Equestria. The Crystal Empire. Day.
Arriving at the Crystal Empire were Ash and Pikachu along with the seemingly permanent tagalong of Sombra's Shadow. Or at least for now is what Sombra believed. He saw one other option to free himself from Ash and return to form.
And it would be from a pony that apparently resides in the Crystal Empire. Somepony important that Sombra knew about. Once they arrived, immediately, all eyes were on Ash. Or rather Sombra, who was floating next to Ash.
"K-King Sombra!" One pony dropped her vase upon seeing the previous ruler, having a terrified expression. Another had fainted afterwards. Many were terrified. But some not so much considering Ash and Pikachu were close. That gave them some peace of mind but the fear could still be seen in their eyes.
And Sombra enjoyed that.
"Hahaha!" He cackled maniacally, relishing in their fears as they started running around in a frenzy, crashing into things in the process. "It's pleasant to know that even in this form, they can't help but fear me. Excellent." To indulge in this some more, Sombra started moving his floating head, leaving behind a trail of shadows always.
And it seemed that all of these fears made him stronger from what Ash could tell. Sombra went to greater lengths than before. Sombra looked at cowering ponies and their frantic movements. "That's right. Fear me. For soon, once my body is free from that brat you call a hero, I will personally-"
"Alright, that's enough." Ash pulled Sombra back by moving backwards, interrupting his words. "You're just scaring everyone right now. We didn't come here for that, did we?"
"Let me have my fun, boy. After days of being stuck to you and having to listen to so much unnecessary drabble from you and your friends that make me sick, this is my greatest relief yet."
"There's a lot more you can enjoy than just doing that." Ash wagged his finger with Pikachu doing the same. "It's all about finding what's fun, ya know."
"Hmph. This is my enjoyment. Nothing satisfies me more than the absolute rule that I once had and will retain, plus the fears that just ooze from every living creature out there. What else could do that?"
"Well...you looked pretty interested in Pokemon Battles." By replying to Sombra, Ash put on a grin as those words caught Sombra off guard.
"As if I'd enjoy them!" He bellowed.
"Nah, I totally saw you," Ash said otherwise. He had definitely seen how Sombra took some visible interest in Pokemon Battles, whether it was from Ash or someone else. "I don't blame you. Those Pokemon Battles get the blood pumping, don't they?"
"Tch...I suppose I do find some amusement in them." Sombra admitted it. Pokemon Battles were interesting to him. They were to anyone. "But anything beyond that is impossible."
"Not exactly. Come on, I'll show you." Ash and Pikachu were prepared to show Sombra how much enjoyment someone can have. Especially when it involves something they have never involved themselves. And by doing so, many ponies simply kept their distance each time they approached with Sombra staring them down.
Ash and Pikachu stopped by one of the Contest Halls that were found here in the Crystal Empire. They took a peek through the window, seeing that a Pokemon Contest was already underway. Flashy moves were being shown and improvised in the process for the sake of appeal. And they certainly were exactly appealing to the eyes. Eye candy to be exact. Sombra took a clear look, trying to ignore it by shifting his eyes. But each time he did so, his eyes would shift back to the flashy view. Especially when it came to the second rounds of Contests that involved battling.
Ash and Pikachu continued to show Sombra what else there was to enjoy. Especially with Pokemon. They went to buy some ice cream as the ice cream vendor there shuddered in fear upon seeing Sombra floating there. Sombra then tried using his magic to feed into the vendor's fears, only for Ash to hold out a piece of ice cream that he had both, showing it to Sombra.
Sombra raised an eyebrow as Ash had offered him ice cream. Sombra denied it immediately while Pikachu started enjoying his. However, Sombra did hear a grumble and that did not come from Ash. Hiding within Ash and choosing to stay in solitude until he was freed certainly caused problems for him. Especially in the hunger department.
"Grr...Give me the ice cream at once!" He growled with disdainful remorse, demanding that Ash would give him the ice cream. Once Ash held it in his position, Sombra took one lick. And that one lick made his eyes bulge and face pause for a moment. "This is...This is..."
"Pretty great, right?"
"Pikachu."
"Hmph. It certainly catches my attention." Not wanting to be honest and show any positive signs to Ash, he gave an underestimation to the ice cream as he continued to lick it. "But ah! Why am I even doing this?! I ordered you to come here to find one pony, didn't I?!"
"Oh yeah. Who are you talking about by the way? It's gotta be someone super important, right?"
"Pika-Pika?"
"Important enough for me to acknowledge her existence. Then again, I could never forget her, regrettably. "Sombra turned away from Ash before looking at the distance. "Her name is Radiant Hope."
"Radiant Hope?"
"If there was ever one pony in the Crystal Empire who could match my intellect, it would be her. My choices are spread thin right now and I need this one choice to count. Do you understand?" He leaned in, getting all up-close in Ash's face.
"Uh...yeah. Sounds good to me." Ash replied, giving a firm thumbs-up. "Sounds like you've got a friend that you can count on."
"Pah! She's not my friend!" Sombra then pulled back.
"Hoh? Then what is she?" Ash then gave a cheeky grin, nudging Sombra a couple of times. A visible anger vein appeared on his head with his fangs bearing. "Ah, she's way more, right? Sombra, you've been holding out on us."
"Pika-Pikachu." Pikachu did the same, giving an equally cheeky grin to Sombra.
"You two are pushing your luck right now!" Sombra roared, causing them both to laugh in the process. The previous ruler of the Crystal Empire. "How pestering..."
"Hahaha! Ah, it's okay. No shame in having someone close to you. You've told me a lot, actually. It's mostly just about how you used to rule the place. So it's okay if you can tell me all about Radiant Hope."
"How did it come to this...?" Sombra sighed, feeling powerless yet again in the face of Ash.
"Sombra?!" Shouting out his name were the current rulers of the Crystal Empire. Hearing all of the screamings and panicking outside upon Sombra's name were Princess Cadence and Shining Armor.
"Ah, look who it is." Sombra floated in their direction with Aegislash and Sylveon getting in front of their trainers. "My, how I loathe you two so much. But less than the one I am currently attached to."
"We heard about that. And it's way more hilarious up close." Cadence's serious expression then turned into a smug one, knowing how powerless Sombra was right now. "How does it feel to be the powerless one now, hm?" She called back to when Sombra returned, draining Cadence's magical power when trying to defend the empire from his approach.
"Why you!" Sombra was easily provoked by that. He was the one aiming to provoke, only for it to reverse and strike him instead. Furious, he moved his shadow forward some more, growling at Cadence. But he was promptly stopped when he realized the limit his shadow could reach. Cadence stood still, knowing that Sombra couldn't get any closer. "Curses! Brat! Move one step forward now!"
"You have no power here." Shining Armor then raised his hoof, smirking and pushing Sombra back with a simple push. "Being stuck to Ash isn't the kind of punishment I was hoping for but, eh."
"It won't be for long. Once I am freed, I will do much worse things to you than just keeping you restrained like before. So unfathomable beyond compare."
"Pssh. Not with how things are right now." Shining Armor shrugged. "I mean, mostly everypony in the Crystal Empire can handle you thanks to their Pokemon. You're not that big of a threat anymore."
"Hoh...Am I not? Then allow me to demonstrate my power is boundless. Right, this instant!" Sombra then faced some Sableye that were nearby, deciding to take advantage of them. His eyes flashed, releasing the usual green magic he wields. He made contact with the Sableye, immediately putting them under a spell.
"S-Sableye...?"
"Now then. Watch how I am not to be underestimated even in lesser appearances. Sableye, correct? Tear everything here down!"
"Eye..." The Sableye stood there for a moment before taking immediate action. Sombra grinned, believing that his control would pan out. Except it didn't. The Sableye did take action, but the best they did was lunge on some walls and start gnawing on them, getting a fill of crystals.
The Sableye weren't visible threats at all right now. More like a nuisance that was just so happening to eat from the walls. This was their best attempt at tearing things down as Sombra looked with disappointment.
"Not a word." He already knew that Cadence and Shining would say something to try and irritate him. "Even my mind control is limited. Fears are all that I can do now."
The guards went to remove the Sableye from the walls, preventing them from continuing their feast. They would still get crystals to eat, just not residential places.
"But, it isn't over yet. I still have Radiant Hope as much as it pains me to mention her. I demand you both show me the way to her right this instant."
"Radiant Hope?" Cadence and Shining both said, confused. "Who?" It seemed that they weren't aware of a pony named Radiant Hope.
"What? You're the new rulers. You should know of all of your subjects in this empire."
"Well...you got us there. I don't know anypony named Radiant Hope." Cadence shrugged, revealing that neither she nor Shining Armor knew about Radiant Hope. This was even their first time hearing her name.
"Impossible...She should've returned when the Crystal Empire had resurfaced. Unless..." Sombra then thought about it for a moment. At this moment, flashbacks were moving through his head. Flashbacks of an older time. "She did go to them...so it would stand to reason that she wouldn't be here anymore."
"Uh...Where then?" Ash asked. "And who did she go to?"
"Radiant Hope is the one who went to Celestia and Luna, informing them of my existence. Thus, that led to mine and the Empire's banishment all those years ago." Sombra revealed to them
"Seriously?!" Ash pulled back along with Cadence and Shining Armor.
"So that was her?!" Cadence bellowed. "Good on her." She then smiled, giving an approving nod, only for Sombra to scoff at her.
"Tch. By this point, she is far gone. No longer a resident of the Crystal Empire. I came back here for what?" Sombra was visibly annoyed. The trip to the Crystal Empire didn't matter at all.
"Well, what's stopping us from trying to find her?" But Ash wasn't ready to give up this search for Radiant Hope.
"Ash what are you doing?!" Cadence gasped, surprised that Ash was willing to help King Sombra. But then again, it didn't come as much as a surprise. He never needs many if not any reasons to help someone. "Hah...you're a pure-hearted guy Ash, but maybe sometimes in the wrong situations."
"Her home. That's it!" Sombra then had a spark of genius in his mind. "We are going to her home at once! I still remember it vividly. This time, I'm bringing you along!" Just then, Sombra had added some extra effort, causing Ash to move.
"Woah!" Ash had been dragged by Sombra. For once, he was unable to control his own movements for the most part. But eventually, he decided to come along to see this old home. Shining Armor and Cadence decide to follow. Mostly because of Sombra's presence and the curiosity of the pony named Radiant Hope. Sombra recalled the location of Radiant Hope's old home. And to this day, it was still standing.
They appeared before the house as it was located near the outskirts of the Crystal Empire. Despite still standing, parts of it had been torn to pieces by the flow of time. Cobwebs filled the labyrinth of cracks and heaps of snow covered whatever was left. Broken branches and leaves were added onto it as well while the tall grasses of the unkempt gardens sway in the wind.
"This is it huh...?" Ash and the others gazed at the building. "Wonder why no one's ever been here for a while?"
"Because of how important she was. Nopony would dare approach this building for even a second. I doubt even you two knew of its existence." Sombra turned to Cadence and Shining.
"He's got us there..." Shining Armor muttered under his breath. The door had then been opened via Sombra's magic. In fact, it was unlocked the entire time, possibly for decades at this point.
The inside was not as bad as the outside. But the passage of time has certainly bogged it down. Those cobwebs from before were present even inside. And seen within the house were Sableye, snacking on some crystals. "Sableye?"
"Out!" Sombra exclaimed, scaring the Sableye as they quickly rushed out of Radiant Hope's home.
"Is there something important here she left behind?" Ash asked.
"Only one thing. A diary. I knew of it as she would sometimes show it to me, writing down every crucial moment in her life. And I for certain know of a few. Especially my first banishment."
"Sombra, I hate to break it to you...Not really, but...Wouldn't she not be around anymore?" Sombra asked. "She went to Princess Celestia and Luna thousands of years ago to stop you. I'm certain that-"
"She is around. Clearly, you haven't looked into the Crystal Heart as intensively as I have." The previous ruler of the Crystal Empire flew over Ash's head before getting up close and personal with Cadence. "If you must know, the Crystal Heart has the power to dictate your future."
"It does?!" The three of them bellowed as this was new information to them.
"Precisely. Look into it and your future will be seen. And Radiant Hope's future was depicted as a princess. Most likely, she could be an alicorn by now, meaning that her existence is still present. As to be expected from one of Celestia's former students."
"And she used to be Celestia's student too...? Man, she got a lot, huh?" said an impressed Ash Ketchum.
"Wait a second." Now it was Cadence's turn to spark something within her mind. "If she was Celestia's student before...then Celestia might know about her!"
"Oh, you're right! Luckily she's got her own Xtransceiver now! But she never uses it that much." Ash scratched his head before pulling out his Xtransceiver.
"Works better than telepathy sometimes." Cadence tapped her horn. "Sometimes, telepathy just shows up at the worst time and all that." The Xtrasnceiver rang for a total of 7 seconds after Ash selected Celestia's Trainer Number.
"Hello? Ash." Celestia spoke, facing Ash. "Good to see you as always, how are you and Pikachu?"
"Great as ever. I-"
"Start talking, Celestia." Cutting Ash off was Sombra who shoved Ash out of the way, getting into the full view of the Xtransceiver. Celestia pulled her face away from the device after being slightly jump scared by Sombra's sudden appearance. "Where is Radiant Hope now?"
"Radiant Hope?!" Celestia, much like Ash, Cadence, Shining Armor and their Pokemon, was shocked. Mainly shocked to hear that name. "Oh...Radiant Hope..." Her tone then lowered. "Why do you want to know?"
"Why exactly? Obviously, she was the one who went crawling to you and your sister. Shouldn't I deserve to know?"
"You were best friends so that makes sense I suppose..."
"Best friends? Oh, that's great Sombra." Ash was pleased to hear that as a pat on the back was incoming, only for Sombra to glare at him. "Uh, guess you don't want that. Then again, I don't see a back much."
"Pikachu..."
"It's true. We were once best friends. My only friend. Until that moment. And after all these years, the projection that the Crystal Heart showed us inevitably brought our fates. Although, mine came earlier."
"Radiant Hope." Celestia closed her eyes, reminiscing about one of her older students. "You won't hear much from me, because she's lost. The moment we banished you, Sombra, was also the same day that she vanished. Minutes later.
"So we'll never know where she is then? Even after thousands of years?" Cadence felt unsatisfied with these answers. It sounded as if Radiant Hope was just a pony that would be lost forever. Possibly as rare as finding a Legendary Pokemon.
"There is always this. I found the diary." Shining Armor, who was snooping around with Aegislash, eventually found the diary of Radiant Hope. Sombra immediately took it out of Shining's magic hold, opening it without hesitation.
"There has to be something that had been left behind." Sombra started flipping through the pages of Radiant Hope's diary, hoping to find one thing that could be of great value.
"So, uh Celestia," said Ash while Sombra was flipping through the pages. "Are you sure you don't know where she is right now?"
"Not quite. I could ask my parents. They've been overseeing Equestria for centuries at the Ambrosial Plane. Perhaps they've seen here. Give me a moment." Another attempt. Sunlight and Eventide might know. Meanwhile, looking through the diary and Sombra hadn't found anything of value at the moment.
"Nothing...She left nothing." Sombra groaned before tossing the diary away. "Of course. Her departure happened after my banishment, didn't it?"
"If she's a princess by now, then you'd think we'd know where she would be." A confused Shining scratched his face. "Princesses always get castles no matter what. Even though the one here in the Crystal Empire was always present there."
"Not quite, Shining. But you're thinking right." Cadence replied.
"So that's it...I thought she was truly lost forever." Meanwhile, over at Celestia's side, her parents had shown up, revealing what they knew. While limited, there was one valuable piece of information.
"We were lucky to get a look at her face. She's been wearing that same cloak and hood for years now." Sunlight spoke through the Xtransceiver.
"Alright. Thank you, mother. Father. It looks like Radiant Hope is indeed still out there. But she's a wandering pony at this point. The last sighting of her was near the Pixie Plains."
"Pixie Plains, huh?" An opportunity was met in the eyes of Ash and his partner Pikachu. "Then that's where we'll start and work off on. It's a pretty big place too and kinda close to the Faye Mountains. Maybe Chrysalis can spot her..."
"As long as we find her immediately," Sombra interjected. "Get going to those plains before we lose her."
"I hope you're not planning anything with her when you do." Celestia narrowed her eyes at Sombra. "Even then, you-" However, Sombra had cut her off by using his magic to turn off the Xtransceiver.
"That's enough of you, Celestia. Very soon, I will be as free as I need to be. Despite how she betrayed me, Radiant Hope's magical prowess will never fail. Probably why the heart showed her as a princess."
"Ash. Pikachu. We're coming with you." Cadence and Shining Armor offered to come along with Ash, just because they had to stay alert with Sombra's plans. Sombra wasn't subtle about it either. He was seeking his freedom and wasn't shy to hide his true intentions. "As if we'd let you have the chance to try anything. Especially with this Radiant Hope character."
"How did we get here...?" Ash was just amazed at how things have escalated as of recently. There is always something new and unexpected that comes along.
"Pikachu..."
Pixie Plains. Afternoon.
The Pixie Plains.
Beautiful as ever. Lush and vibrant with life. Mainly thanks to the Fairy-Type Pokemon. The aura of Fairy-Type Magic radiated through the air, filling the atmosphere with bliss. And with time passing, pools of Fairy Magic could be seen along with a lake of it.
Ash and the others had arrived here with no sign of Radiant Hope yet. However, with how expansive the plains are, she couldn't have gone far. Ash had sent out Gengar and Dragonite to try and find Radiant Hope. They would observe from the skies. And so would Aegislash via his ability to hover.
"See if you can find anyone wearing a hood, you two," Ash said to his Pokemon. "We'll-"
"No need." But, interrupting once more was King Sombra. "This will be the best way to find her. My magic should be enough. She should recognize this."
The approach was simple. Sombra had charged up some of the magic that he could use in this form. Dark magic to be exact. And after gathering some, he transformed it into a beam, shooting it into the sky. It would act similarly to a flare to try and alert Radiant Hope. Dragonite, Gengar and Aegislash moved out of the way as the beam of darkness ascended. Sombra groaned as this was taxing on him. Having such limited power meant that his magic output took a lot out of him.
However, he managed to keep it in the air for a bit, making the darkness stick for a bit. All of the Fairy-Types gazed into the skies, witnessing this beam. They all sensed the horrible malice coming from it. Some, if not most of them were terrified while others kept their fellow Fairy-Types close.
Sombra was out of energy from firing that massive beam. It had then faded away as he breathed in and out, trying to keep himself together. "That...That should've drawn enough attention. Probably to the Changelings as well. If Radiant Hope knows better, she cannot ignore this kind of magic."
"That's one way of doing it," said Shining Armor as he then leaned over at Cadence. "Say, Cadence. What do we do if we end up finding Radiant Hope? I'm thinking a reunion with her and Princess Celestia."
"She ran away, didn't she? Maybe we should talk to her before any of that. I wonder what she's been up to if she's been keeping herself so secretive for so long." Cadence could only ponder. No alicorn has been in secrecy ever. Even Sunlight and Eventide, despite how short their time was as rulers of Equestria was, were still fairly well known.
But Radiant Hope could be a different story. Dragonite, Gengar and Aegislash would try the skies either way, even after Sombra's black beam. Cadence would promptly join them, spreading her wings out. Ash and the others went on foot as the search for a missing Princess and an old friend of Sombra had begun.
"Are you sure Radiant Hope can separate you and me?" Ash asked. "If Celestia and Luna couldn't find a way then..."
"I need my choices, boy. If anypony knew the most about my race, it would be her. Nopony learned more about it than Radiant Hope. She was also the only one to find out about it."
"I'm sorry. You're saying that Radiant Hope knows all about unicorns? Pretty sure Princess Celestia and Luna take that title too." Shining Armor chimed in.
"Tch. I'm not talking about unicorns. In fact, I am half-unicorn."
"Half Unicorn?!" Ash and Shining Armor promptly stopped. Cadence heard this too as her wings hardened for a bit, spreading out in shock. Once again, fresh news to them all. "T-Then...what's the other half?" Ash questioned as Sombra slowly turned to them, suddenly carrying a far more mysterious feeling to him.
"Pikachu..."
"I am an Umbrum. A Shadow Pony to be exact."
As the journey continues.
Chapter 691 End.