//------------------------------// // Windigos // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Ponyville. The Pokemon House. Nightfall. Ponyville was still under attack by the Despair Plant Bullfrog, led by the wrinkly and raspy-sounding vampire Shrivel. And with this attack came a wave of diseases and illnesses. With the warts spreading disease-ridden mists, the performance of the ponies and their Pokemon was being affected. Except for the Flora Ponies, noticeably. But away from all of this destruction, Fluttershy appeared at the Pokemon House to see all of the Pokemon plus Zecora still in one piece. Thankfully, the Despair Plant's path of destruction hadn't reached here yet. However, that was still a possibility since it planned to infest the entirety of Ponyville. "Oh, thank goodness! You're okay!" Fluttershy said with great relief. "The mist hasn't reached you yet but it still could." "What's going on out there?" Zecora, still dealing with Swamp Fever uttered. "Is the Despair Plant near?" "It is. It just showed up at Ponyville and everypony else is dealing with it. You weren't kidding when you said it could summon diseases. All kinds of common and unknown illnesses and diseases just showed up on everypony else. I recognize most of them, but some are hard to identify and could be from Magehold. And that greatly worries me." "Everfree and Ponyville are just stepping stones for the plant. After this, it will bring a slow yet painful demise to the world as quickly as it can." Zecora grunted, instantly knowing that this one Despair Plant will most definitely go the distance, especially since there can be more than one species of the same Despair Plant. "But here's some good news! It turns out that the Mystical Mask was actually Mage Meadowbrook! And I think I can solve this now!" "That's marvellous, Fluttershy. I am quite impressed. While you are gone on your journey, I'll try not to be..." That was when the impossible happened. Something Fluttershy and all the Pokemon here never expected. Zecora did not rhyme. "...Worried." "Oh, no. Zecora, you didn't rhyme!" Fluttershy and the Pokemon collectively gasped as hearing Zecora speak without a single rhyme. "You must be getting worse!" "Oh. No, no, no, not at all. Something... something... ball?" But even though she tried to deny it, it was very obvious that she was getting worse. "I need to go now! Hayseed Swamp is the destination we need to be at if we want to find out about Mage Meadowbrook. Krookodile! Please remember to keep everyone safe!" "Krook!" "Audi. Raboot. Bayleef. I can't do this alone with you all. And I need all the help I can get. If it's not too late, I think I can reach Applejack and a few others in time to come along with me. It'll be dangerous going to Hayseed Swamp during the Black Crusade but it's for everyone's sake." Fluttershy, knowing that the world was now highly dangerous since the Black Crusade has begun, was willing to head out there and find the cure regardless. Hayseed Swamp was a rather far trek, but one she was willing to take. The sound of the Despair Plant viciously attacking Ponyville with its powerful jumps and other attacks raged on as it could bring more than just the destruction of diseases. Quickly, Fluttershy got a move on, with Audino, Bayleef and Raboot pursuing her. Zecora just had to wait until Fluttershy was back and keeping watch of her and everyone here would be Krookodile. Sweet Apple Acres. Speaking of Sweet Apple Acres, much like the Pokemon House and Fluttershy's cottage, it was away from the mist for the meanwhile. Applejack watched from afar, seeing the warts summon disease-ridden mists. The Despair Plant wasn't hard to miss either with its size and constant jumping. "Frogs don't cause warts, so what's up with this?" Applejack wondered. "Is everypony going to be okay?" Apple Bloom, who was also disturbed and woken up from her sleep asked. A part of her wished to head back to bed right about now instead of focusing on this. But it was hard not to focus on this. "Not if we help 'em out. I'm guessing the Dread League finally showed up here since there's a Despair Plant over there. Stay inside, Apple Bloom. Staying side seems like the best option because of that mist." "Sceptile...!" Sceptile wished to head out there as soon as possible to help all of his friends, but that mist said otherwise. It was a massive roadblock, instantly summoning diseases onto anyone it manages to reach. However, Applejack only wanted Apple Bloom and her entire family to stay inside. She already had plans to head outside, despite the mist. Of course, this required protection. The Earth Pony quickly scavenged her home to see what she could use. What mattered to her was getting past that mist and the best way to do that, in her eyes, was with full-on protection. Many masks could be found, free to be used as Applejack quickly bagged them all, just so that she always had a spare with her. Protection for her hooves in the form of Hoof Gloves were taken. Sceptile had gloves that fit his hands perfectly since Protection was a strong part of the Apple Family. He was also given a mask to wear on his face. And of course, Applejack brought her lasso, just in case. Soon, Applejack and Sceptile were fully equipped with protective gear. To them, this seemed like enough to power through the mist. They weren't sure what properties it held but that didn't stop them from wearing as much protection as they could. Applejack and Sceptile looked at each other, nodding in understanding. Apple Bloom watched as the duo was about to leave the building, ready to get through this Disease-Ridden Mist. But the second they opened the doors, they were met with someone else who managed to show up here, avoiding the Despair Plant's mist. "Applejack!" It was none other than Fluttershy who came directly to her. Applejack and Sceptile were jumpscared by Fluttershy's sudden arrival. From how things looked, they did not expect to see somepony else pop up here and if they did, it would have probably been a vampire considering there was a Despair Plant in Ponyville. "Fluttershy?! What are you doing here?!" "No time! I'll explain along the way. Just please, come with me!" Fluttershy wanted to get a move on as soon as possible. The time for explanations could be given along the way. It was mainly the time for action and there was no better time to act than now. The Crystal Empire. Meanwhile, back at the Crystal Empire. Ash-Sombra and the others followed Dragonite after she spotted the Dread League in the distance, holding the older Flurry Heart and Cadence as their captives. They had left the castle by now and were returning to Magehold but weren't far enough to leave the eyes of Dragonite. However, refusing to have Ash and the others pursue them and foil their plan, the Dread League instantly called upon some of Equestria's most feared creatures. The Windigoes. Already allied with the Dread League, the Windigoes were a part of this Black Crusade. And with all of the Golurk and Sableye being under the control of Sweet Fang, even when she was away from them, the Windigoes only added to this overwhelming number disadvantage here at the Crystal Empire. While pursuing the Dread League, the skies above would howl with an eerie cry. A cry that belonged to a Windigo. Dragonite was completely oblivious as to what was emerging above her. Spectral eyes that shined blue would peer out of the darkness as a chilling aura filled the atmosphere. The Crystal Empire was already a bit cold but now that was being elevated. "Dr...Dragonite?" And to someone like Dragonite, that was a massive issue. Dragonite felt her blood being affected by the increase in the cold. "What's wrong?" Ash-Sombra asked as Dragonite would begin descending, no longer moving at a quick pace. This was the fastest she's ever felt a drop in speed. Dragonite would then descend on top of one of the barracks, shivering in a matter of seconds. This chill was soon felt by the others. Gengar and Sirfetch'd, who were moving under Dragonite, came to a halt. But their reaction wasn't as bad as Dragonite's since they resisted the cold. Shining Armor felt it too. He was still injured after his previous struggle and was recently healed to try and get a second chance. But this second chance was promptly halted via the presence of the chilling air. And that was when the cries above increased in sound, alerting the ears of Ash-Sombra. "This sound..." The voice of Sombra spoke, followed by a gasp that led to widened eyes. "I know this sound!" "What is it?" Ash's voice took control as this sound escaped him completely. Ash had never heard something like this before. It was unlike anything his ears have encountered despite his years of adventuring. And when looking up, Ash-Sombra soon saw the eyes that flashed in the darkness of the clouds appear. But it wasn't just a pair of eyes. Something else emerged from it. Descending from the dark clouds was the face of a horse. More defined than most and similar to that of a Rapidash. It instantly reminded Ash of the Avus Pegasus but there was more to it. With a ghostly-like appearance, the Windigoes descended, showing themselves to the Crystal Empire. With a translucent body truly akin to that of a ghost, the spirits that feed on hatred and fighting had arrived. "Windigos!" Sombra and Shining Armor collectively said. "Windigos?!" Ash's voice spoke through. He's heard of Windigoes before. Mainly thanks to the Hearth's Warming Eve story that was famous across Equestria. But now, his eyes, which were crimson thanks to Sombra taking control, for now, met with the Windigos for the very first time. Massive in size yet lacking in a lower body, these spirits that appear during the coldest of times, circled the darkened night sky, bringing their chilling presence to the already beaten down Crystal Empire. "Those accursed vampires probably summoned them here!" Ash-Sombra growled. "They can summon Windigos?! Seriously?!" This was also new information to Shining Armor. As if the vampires had any other reason to be intimidating and dangerous. And with their presence, the ice was already affecting the empire. The citizens of the Crystal Empire were the first victims of this. Being restrained, they were unable to escape from the incoming chill that the Windigos summoned. A harsh and punishing wave of ice filled the atmosphere, chilling their bodies. The confusion and confliction they had with the Sableye is what caused the Windigos to spread their magic. And most notably, the Sableye and Golurk were completely fine. Even Golurk, who was vulnerable to the ice, were all unaffected by the Windigos' magic. They were working for the vampires, making those that were under Sweet Fang's control immune. This did not bode well for the citizens of the Crystal Empire. Their bodies were being slowly encased in an icy prison, unable to move at all. It wasn't like they could get anywhere in the first place. The Sableye and Golurk watched without any emotion, sympathy or empathy as the ice was beginning to take the ponies they were once friends with, interacted with and protected depending on the Pokemon The Crystal Empire seemed to be set on becoming an Ice Prison, further surrounded by the Shadow Spire that restrained it. "Take a rest, Dragonite." Ash took control, returning Dragonite to her Poke Ball to protect her from the cold. "They probably summoned them here to slow us down from reaching the princesses." "We have to get past them?! But I need to see the rest of my family as soon as possible!" Shining Armor preferred to continue going after Cadence and Flurry Heart rather than just staying here to deal with the Windigos. And it didn't help that the Sableye and Golurk were closing in on him, Ash-Sombra and the other Pokemon. "You won't unless you sort this out." Ash-Sombra raised his hand into the air. "The Windigos will freeze you for eternity and this entire empire too now that they've arrived." "That can't be..." Shining Armor lowered his head. He was not having the best time right now. Everything was incredibly dreadful. Just as the Dread League intended. And with the Controlled Sableye and Golurk closing in, that was only sinking everything in further dread. "You can't start losing hope now." Ash took control once more, just to speak with Shining Armor. "We're not gonna let all of this slow us down now, Shining. We'll get your family back and find your baby. If we start losing hope and giving up, then we won't get it down. Even if the Black Crusade's in full swing right now, we can do this." "You say that...But how do we deal with the Windigos? Most of my guards are missing and the Pokemon are still under that vampire's control. She's already fleeing the scene and I don't even know where my little baby Flurry Heart is." "Then allow me to sort this out." Sombra gained control once more. "The Windigos feed off of hatred and fighting. And it seems that the vampire set it up so that the Sableye and Golurk could give enough of that. The Crystal Empire's citizens are greatly conflicted and confused. They have yet to know about the truth behind all of this." "So then...What do we do?" "The previous Sableye I freed won't be enough to convince them unless they're all free. And the Windigos can only attack by freezing us and nothing more. As an Umbrum, this is up my alley. The Windigos will have a field day with my magic and what it serves. Their fears about all of this will be elevated greatly when I get involved." "You're going to give everyone their worst fears? Why?!" Shining Armor questioned. "We're not gonna do that." Now it was Ash's turn to regain control. He disagreed with Sombra, having something else in mind that didn't involve everyone's fears and despairs. "I've heard some stuff about the Windigos. It's all about bringing love, isn't it? What better place for love than the Crystal Empire?" "But Cadence is gone though." Shining Armor sighed. The one who represents love the most was gone and unconscious. "How can we give out love without her?" "Cadence was always important to you, Shining Armor. It's because of you two that you stopped the Invasion of the Canterlot Wedding and helped defeat Sombra. N-No offence, Sombra." "But I don't represent love though..." Shining Armor wasn't so sure about that. "It's always been Cadence who represents it the best. Without her, the Magic of Love can't show up." "You've got more than just Cadence, Shining." Ash approached him. "You've got the rest of your family. And your friends." "Huh?" Shining Armor, who looked rather exhausted still, looked up at Ash with some lazy eyes. Meanwhile, the Windigos were looking down at Ash-Sombra and Shining Armor listening to their conversation while freezing everything around them. "Your daughter. Both of them. Even though one of them's not from this universe, you took her in as if she was your actual daughter. I mean she is but...you know what I mean." Ash brought up an excellent point. Shining Armor's love for his family extended past universes. It didn't matter what universe it was. Her daughter was her daughter. "I did. She's still my daughter and Cadence and I couldn't let her go through that. She still hasn't even found her real family yet." Shining Armor agreed. "And Aegislash. You two didn't get off the right foot when you first met. But now you're great partners, always sticking together. You've got your sister, Twilight. I already know how much she cares for you after that whole Canterlot Wedding event. And you've got me, Pikachu and everyone else you've befriended. Love doesn't just stop at family. It goes way beyond it!" "It does but...I'm not sure I have enough." "You can totally have enough!" Ash stood up tall, seeing something greater within Shining Armor. "I love this world! I love everything about it! Whether it's all the regions or Equestria and what's beyond it. You got with Cadence cause she cares about you a ton and so do you. Even if you're not an alicorn, you gotta show that love inside of you and how far it can spread. Twilight's out there hoping for the best, praying that you and the others are okay. And even though Cadence and Flurry Heart are gone, we can get them back. "Do you...really think I can generate the Magic of Love without Cadence?" Shining Armor's lazy eyes widened as Ash's words were reaching him. "No doubt about it. Runs in the family from what I've seen. And if you're struggling, I'll chip in and help out." Ash gave a thumbs up, speaking longer than Sombra in this instance. "And if you can't generate it, we'll still share our love with everyone and get through this. Then it's off to Magehold to get 'em back." "Yeah! You're right!" Shining Armor exclaimed. "I can do this! These are my subjects after all and I do care for them. I can fix this for sure." "That's great and all..." After Ash's lengthy speech, Sombra took control and chipped in his own words. "But I'm afraid these Windigos are a bit different from the ones you know." "How so?" Shining Armor asked. "They only show up when there is a massive level of hatred and fighting. They didn't even show up during Empress Twilight's invasion because only one side was incredibly hostile and full of hatred. But for this, they're being ordered by someone else rather than their own volition." Ash-Sombra explained. "I know that they do this on their own. But I didn't think they could be controlled like this. "It's not control. It's just an order. They'll carry out that order no matter what, even if there's love around. But they are still affected by a strong sense of love. Just not as much as before." "Then let's make it work!" Ash spoke through his own body once more. "We'll face the Windigos ourselves!" "B-Battle the Windigos?!" Shining Armor gasped. "Can you even hit them?!" "Only one way to find out," Ash-Sombr said, using Ash and Sombra's voice in unison as they both had the same thing in mind. Sombra's magic would allow him to levitate and also summon a pillar of shadows that would further lift him up. He would go directly for the Windigos with an up-close encounter. There wasn't much time either. The residents of the Crystal Empire were already about to meet their icy prison at this rate. As for the Windigos, they heard everything for themselves. Ash's speech to Shining Armor made them pause for a moment. But they did not leave. Not at all. Instead, these spirits above remained, still spreading their frigid presence across the Crystal Empire. And now their eyes met with Ash-Sombra who was currently two souls in one body but one soul was obviously taking control here. And it wasn't the one who was the most friendly despite the appearance. It would soon be an upfront encounter with the Windigos. Magehold. Magehold. Sitting pretty during all of this since it was instigating the conflict, the vampires who were not involved with the Dread League were still living their lives, waiting for Fantina's Pokemon Contest to be done and ready. By now, they were expecting it to be done sometime around the Black Crusade or after it. This first night was already fierce and it was only intensifying it seemed. But aside from that, arriving Magehold with the two princesses were Sweet Fang and her group. With Cadence and the older Flurry Heart in their disposal, the two alicorns were in massive peril. Still unconscious and unable to wake up thanks to the drink they took, the two alicorns were to have their lifespans taken away by them and given to the Lich Queen Rosa Maledicta. And as for where they would be kept? Within the chambers that hold vampires who combust and return to Magehold just to recover. And it was even the same place where Fantina was first kept after being kidnapped. Cadence and Flurry Heart found themselves in a similar position. Their unconscious bodies were resting in these massive tube-shaped containers. Watching over their bodies was Sweet Fang, who still had a Golurk next to her, taken straight from the Crystal Empire. The liquid magic inside of the containers gave off a virulent appearance. Almost poisonous. The two alicorns wouldn't know what it felt like as they were still unconscious. "Glad that didn't take too much work." Sweet Fang said. "Her majesty will absolutely love this. The magic within these containers will not only show us how long their lifespans are but it will also leave some of it behind. Just for future purposes. Having a lifespan around as a form of magic will be incredibly helpful." "Personally, I was expecting us to use the power of an alicorn. Imagine if we could turn them into vampires." A vampire added, wanting alicorns on the Dread League's side. "Eh. That's not our expertise. Vampiric genes flowing inside of somepony else is hard to accomplish and we certainly can't do it. These two alicorns are expendable anyway when you think about it. The ones we should really be focusing on are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. And that other Flurry Heart. Can you imagine what would happen if we got them here? "True immortality." Another vampire answered in an instant. "Queen Rosa is certainly better than the other Lich Rulers we've had and I'd prefer to keep her around." "We all do. And let's make sure that happens. Pretty soon, these two beauties will be the first to guarantee our wonderful Queen's long-lasting reign." Sweet Fang deviously cackled. Princess Cadence and the Alternate Universe Princess Flurry Heart. Both were just seen as victims for the terrifying Lich Queen. And with them being here, it seemed like the possibility of them losing their lifespans was imminent. They had no allies around them. Not even the Golurk. It was still under Sweet Fang's powerful control. If there was one single ally these two had, it would be Fantina or even Yveltal. But alas, Yveltal was also a victim and a weapon for the Black Crusade. And as for Fantina, her role in all of this had yet to truly burst out. The Black Crusade showed just what it can accomplish by bringing destruction and dread to many in a hopeful world as the journey continues. Chapter 136 End.