An unknown realm.
"GAH!" Waking up with her eyes flashing was Pinkie Pie. An unexplainable shock had just gone through her body. She started hyperventilating and for a good reason. Previously, she and almost every resident in Equestria had undergone a terrifying attack by the Unown.
A crimson nightmare was the best way to describe it. But through all that hyperventilating, Pinkie Pie was not alone. She ended up bumping into someone. Her Mew.
"Mew-Mew!" Mew grabbed Pinkie's face, squishing it as Pinkie Pe had witnessed that Mew was still around.
"Mew? You're okay?" Pinkie Pie gasped.
"Mew!" Not just her Mew. But the Mew straight from Holon who had been caught up in all of this mess. Especially when she was new to Equestria.
"You too?! Does that mean..." Pinkie couldn't believe her eyes. Upon seeing the two Mew float around, it didn't stop there. She noticed that she was hovering, not touching solid ground. She wasn't flying or anything, this realm just seemed to have a vast space. And by doing a quick little rotate, she saw everypony else.
Everypony from across Equestria could be found here. Still in one piece and equally lost, confused and hovering even without some of them using their wings. Pinkie Pie was stunned. One second, she was seeing so many that she loved being struck by red rays and wiped out on the spot. And seconds later, here they all were.
"Pinkie! Over here!" Rainbow Dash alerted Pinkie, calling for her. Pinkie pranced on the vast space, approaching promptly. Seeing that they were all intact, Applejack hugged Apple Bloom, sprouting tears.
"We thought we lost you, sugarcube!" Applejack wept as Big Mac and Granny Smith joined the hug.
"I-I-I might end up leaving for real!" Apple Bloom gagged from this powerful hug. Others hugged each other upon seeing themselves still here and kicking. They thought for sure it would be the end for them. Whether it was Stoutland licking Mayor Mare's face, Sylveon jumping up and down with Cadence or even Castform bawling in Rainbow Dash's mane, they were happy.
"Jade! You were right!" Pinkie Pie zoomed over, hugging Jade Skies. "Oh, I shouldn't have given up hope! But boy it looked super close to being the end, wasn't it?!"
"Told you. I did good following you and everyone's way of keeping onto hope," said Jade with a monotone tone and face.
"How did this happen?" Scootaloo wondered. "I thought for sure we were gonna be toast right there. We looked like it anyway."
"I don't know but I don't wanna go through that again..." Diamond Tiara shuddered.
"But...Rarity's still not here..." Sweetie Belle wasn't as thrilled, knowing that Rarity was absent. Not just her but Twilight, Celestia, Luna and Fluttershy too along with a few missing Pokemon. The realm was flooded with at least 80% of Equestria from various species. Yaks, dragons and changelings were found here "Where is she...?"
"Flurry Heart! Flurry Heart!" Also exempt from this ream were both Flurry Hearts. They weren't found anywhere alongside Giratina and Manaphy. Cadence and Shining Armor cried out for their dual daughters whilst venturing across this vast space.
"Clemont and Bonnie said the Unown would erase anything Rift related. How come they came after us? And why aren't we erased?" Silver Spoon questioned. Everyone else had questions that were constantly burning. And this realm was one of those questions.
And they would soon gain answers to those questions. It all started once a majestic golden beam of light pierced through the realm in an upwards position. They were all compelled to look at the golden light that appeared before them. The realm stayed silent and so did everyone.
With majesty and grace, the silhouette of a familiar Pokemon appeared. One that could give them all great reassurance. The silhouette of a Pokemon related to the Pokemon that attacked them. The Original One.
Arceus.
Arceus appeared. Dispersing golden light particles into the air as they all looked in amazement. Upon seeing the Alpha Pokemon's grand appearance, a majority of them shouted the same name all at once.
"Arceus!"
"Who?" Ember, the Dragons, yaks, griffons and changelings said as they haven't ever seen or heard of Arceus yet until now.
"Good. You are all doing well and present here." Arceus commented as his voice echoed throughout the realm. Arceus' voice was so powerful that even if someone was hard of hearing, they could hear him. His words also sounded different to others.
To the yaks, while they could understand basic language, Arceus' echoing voice allowed them to hear a speech pattern that the yaks were commonly known for having, including other ponies. This allowed Arceus to speak with anyone with no limitations.
"Arceus! Did you save us?!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"I did. All of you. Welcome to a realm that I made for all of you to reside in. I know you are all expecting your bodies to be nothing at this point. Most of you are probably wondering how you are even still in existence at this point."
"Yeah...The Unown should've wiped us all out," said Apple Bloom.
"And it looked like they did. Hoooh..." Starlight shuddered as she got close to Hatterene to try and feel warm. But there was no warmth or chill in this realm.
"They should have. I simply refused to let it happen. As some of you may know, the Unown are a part of me. There, their power is close to mine. Whatever they can do, I can do better."
"This giant llama saved us? How's that possible?" Ember asked.
"That llama is the creator of the Pokemon Universe. Arceus." Sassy Saddles replied, revealing to the dragons, changelings and yaks that they were standing in front of a figure far more important than any ruler in Equestria.
"Huh? CREATOR?!" Ember and the other species soon turned to Arceus, bowing their heads in respect. "S-So sorry! We didn't know!"
"It is fine. My existence is not known by many. But it seems that is changing with time. Now, let us move on to what matters the most. Your world is being altered by the Unown. All under the control of-"
"Wait! Arceus!" But stopping his sentence was Cadence. Arceus promptly stopped, facing the Princess of Love. "I'm sorry but...what about Flurry Heart?! Both of them! They haven't shown up here and neither have Manaphy or Giratina!"
"And what about Rarity?!" Sweetie Belle had a similar connection. "She hasn't come back since yesterday! Did something happen!? And where's Phione?!"
"Where's Twilight and Fluttershy too?!" Rainbow Dash dashed over, getting close to Arceus. "And the Royal Sisters?!"
"Fret not. They are all fine. Giratina is exempt from the power of the Unown as it is also a part of me. Phione has been given parts of my blessing. The Unown couldn't erase Phione if they tried. It is protecting your daughters and their Pokemon as we speak. Currently, they are high above the skies in Pegalysium. The cause of the Unown attack."
"Oh...Thank goodness..." Cadence wouldn't have to worry about fainting. Her daughters were okay as Shining Armor caught her once she descended.
"Wait, Pegalysium?" Pinkie Pie commented. "Why would they send the Unown to us?"
"It was not a declaration of national conflict. Rather, it was from one pony. Her name is Second Wind." For a better explanation for everyone to see, Arceus used his almighty powers to create a projection of the events that transpired in Pegalysium.
Starting from Second Wind unleashing the Unown to the alteration of Time. Everyone leaned in, getting into tight group spaces despite how much space there was.
"Ever since the first conflict against the Indigo Alliance months back, the flow of Rift Energy attracted the Unown, who were already focused on erasing all that is Rift related. Since they were attracted, members of the Indigo Alliance managed to catch them. Once they learned of their amazing power to control reality, the Indigo Alliance sparked a plan. Or rather, Second Wind did. Just yesterday, she had unleashed some Unown to change the memories and reality of Prince Shooting Star of Pegalysium."
"She changed his memories?!" Applejack gasped. "Uh...Who?" But much like others in Pegalysium, Applejack's memories of Shooting Star had slipped away.
"You cannot recall his name because of the warped reality. Have no fear. I will restore it all to you at once."
"Thought she couldn't get worse than kidnapping..." Stunning her friends was the appearance of Emerald Aura. Cold Colt and Starlight jumped back after seeing her. "Guess we were wrong."
"Y-You got hit too...?" Starlight's heart skipped a beat.
"Second Wind made sure that the powerful Destiny Magic would lean towards the side of the Indigo Alliance. With that magic, she could access the secret of Pegalysium. A Clock Door that has the power to interact with time. Albeit briefly and limited. And with that limitation she had, she took the throne of King Paramount and Queen Luminary, granting herself the status of Grand Queen and ruler of Pegalysium. Now, she commands an army of Unown along with having constant access to the Clock Door. Time itself and destiny are hers to control. Which leads us to today, where she originally sent the Unown to you all for absolute control."
"SO what happened to King Paramount and Queen Luminary? Where are they now?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"King Paramount managed to cling on to some semblance of the true timeline. He has the Rift Magic within him to thank. However, Second Wind aims to find out about their current existence and reshape time to make everything perfect in her eyes. A timeline with her absolute control. Your world as we speak is being reshaped into an Indigo Empire paradise Celestia and the others are currently taking action after having Absol and Xatu bring about this calamitous premonition. Your whole nation is in danger. For all species."
Arceus finished the projection, causing it to fade away. Everyone was now caught up to speed, knowing of what Second Wind had done and where Celestia and the others are and what they were doing.
"What are we waiting for then?! We need to get to Pegalysium right now!" Rainbow Dash turned to her friends. "Twilight and the others need our help."
"Shouldn't we focus on another big problem?" Starlight interjected, halting Rainbow Dash. "The Unown are still out there, aren't they? Plus...the gateway to Pallet Town and the Pokemon World are gone. If we go back out there, we could get erased for real."
"Oh! But Arceus can stop them, right?! I mean, you're a part of them like you said, right?" Pinkie Pie slid over, nudging the Alpha Pokemon's leg. "Just give them a good talking."
"Right, right! And you can bring the gateway back too!" Sweetie Belle pranced on the spot as various chatter had begun, placing their hope on Arceus. And rightfully so considering how powerful he was.
"Unfortunately, I cannot do that." But his response shut them down.
"HUH?!" Gutted by this response, some of them fell over. They couldn't believe that Arceus couldn't do it.
"But, you're Arceus! You can do anything!" Diamond Tiara bellowed.
"I can. But not in this instance. The Unown are a part of me yes. However, unlike every Magical Creature, the Unown are the sole exception. Unown are capable of distorting the reality to suit the dreams and wishes of whoever is in control of the Unown. Unlike myself, who is exempt from such a thing as dreams and wishes. It is the sole drive of one that allows them to truly harness the power of the Unown. Much like how Second Wind has the burning desire to gain absolute control over Pegalysium and complete vengeance against Equestria. They will not listen to me. Only her."
"No way..." Rainbow Dash growled, wishing there was something solid she could stomp her hoof on.
"However. This can be countered. The Unown will also listen to those with dreams and wishes that are close to their heart and the main driving force that they pursue." Arceus quickly brought hope back to them all. "Tell me. All of you. What is the one thing that drives your dreams and wishes? What do you wish to accomplish?"
Asking this question allowed many of them to think. But they all have their dreams and wishes in their sights. Large ambitions and sometimes small. But, while they were all unique, everyone in Equestria could agree on one thing. They all talked it over before concluding. Starlight would speak for them.
"We want to be with our Pokemon to the bitter end." Starlight spoke. "Even if the Rift tries to stop us, we want to keep the memories of the friends we've made from another universe. So that our memories of them will never leave and we can make new ones."
"Good. That is a dream worth fighting for. One that can reach the Unown, no doubt."
"But how are we gonna avoid their erasure thing if they're still going to attack us?" Spike wondered. "Seems a bit unfair, doesn't it?"
"There is a way. It is Willpower. The one thing connected to dreams and wishes that ties them all together is the will to make them come true. Willpower powers them indefinitely. So as long as you have that unwavering and burning will, the Unown cannot hope to rid you and your will to achieve."
"But how's that possible? And how are we gonna get that much willpower?" Thorax asked. "I don't think we have that much. Or any of us..."
"Even if they did, resisting erasure by willpower seems unlikely. How would that even happen?" Shining Armor asked.
"It isn't possible. Ash already shows the most willpower out of all. It is why Azelf and he are bonded even from afar. You all can show that much power too. I shall give you the resistance to temporarily resist the Unown until this is all over. The gateway shall be returned momentarily. But in the future, you must all make your own willpower mighty enough to where not even a planet or universe of Unown can hope to stop you."
"We will! Thank you so much, Arceus!" Chrysalis showed her gratitude as she and the other royal rulers of the different races bowed their heads in respect to the Alpha Pokemon. Now, it was time for them to return to reality and make things right.
"Remember this. The Unown cannot do everything. Without me, they have their limits. Capitalize on that. Protect the world that you love. And show me how far you are willing to go for what you hold so dear. I will always be watching." Afterwards, they all become bodies of light that ascended. This realm was also dissipating into light particles before their eyes.
It felt like they were ascending to a higher plane, but they were just returning to their normal plane more than anything. Arceus had done his job and would leave it all to them.
Equestria. Ponyville. Afternoon.
"Holy moly!" Rainbow Dash awoke, returning to her existence. Right on the spots that they were struck at too. As if they had never left. Rainbow Dash soon realized she was back to reality before deeply sighing. "Oh, thank Arceus..."
"Castform..."
"Jade! Emerald! We're back! Back, I tell ya!" Cold Colt was riveted to be back as he went to hug his older Rift relatives.
"Yeah. Feels good to be back." Emerald Aura chuckled. Everyone else felt unbelievable relief. Not just in Ponyville, but across all of Equestria too. They returned to their homes in one piece, free from the horror of being forever erased.
However, even though they were back which caused them all to cheer with glee, the Unown were still there. In fact, they still roamed the skies. And for a good reason. They were busy remaking things for Second WInd's image.
"Let's not get comfortable right now! Look!" Starlight exclaimed, forcing everyone to look at the altered surrounding. The Symbol Pokemon, while working, quickly stopped what they were doing to notice the return of the ponies, Pokemon and other species that they had attacked.
Even the Unown, which were Pokemon that never emote, not even once, felt shocked. That spoke volumes as their power rarely ever fails them. Upon seeing the return of Equestria and its residents, the Unown still felt the Desires inside of them plus the existence of Pokemon that had been affected by the Rift, making them prime targets even after their return.
Without wasting time, some of the Unown had already used Hidden Power, shooting it in the direction of Rainbow Dash Applejack, Spike, Pinkie and Starlight.
"Not this again!" Rainbow Dash roared before covering herself with her wings. "Please work!" She and the others then recalled how Arceus had given them temporary protection. They were hoping it was effective. And once the rays hit them, Arceus proved to be a Pokemon that they could always trust.
Not a single erasure happened.
"Hahaha! We're invincible!" Pinkie Pie stood in a bipedal position, triumphantly thrusting her front hooves into the air. "Invic-" But even if they were immune to erasure now, that didn't mean Hidden Power didn't hurt. "Ow!"
"So we're erasure proof right now, huh?" Rainbow Dash chuckled menacingly as very soon, everyone else who had been hit by the Hidden Power rays felt the same result. It hurt, but they were still around. "Nice! Okay, Castform! Energy Ball!"
"Cast...Form!" Castform was the first to properly hit the Unown back. And he did so by using the power of nature itself, forming a grass ball that had been shot. The first two Unown were hit by the Energy Ball, being knocked out of the sky promptly.
And after seeing the first two Unown fall, it was then that the residents of Ponyville soon knew that the Unown were prime for fighting back against. Not only that, but while there may be plenty of them, they were fragile.
"Alright then, Everypony! Clear the skies of those Unown!" Mayor Mare ordered her citizens. And immediately, seeing that they were erasure-proof, the residents of Ponyville could freely retaliate. And they most certainly did. That went everypony else across Equestria who had just returned.
The Unown received some retaliation via Pokemon moves that were thrown their way. Starting with the pegasi in the skies and soon shifting to everywhere else. The weakness of the Unown had finally shown itself from how fragile they were, making them easy targets for practically every trainer. Ironic as everyone in Equestria was essentially one big target for them all.
NOt only that, but some of the trainers felt a bit vengeful after seeing their loved ones and themselves being hit by those threatening rays, making their attacks on the Unown on a personal level.
"Oh! The gateway!" Scootaloo noticed that the gateway back to Pallet Town was open once more. "We can call Ash and Pikachu for help now! Where's my Xtransceiver?!"
"We sure can. But we should head to Pegalysium right now." Starlight suggested, focusing on the main threat beyond the Unown. "Second Wind's probably already at that door. Who knows what she could do to time afterwards."
"No time to think about it!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, shooting her eyes to the skies. She and her friends knew where they needed to be right now. "Let's go!"
Pegalysium. Pegalysium Capital. Afternoon.
There, Second Wind stod before the Clock Door once more. And joining her was Shooting Star, who had now taken the mantle of the Grand Judge in this altered timeline. But, he still held onto Destiny Magic.
By using this powerful form of magic exclusive to Pegalysium, the young prince had opened up the door as it was the only trigger to do so. The door opened itself, radiating that light as always before becoming easier to look at. Once open, Second Wind approached it whilst Shooting Star stood back.
And much like before, when entering the Time Dimension, the Avus-Pegasus showed itself with its far more defined face than anypony in Equestria. "You have returned. Welcome back to the Time Dimension. What do you wish to do?" It spoke with its usual echoed voice.
"Hear me carefully, Avus-Pegasus. I wish to interact with time once more. There are some things I hadn't managed to do yet that I must achieve." Second Wind ordered. "Take me to a time closer to this."
"I am afraid I cannot do that." But the Avus-Pegasus denied Second Wind's order to do so.
"Hoh...? And why is that?" She narrowed her eyes.
"My creator, the first Pegasus of Destiny Windkiss, knew how the dangers with this kind of power being hidden behind the Clock Door. Thus, only the following Pegasi of Destiny with each generation would be allowed to open these doors more than once. Any attempt to do so would result in punishment. No longer can you interact with it. Only view and visit it."
"Well, too bad!" Second Wind scoffed. "You should already know that I tampered with time, making myself the new ruler of Pegalysium. And as the Grand Queen of Pegalysium who just so happens to have a higher status than the Pegasus of Destiny, I order you to grant me that access."
"Are you sure? Never before has this been done."
"I'm fond of doing new things. Especially since I'm the first of the Indigo Alliance to ever open this door and change time. So, this isn't anything new." Second Wind chuckled. "Besides, I just want to check up on a few things. Not so much a big deal."
"Understood. This will go against the wishes of my creator, but as a status greater than the Pegasus of Destiny and an ally to it, I have no choice but to comply. Select the time you wish to interact with." The Avus-Pegasus agreed. Second Wind's alteration of time was the only way this could happen
The timelines showed themselves once more with Second Wind having multiple of her choosing. Second Wind had a few things on her mind. And most of them would benefit her in the future. Mainly to keep the status that she currently has.
However, before deciding which one to go through, Shooting Star suddenly poked his head through, entering the Time Dimension for the first time. "Um, your majesty."
"Hm? What is it?" Second Wind turned. "I'm a little busy at the moment."
"Sorry. It's just that...I've been alerted that well...things aren't going great." Shooting Star uttered, scrunching his face.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Some of the Unown sensed what was happening down at Equestria. I don't quite get it myself."
"Equestria? don't tell me they managed to somehow withstand themselves....!" Second Wind growled, realizing that the Unown didn't completely dominate Equestria. Even though they did, some divine intervention said otherwise. "Celestia and her forces could come after me if they can get past the Unown..."
"What should I do?"
"You're the Pegasus of Destiny and the new Grand Judge. You make the decisions right now. I'll be gone for a few minutes. I just need to do one thing. But if Princess Celestia and her forces show up here, deal with them. Understood?" Second Wind said with a serious tone that came to her voice. Shooting Star understood clearly as he promptly left the time dimension.
Now that she knew that her Unown plan was being held back instead of it going swimmingly as she wanted it to, Second Wind's plans had to accelerate. And thankfully for her, the timeline of Pegalysium could grant her the power for a greater edge. She already knew where she wanted to be.
The Unown faced off against Equestria as Celestia, Twilight and Luna were still heading for the Sky Monarch. With protection from Arceus, Rainbow Dash and the rest of her friends, plus the eventual arrival of Ash and Pikachu would also make their way to the nation in the sky as the journey continues.
Chapter 718 End.