponyta gawked as they comically faltered.

Sarah and the Ponyta just looked at each other before they nodded with shared smirks and then told him, "Deal/Deal."

"Simple; the winner must sing for me the best reason for giving it to either of you. Make sure your vocals are all warmed up, I'm looking for the best performance between you two. Ready?"

"Let's get it on," they agreed, being led to the stage as they took their positions.

"Fine then/Fine then." Ponyta and Sarah glared at each other before they broke into song.

(Give Me the Wand - Fairly Oddparents Parody - Give me the Jewel)

I'm a swinging P-O-N-Y-T and A
Huh? Hey
Let me tell you
What that spells to me
While I've been collecting gems
Their shiny and new, man
My unicorn powers stopped for me
And that's pretty dang annoying to me
I've got that crazy gem you ponies got
If want the gemstome you'll have to sing alot (Hey!)
To give each and every child a great big smile
To me this means a lot, it ain't no evil plot
Gimme the jewel, and you'll all see
Gimme the jewel, your buddy, I'd be
Gimme the jewel, a-da-do-da-dee
I'll make you a natural blonde
If you give me the jewel
(Shoo-doop-shoo-be-do-wah)

"Okay, he's good." Hitch winced, seeing their chance at getting the Unicorn's Eye more complicated.

(Sarah)
I'm a very selfless young unicorn gal
I'm doin my very best to restore this land
(Shoop-bah-doo-bap-Dooby-doo-wah!)
This grim magic world
Lost all of it spark (Ponyta: Well duh)
But gonna get your powers back
And to restore your land

(Ponyta and Sarah)
Give us the jewel, we'll have a ball
(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow!)

(Alphabittle)
Give me the wand

I'll give you a call

(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow!)

(Alphabittle, Ponyta and Sarah)
Give us the jewel, a-do-doo-dow

(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow!)

We really hope, you all respond

Come on, give us the jewel

(Alphabittle)
Don't be so cruel!

(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow)

(Ponyta and Sarah)
Give us the jewel, and end this duel

(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow)

Give us the wand, a-doo-dah-dee

(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow)

Don't let yourself be ruled

Now give us the jewel!

Everyone was stunned by how well both the black Ponyta and Sarah sang in their duel; between their parts and their clashing reasons for wanting the Unicorn's Eye from Alphabittle, it was hard to tell which one of the two would be able to win the crystal. Even Alphabittle couldn't help but be impressed with both reasons even though he has to choose between one of them.

The others were also amazed by how well Sarah was able to sing and despite the black Ponyta's impressive and sly vocals and the Unicorns were taken by the song by both of them along with Alphabittle's additional vocals in tune with theirs at the tail end.

"Ooooooh! Sarah's got herself some slick vocals!" squealed Izzy excitedly. "She's going to win, I can feel it!"

"If I wasn't so shocked by her singing, I would've live-streamed that until my eyeballs fell!" gasped a stunned Pipp as Hitch was left in stunned silence.

"EEEEEEE!!!!!! Sweet, awesome, radical! Love it, love it, love it, LOOOOOOOOOOVE IT~!"

"You guys never told us she could sing like that!” Sunny's guardians all said, completely flabbergasted over Sarah's singing.

"You'd be surprised about what she can do, even my teachers and I couldn't help but feel impressed when she lets the music take her over," Keldeo smirked.

"I've never known another goddaughter like her and I won't ever will," James, Nikki, and Tsukumaro smiled.

"Well now, I must say, you've both moved me with your impressive vocals and I couldn't be happier," Alphabittle admitted, looking between the pair as he cleared his throat and took the Unicorn's Eye as he thought for a moment. "But, there's only one among you who's given me reason to trust you with the Unicorn's Eye. And, that winner is.........."

Everyone watched with bated breath, wondering who Alphabittle will entrust the Unicorn's Eye to.

He then presented the crystal to.......Sarah, much to her surprise as she held the Unicorn's Eye and took back her crown. "T-Thank you, Alphabittle," she smiled, getting a nod of respect from the Unicorn leader.

She returned to her friends and her family as they all cheered happily for her success. The black Ponyta watched on without any reaction to its loss but when it noticed a tuff of feathers coming from her jacket on her right-hand side, it smirked darkly before it then managed to slip out without being discovered and arousing immediately suspicion as if it had suspected she would win and it was part of some plan it had in mind.

In the midst of the group's celebrations, though, Ponyta was so ecstatic about her human caretaker/aunt winning the Unicorn's Eye that she tackled her happily to the ground and nuzzled her, making her laugh. Her tackle also caused one of her wings to unfurl from her jacket and be exposed, causing the Unicorns to gasp in shock at what she really is.

"An Alicorn?! I thought they were extinct for years!" gawked a flabbergasted Alphabittle.

"And, Pegasi!" spat Zipp, she, Pipp, and Nikki throwing their jackets away and glaring at them, immediately seeing trouble afoot.

"Don't forget about us, you rapscallion!" added Tsukumaro with a glare as he stepped forward and prepared himself to fight while Sunny, James, and Hitch took off their horns and prepared to fight or run.

"Izzy! W-how did you-?!" gasped Alphabittle, seeing Izzy as the Unicorns glared at them.

"Alphabittle, I know it doesn't look like it but trust me when I said we're here to help," Sunny spoke up.

"Help, huh? We've never needed help from anypony, not even from fools like you. Now, give me the crystal," Alphabittle snarled.

"No deal, Alphabittle," spat Sarah as she held the Unicorn's Eye in her magical grasp. "I won fair and square and you can't take back your earlier word since the loser left since he's not here."

"I'll be sure to rectify that immediately once we're through with you. You tricked me when you made the offer and now that I see through your ugly mug, you can consider our earlier deal off. The crystal, NOW!"

"Uh......Wait! Magic! Wing! Feather! Pokemon! Dragon! MAYONNAISE!!!" Hitch cried out in panic, causing Alphabittle and the other unicorns to cry out in panic and perform their Jinxie ritual again.

"Ha...........HAH!!!" bellowed Keldeo, quickly firing a Focus Blast at the startled Unicorns, blasting at them and leaving them stunned and dazed all over the restaurant from the power of his attack. "Now's our chance, c'mon!"

"Go, go, go!" cried Sunny, urging everybody to run out of Bridlewood as they got the Unicorn's Eye, leaving the Crystal Tea Room for the rest of the party.

"You'll regret this, YOU'LL REGRET THIS!!!!!!!" yelled an outraged but still stunned Alphabittle he and the other Unicorns with him were left high and dry.

With both the Unicorn's Eye and the Wings of Loyalty with them, the group managed to run into the force and then head into a clearing where they found Sarah's entire family waiting for them, the clearing acting as a makeshift safe spot for them.

"I suppose you all ran into trouble finding the Unicorn's Eye?" put in Zeraora.

"Let's hope you managed to remember it since you didn't forget about Aunt Sarah this time!" Wildfire added.

"Alright, Kid, what kind of mess did you all get into this time?" quizzed Mischief.

But then, everyone heard some nearby bushes rustling until they saw Queen Haven, managing to escape from prison but looking a little ruffled.

Zipp and Pipp soon got their answer when Queen Haven's pet and Hitch's unintentional critter crush, Cloudpuff, suddenly burst out of the bushes and tackled said pony (screaming as he was startled by her appearance) to the ground. After reuniting with him, Hitch discovered that she had his badge in her mouth that he lost during the whole scuffle for the Wings of Loyalty, which was how she and Queen Haven were able to track them down.

"Ah! Is that-Yes! My badge, oh, my lovely badge! I promise I'll never leave you alone again!" he hollered happily, glad to have his sheriff's badge back.

"Oh, my little fillies! I'm so glad that we found you, I know it's hard for us ever since this debacle started but we can still make things right," Queen Haven smiled to her daughters. "Now, why don't we just go back to Zephyr Heights and explain everything that happened. You know, spin the story and then, they'll love us again, right?"

Zipp and Pipp looked at each other worriedly but before they could voice their opinions to her and explain that they needed their extended family and friends back more than anything, they saw a disheveled Alphabittle and a few unicorns (including one of the foals they've previously seen) that had recovered from the ordeal and had gone through the trouble of chasing them.

"Listen, let us explain-!" Izzy and Sunny began frantically before Zoom, Thunder, and an eight Pegasus guard platoon arrived.

"Aha! There you are, Your Ex-Queen Criminal Highness Haven!" spat Zoom, still sore from her and her fellow Pegasi being lied to. "You've given us the slip for the last time and you're coming with us!"

"AH! Look out, Unicorns!" Thunder cried, throwing a tennis ball at the Unicorns which did nothing.

"Ahem..... Return the Unicorn's Eye to us and never come back!" snarled Alphabittle.

"HA! Your crystals? They rightly belong to us, unlike you conniving horned maims!" spat Queen Haven.

"You're not welcome here!" the other three unicorns growled as the two kinds looked ready to fight each other, making the unicorn foal scared.

"Surrender the crystal or I'll use my powers against you!" Alphabittle threatened.

"Will, you, all, SHUT UP????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed an aggravated Eternatus, finally having enough of the Pegasi and Unicorns arguing and his agitated roar terrifying the two pony tribes and nearly deafening everybody as they were forced to cover or fold their ears and look to him when he had finished and took a deep breath. "Thank you......."

"Was that really necessary?" asked Sarah incredulously, shaking her head to regain her bearings.

"Sorry, but these idiotic children with us are all making me sick with their boisterous and sickening squabbles and I can't stand it any longer," Eternatus replied, shaking his own head and sighing again. "I've been meaning to do that since they needed to have the truth told to them. We're already on a stupid time crunch as it is."

"Uh, t-t-thanks, Eternatus........" replied Sunny, before she cleared her throat and spoke again, "As we've been trying to say, NOPONY HAS MAGIC! But, we're here to bring it back."

Everyone sans the Mane Five and their entire party gasped in shock and surprise as the bombshell dropped and they tried to wrap their heads around what Sunny had just told them.

“This is a trick, there's no way,” a female unicorn, Zoom, and Thunder whispered in complete bewilderment.

"I know it sounds impossible to you all but trust is, this is going to work and then, we'll all have our magic back!" Sunny pleaded.

"Children, you don't really believe-?" Queen Haven began in denial before Pipp and Zipp turned to her with pleading looks.

"Mom, please! This could be our only chance; if our magic is back, then we can start all over again!" begged Pipp.

"Please, Mom, we can't go on like this," added Zipp. "Don't you remember Tamu and Ryu and what they, Sefu, Drake, and our Pokemon friends did.......? Don't you want them back, too?"

"Pipp, Zipp, I........." Queen Haven began, her previous resolve faltering after she was reminded of her sister figure and best friend until she gave a relenting groan and agreed. "Oh, alright, but only for now."

"Hmph, you're wasting your time, kid," Alphabittle scoffed before Twilight and her brother appeared and pointed their tails threateningly at the Unicorn leader, spooking him as he gave a frightened yelp at them along with his fellow Unicorns.

"These scorpion tails of ours are filled with the deadliest poison known to man and dragons where we come from and they pack a paralyzing punch!"

"Anybody who dares to harm our friends and our family, especially our rider, Sarah, will know our trick known as the Two-Sting Fatality! Got it?!" Twilight and Dawn’s fully-grown children threatened menacingly.

"Good!” nodded Dawn as he and Twilight lowered their tails but kept their glares on them.

Standing in front of everyone, Sunny got out the Wings of Loyalty and Izzy got out the Unicorn's Eye. "Ready, Izzy?" Sunny asked, prepared to make the big moment happen.

The two friends then put the crystals together but to Sunny's shock, as they were combined together, nothing happened.

"What? I-I don't understand it," she breathed, becoming frantic as she tried again. "It's not working, it has to! Why isn't it working?!"

"I think I know why........" Sarah replied, deciding to let her Earth Pony friend and everyone else know what she and her family had discovered from the flashback of Ryu's final memory as she took the crystals and saw the empty center from them.

"Sunny, didn't you remember the flashback of that final battle against Scarlet Nightmare and what Zipp and Pipp's extended family and friends did? Ryu and Helioseon along with their siblings and friends created three Equestrian Crystals; we've only collected two of them which are the Unicorn's Eye and the Wings of Loyalty. You still need to find the Earth Pony Hope but, even if you do........ That alone won't be able to bring magic back, it's impossible."

"What are you talking about?" Alphabittle, Queen Haven, and Thunder gasped in shock as the Pegasi and Unicorns voiced their opinions as well.

Sarah sighed as she shook her head at the Pegasi and Unicorns and spoke out when they're done after silencing them with a raised hoof, "I mean, the real magic that you have in the entire world is the friendship, the love, the trust you have for each other........ The very things you've forsaken after Scarlet Nightmare's actions caused you to tear yourselves apart and turn your backs on the ones you protected you and destroy your friendships, love, and trust between each other and them!"

"I can't believe you are all stupid to believe you would think of yourselves as self-sufficient and independent to survive in this broken world but you've proven my and my family's suspicions about all of you correct. Yes, Scarlet Nightmare may have been the one to leave you all broken, afraid, and shaken to the point where you can't hope to trust each other again but instead of turning to the ones who supported you for help, you backstabbed them and decided to kick them out of your world out of fear! They didn't deserve that nor asked for it to happen, not after what Ryu and the others did to save you all!"

As Sarah spoke and admonished everyone that had been fighting, despite some of them being stubborn and not wanting to admit to her being right about their actions and what they've done, her consistent mentioning of Scarlet Nightmare started to get the attention of some of the other ponies with them. They either had heard of the legend involving her before but thought nothing of it or just passed her off as another fairy tale but what they all didn't know was that said Alicorn mare was lying and waiting to appear and from within their shadows, she chuckled darkly in amusement, enjoying the ponies tearing each other apart as if that's what she wanted while she listened in.

"But, you know how things would be for all of us if the dragons and Pokemon were to remain with us!"

"Why should we invite them back in when they'll eventually turn on us and claim Equestria and the world for themselves?"

"They'll have some sort of elaborate scheme planned behind our backs and they'll kill us just as-!" two Pegasus guards and a Unicorn stallion tried to argue.

"SILENCE!" Sarah bellowed angrily, making the three of them shut up as they closed their mouths and perform a zipping motion over them while the rest of the Unicorns and Pegasi, even Queen Haven and Alphabittle, flinched in fear of her.

"Look at yourselves, everyone! You're becoming nothing more than savage monsters ever since you've banished the Pokemon and dragons after Scarlet was first defeated all those moons ago! This is what you really are and what happens when you let your fear, anger, hatred, and distrust for everyone and everything around you catch hold of you and take you over! You're letting it all stem from the aftermath of that one event divide you and develop misconceptions about one another, deepening the rift between you all and causing all of Equestria's magic to disappear and your work to become broken as it slowly eats you alive!"

The little princess did her best to control herself as she continued on with her speech, determined to help the ponies finally see the light and discover what their previous actions had brought them. Her family and the Mane Five could see how hard she was trying not to break down again after what happened with Queen Haven at Zephyr Heights last time and it was once again starting to take its toll but she pressed on, vowing not to crack again.

"You want to know why my family and I are able to use magic? It's because we still have our friendship, we're a family; that's how it's meant to be. That's the true mark of Equestria and where the magic really comes from. Sure, we may not be a normal family for the most part and we may be the strangest family ever known but that doesn't matter! What mattered to us is that the love, our friendship, and trust we have for each other remained strong and it's continued to grow stronger over the years despite everything being thrown in our path," she told everybody passionately yet calmly.

"You all have a chance to make everything right again if you just trust us now to finish what has been started by my parents, the Alicorns who once crossed over here during their previous rule: King Doug and Queen Delilah. To finally learn the true Magic of Friendship and learn to trust each other again, that's what they would want for all of us, for me......."

Sarah looked between them and answered for everyone to hear, a tear rolling down her left eye as the memories played again, "Because, before my family and I came here, they gave their lives to save me and our kingdom many years ago in our world. Back when I was only a baby......."

The Pegasi, Unicorns, and their leaders gasped in total shock, all of them flabbergasted as they wondered why Doug and Delilah didn't come back if they knew them before.

"Y-Y-You mean........ You're actually an orphan, and, the Earth Pony and Pegasus with you are........?" Hitch began, spluttering in shock before trailing off as he didn't know about Sarah's past prior to his joining the group.

Even Pipp was stunned by the bombshell revelation that had dropped with the fact that Sarah was an orphan and when she realized that Nikki and James are her adopted parents and not her real ones. She was even thrown off from hearing that the human-turned-Alicorn basically had her previous life ripped away from whatever had plagued her and her real parents back in their world when she was only a baby.

When she was finished, she returned the crystals to a sympathetic Izzy and Sunny as they gave her comforting looks. "This has to be why Ryu, Tamu, and the others trusted them back then to seal Scarlet and her creations away when she first attacked Equestria. And, now, you have to do the same if you want to restore your magic and your homeland and finish Scarlet Nightmare off for good!" she concluded, making her point clear.

"But, that's impossible! Scarlet Nightmare is nothing but an old mare's tale," Zoom replied skeptically.

"She's been gone for several moons by now! She would've already been nothing but dust in the wind!" scoffed another Unicorn.

"Oh, my little ponies....... Some things never leave you even when somepony such as myself once left this world behind," chuckled a voice that startled everyone as they looked around, Sarah, her family, and the Mane Five gathering together as they braced themselves for what's to come.

"Someone's out here besides us!" Sunny cried as she held onto the Wings of Loyalty as the chuckle slowly grew into low mocking laughter.

"Who's there?" Queen Haven demanded, looking around along with her guards, their previous grievances forgotten.

The low chuckle grew into a burst of demonic female laughter as everyone became even more uneasy and tried to stay strong but couldn't and before they could understand what the hell's going on, a gust of wind blew as the skies darkened. Then, in a flash of lightning amongst a series of shadowy flames coming from everyone's shadows, the main culprit behind Equestria's decline and the loss of everyone's magic (sans that belonging to Sarah, James, Tsukumaro, and Nikki) herself appeared in her physical form, the Alicorn Angel of Darkness herself: Scarlet Nightmare.

The ponies all gasped and screamed in shock and horror at seeing the supposed old mare's tale being back from her imprisonment and in the flesh while she gave a demonic smile to them, eager for her revenge and to enact her new plan of attack.

"No....... I-I-Is that.....?" Alphablittle stuttered, feeling small in Scarlet's presence.

"That's her! The one who Ryu and the others fought with along with King Doug and Queen Delilah!" Pipp cried, pointing at the Angel of Darkness.

"Scarlet Nightmare......" snarled Zipp, seething at the evil mare who took her big brother away from her.

"How can this be? She's not supposed to be here!" panicked Hitch before being shushed from an equally horrorstruck Sunny.

"So, you're the one they called Scarlet Nightmare, am I right?" Tsukumaro asked, steeling himself along with his family to fight as they got into defensive positions.

"Well, quite a glittering assemblage here, I see. Fallen royalty, delusional horned nobility, the exotic gentry, and...... Oh, how quaint, even the optimistic rabble," Scarlet Nightmare (voice reference: Maleficent - Disney's Sleeping Beauty) began, gesturing slyly towards everyone around her and irking Zipp as she tried to charge at her but was stopped by Pipp and her mother.

Scarlet chuckled as she continued, "I really felt quite distressed at not being given a welcome home party-"

"Not wha-Heh..... Oh dear, what an awkward situation, really. I had hoped we could come together again on equal terms, especially since you've been helping in my return ever since my first assault all those moons ago." The Angel of Darkness then turned to Sarah who had her parents' heirlooms on her and was ready to fight.

"So, you're the daughter of the ones responsible for my imprisonment. Hmm-Mmm-Mmm, I would've expected something more from the only daughter of King Doug and Queen Delilah, much more, but the fact that you stand here before me now and you have their heirlooms suggests to me that you are indeed no ordinary child."

"B-B-But, tha-that's not possible!" Alphabittle denied, slowly losing his previous nerve.

"How did you escape? Ryu and the others all banished you to the ends of the earth along with every last one of your demons!" Queen Haven exclaimed in disbelief.

"Bravo, bravo, an extraordinary deduction, Your Highness. And, in all honesty, regarding my being free, I would very much like to thank you for setting me free. You obviously seemed so surprised to see me back at my full strength and you thought there was some other force behind it when you've been responsible for my return to grace this whole time."

"What do you mean?" Alphabittle questioned, standing in front of his fellow unicorns as they cowered behind him while he steeled himself. "You must've done something to our magic and now, you'll return it to-!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my dear Alphabittle. For you see, my beautiful slaves, my Shadow Dragons and Shadow Pokemon, all feed off of your fear, distrust, hatred, and paranoia of each other, and as your so-called 'magic of friendship' grows weaker until it is but a mere fairy tale, we grow stronger as we kept feeding off of your xenophobia......... Yes, Alphabittle, it was you and every last Unicorn, Earth Pony, and Pegasus that bought me back and killed Equestria."

"It was you all who killed off your only means of defense by banishing your own Pokemon and dragon friends, YOU who turned against each other and lost your own magic by making each other enemies!"

"But, why?!" demanded Queen Haven, badly shaken from the truth along with every last one of the other ponies with her, Alphabittle, and the Mane Five.

"Because you immediately suspected the worst and wanted to save your own skins. You'll find that fear and paranoia can indeed be powerful weapons for you to use against one another; not that you even knew what you were doing since you've dismissed my legend at first glance after hearing about it, you knew about it because you or your families before you were there all those moons ago when I made my attack and when those blasted lizards, those runts for Pokemon, and those meddling Alicorns imprisoned me and you've helped me to escape after the prospect of my return became too much for you to bear. I've been waiting for moons for my release and when I felt a dwindling power around me in the middle of my 'sentence', I realized that because Doug and Delilah's seal relied on the magic of friendship from all of you coming together and trusting each other, you've given me a hail mary of my own for my return......."

Everyone couldn't believe what they were hearing, especially the ponies when the bombshell dropped as Scarlet continued.

"I knew right then and there that as long as you would be fearful of one another and see yourselves as enemies and if someone should ever find the Equestrian Crystals, they would bring me back just to bring the magic back. And so, ever since you've cut yourselves off from each other and back to your designated tribes, my babies and I have been feeding off of your ongoing xenophobia, your fear of the unknown, and your hatred for others for something trivial as bringing back friendship, just to prepare for my grand return so I can have my revenge......"

Scarlet chuckled darkly as she allowed everything she said to sink in. "Yes, my friends, I knew you would sink so low into becoming savage beasts towards each other and you've helped to accelerate my return," she taunted.

"But, my parents stopped you along with their friends the first time! And now, my family, friends, and I are going to do the same to you!" Sarah yelled in defiance.

"But, why go through all of this? Why didn't she just ask us to help her with her power?" Izzy replied, wondering why Scarlet would plan such a scheme.

"I know why! Because, if we had realized what everything we're doing would lead to her coming back, we would've come up with more elaborate plans to counter her return and get everypony to fully trust each other along with the dragons and ponies again!" Sunny gasped in shock.

"But, even you can't even begin to comprehend the power that I now have thanks to all of you and your tearing each other apart for all these moons! No mere mortal can......" sneered Scarlet.

"You've been eating too much fear and mistrust and watching too many horror movies for your own good to do pull something like this, Scarlet Nightmare!" Zipp snapped. "And, since you took my big brother from me, I'll make you pay for this!"

"A typical mortal response as usual from a pony of such spunk, Zipp Storm. But, unlike your Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends and family of old, of whom I've killed one by one since they never stood a chance against me when fear and hatred took hold of this land again, I'm a superior being of pure magic and hatred incarnate. And, now that my demons and I are free to enact our revenge, I shall take over Equestria and remake it as one land under my image as it was meant to be! But, first........" She then smirked at the little princess before she fired a spell that immediately paralyzed her and allowed her to be snatched away and dragged over to her.

"What they said! As the Sheriff, I order you to put her down!" The Mane Five, James, Nikki, and Tsukumaro shouted at her, seeing Sarah in her magical grasp.

"Unhand King Doug and Queen Delilah's daughter, this instant!" demanded Blitz, Curly, Skystorm, Hurricane, Silvally, and Calyrex.

"You're no match for Master Sarah when she breaks free, then you'll be sorry!" snapped Hashimoto.

Scarlet Nightmare just cackled before she gave a taunting smirk towards everybody gathered, "No, you're no match for your own selves since the darkness has taken everyone over thanks to your fear and paranoia of each other because you have no more magic to fight me with and you've lost your only protectors. I, on the other hand, am the hero who's going to save Equestria from destruction. But first, I think I'll have some fun with Doug and Delilah's daughter while my beauties and I work towards your land's downfall and then the world......."

"You won't get away with this, Scarlet Nightmare, you fiend!" Magearna angrily called, devastated as she helplessly watched Scarlet continuing to hold her charge in her grasp as she gave a final taunting smirk towards the Artificial Pokemon. "Oh, I already have......." she finished with a final dark smirk before she disappeared with Sarah in tow.

"NOOOOOOOO/NOOOOOOO/NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sarah's friends and family screamed in horror.

"Princess!!!!!!!!!" Magearna shouted again as she cried and broke down over the loss of her charge, being separated not long after they were finally together. Sunny was horrified by everything that had happened and with Sarah being taken, she was left broken and with a feeling of hopelessness. "SARAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed, devastated.

It wasn't easy for them to escape when Scarlet's forces appeared as they ran but with Sarah's family's help, they were able to keep going despite nearly being killed one too many times. Once they were out of danger and they felt they were safe as they reached another forest to take shelter in until a plan could be made, everyone was at a loss over what to do now. Things had never been this out of hand before and they have no idea what to do since they've never even considered going up against Scarlet again.

"Did we lose them?" Salamence as he comforted a frightened Eevee and Skitty.

"I don't know but I did lose my lunch back there while running," groaned Dracozolt as he tried to hold his stomach in and not throw up, looking green in the face.

"AAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!! I hate all of this!" screamed Talonflame furiously, really hating how things were going.

"Thisssss issss a total dissssaster, I just can't believe it......." moaned Seviper, feeling miserable as he curled around a crying Magearna and did his best to comfort Sarah's distraught guardian.

"We just got our tails whipped by the worst pony ever to exist in this whole adventure!" fretted Stufful.

"What'll we do now, Sunny? We gotta do something," Zipp asked the devastated Earth Pony. "We've got to take down Scarlet if we're going to have any chance of getting Sarah back and finding the Earth Pony Hope!"

"But how, dear? You heard what she said; we can't fly, the Unicorns have no magic, and we've only got a handful of dragons and Pokemon on us to help stop this fight!" Queen Haven pointed out, already losing hope. "She's getting more and more powerful with all of the hatred, fear, and mistrust she and her demons can all feed and it's all our fault!"

"There's still a chance we can fix all of this, right, Sunny?" Izzy asked, only to hear nothing from Sunny.

"Are you okay......?" she asked again along with Nikki and James, everyone seeing the Earth Pony now completely broken.

"I thought it could work before Sarah made us realize we were missing the Earth Pony Hope, I thought I could do the right thing......." she said to everyone with her in total despair, resorting to taking the crystals and giving them back to their owners, Alphabittle and Queen Haven looking on in surprise and bewilderment before she decided to leave for Maretime Bay. "I'm so sorry for causing you all this trouble......."

"Where are you going?" Zipp and Pipp asked worriedly as they, Izzy, and Hitch tried to follow as everyone else watched in worry and hopelessness.

"I'm going home, everypony," Sunny replied simply, no longer having the drive to fight anymore.

"But, what about Sarah, are you really just going to abandon her? You're her friend, we all are! She needs us!" Izzy begged.

"What about us, Scarlet is at full power now because of everything we and everypony else have done since she was sealed away the first time! I thought that I could make a difference, to take the first step and show everybody that we can be more than just enemies and just friends with our own kind....... But, the truth is, while everyone else helped to accelerate her return, I was the one to instigate her coming back in full force and taking Sarah from us. Everything bad that's happened to us since you both and her family first came to Maretime Bay, Izzy, is my fault. Everywhere I go, I just make things worse........"

"That's not true! We've faced problems like this before, we can get through this together! Right?"

"Of course!" Pipp and Zipp added reassuringly, only failing to convince Sunny otherwise.

"I'm really sorry that I've let you all down including Sarah," she finished sadly, turning away from everybody and just making her way home.

Everyone was shocked and further devastated that the pony who had the most hope for Equestria's survival and the return of the Pokemon and dragons along with the evil Alicorn's defeat had all but given up hope.

"Oh, what are we gonna do?" asked Shortcake, not liking Sunny being so down on herself and losing hope with everything that had happened and Scarlet's return.

"What else can we do, Shortcake? Scarlet won and with Sarah in her grasp, we're already at her mercy," frowned Sugarcoat solemnly, nuzzling her and Siren's younger sister.

"Let's just go home and see if we can help her," Siren replied before he turned to the Pegasi and Unicorns sans Zipp, Pipp, and Izzy. "I hope you and the other Earth Ponies are all happy with what you've done. Is it all worth it just to have them for your own and all of the pain that had come because of your own fear and xenophobia and for your peoples' own safety, now?"

None one of the two pony tribes before everybody didn't know what to think or even admit it if they're too proud to say it as Sunny's guardians left to rejoin their charge but what can they say after everything they've done, intentionally or unintentionally? Izzy was the most devastated in seeing Sunny having already given up due to her own mistakes and her own part in Scarlet's revival as she didn't know what to think. And, realizing that Sunny was really beating herself up hard, Hitch decided to join her and try to comfort her, even if he also played a part in everything that happened and started her journey.

"I guess this is goodbye...... Friends," he replied sorrowfully, now realizing that he and Sunny are parting ways with their new friends.

"Better hurry, we'll think of something. Don't worry," reassured Zipp. Nodding gently, Hitch hurried to catch up with Sunny and her Pokemon guardians, leaving everybody else wondering what they should do while Sarah's family looked to each other and nodded in shared determination before silently leaving.

Pokemon Alola Journey - Trials of Sarah: Journey for the Royal Family Arc 1 - MLP: A New Generation

by Zipp Storm

Friendship Worth Fighting For