//------------------------------// // Truths and Ideals // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Inside an unbearable darkness. Celestia and Luna were trapped. Swallowed by the darkness, they found themselves in a space so dark, they felt as if their vision was non-existent. A sea and sky of darkness were all that they received. And the same went for Gardevoir, Darkrai and Kommo-o. Their bodies were still feeling the attacks they received back on the outside, tattered and bruised. They eventually fell on a surface of darkness as it was a hard fall too. They all groaned, falling into what seemed to be absolutely nothing. They didn't even have the time to recover. When in this Darkness, there was barely any sound. No air or anything of the sort to listen to. Only the sounds of what hit this shadowy place. When they hit the ground, it made a haunting and lonely echo that reverberated across this lifeless space. Kommo-o's scales even made a clanging sound as if he was using Clanging Scales. Rolling on the ground were the Light Stone and Dark Stone. In them, Reshiram and Zekrom were resting. But even they weren't safe from the shadows as they were swallowed into the shadows as well. "Wake up, Princesses." There was another sound here and it was the most haunting one. The Pony of Shadows said as his shadows were already surrounding their bodies, keeping the Princesses on the Dark and empty floor. "You two have shadows within you. Powerful ones indeed." "Y-You can't corrupt me..." A bruised Luna groaned, raising her eyes to see the Pony of Shadows. I've already made peace with Nightmare Moon." Luna groaned, pointing out how Nightmare Moon couldn't be brought out of her. No matter what you do, your shadows would not defeat me since I've conquered them already." "Oh, I know. But about your big sister? Her name is Daybreaker, isn't it? Someone like her hasn't appeared yet compared to the Nightmare Moon." The Pony of Shadows then raised Celestia's head, making him look at her. "For Nightmare Moon, I can relate to you, Princess Luna." "Relate to me?" Luna repeated. "Nightmare Moon was the result of your sister completely overshadowing you. They danced in her sunlight while your moonlight only involved silence and a lack of action. Princess Celestia took all of the glory and that was when Nightmare Moon was born. I have to thank you for that. Because of your emergence as Nightmare Moon back at your old castle, some of my power was restored. So you inadvertently assisted in bringing some of my power back which is wonderful. It is also wonderful how this all ties back together and it seems to be your fault, Celestia." "As if it's my fault..." Celestia breathed in and out while giving the Pony of Shadows an intensive stare. "You remind me too much of Starswirl and the others because of that. Something about you is familiar too." The Pony of Shadows snarled. "And as for Daybreaker, she can only be unleashed under what appears to be true sadness, which is what I tend to unleash." "If you unleash Daybreaker into the world, it will ruin you as well," Celestia warned him. "And besides, I would never let such a being emerge. Not for a second." "G-Gardevoir...!" Trying to push through the shadows that held her down was Gardevoir as she was already angered by the fact that the Pony of Shadows was touching Celestia. "I think not. There is nothing my shadows can't reach. You'll submit soon enough." The Pony of Shadows attempted to force Daybreaker out of Celestia, injecting her body with an overflow of shadows. Celestia would start screaming as her body was being subjected to a different kind of torture. The shadows entered her body, digging into her magic and contaminating it. The same magic that Nightmare Moon possesses was being tampered with as the eyes of the Sun Princess were beginning to darken. Shadows were pouring out of her eyes and mouth, dropping into the darkness and blending in with it. But her spirit would resist, refusing to be overtaken by the shadows so that Daybreaker would never emerge. The Pony of Shadows felt this resistance as Celestia would not go down so easily. Gardevoir growled, horrified to see what was happening to Celestia. She promised she'd help her through with this Daybreaker issue just like how she helped when she was just a Kirlia, having out-of-control power that nearly destroyed both worlds. The shadows that held her down were being pushed upwards by Gardevoir's sheer power as she attempted to get a Dazzling Gleam out. Seeing how Celestia was resisting the shadows, the Pony of Shadows figured that he had to weaken her if he wanted to properly overtake her. And he did so by using the shadows to slam Celestia. The Ruler of Equestria was hit against the Shadow Walls which were hard to see but very much there and potent. "Ugh!" A pained Celestia cried out as the impact of hitting the Shadow Walls was bewildering to the body. But she still resisted, staying strong and looking at the Pony of Shadows with an intensive body. The Pony of Shadows would try again, slamming Celestia around. And he would do this repeatedly, hitting the Sun Princess against the walls and floor continuously. Back and forth, Celestia's body was being damaged constantly, sending shockwaves through the shadows. Her sister, Darkrai and her Pokemon watched as she was being horribly attacked. The Shadows kept entering her body, only adding to that pain. Unable to take this anymore, Gardevoir's strength managed to break the shadows that held her down. From her body, she used Dazzling Gleam, bringing light to this Dark space. The rays of her Dazzling Gleam would strike at the shadows that held Luna, Darkrai and Kommo-o down, freeing them as well. Luna got up as soon as he could, still suffering from the damage she took earlier. But right as they were freed, the shadows would strike at them immediately. Luna and the others received further damage, barely having any time to recover. Luna screamed as she was knocked onto her back by shadows which were unfortunately everywhere. Darkrai tried controlling these shadows but in his current condition, he was having a difficult time. Gardevoir almost fell on her back but managed to keep her balance, only for Shadow Chains to fly out and grab her arms and legs, keeping her restrained once more. Darkrai received multiple blows to his chest via shadow tendrils as well as Kommo-o as the two of them were being repeatedly hit, completely stunned to do anything about this. And since Gardevoir was held down by the chains, she would also receive a beating from the shadow whips that emerged. The Embrace Pokemon had her entire body whipped as each hit felt like something searing was affecting her. More and more, Celestia was being rag-dolled with no one to help her. The Pony of Shadows would then grab onto her horn, sending shadows through them as well. This added to Celestia's pain as she could do much but take all the hits. She breathed in and out as her regalia had been damaged from this fierce beating. Her mane was an absolute mess too but all of that didn't matter to her as long as she never lets the Pony of Shadows summon Daybreaker. "Submit already!" The Pony of Shadows yelled, wondering why Celestia hadn't given in to the shadows yet. "N-Never..." Celestia's will was too powerful. Much like the Sun she raises, her spirit burned bright. Possibly brighter than the Sun itself. "Tch!" This greatly annoyed the Pony of Shadows who would vigorously slam Celestia into the ground, making her scream out in pain once more. And after sending her crashing into the ground, he summoned a large orb of shadows that would crash into Celestia's body. She looked up at the massive sphere and before she knew it, it would combust around her body. The exploding shadows would launch Celestia's body and yet, that wasn't the end at all. While being sent flying, the shadows would chase her down, summoning tendrils to furiously hit her along the way. Celestia's beatdown wasn't over as the tendrils would then morph together to create a hammer, swinging it down on the Sun Princess. With the same weight as a hammer but even larger, it was brought down on Equestria's Ruler, causing further extreme damage to her body. She hit the dark surface, causing a crack to emerge. A crater formed underneath the darkness, leading to only more darkness below. Luna couldn't bear to see her sister take such a beating as she used the magic of Lunar Ire to push the shadows away from her, quickly flying to her sister's aid. However, once she took flight, her back was hit by another Shadow Hammer which also brought her down. Luna would soon make another crater as she felt her back tremble with the shockwaves rippling. Eventually, the dark surface would break apart, sending Celestia and Luna down into further darkness. Somehow, it was even darker down there compared to what was already up here. Gardevoir yelled, once again ripping the shadows away from her. Her emotions were tied to her strength after all and she was currently enraged, giving her plenty of strength. She would try and fly to Celestia and Luna, only for a group of shadows to get in her way. Gardevoir gasped as these shadows blocked her from getting any further. On top of that, when falling to the other part of the darkness that was below this surface, the crater that was originally formed would repair itself, blocking Gardevoir from reaching them. That didn't mean the Embrace Pokemon wouldn't try. But it wasn't just Celestia and Luna who fell through these massive craters. The orbs of Reshiram and Zekrom followed them, still having no signs of damage done to them despite their vulnerable states. Their bodies hit another shadow surface, this time even more injured than ever. Celestia got the worst of it without a doubt. The two sisters groaned, squirmed and grimaced as the Light and Dark Stone fell next to them. "I'll admit. Your resistance is stupendous." The Pony of Shadows complimented. "But no one is incorruptible. That much is true. Eventually, everyone falls victim to the shadows one way or another." "Try all you want...!" Celestia groaned before having her head struck by a shadow tendril above. This happened while her head was already on the floor which only added to that staggering pain. "S-Sister!" Luna yelled, wishing she could get up. "We will stay here as long as possible until Daybreaker appears. After all, Daybreaker is a part of you. A part that you can't deny." "No, she's not..." Celestia slowly raised her head, only for it to be slammed down by a claw of shadows. "I've been told things about Daybreaker. Especially the one that comes from a place known as Universe 11." The Pony of Shadows laughed. "Judging by what I've heard, she is. She's had her experience with the Dread League and has emerged as quite the pony, embracing the shadows. Luna already unleashed Nightmare Moon, so you should do the same! It's the truth!" The Pony of Shadows would continue beating down on Celestia, infecting her with shadows to try and force Daybreaker out of her. The Lich Queen had previously almost unleashed Daybreaker and the Pony of Shadows was certainly capable of it. However, Celestia was showing greater resistance now, trying to force Daybreaker to stay in and never show up. Equestria. Ponyville. On the Nation Magehold. Day. Meanwhile, the castle of the Lich Queen was currently being invaded once more. Previously, it was Ash and his Pokemon, who already stormed the place, currently taking on the Lich Queen. But right now, another group was heading for Ash's location. His friends, of course. They quickly moved through the hallway of the castle, seeing all the vampires who had been defeated by Ash and his Pokemon as he blew past so many of them. Delta Lucario didn't even need to use his Aura to try and find Ash. The trail of destruction was enough. Ash certainly went wild here as the castle was a total wreck with plenty of rubble scattered everywhere even though no one had gone straight to the castle until Ash took action. And joining them were almost all of the Pillars. The only one absent was Starswirl the Bearded, who was currently at Twilight's Castle with the Princess of Friendship herself. He was currently working on a solution for the Pony of Shadows, attempting to banish him once more. The rest of the Pillars would simply be the distraction. But while Applejack and the others were approaching Ash, someone else had entered the castle but for a completely different reason. That was none other than Roseluck. She was here for her sister, wanting to confront her at last. "Roseluck?!" Applejack noticed Roseluck running by, taking a different pathway that was opposite to Applejack's group. She had just come from Pallet Town, finally getting enough rest. And her first instinct was to go straight for her big sister. "Sorry! I can't chat right now! I have to do something." Roseluck shouted. "Wait! Does that mean everypony came back from Pallet Town?!" Rarity asked. "Yes!" Roseluck would at least answer that before moving ahead. The pathway she took was different but her destination was still the same as Applejack's group. The Lich Queen's whereabouts which would also lead to Ash. But as they were pursuing them, the battle that Ash and Rosa were having would go so far that it reached them. Roseluck came to an instant halt as a burst of darkness flew through the walls. Her pupils shrunk as she was nearly caught by the attack and the rubble as well. The debris came crashing through, nearly hitting her as the darkness would then vanish, leaving Roseluk rather stunned. But even after that, she was still perilous enough to continue moving forward. "What's she trying to do?" Rainbow Dash wondered. "She's going straight for the Lich Queen." But Applejack already knew what Roseluck was up to. The two sisters could potentially reunite once more. That is if Roseluck makes it through this hazardous area that was being torn up by the battle. The sound of lightning going off as well as a Hurricane could be heard. That did not deter Roseluck. She'd gladly get close to the most dangerous area as that was where her big sister could be found. Roseluck moved past the droves of downed vampires who were slumped on the floor and stairs, completely bewildered by Ash's charge. Delta Lucario finally took the time to sense the Auras, just to see if Roseluck was doing this for nothing. And when sensing the Auras, he saw how they were moving back and forth. Both Ash and Rosa had massive Auras, equal in size as each of them would flow differently. Ash's burned like a flame while Rosa's moved like a shadow. And it wasn't just Delta Lucario sensing others. During her battle with Ash, Rosa Maledicta picked up on more presences within her castle. She took the time to sense them while using shadows to battle against Ash's Pokemon. She sensed the Pillars which did not come as a surprise, but what did surprise her a bit was the presence of her little sister Roseluck. The fact that Roseluck was in the castle at this very moment was shocking since she would've never expected an average pony like her to make in here. Applejack and her friends, she expected something from them at least, but not Roseluck. Not her own sister. Even though they were relayed, Rosa did not see Roseluck as her equal. She never did since she was always the bigger sister and the one possessing high amounts of magic while Roseluck was just an earth pony. But to see her here was definitely off-putting. But she knew this could only worsen since more ponies, Pokemon and people could enter the castle eventually. "This castle's becoming too crowded now." Rosa Maledicta said before using shadows to grab an incoming Aura Sphere, stopping it in its tracks. "I think it's time to thin out the capacity." "Huh?" Ash uttered, confused by what she meant by that. "That means...I'm going to bring this castle down." Rosa Maledicta smiled, going for a highly destructive act that would try and bring this massive castle down. "No way! But what about your subjects?" Ash gasped, thinking about the other vampires that could perish if Rosa Maledicta were to do such an act. "They won't matter in the grand scheme of things. It's a worthy act and they might withstand it. But what about you?!" Rosa Maledicta was willing to take that risk. And to bring the whole castle down, she would use her magic, firing it at the floor. Just one strike of it would result in an overwhelming burst of power that appeared in the form of a dark green dome. "Sir!" Sirfetch'd stood in front of his friends, holding out his shield to protect them from the incoming wave of destruction that was already taking up this entire hallway. Ash and the others squinted in the face of this massive explosion which blew away the entire floor and walls in an instant. The room was lit up, masking Ash and everyone in its blinding light. After destroying the hallway, it would expand, hitting more of the castle. Rooms were taken out by the explosion as the castle was hit where it really hurts. The whole place was beginning to come down. It had finally reached its limit. The vampires who had been knocked out had no idea what was happening around them as the ceiling above would fall apart as a green light was blasting through the rest of the castle. Melody Moon and Bittersweet, who were also defeated, looked onward to see this wave of destruction coming their way, knowing that it was the Lich Queen who was behind this. Roseluck felt the castle coming down as the floor would shatter right below her. The Earth Pony screamed as her movements came to an immediate halt and her life was put in danger. She looked up to see the falling rocks as everything around her, whether up, sideways or down was being destroyed by a powerful overflow of magic. It looked like she would never reach her sister at all and that she would perish here. Just what Rosa Maledicta wanted. The more souls the better as the castle's destruction was even affecting the outside. The very top of it was tilting to the side, threatening to fall on the group that was just outside, having a massive brawl. Whether they were from the Shadow Army or Celestia's forces, the castle would try and crush them without a doubt. Cynthia and the others looked up to see the falling castle coming their way, interrupting many battles. "Bay!" And in response, Bayleef would use her Fate-Changing leaves. Multiple of them. Each of these leaves from her body flew out, touching Applejack's hat. Fate had been changed as an equally large white light would counteract what the Lich Queen had made, moving through the castle and passing by every vampire nearby. The entire castle had been enveloped by this light, changing the outcome of things as Bayleef refused to see anyone else get harmed during all of this. She just wanted this to be over and that correlated with how effective her Fate-Changing Act was. With Fate Changing, the destruction of the castle still occurred. Rosa Maledicta's magic still went off, causing massive damage to the castle. But with one major difference. No grave injuries or worse were made thanks to Bayleef. The only outcome was the castle being in absolute ruins, no longer standing tall. All those inside and outside were safe from harm, even the vampires who were unconscious and unable to move. Outside, the destruction of the castle still reached everyone else but the worst it did was knock a majority of them off their feet as a massive amount of rubble now littered the area. Even the Magehold Chamber had been brought down because of this. Piles of debris were moved aside as everyone was amazed to see that they were all in one piece. They had Bayleef to thank for that, using a chunk of her Fate Changing Ability to save their lives. "Bay...Bay..." Bayleef breathed in and out, completely exhausted after using what was seemingly every single one of her leaves. All of her leaves from her head and neck have come off. Even her tail had lost its leaves as there was barely anything left. And with the Sun being blocked by the dark clouds, it was hard for her to regenerate. "Oh, dear! Get some rest, Bayleef. You did your best." Fluttershy would decide to put Bayleef back in her Poke Ball for safety. She did amazing work today, saving many lives. She most definitely deserved some rest until the Sun shows up once more. "So much for following the trail of destruction, this whole place is a wreck now." Rainbow Dash pointed out as she could now see the outside thanks to how much destruction has hit the place. "But we can still find, Ash," Applejack said. "It might be easier to find him this way since everything's been taken down." They would continue on their way nonetheless. After all, someone had to be behind this destruction and it was obviously the Lich Queen. If she were to try something like that again, finding her wouldn't be too hard. But Roseluck still took some damage either way. She was on the ground, perplexed as she ended up landing on some debris. While Bayleef saved her life, that didn't stop her from taking damage. The same went for those outside. They were alive but injured as well as their Pokemon. They now had to battle around the rubble that had been formed by this. However, standing strong even after all of that was the Heavenly Maiden Tree. No matter what, it would not break or suffer any damage. If anything, it seemed like a bastion of strength despite coming from Magehold. The presence it gave off was the complete opposite of what Magehold provides, however. Even though the symbol of serenity stood strong, the symbol of destruction was about to move once more. Yveltal was beginning to wake up. His eyes flared open as the Dark Void could not contain him forever. And neither could anyone free him from his mind control. This wave of destruction was what finally woke him up. And now that he was awake, the Shadows would raise him, supporting him back into the air. The Destruction Pokemon spread his wings out, taking flight once more as his movement created a powerful wind pressure. Cynthia and the other Pokemon Trainers gasped as they were too late to free Yveltal from the Lich Queen's control. Now that he was awake, his path of destruction would certainly continue. But with one difference. Disable was still in effect, eliminating his Oblivion Wing in the meantime. That was at least one positive but that would not stop the Dark-Flying-Type from bringing down a rain of destruction. His Wings of Destruction met with the dark clouds as red lightning would crack in the sky from his presence alone. Cynthia shuddered at this awakening as her words spoke volumes as to how she felt about this. "Ash. Please hurry." Inside an unbearable darkness. Even at this very moment, Celestia and Luna were still being beaten down by the shadows with Celestia getting the worst of it. Daybreaker was still trying to leave her body and the Pony of Shadows would not give up until she arrives and works under him. Celestia had practically gone silent from this beatdown while Luna felt powerless to do anything. All the while, Daybreaker was slowly starting to emerge. Celestia could feel it. This struggle was bringing Daybreaker out more and more while she was trying her best to keep it back. But with each passing second of this beatdown, Celestia was growing weaker, taking all of these hits and harming herself even more just to prevent this other half of herself from emerging. "It's useless! I can feel your control slipping!" The Pony of Shadows could already tell that he was close to succeeding. "In the end, everyone cannot deny the darkness inside of them! It is best to unleash it and let it roam free!" "Y-You're wrong...I've conquered my darkness." Luna said while her face was being forced down onto the surface as if something was pressing it. "Nightmare Moon and I are proof of that. But even still, I can't bear to see my sister unleash something she doesn't want to." "But you can't stop it. Not with your circumstances. You and I embraced the darkness from similar experiences. As for Celestia, she hasn't. But much like the Daybreaker from Universe 11, her experience will be somewhat similar, as long as she shows up." "Who are you exactly...?" Luna questioned as the words of the Pony of Shadows made her realize that he was potentially someone else. And indeed he was. He was the pony Stygian. But she didn't know that and neither did Celestia. "A pony who was wronged and became greater than those who wronged him. Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon are similar to me. That cannot be denied. After I'm done with Daybreaker, I'll go after Nightmare Moon and return her to the shadows You may not fight against Nightmare Moon anymore, Luna but your sister won't stop fighting against Daybreaker. That is her own fault!" "Luna's right..." Celestia suddenly said, grabbing the attention of Luna and the Pony of Shadows. "I can't accept it..." "Sister..." "But I should. That part of me lives within me. It always has. It was my fault that Nightmare Moon was first unleashed on that day." Celestia continued while looking over at Reshiram's Light Stone which was lying there, completely static. "The magic within us reacts in so many ways. And that involves how our lives go. I was fearful of someone like Nightmare Moon and after I learned about Daybreaker, I feared what would happen to me. Would I turn out like that? But...I've recently learned something." "And what would that be?" The Pony of Shadows sneered before sensing something. Suddenly, Reshiram's orb was starting to grow. "I can't run from the truth. Luna has already embraced Nightmare Moon, knowing who she is. It already started with Lunar Ire. But more than that, Luna did more than embrace her." "My sister is right..." Luna coughed. "After what I saw within Lunar Ire, I knew that Nightmare Moon was more than just a corrupted version of myself. She is me at the end of the day, built by my own fears, worries and desires. Even so, she changed. I need her and she needs me." Suddenly, Zekrom's orb would start glowing as well, synergizing with Reshiram. Both of them were finally doing something, but it was in direct response to the words from the two Sisters. "Hmph! What are you getting at?!" The Pony of Shadows roared. "Whatever happens next...if Daybreaker does arrive, I will do the best that I can and accept the truth that she is apart of me. That she is me. After all, she's not a monster like you think she is. Flurry Heart taught me that much." Suddenly Celestia was starting to get back up, slowly overpowering the shadows that were holding her back. "What you want from us isn't fully guaranteed to happen. Like Nightmare Moon, Lunar Ire and yes...even Sombra, the darkness can be our ally. It will not always side with somepony like you." Luna growled while straining herself to get back up. It was the two sisters that were making Reshiram and Zekrom react in such a way. And that was for one good reason. The words they spoke harboured the two things they hold dear to them. Truth and Ideals. The Truth that Daybreaker is Celestia was hard to swallow but Celestia would do what she could, preparing for the worst. The ideals that Luna possesses have always been there. Nightmare Moon was the biggest example of that and she continues to be that example, becoming an ally instead of an enemy. And even the ideals of building a bond with the darkest counterparts. It may seem impossible to some but not Luna. With that, their respective elements were flaring out of their stones as, startling the Pony of SHadows as his darkness was being pierced by them. "What is this?!" The Pony of Shadows gasped. He then looked over at Celestia and Luna who managed to stand back up, completely beaten and bruised, but not down. Not yet. "That is your truth, Celestia. A Truth that we will see through together, from now until the end." Reshiram spoke, bringing a smile to Celestia's face, hearing his voice yet again. "Your ideals are the same as always, Luna. I will follow you until that Ideal world you seek comes true." And the same goes for Zekromwho gained more of his strength. In fact, it was more than just his and Reshiram's strength. It was all of it. The darkness was then pierced by a powerful eruption of Fire and Electric, blowing the Pony of Shadows back. The two elements made powerful pillars, temporarily forming a burst of Plasma before separating. The place had been lightened up because of these bright elements that perfectly counted the darkness. The happiest look on Celesti'as face emerged as she saw him once more. No matter how beaten up she was, she couldn't help but smile while Luna made a light chuckle. And out of them emerged the Dragon of Truth and the Dragon of Ideals. The Vast White Pokemon Reshiram and the Deep Black Pokemon Zekrom. Rejuvenated and back in action. They responded to the Truths and Ideals of the two alicorns, as that is what gave them the strength to return. It was what they stood for. The two sisters would then scream the names of the two Dragons as the Dark Realm was beginning to shatter just from their energies exploding. "Reshiram!" "Zekrom!" Reshiram smiled, bowing to Celestia, showing respect. Not because she was a princess, but because she was his friend. But now, Celestia was no longer just a friend. From the words of Reshiram and even Zekrom, they would follow the two Alicorn Sisters. They were now their Pokemon as the Dark Space was falling apart, unable to handle this sudden outburst of power that was burning and electrocuting the Darkness. Reshiram and Zekrom had returned and they would soon return to the outside, ready to assist in this fierce confrontation. With Celestia and Luna expressing their Truths and Ideals, the Twin Dragons were essentially reborn. It has been too long since something like this happened. Even though they both came from their own separate universes, their viewpoints were still the same as any other Reshiram and Zekrom in existence. With two more Legendary Pokemon entering the fray, the Black Crusade was about to be met with its biggest retaliation yet. As the journey continues. Chapter 193 End.