Equestria. Ponyville. SugarCube Corner. Nightfall.
"Mew..." In her sleep, Pinkie Pie muttered and mumbled the name of her partner. After the events in space, Mew, Pheromosa and Kartana were sent to the Pokemon Center to rest up for an unknown amount of time. Pinkie was obviously worried suck about Mew as the last time she saw him in such a state was after Team Plasma used him as a test subject.
What a shame it was. Pinkie tossed and turned in her bed, reaching the spot Mew usually would. She was already starting to dream about Mew, minutes into her sleep.
As she was sleeping, her mane and tail would rustle, acting as a sixth sense. Phasing through the walls of her home was none other than Rift Energy. And the one using it was that infamous Blissey, who moved through Pinkie Pie's home as if she were a ghost.
"Mmmmrgh...?" A disgruntled Pinkie Pie grumbled, opening her eyes and immediately seeing another pink figure in front of her. For a moment, she thought it was Mew, even hallucinating him. "Mew...?" That is until her vision became clearer.
"Blissey."
"WAAAAGH!" Screaming at the top of her lungs and shaking her own home, Pinkie Pie was absolutely startled. Despite how loud she screamed, Blissey remained unmoved. The Earth Pony took deep breaths, her heart was racing despite such an innocent face looking at her. "A Blissey?"
"Bliss. Blissey?" Not meaning to startle her, Blissey immediately spoke to Pinke Pie, apologizing first before anything else.
"Wait a second... Immediately, Pinkie Pie started recalling how words of a Blissey had been spread across small towns as of recently. And right now, that same Blissey was in her room. "Are you that Blissey? What are you doing here?"
What other reason? Blissey sensed sadness and immediately showed up. That was the case for all Blissey and this one was no different. The only thing different about her was the fact that she had Rift Energy at her disposal.
"Oh, I know why." Pinkie didn't need an explanation. She knew her Pokemon well, especially Blissey. "W-Well, that's super nice of you, but you don't have to come to me. I was feeling down sure, but it's nothing I can't come back from." The Earth Pony then stood up tall on her bed, puffing her chest out.
"Blissey." But Blissey wasn't buying it. Much like how she knew when someone was said, she could also spot a lie.
"Yeah! I'm not buying myself either!" A gutted Pinkie Pie groaned as she was seen through with ease. "Oh, Mew...I wish I could find Xerneas! Maybe it would fix all of this! But I guess that's why you're here."
"Bliss."
"You're uh...that same Blissey, right? The one that's been going from town to town? I mean, the entire town's totally fine. Not everypony's bummed out here." She was on the mark. It was just the three of them.
Admittedly, Pinkie Pie wasn't as excited as she should be when finally encountering this Blissey. Mew was just on her mind too much after all. But seeing Blissey here was a good sign for her. Such a Pokemon showing up was rather comforting.
Even so, Blissey couldn't let that pass for even a moment. Even if it's just one person sad, she'll take action. The Happiness Pokemon would observe the room, but not with any normal eyes. By using the Rift Energy, Blissey managed to see things in a cosmic light.
Much like the Time Flower, Blissey immediately looked into the past, specifically the times Mew and Pinkie Pie spent together. The Rift Energy allowed her to spot specific moments in time.
Sweet memories came by. Both figuratively and literally. Tons of sweets were consumed by this duo plus Spinda and all the Slurpuff. So many sweets that they just absolutely devoured and enjoyed. This involved pastries of course, which Pinkie Pie herself would make. Those were the tasty times.
"What are you doing?" Pinkie Pie questioned as Blissey looked like she was in the zone. Her face was blank when observing the room as she went through more memories. Memories of the day after Pinkie Pie and Mew officially became partners after the whole Landorus situation.
Once they became partners, it was cycling through every transformation Mew could do. Pinkie witnessed how Mew swiftly turned into various Pokemon right before her eyes.
Pinkie Pie giggled with delight as Mew fluttered around her, his pink form shimmering with energy. The two had become fast friends since the mysterious Pokémon had appeared in Ponyville, and Pinkie couldn't help but marvel at Mew's ability to transform.
"Mew, oh Mew! Show me another transformation!" Past Pinkie exclaimed, her blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.
With a mischievous grin, Mew nodded eagerly and began to glow with a soft pink light. In an instant, his form shifted and contorted until it resembled a perfect replica of Pinkie Pie herself, complete with her signature poofy mane and curly tail.
"Wow! You look just like me!" Pinkie squealed with delight, clapping her hooves together. Not exactly what she was expecting but she loved it.
Mew winked playfully before shifting back to its original form. It floated over to Pinkie's side and nuzzled her affectionately before glancing at the assortment of pastries on the nearby table.
"Ooh, you want to try some pastries, Mew?" Pinkie asked, gesturing towards the colourful treats.
"Mew-Mew!" Mew's eyes lit up with excitement, and it nodded eagerly. With a giggle, Pinkie picked up a strawberry cupcake and offered it to her new friend. Mew's transformation abilities were not limited to his appearance; he could also mimic the taste preferences of those he transformed into.
As Pinkie watched in amazement, Mew's form shifted once again, this time taking on the appearance of a miniature Pinkie Pie. The New Species Pokemon eagerly accepted the cupcake and took a bite, its eyes widening in delight at the sweet flavour.
"Yummy, isn't it?" Pinkie asked, beaming with pride at her baking skills.
"Meeew!" Mew nodded enthusiastically, its cheeks bulging with cupcake crumbs. With a mischievous twinkle in its eye, it transformed back into its original form and darted around the table, sampling each pastry with gusto.
Blissey saw more and more, already getting a gist as to the kind of bond these two had. Very much close and full of high-octane enjoyment. Meanwhile, Pinkie had no idea what Blissey was doing until she finally made a move, startling Pinkie Pie once more by gazing into her.
"I-Is everything okay?" Pinkie Pie asked. But really, Blissey should be asking Pinkie Pie that, even if she knew the answer. After viewing everything, Blissey reached her conclusion. Blissey looked at her egg, knowing that it wouldn't be enough. Pinkie Pie's sadness was something that couldn't be solved so easily considering the circumstances.
"Look. You don't have to worry all that much about me. If you're wondering, it's about my Mew. I'm really worried for him, but I've got a gut feeling he'll be just fine. All my friends always are!"
"Blissey?"
"Mhm. That's right. Mew trusts me, so I can trust him to get better."
"Blissey..." But Blissey could see right through Pinkie Pie. Both figuratively and literally. Using her cosmic eyes, she observed the Aura of Pinkie Pie as her own interface showed up. On that Cosmic Interface, the following were said.
Worry at 65%. Doubt at 40%. Hope at 50%. Ability to lie at 12% and so on. Blissey was gifted with the ability to see other's emotions. And when viewing all those parameters and comparing them to Pinkie Pie's natural emotion. Blissey then turned her head, using the Rift Energy to look past SugarCube Corner and view everything else. And what she saw would shock her.
Twilight's Castle.
"Spike?!" At Twilight's Castle, a bellowing shout came from it. To the shock of Twilight Sparkle, laying there inside of a massive cart was none other than Rayquaza, who was brought home by Spike. "Why is Rayquaza here?!"
"Well, uh..." Spike would have to explain himself as Daisy and Paradise were already surrounding the Sky High Pokemon. "Princess Celestia said we shouldn't keep him safe since he's so weak right now. Don't want someone like Team Plasma finding him, ya know."
"Did you have to bring him here? And is this because of what happened back in space?" Twilight thought back to the entire space situation and the fact that such a powerful force sent everyone flying. Including draining Rayquaza.
"It's only for a while, Twilight. Plus, it'll be just like Princess Celestia and Reshiram, so there's no need to worry. I bet you Rayquaza will be back to his full strength eventually."
"Wow...It's so long." Daisy would poke Rayquaza, admiring his build. Meanwhile, Paradise used her Pokedex, scrolling through every detail about Rayquaza. His biology and what he could do and she found quite a long list of it.
"Oh, yeah. i also heard something about the Dragon Matter today from Princess Celestia and Luna. "Spike had one more thing to share. Something rather crucial. "We got attacked by the Dragon Matter today, but that's only because I was around. Something woke up the Dragon Matter and it came straight for us."
"It's attracted you?"
"Not just me, but my Dragons too. Every Dragon. But it needed something to wake it up in the first place. But get this...Fairy Pokemon are just as immune to it as us Dragons. Heck, you can ask Starlight herself! Hatterene made it go away! For like, a few seconds but still"
"Hmm...I figured as much." Twilight pondered for a moment. "A part of her always thought that was the case but now it was very much true.
"So what happened up there? I mean, something must've happened for Rayquaza to come crashing down there."
"Something did happen. We never reached the scene but one's things for sure. A ton of energy was used up for one big attack in space when Rayquaza was battling the Solar Empire. The force of it immediately sent everyone flying, including us. And whatever it was, Rayquaza lost a good majority of his strength because of it. That's probably why he crashed.
"But you stopped Daybreaker, right?"
"We had to come back to Earth, Spike. We couldn't go back for Daybreaker. Not when Kartana, Mew and Pheromosa took a horrible hit. Especially Pheromosa." The Princess of Friendship shook her head.
"Huh? But that means they're still up there going for Lunala, aren't they?!" Spike pointed to the sky. Admittedly, yes. They were still setting a course for Lunala.
But because Daybreaker's group had fewer to loss in that instance, they could press on with their mission while Twilight's group had to return. She looked outside as well, gazing in the night sky and wondering what what was going on up there. She was worried that Daybreaker's forces could succeed while they were down here. For once, Twilight couldn't do anything.
Universe 23. Twilight Imperium.
It was Universe 23. One of Empress Twilight's locations and what was left of it. After she lost that fateful battle, her empire has been absolutely crippled. Crippled to the point where it wasn't really an empire anymore.
The Twilight Imperium's military forces, once renowned for their strength and discipline, were decimated in the battle against Universe 1. Countless ships were lost and while she still had a lot, it was clear that was a massive number drop compared to before.
The same goes for all the technology she once had. The loss of key research facilities and scientific minds set back the Twilight Imperium's technological advancement by years. Many of the empire's most prized inventions and innovations were lost in the chaos of battle, leaving it vulnerable to more technologically advanced adversaries.
With resources diverted to rebuilding efforts and maintaining what little remained of the empire's infrastructure, investment in research and development dwindled, stifling progress and innovation. The only support were from Team Plasma and the Solar Empire, who were constantly doing their own thing a majority of the time.
As for the universe as a whole, ever since she lost, those who rebelled against her found a new purpose in trying to rise up, making this base of operations not as safe as it used to be.
In the wake of these devastating losses, the Twilight Imperium struggled to maintain its grip on power, clinging to the remnants of its former glory by sticking with Daybreaker and others as it faced an uncertain future. Empress Twilight's dreams of galactic domination were slim, leaving her empire a mere shadow of its former self, barely recognizable as the formidable force it once was.
And the way she looked outside the window, gazing into the night sky, it was bugging her. Not just because her Empire was not that much of an empire anymore, but because of what happened on that ship. All of the things Sunrise Sparkle said rang in her head.
"I could become the new Empress Twilight one day. My own Empress, side by side with her majesty. But she does want you around either way."
"I'm not interested in keeping you around. If anything, I can be better than you will ever be. I have no idea why the Empress decided to put her trust in you, especially after your Empire took a colossal hit. You are an absolute weakling. After all, you used to be Human."
"It won't matter. Her Majesty is already aware of these intentions of mine. It's all a matter of my own restraint and the punishment I could receive will be mild and nothing."
Those words irritated Empress Twilight. And it didn't help that she lost a battle against Sunrise Sparkle's group, who proved to be superior, even against a fully-grown alicorn. But that part about her being a human aggravated the Empress even more, causing her to smash her hoof against the window, shattering it.
"What does she know?" Empress Twilight grizzled her teeth. "The nerve of her. I'd expect nothing less from Equestrian Variant who's so full of herself. But this isn't over."
The Empress, despite being shot down so many times, losing so many battles and being overpowered did not give up. There was a strong drive in her to succeed. After all, she's been in power for so many years it would be a waste to just give up here and she knew it.
But there wasn't much she could do. Now that she knew Daybreaker would have little issue with Empress Twilight falling once more, but this time for good, it was absolutely disheartening. She still wanted her around for the alliance but still. The fact that SunriseSparkle came so close to doing so bothered her too but what made it worse was the fact that she had to rely on the Pokemon Rangers to help her.
Her pride had absolutely been shattered. But a part of it was actually cushioned. In her mind, the Empress thought about Jackie and how he saved her life. She could just put the blame on him since he was the one who threw her off her game from the start, but even the Empress knew that was pointless.
A part of her was actually thankful. Thankful to Jackie for saving her even after she tried to crush him. The Empress didn't want these thoughts swarming her mind, so she quickly shook her head to stave them off and focused on what to do next.
"My plans are being set back more and more. What do I do...?" She paced back and forth, thinking of a solution. There wasn't much to use or do as she didn't want to risk being taken down by the rest of her alliance. Then it hit her. Something came to mind. One option that was available that could help.
"I hate to do this...but I'm going back to the Human World." The place she originally came from. Her actual home and world. The Human World. The Empress, while hesitant, decided to return there as a last-ditch effort. She hasn't visited her original home in so long, mainly focusing all of her efforts on this universe. But now was the time to finally make a return.
Universe 1. Equestria. Ponyville.
While everyone else was asleep, Blissey left Pinkie Pie's home with the earth pony following behind her. Blissey was observing Ponyville as a whole, not just the saddened Pinkie Pie. "Wait!" Pinkie bounced out of her home when following Blissey, wondering what she was doing.
She wasn't just checking up on Pinkie Pie. But also Ponyville as a whole and what it went through. Everything was becoming visible to her. From the very first day their worlds crossed over to the current day.
She witnessed the arrival of Darkrai and Malamar and how they were the first big attacks on Ponyville. Then, it shifted to others such as the terrifying Storm Behemoth, the seeds Discord planted, Tirek, Spiritomb, the Black Fire of Ponyville, the Dread League and so on. Ponyville has taken quite a beating over the years and yet was still healthy and bright.
Very impressive. It was also represented by its residents, who each had a strong will. However, Blissey still saw something wrong. Going through all the scenarios at high speeds thanks to the Rift Energy, Blissey saw that Ponyville was some sort of magnet.
"Blissey?" Once more, Pinkie Pie saw that emotionless look on her face as opposed to how the species is constantly known for smiling. Just then, unexpectedly, Rift Energy would pour out of her body, causing Pinkie Pie to back away. The energy poured out like a fountain before swarming around the Happiness Pokemon, enveloping her in the energy.
She lit up this one spot of Ponyville but the light was expanding. Pinkie Pie's eyes lit up at the sight of this expanding light as it looked like Blissey was undergoing some sort of transformation. And from it, something shocking but still related to Blissey emerged.
A massive egg.
Standing hundreds of feet tall, It was a mesmerizing sight to behold, its appearance both delicate and enchanting. It resembles a small, perfectly formed egg, with a smooth and lustrous surface that seems to emit a faint, faye glow. The egg itself is translucent, revealing hints of pink, white and purple colours, swirling within its depths.
Encasing the egg is a delicate lattice of silver filigree, intricately woven to form a protective shell around the precious orb. The filigree is adorned with tiny, intricate patterns reminiscent of vines and flowers, evoking the beauty of nature.
In the light, the egg seems to display reflections that play across its surface like moonlight on a tranquil pond. Its pearlescent sheen captures the imagination, drawing the eye and inviting closer inspection.
Pinkie Pie was so confused. Bewildered even. This was not what she expected from the Blissey that went from small town to town, cheering others up. None of the villagers ever spoke of this and neither has it come up once. Pinkie Pie had no idea what this meant but was too curious not to stick around.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 431 End.