Missing Number Escapes To Equestria

by The REAL Mister Pkmn

ERROR FINAL: ERROR! ERROR! ERROR! Does Not Compute! Emotion Virus Overwriting Core Programming! ERROR! Error! Errrrrrrroooooorrr..... Re-Installation Successful. Emotion Program Running At Peak Performance. No Errors To Report. <Okay.>

A few days had passed, and MissingNo. and Glitch Out had been called to Canterlot. They appeared in the throne room together, and Glitch Out bowed. “Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. Why is it that you have summoned us here?”

Celestia gave a smile. “MissingNo. I see that your progress with Glitch Out was not exaggerated.” However, her smile soon fell. “Dire news. A cloud of Glitch Energy is gathering over Canterlot. We might have to evacuate the city.”

MissingNo. looked through the window, and a growl of anger came from its form as it spoke in a mor masculine tone than before. “Amalgam. It’s making its move. It’s on the attack now…”

Luna turned her head in confusion. “Amalgam? What is this creature you speak of, MissingNo.? Are we safe?”

Glitch Out stood and gave a nod. “Amalgam was the one that launched the Glitches at you in the first place. How it got here before MissingNo. did is a mystery, but he has assured me that we can defeat it.”

Celestia blinked. “He?” She turned to MissingNo. “You usually refer to yourself in neutrals. What has changed?”

MissingNo. turned to face Celestia. “Memory of what I once was had long been masked by the Glitch Energy that flowed throughout my being. But these days, my emotions are clear, my memory unhidden. Pieces long since thought lost are back with me now.” He gave a chuckle. “It feels good to be complete again.”

Luna looked over towards Glitch Out, who had a strange look on its visage. “Is something wrong? You seem troubled.”

Snapping out of it, Glitch Out shook its head. “It’s nothing, I’m fine.” Its mane seemed to flow a little longer as it looked out to see the storm that was brewing overhead. “MissingNo., are you sure that I am ready to help you with this? I’m still a bit unsure…”

A shake of his form came as he regarded his student. “We have no more room for doubt, my student. We can do this, together.” He looked at Celestia and Luna. “Sound the evacuation. Glitch Out and I will face the Amalgam.”

Celestia nodded, and she and her sister lit their horns. A pulse of magic ran across the city, alerting all of the citizens to leave. Celestia looked at MissingNo. “Finish this. You two are our only chance.”

MissingNo. gave a nod, and he led Glitch Out to the square of the city as the ponies made their way out of Canterlot. MissingNo. looked up at the storm, then to his student. An aura of concern came from him. “Glitch Out, are you okay? You know that you can tell me anything, right?”

Glitch Out took a breath, its voice fluctuating like mad. “MissingNo…. I think you shouldn’t leave when this is over. It might do ill to me. I don’t know if I can deal with your departure...”

MissingNo. seemed to understand what Glitch Out was trying to get at. “Listen. I cannot stay. I know that you will miss me once I leave, and might doubt if the ponies will heed you. But you must have faith. You will be able to do this.” He turned away, and clutched the feather. “Now, focus.”

Glitch Out was about to object, but MissingNo. would not listen. He changed his form, now Decrypted once more. He called out in a mighty voice. “Amalgam! Come on out, and show yourself!”

The sky itself seemed to laugh as the last of the ponies left the city. “FoOlIsH mIsSiNgNo. YoU cAnNoT sToP mE. YoU tHiNk ThAt BrInGiNg ThE sHaDoW oF yOuR fAlLeN pRoPhEtIc GlOrY wIlL hElP tO sAvE tHiS wOrLd? YoUr ‘StUdEnT’ cAnNoT hElP yOu SaVe AnYtHiNg!”

Glitch Out huffed and pawed a hoof at the ground. “I am stronger now. You may have made the both of us, but together, we can defeat you!”

Amalgam’s form started to form as the cloud boiled down to the city below. It constructed a form unlike any creature that had ever been seen. It had pieces from every animal under the sun, stitched into strange and absurd arrangements that made no logical or biological sense. Faces on the end of claws, feet on the end of tails, fists on the end of legs, and gaping sets of teeth instead of spines on its back. It laughed. “BeHoLd! YoU hAvE aSkEd ThAt I aPpEaR. So HeRe I aM, tO dEsTrOy EvErYtHiNg!”

MissingNo. gave a sigh. "Amalgam, your time has come. Come, Glitch Out! To battle!"

Glitch Out nodded as it charged its best attack. “Ready.”

Amalgam shook with mirth. “Oh. ThIs Is JuSt ToO gOoD. TiMe To ShOw YoU… tHe ExTeNt Of My PoWeR!” It attacked with one of its many strange limbs, causing MissingNo. and Glitch Out to roll aside. When the limb retracted, a swarm of Glitches poured from what looked to be an open wound in reality. Amalgam chuckled. “TrY aS mUcH aS yOu LiKe! YoU cAnNoT sToP tHe ArMiEs Of AmAlGaM!”

MissingNo. Shook his head. “No, that’s where you are wrong.” Pulling out the crystal, MissingNo. Looked over to Glitch Out. “Ready when you are.” The two nodded, and MissingNo. Shouted. “Z-Power, activate!” MissingNo. Glowed with power, and glared at Amalgam. “This is for all the harm that you have caused. Go! Code: Restructure!”

Glitch Out shouted as it fired its magic. “This is for my home. My world! Code: Disassemble!”

The attacks collided, melding into something new. Glitch Out and MissingNo. called out as one. “Now, go! Code: Annihilate!”

Amalgam seemed unconcerned as the wall of letters numbers and other figures approached. It lashed out with a tail, as to knock the attack away. Instead, it hissed in pain as the attack disintegrated the tail, and obliterated the Glitches coming from the wound and sealing it in a single blow. Amalgam howled. “NO! THe FAlLEn PRoPHeT AnD HiS StUDeNT wILl NOt DEsTRoY Me!” It inhaled deeply, and fired a beam of pure Glitch energy from its mouths as to try and push the attack back. However, its efforts proved to be in vain as its beams were falling back quickly. Its anger boiled. “NO. NO. NO! I WILL NOT GO! I AM AMALGAM, DESTRUCTION INCARNATE! I WILL REMAIN!” It opened its palms, firing even more beams to try and combat the attack. When that didn’t seem to help, Amalgam shook as if terrified. “No. NoT LiKe ThIs! I cAnNoT eNd! DIE, DIE, DIIIIIIIIIE!” it gathered energy, and pooled all of its power. It glared with its hundreds of eyes. “GOoDByE. CODE: AMALGAMIZE!”

MissingNo. gasped. “Wait, what?” A blast of Glitch Energy fired from Amalgam’s form, stronger and more powerful than anything that had seen before. It struck their attack with a great force, causing the battle to fall to a standstill as the attacks battled. MissingNo. cursed. “This isn’t good. Neither attack is giving way, but… ours is no longer stronger. It’s a stalemate.” His countenance fell. “There’s nothing for it now.”

Glitch Out took MissingNo.’s face in her more effeminate hooves, voice settled to match. “Not just yet.”

MissingNo. blinked. “Glitch Out? You’re sounding… femine. Are you alright?”

She gave a nod. “I’ve been struggling with myself for a while, just as you have. But now at this point, I feel strong. I know what I’m supposed to do.” She took the form of an alicorn, and let go of MissingNo. “I just wish… we could have been more.”

MissingNo. processed that as Glitch Out approached the clashing attacks. He shook off the surprise, and called out to stop her. “Don’t! It’ll tear you apart! I can’t lose you like this, not with so much unsaid!”

Tears fell down her face. “I love you. Goodbye.”

But before she could lunge herself in, MissingNo. pulled her close. “I’m not letting you do this.” Then, a strange power swelled between the two as he admitted. “I’ve grown fond of you too. I must admit, I never saw this happening. But now… Together. Alright?”

Glitch Out smiled. “Together.”

They turned to look at Amalgam, the new power burning with searing flame. They called out as one. “To save all that love this world, to stop the call of Destruction! No more will you haunt this plane of reality! CODE: OBLITERATE!”

The new attack fired, pulsing with pink energy. It looked like a simple arrow, and at first this caused Amalgam to scoff. But when it hit the warring attacks, it sucked in their energy into itself, and it flew on. Amalgam shook. “IMPOSSIBLE!” The arrow kept going, absorbing every attack that Amalgam tried using to stop it. Amalgam tried running, but found itself paralyzed because of terror. It shook. “NO! I WILL NOT GOOOOOO!”

The arrow hit its mark, and Amalgam writhed in agony as it started to crumble. “No! I aM... dEsTrUcTiOn... InCaRnAtE…! I cAnNoT… i WiLl NoT… i MuSt NoT… dIe…”

MissingNo. and Glitch Out looked as the Amalgam died, never to return. Once it was gone, Glitch Out looked at MissingNo. “So, about that confession… does this mean that you’ll stay?”

After a long pause, MissingNo. turned to look at her. “I can sense other worlds calling for aid. We could travel together, you know. I don’t think I’d live with myself if I ignored their pleas.”

This caused Glitch Out to smile. “I knew that you might say that. This world’s healing. There are no other Glitches left behind. It couldn’t hurt to go with you.”

MissingNo. jerked his head towards the castle. “Well, if you’re going with, then we should speak to the princesses first.” He looked down and saw he was still Decrypted. He raised an eyebrow. “Okay, that’s new. It usually wears off after battle.”

Glitch Out grinned. “I think it’s a sign that you’ve finally accepted your past. I think it suits you.”

This got a chuckle out of MissingNo. “I suppose so. Come on. Let’s go.”

Glitch Out followed MissingNo. back to the castle. Once back in the throne room, Celestia greeted them. “You’ve done it! You beat Amalgam. Now, Equestria is at peace.”

Luna spoke up. “MissingNo. Do you still intend to leave? We need to properly thank you.”

MissingNo. held up a talon. “I still will travel…” He looked to Glitch Out with a smile. “But I will not be going alone.”

Perplexed, Celestia rose a question. “You both look different. MissingNo. Is still Decrypted, and… Glitch Out looks like a Princess.” She raised an eyebrow. “What is going on here?”

Glitch Out placed a hoof in MissingNo.’s talon. “We’ve found each other.”

Luna smiled. “So you have. Go, and save the worlds.” The two of them shared a nod, and pooled their power. They opened a portal and went through, and it closed behind them.

THE END

Author's Note:

It's over. Yet another closed book, with such a void left in its wake... I don't think I could feasibly make a satisfying sequel, just so you know. It was a long journey, but this marks the end. I'll be seeing you.

Comments

[lainverse]

I have mixed feelings about this one. It is rather cliche and somewhat predictable, but I like it anyway. Especially the last chapters written this year. Initial chapters felt directionless and were going with the motions, but started to shape up with the first appearance of Glitch Out and even though it end up short and simplistic, I like how it turn out.

[The REAL Mister Pkmn]

9996075
Thanks! I think I am pretty satisfied with it, despite the cliché. This is a story that I had originally intended to end much earlier, but it just grew so much with each chapter that I felt I should continue until I found a way to cleanly end it. Sure, it's not what the original intent was, but... stories evolve as you write them sometimes.

[lainverse]

9997929
I'd say all the time.