> The Disaster Pokemon
>  by Onomonopia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Rift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come on everypony, it's time for dinner!" Limestone Pie yelled up the stairs to her sisters room, sighing in frustration when she failed to hear the sound of laughter diminish. The Pie house was tucked in a blanket of snow, meaning that the young filly had to spend the entire day cooped up with her sisters. She was on edge. "Pinkie, I swear that if I have to come up there you're going to be doing my chores for a week!"

"Let her have her fun," Maud said from one of the chairs in the kitchen, glancing up from the books on tectonic plates she was ready to give her sister a bland look. "She just discovered her cutie mark a few days ago and it's for parties. So it's only natural that she'll be a lot more...boisterous than us."

"The only reason that you can say that is because you don't have to sleep in the same room as her! You get your own room while me and Marble have to put up with her giggling all the time!" the filly yelled back at her sister, but as the door opened and her mother and father walked in, Limestone clamped down and kept her annoyance to herself.

A loud laugh filled the room and Pinkie came sliding down the stairs railing, leaping off with a laughter light enough to make her float through the air. She skidded to a stop at the hooves of her parents, beaming up at them with a smile bright enough to rival the sun. Cloudy's mouth didn't move an inch as she stared down at the beaming face of her daughter, but try as he might Igneous couldn't stop himself from cracking a small smile.

"Hiya mom! Hi daddy!" Pinkie exclaimed delightfully while her parents shook the snow off of themselves. Pinkie then spun around and wrapped her arms around Limestone, spinning the both of them around with such speeds that Limestone had to forcefully resist the desire to vomit. When Pinkie released her sister and raced over to Maud, Limestone staggered in place with her eyes swimming in her head.

When the spinning finally stopped, Limestone looked over at her parents to see that they were holding a pair of bags in their hooves, which they laid down on the table in the kitchen. Limestone trotted over and hopped up onto a chair to look inside of the bags, seeing that there was a numerous amount of groceries, most of which were for some of Pinkie's favorite food.

"So we're finally going to celebrate Pinkie getting her cutie mark, are we?" Limestone asked her parents, both of who nodded once silently before going about their work. Limestone made a face before she walked over to her sister and pulled her into a hug, messing up Pinkie's mane ever further. "Congrats on finally getting your mark, little sis. Looks like you are capable of growing up after all."

"Aw, thanks sis," Pinkie smiled before pulling Limestone into a bone crunching hug, one that squeezed all of the air out of her ribs. When Pinkie loosened her grip, Limestone looked down at her sister with a bit of amazement. Pinkie's mane had gone from flat to poofy and her coat had gone from a dark pink to a pink that one would see in a rainbow. Her personality had also changed drastically and now it was almost impossible to get her to be quite. But despite all of that, as Limestone looked down at the three balloons on Pinkie's side, she couldn't help but feel pride in her little sister.

"Limestone, go and find Marble. She's probably out gazing at the stars," Cloudy Quartz ordered Limestone from the counter, gazing at her daughter over the edge of her glasses.

"Aw come on, it's freaking cold out there," Limestone tried to argue. Her father then turned around and gave her a stare that told her she no longer had a say in the matter. Limestone let out an exasperated sigh as she turned and walked towards the door, stopping just long enough to catch a glance at herself in the mirror that hung next to the door.

She looked at her gray mane that hung straight down the side of her body, before casting a glance at the lime on he flank between two rocks. She looked like every other Pie family member on the family tree, not standing out in the slightest. Except for Pinkie, who was so different from the rest of them that no pony would ever guess that they were related.

"Come on, lets go find Marble," Maud said from beside Limestone, snapping her out of her thoughts and getting her to look up at her younger (yet somehow taller) sister with surprise. Maud pulled a scarf off of the coat rack that hung by the door and wrapped the wool around Limestone's neck, before she took one off for herself. "The rock farm is a big place and we have a better chance of finding her quickly together. Before we get cold."

Limestone flashed her sister a grateful smile before Maud pushed open the door and walked outside. The sting of the winter air immediately bit into the two ponies, getting Limestone to shiver as her body quickly became chilled. Maud made no indication that she felt the cold at all and instead looked to her left and right across the farm.

"You take the quarry. I'll go look near the Holder's Boulder," Maud instructed, getting Limestone to shake her head. Despite being the oldest of the sisters, at this point Limestone, Pinkie and Marble had all defaulted to Maud as the leader of the four. Not only because she was far wiser than all of them, but also because she would do what she wanted anyway, whether or not she was in charge.

"She better not be on top of Holder again," Limestone grumbled as she started to head to the rock quarry. "If she is I'll never let her hear the end of it!"

"That's why I'm going to look there."

Limestone walked towards the rock quarry in silence, only occasionally letting out a sound as her teeth chatted together. She pulled her scarf closer as she moved a little quicker, looking across the quarry for any sign of her sister while she trotted through the snow. She eventually spied Marble sitting at the very edge of the quarry, looking up at the moon hiding amongst the clouds.

"Hey Marble," Limestone said as she approached her youngest sister, getting Marble to turn around to glance at Limestone. A small smile was all Marble gave Limestone before she turned her eyes back up to the moon as Limestone sat down next to her. "Mom and dad say that you have to come in. We're going to be celebrating Pinkie getting her cutie mark tonight."

"Oh wow, already?" Marble replied in a near whisper, hiding under her mane as she changed her gaze to the snow under her hooves. "Do you think that...I'll get my cutie mark soon?"

"Don't see why not. Maybe in another year or so," Limestone said to her sister before wrapping an arm around the filly. "But first I need to teach you to stop hiding under your mane. No pony is going to take you seriously if you keep doing that."

"I know, but I just feel so safe when...sis. What's that?"

Limestone looked up to where Marble had pointed, her eyes going wide as a tear ripped its way across the sky far in the distance. The tear was slowly pulled open, reveling a vortex of pink energy that hung in the sky, barely visible with the clouds that hung in the sky. But both Marble and Limestone watched with wide eyes as something descended from the tear, a being that neither of them could make out completely.

From where they sat it looked like some kind of dragon, with a pair of wings that went straight back. Its long neck moved its head back and forth, looking around the land. The dragon had two large pearls on its shoulders that glistened in the moon light, while its whole body was pinkish in nature. 

The creature lifted its head towards the rift, watching as a sphere of pink energy descended out of the rift and came to a stop right in front of the dragon. The dragon then pointed one of its arms off into the distance and a split second later the sphere launched into the distance. The moment the sphere was gone the dragon extended its wings and flew back up into the vortex, which slowly closed in upon itself once the dragon was gone. When it had closed completely, the Pie sisters were left looking at a perfectly fine night sky, with no mark of what had just happened.

"Sis, did you see that as well?" Marble asked Limestone, whose face sent like her aunt Flint, who was known for stern looks, before shaking her head slightly.

"I saw it. The only thing I don't know is what we just saw," she replied, before standing up and helping Marble to her hooves as well. "Go back to the house and I'll be with you momentarily. Don't argue or else mom will get mad at us. And grab Maud if you see her."

Marble did as she was told, leaving Limestone to look up into the sky once more and glare at the spot where the rift had appeared. She waited for ten more minutes, waiting for it to open once more, but when nothing happen she shook her head and headed back towards her home.

'Was that some kind of dragon? A magical monster that we've never heard of before? What was it doing here?' she asked herself before she stopped one last time, remembering the direction that the sphere had flown off in. 'And what was in that sphere? Why did that dragon leave it here? And what does it mean for our world?'

(]o[)

A strong kick to the stone wall caved it in, creating a large enough opening for the treasure hunter to make it inside. The beast had the face of a dog, the body similar to a gorilla and a tail with a hand on it. It also wore a hard hat on its head and a map was gripped tightly in its hand, neither of which were helping it all that much.

"This should not have been this hard to find," Ahuizolt snarled to himself as he reached up and turned on the headlamp, shining it around the room that was filled with plants and dusts, neither of which Ahuizolt liked the looks of. "Twenty years...it's taken me twenty years to find this darned place!"

Yet even though the dust was messing with his allergies, Ahuizolt couldn't help but smile as he reached into a back pocket, pulling out a small totem on the end of a necklace. "But found it at last I have. And with this discovery, this world will soon bow down to me! The greatest treasure hunter in all of the world!"

Ahuizolt threw back his head and laughed as loud as he could, until some dust flew into his throat and turned his triumphant laughter into regretful choking. Once he had finished with his close encounter with death, Ahuizolt entered into the ancient temple and started to look around.

The walls were covered in images and symbols, all of which Ahuizolt easily deciphered with his brilliant mind, and the cheat sheet that he had on the back of the map. He flipped it over and started to read the symbols, a toothy grin smiling across his face as he slowly started to realize what he needed to do.

Without a moments hesitation he walked over to a spot in the large chamber where a single pedestal stood in an alcove with nothing on it. Ahuizolt removed the totem from his backpack and placed it onto the pedestal, waiting for a full three minutes before he realized that he had it on backwards. Once he flipped it around, the temple began to shake with such force that hundreds of bats that had been hiding in the cracks of the walls flew towards the exit that Ahuizolt had made, terrified of the weirdo that had entered into their home.

A stone wall vanished in a swirl of dust (sending Ahuizolt into a coughing frenzy) before he walked into the chamber hidden behind the wall, glancing around at the splendor that was the hidden chamber. Torches that never seemed to burn out decorated the walls, providing an eerie light that Ahuizolt would be sure to remember if he ever made an evil lair. Piles of gold, silver and gems adorned the floor, with some of the gems being larger than Ahuizolt's hands.

But neither the treasure nor the ambient lighting was what Ahuizolt had come for. In the center of the room, under a single beam of light that came from the outside, was a coffin. A coffin that was covered in chains and a lock that held six slots for keys on it. The coffin itself was black as the night and an eerie glow came out of the small cracks in the side of it. 

"And there we are. One of the most powerful and well guarded secrets in all of Equestria. The coffin of the kind," Ahuizolt whispered to himself as he approached the coffin, until a chilling sensation stopped him in his tracks.

'Who dares to disturb me?' an ancient and slightly raspy voice asked from within the coffin, but instead of inspiring fear the voice made Ahuizolt smile with anticipation.

"So the legends are true. Within this coffin lays the king of all ghosts," Ahuizolt said as he approached the coffin, resting a hand on the exterior of the box. "King of the ghosts, hear my words. I have come to free you, but only if you do a favor for me! And if you refuse, I shall leave and you shall remain imprisoned until the end of time."

'Very well, one who I do not know. Tell me it is what you desire and I shall use my power to make it so. Once I am free, of course,' the kind replied from within, more curious than offended by the being that so casually demanded his aid.

"I demand that you use your ghostly army to grant the rule of this world to me!" Ahuizolt declared, clenching his fists as he did so as he struck a pose of triumph.

'That is hardly a difficult request. But in order for me to resurrect my ghostly army, I will need to be free.' Ahuizolt extended a single claw and placed it in the lock. The claw didn't unlock the chains, but simply by being touched the lock faded away into golden dust. The chains fell off of the coffin and vanished into dust as well, before the top of the coffin exploded off and a being of darkness rose into the sky.

'I am free!' the small ball of darkness said, letting out a menacing cackle before it started to fly around the room. Ahuizolt watched the ball fly around until he snapped his fingers, getting the ball to fly over to him. 'Ah, so this is the one who freed me. Tell me your name, stranger, and I shall grant you what you desire.'

"Do you take me for a fool? I know that if a mortal gives their name to you, you will take control of their very soul with your power," Ahuizolt said with a smile, one that got the ball to start chuckling.

'Ah, I see that you are not as dumb as the last fool that freed me. Sombrero or something like that,' the king said before he dove into the treasure that lined the floor, emerging a moment later with a sliver mask that had a large smile upon its face. 'Perhaps this time I will be able to get something done before I am finally sealed away. Tell me, have King Solace's descendants Celestia and Luna been dealt with yet? They are still the current rulers, right?'

"Yes and they still breathe. And now there are six other defenders with powers that surpass the princesses. They will be trouble," Ahuizolt informed the king, who nodded the mask.

'Well, that matters not. There are as many ghosts under my command as there are graves in the world!' the king laughed before the masks eye sockets began to glow, sending out a purplish light into the air. 'Arise my ghosts! Those of you with bitter hatred in your hearts, arise! Join me once more, to reclaim the land of the living for ourselves!'

Ahuizolt looked up at the sky with a large smile for a minute, before he looked around with confusion at the fact that nothing had changed. "Um..."

'I was not buried with my army. Solace was not that dumb. But right now, somewhere in the world, my army is arising,' the king said with a sinister laugh, which was offset by the silly smile on his mask. 'And I pity any that are caught with them.'

(]o[)

Ponies screamed in terror as the center of the city was slowly ripped open, creating a fissure in the ground that shook the entire city to its core. Buildings began to collapse as the fissure grew wider and wider, laughter filling the air as the sky started to become darker and darks clouds filled the sky. While the ponies ran away, those that were wearing the uniforms of the royal guard ran towards the fissure, drawing their weapons as they prepared to do their duty.

Yet when they arrived at the fissure they found that they were hopelessly unprepared for what they would find. Hundreds of spirits were rising into the sky, all of them resembling the upper half of a pony if they had no mane, eyes and their mouths stayed open, allowing a blue light that came from within the shine. Their eyes sockets shone with a similar blue light, one that was malevolent, while their faces had on them a sinister smirk.

The guards raised their weapons and prepared to defend themselves, before another guard pointed out that there was something in the center of the fissure. All of the guards turned their attentions to the fissure once more, spying the figure standing on a single pillar that was barely holding together. The being had white fur, red eyes and a black horn in the shape of a blade. It seemed to size them up for a moment, before it opened it's mouth.

"Run."

And then the spirits attacked.
> Souls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I can't find my party cannon! Where is my party cannon?!" Pinkie exclaimed as she raced around the princesses chamber, barely able to be seen as she whipped back and forth. She lifted the throne of the princesses and looked underneath of it, before Twilight grabbed hold of her with her magic and dragged her back over to the rest of the group.

"You probably left it in your room, Pinkie," Limestone said with a shake of her head and her sisters antics, while the rest of the Pie family said nothing. Limestone looked around the throne room at the rest of the families that were there with them, including the Apples and Twilight's family. Marble and Big Mac were making small talk (or no talk in their cases), while her parents were talking with Twilight's parents. Fluttershy's family were talking with the family of Rarity, aside from her little sister, who was off with her friends, while Dash's dad stood off by himself.

Pinkie and her five other friends were talking amongst themselves. Limestone couldn't hear what they were saying, but from the looks upon their faces it was evident to the mare that it couldn't be good. Yet with another wary eyes across the numerous families, Limestone had to wonder what sort of event would cause the princesses concern to gather all of their families in the same location.

Yet even with all the tension in the air, Limestone couldn't help but stare in awe at the throne room of the two most prestigious princesses in all of Equestria, those that she had admired since she was a little filly. The paintings and stained glass were a sight to behold, but the eyes of Limestone were all on the columns and floors, which see practically pressed her face against to get a better look at.

'Some of these stones haven't been seen in Equestria for over five hundred years!' she realized silently as her eyes scanned up and down the floors, her body following her eyes as she moved up the material. 'Crystalized sandstone! Where in all of Equestria did they find this stuff?!'

"I am sorry to have called you all here so suddenly," Princess Celestia said as she entered into the room, causing every knee to bow upon her entrance. Once they had bowed all of the families rose up to their hooves, while Limestone did everything in her power to keep from fan-girling at the sight of the princess of the sun. She flicked her mane out of her eyes and tried to stand in a cool way, but when Celestia passed by without a glance Limestone gave up.

"I come bearing grave news. Grave being the word you should be aware of," Celestia began as she reached her throne, turning to face the ponies with a look of uncertainty upon her face. Her horn glowed with the spiraling power of the sun, a magic which she then projected into the air above their heads. With eyes filled with amazement as the magic created an image, one of a being that looked like a floating suit of pony armor, with a dark and evil smile within the helmet.

"This, my little ponies, is the infamous King Spiral, the king of the undead," Celestia explained. Limestone felt herself move closer to her family at the simple uttering of the kings name and a glance at the other ponies showed that they had acted in a similar manner. "He is one of our oldest and most ancient of foes. He is the being responsible for the death of my uncle, Prince Sol."

"I've read about him. He was able to call upon and command the armies of the dead, earning their trust by promising them a place among the land of the living," Twilight stated, turning all heads towards her. Limestone had heard a lot about Twilight from Pinkie, even before she had become a princess, yet every time Limestone was around Twilight she always felt inferior. Like compared to Twilight she would never be anything.

'Actually, I kinda feel that way standing next to any of them,' Limestone thought to herself as she cast her gaze over the other five members of harmony, guilt filling up her heart when she looked at the bouncing, pink pony that was her sister. 'I should be happy for her. She's a freaking hero for Faust's sake. No time for stupid, sisterly jealousy.'

Maud, somehow sensing Limestone's emotions, pulled her into a tight hug, something that also upset Limestone. Despite being the eldest sister, Maud was stronger, taller and had a better education than her. Not that Limestone minded the last bit all that much, as she had chosen to stay on the farm. But still, one more thing to be measured up against.

"...when he unleashed the armies of the dead against the castles in the south, where at the time Prince Sol was ruling," Princess Twilight continued on, snapping Limestone back into reality. She struggled against the might of Maud and her little sister released her grip, allowing Limestone to move over next to Marble, who was staring at Big Mac.

"Enraged by the death of his brother, King Solace defeated the king of the ghosts and imprisoned him in the furthest reaches of the world, where he was supposed to spend all eternity," Twilight finished with a grim look upon her face. "His grave was supposed to be impossible to find, but apparently somepony managed to do it. And with the return of King Spiral comes the return of his army. His army of ghosts."

"So yer saying there's an army of the dead that now haunts the lands of Equestria?" Granny Smith asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. And these ghosts...their incredibly strong. The rainbow power can defeat them without much effort, but a normal pony wouldn't be able to even lay a hoof on them," Twilight explained before pulling out a tome and flipping through the ancient text to a page in the center of the book. "According to this, a unicorn with strong enough magic can repel the ghosts, but the unicorn is susceptible to the ghosts power, more so than a regular pony in fact. So all of you need to be careful." 

"Yeah right," Thunder Dash said with a snicker, turning all heads to the rainbow haired stallion that was leaning against the wall, forehooves crossed. "You didn't drag all of our families here just to tell us all of that. A letter would have done that. No, there's another reason you gathered all of us, the families of the six champions of the land I might add, together. What is it?"

"You are more observant than I was led to believe," Princess Celestia said with a smirk before she let out a sigh. "As your father stated Rainbow, there is a reason we brought all of your families here together. It is because we believe the ghosts to be targeting the families of those who bear the Elements."

All of the ponies let out a gasp at this, aside from the six elements who had been told ahead of time. "Both Twilight and Applejack's families were attacked by the ghosts, yet instead of trying to add them to their ranks, the ghosts tried to carry them off. Is that not correct?" Celestia asked as she looked at the families in question, who both nodded their collective heads with worried expressions.

"So that is why we have brought you all together. Because it will be easier to keep an eye on all of you in a large group than it would be spread out across Equestria," Twilight picked up for her former mentor, shifting her weight upon her hooves while her eyes lowered to the floor. "We don't know why the ghosts are trying to take you away. It could be that the king is trying to use all of you as leverage against us or they may just be taking living ponies somewhere. Until we can figure out more, this is all we can do for now. I hope you all understand."

All of the families nodded their heads in agreement, before Celestia stepped forward off of her throne and changed the image floating above them, turning all eyes to her magic once more. The being within the image was hard to see, but the ponies could just vaguely make out something with a white coat of fury and a black horn that looked like a blade upon its head.

"There is also the manner of this strange being that has appeared recently," Celestia added on, narrowing her eyes as she did so. "We know not what it is nor where it comes from, but all we do know is that it has shown up in three cities, right before they were overrun with the ghosts. That leads us to assume that it is working with the ghosts, perhaps as a leader of sorts."

"Of course, that is only speculation. It may not be related to the ghosts at all, but be careful if you see it all the same," Twilight added on, before clapping her hooves together. The doors to the throne room were opened and numerous servants entered the throne room, each of them picking a family and bowing to them. "These ponies will take care of you and your families while you are staying here. Stick close to them and tell them if you have any questions. They and the royal guard are here to protect you. Ponies, please show these guests to their rooms."

Limestone gave the servant that walked over to them a quick glance before she gazed out a window to the side of her. The sky was black overhead and down in the streets she could see the largest gathering of guards that she had ever seen in her life. Despite the throne room being warm and cozy, she still felt a chill run down her spine before she walked over to her family. She spent a moment prying her sister away from Big Mac before she and the rest of her family followed their guide into the castle, all of them excitedly talking amongst themselves.

(]o[)

Limestone was used to sharing a house with her family, which was something that she could just barely tolerate. Having to share a single room, even though it was an incredible furnished and well made room, was where she drew the line. The moment the guide had shown her and her family to the spare room within the Canterlot Castle where they would be staying, she immediately took up residence on the couch.

Her mother and father had said nothing during the time they had been with the others, but now that they were along with their daughters Limestone could see that they had the faintest looks of concern on their faces, even if they did their best to hide it. Marble had made a fort out of her beds pillows and was hiding beneath them, with only her eyes visible beneath the fortress of fluff. Maud sat off by the window, her face unchanged as she spoke to her pet rock.

"So it's ghosts, huh?" Limestone finally said once everypony was settled in, unable to take the monotony any longer. "What, did they run out of giant, mythical monsters to fight and have to fight something that has been scaring little foals since they were little?"

"Says the mare whose legs are shaking," Maud pointed out, getting Limestone to turn on her sister with a look telling Maud to be quiet. Limestone glared down at her legs to get them to root them in place, before walking over to the bed and glancing at the set of eyes gazing out at her from beneath the pillows.

"Marble, get out of there. Pillows won't protect you from ghosts," Limestone informed her sister, plunging a hoof into the fortress of pillows and grabbing hold of her little sister. Marble fought as best she could, but as the second strongest sister Limestone pulled a flailing Marble out from under her pillows with relative ease. "Now set the bed for you and Maud. I need to get the couch ready for me."

Marble did as Limestone asked while Maud continued to stare at the stars outside of the window. Limestone was amazed that they could see any stars at all, with all of the dark clouds that were covering up the sky. She pulled up a chair and sat next to her sister, glancing down at Boulder who was laying on the table.

"What do you think of this whole ghost affair?" Limestone asked Maud in a near whisper, revealing to her sister how afraid she actually was. Limestone often took comfort in Maud whenever she was scared, as not only did Maud practically never show emotion, but Maud would carry a secret to her grave. "I don't know if Pinkie can handle this by herself. Do you think we should back her up? Maybe we could-"

"You said the same thing when she first got her element. Then when Discord attacked. Then Sombra. Need I go on?" Maud replied wisely. "Pinkie will be fine. She is the strongest member of our family. Instead of doubting her, we should believe in her."

"I thought you were the strongest in our family?" Limestone said with a nervous smile, only for Maud to give her a stare as blank as a slate. Limestone then let out a grumble as she rested her head on her hooves. "She's my little sister, yet I can't do anything whenever she needs to go save the world. I should be able to take care of her. I-"

"Would get in her way," Maud finished, getting Limestone to let out a sigh of acceptance and lay her head on the table. "Pinkie has always done things a different way than us. Trying to help her would only hold her back. She can't fly if she's carrying us as well. We're rock farmers. She's a hero. It's that simple."

"I still haven't gotten used to you being so wise. What did those years at school do to the little filly that used to crack her head against a rock to break it?" Limestone asked with a smile at Maud and this time Maud gave her sister the faintest of smiles.

"She learned how to be wise from you," Maud replied, before she looked out the window and narrowed her eyes. "Huh, didn't think they'd show up."

Limestone was about to ask what Maud meant before the window was shattered and Limestone was hurled out of her seat. She hit the ground hard, but managed to retain enough sense to roll up onto her hooves. She laid eyes on the foe that attacked her and her eyes went wide with what she saw.

A being that looked like the upper half of a pony's body floated above her, a wicked and glowing smile on its face as it glared down at her. The being was transparent, yet had a black tint to it that made it look sinister. The ghost looked around the room before two more ghosts with different colors flew in the room behind them, laughing manically as they did so. Under the light of the moon the ghosts seemed to glow with a supernatural power, making them even more menacing than they had before.

Limestone looked past the ghosts to see that Maud hadn't been budged by the exploding glass, yet from the look on her face Limestone could tell she was mad. The ghosts let out a wail and lunged towards the ponies, with one coming right towards Limestone.

"Alright, you want some? Come get some!" Limestone roared as she flung a punch right at the ghost, only for her hoof to go flying through the beings body with ease. She had expected the punch to hit, so her momentum brought her straight down onto her face. She quickly pushed up to her hooves and spun around to face the ghost, only to take a blast of spectral magic to the face. The blast hurled her across the room and into the side of the wall, where she slid down with her head swimming.

Maud placed herself between her sister and the ghosts, the glare on her face getting the spirits to back away for a brief moment. That moment was long enough for the door to be kicked in and three guards to swarm into the room, all armed and one a unicorn. The ghosts cackled as they turned on the guards, their faces looking like smiles as the guards attacked.

The two guards with weapons were tackled to the ground by the ghosts, while the unicorn started to blast the main ghost with magic. The magic blast struck the ghost in the chest and hurled it into the wall and then straight through the wall. The unicorn narrowed his eyes as he started to look around the room, never spying the ghost as it appeared through the floor behind him.

"Look ou-"

Before the words could leave her mouth the ghost slashed the guard in the back with claws glowing in an ominous purple light. The guard let out a weak moan before he fell over, leaving the ghost to turn its attention to the ponies. Limestone's mother and father were trying to stop the two ghosts from getting to them and Marble, as the ghosts were done with the guards. The other ghost approached Limestone and Maud, the latter refusing to move even and inch. The ghost saw the challenge in her eyes and smiled, changing its hoof into the purple claw once more.

As it did this, another ghost flew into the room, one that was large than the other three combined. It was a dark black color while its eyes and mouth spewed a red light. It's body seemed to be a mix between a minotaur and a pony's, but that was all Limestone could make out. The other ghosts stopped what they were doing the moment they saw it, telling her that it was in charge of them. It gazed around the room, chilling Limestone as its gaze passed over her, before it spoke.

"The elements are on their way," it spoke to the other ghosts in a tone that felt like somepony was breathing on the back of Limestone's neck. The ghost then held up a lantern that was filled with a blue light, one that was both comforting and disturbing. "Time to go."

Then everything went black.
> Blizzard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Limestone was used to cold. She had worked on her family's rock farm through blazing hot summers and freezing cold winters. After so many years of that, she thought that she was able to handle any cold that came her way. But as she sat locked in a steel cage that was bolted to the back of  large cart, she felt the cold for the first time in a long time. She wrapped her forehooves around herself and shivered, trying not to think too hard about the current predicament she was in.

She glanced behind her to see Marble, who was trapped in the same cage as her. Marble wasn't fairing that well and from the way her body violently shivered, Limestone figured that she wasn't going to last much longer in the conditions. Limestone then glanced through the bars ahead to see the ghosts that were pulling the cart, the two of the a deep blue and larger than the other ones. Ahead of the cart she was on was another one with a similar cage on the back, one that held her parents and her sister Maud.

Maud had been restrained with metal strips, preventing her from tapping into her insane strength. Her father was doing everything in his power to keep his wife and daughter warm, while often glancing back at Limestone's cage with looks of worry on his face. Limestone would smile back in reply to try and keep his spirits up, but the cold was unforgiving and the wind bit through her tough skin.

'How long has it been since they caught us?' Limestone thought to herself as she walked over to her sister and pulled her close, trying to keep Marble as warm as she could. After being trapped by the ghosts, they had been carted all over Equestria. Some places she recognized, others she didn't. But after a while she had given up trying to learn where they were. All she could do was keep an eye on her family. She didn't know what had happened to the other families that had been captured.

"Where are we being taken to?" she asked the ghosts when the winds had died down, doing her best to keep from succumbing to her fear. The ghost responded by snapping at her hoof with its teeth, getting her to leap back with fear as the being began to chuckle. She made a face that it didn't see before walking back over to Marble, nudging her with her nose to try and wake her. "Marble, you okay?"

"No. I'm scared. I want to go home," Marble whispered in reply, making Limestone realize that she wasn't shaking because she was cold. She was shaking because she was sobbing. Limestone had the sudden urge to bash some things heads in, but her rage was quickly chilled by her reason. She knew that she couldn't touch the ghosts. She had watched her sister try to crush one of them before they put her in the restraints. So all Limestone could do was watch, not just the ghosts, but also the lock on their cage.

'These ghosts aren't that bright, that much is certain,' she thought before she sat down in the center of the cage, glancing occasionally at the lock that kept them trapped within the bars. But with her knowledge of rocks and metals, she could tell that there lock wasn't enjoying the cold climates any more than she was. It was weakening. Not by much, but a little bit every day. Limestone then glanced down at her hoof, wondering if she was strong enough to break through the metal when she needed to.

'But even if I can get through out lock, can I get my family out of the other one before the ghosts get us?' she questioned herself, glancing over at where the rest of her family was before closing her eyes in regret. 'Can I even get myself to safety, let alone the rest of my family?'

Limestone turned her head and looked off into the distance, spying a massive mountain that towered over them. She didn't know why, but the sight of the mountain made her shake even harder despite the fact that she was already freezing. Something about it made her uneasy, almost like a pair of eyes were watching them, eyes that could strike them down at any time. 

Then she cast a glance at the ghosts pulling the carts and to her amazement she realized they had the same looks on their faces that she had. They were afraid of the mountain as well. The wheels in her head began to spin like mad as she started to formulate a plan to get her entire family to the mountain, but before she could think of anything concrete the two carts came to a stop.

"Alright, we're at the place," one of the ghosts said to the other, getting Limestone to perk up an ear to listen in. "Supposedly the rest of the crew will be here in about a half hour. So all we have to do is keep an eye on this bunch until they show up. Then we can all get the heck out of this place."

"Why are you so keen on getting out of here? Scared of a little rumor?" the other ghost pulling the cart laughed at the other, but unbeknownst to either of them Limestone was listening intently now.

"You know darn well why I'm scared of that little rumor. That "rumor" has killed more ghosts than any other threat in history. And do I have to remind you that we're already dead!" the other spat back. Limestone's heart was beating heavily in her chest as the realization sunk in. Whatever was on that mountain was able to defeat the ghosts and even put them down for good. But as she cast a glance to the side, she saw that between them and the mountain was a large forest, one that was covered in snow and seemed to go on forever.

"Oh ho, good news for you then," the ghosts resumed, snapping Limestone's attention back to them. "Just got a message from the boss. Seems that our relief is going to be here a lot earlier than we thought. Five minutes at most."

Limestone's heart plummeted into her stomach. Five minutes to bust her family out and get them to the mountain before the other ghosts arrived. The odds were practically impossible. But with a glance at her freezing sister and trapped family, she knew that it was then or never.

"Marble, get ready to run," Limestone whispered to her sister, who glanced up from behind her mane to give her sister a confused look. "Don't argue, just do. When I open the cage, you sprint to the forest and head for the mountain. Don't wait up for the rest of us."

With a yell that caused even the ghosts to shake with fear, Limestone took perfect aim at the lock and bucked at it with her hind hooves for all she was worth. The lock gave out from the strike and snapped off with a metallic clang, before it went sailing off into the snow. The ghosts whipped their heads around in time to take a pair of snowballs to their faces, blinding them momentarily and allowing Limestone and Marble their chance to escape.

"Go Marble! Run!" Limestone yelled at her sister before she sprinted over to the cage that was holding the rest of her family. Limestone took aim at the lock and bucked it for all she was worth, but aside from a searing pain in her rear hooves nothing happened. "Darn it all! Stay back dad, I'll try to-"

"Limestone. Run!" Igneous yelled at Limestone. Limestone turned around in time to see ten more ghosts teleport in next to the ghosts that had been snowballed, all of them glaring at Limestone with rage flashing in their eye sockets. Limestone looked from them to her family, unable to decide what to do. "Run, please!"

"But I just can't-"

"GO!" Maud yelled. The sound of Maud yelling snapped Limestone out of her indecision and, with one last tearful look at her family, sprinted towards the forest as fast as her hooves could carry her. The ghosts behind her let out a cackle that chilled the mare even further before they gave chase, following up their cackle with laughter that was devoid of any joy. 

Limestone reached the edge of the forest right before the ghosts managed to reach her, the ghosts weaving in and out of the trees before they would come flying at Limestone. Limestone was quicker than her bulky frame would let on and she was able to leap out of the way of the lunging ghosts. The pair of ghosts collided in the air behind her, stunning them while also telling Limestone that the ghosts could hurt each other.

She ran over a snow pile and used her hind hooves to kick up a smokescreen of snow to blind the ghosts for a moment, allowing her to leap down onto a frozen river and skid across it to the other side. She had hoped that in the confusion of the snow, and the fact that she had leapt onto the river where they couldn't see her hooves, that they would lose her. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder to see that five of the ghosts hadn't been tricked by her efforts and were closing in with a speed that made her eyes widen.

"You cannot run, little pony. We will catch you and your soul will belong to the king!" the ghosts cackled as Limestone reached the other side, leaping up onto the bank and sprinting back into the forest.

Limestone quickly realized that she had no idea where she was running to. She had hoped to somehow get to the mountain that the ghosts were so afraid of, but once she was in the forest she had lost all sense of direction almost instantly. All she could do was keep running and hope that she could lose the ghosts. That was the plan before her body started to give out.

"No no no! Not now!" Limestone wheezed as she felt pain in her side. But despite her best efforts, her body couldn't keep up with the constant running. She was cold, in pain and hadn't eaten anything of substance in days. She couldn't keep running much longer.

She gritted her teeth and tried to push through the pain, but her momentary lack of concentrating prevented her from seeing a drop off in front of her. So she barreled over the drop off at full speeds, barely having enough time to cry out before she plummeted down below.

'Please land in snow!' she prayed before she landed side first on a thick sheet of ice. The impact knocked the wind out of her lungs and left her gasping for air on the surface of the ice, leaving her completely defenseless as the ghosts began to circle around her. She used what little strength she had left to push herself back up to her hooves, but as the eternal smiling faces of the ghosts began to close in on her, she knew she was done.

That was before she was tackled by her sister and whisked off of her hooves.

"Marble?" Limestone asked in disbelief as her little sister pulled Limestone through the trees, barely able to hear the yell of the ghosts behind them. Limestone looked down to see that Marble was running faster than she had ever seen her sister run and that was without a passenger. "How are you going so fast?"

"Don't know. Fear? Adrenaline? Just got to keep going!" Marble cried out, weaving in and out of the trees.

For a brief moment Limestone allowed herself to have hope that the two of them might actually be able to make it out alive. Then a large ghost that was black and purple phased through one of the trees and struck Marble in the leg. Marble let out a cry of pain as she and Limestone crashed into the snow, kicking up powder as the two of them crashed.

Limestone was the first back to her hooves, allowing her a moment to shake the snow out of her mane and race over to her sister. She pulled Marble up and draped on of her forehooves over her shoulders, leaning Marble against her before pushing herself forward.

Limestone barely noticed that the wind had picked up and that it was beginning to snow like crazy, practically blinding the both of them. Limestone pushed on ahead, fueled by both her own desire to survive and the fact that her sister was badly dazed by her fall. Marble wasn't going to make it out without her sisters help.

For a time Limestone moved through the sudden blizzard with an effort while silently thanking the blizzard for showing up when it did. 'Judging from the fact that none of the ghosts have caught up with us yet, I'd say that they're having trouble finding us in this blizzard as well,' she wagered.

That was when the ghosts showed up again. They appeared out of the blizzard behind Limestone, almost as if they had shifted through the terrible weather. Limestone spun around to see that all five ghosts were behind her, including the large purple one that was far more dangerous than the others. 

"Sis?" Marble asked weakly, lifting her head so that she could see what was going on. Her bleary eyes widened when she saw what was approaching them and she moved closer to Limestone in fear. "Sis...what do we do?"

"Don't worry Marble, I'll think of something," Limestone lied, getting ready to fight the ghosts to the death to keep her sister safe. But then the ghosts did something that Limestone didn't expect them to do. They stopped. Limestone continued to back away from them, but she narrowed her eyes as she gazed at their heads. Without eyes it was hard for her to tell, but it was almost as if all of the ghosts were looking...behind her.

Then she bumped into something. Something that was standing behind her. Despite the threat of five undead monsters before her, Limestone spun around as fast as she could with her still sluggish sister in tow. But when she saw what she had bumped into, her eyes widened with both horror and shock.

The being stood on four legs, yet nearly its entire body was covered in a white coat. The parts of it that weren't were its tail, its claws and its horn, all of which were the same black color and shaped like blades. The being was barely taller than Limestone, but the look that it gave her with its red eyes made her feel like an ant standing next to a lion. The piece of hair that blew in front of its face occasionally blocked out the beasts eyes, allowing her to stare into its face without panicking too much.

For a brief moment the being considered her and her sister, before its eyes snapped towards the ghosts, all of who flinched like they had just been struck. The being walked past Limestone and her sister and walked right up to the ghosts, glaring at all of them despite the fact that they were all larger than it. Only the purple ghost regarded the being with the white fur with a sneer of contempt.

"What? You got something to say?" the ghosts asked the white being, whose face never changed from that of a cold glare. "Oh that's right, this is your territory, isn't it? Well sorry there, we don't care much for territory or boundaries. See, ghosts can go wherever we want," he said before floating a step forward. "And that includes-"

Faster than Limestone could have seen the being in white moved behind the ghosts, its horn glowing with a black energy as it now stared at the ghosts behind the purple one. The purple ghost looked behind itself in surprise to see the white being standing there and it turned around with a claw wound up...only for three slash marks to appear across its chest.

The ghost had just enough time to let out a scream before it exploded into a shower of darkness, darkness which fell onto the snow and turned it black. The other ghosts looked from the blackened spot to the face of the being, who was now glaring at them with intensity in its eyes. Its horn turned black one more time and the ghosts vanished into the blizzard. The being let out a smirk before its horn stopped glowing and it turned to walk away. It glanced at Limestone and Marble as it passed by, but then it walked past them and into the blizzard without another glance.

"What...just happened?" Marble asked before she looked up at her sister. "Limestone, was that...?"

"Yeah, that was the being Celestia told us about. The one that they know nothing about," Limestone replied in a whisper, terrified by what she had just seen. "Come on sis, we need to get out of here before that thing comes back for us."

"But...where will we go? Those ghosts are still out there," Marble reminded Limestone, who glanced behind herself into the blizzard. She squinted her eyes and could just barely make out the shapes of the ghosts still hiding in the snow. "We can't go out there. Not with them still here."

"Then what do you think we should do?" Limestone asked her sister, not used to being a loss for action.

"Well, let's look at it this way. We've run into two things in these woods that we know nothing about," Marble began, lifting herself off of her sister shoulder and standing on her own hooves. "We have the ghosts which are trying to capture us or kill us. I don't know which. We can't go back to them."

"Wait...are you suggesting..."

"But then there's the being in white that we know nothing about. Nothing except that it didn't try to kill us," Marble said as she looked up just as the blizzard began to clear. Limestone followed her gaze and found that they were at the base of the mountain that she had fought so hard to get to. "And that the ghosts are terrified of it. So between those two choices, what do you think is our best one?"

Limestone pondered it over for a long time, before she let out a sigh and began to walk towards the mountain. "I hate it when you're right, Marble. Because whenever you are, it means that either something bad has happened or something bad is about to happen. In this case, I pray that it's the former. Come on, lets go introduce ourselves to our new host."
> Cavern
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Limestone wasn't sure if it was the insane cold or the crippling fear that was making her shake. She decided on both to save brain power. She was pretty sure that she would have broken down into a crying mess of a pony had her sister not been there with her, her sister who was more emotional and prone to break downs than her. And Limestone knew if she broke down, then Marble would break down. So Limestone forced herself to be strong, just as she always had.

"I think he went this way," Marble said to her sister, snapping Limestone back to reality. Marble pointed to an indent in the ground, where Limestone could just make out a pair of claw marks. Limestone and Marble both lifted their heads to see the next obstacle that they'd have to overcome, as they found themselves standing at the base of a massive mountain.

"Of course he would go this way. Of course he would live in the hardest place in the freaking forest to get to," Limestone grumbled to herself as she placed a hoof on then first rock and pulled herself up. Marble followed up after her sister, though she had the misfortune of not being as strong as the rest of her family, so Limestone would have to help pull her up on the rocks that were too large for her.

"So what kind of creature do you think this is?" Marble asked Limestone, who was busy pushing a boulder out of their path. With one last shove the boulder went tumbling down the side of the mountain, but Limestone kept her eyes towards the peak to make sure she didn't accidentally started an avalanche.

"What you do mean?" Limestone grunted in reply as she started to climb up the mountain again, Marble following close behind her. 

"I mean, I'm no scholar like Maud, but I've heard of my fair share of monsters and creatures," Marble began. "But I've never seen or heard of anything like this creature. Did you see the way it cut through that ghost? It tore it apart with ease, even when unicorn magic had failed. I would love to learn more about him."

'Well if this goes as plan, you'll have a chance to get an up close look at him real soon,' Limestone thought with annoyance. On one hoof she wasn't ready to go face to face with a being that could strike down a ghost with ease. On the other, she was happy that her sister had seemed to perk up by talking about the creature. "Don't expect to learn too much. From what I heard from the ghost, the being wasn't interested in protecting us, it was just protecting its territory. Which makes me scared to think of what it will do to us."

"We'll be fine. The creature doesn't seem to have any interest in hurting us or it would have done so already," Marble replied as she grabbed hold of her sisters hoof and was yanked onto a small path. She glanced down to see more claw marks, ones that were fresh. "He went this way. These claw marks are fairly new. We should find him soon."

"And good thing to, I don't know how much longer I can keep going in this cold," Limestone muttered as her body shivered against her will. Marble pressed up against her sister to keep the both of them warm, getting Limestone to flash her sister a grateful smile. Then the chills returned as she felt the sensation of eyes watching them, eyes that weren't too friendly. 'At least that tells me we're on the right path.'

The two climbed on in silence, both of them trying not to think of their families or the other families that had been taken. The higher they climbed meant that the temperature plummeted faster and faster, until the point where ice was forming along their manes and they couldn't stop shivering with cold. Limestone continued to force herself along the rapidly vanishing path, ignoring the pleas from her body to stop and rest. 

'Got to keep pushing. Every second we spend wasting is another second Faust knows what is happening to our families,' she thought to herself, though it was getting harder and harder to remain focused. She then glanced down and realized that the path that they had been following had vanished to the elements, leaving them with no direction to go. "Marble, I can't figure out where to go? Can you see any more of those claw marks? Marble?"

Limestone turned around to see a gray mare collapsed on the path a few yards back. Limestone's eyes went wide and she stumbled over to her sister, barely able to feel her own body at this point. She grabbed hold of her sister and rolled her over, eyes going wide when she saw that she wasn't moving.

"Marble! Marble, talk to me!" Limestone yelled at her sister, shaking her little sister in a desperate attempt to get her to wake up. When she didn't, Limestone stood up and placed her sister onto her back, silently hoping that their destination wasn't too far away. 'It is close. I'm going to make it and Marble is going to be okay. She has to be.'

Limestone pushed on alone in silence, ignoring the screaming of both her body and the wind as she pushed herself forward. The wind picked up and practically blew sideways, freezing Limestone down to her core. All that pushed her forward at the moment was her desire to see her sister safe, and even then her body was starting to lock up from exhaustion and cold. Yet she pushed on, forcing herself up the mountain one step at a time, until her hoof stepped down on a part that wasn't rock, but frozen snow.

The snow gave way and Limestone tumbled to the side, falling off of the side of the path along with Marble. Faster than she thought she could move, she grabbed her sister and placed herself between Marble and the ground, which she impacted against a moment later. The landing knocked all of the wind out of her lungs, and she had the misfortune of striking her head against an actual rock this time.

'No...can't...black out...here...' Limestone thought to herself as she tried to remain conscious, but the exhaustion and cold was taking over her senses. Her eyelids slowly began to close against her will, getting her to curse herself silently as sleep took over her. But the last thing she saw before she blacked out was her sister, who still wasn't moving.

(]o[)

With a start focus returned to Limestone and she sat up from where she lay, instantly on alert for anything that might be trying to hurt her. But the moment of panic and flight faded away when she looked around her, realizing that she was no long out in the wind and snow, but was now inside of a large, icy cavern.

The cavern's ceiling was far above her head and was devoid of any icicles, something that was a small comfort to Limestone. She looked to her side to see a fire blazing in a pit, with her sister laying right next to the side of it. Besides where Marble lay was a pile of berries, which made Limestone's stomach grumble the moment she laid eyes on them. But then her eyes rested on a corner of the room where a bed of leaves and hay rested, telling her that they were living in something's home. 

She was on her hooves the moment she figured this out and raced over to her sister side, placing a hoof on her to check her temperature. Limestone sighed with relief as Marble felt warm and when she looked at her sisters face she could see her breathing softly.

"She's just asleep," Limestone said, practically crying with relief over the safety of her sister. But the tears were forced back as her brain reminded her that they weren't safe yet. She turned towards the exit to the cavern to see how high up they were, only to be stopped cold by the being that stood there.

It was the same being with white fur that had driven off the ghosts, only this time it was covered in a lot more snow. Strung across its back was a small sack with numerous berries inside that were all the same color, yellowish with little circles on them. The being walked into the room and right up to Limestone, who had to do everything in her power to not shrink under the cold gaze of the being.

"Here," the being said as it reached into the sack and pulled out one of the berries, which it then offered to Limestone. Limestone looked at the berry for a few seconds before looking at the being, making sure that the suspicion was clearly on her face. "You and your sister came close to freezing to death out there. This is an Aspear berry. It will help with the frostbite."

"You must be crazy if you think I'm going to take something from a total stranger," Limestone mustered the courage to say, forcing her fear back down with her sadness. She couldn't afford to show any emotion, especially not in front of such an unknown force. The being shrug before placing the berry at her hooves. He then walked over to where Marble was laying. "You lay a hoof...claw on her and I'll throw you down this mountain!"

The being ignored Limestone as it pulled out another berry and took off a small chuck, before he gently opened Marble's mouth and placed the piece inside of it. As he did this, Marble opened her eyes and glanced up at the being. 

"Chew then swallow. This will help," the being told her before walking over to the berry pile, placing the remaining three berries in his pack with the rest. The being shed the pack and placed it next to the bed, before it walked onto the bed and laid down. Limestone waited a moment to make sure the being wasn't up to anything before she walked over to her sister, who was eating the bit of berry she had been given.

"Are you sure you should be eating that? You have no idea what it is?" Limestone whispered to her sister.

"This is my second one. I was practically dead when he brought us here," Marble said in a much stronger voice than her sister predicted and she was even able to stand on her own a moment later. "The first he gave me was a...Sitrus berry, that was it. I felt a lot better after eating that, like I got some of my strength back. You should try one."

"Yeah, eat the food of a total stranger, that's a good idea," Limestone muttered, but another growl of her stomach made her reconsider. With a grumble about what a bad idea this was, she walked over to the pile and grabbed an Aspear berry from the top and down it in three bites. Instantly she felt the frost burn heal across her body and she felt her strength slowly beginning to return to her. She glanced down at her body with surprise before casting a glance at her sister.

"That's what I thought at first. These berries have some strange powers, don't they?" Marble said with a smile.

"But why have we never heard of them before? If these berries are capable of healing frostbite, then they would be way more well known," Limestone said with a glance at the being, but he didn't show any indication that he heard her. "Hey, that question was directed at you incase you couldn't figure it out! What's up with these berries? And why did you bring us here?!"

The being lifted his head off of his paws and glanced over at the two of them, an expression on his face that they couldn't read. He rose off of the bed and slowly began to walk over to the both of them, taking each step slowly and deliberately as if to intimidate them. Limestone stood her ground as the being walked up right to her, narrowing her eyes as the being glared into her eyes.

"That is not the tone you should take with someone that saved both you and your sisters life," the being said in a calm tone to Limestone, who felt herself get angry at the way he talked to her. She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could Marble placed herself between her sister and the being.

"So you're the one that saved us when we were freezing to death? Thank you so much, stranger. We owe you our lives," Marble said in a kind and soft tone, before she gave the being a smile. The being grunted in reply to her words before he turned and walked to the berry pile, picking out a red one and eating it himself. 

"Once the two of you have your strength back, I ask that you leave my mountain. I do not take well to visitors, as you saw with those ghosts," the being told them without casting a glance in their direction. "Sooner would be preferred."

"Listen up you, I didn't climb up the side of a mountain and nearly freeze to death just to be told to go back down!" Limestone snarled as she started to walk towards the being, who cast her a cold glare in reply. "We're here because of those ghosts and you-"

Before she could say anymore Marble wrapped a hoof around her sisters mouth and pulled her back, giving the being a smile before she looked up at her sister. "Limestone, please remember that not only are we his guests, but he also saved our lives. We should be kind to him and not threaten him with acts of violence."

"But every second we spend here making nice with him is another second those ghosts drag our families off to wherever their being taken!" Limestone growled in reply as she tried to push back Marble, but with the strength of a Pie Marble held her sister back.

"I know, but being nice will get us a lot further than threats and force. Especially against a being that can strike down a ghost faster than we can see," Marble told her sister, who let out a bitter sigh in resignation. "So just try to be nice and smile. I'll do the talking."

"You'll do the talking? Are you sure some of that ice didn't get into your brain?" Limestone asked.

"Please sister, trust me."

"Ugh, fine. Let's be nice."

The sisters walked back over to the fire and sat down on the opposite side of it from the being, who gave the both a look before eating another berry. For a long moment the two groups stared at each other, with the being giving the sisters a look they couldn't read. Marble smiled at the being while Limestone did her best not to glare. 

"Thank you again for saving us," Marble said after a moment of silence, getting the being to nod before he went back to eating. "From both the ghosts and from freezing to death. Thank you especially for saving my sister. I know she can be...confrontational."

The being nodded once more, but gave no reply. Limestone and Marble shared a look before Marble smiled once more. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, you don't seem very...well, why did you save the both of us if you want us gone? Wouldn't it have been easier to..."

"The ghosts have been bothering me for a while, ever since they showed up," the being replied curtly. "As for why I saved you two...old habits die hard, I guess."

"Oh, I see," Marble replied, but Limestone could easily see that she was confused as to the being's answer. "Um, again we are so thankful for what you did, but...we don't know who you are? Do you...have a name?"

The being thought about her words for a long time, long enough that the two sisters cast a glance at each other with concern. "Call me Absol. The disaster Pokémon," he replied with a bit of a smirk.

"Pokémon? What's that?" Limestone asked in a genuinely curious way.

"It's what my species is called, mostly. I'm not the only Absol out there, but I'm the only one in this world. Or I think I am," Absol replied.

"Why the disaster Pokémon? Why call yourself that?" Marble asked. The moment she did so she was afraid that she had offended Absol, because he an expression of anger crossed his face. But after a moment the anger was replaced by a bitter smirk and he took another bite of his berry.

"Because the world hates me. So it has dubbed me a bringer of disaster."

Marble and Limestone shared another glance, both deciding to change the topic. "So how did you manage to defeat those ghosts so easily?" Limestone asked, getting Absol to turn his gaze towards her. "We had some of our ponies hit them with their strongest magic and the ghosts got back up. You slash them with your...horn and it blows up into a pile of darkness. How did you do that, and more importantly, could you do it again?"

"How did I beat them so easily? Type advantage, I suppose," Absol replied with a thin smile, one that caught both Limestone and Marble off guard. Then his face became more guarded and he cast Limestone a wary look. "And what do you mean by "do it again"."

"I ask because those ghosts took our families and we don't have the power to fight them," Limestone began, not noticing Absol's face steel up. "But you do. You can crush them with ease. So we'll need your help if we're going to beat these things and get our families-"

"No," Absol cut her off.

"What the heck do you mean "no"?" Limestone asked with some rage, but before she could continue Absol rose to his feet. 

"No. I am not helping you. I am done helping others. I was fine with helping out those on my territory. I'm done helping the world," Absol stated before he started to walk towards the exit, where a massive blizzard raged. "You are welcome to stay here until the blizzard passes, but then you must leave. Without me."

"But please, Mr. Absol, we can't hope to beat those ghosts without you," Marble pleaded.

"Then you have no hope of beating them," Absol replied coldly before he leapt off into the storm, leaving the two sisters there to stare at where he had vanished.

"Well that went well," Limestone grumbled before looking at her sister. "I thought you said to leave the talking to you. What happened?"

"There's a story behind those words," Marble said with a sad shake of her head. "He want's to help, but it's like he knows what will happen if he does. I don't know what to do with somepony like that. I wish Pinkie were here. She'd know what to do."

'Yeah, she would. Because getting others to open up is one of her greatest skills. But she's not here right now. I am,' Limestone thought before she rose to her hooves. "Fine then. I'll get him to join us."

"But Limestone, how? He won't listen to my words and with your temperament I'm certain that-"

"Who said anything about words? I'm going to get him to join us my way," Limestone said before glaring out into the blizzard. "Whether he wants to or not."
> Race
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If I am to be perfectly honest with you, I did not expect this to go as well as it did," Ahuizolt said to the king of the ghosts as the two of them walked through the streets of a large city, which was in the process of being decimated by ghosts. All around them ponies were screaming as thousands of spirits rained down upon them and the royal guard stationed in the city did everything in their power to fight back.

"You would do well to trust me, Ahuizolt. After all, I have done nothing but achieve what you asked," King Spiral replied in a strong voice, one that Ahuizolt had noticed was getting stronger. The treasure hunter also noticed that what was once a ghostly ball was now taking a form, one that was looking more and more like a pony's with each passing day.

"Do we really need all of these hostages, though?" Ahuizolt asked as numerous ghosts started to round up the massive amounts of ponies, trapping them within nets that the king had made to counter act the ponies magic. "Because soon the dungeons will not be enough to hold all of them, along with our special guests. Why not slay some of them and add them to your army?"

"The souls of the living are far more powerful than the spirits of the dead," King Spiral replied. "Do you know why King Sol gave his life to stop me?"

"Because you unleashed ghosts upon his land?"

"Aside from that. He did it because the last time I tried to take over the world, I didn't have the full strength of the undead at my command," Spiral stated before he watched a Pegasus get knocked out of the sky and quickly thrown into one of the cages. "There is one ghost that I was never able to call upon, despite my own phenomenal powers over the undead. A being that could defeat those princesses and their six champions with ease."

"Well now you've gone and peaked my interest," Ahuizolt replied, a thin smile crossing his face as he gazed at all of the captives. "But let me guess, the only way to summon this undead champion of yours is to take all of the souls of these ponies and put them into him. Or something along those lines."

"You are not as dumb as your ugly face led me to believe. Yes, with the strength of the living, I shall be able to revive the greatest monster of the dead. An ancient being that possessed pony magic greater than anything the princesses have even thought of," King Spiral said as the mask seemed to smile even wider, despite the entire mask being made of stone. "A being that rivaled even the power of Tirek and his brother. A Titan."

"A Titan? I thought that they were just a myth. A species that was used in fiction as some sort of unstoppable challenge?" Ahuizolt asked, getting a chuckle out of the king. 

"That is what the world would have you believe. But there is so much truth to the legend. And if I can have him walk this world once more, then there will be...well, let me just say that your rule would be absolute," the king said with a modest bow to Ahuizolt. "After all, how I can I forgot the kindness of the being that freed me from my eternal entrapment?"

"Answer: you can't. And I am glad to see that you will be keeping up your bargain," Ahuizolt said with a laugh as the ghosts finished rounding up the ponies in the nearby area. "But why are we here and not in Canterlot? I would love nothing more than to watch as the princesses and their forces fell to our power."

"Because, as I stated, we are not strong enough to attack the stronghold of Equestria just yet," King Spiral reminded the hunter. "The princesses power is still strong enough to fend off my army and us. And I do not need to tell you what will happen if we lose to the princesses?"

"It will either be an eternity in the sun, in stone, in ice or in a coffin. The princesses really like to trap things, don't they?" Ahuizolt pointed out. 

"Ugh, tell me about it. Do you know how many villains are trapped in Equestria alone? You think Tirek and Sombra are bad, you will not believe what else is trapped within these lands," the king said before a wicked idea came to him. "Perhaps, once I have freed the Titan, I will raise some of the others that are trapped. Perhaps it will make for quite the spectacle."

(]o[)

Limestone narrowed her eyes so that she could keep track of Absol moving through the forest and even though he was the only living being in the forest, she still had trouble keeping track of him. He moved like a blur, one that sliced through the berry trees that were located around the forest, trees that Limestone had never seen in her entire life.

'Of course, the only trees I've ever really seen are the ones on the farm, so what do I know?' Limestone asked herself as Absol leapt from treetop to treetop with ease, barely disturbing the snow that rested atop the trees. The blizzard had cleared the night before, but due to Marble still being slightly weakened, Limestone had managed to convince Absol to give them a little more time before they left. That had told her a few things about Absol.

'He's not as cold as he believes to be. Apparently despite him wanting to put on a cold and uncaring air, he still has to help others,' Limestone mentally recalled, crossing her hooves as she laid down on the cliff above Absol, crossing her hooves as a smile crossed her face. 'And, with the right wording, I can get him to do little things that I want. Of course, I'll have to see if he'll take on my challenge. That's the only way I'm going to be able to get him to work with us.'

The Limestone thought of her family, none of which she knew where they were aside from Marble. She couldn't begin to imagine the pain or horror they were going through and she knew that every second she waited in Absol's home was another second they were in danger. But she also knew that she stood no chance against the ghosts, yet Absol did. So she needed him.

"You've been out here a long time," Marble said to her sister as she walked out of the cavern, sitting down next to Limestone and joined her in watching Absol zip around the forest floor below them. "Wow he's incredibly fast. Faster than pretty much any pony that I've ever met."

"I know. And that gives me an idea," Limestone muttered to herself, but once those words left her lips Marble let out the faintest sound that nopony else would have paid attention to. But Limestone knew her sister and she knew that that sound meant that Marble was upset with her. When she gave her sister a look to show that she had heard, Marble hid behind her mane.

"Sister, when it comes to the farm you know what's best, but whenever we're away from the farm you seem to be better at making other ponies angry than you actually do making friends," Marble pointed out, getting Limestone to nod in agreement. "So whatever you have planned...please don't do it. Don't tick off the one being that's helped us since the ghosts attacked."

"I know you mean well, sis, but I can't. I have to do this," Limestone said before she looked to the side to see Absol walking up the cliff towards them, his face as cold and distant as ever. He had more of his berries with his pack, most of which were new to Limestone.

"I don't like that look upon your face," Absol said with a slight hint of hesitation in his voice, one that got Limestone to crack a smile. 

"Barely known me a day and already you can read my mind?" Limestone asked with a smile, but once again she was met with a cold glare. She sighed as the smile left her face, before it set like stone and she glared up at Absol. "Alright you, I want to make a deal with you."

"Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it," Absol replied as he started to walk past Limestone, but she placed a hoof on his shoulder to hold him in place. Absol looked down at the hoof with surprise in his eyes, amazed that Limestone held so much strength within her. 

"Okay, you don't have to listen. I just thought I'd let you know that my sister and I have decided that we're going to crash here for a few months," Limestone said in a casual tone, though inwardly she was secretly delighted to see that her words made Absol visibly distraught at her words. "Yeah, with all the ghosts running around, we figured that we crash here for a while until it all blew over. You don't mind, do you?"

"I believe that I have some issues with what you've said," Absol replied in a controlled voice, yet Limestone was able to hear the faint undertones of irritation in his voice. That meant he didn't like the idea of them staying there and they irritated him. That meant he did have emotions. "And I believe that I told the both of you that I don't want you here. Now, if you are both able to, leave."

"Okay, I get kicking me out. I've been a jerk and haven't exactly been the best guest. Kicking me out makes sense," Limestone agreed before she grabbed hold of Marble and pulled her right in front of Absol's gaze. "But can you really say no to her? I mean look at her, look at her sad eyes. Can you really kick this poor pony out into the cold?"

Absol looked like he was about to say that it would be easy to, but to Limestone's relief Marble caught on to what she was doing and flashed Absol her sad eyes. Those eyes had broken the strongest wills that Limestone knew, and, after a moment, Absol let out a loud sigh and averted his gaze from her, telling Limestone that Marble had succeeded.

"Now of course, we will be willing to leave if you can beat me in something. Say...a race?" Limestone asked Absol, who snapped his head back towards her with a raised eyebrow. "Down the cliff to where that first berry tree is. If you get down there first, me and my sister will leave without any further fuss. We'll be gone."

"But if you win?" Absol asked, having already caught on to what Limestone was planning.

"Then you have to help my sister and I deal with these ghosts that have plagued the land. The ghosts that took our families and I want to get them back," Limestone replied in a voice that made Absol raise an eyebrow in surprise at her sudden cold attitude. "So what do you say, white blur? Care to see if you're as fast as you look to be?"

Absol narrowed his eyes at Limestone's words, knowing that she was goading him into the challenge. He also knew that he didn't need to accept it. But there was something about Limestone's attitude that made him really want to beat Limestone at her own game. He was also completely confident in his speed. He wasn't the fastest Pokémon, but he knew that he was faster than her. He'd seen it when she was running from the ghosts.

"Very well, Limestone. I will beat you at your own game," Absol promised Limestone, who gave him a coy smile in reply. She then walked over to her sister, who was looking at Limestone as if she was crazy.

"Okay, that worked out nicely," Limestone said to Marble before the two sisters glanced over at Absol, who was stretching out his legs.

"Sister, you must be crazy. You've seen what he can do and how fast he is. Challenging him to a race is a foolish idea," Marble said with far more intensity than Limestone had ever seen her sister speak with. 

"I challenged him to a race because I knew he was confident in his speed. If it had been anything else, he might have doubted his skill and backed out," Limestone revealed to her sister with a grim look on her face. "And we need him to come with us. So just trust me. Because one way or another, we leave here today."

Marble gave her sister another look as Limestone walked over beside Absol, who was standing at the top of the path down the side of the cliff. The two stood side by side while Marble meekly walked over in front of the both of them. Absol cast a quick glance at Limestone to see that she had an unreadable look upon her face, one that slightly unnerved him. Marble then raised her hoof and both racers crouched down.

"On your mark...get set...go!"

CRACK!

The moment the words go left Marble's mouth, Limestone spun to her side and sucker punched Absol right in the face. With strength that could push boulders Limestone drove Absol right into the ground, where his eyes glazed over while he tried to process what had just happened. After a few moments he felt his senses return to him and he pushed himself back up to his feet, but as he looked around he found to his fury what had happened.

Marble stood off to the side looking at him with a look of horror on her face, shocked by what her sister had done. That same sister was standing at the bottom of the cliff side, right next to the tree that was the goal. From the bruises and bumps on her body, it seemed that she had thrown herself down the cliff instead of running down the path. But what infuriated him the most was her stare, a cold stare that betrayed no emotion.

With a growl of anger Absol zipped down the rocky face of the cliff and stood face to face with Limestone a moment later, his eyes blazing with fury while her eyes were as cold as ice. For a long moment the two stood glaring at each other, before Absol seethed and glared her down.

"What. Was. That?" he asked, using every ounce of self control to keep from unleashing his dark power upon the pony before him.

"Me winning. Like I said I would. Now you come with us," she replied with a look that was unmovable.

"That was not winning. You sucker punched me. That is not how a race goes!" Absol snapped, his anger getting the better of him. To his surprise once more, Limestone didn't falter under his piercing red eyes.

"Are you upset that you didn't win? That I knocked you flat and won the race? Tough," Limestone spat back, meeting Absol's glare with one of her own. "My family has been taken by ghosts. The families of my friends are missing. My own sister could be fighting for her life this very moment. Everypony I love is in danger and I'm stuck here. And you are the only being I've met that can deal with this threat. I did what I needed to so that you would come with us. You think you're upset? Try losing your entire family aside from your sister to an enemy you couldn't stop. Try being me."

Absol's rage didn't dissipate after her words, but his reason and other emotions managed to get his rage back under control. He stared down at the mare for a long moment, understanding her reasoning for what she had done. And, though he would never admit it, he was a little impressed by her willingness to flat out punch him to save her family.

"So I guess the only question now is are you going to keep your word? Are you going to help us save our families? Or are you just going to hide out here all by yourself while the world around you goes to crap?" Limestone asked while poking a hoof into Absol's chest, glaring into his eyes with a rage that could have matched his own. "So what is it going to be?"

Absol's response was to smirk at her before he leap back up the cliff side, using the rocks as a shortcut to reach the cavern up top. He walked by Marble without looking at her before he vanished from sight. Marble looked from where he had vanished to her sister, who was seething with rage as she glare up at where her sister was standing. Limestone motioned for Marble to join her, which she did after taking a few minutes to walk down the path.

"Stupid, no good Pokémon!" Limestone snarled as she bucked the side of a tree with her hind hooves, dumping a ton of snow onto herself. She burst forth from the snow with a roar of rage, before she managed to get control of herself and started to stalk away from the cavern. "Come on sis, we need to get moving. Those ghosts have probably gotten a good ways away and we need to make up as much ground as we can."

"But what about the ghosts?" Marble asked her sister, who snarled in reply. "They might still be out there and waiting for us. If we go off of Absol's territory..."

"We'll think of something, but right now we need to focus on saving our family," Limestone replied with a hard heart as she continued to walk on. But before she could get too far a pack filled with berries landed at her hooves, getting her to stop with confusion long enough for her sister to walk over to her. 

"You might need that if you hope to survive."

Limestone and Marble looked up right in time to see Absol land right in front of the pair, covering them in snow that he kicked up from his landing. Limestone wiped the snow off of her face with a look, but Marble gazed upon the Pokémon with shining eyes. Absol had another pack filled with berries slung over his back, while he wore a dry smirk upon his face that hid how he was really feeling.

"You're coming with us?" Marble asked in a hopeful tone, her eyes lighting up when Absol nodded.

"I keep my word, even when I have to keep it because someone cheated," Absol replied with a look to Limestone, who stuck out her tongue. "So I guess that I will have to escort the two of you until you are reunited with your families. I am at your service," Absol said with a sarcastic bow.

"Yeah yeah, enough of your sass. Let's go," Limestone said as she walked past Absol, who rose from his bow and followed after her, with Marble taking up the lead. "We're still new to this parts, so we'll need you to guide us until we reach civilization."

"That I can do easily. I've lived her for years and know my way around these parts," Absol said as the three of them crossed the boarder to his territory. Both Limestone and Marble waited to be attacked once more, but to their surprise the ghosts never showed. The fear of Absol kept them at bay. "Also, Limestone?"

"Yeah?"

"You throw a mean punch."
> Wildlands
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Limestone was grateful to be away from the biting cold and slicing winds of the mountain range, but the wasteland that she and her group found themselves on wasn't much better. The ground was barren and rough, with only a few sickly patches of grass growing in irregular patterns. There were no trees to provide something to look at and the land seemed to go on forever. The sky was gray and dull, further ruining Limestone's mood.

A glance to her left showed that she was the only one feeling the effects of the wasteland. Her sister was humming to herself and seemed to be in better spirits, thankfully feeling a lot better thanks to the efforts of Absol's berries. And speaking of the Pokémon, Absol walked in the front of the group with the same stoic expression that he always had on his face, slightly ticking Limestone off.

"So how do you know where you're going, anyway?" Limestone eventually asked the Pokémon when she got tired of the silence. The Pokémon turned his head slightly to look back at her, but the bit of fur that hung down over his face obstructed his eyes from here. 'Wonder if that's his natural hairstyle or if he does it to look cool. Because if that's the reason, it's not working.'

"I haven't lived on the mountain forever. I occasionally come down and wander around, learning more about the land that I've come to call home," Absol stated in a simple tone. "Once in a blue moon I head towards a town or city and see how things have changed in the years since I last visited. I never interact with any of the ponies, though. That wouldn't be good for anyone."

"Why do you avoid ponies so much?" Marble asked as she moved her mane from her face, allowing her to look at Absol with both of her eyes. "I know you said you were called a bringer of destruction, but so far from what I've seen you seem pretty nice, if a bit distant."

"I prefer to be alone. To much interaction with others creates friction and friction generally ends with me running for my life," Absol replied with a smirk, yet from the dryness of his tone it was clear he wasn't joking. "Besides, I have tried to...interact and each time it ended the same. With me being called a monster and being attacked. I thought this world would be different. I was wrong."

"This world? You seriously expect me to believe that you come from another world?" Limestone asked with a smirk of her own. "You an alien? So what, you came down in a fly saucer and after abduction some of our cow friends, you decided to live in the mountains? What do you think we are, five?"

"Um, sis, remember when Pinkie told us about how there's an entire other world on the other side of a mirror that Princess Twilight has been to a few times?" Marble reminded her sister, whose eyes went wide as she remembered it as well. She then glanced at Absol who was giving her a wise smirk, getting her anger to bubble to the surface.

"How could I have forgotten? Thank you, Marble," Limestone said through gritted teeth. "So say you're an alien? Why come here? Heck, how did you come here? It's not like there's just portals to Equestria lying around all over the place. Unless they are a bunch of portals in your world, in which case, shut up."

"Well you're in a pleasant mood," Absol noted before he faced forward once more, just in time for a bitter gust of wind to whip through the three of them. The two sisters shivered as the cold bit into their bodies, but Absol just kept on moving ahead without slowing down. "I got here thanks to the power of a legendary Pokémon. That's all you need to know."

"Well, thank you for all the lack of information. Really helps us understand who you are," Limestone grumbled, but if Absol heard her he didn't reply.

"Allow me a few questions, if you will. How did the two of you find my home and why were you being chased by ghosts? You mentioned something about your family being in danger, but other than that you have been surprisingly quiet," Absol ribbed at Limestone, who clenched her teeth with anger. Marble sensed what was about to come and stepped between the two.

"An ancient king that could command ghosts has risen, bringing with him a ghost army," Marble began, turning Absol's attention away from her sister. "He has attacked our nation with his army and is trying to take over our world. Those are the same ghosts that captured us and our family. They brought us by your mountain. My sister and I managed to escape from them, but our parents and sister are still captured by them."

"I see. A being of evil trying to take over the world. Why am I not surprised? But why go after you and your family, though?" Absol asked.

"Because our sister, Pinkie, is one of the six beings in this land that can stop him," Limestone cut in before Marble could speak, turning Absol's gaze back to her. "And so, in order to gain an upper hoof against the six of them, he's gone and kidnapped any who are related to the six. He takes us, our sister won't be able to fight him without putting us in danger."

"We haven't seen any of the other families though, so it is possible that they only managed to catch us," Marble added on, trying to sound hopeful. Limestone gave her a look while Absol took a moment to stare down at his paws. "But if they have, I worry for what happened to them. They must be terribly scared."

"We can't worry about them right now. Our goal is to get back to Pinkie and her friends, then to go search for our family," Limestone said bluntly, getting Marble to give her a look. "I know it sounds heartless, but it's all we can do right now. I don't like it anymore than you, Marble."

"B-but who knows what they're doing to our family," Marble whispered weakly as she hid behind her mane.

"They're dealing with Maud, Marble. If anything, those ghosts will break before she does," Limestone assured her sister, but in the back of her mind she was even more concerned about her family. 'They've got to be okay. They've got to be. We'll find them and save them and then kill those ghosts again.'

Limestone raised her eyes to see that Absol was giving her a look, so she glared at him in reply. He shrugged his shoulders before looking over at Marble, who was shivering from fear once more. "Do not worry, Marble. I am certain that your family will be fine," Absol comforted her, getting the mare to look up at him with surprise. "I promise you that we will help them. And I will deal with any ghosts that try to say otherwise."

Marble gave Absol a kind smile in reply to his words and he nodded, before Limestone made a scoffing sound and rolled her eyes. "Sure, be all nice to my sister. Apparently all it takes to win you over is a cute face."

"Or a right hook to my jaw," Absol reminded her with a smirk, getting Limestone to give him a look. His face then hardened and he motioned for the two of them to stop. They did so and watched him as he walked around for a moment, crouched down and his horn glowing slightly. After a moment he resumed his usual posture and nodded for the both of them to follow him.

"What was that about?" Limestone asked.

"I felt something out there, something that was watching us," Absol informed the two as he kept his head on a swivel. "But whatever it was, it's gone now."

"Do you think it was a ghost?" Marble whispered.

"No. There was no malevolent intent. But there was something there," Absol muttered before shaking his head and looking back at the pair. "We are about a days journey from a pony town. Of course, that's implying that the both of you can go through the night without rest like I can. If not, we will need to find shelter when the sun goes down. The ghosts come out when the sun goes away."

"Speaking of ghosts, when we asked how you managed to deal with them, you said type advantage. What the heck does that mean?" Limestone asked. Absol responded by getting his horn to glow with a dark light, before he slashed it forward and cleaved a nearby rock in two. Marble looked at the sight with awe while Limestone was upset that he had cleaved the boulder the wrong way.

"Every Pokémon has a type. A type defines what it is strong against and what it is weak against. I am a dark type," Absol revealed as he ceased the glowing of his horn. "My type is strong against ghosts and psychic. In fact, I am immune to psychic powers completely. Which means whenever I go up against either of these types, I have the advantage and my dark attacks can decimate a foe in a single shot."

"How many types are there?" Marble asked.

"Seventeen last time I checked. Though I have heard rumors of a eighteenth type. One that would be bad for me," Absol whispered so that the two couldn't hear the last bit. "And as stated, each type has its own strengths and weaknesses. Don't ask me what each of them are, because I'm not entirely certain myself. All I really know is what I'm strong against and weak against."

"And what do you happen to be weak against, if you don't mind me asking?" Limestone asked, only for Absol to smirk at her in reply.

"Forgive me if I don't answer that question, but revealing my weaknesses to two ponies I barely know would be a very bad idea," Absol said with a chuckle. Limestone made a face at the lack of an answer, but she walked over beside her sister and moved in close.

"Well at least we know that he's not some unstoppable monster," she whispered to Marble. "That means we can hopefully bring him down if he decides to turn on us."

"He wouldn't do that. He might come off as cold, but he seems really nice deep down," Marble replied before giving her sister a look. "A bad pony...Pokémon probably wouldn't agree to help us after being punched in the face. You're lucky he didn't turn any of that dark power of his upon you."

"Please, did you see how easily I decked him? Clearly whatever type he's weak to his what I am," Limestone replied before flexing a bet, getting Marble to shake her head before she walked past her sister and up to Absol.

"I'm sorry that we kinda cheated you into this. I won't be upset if you are angry with us," Marble apologized for her and her sister, knowing that she would never do so voluntarily.

"I know why your sister did it. The two of you are desperate to find your families, but the ghosts are too much of a problem. Am I right?" Absol asked and Marble nodded in reply.

"We couldn't do anything to them. Our attacks went right through them. The guards that had magic were able to fend some of them off, but they were overpowered. The ghosts were just to strong."

"Perhaps a bad type matchup?" Absol muttered to himself. "I am interested to hear why neither you or your sister don't seem to be intimidated by me. Practically every other pony I ran into was either afraid of me or tried to attack me. You are the only exception, as your sister already took a swing at me."

"When we first saw you, I think we were a bit afraid. But then you showed you could destroy the ghosts and instantly my sister saw you as an...ally," Marble revealed, though Absol knew she was thinking of a different word. "And...Princess Celestia warned us about you, a bit. She said how you always seemed to show up before a ghost attack and that you might be involved with the ghosts somehow."

"Of course she did," Absol replied in a tone that was struggling to hid the emotion within. "Blame the being that's trying to help."

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Absol growled before he looked up at the side, seeing that the sun was getting close to the top of a mountain range far in the distance. "It's getting late. We need to find shelter soon or else I'm going to be fighting ghosts all night. And I don't want to do that. Come on, let's see what we've got."

After twenty of minutes of searching the group came across a small cave that lead underground. The three figured that it was the best that they were going to get and took up residence within the cavern. Limestone created a fire and the three sat in the light of the flickering flames, Absol watching the entrance to the cave as the sun dipped over the horizon. 

Marble tried to make small talk with the Pokémon a few times, but aside from a curt answer every now and then he didn't say much. Eventually she gave up on trying to talk with him and spent the time looking at the different berries that they had brought. Limestone didn't interact with any of them and instead spent the remaining daylight looking at the numerous rocks and rock formations that adorned the cave.

When the sun finally vanished behind the mountains and darkness fell across the land, the two mares fell asleep next to one another, leaving Absol to his own thoughts. He sat staring at the fire for some time, but after a while he rose up and walked to the entrance of the cave. He sat down at the entrance and stared up at the stares, staring into the heavens and the billions of stars that all shone down upon him.

'Why here, Palkia?' Absol thought to himself as he gazed into the heavens. 'Why bring me to this world? I asked for a world where I could live in peace and quiet. Yet here I am, being dragged into another disaster even though I should just stay away. Yet you picked this world yourself. You told me that I would find peace here. Well, so far it seems that you're wrong. I hope that's only for the time being.'

There was no answer, so Absol resumed keeping an eye out for any spirits that were getting a little too close. To his surprise, he found that none of the ghosts that he had sensed were coming there way. He was used to them avoiding him, but he had been certain that the ghosts would come for the ponies. Yet they kept their distance. He didn't like it.

"So do you really not have to sleep or do you just prefer to be out at night?" Absol turned his head to see Limestone walking over to him, a tired look in her eyes but she was doing her best to hide it with a sarcastic smirk. Absol gave her no answer and she sat down beside him, but instead of staring at the stars she was looking down at the pebbles at her hooves.

"I will sleep when the two of you are safe. I cannot keep my word if the both of you are taken by ghosts," Absol replied in his same, stoic tone, and once again it got Limestone to roll her eyes. "What brings you out here? Shouldn't you be asleep right now? It is a long journey to the next town and you will need to be rested."

"Please, I've worked for days on end with no sleep on my farm. A night without sleep is nothing new to me," Limestone replied with a tough smirk, but Absol was too busy staring at the stars to notice. She let out a groan before she joined him in looking up at the stars, but after a while she started to get bored. "So you never did answer my question earlier. About how you ended up here."

"I told you-"

"Yeah, a legendary Pokémon, because I totally know what that is," Limestone snarked, getting Absol to give her a look. "Look, I get it, you don't like opening up to others. Neither do I. But my sister trusts you and I do too, to an extent. Like she said, if you were a bad being, you probably would have let the ghosts get us or leave us to freeze to death on the mountain. But you didn't. Which mean you're a good soul. But seriously, I want to know why you chose our world. Because you sure don't seem to be enjoying yourself."

"Because if I had know you were on this world, I would have chosen differently."

"Hahaha, you're really funny," Limestone replied in her driest tone possible. "Seriously, I want to know."

"Fine, if it will get you to stop bothering me. I didn't chose this world in particular. I asked the legendary Pokémon that brought me here if they could find me a world where I could find peace. A world where I was no longer a bringer of disaster," Absol explained, his eyes turning towards the ground and a sad tone filling up his voice. "And for a while I thought that this world would be peacefully for me, but it seems that once more I am forced to help others. Only this time those I am forced to help are a lot more punch happy."

"Never gonna let that go. Fine. So why help us?" Limestone asked out of the blue, getting Absol to look at her. "I mean, you could have just left us to die on the mountain or at the claws of the ghosts. You didn't have to help. But you did and I want to know why."

Absol was silent for a long time after Limestone asked that question, long enough for the moon to travel halfway across the sky. While they sat Limestone glanced over Absol, amazed at how brightly his coat shined in the light of the moon. She had only just figured out that his hairstyle was supposed to be a yin and yang symbol, but she wasn't sure if she found that cool or stupid. She settled for stupid.

"I suppose the reason I saved you is because of my mother."

Absol had spoken so suddenly that it took Limestone a moment to process what he had said. When she had processed it, along with the sadness in his tone, she blinked once in confusion before trying to look into Absol's eyes. Absol turned his head away from her and laid down in a way that told her he was done talking. 

"Go back to sleep, Limestone. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be a bad day." 

Limestone opened her mouth to say something, but only sighed as she rose to her hooves. She figured that he would just ignore her or maybe get mad at her. Not to mention that she was actually feeling kinda sleepy, so she took his advice and headed back into the cave. Yet even as she laid down next to her sister and started to drift off, she still couldn't piece together why Absol's mother would be the reason he saved them. And she figured that with his shut in attitude, she never would.
> Ghost Town
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well this looks promising," Limestone said with a dry smirk as she gazed around at what used to be a town. The two sisters and the Pokémon had reached the town around midday, but the clouds overhead blocked out any light and made it seem like it was still late at night. But what really drew the attention of the group was the lack of any life whatsoever in the town, putting all three of them on edge.

"Well isn't this exactly what we needed. A ghost town. Emphasis on ghost," Limestone continued, warily looking around in case any of the undead spirits decided to come after the three of them.

"Stay close to me and try to avoid any unnecessary noises," Absol said in a cool tone. Marble was at his side in an instant, looking out from behind her mane at every shadow. Limestone moved closer as well, but not too close to give the idea that she was afraid. The group moved slowly through the empty town, eyes peeled for any sort of movement that would give away their attackers.

"So who here wants to bet that this town wasn't a ghost town before the actual ghosts showed up in this land?" Limestone asked after a while of quiet, unable to take the silent tension any longer.

"You are right. I visited this place less than a year ago and it was filled with ponies and life," Absol confirmed for Limestone, his eyes narrowed as he sniffed the air. "Yet judging from the scent and the lack of hoof prints in the ground tells me that they had been gone quiet a while. Maybe around the same time the ghosts showed up. Maybe not. No way to know for sure. I sense no ghosts. Let us look around."

The group split up and began to search the abandoned buildings. Marble looked inside houses and homes, looking for any sign that ponies might be hiding out there or perhaps had taken refuge somewhere. But all she found was signs of struggle and claw marks eerily similar to those that the ghosts left when they had been attacked.

Limestone checked the stores and restaurants, finding that all of them were still stocked with food and supplies. Nothing had been taken from any of them, except for the ponies that would work there. After grabbing a bit for herself, she walked out to find Absol standing near the town center, eyes closed and fur blowing slightly in the breeze. She wasn't sure of he was concentrating or simply napping, but she waited until her sister showed up before she put her idea forward.

"So not to sound like a jerk, but maybe we should get some supplies while we're here?" Limestone put forward, getting Absol and Marble to give the mare a look. "Now hear me out. I figure the reason we came here in the first place is because we need something to fill the space left by the berries in our bag. But there are no ponies here to trade with or buy them from. So why not take what we need and pay for it by finding out whatever happened to the townsfolk?"

"She does bring up a fair point," Marble agreed, getting Limestone to look at her sister with surprise. "The ponies here have been gone a while. Whatever they've left behind isn't doing them any good. And we might be the only chance they have to be rescued. Isn't that fair in the end?"

"I gave up on fair a long time ago. I'll settle for survival," Absol said in a quiet tone, one that the sisters figured meant that he wasn't against the idea. Marble walked into one of the general stores while Absol walked with Limestone into the restaurant, much to her annoyance.

"Why are you following me? Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye out there for trouble?" Limestone asked him as she started to look for anything that would be useful to them.

"Yes, but with the luck you have had I wouldn't be surprised if you were the first to be attacked," Absol replied with a thin smirk, one that made Limestone roll her eyes. But despite her annoyance, she didn't ignore the warning in his words.

"So there are ghosts here?"

"Yes. They are on their way. I expect them to be here any moment," Absol replied curtly. "And I would rather be closer to the one that would most likely charge them than the pony that would wisely hide. So I follow you."

Limestone replied with a snarl, but before she could say anything else Absol snapped his eyes to where the entrance to the restaurant was. The dark power consumed his horn, generating a faint light. A moment after he did that the door to the restaurant were blown open and three cackling ghosts came flying in...only to be shredded into darkness a moment later by a blade of darkness. Limestone watched with only a slight case of the nerves as Absol slashed the ghosts to pieces faster than they could scream, leaving their ethereal remains on the ground.

"That will not be all of them. Come, let us find your sister and hope that the ghosts have not found her," Absol told Limestone.

"Who said that you get to boss me around?" she asked Absol, but the Pokemon had already leapt through the destroyed doors and headed into the streets. She followed through the doors after him, catching up just in time to watch him rip apart three more ghosts that had mistaken him for a pony.

"I cannot see your sister. She is most likely hiding," Absol said to Limestone in a cold tone, barely paying any mind to the dozens of ghosts that were flying around the pair. Limestone kept her eyes on the specters and waited for their attack, but after a few moments it was clear their fear of Absol kept them as far from the Pokemon as they could get. "We should search for her and quickly. The ghosts will not bother us so long as I am near."

"Where did they all come from?" Limestone asked. Absol's response was to take off running towards the last spot where they had seen Marble, getting Limestone to sigh before she chased after him. "Look, if I know my sister, she will be hiding in a spot that's quick to get to and hides her from view. Nothing fancy. So maybe we should start looking in boxes or-"

"Found here," Absol said. He had stopped so suddenly that Limestone had to dig her hooves into the dirt to prevent herself from slamming into his rear. She gave him a look before noticing that he was looking straight up. Fear had barely managed to start to flow through her body before her head snapped up, just in time to see the ghosts beginning to take off with Marble and another pony that they had failed to see.

"She's being taken away!" Limestone screamed. "Absol, hurry up and-"

"Pursuit."

In the blink of an eye Absol appeared above the ghosts, his claws glowing with a dark power. He slammed his claws into the back of the ghosts, drawing forth screams of agony as the dark power seared their ghostly forms. The agony was enough to get to ghosts to drop the pair of ponies, who both let out cried as they plummeted towards the ground. Yet Limestone had only taken a single step towards her sister before she was caught by Absol, who had her in his forearms while he caught the other pony on his back.

"Oh, thank you," Marble said with a small giggle as Absol lowered her to the ground. Absol nodded curtly before he crouched down and allowed the other pony to roll off his back and collapse to the ground. He then cast his gaze towards the sky at the rest of the ghosts, who were all floating around the group with now nothing but fear on their faces. His eyes flashed red and almost quicker than Limestone could register the ghosts vanished, leaving the group alone in the center of the town.

"Who are you?" Absol asked the pony that he had rescued. The pony looked up into the red eyes of Absol and immediately backed away from him in a panicked frenzy.

"Back up Absol, you're scaring him. Let me try," Limestone said before she grabbed the pony by the shoulders and spun him around so that she was eye to eye with the pony. "Hey, whoever you are, why are you here when all of your townsponies are gone? Huh? Answer me!"

The pony's response was to shake with fear and try to escape the iron grip of Limestone. But while he had no chance of escaping from her grip, Marble was able to pull him away from her sister in a quick motion, before giving a look to both her sister and the Pokemon.

"It would seem that the both of you scare him," she replied. Marble gently set the pony down next to her and gave him a kind smile, one that seemed to melt away some of his fear and worry. "Sorry about that. The two of them mean well but they can't seem to hold back who they are. My name is Marble Pie. Would you mind telling me your name and why you're here?"

"Oh, m-my name is Key Stone," the pony stuttered. "I used to live in this town before...before the ghosts showed up and took everypony away."

"When did the ghosts show up?" Absol asked over Marble's shoulder.

"Did they have any ponies with them that looked anything like us?" Limestone demanded over the other shoulder.

"Back up please," Marble asked the two, having noticed the fearful look return to Key's face. "Again, I'm sorry about them. But answers to their questions would be appreciated."

"Um, sure. The ghosts showed up about a few days ago, carrying every pony off in that direction," Key Stone said as he pointed to a place on the south side of town. "There's a forest down there that was always said to be haunted, but no pony believed that to be the case. Now I guess we know the truth."

"I see. As for the other question?"

"Oh, looking for your family? Well, if there are any of them, then it's most likely that they would be where everypony else was taken to," Key Stone stammered.

"How did you manage to escape?

"Well, I've always been particularly good at hiding and-"

"And you should go back to doing just that before more ghosts show up," Limestone cut in before she grabbed her sister by the shoulders and dragged her away from the pony. "Come on, we now know where all the ponies in the town were taken to. We need to go free them and see if our family is with them. Or maybe the families of some of the Ambassadors."

"You're being rude to Key Stone."

"And I should care why?" Limestone asked. "Come on, every second we spend here waiting is another second that something terrible is being done to our family or the family of our friends. We need to go."

"This is not the way to where the center of Equestria is," Absol pointed out, getting Limestone to give him a look.

"And why should that matter?"

"Because I promised to help you find your families, not fight and free every group of ponies we come across," Absol said in a cold tone. "And the best way to do that would be to go to...do they still call it Canterlot? Go to Canterlot and see if they have any information that they can give us. Not gallivanting around in a forest just asking to get separated and attacked."

"Didn't you hear what we just said? Our families might be in there!"

"You don't know that."

"The only way we will know is if we look!"

"Your family could also be at the bottom of the ocean. Or up in the stars. Or maybe under one of the endless number of rocks in the land," Absol said with a shrug. "Are you saying that we should look under every rock?"

"Argh! Why are you being this way! You're infuriating me!" Limestone snarled.

"And I should care why?"

All of the spewing rage drained from Limestone and was replaced with a cold fury. "Oh, is that what this is about? If I go apologize to Key Stone will you go help us search for our family in the forest?"

Absol's response was to step to the side and bow his head towards Key Stone. Limestone let out a snarl before walking towards where the pony sat, taking a swipe at Absol as she walked by him. Absol watched her as she tried to apologize to the pony, with little success.

"You...were going to help us even if she didn't apologize, right?" Marble asked.

"Of course. I gave you my word."

"Then why antagonize my sister and force her to apologize to Key Stone like that?"

"Because I enjoy seeing your sister flustered."

"...You're still mad about getting sucker punched, aren't you?"

"Yes. Yes I am."
> Forest of Whispers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Limestone knew she was a tough pony. She lived on a rock farm, which often burned from the heat of the sun or froze when the winter wins blew through. She could break a boulder in half with a single hoof and had, many times, carried rocks uphill without any effort. There was little in the world that she believed that could unnerve her.

The forest that she and her friends were currently going through was one of those things. She knew in her mind that it was just another one of the many forests that seemed to plague Equestria, but there was something off about this one. The way the branches in the trees seemed to reach out for her, the way things seemed to be looking out from the bushes only to vanish when she turned her eyes towards them and the faint sounds of voices that spoke without a mouth drove her nerves to the edge. To the best of her knowledge, the forest was one of two things that unnerved her like this.

Absol was the other.

The forest didn't bother him in the slightest. He walked through the darkened trees and thick brush with almost a smile on his face, seemingly perfectly at home among the whispers and the shadows. A part of her figured that being a dark type meant that he enjoyed the darkness more than most, but then he started humming to himself and she felt a shudder go down her spine.

She did her best to hide the fact that Absol unnerved her from the Pokemon, though sometimes she wondered how much he could tell about her just from her body language alone. It wasn't his bizarre look or the fact that he had dark powers that could strike down beings that were already dead. It was something in his demeanor, something telling her that there was more to this creature of darkness. The way he could look at a pony and see their true thoughts. The way he knew when danger was coming without any indication. It was similar to the Pinkie sense.

The Pinkie sense had unnerved Limestone for a time, but eventually she had gotten used to it.

"I am not called the disaster Pokemon for no reason," Absol said. His words sliced through her thoughts so precisely that she was left without a comeback for a matter of moments. "I can predict disasters. My whole species can, actually. We are deeply in tune with the world and the way things are, so we can sense when danger or disaster is about to strike. And we try to warn those around us of when those disaster are about to occur."

"So is mind reading one of your powers or are you just incredibly skilled at guessing?" Limestone asked, putting on a brave face as she did so. She didn't want Absol to know how much him knowing her thoughts had shaken her.

"You are easy to read. You wear your emotions on your sleeve for the world to see," Absol informed her.

"I do that so ponies know not to tick me off. So if you and your species are so good at predicting disasters, how come you could never predict that the people you tried to warn would come for your hide?" The jab had been in retaliation for him reading her thoughts, but the blow struck deeper than Limestone realized. His red eyes were like slits and from the way he glared at her Limestone wasn't certain that he wouldn't turn that dark power towards her. Yet after a moment of what she was sure was contemplation on whether or not to attack her, Absol let go of his frustrations with a sigh.

"Perhaps it is because we try to see the best in others. Or that our souls will not allow us to escape impeding doom without at least trying to warn others of the coming plight. All I know is that we try to help...and are blamed as the bringers of doom," Absol replied in a whisper. 

"Did you know that the ghosts were coming?" Marble asked, finally working up the nerve to speak up. She was terrified of the forest and had spent the entire journey through it pressed up against her sister while hiding behind her mane. "I remember Princess Celestia mentioning that you appeared in the same city where the ghosts first resurfaced. Were you trying to warn us of them then?"

"Yes, but once again the curse of the Absol followed me to this realm. The ponies saw me, they were terrified by me and they tried to drive me out. Then the army of ghosts descended upon the city," Absol filled in. "And while I may have a favorable matchup against ghosts, I am not immune to their powers. Overwhelmed and outnumbers, I did my best to help as many ponies as I could. I fear I helped very few in reality."

"You still tried your best, even after they tried to be rid of you. That shows how much of a good heart you actually have," Marble said with a kind smile. Despite his demeanor, Absol couldn't help but give Marble the faintest of smiles in reply. "Once we get back to Canterlot, I am sure that we can speak to the princesses and have this whole bringer of disaster situation sorted out."

"I hope so to, but until the day comes when I am no longer blamed for destruction I did not cause, I will continue to remain skeptic," Absol smirked. He then raised his head and looked around the area that the three were at, noticing a few odd signs of civilization. A pillar of stone here. Remains of an arch way there. All of which were nearly hidden beneath layer after layer of foliage and vine. "We are close to where the ponies in the town were taken. That means we are also close to the ghosts that took them. Stay close."

Limestone gritted her teeth and took a small step closer to Absol, while Marble appeared at his side in an instant. She knew better than to doubt his warning, his ability to foretell disasters was a given, but she also didn't want him to think that she was scared or relied on him. She could handle herself. He was there as insurance.

But as a maniacal laughter began to echo from within the trees and shadows, the fear and chills in her stomach reminded her why they had fought so hard for Absol to join them. The ghosts were creatures of the underworld, having passed away and wanted nothing more than to be among the living once again.

Absol's horn flashed with darkness and a moment later a ghosts that had been hiding in the darkness screamed in pain before bursting into a pile of darkness and ash. Limestone swallowed a lump in her throat as she glanced over at Absol, who was already moving ahead like nothing had happened. He had just struck down a ghost that she hadn't even seen and acted like it was nothing. It was impressive.

Not that she would ever say that.

"Hey, thanks for the heads up on that ghost being there. Are you ever going to warn us whenever we're about to be ambushed or are you just going to deal with it as your silent, brooding self?" Limestone asked with a bit of a smirk to Absol. His response was to be silent and continue to move forward. "Silence it is. Glad that we trust each other."

"Do we really trust each other?" Absol asked.

Limestone took a moment to think about that question, before opening her mouth to respond.

"Please don't make this worse," Marble whispered to her sister. Limestone shut her mouth, realized that she didn't want to be silent, opened her mouth to say something only to be silenced once more when Absol held up a paw.

"We're coming up on something, something large and dangerous," he said in a whisper. "Quiet is essential here." Limestone narrowed her eyes at his bossy tone, but kept her mouth shut as they slowly moved forward. The danger in Absol's voice was enough to tell her now was not the time.

The three silently moved forward as best as they could, the ponies doing their best not to get tangled on any of the vines. Absol avoided each and every plant with ease, all the while moving without any noise at all. If Limestone hadn't been looking right at him, she wouldn't have been able to tell that he was there at all. After nearly an hour, the forest began to thin, allowing the group to see some structures ahead. The group came to a halt next to the ruins of what had once been a stone wall, which still had enough left in it to provide some cover.

Absol nodded his head towards what he had sensed, but Limestone would have been able to notice it even if Absol hadn't pointed it out to her. There was one building amongst a sea of ruined ones that still stood tall and strong, despite the evidence that the years had not been kind to it. A large, square tower that stabbed into the sky, drenched in vines and other plant life. Chunks of the tower itself were missing and the entire tower looked like it was slightly leaning to one side.

But despite the state of disrepair and the years of abuse done by Mother Nature, all three could feel a sense of dread and malice emanating from the tower. It was almost as if the group could sense the darkness and evil that awaited them within. Marble looked at the tower in horror, Limestone felt fear creep along her spine and even Absol seemed on guard by the sight of the den of evil before them.

"That's where they've taken the ponies, isn't it?" Limestone asked Absol, being the only sister able to speak at the moment.

"Yes. I can sense them inside, along with plenty of our spectral friends and...something else," Absol added on. Limestone didn't like the tone of his voice, but before she could voice her opinion Absol began walking towards the tower. "Come, we will not rescue them by standing out here all night."

"Are you sure you just want to walk up to this place and knock on the front door?" Limestone asked, not used to being the voice of reason. "I mean, there could be a whole army of ghosts inside."

"I believe there is an army inside. I can sense a great number of ghosts inside," Absol corrected.

"And a frontal assault is our best course of action? Didn't you just say a little while ago that even you can't handle a whole army of ghosts by yourself?" Limestone reminded him.

"True. But that was when I had to fight them from every conceivable direction. If we go in from the front, they will attack us from the front. As long as they do not surround me, I should be able to handle them," Absol said confidentially. When he saw the hesitation on Limestone's eyes, he added on, "And this could also be where your families are being held. The sooner we cut through this tower the sooner we can find out."

"I hate it when you're right," Limestone snarled, but she voice no further arguments. So with another flick of his head Absol lead the two ponies towards the only entrance to the tower that they could see, a single wooden door that looked like it had been recently repaired. Absol walked right up to it, raised a paw, and glanced back to the two. "Ready?"

They both nodded in reply.

Absol smirked and then tapped his paw against the door.

The next moment the door exploded into a shower of splinters before an unholy roar erupted from within. Limestone tackled her sister and drove the both of them away from the rain of wood, before she glanced at where Absol had been standing with fear gripping her heart. Her fear turned to annoyance as a moment later he landed gracefully beside them, not a hair on his body out of place.

"Do you practice making everything look so effortless or does it come naturally?" she snarked at him. Before Absol could answer, a pair of massive hands grabbed hold of the door frame and yanked with all of their might, dragging out a colossal body of a ghost. But unlike all of the other ghosts that Limestone had encountered, this ghost was not pale or shaped like a pony. This ghost had four arms, a body that looked like magma and burned with the ferocity of the sun. Her eyes shrunk into her sockets as the beast pulled itself out of the tower entrance and loomed over them, a smile on its face.

"So you are the black shadow, the creature that has struck down every one of my brothers that he has come across," the blazing ghosts bellowed with the fury of an inferno as it gazed hungrily at Absol. "I look forward to watching your body being consumed by the flames until only your charred bones remain. Any last words, slayer of ghosts?"

Absol stretched his back, cracked his next, and shifted his weight across his paws once or twice. He then finally let a smile cross his face, but the smile was not directed at the ghost being consumed by an inferno. Absol turned his smile, an ungodly smug smile, towards Limestone.

"Allow this demonstration to clear all doubt from your mind, as I slay this ghosts...effortlessly."
> From the Fires of Hell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Absol flipped backwards to avoid a burst of fire that spewed from the ghosts mouth, the crimson eyes on his face being illuminated by the burning flames. Limestone tackled her sister once more and dove for cover, shielding Marble with her body as the ball of fire burned by.

"Hey jerk! Don't forget that we're out here as well!" Limestone screamed at Absol.

Whether or not Absol heard her she had no idea, for at the moment he seemed far more preoccupied with his battle than with them. The moment his paws touched the ground he kicked off again and moved like a white blur towards the blazing ghost. Despite the ghosts earlier claims about how he wanted to consume Absol's bones with his flames, he knew better than to let Absol get anywhere close to him. So with Absol upon him, the ghost fired a ball of fire into the barren land at his feet, creating an explosion of flame that even Absol couldn't get through. With no other option but to back off, Absol flipped backwards and landed next to the pillar the Pie sisters were behind.

"Wow, I think this is a record for how long it's taken you to defeat one of these guys," Limestone snarked out from behind her cover. Absol flashed her a look before his horn glowed with a dark light. He was a blur a moment later, appearing behind the ghost and slashing into the astral body with his horn.

"Burn in hell!" the ghost roared as it lashed out at Absol with one of its hands, yet with a twirl of his body Absol slipped through the fingers and landed on the arm of the ghost. The first thought that went through Absol's mind was how was he able to stand on a ghost, but that thought was quickly replaced with the burning pain that scorched his paws. Absol leapt off of the arm of the ghost to prevent himself from being burned.

The action was not lost on the blazing ghost. The moment Absol was off of him he spun and lashed out with another ball of fire, one that barreled towards Absol as he was trapped in the air. Absol moved to the side as best he could, but as the flames ripped by the Pokemon felt a searing pain consume his left side. He landed on his paws and cast a quick glance at his side, to find that the ball had managed to burn him.

"Do not worry, being of darkness. The hellfire is only beginning for you," the ghost muttered as it began to float towards Absol, both arms extended towards the Pokemon.

Absol gritted his teeth to fight through the pain, before channeling his power into his horn once more. He moved with the same speed as before and slashed a night slash across the chest of the ghost, yet on the moment of impact the burn on his left side consumed his senses and he instinctively pulled his head back in pain. He powered through with the rest of his attack and landed without much effort, but a glance over Absol's shoulder revealed his fears to be true.

'The burn is causing my striking power to go down. The pain is preventing me from giving it everything I've got,' Absol thought. The ghost was clearly thinking along similar lines, as he lashed out with reckless abandon towards Absol. Without the fear of being struck down to keep the ghost at bay, Absol found himself completely on the defensive as he dodged and ducked to avoid the flaming fists.

'This is bad, I can't keep dodging for long,' Absol noted as he realized that he was running out of room to backpedal. 'I need to find a way to get rid of this burn and now! But in order to do that I would need-'

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught Absol's attention and he glanced to his side to see two items flying in his direction. The first was his bag of berries, which was the very thing he needed to get rid of his burn. The second was a giant rock, which collided with the face of the ghost and sent the specter spiraling through a wall. He caught the bag and looked up towards the pair that had thrown the items, a smile breaking across his face.

Marble had thrown the bag of berries, trying to help Absol in his moment of need. Limestone had thrown the rock, trying to take out the main problem on her own. He nodded his head in gratitude to the both of them before plucking a single berry from the bag, a Rawst berry, and popping it into his mouth. The moment he bit down he felt the burn sooth and his strength flowed back into his body. He turned with a smile in time to see the blazing ghost return to the battlefield, blissfully unaware that Absol was no longer handicapped. 

"The time has come for you to be consumed by the fire!" the ghost roared as he charged a ball of black fire in-between his hands. "I shall incinerate your soul and then leave your bones to be kindling for my flames! The fiery, depths of hell await-"

In a fraction of a second Absol vanished from the ghosts view, leaving him to look around in confusion for the Pokemon. A whistle got his attention and he turned around to see Absol standing directly behind him. The ghost snarled and took aim...only to burst into a pile of smoldering darkness a moment later. Absol stared down at the embers for a moment before he walked back over to the mares.

"You're welcome, by the way," Limestone said, before Absol could say anything.

"For what, dare I ask? Your sister was the one that threw me the item that I needed," Absol pointed out, before politely returning the bag of berries to Marble. 

"You're welcome, because if I hadn't thrown that rock to knock that sucker for a loop, he would have incinerated you before you had the chance to check inside that bag," Limestone added on. Absol gave her a look and Limestone fired one off right back, before Marble squeezed in-between the both of them and pushed them apart.

"Come on, do the two of you really need to do this now?" she asked them. "With the guard gone, we need to go inside and check to make sure that the ponies inside are safe. Can we save this for later?"

"Very well, Marble. As you did aid me, I suppose it is only fair I do this for you," Absol politely agreed. Limestone made a gagging noise as Marble and Absol turned and started to walk towards the tower. Yet it was only after a few steps that Limestone moved up beside Absol.

"So what happened back there? You seemed to be handling yourself pretty well and then...things went south."

"Seems that you are more observant than you let on. Yes, at first things were well in paw. His attacks were slow and his ego massive, providing plenty of chances to attack. But then I was caught off guard by the fact that I could...touch him," Absol muttered, shaking his head. "He took that moment of hesitation and burned me, severely crippling my power."

"Wait a moment. If you get burned you get weaker?" Limestone asked.

"All Pokemon lose attack strength if they get burned. Those that rely on special attacks, like Alakazam, are barely bothered by it, while other species like Machamp only grow stronger with their guts, but unfortunately for me, burns can severely cripple my fighting power. It was fortunate that you sister tossed me the bag of berries when she did."

"Oh yeah, glad to see that Marble was the one that saved your sorry pelt. I'll remember that the next time you need a rock chucked at something," Limestone snarled, but before she could say anything else, Absol put a paw on her shoulder and turned her to face him.

"And it was thanks to you throwing that rock that I am alive at all. You saved my life, Limestone," Absol told her with a kind smile. "And for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I...am not used to having others save me."

"Um...sure, just don't mention it," Limestone muttered, glancing down at his paw on her shoulder. He removed it and the two walked to the entrance of the tower, which Marble had refused to enter by herself. "By the way, you said there are a bunch of types, right? Was that ghost another type?"

"Your observations prove astute once more. That was a dual type. Ghost and fire, unless I am mistaken. That gave him extra powers and extra weaknesses in our fight," Absol dictated. "As ghost attacks do not bother me that much, the extra fire typing gave him a far better type to use against me. However, that same fire typing made him much more vulnerable to the rock you managed to introduce to his face. Good thing you have a weird attraction to rocks."

"So, are you going in first or are you going to make one of us do it?" Marble asked Absol, cutting off Limestone before she could start up about the attraction joke. Absol took the point and the two sisters followed him inside, Limestone grumbling to herself as they walked.

There were no torches or any lanterns hanging from the walls, leaving the group encased in almost complete darkness. While Absol seemed right at home in the darkness, the two ponies were left stumbling and crashing into bricks and walls without their ability to see.

"Hey Absol, do you think you can make some kind of light source?" Marble asked.

"A source of light? Marble, I am a dark type, not a fire or electric type," Absol replied from somewhere in front of the both of them with a chuckle. "A dark type making light. That is humorous. You are a silly pony."

Marble hung her head slightly at those words, but then a stone flew past her head and struck Absol in the back of his head. A curse escaped his lips as the impact created by the stone caused a small spark, which allowed the group to see each other for just a moment.

"Well what do you know? If I hit Absol in the back of the head with this flint, it seems to create some sparks we can use to see," Limestone's mocking voice spoke in the darkness. "Hey Absol, don't move too much or else I won't be able to create much light. Also might want to grit your teeth."

"Perhaps I have a better idea," Absol said in a very controlled voice. Marble could hear him picking up the flint that had struck him and he scrapped it against the ground, creating a small number of sparks. He showered the sparks onto a stick and a moment later they had a makeshift torch. With the ponies eyesight restored, the group moved on. Yet even with the ability to see the nerves in the ponies did not fade. In fact, it was not what they saw, but what they failed to see, that caused them to be put on edge.

There were no ghosts haunting the hallways, leaving the depths of the tower devoid of any sound aside from their hooves on the stone. There were also no ponies being held captive, despite the group forcing open every door that they came across. That was except for a single, large, reinforced door, the last door that stood in their way.

"So, do we look for the key, or-" Marble began, but then her sister slammed her hind hooves into the door and shattered the lock, allowing the doors to swing openly with an eerie creak. "Or we can just do that. Thank you Limestone."

"Always happy to help, seeing as you guys would be helpless without me."

"Helpless isn't the word I would pick," Absol whispered to Marble as he walked by her, getting Marble to giggle slightly. 

The three entered the large chamber on the other side of the doors, noticing from the rusted weaponry and suits of armor that lay scattered about that the room had been some kind of armory. But Absol, with all of his forewarning senses, picked up on something else in the room, something far more sinister. Without any sort of outward concern, he lazily lifted his head towards the ceiling, where the smokey, astral form of a stallion encircled a chandelier above them.

"And who are you?" he asked the ghost.

"Ah, forgive me for staring, I've just never seen a being like you," the ghost apologized as Limestone and Marble whipped around to face him. "I am King Spiral and I am trying to kill all of you."
> A Haunting Feeling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Limestone blinked the moment the ghost revealed himself and the next thing she knew Absol was slashing at the king of the ghosts with a horn bathed in a dark light. The ghost king vanished, which caused the attack to strike the ceiling instead of the ghost. Absol landed on the floor a moment later, his horn still glowing with his dark power, while his eyes shifted back and forth across the room as he hunted his prey.

"King Spiral. You must be the one responsible for the army of ghosts that has descended upon this land," Absol said to the shadows, eyes waiting for any sign of movement.

"That I am, being of darkness," the king's voice said from every direction at once. Marble instinctually moved closer to her sister, who in turn moved the two of them closer to Absol. "However, you have me at a disadvantage. When two ponies, or whatever you are, meet for the first time, most start with their name. Not a lethal attack."

"Considering how you will soon be leaving this plane, I do not see what is the point in you knowing my name," Absol replied in a cold tone. "Though if it means that much to you, I will tell you the name of your destroyer. I am Absol. A Dark type Pokemon that brings down the ghosts like you."

"Ah, Absol. A powerful name for a powerful being," Spiral replied, a slight laugh echoing throughout the chamber. "Ah yes, you are a being that is not native to this world. You come from...somewhere else. How interesting that I am meeting a being from another world. And what a shame that he is a being that can kill me. What did you call yourself? A Dark Pokemon? Are those types able to kill ghosts?" 

"Correct. Now reveal yourself so that I can end you," Absol spat.

"Straight to fighting with you, eh? But I have so many questions for you before I kill you and I am certain that you have questions for me. And as you've already told me so much about myself, to be kind in return, I will answer one question truthfully. Any question. Like if you wanted to know my backstory? My skills...my weaknesses?"

"There is only one question I have. What have you done with Limestone and Marble's families?" Absol asked. Limestone turned her head to look at Absol, surprised and a little bit touched that he would use his free question for her family. "I know that you have taken them somewhere. Tell me where."

"Aw, isn't that cute. You care for these two," the voice of the ghost king said. Absol moved in a blur, slashing at the air in front of where Limestone and Marble were standing. A roar of pain echoed through the chamber and a moment later the dark king materialized near the door. "Tracking my voice, are you? You are truly dangerous creature."

"The location. Now."

"No-nonsense either. You are a problem," the dark king snarled, before boxes and bricks started to levitate around him. "Well then, Absol, let us see how you handle this!"

He hurled the items towards the Pokemon faster than Limestone could track, but with an even greater speed Absol sliced the boxes to pieces. He turned to face King Spiral with a smirk on his face, while the dark king said nothing in reply. Then a cruel smile spread from under his shadowy beard and his horn began to glow, wrapping Absol in a violet energy. 

"Absol, watch out!" Limestone cried out as she saw the light. But then a dark light began to form cracks along the purple energy, before the energy surrounding Absol was shattered completely.

"What in all the...?" the dark king asked as he floated backwards. Absol looked down at himself, before a wicked smile began to spread across his face.

"That wouldn't happen to be...psychic powers, would it?" Absol asked in a delighted tone.

"In my world we call it magic, but yes...I suppose psychic would not be too far off base," Spiral said. Absol let out a dark laugh upon hearing the kings words, before his red eyes locked onto the kings ghostly form.

"Well then, here is your first lesson in the type matchup. Psychic types...can do nothing to Dark types!" Absol roared as he lunged forward. He lunged towards the kind with reckless abandon, now knowing that the dark king could do nothing to him. "And if you can use those powers, than that makes you a Ghost/ Psychic type, correct? Well, hate to be the bearer of bad news...but you are at an even greater disadvantage than your army!"

Absol slashed towards the dark king without really aiming, forcing Spiral to weave and slither around the room to avoid being struck. Absol kept up the pressure and attack with a relentless force, tearing gashes and holes in the ancient room in an attempt to strike the king down. And despite throwing up psychic barriers to protect himself, Spiral quickly found that none of his once infamous psychic strength could so much as give Absol pause. So if his powers wouldn't stop the Pokemon, his words would have to.

"Are you sure you wish to kill me? After all, you have yet to learn of where your precious ponies families are located," King Spiral put forth. The words reached Absol and for a moment he ceased his attack, though Spiral did notice that his horn continued to glow darkly. "That's better. See how much nicer everypony is when we're not at each others throats?"

"Says the being that told us he was here to kill us," Absol reminded him.

"Details. Alright Absol, I will tell you this. The families of the two right there, the Pies, if I am not mistaken, are being taken to the Eternal Forest on the other end of Equestria. If you head there now, you might, just might, catch up to my forces before they make it there. But that's only if you go right now."

"And why should I believe a word out of your mouth?" Absol replied. "You could be sending us to our deaths for all I know. And give me one good reason that I shouldn't strike you down here and now?"

"Two excellent questions. You are a smart one. The answer to the first one is that you don't have to believe me. But you have no other options or clues as to where the Pie's could be except for what I tell you. So you'll go looking anyway. As for the answer to the second question..."

A blinding flash of light erupted from the center of the ghost king, forcing the three to look away for a brief moment. When the light had faded, Absol looked up with a scowl to find that the king of the ghosts was long gone. He let out a swear and sliced his horn across the wall, adding a new slash mark across it before he regained control of himself.

"Come on, we need to get going," Absol told the two mares.

"So we're just going to listen to what the pony that's trying to kill us said? We're just going to walk into the Eternal Woods and hope that he was telling the truth?" Limestone asked.

"Unless you have a better idea, that is exactly what we will be doing," Absol said to her. Limestone felt her temper flare, but a look into Absol's eyes showed that there was no challenge or anger in his look. Only the same, unshakable resolve that he always seemed to have. Limestone forced her temper back down while Marble, who knew what had almost happened, placed a hoof on Limestone's shoulder.

"It's all we've got for the time being. Along the way if we learn anything else, then maybe we can change our plans," she told her sister in a calming tone. "But until then, we will go with Absol's plan. Besides, we have our dark knight here to protect us should any ghosts try to harm us."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Absol informed Marble with a smirk. She giggled and gave him an innocent smile in reply before she headed towards the exit, with Absol and Limestone following after her. It wasn't until the group was outside of the tower, and Marble had gained a little bit of distance from the two, that Limestone finally spoke to Absol.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?" he whispered back.

"For asking about where our family is. I know there were probably a dozen other questions that you wanted to ask him, but you asked about our family. That means a lot to m...to us. To the both of us," Limestone barely managed to get out.

"There is no need to thank me. I know how much your family means to you. I've still got the cracked jaw to prove it," Absol told her with a smirk. Limestone rolled her eyes at his words, but couldn't stop a small smile from spreading across her face.

"I know and I'm...sorry that's what it came to in order to get you to help us. But at the end of the day, family is all we have."

Limestone thought for a moment she had said something wrong, because for a few minutes after that Absol was silent. Then he nodded to her with eyes that were filled with pain.

"I agree, Limestone. I completely agree."

(]o[)

"I told you this would happen," Ahuizotl said with a shake of his head when he looked down at the mess of ghost that had teleported back into the castle. Ahuizotl and Spiral had taken up residence at an ancient and run down castle that had once belonged to Prince Sol, in a time before the sun and the moon. It had been built in an incredibly well defended area, with no way to sneak up on it or cut off. And due to the war between Spiral and Sol, it was also near one of the largest graveyards in the history of Equestria, meaning that there were plenty of spirits around to command.

'Of course, this damn fool runs off and nearly gets himself killed without any of those thousands of spirits to help him,' Ahuizotl thought to himself, gazing at Spiral's shredded ghostly form. The dark king grunted and began to draw the shadows into his form, slowly beginning to reform the parts of him that Absol had taken out. "I cannot believe you were foolish enough to take on this creature by yourself. He can slay ghosts with ease. What did you think he would do to you?"

"This pain was necessary to find out more about the foe I will be facing," Spiral said in a pained voice, but one that still held bits of delight in it.  "And we both learned a great deal about each other. I learned that my psychic powers are useless against him. I also learned that psychic are also weak to his powers, so that, along with my ghostly form, means that he could probably kill me in a single strike. And he learned the location of some of our hostages. All and all it was quite the learning experience."

"Did you learn his weakness? I mean, he must have one?"

"Oh, I will have his weakness within moments, but first I wish to learn more about him," Spiral said as he conjured a small stone out of his body, one that was shaped like a crescent moon and filled with dark powers. "This is a dream scrier. It will allow you to look into his dreams and learn what you can. But be careful, I do not know how much his dark typing will protect him from it."

"Very well, Ahuizotl replied as he took the stone, before noticing the smile still on the dark kings face. "I do not get it. You were ripped apart, found out that your powers didn't work and he learned where the Pies are being held. So why are you so happy?"

"Because, my faithful friend, now I know his weakness. I know everything about his powers. For you see...he told me his name."
> Gifts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Eternal Forest...Eternal Forest...nope, can't say that I've ever heard of it." Limestone said at last with a shake of her head.

The group of three had long since left the ruins of the old outpost and had found their way back to a part of the forest that was more hospitable to travelers. A dirt path cut through the grass beneath them, giving them a point of references towards the nearest civilization. Absol passed the time in silence, as always, while Limestone had tried to recall anything about the Eternal Forest. Nothing came to mind.

"You've lived in these lands all of your life and yet you have not heard a thing about this place?" Absol asked, a slight tone of disbelief in his voice. Marble sighed as fury immediately rose to the surface for Limestone.

"Hey, I've been a rock farmer all of my life. Nothing more, nothing less. I didn't care about the outside world and I didn't want to know anything about it! I was happy on my farm," she snarled in her defense. Then she caught the rest of what Absol had been implying and gave him a dirty look. "Why, have you heard something about this place?"

"In fact I have, despite having spent most of my time in Equestria in solitude," Absol replied with a smirk. "The Eternal Forest is said to be a place of endless mazes, creatures most foul and the one place in all of Equis where the realms of the living and the dead are closest. I take it I do not need to spell out for you why that is important?"

"I caught on well enough, thank you. But aside from being a place where the ghosts could return to our world easier, what other purpose does it serve?" she asked. "And why bring our families there? If he...wanted to kill them, he could do that anywhere. Why bring everypony we know and love to the same location?"

"And why would he even give away such a location in the first place?" Marble added in, stepping between Limestone and Absol, while gazing up at the latter. "If this is a place where the ghosts have such an easier time returning to the land of the living, why send the only known being in the land that can slay them there? Do you think it is a trap?"

"One question at a time. To answer Limestone's, I do not believe all of the families taken are there. Just yours. As for why he would bring them there, that answers Marble's question. Because this is a trap," Absol said with nothing but certainty.

"Then should we be going there by ourselves? Wouldn't it be smarter to stop back at Canterlot and gather the Ambassadors?" Marble put forward. "After all, I'm sure our sister is worried about us and the princesses would love to know of what we have learned. And no offense to you Absol, but I would prefer to not take on the entire army of ghosts and the ghost king with only you there to protect us. You yourself have admitted that you can be overwhelmed."

"That's a great idea, Marble. Man, how come everypony in our family is so dang smart?" Limestone asked before playfully punching Marble in the shoulder. Marble smiled kindly in reply, though when Limestone looked away she rubbed her shoulder gingerly. "How about it, Absol? You okay with us gathering up everypony and uniting to take down the ghost king once and for all?"

The look on Absol's face showed that he was anything but pleased with this plan, but he took a moment to rationalize their plan and eventually sighed. "As far as plans go it is a sound idea. Marble is right in saying that even though I have type advantage I can still be overwhelmed. And as much as I hate working with large groups, we need numbers to stand a chance against their forces. I have no objections."

"That's wonderful!" Marble exclaimed, before something in the distance caught her eye. Absol and Limestone followed her gaze to see that she was peering out of the forest at a small town that had come into their sight. Even from the distance that separated them, they could see numerous ponies running around, telling them that the ghosts had not yet managed to get a hold of the town."Hey Absol, do you mind if you wait here for a little bit while Limestone and me go into town?"

"Why? Isn't our plan now to seek out your sister and her allies?"

"We will, but I just need to make a quick stop here first," Marble said as she gave Absol puppy dog eyes. "It won't be long, maybe an hour at most. Please?"

"Okay, two questions. First, why do you want me to come along. Second, aren't you going to ask if Absol wants to come?" Limestone asked, surprised that her sister would be so impolite.

"Let me start with the second one. Absol, do you want to come into town with us?"

"No."

"That answers that. Limestone, I want you to come with me...well, to be safe," Marble meekly admitted. "Even if we don't run into any ghosts in town, I'm still nervous around strangers. But if you're there..."

"Fine, I get it," Limestone grumbled as she began to march ahead, Marble following behind her. "Absol, are you sure you're fine with...?" Limestone's words died off when she turned to see Absol already curled up beneath a tree, already asleep. "Fine. Come on Marble."

The two walked for a while without speaking, with Limestone lost in her thoughts while Marble kept looking over her shoulders to make sure Absol wasn't following. "Y'know, if you really wanted him to come with us so badly, I'm certain that he would have said yes if you had given him those eyes of yours."

"Actually, I didn't want him to come," Marble admitted in a whisper. "I'm thinking that while we're in town, not only can we learn about what's been going on, but we can each get Absol a gift to thank him for all he's done for us."

"Hold up," Limestone said as she came to a dead stop. "You want me to get a gift for him? The guy who clearly has a superiority complex and-"

"I'm going to stop this right here. He's saved our lives, fought against a foe that doesn't concern him and, might I remind you, you sucker punched him to force him away from his home to come help us," Marble said in a rocky tone, making her sisters eyes slightly shrink. "You. Are getting him. A thank you gift."

"Okay."

"Glad that's settled. Come on, I want to see if there is a sweet shop here. My Pie senses are telling me that Absol has a hidden sweet tooth."

Limestone shook her head as Marble walked into the town ahead of her, glancing around for any sign of a bakery. Marble spotted a bread shop and raced towards it, before turning around to give her sister another look. Marble then pointed from Limestone to a general store before giving Limestone a glare. Limestone nodded her head to show that she understood, before turning towards the store with a grumble.

"Stupid Pokemon. Stupid sister. Have to get him a thank you gift? The world could be ending and yet I had to sucker punch him to get him off that mountain. He acts like this has nothing to do with him, but it's his world too. He should have been helping to fight in the first place."

She pressed her hoof on the door to the general store, before glancing to her side to notice that a griffon in a trench coat was smiling at her. She looked down at the griffons talons to notice that he had a blanket set down with all sorts of rocks laying upon the blanket. Curiosity got the better of her and she walked over to the griffon, who rubbed his talons at her arrival.

"Hello, my little pony. Find something that caught your eye," he said in a gravely voice, before sweeping his talons to the spread before him. "You will find all sorts of wonders before you. All of these stones here came from a meteor that landed in the mountains twenty years ago. Now these over here-"

"None of these are from space," Limestone cut him off, smirking as she looked over the rocks. "Sedimentary, Igneous...that one on the end is just flint painted red. Are you seriously trying to pawn these common rocks off as meteorites?"

"Er, well..."

"And is that a marble?" Limestone asked with a smirk as she picked up one of the smaller rocks and rubbed some of the mud off of it, revealing a bit of shine beneath. "You seriously covered a marble in mud and tried to sell it as a meteorite. That's sad."

"I didn't...cover it, per say."

"Then what did you do?"

"I...dropped it...after a rainy day..."

"Yep. Sad. Welp, I can't wait to see the looks on the ponies faces when I tell them the truth about you," Limestone said as she turned to leave.

"Wait! Wait...how about this. You keep my secret and I will give you any of these for free," the griffon said as he reached into his coat, pulling out numerous spheres. When the sunlight struck the spheres rainbow light filled them and for a moment Limestone though she could sense a strange power coming from within them. "Any that you want."

"Alright, I'll take...this marble," she said as she held up the marble that she had rubbed some of the mud off of.

"You will take...that? After I've offered you-"

"You assume that I am looking for a nice gift. I'm not. I'm just looking for something to get my sister off of my back," Limestone said with a smirk. "So you give me this marble and I don't rat you out. Sound fair?"

"Perfectly fair. Have a good day and please don't come back."

Limestone smirked as she placed the marble in her pouch and walked away from the griffon, looking for her sister. Limestone found her standing near the end of town close to where the two had entered, a small box on her back and an excited smile on her face.

"Ah, there you are. I found the perfect thank you gift for Absol," she said with beaming smile, before nodding to the box on her back. "An ice cream cake, with crumbled cookies on top. I got vanilla and chocolate so it's black and white, like him! Think he'll like it?"

"He'll probably like it more than my gift."

"What did you get him?"

"A marble."

"Limestone..."

"What? It was free."

"I cannot believe you."

The two reached the tree where Absol had been napping, looking over to find him laying in the same position. He cracked open an eye as they approach, looking over them before glancing at the box on Marble's back.

"Hey Absol, this is for you," Marble said happily as she offered the box to Absol, who took it with a raised eyebrow. "We wanted to thank you for everything that you've done for us, so my sister and I each got you a gift. Here's mine!"

Absol opened the box and his eyes went wide at the cake that lay within. "Now I don't know if you like sweets or not, but I took a guess and..." Marble blinked a few times and then noticed that the entire cake was gone. She looked from the empty box to Absol, who was wiping the corners of his mouth with the back of his paws.

"That was delicious. Thank you," he said kindly to the stunned Marble. He then glanced at Limestone and raised an eyebrow.

"What's with that look? I got you something as well!"

"And what would that be?"

"A marble."

"...you're giving me your sister?"

"What?! NO!" Limestone roared before she pulled out the marble and hurled it at Absol's head. Absol caught the marble and turned it over in his paw, raising an eyebrow at the mud on it. Limestone waited for him to make a smartass reply, but to her surprise he smiled slightly before placing it in his bag.

"Thank you very much, both of you. These gifts...mean a lot to me."

"Well think of it like this. Help us the next time a world ending threat comes up and maybe I'll get you a second marble," Limestone teased.

"A second marble. I cannot wait," Absol smirked back before turning back to the road. "Come, it is time that we head out again. The sooner we can find you sister the sooner we can gather our own forces to fight back."

"I really wish you would have gotten him something nicer," Marble scolded her sister as they followed after Absol.

"What? He seemed happy with it."

"I know, but you kinda made it seem like you didn't care."

"Marble, Absol is the first being outside of our family to ever get a gift from me," Limestone pointed out, before smirking at the Pokemon walking ahead of them. "I am grateful for what he's done. But if he knows that, he'll never let me hear the end of it."
> Dreams Peeker
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We should make camp for the night."

Absol's words came as sweet relief for the two Pie sisters, who had just reached the end of a very long day. They had been attacked by ghosts while crossing a bridge, resulting in the ropes holding up the bridge being sliced and the pair nearly falling into the raging waters below. Then they had been attacked my a Venus Ponytrap, a larger and far more deadly version of the flytrap, before Absol had sliced it in half. And then for the last third of the day, it rained.

Suffice to say, they were ready to call it a day.

With a flick of his horn Absol cleared out all of the grass and plants in an area along the ground. He then aimed his horn skyward and sliced a branch off of a tree. He flicked his horn twice more as the branch fell and it landed at his paws in a pile of perfectly sliced pieces of wood. Absol stacked them to make a campfire, before looking around for a pair of rocks. Limestone, who was both cold and wet from the rain, walked up to the sticks and created a spark by scraping her hooves together.

"That was...impressive?" Absol said.

Limestone grunted at him before she laid down next to the fire, curling up with her back to it. A shudder of warmth passed through her and Absol could tell that she was doing everything in her power to keep from shivering. He had to admire how tough she was, even if he wasn't fond of her attitude.

Marble was showing no such toughness. She practically threw herself into the fire to get warm quicker and shivered with such force it looked like the ground beneath her was shaking. Absol glanced into hi bag in hopes of finding a berry that would help Marble with her shaking, but to his annoyance he found that he was out. He rummaged through Marbel's bag as well only to find hers devoid of them as well.

'Curse my shortsightedness, I should have packed more,' Absol grumbled. 'Yet since we were leaving the mountain I foolishly believed that we would not need them. And now here I am with two shivering ponies and no way to warm them-'

Absol lost his train of thought when a berry smacked into the side of his head and thudded to the ground. Absol glanced down at the berry to find that it was an Aspear berry. A thin smile crossed his face as he glanced over at Limestone, who had tried very hard to make it look like she hadn't moved from her original spot, but he picked up on the subtle changes.  He said nothing on the matter and instead simply offered the berry to Marble, who, after recognizing it, scarfed it down swiftly.

"Thanks for that, Absol," she said before a small yawn snuck out. She curled up into a ball and closed her eyes sleepily. "If you don't mind, I'm going to close my eyes and get some sleep. It's been a long couple of days and...well..."

"Sleep. I will watch over you and your sister," Absol promised her. Marble was asleep moments later. Absol sat next to her for a few minutes, keeping an eye on the woods around them, before a small sigh escaped his lips and his rose to his paws. He walked around the fire and sat down next to Limestone, who he noticed was still shivering slightly.

"You're still cold?" Absol asked her.

"Of course not. I'm just shaking at the thought of getting my hooves on Spiral," she spat back.

"...you're cold," Absol nodded. 

"...only a bit."

"Makes sense. After all, you were the only one to fall in that river. Then add the rain on top of that and..." Catching the look that Limestone was giving her, Absol decided it was time to stop talking. He walked over to her bag and opened it, peeking inside to find another Aspear berry. When he found there were no more, a thin smile crossed his face as he looked down at Limestone. "You gave your last Aspear berry to your sister, didn't' you?"

"Of course I did. She's my sister," Limestone replied, though Absol noticed her teeth chattered a few times while she spoke. "I'll be fine. I once stayed on top of Holder's Boulder all night in order to keep a rock thief from getting his hooves on it."

"You did that on a snowy night when it was ten below. If pa hadn't found you Absol would be talking to an icicle right now," Marble sleepily added. Limestone flashed a look at her sister, but Marble rolled over and went back to sleep. Limestone shifted and tried to go back to sleep as well, but Absol still noticed her shiver. With a sigh, knowing full well how she was going to react, Absol moved his body next to hers so she could absorb her warmth. He braced himself as he did this, fully expecting her to kick him across the clearing, but all she did was tense for a moment, before taking a minute to relax.

"So how come you're not cold and wet still?" Limestone asked after half and hour.

"Because my fur is designed for survival in the wet and cold mountains. Stays warm and doesn't take long to dry," Absol replied, before smirking to himself. "And that's why it always flows perfectly in the wind, allowing me to always looking awe inspiring and thought provoking."

"Please, the only thing that others would think upon looking at you is if having a horn on only one side of your head gives you neck pains."

"You know actually, I've always had a bit of a pain in the left side of my neck and always wondered why. Maybe you're onto something with this horn idea."

"Heh, I bet it does. Though I'm sure your shoulders are fine, having to carry around the weight of the world on your back all the time."

"What do you mean carrying around the weight of the world on my shoulders?"

"Please, the way you act, the looks you give, the whole "tortured soul who only tried to help"...you see what I'm getting at?"

"And again with the mocking. I'm starting to think you have a problem with me."

"I don't have a problem with you."

"Then why do you constantly feel the need to verbally spar with me?"

"On one hoof, you're one of the only ponies...beings I know that can actually hang with me in a verbal spar," Limestone admitted with a smirk.

"And the other?"

"The other...isn't important," she muttered quickly, before closing her eyes and placing her head on the ground. "Look, we've talked enough and it's getting late. We'll need our strength for tomorrow, especially if something happens. Good night."

Absol raised an eyebrow at her quick dismissal of him, but after a moment of waiting her found that she truly did seem to be asleep. He checked over her once more to find that she was no longer shivering. With the two sisters seemingly back to normal, Absol closed his own eyes and allowed himself to drift off into slumber.

(]o[)

It was the screams that always got to Absol first.

Not the screams of someone in pain or terror, but screams of rage. Screams of bloodlust. Screams of those who saw his kind as bringers of the end and sought to put an end to him first. The screams were always the first. Then came the fire, the fire that consumed the forest where he had once lived.

He was a young pokemon when the humans had come for him and his mother. They came in the night, in a time when he was usually awake. But the Oddish and Gloom in the area had been doing a dance and had scattered Sleep Powder all over the place, making it hard for any Pokemon to stay awake. But the fires and screaming had awaken the both of them.

His mother had gathered what was happening far quicker than he had. She had awoken him and told him to run, to run faster than he had ever done in his life before. Normally the two of them would have been more than quick enough to escape the humans. But the humans had been far more cunning.

They had set up rings of fire had encircled the forest that he called home, preventing them from finding a way out. From beyond the flames, Absol could not only see the humans that had gathered with pitchforks, but the Pokemon that they had brought with them on the other side.

Absol was not afraid of the fire, nor was he afraid of the humans. But the Pokemon he saw on the otherside sunk his heart to the depths of his stomach. Hariyama, a monstrous bruiser with enough power to crush cars into cans. Ninjask, an insect with speed and claws that could slice through trees with ease. And Heracross, a combination of Bug and Fighting. A living nightmare for an Absol. And there were dozens of each.

His mother had seen the same Pokemon that he had and knew full well what awaited the both of them. He had looked up into her eyes as she kissed him on the forehead one last time, before saying her final words.

"We prevent disasters. Never forget that, no matter what they do to you."

And then she had run through the fire, attacking everything one in sight before racing on by. The humans and Pokemon had followed her, leaving Absol alone as a raging inferno burned down the place he had grown up. Watch as all he had ever known was burned away.

Watch as his mother raced to her death to save him.

"How tragic."

Absol whipped around to find a strange being standing behind him. The fire, humans and Pokemon were all gone, leaving only Absol and the creature. It had a monstrous face, ape arms, lion legs and a tail with a hand on the end of it. Absol narrowed his eyes at him, wondering who in the world he could be, before the being vanished and was replaced with another image.

The image was the inside of a large tree that rested in the center of a massive canyon. And inside the tree was a red stallion with a green apple on his flank, sitting next to a yellow filly with a bow in her mane. The two of them were chained to the center of the tree, while ghosts encircled all around them. 

Then the image zoomed out to show exactly how close this giant tree that housed the two ponies was to where Absol slept...and then his eyes snapped open.

It took Absol a moment to shake himself free of the nightmare, but when he did he found that the sun was just starting to rise on the horizon. He started to get up, only to find himself feeling heavier than before. He glanced at Limestone to find that she had moved closer during the night, practically laying on top of him at that point. He struggled to get out from under her and accidentally woke her up in the process.

"Absol, what's going on?" she asked, slightly groggy but looking around for danger.

"I just had a vision. A sigh of the future, if you will," Absol explained quickly. "In it I saw this tree and this creature and these pair of ponies that were chained up inside of the tree. I think it might be one of the families that you said went missing."

"It's too early in the morning for this," Limestone grumbled as she started to go back to sleep only for Absol to shake her awake once more. "Okay, okay, I'm awake! Geez. Alright, describe what these two ponies looked like and I can tell you if I know them or not."

"Alright. One of them was a stallion who had a red coat and a green apple on his flank. The other was a small filly with a yellow coat and a bow in her red mane," Absol explained. The moment after he did so, he could tell just by the look on Limestone's face that they were going to have another rough day. "You know who they are, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Next time Absol, keep your nightmares to yourself."
> Rescue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is the place. This is the place from my nightmares," Absol said with a nod to the giant tree that stood before him.

"Good. I hope this little trip was worth it," Limestone snarled angrily, understandable considering she was covered in slime and saliva.

Absol had led the two ponies through the forest at a breakneck pace, nearly losing Marble in quicksand and almost getting Limestone eating by a giant plant. Absol had to pull Marble out of the quicksand, while both he and Marble had stared in awe as Limestone ripped apart the plant from the inside. And from the way Limestone glared at Absol for the rest of their walk, he had been afraid he would be next. It was lucky for him that the tree from his nightmares wasn't that far from the plant.

"It is. I can sense two ponies in there," Absol said as he lifted his nose and sniffed a few times. "They haven't been in there long. A day and a half at most. And the faint smell of hay on both of them."

"Then it really is Big Mac and Applebloom. Come on, we need to get in there and rescue them!" Marble said, Absol nodding in agreement. Yet the two had barely taken two steps before Limestone grabbed them both and rooted them in place. "Sister, what are you doing?"

"Am I the only pony here that uses her brain?" Limestone asked. The smirk that Absol and Marble shared with one another ticked her off, but she managed to stuff down her temper for a moment to speak her mind. "Absol just said that the two of them have barely been in there a day and a half. Meaning that this isn't the place that they've been kept since being kidnapped by the ghosts. They've just been moved here."

"So? Maybe the ghosts thought this was a better place to hide them?" Marble suggested.

"Yeah, they just so happen to move them here and then, nearly the very night after they've been moved here, our resident Pokemon happens across their location in a nightmare. This is a trap."

"Maybe Absol could only sense them when they were close by?" Marble tried to argue, but at that point Absol shook his head.

"No, what your sister is saying makes sense. The fact that I found them in my dreams, which I don't think I've ever done before, right after they were moved to this new location makes it clear that this is a trap for us. Or at the very least, me."

"Thank you for agreeing with me."

"However, that doesn't change the fact that Big Mac and Applebloom are both in there and they need to be saved. So even if this is a trap, we need to rescue them," Absol said, though his usual confidence was not in his voice. "But be very careful with how you proceed. Who knows what foes will be laying in wait for us?"

"Well you'll probably the safest of us all," Marble said with a small smile to Absol. "After all, the ghosts don't bother you much and you are completely immune to the powers of King Spiral, so I can't possibly think of what they would manage to think of that would harm you."

"I wonder," Absol muttered, looking back at the forest behind him. His eyes locked onto a caterpillar that was climbing along a log and for a brief moment a shudder went through his body. Then his calm demeanor returned and he entered the tree first, his horn already glowing as he awaited the first wave of assault.

He did not have to wait long.

Five ghosts shot out of the walls of the tree and immediately grabbed hold of Marble and Limestone. Limestone was able to struggle a bit to prevent from being taken right away, but Marble near went rigged as the ghosts grabbed hold of her. Yet they had barely managed to lift her an inch off of the ground before Absol had ripped them apart with her horn. He caught her before she could hit the ground and gently placed her back onto her hooves. Then he turned his attention to the ghosts that were hauling away Limestone and turned them to ash in three slashes.

"What, no comment about how I saved your sister before you?" Absol asked with a smirk when he noticed Limestone didn't say anything about being saved.

"I would actually be angrier at you if you didn't save my sister first. But I guess now the trap is sprung," Limestone muttered.

"Please, even the most follhardy of foes would know that six ghosts would be nothing more than a warm up to me. The trap is probably deeper in," Absol muttered, moving on. "Come on, the sooner we spring it the sooner we can deal with it."

The three advanced through the remains of the colossal tree, though slower than they had originally planned. Absol kept a sharp eye out for anything that might have seemed out of the ordinary, but unfortunately for him practically everything in the tree seemed out of the ordinary to him. Shelves were carved into the wood, some of them with old jars and withered books still on them.

'Seems that this place used to be home to some ponies or other beings,' Absol noted as the moved from room to room. 'Yet it seems like this place was cleaned out in an awful hurry. I wonder what in the world could have caused that?'

His thoughts came to a stop when he spied a picture frame that was still hanging from the wall, the fact that it was made of metal being the cause of it lasting so long. Yet Absol was surprised to see that the picture inside was still intact, looking like a day hadn't gone by since it had been taken. It was of a colt and his mother, who where both beaming proudly. He walked on without a second glance.

What did garner a second glance from the Pokemon was when the three of them came across a pool of pink smile that had gathered in a dent in the roots beneath them. Absol held out a paw to make sure that the other two didn't get closer to it, before he examined it a little closer.

"Well that's just great," he muttered to himself. "This slime looks like it came off of something big and nasty. Most likely something that either lives or once lived in this tree."

"Whatever it is, we can't let it get in our way," Limestone said strongly. "We have to rescue Big Mac and Applebloom. Their practically family to us. Or they might actually be family, we never did get that sorted out."

Absol nodded and continued to lead the three of them, but Limestone noticed that something seemed different about Absol. He was glancing around a bit more, he wound approach corners slowly and he often gazed up at the ceiling with a dreaded look on his face. Limestone was tempted to ask him what the matter was, but a voice in the back of her mind told her to avoid the question.

"You think there would be more ghosts," Marble muttered after a long period of silence. "I mean, if this really is the place where they are keeping Big Mac and Applebloom, you would think that they would have more guards in case one of the Ambassadors showed up to free them."

"But if this is a trap, then it makes sense to not have any of Spiral's forces here, so they aren't destroyed by whatever is here to kill us," Limestone said. Marble found all she could do was nod her head in agreement. All of the evidence pointed to a trap, but she wasn't scared of the idea of a trap being set. She was scared of what being could possibly beat somepony as powerful as Absol.

"There they are."

Limestone and Marble stopped walking and looked to Absol, who was at a hole in the tree which looked down into the main chamber within the tree. They walked over beside him and looked down as well, finding out for themselves that Absol was correct. In the center of the large chamber lay two ponies, Big Mac and Applebloom, chained to the ground. The chamber had no ghosts, no guards and nothing that seemed dangerous. All three sets of eyes narrowed suspiciously at the lacking room.

"So that's where the trap will be," Limestone said.

"Yes, whatever they have concocted to kill me will be in that room, if they have anything at all," Absol muttered. "However, we must go down there. I will not let either of you risk your lives in a trap that is for me."

"Everything is about you. Maybe Spiral wised up and realized that I'm the most dangerous being he's going to face?" Limestone asked with a smirk. Her sister gave her a look to tell her how serious the situation was, but the small smile she got out of Absol made her comment worth it. Absol then leapt through the hole, fell three stories down and landed on all fours without so much as a sound. 

"Are you two alright?" he asked the chained up ponies, slowly approaching the both of them while keeping his eyes glancing around the room. He reached where the two were chained up without any incident, allowing him to look them over up close. Both had bags under their eyes and had numerous bruises along their bodies. But other than that, they seemed fine for them most part.

With his horn he cut their chains, before glancing over his shoulder at Limestone and Marble, who had just caught up with him. "Let's take the two of them and get out of here. If there is a trap, it will be any moment before-"

"Hello, Absol."

A sigh escaped Absol's lips before he turned to see the ghost of King Spiral floating above them, a crooked smile upon his face. "Spiral, I was wondering if you would show or not. Are you the surprise that we have been waiting for this entire time? A bit lackluster if you ask me."

"Ah, glad to see that your confidence is still as strong as ever. You're going to need it if you hope to survive what comes next," Spiral promised Absol. Marble opened her mouth to reply before a massive trunk slammed into her and knocked her clear across the room, where she collided with the wall and slid to the ground without a sound.

"MARBLE!" Limestone roared as she began to race to her sister. Yet she had hardly taken two steps before a giant shadow descended upon her, getting her to freeze in her tracks. Absol slammed into her side and tackled her out of the way just as the body creating the shadow crashed down onto the ground. Absol and Limestone had both been airborne as the figure landed, so the shockwave created by their land sent them flying across the room. Absol grunted as he hit the wall hard, using his body to shield Limestone from the impact.

The both of them rose shakily to all fours, before they both looked up at what had created the shockwave. The monster had an armored body, six legs each the size of tree trunks and two giant horns that stuck out of either side of it's head. And on either side of those horns were red eyes, eyes that locked onto Absol with hunger. The beast let out a shriek of fury that echoed throughout the chamber, before it began to stalk towards Absol and Limestone.

"All we have to do is squish a giant bug? I had been hoping that this would at least be a challenge," Limestone snarled as began to plan how she would avoid this thing. But then she caught Absol's reaction out of the corner of her eye and it caused her to pause. Because Absol looked absolutely terrified.

"That...that's a..." Absol muttered himself, backing away slowly until he had backed up completely against the wall.

"That's right, Absol. This isn't some undead specter, a being with psychic powers or a mix of the both that your dark powers give you the edge over. This isn't even a ghost at all," King Spiral laughed, his laugh hiding a hidden tone of victory.

"All this creature is...is a giant bug."
> Bug Type
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Limestone was scared.

She wasn't scared of the giant stage beetle that slowly crawled towards her with hunger in its eyes and drool dripping off of its jaws. She wasn't scared of the fact that the King of all ghosts had managed to somehow enter Absol's dream and lead the group into a trap. And even with her sister having been thrown into a wall and no longer moving, Limestone managed to keep her fears suppressed.

What truly scared her, was that Absol was scared.

As she leapt back to avoid one of the giant horns that the beetle had thrust at her, she cast a glance over at Absol to see that he had backed up against the nearest wall and eyed the giant beetle with terror in his eyes. He had taken on an army of ghosts without changing expressions. He brought down a ghost of fire while managing to keep his cool. And Absol had even cracked a joke in the face of the king of all ghosts and took him down with ease. Never once showing fear.

Now he was terrified.

"Absol! I can't beat this thing by myself! I need your help!" Limestone screamed over at Absol, who shook his head and seemed to focus upon hearing her words. Then the beetle roared and charged towards Absol, getting the Pokemon to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction. "Absol!"

'He's not going to be any help in this fight,' Limestone thought to herself. With the beetle chasing after Absol, Limestone took that opportunity to race over to where her sister was. Limestone placed a hoof on her neck to check for a pulse and let out a sigh of relief when she found it. Limestone picked up her sister and dragged her off of the battlefield, placing her in a small crack in the tree just large enough to hide her sister. "I'll get you out of this, I promise."

A cry of pain snapped Limestone back to the fight and she turned her head just in time to see Absol sailing across the room. He crashed hard into the ground and skidded for a few feet, before he shakily began to push himself back up. Limestone raced towards him, but she had only made it halfway before the beetle came roaring back towards the two of them.

"Absol, I don't know what you're problem is with this thing, but you've got to fight back! We can't beat it if we keep running away!" Limestone roared. Her words seemed to reach the Pokemon and his horn glowed with a dark power. He let loose a bellow that was more fear than fury and hurled a blade of darkness towards the oncoming beetle. The blade slammed into the armored head of the insect, only to shatter into sparkles as the beetle charged right on through it. 

Limestone had been expecting for the blade to at the very least slow the beetle down, so when it charged at her without so much as a pause it caught her completely off guard. She would have been impaled on one of its horns if Absol hadn't slammed into her and driven the both of them out of the beetles path. A screech escaped from the mouth of the beetle as it thundered by, upset that it had missed its prey.

Limestone gave a grunt as Absol landed on top of her and she placed her hooves on him to shove him off. Yet the moment she placed her hooves on his body she realized he was shivering. From fear. She positioned herself so that she could look into his eyes and found that terrified was too weak a word to describe what he seemed to be going through.

"Absol, what's going on? Why didn't your dark powers stop it?" Limestone asked, trying to keep a lid on her own fears after seeing how freaked out Absol was. Absol glanced down at her and then to the giant beetle, which had slowed and was starting to turn towards them again. Then she saw the spark of heroism begin to glow in his eyes, the same heroism that annoyed her yet she silently admitted was his best trait.

"I'm at a disadvantage in this fight," he replied with false bravado. "I may not be able to beat this monster, but I can, at the very least, keep it distracted. While it's focused on trying to kill me, I need you to get your sister and the ponies we rescued and get them out of here. I don't know how long I'll last."

Before she could argue Absol sprinted towards the insect, shouting at it while hurling slashes of darkness at it from his horn. Just like before the attacks did no damage that she could see, but it did draw the attention of the insect and turn it away from her once more. Limestone wanted to yell at Absol and tell him that being a hero was just going to get him killed, but she knew she didn't have the time. She raced over to the hollow where she had hidden her sister and shook her slightly, a sigh of relief escaping from Limestone when Marble opened her eyes.

"Limestone? What's going on?" Marble asked as she started to get up. Limestone held out a hoof to her and helped Marble out of the hollow, before another loud roar snapped both of their heads towards the battle that was continuing. Absol was drawing the beast further and further away from the ponies, but he was running out of room as he did so. Marble's eyes widened in horror when she saw the giant beetle clearly, but Limestone's eyes were locked onto Absol and how badly he was struggling against the beetle. "Sister, what's going on?"

"That giant beetle is the trap that Spiral set up to kill us," Limestone said. "And right now it's only after Absol, so this is our best chance to grab Big Mac and Applebloom and get the both of them out of here. Come on, if we hurry we can do it without being seen by the beetle. They should still be where we left them, so we need to-"

A loud cry of pain ended that sentence and caused Limestone to look over at Absol. In his desperation to avoid getting to close to the beetle, he hadn't seen how little room he had left and had ended up cornering himself. In a vain attempt to get out he had tried to leap over the beetle, but the insect had swatted him out of the air with its horns, which were now bathed in a sickly green light. Limestone looked over just in time to see him crash into the ground, where he didn't get up.

'I'm at a disadvantage in this fight,' Limestone recalled him saying. For a brief moment she had wondered what Absol had meant by that. 'Wait a moment, the day after we met him he mentioned that while he was strong against certain types, he was weak against others. Could it be that insects...?'

For a brief moment Limestone looked from Absol to her sister, before biting down hard and racing towards where Absol lay. "Sister, what are you doing?!" Marble roared after her.

"Get the two ponies out of here! And whatever happens, don't look back!" Limestone roared. The beetle was standing over Absol, slowly maneuvering its horns around his body so that it could finish him off in one slice. Limestone narrowed her eyes, scooped a rock off of the ground as she ran by and hurled the stone into the closest eye of the beetle. The insect let out a roar of pain before it focused its full attention on Limestone, who glared up at it without any fear in her eyes.

"That's right, I'm the pony that nearly took out your eye. And the moment I find another rock I'm going to do the same to your other eye," Limestone promised. On the other side of the room she could see Marble dragging the two unconscious ponies out of the room, giving her a small amount of comfort before she placed her full attention on the stag beetle. 

Well, she tried to place her full attention on the beetle, but she slightly moved her eyes to the side to look over at Absol, who was just beginning to move. 'He's not going to be much help in this fight. I need to find a way to kill this thing and do it quick. Come on Limestone, there's got to be something-'

The beetle didn't give her anymore time. With a shriek that nearly deafened her, the stag beetle extended its horns and lunged towards Limestone. Limestone may not have been as nimble or elegant as Absol was when it came to dodging, but she was scrappy and filled the desire to not die. So she tucked into a ball and rolled just in time to avoid being the newest accessory on the end of the horns. She came out of the roll in a full on sprint, hoping that she had a moment to look around before the beetle had fully managed to stop its charge that had missed.

'Come on, come on! There's got to be something, anything that I can use to...' And then she turned her gaze towards the ceiling, her eyes resting up a giant boulder that had somehow gotten itself wedged in the ceiling right above her. The years it had been in there had caused it to be covered in vines and plant life. But at that moment Limestone couldn't help but have the largest smile on her face. She knew what she needed to do.

And then, out of the corner of both eyes, she saw the giant horns of the beetle. On both sides of her. Time slowed to a crawl as she realized that the two horns were closing in on her, preparing to slice her in two. And there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't react in time, nor was she strong enough to take the blow and live. All she was able to do was watch as her doom came closer and closer.

Then a blur of white filled up her vision and the next thing she knew Absol was standing before her. The two of them locked eyes and in that moment Absol knew exactly what Limestone was thinking. With speeds that she couldn't fathom he grabbed hold of her and hurled her straight up towards the boulder that was stuck in the ceiling. Limestone hurtled towards the boulder, yet she forced herself to look down to see what had become of Absol. She looked down just in time to see the horns slice into him, causing him to scream in pain before the beetle stepped down on him with one of its legs.

She snapped her head forward just in time to see that she was about to impact with the boulder. Dozens of ideas passed through her mind in the span of a second as she tried to figure out what to do. Dig it out? Chip away at the edges? But she remembered that the insect had Absol pinned and that he would be dead long before she could finish any of those ideas. So as the boulder came within striking distance, she did what she had been trained to do. She kicked the boulder for all she was worth.

Her impact cracked the boulder completely down the center, releasing all of the tension that had held the giant stone in place for decades. As she fell back down towards the ground the two halves of the boulder fell after her. She slammed back first off of the shell of the stag beetle and rolled to the ground, where she scrambled to the side. The beetle had just enough time to look her way before two giant halves of a boulder crashed into it, crushing its exoskeleton and killing it instantly beneath the weight and force of the boulder.

"HAHA! Take that!" Limestone cried out in victory, smiling down at the pile of goo and guts which was all that remained of the beetle. "That's what happens when you take on a Pie! We rock and roll all over you! Oh man, sometimes it's hard being so good!"

Limestone's celebration came to an end when she looked towards the front of the beetle and realized that Absol was still trapped beneath one of its claws. She raced over to him and pressed her hooves against the severed leg of the beetle, using her incredible Pie strength to push the limb off of the Pokemon.

"Absol? Hey Absol, are you okay?" she asked him, gently shaking him as she did so. She placed a hoof in front of his mouth only to find that he wasn't breathing. "No no no no! You are not dying on me! I am not letting you die saving me! I will not be indebted to you like this!"

She rolled him onto his back and pressed her hooves against his chest, trying to get him to breath again. "Come on, breath damn you! You still have to help Marble and me save the others! You still have to bring down King Spiral! I still don't know you're backstory and it's been bugging me!"

Desperation racked her brain as she tried to figure out what else to do, before an idea came to her. An idea that was so repulsive and out there that she gagged outwardly at the idea. Another part of CPR, a part she refused to do. But then as she glanced down at his motionless body, knowing full well that he was like this because he had saved her, she sighed in defeat and looked up at the heavens.

"I can't believe I'm about to do this."

Limestone then took in a deep breath before pressing her lips against Absol's.
> Weakness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A small fire was the only source of light in the small grassland, having been brought to life by Marble and Limestone. The moon and stars were hidden by black clouds that rumbled with the power of Thor, while the winds drifted over the ponies next to the fire and dug thin fingers into their skin. And there was a chill to the air, a chill brought by the shadows, the wind and the idea that the spirits of the dead might show at any moment. It was enough to chill any pony to the bone.

Marble moved closer to the fire, trying to keep herself warm. She was nursing numerous bruises and believed that one of her ribs might have been cracked from being hurled into the side of the tree. A lance of pain would often shoot up her side, adding further evidence to support her theory. But as she glanced at where her sister lay, she kept her pain to herself. Limestone sat next to Absol, having refused to leave his side since she had dragged him out of the tree.

'It's easy to see why,' Marble thought to herself. Absol was in terrible shape. His body was laying at an awkward angle, his breathing was ragged and filled with pain, and just from what Limestone had said he had gone through, Marble knew it was a miracle that he was even alive. 'And then there's the fact that the giant insect was somehow one of the weakness that he mentioned. But how would Spiral know that? Absol hasn't even told us that.'

Absol wasn't the only being there that wasn't in good shape. Big Mac and Applebloom had been rescued, but neither of them had awaken yet after being saved. To make matters worse, both of them felt cold to the touch, almost as if their coats had turned to ice. Marble had looked them over and knew that there were no external injuries causing them pain. But she also had no idea what was causing them to stay in their slumber. She chalked it up to dark magic.

There was one, and only one, fact about the situation that brought a thin smile to Marble's mouth. It was the way her sister had been acting after the battle. To be more specific, the way she had been acting around Absol since having left the tree. She never left his side, constantly checked on him and any time Marble had offered to watch over him so that Limestone could sleep, her sister would tell her to check on the others instead.

'I should just leave it be. We're all under a lot of stress and now wouldn't be the best time to be...sisterly,' Marble thought. Then Absol moved slightly, causing Limestone to whip her head over to him. Marble saw her sisters eyes light up for a moment and in that moment she knew that she could no longer resist.

"Think he's under the same sleeping spell that our cousins are under?" Marble asked, although she already knew the answer.

"No, this isn't a spell. He's been beaten badly, to the point that I don't think we have the equipment to help him," Limestone said calmly, hiding all of the concern in her voice. Marble wasn't fooled.

"I think you should try something just to be safe. Any idea how they awakened those trapped in sleeping spells in the stories?" she asked her sister once more, a slight teasing tone in her voice.

"What? No, I have no idea how they do that and I already told you, this isn't a spell, this is head trauma!"

"Well, you could always try kissing him again."

With the speed at which stone turned to sand Limestone slowly and painfully turned to look at her sister, a look on her face that Marble didn't know that her sister was capable of making. 

"You saw?" a whisper asked.

"Yep. Came back in to make sure you were okay and saw the whole thing," Marble said teasingly. It was only when Limestone began to gurgle and twitch her eyes that Marble called it off. "Relax, I said I saw the whole thing. I know that you were only doing it to save his life."

"Then why would you...?"

"Come on, you're always so bossy and fussy all the time that I have to get back at you sometimes," Marble said with an innocent smile. Limestone's face hardened into the look that Marble knew and loved, while Limestone narrowed her eyes at her sister, planning all of the diabolical ways to get her back. Then Absol weakly groaned and Limestone looked down at Absol with concern. "But all joking aside, this is the most concerned I've ever seen you look before about him. Did something...happen?"

"Damn fool saved my life and nearly got himself killed in the process," Limestone spat, though there was none of her usual temper in her words. "Against a creature that he already had a bad chance with mind you. Seems he wasn't wrong in saying that he couldn't help but help others. Even if it made him...like this."

"It just surprises me that insects are something that somepony as powerful as him would be weak to," Marble muttered, her words getting Limestone's head to snap towards her. "Come on Limey, I'm not an idiot. Why would Absol, the Pokemon that took on armies and even the king of ghosts, be afraid of a giant bug? Only if it was one of those weaknesses he mentioned. A foal could put it together."

"Right...of course," Limestone muttered. "A despite what you and him think, I do care for this lump  of fur. Not just because he's our only hope in bringing down these ghosts once and for all, but because...he's saved your life and he's saved mine plenty of times now. I just...don't want to be in his debt."

She averted her gaze from Marble as she said this, clearly hiding something from Marble. But all Marble said was, "If you say so," before turning to look down at their cousins. "These two are the one's I'm really worried about. I know that Absol will be fine eventually, but the both of them were captured by ghosts. Who knows what black magic was used on them while they were imprisoned?"

"I thought about that and decided we can't take any more detours. Not with Absol-I mean, all of them in the shape they're in," Limestone muttered quickly. "That's why, once Absol is able to move, we're all heading to the nearest town and contacting the princesses. Have them come to us. I'm certain that one of the princess will know what's going on with Big Mac and Applebloom and have a way to fix them."

"Sounds like a good plan."

Limestone and Marble both yelped as Absol slowly lifted his head. His eyes were half closed and his voice was quiet to the point that he sounded like a ghost himself, but as he slowly shifted his body to face the two of them the ponies saw that his unbreakable will was still glinting in his eyes. Limestone was at his side in a heartbeat, checking on him and allowing him to lean against her for support.

"You should be resting," Limestone told him at the same time Marble said, "How are you feeling?"

"I've slept enough. And I'm...better," Absol replied to both questions. He then tried to raise himself to all fours, but Limestone put a stop to that by placing her hoof on his back and keeping him laying down with her strength. After a moment Absol gave up trying to stand. I see that I've been out for quite some time if it's night. And judging from the fact that we're all still alive, I found it you found a way to take down that beetle, Limestone?"

"I dropped a giant rock on it," she said proudly.

"A rock, eh? So, Bug types are weak to Rock types. Those two bits of information will be good to know," Absol replied.

"Two bits? Did I miss something?"

"Yes. We learned that bus are weak to rock and I learned what your type is."

"Oh really? What is my type then?"

"Bladed horn and white coat," Marble slipped in. Limestone spun towards her sister with a fury in her eyes, while Absol smirked at the response. The action caused him to grimace as pain roared through his body and he coughed weakly. Limestone rummaged through one of the bags and pulled out a Sitrus berry, which she then gave to Absol to eat.

"I'm serious about the whole rest thing. You got the crap kicked out of you in there and we can't lose you yet," Limestone said as Absol ate.

"Aw, you do care," Absol coughed with a smirk.

"If you haven't pieced that together yet, then I'm not the only rock head on this team," Limestone replied in her old tone, but this time with a smile on her face. Marble laid down her head and promptly fell asleep, figuring that she had had enough fun at her sisters expense for the day. Limestone walked over to the fire and kicked some dirt over it, extinguishing it for the night before she cast a wary look into the forest. Absol laid down his head once more, but to his surprise he found that Limestone laid down right next to him.

"I must admit, all of this kindness from you has put me slightly on edge. Are you sure you're not a ghost that has replaced Limestone?" he asked her.

"Don't read too deeply into it. I just want to make sure that you don't die in the night," she snapped back, turning to make sure her back was to him. "We need you alive and healthy if we're going to win the war against the ghosts. After that you can go ahead and die."

"There's the Limestone I know and tolerate," Absol chuckled, before his face darkened a moment later. "Limestone...thank you for what you did in that tree. Defeating that giant insect. I know it probably doesn't reflect well on me that I am afraid of insects, but that is just my nature."

"You're weak to insects, right?"

"All dark types, unless they have a certain second typing, are weak to bug types. I am no exception," Absol admitted, before his voice dropped to a near whisper. "But also...it was a half bug type that killed my mother as she tried to save me."

"Oh," was all Limestone could say. "I'm...I'm so sorry...wait, half a bug type? What was it's other type?"

"The other type I am weak to."

"Not going to tell me?"

"Spiral's forces could be listening. Plus, if I tell you this one, then you will never look at me with awe or respect again."

"Already there," Limestone smirked, before a yawn escaped her lips and she lowered her head to the ground.

"Limestone? One last question."

'Mm?"

"I may have been delirious from all of the damage I had sustained, but when I was waking up I thought I heard your sister say something along the lines of you kissing me? Did that actually happen?" Absol asked. For a long, silent moment Limestone didn't say anything in reply. Then, she slowly looked over at Absol with eyes that seemed to be glowing red in the darkness.

"That did not happen, it will never happen, and if you mention or speak of it again, the only kiss I'm going to be giving you is the kiss of death. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good, now get to sleep," Limestone grumbled as she lowered her head back down, knowing full well that she wouldn't be getting any sleep that night. "Because tomorrow you're going to be meeting the princesses. And I'm going to have to convince them that you're not the bring of disaster that everypony thinks you are and stop them from trying to kill you. Fun times all around."

"That doesn't sound fun at all."

"Tough."
> Screaming and Shouting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We're coming into view of Manehatten," Marble told the other two members of her party. Limestone was pulling a carriage that they had "borrowed" from a group of ponies they had met in the forest on the way there. (Absol's appearance had scared them off). Figuring they might as well put the carriage to good use, Limestone and Marble had placed Applebloom and Big Mac inside of back of the carriage. Absol rested in the drivers seat, despite his many attempts to walk.

"Glad that we made it without incident. I'd hate to see how many ghosts would attack us if they knew our escort was at death's door," Limestone replied, flashing a smirk up at the annoyed Absol in the drivers seat.

"For the fifth time, I am fine. I have recovered quite significantly and am more than capable of walking," Absol replied, not happy with his current predicament.

"We can't take any chances. What if you twist your ankle or stub a claw? Then who would defend us from the spooky ghosts?" Limestone teased. Absol let out a huff as he lowered his head onto his claws, while Marble shook her head at her sister. "What?"

"You're enjoying this way to much, aren't you?"

"Come on, when was the last time he had to depend on us for anything?" Limestone asked with a smile. "He's always saving us or fighting our battles. He needs to take a break every now and then and let us carry our own weight. Besides, he was recently injured and he needs to heal."

"You know that being carted around makes him miserable."

"What? No, I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart," Limestone replied innocently, even though she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from twitching upwards. Marble rolled her eyes at Limestone's actions before she squinted at something. Limestone turned her head forwards to see that a large group of guards were standing in front of the entrance to the city. The lead guard held out a hoof to stop the pair before he walked forward with a serious expression on his face.

"This is the checkpoint into Manehatten. We need to check inside of your carriage to make sure that it's not carrying anything dangerous," the lead guard said. "There have been a number of dangerous beings sighted in the area around here and we are making sure that none of them make it into this city. Please stand over here."

"What things are you talking about? Have there been ghost sighting around here?" Marble asked as she and Limestone walked over to where the guard had pointed.

"There have been ghosts in the vicinity, yes, but there is also something else. Reports have shown that the creature with white fur and a black horn has been spotted nearby," the guard said as he showed the sister a picture of a wanted poster, causing both Marble and Limestone's hearts to sink into their stomachs. It was a drawing of Absol, but with longer claws, sharp fangs, and blood red eyes that made him look like a monster. Before either could stop themselves their eyes glanced towards the carriage, only to find that Absol was gone.

"And what is this creature wanted for exactly?" Limestone asked in a bored tone, having recovered faster from the shock than her sister.

"It is believed that this creature is responsible for the outbreak of ghosts or, at the very least, has information about what caused their return. Not to mention this being has been sighted at numerous disasters over the years. The princesses have been after this being for a while."

"Well, we'll make sure to tell you if we see any dangerous monsters that have aligned with the ghosts," Limestone said with a smile. 

"Sir!" one of the younger guards said as he ran up beside the lead guard. "Sir, there are two unconscious ponies in the back of their carriage! According to our intel it is the brother and sister of Applejack!" 

"What?!" the lead guard bellowed, before turning to look at the Pie sisters once more. "Wait a second, now I recognize the both of you! You are Pinkie's sisters! Your on the list of ponies that the princesses have us looking for! What are you doing here and how did you escape the ghosts that captured you?!"

"We are here because we found Applebloom and Big Mac in the state they are currently in, desperately in need of a doctor. As for how we escaped, well..." Marble said with a smirk at her sister. "My sister her can be a force of nature if she feels like it. And she's only the second strongest member in our family. But those two in the back do need to see a doctor."

"Of course, ma'am. Right away," the lead guard said as he waved the two of them into the city. "There is a doctor's office not far from where we are. Go up three streets and then take a left. Do you need an escort?"

"No thanks, we'll be fine," Limestone said as she flexed one of her arms. "I fought of the ghosts once before and I can do it again if I need to. What you guys can do instead is contact our sister or any of the princesses and tell them where we are. I bet they've been worried sick about us for way too long."

"Of course. We'll send a message to Canterlot immediately," the guard said with a salute once more. "Please go on through."

The Pie sister's did as the guard instructed with a nod, heading past the checkpoint and heading into Manehatten. It wasn't until they were out of sight of the checkpoint did a voice speak to them from the carriage Limestone was pulling. "You fought off the ghosts? If I recall you were being overwhelmed by them and I had to step in to save the both of you."

"Well what was I suppose to tell them? Oh yeah, that white coated monster you are hunting saved our lives and is riding around in our carriage. I'm sure they would have taken that so well," Limestone snapped back.

"How did you get past the guards?" Marble asked. "You vanished when we reached them and now that we're past them you're back. Can you teleport or something?"

"Do I looks like a psychic type to you? No, I am just very good at not wanting to be seen unless I wish to be," Absol replied with a smile on his face that the sisters hadn't seen in some time.

"Oh great, he's go that "I'm so great" smile again. Putting up with him now is going to be agony," Limestone smirked, before her smile fell to a frown. "But I was actually kind of surprised to see that they had a wanted poster for you. I mean, you had nothing to do with the return of the ghosts or, I'm guessing, any of those disasters. Yet they're hunting for you."

"As I told you when we met, my existence is a cursed one. No matter where I go, the title of the bringer of disaster comes with me," Absol replied bitterly.

"And now he's starting to talk about what a martyr he is. Ugh."

"Though I will thank you for not telling the truth about me. I though for sure Limestone would rat me out," Absol teased.

"What? I told them the truth. We haven't come across a monster that is working with the ghosts," Limestone replied, before flashing a smile back at Absol. "We've only met you. And if they think that you're a monster, all they have to do is throw a bug at you to see what a chicken you actually are."

"You're words never fail to make me feel better about myself. However, I believe this is the place the guards told you to turn," Absol pointed out. Limestone's face turned red as she realized she almost walked by the doctor's office and she said nothing to Absol until they reached the front door. Marble and Limestone each took one of the unconscious ponies out of the back (AB for Marble, Big Mac for Limestone) and headed into the office.

"Be careful not to be seen. Ponies have a tendency to...overreact," she cautioned.

"Do not worry, I am a master at hiding in plain sight. They will not see me unless I wish them to," Absol promised her before waving her off. The two headed inside and Absol lowered his head onto his paws, planning on getting some much needed rest. As much as he hated to admit that Limestone was right about him, he still wasn't feeling at one hundred percent since the fight with the insect. He pondered if he had a secondary effect cast on him that he didn't know about. He had barely begun to explore this line of thinking, before a voice screamed out from the side of the carriage. Absol lifted his head and glanced down to see a group of ponies looking up at him, shock and terror in their eyes.

He said nothing to them as they gazed up at him in terror, before the one of the ponies with a mustache pulled out the very same wanted poster that the guard had carried regarding Absol.

"Look, it's the being from the poster!" he said to his companions. Four of the five then prepared to scream, but the fifth one looked at the poster with some confusion.

"Wait a moment, something's wrong. This guys claws and fangs aren't long enough and his eyes seem more reserved than menacing. He might be somepony else."

"What? How could you possibly think that?! Look at him, he's the same color and everything!"

"Wow, okay, so all of these beings look the same to you? Need I remind you of your little incident with the changelings?"

"Look, that was...okay fine, how should we figure out if this being is the same one in the poster of not?"

"Using your brain would be a good start," Absol said before he could stop himself.

"I agree," said one of the female ponies. "So how about we use everything we know about this being to see if it's one in the same. First off, yes, they have similar features. But as Topdown said, they are differences. So what could that mean?"

"Um...that the artist may have taken liberties?" one of the group suggested.

"That would be my guess as well," Absol added.

"Sounds fair enough. Now secondly, have any of us heard reports about this wanted creature being anywhere nearby?"

"Actually, yes. My husband is a guard and I heard that the wanted being was seen in a town not more than a two days from here."

"I was in a nearby town two days ago," Absol said with a nod.

"Wonderful! Now finally, what little do we know about this creature from the wanted poster?"

"That it is said...that it brings disaster."

"Correct. Excuse me sir, but do you have a title or anything that ties you with disaster?"

"I am called the Disaster Pokemon."

"And another clue. So lets add up all the facts and see what we've got. This being has a similar coat and horn. He's been to the places where the being has been sighted. And he himself admitted that he is called a Disaster...something. So put that all together and what do we get?" she asked the others.

"Come on, you're almost there," Absol encouraged.

"That this guy here and the being in the poster are one and the same!" the group said proudly. Then they realized what they had just figured out and, once more, all five sets of eyes turned towards Absol in fear.

"Ding ding, you figured it out. I am the being in the wanted poster," Absol said. "Boo."

The ponies let out shrieks and raced away from Absol, screaming at the top of their lungs as they ran. Other ponies in the streets looked towards Absol, made the connections much quicker, and joined their brethren in running around while screaming their heads off. And all the while Absol watched, a sad but amused expression on his face. 'Hiding might have been the smarter option there, but I have to admit, this reaction of theirs is hilarious.'

Then Absol felt a presence suddenly appear behind him, a presence that was filled with power and authority. He slowly turned his head to see who was behind him, an eyebrow raising when he spied the source of the presence. A purple alicorn was standing across the street from him, with five other mares of various colors standing with her. He didn't know who five of them were, but when he recognized Pinkie Pie he pieced together the rest of them soon enough.

"Hello, bringer of disaster," Twilight, the alicorn, said with authority and power. "Celestia has been looking for you for a long time."

"That is funny, because I have been evading her for a long time," Absol replied as he hopped out of the carriage. "I know that you're not here for me, so if you wouldn't mind moseying along, I'm trying to take a nap. I've got quite tired of running."

"Well today your running ends. We're taking you to see her, as we all have many questions for you. About the ghosts, about the disasters and about whose side you're on," Twilight said, before her horn began to glow. "But the first question is this: will you come with me the ease way? Or the hard way?"

"Well, that depends on the answer to my question," Absol said as he cracked his neck. "If we do this the hard way, do you really think you've got what it takes to bring me in?"

"You're going to make me find our, aren't you?" Twilight said with a smirk.

"I've heard you are the six greatest protectors of the land. Let us see if you live up to that title," Absol said as he crouched down.

"Very well, but know that you brought this...disaster upon yourself."

"Boo."
> Testing the Waters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and her friends slowly shifted to battle positions, not sure what to make of the strange being standing before them. They had no idea where he was from, what his motives were or even what his name was. All they knew is that he seemed to bring about disasters and had a very hard time being found. That left Twilight and her friends waiting to see what he would do first.

Absol, being a gentleman, did as they wished. But not in the way they would expect.

"So you are Princesses Twilight Sparkle?" Absol asked with a smirk, one that caught Twilight off guard. "I've heard plenty about you. In fact, you're just behind Pinkie in my knowledge of the Ambassadors. According to my sources, you are quite the magic user. Probably the...what, third best in the world?"

"Well, it seems that you've heard a great deal about me, but sadly I don't know much about you," Twilight replied, not sure what to make of the beings words. "How about we change that. You can start with your name."

"Perhaps I will tell you my name. That is, if you can impress me," Absol replied with a smile, before tapping his claw to his chest. "I've heard a great deal about your magic, but I've also heard that you struggle with ghosts. And if you can't even beat a bunch of undead, well...then I've got little to fear from you."

"You want to see what I can do?" Twilight asked, her horn glowing as she prepared a stunning spell to knock out Absol. "Fine, let me show you what I can do!"

Twilight fired the spell right into the chest of Absol, who did nothing to get out of the way. Twilight and the Ambassadors watched with shocked expressions as the spell disintegrated against the chest of Absol, having done nothing to him. Absol smirked at her and she fired again, this time going for a paralysis spell. That too faded against his fur. With a snarl of fury she cloaked Absol body in magic to restrain him, but the magical barrier faded around him moments later.

"I...I don't understand," she whispered in disbelief as she took a step back from Absol, who smiled knowingly as he dusted off his shoulder.

"I think I do. Your "magic" as you call it, is very similar to a type in my world. Unfortunately for you, it seems that your magic is just as ineffectual against me as that typing was on my world," Absol said as he stretched his neck, before smiling dangerously at the group with his crimson eyes glowing. "Now then, I believe it is my turn. But since you were nice enough to humor me, I shall tell you my name. It is Absol. Now prepare...yourselves."

Twilight barely registered Absol's movement and it wasn't until he was right behind her and her friends that she realized he had moved. Her horn was faster than her legs and in a flash of light she managed to teleport her group out onto the street adjacent to the alleyway. The group had barely reappeared before Absol was on them again, his body a white blur with how fast he was moving. 

Rainbow's reflexes allowed her to move before any of the other ponies and she rocketed herself towards Absol, forehooves extended as she prepared to meet him. Yet in one, fluid motion, Absol leapt slightly over her, taped his claws off of her back, and vaulted over the pony before blowing right by her. Rainbow hadn't been expecting Absol to dodge with such grace and so she had to focus her efforts on stopping before she could go after him again.

Applejack lunged at Absol and threw out strike after strike, yet with his speed and grace he was able to duck and dodge out of the path of each of her blows. And all the while he did it he had an annoying smile on his face, one that infuriated Applejack into throwing more and more blows. She let out a roar as she threw a wicked haymaker...only to blink in surprise when Absol ducked the blow, pressed his body under her and propelled Applejack over his back and onto the ground.

Rarity ripped up gems and rocks with her magic and hurled them at Absol, who kicked to the side to avoid the first salvo. But the next time she fired the rocks and stones at him, his horn glowed with a dark light before he slashed the rocks and gems to pieces. Rarity's eyes widened in shock as some of the hardest stones she knew of were sliced to bits, all the while Absol was smiling at her with a dangerous look on his face. In a blur of motion he raced up to her, staring at her eye to eye for a moment...before he extended a single claw and flicked her in the face.

Rainbow returned with a vengeance, racing towards Absol with rage in her eyes. Absol caught the oncoming mare in the reflection of Rarity's eyes and so with a single leap he backflipped over the raging Rainbow, who plowed into Rarity and sent the both of them tumbling across the street. Absol landed without a sound and flicked the dangling part of his hair to the side, before he turned to look at the remaining four ponies.

Twilight was seething with rage, yet Absol could see that her magic failing to do anything to him had shaken her. AJ was giving Absol a look like he was a fighter that she was trying to figure out and so she kept her distance for the time being. Fluttershy was standing behind the other two, observing Absol with a look of interest, yet he was slightly surprised to find that there was no fear or concern in her eyes. Only interest. And then there was Pinkie, who looked at Absol like he was a piece of a puzzle that didn't quite fit right. It was only when Rainbow and Rarity got back up did Absol sigh and stand up straight.

"Alright, I think that's enough," Absol said with a bit of a yawn. The ponies looked at him with confusion, none of them sure what to make of those words. "You are all clearly skilled. I've seen that from what little you've shown me here. However, it is also clear to me that whenever you go up against something or one that you have no idea how to fight, you go down fairly easily. That's why the ghosts have had so much success against you. And why I was able to as well."

"What the heck are you, Absol?" Twilight asked, her tone telling Absol she hadn't lowered her guard yet. "I have yet to see any being in any part of Equestria that can just...brush off spells like that."

"Like I said. You have a bad type matchup," Absol smiled back. "But I'm not here to fight any of you. If anything, I would prefer to avoid fighting with any ponies altogether, but with how things have gone for me in the past, I'm not holding my breath. But after that performance it has become clear how the ghosts were able to completely make fools out of you."

"They sucker punched us when we weren't ready. Ah don't think that yer being all that fair," Applejack argued.

"Aw, you upset that you lost because someone sucker punched you? Tough," Absol snapped back. AJ glared at him for his words, but to Absol surprise a lightbulb went off over Pinkie's head and she raced up to Absol with desperation in her eyes.

"You've seen them, haven't you?!" she practically begged Absol, who had not been expecting that kind of reaction from her. "My sister Limestone is the only pony I've met to use that phrase in a mocking tone and you mimicked it perfectly. Please, have you seen her? Is she safe?"

Despite himself, Absol couldn't help but give the pink pony a comforting smile before he flicked his head at the door to the doctor's office. As if he had summoned them, Limestone and Marble both walked out of the front door at that exact moment, taking a moment to look around before their eyes locked with their sister's.

Pinkie let out an incomprehensible noise of delight before she slammed into her sisters, pulling the both of them into a bone crunching hug. Limestone and Marble both gave her an equally bone crunching hug and Pinkie's body made a squeaking noise like one would find in a dog toy. Tears were pouring from all of their eyes as they all tried to talk over one another all at once, with none of them understanding what the other was saying.

Absol found himself smiling along with the other Ambassadors at the sight of the family reunited, before he remembered the others and looked to Applejack. "Your brother and little sister are inside of the office," he told her, gaining her attention. "They have, to the best of my knowledge, a sleeping spell on them, but other than that they are fine. You should go see them."

Applejack raced into the building without another word, passing by the Pie's who were walking over to Absol. Pinkie opened her mouth to say something to the Pokemon, choked on her tears, and settled for just pulling him into a hug. Absol winced as her grip nearly cracked his bones, but he still patted her on the back and accepted her thanks.

"You saved them," Twilight pieced together, though her words sounded like she couldn't believe it. "You're the one that managed to help them escape. Celestia said that she had heard that they might have gotten away, but..."

"Whoa there, let's get one thing straight. Marble and I escaped from the ghosts all on our own. Absol here helped us mop up a few that we hadn't finished dealing with yet," Limestone said in her usual snarky voice, but even she couldn't erase the giant smile that she had on her face. "But yeah, if you want to get technical with it, Absol did help us...a little."

"That's the most praise I've gotten out of you yet. You must really be in a good mood," Absol teased back, getting Limestone to stick out her tongue.

"Wait a moment, what about mom and dad?" Pinkie asked, looking from Absol to her sisters. "And Maud? What happened to them?"

"We...don't know," Marble whispered. "We got separated from them when we made our break away and we haven't met up with them since. King Spiral told us where they are, but considering he's responsible for all of this, we didn't know how much of what he said we could trust."

Pinkie lowered her head after hearing those words, which allowed the others to step forward and ask Absol if he had seen any of their families as well. He hated to see the sorrow and fear in their eyes when he told them that he had not, knowing their pain of losing a loved one all too well. Yet Twilight didn't ask anything about her family. She simply looked at Absol with a look that was both concerned and a little intrigued.

"So you met King Spiral and lived to tell the tale?" she eventually asked.

"Ha, we did more than that. We set his scrawny ass running back to the hole he crawled out of," Limestone bragged.

"What do you mean, we? I was the one that cleaved through him and tore apart his shadow form," Absol reminded her. All his words did was cause Twilight to shake her head and hold her hooves to her temples.

"So not only did you come across King Spiral and live, you actually managed to damage him and cause him to retreat?" Twilight asked, disbelief filling her eyes when Absol and the Pie sisters nodded. "Alright, I want to hear everything that happened, starting at the beginning. And leave nothing out."
> Trio
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And then we all came together and hugged. The end," Absol finished with a smirk.

"Thank you for that very informative and no way embellished tale, Absol," Twilight replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

The group had gathered around a cafe that wasn't too far from the doctor's office where they had battled Absol. Applejack had elected to stay behind with her family, but aside from her every other pony was seated around a large group of tables that the staff had hurriedly pushed together to accommodate the princess' wishes. Pinkie sat with her sisters and hugged them every other minute or so, yet even Limestone couldn't get annoyed at with Pinkie with how large Pinkie's smile was. Absol had also elected to his himself underneath of a black cloth that prevented any curious onlookers from recognizing him, much to the confusion of the Ambassadors. 

Absol had begun to tell the tale of what had happened upon him meeting the two Pie sisters near his mountain, before his story was hijacked by Limestone, who proceeded to tell her version of events. At first Twilight tried to stop her, but after a shake of the head from both Absol and Pinkie, she had assumed that she would just have to ride it out. Her tale was of wonder, intrigue, mystery and battles that made the Ambassadors eyes widen with amazement.

Then Absol told the true tale of what happened and they were considerably less impressed.

"But thank you for what you have told me. From what you've told me about these ghosts, from their strengths to their weaknesses, we can now begin to form a counter attack against them," Twilight continued on. "But are you certain that ghosts are actually weak to their own attacks? Because that seems a little...well, it seems like a really bad weakness for them."

"I speak the truth. I once watched two Bannet battle each other and their ghost attacks were devastating to each other," Absol said with confidence.

"Well, I have no reason to doubt your word, seeing as not only have you saved four of the ponies that were taken, but you also can defeat these monster's like they are nothing," Twilight sighed. "But all this new information about types and matchups is going to take some getting used to. Can you run through them once more?"

"Alright. I do not know all of them, but I know some. There are the basic three, fire, water and grass. Fire burns grass, water douses fire, grass absorbs water. Then I know of your type, which we refer to as Psychic on my world. It is effective against Fighting and Poison. Think along the lines of mind of matter."

"Ha, I bet I'm a flying fighting type with all of my skills," Rainbow bragged before throwing a couple of quick punches.

"That is interesting, considering how Fighting types are weak to Flying."

"Okay, how does that one work?"

"You ever try to punch a bird?"

"Think we're getting off track," Twilight cut in, having written down all of what Absol had said onto a piece of parchment (even the joke about punching a bird, he noticed). "This information will be extremely useful. But I can't help but wonder what types we all are then, just so we know for future reference."

"Simple. Twilight, you are Flying-Psychic. Rainbow is, as she said, Fighting and Flying. Fluttershy is Normal Flying. Rarity is Rock, I think. Applejack is Fighting-Ground. And Pinkie..." Absol began, before slightly narrowing his eyes at the party pony. "Pinkie is...Normal and nothing else."

"Why must I be something as undignified as a  basic rock? Aren't there any types that would match my...elegance?" Rarity asked as she flipped her mane at Absol and batted her eyelashes.

"Rock. No if's or buts," Absol said bluntly. Rarity huffed, but gave up trying to change his mind.

"Um, Mr. Absol?" Fluttershy began meekly, gaining the Pokemon's attention. "I can't help but notice that you haven't, um...haven't told us your type. Or what it's strengths and weakness are."

"That's a good point," Twilight said as she and the other Ambassadors turned to look at Absol, whose face gave away nothing. "What is your type, Absol?"

"Limestone," Marble whispered under her breath, just loud enough for her sisters and Absol to hear. Limestone snapped her head towards her sister with such  speed and fury that the others were nearly blown out of their chairs by the speed. Absol chuckled at Marble's words before he shook his head slightly at Twilight.

"Forgive me if I do not reveal that information to you, but I prefer my potential foes not to know of my strengths and weaknesses. It could make battling them quite the ordeal."

"Potential foes? But aren't we friends now?" Pinkie asked as she popped up next to Absol. It took all of Absol's willpower not to leap away at her sudden appearance next to him.

"For the moment, yes. But before you all found out that I had saved Limestone and Marble-"

"We saved ourselves. You just chased off the ghosts."

"...As I was saying, before you found out I helped them, what were you planning to do once you finally found me?" Absol asked Twilight.

"We...we were asked by Celestia and Luna to bring you in once we had found and caught you," Twilight admitted after a moment. Absol closed his eyes with a smirk, knowing that was going to be her answer. "But things are different now! Now that we know that you're not responsible for the return of the ghosts or any of the disasters, we can talk to the princesses and-"

"Save your breath. It won't work," Absol cut her off. The bitter way in which he spoke made Twilight and the other Ambassadors look at him with shock, while Absol took a moment to compose himself. "I am sorry, it's just...I have heard these words before. And things always turn out the same. I am the disaster Pokemon. We bring about disaster. Not by our nature, but wherever we appear, disaster soon follows. And as such, we are seen as enemies. I appreciate you wanting to smooth things over with the rulers and ponies of this land, but I believe our time would be better spent figuring out what our next move is. My feelings will be fine."

"Absol..." Twilight began, her and the other Ambassadors looking at him with pity and sorrow. Fortunately for them, Limestone was there to help them get over those pesky emotions.

"Ah, now I see why you practice so hard at being the lone martyr. You like it when ponies think you're some kind of tortured hero," Limestone cut in, elbowing Absol in the ribs with enough force to nearly knock him out of his chair. "Don't think too deeply about this guys words, he just likes it when everypony thinks he's cooler than he actually is."  

"I enjoy no such thing! All I am saying is that I have seen this before and-"

"Ugh, my name's Absol and I'm such a tortured soul," Limestone began in a poor imitation of Absol's voice. "I live in the mountains alone to act cool, but the truth is I'm terrified of having to go out and interact like a normal pony. Let me show you how I flip this bit of hair that hangs in front of my face. It took years to master."

The Ambassadors couldn't help but giggle to themselves slightly at the bad impersonation, while Absol wrapped around Limestone's shoulder and pulled her in tight for a little conversation. "What in the blazes do you think you are doing? Poking fun at me is one thing, but I do in fact have a tragic backstory of persecution that I do not believe should be mocked."

"Twilight wasn't going to stop until she learned your type and matchup. But now thanks to my genius, she's forgotten all about that and is focused completely on that dangling bit of hair you've got," Limestone replied. Absol looked at her in surprise and Limestone flicked her eyes towards Twilight. Absol followed her gazed and found that indeed, Twilight was watching his dangling hair and giggling to herself. "Don't worry, I'm not going to let them figure out how to hurt you. Somepony has to keep you safe from the creepy crawlies."

"And you're just the pony who cares so much about me?" Absol smirked back, but he was truly grateful for her looking out for him. "But thanks."

"Anytime."

"Alright, enough poking fun at the stranger from another world. From your words earlier it sounds like there are still members of your families that are in the clutches of the ghosts," Absol pointed out and all of the levity left the eyes of the ponies. "Tell me where they are and I shall go rescue them."

"...why are you doing this, Absol?" Rarity asked, catching the Pokemon by surprise. "From what little I've learned about you from your story, it's clear that you didn't want to help us before the ghosts showed up. Why do it now? Why are you so hellbent on helping the same beings that saw you as a bringer of the end and cast you out?"

"Because I'm afraid of getting punched in the face again," Absol replied with a smirk. All eyes went to Limestone, who shrugged her shoulders with a smirk. "But in all seriousness, I can't stand by and let families be torn apart by this evil. Even if the beings of this world will never accept me, I will still fight. Because I have felt the pain of loss before and I will not let others suffer the same way that I have.

"I swear he practices these lines in front of the mirror. Did you notice how he covered his face with his hair as he said that last line? Very dramatic."

"You just can't let me have one, can you?"

"Ugh, the darkness is in me, consuming my soul. You want that one? Sounds like you."

"Why do you keep letting them go at each other like this?" Pinkie asked Marble, who was watching the two bicker with a smile. "You've always been good at getting our family to stop fighting."

"Because Pinkie, this is their way of having a friendly conversation. I've learned that by now," Marble replied.

"I agree with you, Absol," Twilight said at last, breaking up Limestone and Absol's argument. "At the moment, until we have a surefire way of defeating the ghosts, you are our best bet at saving our families. So, I will trust you with this information." Twilight then pulled out a map and placed it on the table, letting Absol glance over it.

"This is where we believe Rarity's father to have been taking. Her mother and sister are both safe, thanks to his efforts, but he got caught defending them," Twilight said. She pointed to the map, showing a large outcropping of rocks not far from where the group was located. "If you want, me and the girls can be ready to go with you in an hour, if you want."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I will go by myself," Absol said with a shake of his head. "My mission has been to get your families back to you safely. I brought Limestone, Marble, Big Mac and Applebloom back to their families safely. It's time for me to go solo again. It's better this way."

"So in your world solo means a group of two? Well that's weird, but I won't judge," Limestone said as she moved beside Absol, who narrowed his eyes at her.

"You are not coming. You need to return home with your sisters where you will be safe," Absol said.

"And then who will be keeping you safe out there? Or need I bring up the incident within...the tree?" Limestone asked.

"You are not blackmailing your way out of this one. You are not going to risk your life any longer. You don't have to."

"Except that, if you're going to be going into danger, then I kinda half to," Limestone said with a shrug. "I mean, I did promise to keep you safe and everything."

"Um..." Twilight began, but Marble shook her head before Twilight could continue.

"Are you even listening to yourself? Do you know the kind of pain you would inflict on your sister if she were to lose you again after only just getting you back?" Absol asked her.

"Do you know the kind of pain that it would inflict on me if you were to die and I did nothing to help save you?" Limestone asked in a whisper. A whisper so tiny that only Absol could hear. "I make fun of you, I mock you and I enjoy trading blows with you. But make no mistake...I care about you. And with your martyr complex, I know that without me there to bail you out of the fire, you might just get yourself killed. So I'm coming with you. And that's final."

Absol tried to respond, but the words choked in his throat. He glanced to Pinkie for help, but all she did was smile and shrug her shoulders. "Looks like you're stuck with her, Absol. But don't worry, she knows a lot of songs that can make the journey go by quickly. Too bad she's tone deaf."

"Marble...talk some sense into your sister," Absol asked Marble in desperation.

"Oh I can't do that. See if she didn't say those things to you then I was going to do it," Marble replied with an innocent smile. "Because I'm coming with you as well."

"What?"

"Yep. We're a trio, Absol, whether you want us to be or not," Marble smiled. "And we've made it this far watching each others backs, so why not go all the way?"

"Twilight," Absol began, turning towards the princess in a last ditch effort to break things off. "You're a ruler. You know better than anyone that they can't be put in these kind of dangerous situations."

"You're right. It would be foolish to send them into ghost territory alone," Twilight said. Absol had just barley began to sigh in relief before Twilight smiled. "That's why you'll be there to keep them safe. You are the best equip for taking down the ghosts, meaning they will most likely be safest with you. And in turn they will keep you safe. Sounds like the best plan to me, especially since the three of you have the most skill and experience in dealing with ghosts."

"But...but..."

"Absol, give it up," Limestone said. Absol glanced around at all of the ponies, tried to think of something to say and then gave up as his shoulders sank.

"Fine. We'll go together. You win."

"I always do."
> Lessons of the Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the peak of the castle, the undead king of the ghosts looked out across the decayed landscape. His army, his empire, sprawled out before him while the glow of the setting sun tried to create some semblance of beauty and hope in the Faust foresaken piece of Equestria he had claimed as his own. But the king knew better. He knew that this was a land only for the dead. Hundreds of thousands of spirits roamed the hills, the voices of the damned and anguished filled the air and there was a constant wave of fog that no amount of sunlight could clear. It brought a smile to his face.

"Spiral, are you sure you should be smiling like that?" Ahuizotl asked the king. Spiral felt his smile fall slightly as Aguizotl, the only living being within a hundred miles, brought him back to the task at hoof. "Our spies have reported that not only has the Black Beetle failed to kill Absol and the other two, but he has made contact with the Ambassadors and they are currently heading out to where you have hidden the one called Rarity's father. What should we do?"

"Well, what we should do is kill them, but that hasn't worked out for us so far, has it?" Spiral replied with a laugh.

"No, I meant should we send more guards, set some traps or maybe find another giant insect that can take a crack at putting that Pokemon in the grave?" Ahuizotl suggested. Spiral pondered over the options presented to him before he gave a shrug and went back to watching the ghosts shamble about. "This is why Absol is beating us. Not because we lack the forces or means of killing him, but because you are too lazy to actually put anything into motion. This is why you were defeated by King Solace."

"Oh, like you know anything that truly happened back then. It was long before you were brought into this world," Spiral playfully replied, his good mood annoying the hunter of fortune.

"I know plenty. I know that you battled with Prince Sol for weeks before you finally killed him, ridden the southern part of Equestria of light, allowing you to raise your army. I know that his brother, King Solace, is responsible for trapping you and your army of ghosts for however long you were trapped in that tomb. And I know that you and your army all hold a weakness within you. A weakness to the light of Harmony. That is what I know."

"Congratulations, you know about ten percent of the true story," Spiral replied with a smile, which grew only wider when Ahuizotl's face fell with confusion. "And also, you have left out a key factor. Absol. Until his arrival, the Ambassadors and their power of rainbows was all that posed a threat to me. But after that Pokemon's arrival, the ghosts and I now have a second threat running around. One that is far more competent and harder to blackmail into standing aside, since he does not love or cherish anything."

"Which brings me back to what I was saying, if you just did more than stand around-"

"His weaknesses interest me, did you know that?" Spiral asked Ahuizotl, clearly ignoring pretty much everything the living being was saying. "Fighting, Bug and...something else. Why are these what weaken him? Fighters can be a bother, but I fail to see how that bothers a being of the dark. Insects make no sense whatsover. The dark is home to many insects. And as for the final one...well, it's been a long time since any of those have been in these lands, so he does not need to worry about those."

"Weaknesses that we should be exploiting in bringing him down."

"Yes, yes, with this knowledge, it probably would take us less than a day to kill him and those around him, but then I would be left wondering about him," Spiral continued on. "That is where you and I differ, my dear servant. You see an obstacle and only care how to be rid of it. I see an obstacle and I wonder how it came to be, what events led it to standing before me and what makes it act the way it does. I want to understand, to learn. That's how I found the way to bring the dead back to the land of the living, after all."

"...I did not know that."

"Of course not. Like I said, you only comprehend maybe ten percent of what truly happened. So let me increase that percentage for you a little bit. A fun fact is that before I was King Spiral, lord of the specters, I was a scientist working under Prince Sol, the most beloved prince that had ever lived. I had been tasked with finding a way of returning the dead to the land of the living, mostly because Solace's sister had passed away when she was young and he had always felt guilty about not being able to save her."

"So I began to search, to learn, to...experiment," Spiral said before he slipped a stone mask onto his face and began to channel his magical power into the mask. "Of course, nopony in their right mind would volunteer to be killed and then try to find their way back, so i had to find those that wouldn't be missed if they were gone. At first, it was one dead end after another. They'd die and we couldn't figure anything out. No tracks, to traces. Nothing."

"But then one day we had a breakthrough," Spiral continued, his mask a glow with all sorts of colors that mixed around in it. "We found that those with some sort of strong, emotional connection to the land of the living could just faintly remain even after their body had perished. A connection of love, family or romantic, could cause a soul to linger in the real world. But in order to really test this theory, I had to find not only a soul that had a strong connection to the living, but a soul that was powerful and strong enough to do more than linger. I needed...an Alicorn."

"Sol..."

"Yup. That was when I finally unlocked the secrets to return the spirits to the dead to the land of the living. His soul was one of the most powerful and strongest souls that I had ever experimented on. In fact, the experiment was such a success that it transformed me into the being you see before you now. And once I had learned how to drag one soul back to the land of the living as a specter, I could do the same with a thousand."

"See, most souls are actually terribly vengeful of dying and want to come back to the land of the living, no matter what what they must do to get back here. I offered them the chance to return to the land of the living, so long as they helped me to overthrow the royals and allow me to claim the world as my own. They agreed, of course."

"And that is where Solace comes in."

"Correct. He found out what had happened to his brother and was on a warpath. If you've never seen the very planet around you burn because of a beings fury, let me tell you it is scary. He was a one pony hell on Equis, using the power of the Element's of Harmony to lay waste to all of my undead forces. Then he turned it upon me, encasing me within that tomb that you were so nice to open for me."

"I'm surprised that he didn't just kill you."

"Ah, but there in lies the problem with the Elements of Harmony. They are used to restore balance, to cease threats and to bring peace back to Equestria  once more. They are not weapons of destruction. Sent Luna to the moon, trapped Discord in stone and sealed Sombra within the ice. Never once killed or destroyed them. I was no different. So that's why I wasn't too upset when I was sealed away. Because I knew no matter how many times the Element's stopped me, I would be back to try again."

"But now things are different," Ahuizotl pointed out, getting the king to nod in agreement. "Now there is a being out there that can permanently destroy a ghost once and for all. And that being is, as you said, skilled and dangerous. And yet you still refuse to take any real action against him. Why?"

"Because my issues aren't with him. Actually, i don't have any issues with any of the beings in this land," Spiral sighed. "If anything, I should be pissed at Solace. He was the one that told me to discover the secrets of the way to return the dead to life and then they got all angry when his brother uses his soul to help me with my research. Honestly, since he's dead, everything else is just an experiment. That's why I'm so find of giving it to you once we have it. Maybe I'll mae his descendants suffer a bit more, but I don't care who rules it."

"That's...nice of you," Ahuizotl replied, before the mask made a pinging sound and a smile spread beneath said mask. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I've finally found what I've been looking for," Spiral said with a laugh. "Here you've been saying that I've done nothing productive in the efforts to rid this land of Absol, but I've been working hard all this time on finding his greatest secret. Not his weaknesses nor what motivates him, but how he got here?"

"How he got...?"

"Come now, we both know that he is not from this world, meaning that he had to get here somehow," Spiral explained, being patient with the living organism. "It wasn't by magic, that's what I looked for first. So I started to search for a rift in space, a wormhole or something of the like. And I've finally found it after nearly two weeks of searching. I've found the point where he came to this world...and I've felt the raw power behind the being that brought him here."

"What does that mean for us?"

"It means that we're going to find this spot and see if we can't peek onto the other side for ourselves," Spiral said as he created a map with his magic and started to scan the landscapes for an exact spot. "Giant insects and incredible fighters might be a rarity in our world, but from what we saw inside of his dreams there are plenty of beings that Absol is weak to in his world that we can bring over to this one to fight him for us. And unlike him and his dark typing, these ones will not be immune to my power. Starting to understand?"

"Yes, I believe that I actually am," Ahuizotl said with a sinister smile. 

"Excellent. Let him find the captive families of the Ambassadors of Harmony. Let them think that with Absol on their side that they have a chance to beat us. Because even if bringing these beings to our world doesn't work, I've got another plan up my sleeve. One that will break the spirits of Equestria and bring the princesses to their knees without me needing to raise a hoof. Oh, it will be glorious indeed if things go that far. I hope they do."

"I'm starting to see why the ponies of the world are so afraid of you. Just when I think I've finally seen the depths to which your evil can descend, there's just a complete other layer," Ahuizotl said in an impressed tone. Then he remembered that something the king of the ghosts had said to him earlier and how it didn't add up, prompting him to ask the king a question.

"You know, you never did tell me how you managed to rip the soul out of an alicorn, an immortal being, and use it in your experiments," Ahuizotl put forward, getting King Spiral to turn back to face Ahuizotl with a wicked smile on his face.

"That's the beauty of it. Sol volunteered."
> Legend of Spiral
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Absol was not a happy Pokemon.

'It was bad enough that Limestone somehow managed to convince me to allow her to continue coming along on these dangerous journeys with me, but for Marble to come along as well is simply insane,' Absol grumbled to himself, looking over his shoulder at the two Pie sisters that were talking to one another before Marble giggled slightly. Then he glanced over his other shoulder at the third pony that had decided to tag along as well.

'And then there is princess Twilight Sparkle. Why in the name of Arceus did she have to come along as well?' Absol continued to wonder. Twilight was walking slightly behind him, looking at the hills and trees around them as Absol glared at her. But her observations didn't fool him. He knew that she had been watching up right up until he looked at her. 'She is a psychic type, a type that is definitely weak to ghosts. Her coming out her has put her life in mortal danger. I don't care what kind of special, rainbow power she is supposed to have, ghosts beat psychic. That's how it goes.'

"You know if you keep looking at Twilight like that, we might start to get jealous," Limestone cut in. Her sudden voice in his ear caused him to break concentration and he swung his head around to look at Limestone once again. "Wow that's a look. You really aren't happy that we're coming along with you on this little journey, are you?"

"Of course not. You two have already risked your lives more than enough. You should not have to continue to endanger yourselves for my sake," Absol grumbled, before turning to look at Twilight. "As for you. I do not know how many times I must repeat this to you, but you are in the most danger out of all of us. Your psychic typing makes you especially vulnerable to the powers of the ghosts. You should not be here."

"But if I didn't come along I wouldn't get to learn more about you. Or see how your dark powers manage to destroy beings that are already dead," Twilight replied with a smile. Absol narrowed his eyes and knew that arguing would solve nothing. He didn't know much about royals, but from what little he had heard once they had set their minds to something it was impossible to change them. "Besides, you'll be here to protect us from the ghosts should anything happen."

"You all have too much faith in me," Absol muttered.

"You earned our faith by helping us even when you didn't need to," Marble reminded Absol. She flashed him a kind and appreciative smile, one that he couldn't help but smile back at. "And we owe the both of you our lives as well as the lives of, who we believe to be, our cousins."

"Yeah, I guess you've done some cool stuff. I'm just coming along to make sure you don't get in over your off balanced head," Limestone added on.

"Are you sure it's because you can't the thought of being away from me?"

"Please, if I had to stand any closer to you I think I'd let the ghosts take me when they show up. How long has it been since you last showered?"

"Are they...always like this?" Twilight whispered to Marble as Absol and Limestone began to bicker with one another.

"Yep. It actually amazes me that there's a being out there that has put up with my sister as long as Absol has, never mind actually enjoying her company," Marble whispered back. "I'm here family and even I have trouble tolerating her sometimes. But maybe on Absol's world, things are a little different."

"That's right. He is from another world, isn't he?" Twilight muttered with a nod of her head. "That would technically make him an alien in our lands. How fascinating that an alien would be a four legged beast and also speak our language. I wonder how he got here?"

Marble decided not to answer that question. Although Absol had told her and Limestone how he had gotten to Equestria, she still wasn't a hundred percent sure what a lot of what he said had meant. She assumed Palkia was a kind of Pokemon, but if it was she knew that it had to be pretty powerful to be able to send a being across reality.

"So who was this Prince Sol?" Absol asked, interrupting their respective thoughts.

Both Twilight and Marble looked at Absol with some surprise, having not expected him to take an interest in their history. "Um, well, Prince Sol was an Alicorn that used to rule over these lands long before either of the princesses came into being," Twilight began. "He, along with his brother King Solace, ruled over the lands and protected them from the far more prevalent forces of darkness that used to wander these parts. Solace was the one that originally sealed away Spiral and his ghost army long ago."

"I had heard that about Solace. But why is it whenever I hear ponies mention the ghosts rising and taking the land, they speak more of Sol than of Solace?"

"I guess that would be because between the two of them, Sol was the more beloved by his people," Twilight said. "Solace was a fair, but stern king and he could come off as cold at times. On the other hoof, Prince Sol was always kind and sunny, drawing others to him just with his persona alone. He was also a huge figurehead in helping unicorns discover hundreds of the spells that we use to this day. It's safe to say that without him our knowledge of magic would be far weaker than it is now."

"And yet he was the one that Spiral killed? Why?"

"That's...where we aren't too sure. There aren't many surviving records of that time, mostly because Discord ruined a great deal of the recordings of that time when he tried to take over the world...again. But what we do know is that Solace had Spiral trying to find a way to return a soul to the land of the living. We believe it is because he had a family member that had died, but we aren't sure."

"Honestly, I'd do the same thing if I lost any of my family. I'd try to find a way to bring em back," Limestone whispered and Absol couldn't help but agree.

"Well, Spiral wasn't able to do it on his own, so Sol decided to lend some help to the struggling unicorn," Twilight continued on. "Spiral didn't lack for anything that he needed. More equipment? It was his. More money? He was rich. More help? Every great mind in the nation was at his disposal. For years they were said to have worked, before Spiral finally did it."

"He revived the family member that was lost?" Absol asked in a soft, but almost wistful, voice.

"Well, no, but he found the key to bringing her back. At least, that's what we think. Again, the records aren't exactly in pristine condition," Twilight said with an apologetic smile. "All we know is that it's said he found the key...and then everything went wrong."

"The death of Sol," Marble whispered.

"Correct. Sol was betrayed by Spiral and his soul was used to turn Spiral into a being that could command the armies of the dead. Well, armies of specters, not the dead, or else we would be dealing with zombies. Hey Absol, how well do dark types match up against brainless zombies?"

"Well considering how well I handle Limestone, I would say fairly well."

"Brainless? You calling me brainless. Shall I remind you of who outsmarted who on that mountain?"

"You mean where you solved a problem with your hooves instead of your brain? I take it that's an average day for you."

"I used both my brain and my hooves to beat you. And I can do it again if you need more proof."

"Anyway," Twilight cut in, not wanting the pair to start arguing again. "Solace was horrified when he found that not only had Spiral betrayed him and summoned an army of ghosts to take over the world, but that he had used the soul of his brother to do it. Solace, in his fury and grief, wielded all six of the Elements of Harmony and used them to banish Spiral and his army into an eternal slumber, one beneath the very ground we walk on. And for well over ten thousand years, they remained down there. Until recently."

"That's a good deal of information despite having lost most of the records," Marble pointed out. "If we still know all of this, then I can only image what we lost."

"From what scientist can tell, we lost Spiral's motives for turning on the king, why Sol decided to work so closely with Spiral and what it was exactly that allowed a soul to return to the realm of the living. Because despite what Spiral did do with the power, he solved the secret on how to bring a soul back to our realm. That's how he has managed to amass such an army."

Absol seemed satisfied with what he had learned and eventually lost himself within his thoughts. Marble had walked up beside him, looking around at all of the different kinds of rocks that were in their path or scattered around them. Limestone hung back a bit and motioned for Twilight to do the same, waiting until the pair were a bit further ahead before she decided to ask her question.

"So, if you had to take a guess, how well liked do you believe that this Prince Sol was?" Limestone found herself asking.

"Honestly, Prince Sol was the most beloved royal of all time. Even Celestia and Luna, or myself, don't come close to the level of love and respect that the ponies of this land held for him. Hundreds of thousands of mares wanted to marry him, everypony want to be acknowledged by him and even royals of other lands would come to Equestria just to seek his approval. If he was alive today, I wouldn't be surprised if he had all of Equestria captivated by his persona within a few days."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Limestone whispered, getting Twilight to raise an eyebrow. "Spiral used Sols...well, soul to turn himself into that ghost monster and raise his army, right? But what if he was still holding onto the soul of Sol? Wouldn't he be able to bring him back to life as well...and maybe use him against us?"

Twilight narrowed her eyes and thought about what Limestone had said for a long time. After nearly half an hour, she shook her head and flashed a comforting smile to the Pie. "No, I don't believe so. If he was able to raise Sol back to life, I believe he would have done so already. And the souls of alicorns have great power, as Spiral's ghostly army is proof of. If he could draw more power from the soul of Sol, then we would have stood no chance against him. I think we're safe from any alicorns of the past showing up."

"I see," Limestone muttered, but she didn't look convinced.

"No problem. But maybe now you can answer a couple of questions for me?" Twilight asked, pulling out a quill and pad as she did so. "About Absol? Like, how does he move in battle? Does he just use his claws and horn or does he have any special attacks? And, what are those weaknesses of his that he simply refuses to tell me about?"

"He fights like a swan dancing on the lake if there's no danger, but if we're in trouble he fights like a demon from Tartarus itself," Limestone answered with a nod. "He used both his claws and horn, but he does have a special move that cloaks his horn in darkness, which he uses to rip apart ghosts. And for his weakness," Limestone began, motioning for Twilight to get in close.

"Yeah?" Twilight whispered, her ear right next to Limestone's mouth.

"Ya gotta sucker punch him."
> The Arm Thrust Pokemon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Absol had noticed the ponies get closer to him the further down the path they walked. They had entered into the area that Twilight had given Absol, the place where Rarity's father was supposedly being held. A place that, at one time, he had assumed been a village of joy and happiness. But now the village was reduced to a land of despair and ruin, with fallen in houses, abandoned streets and plenty of ghosts that patrolled the area.

Twilight had spotted the ghosts first, pointing them out to the group. Yet her horn had only just begin to glow before Absol was upon them, slashing them to oblivion with swift strikes of his scythe like horn. They barely had time to let out an agonized wail before they faded back into the nothing they had come from. Absol then had turned to look back at the group, noticing that Twilight's eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

"So that's what the power of darkness does to the ghosts," she whispered. Absol didn't like the way that she seemed to be regarding him after his actions, but he couldn't focus on her for long as Limestone approached.

"Wonder what the death trap is going to be this time?" Limestone asked. When Absol gave her a look, she rolled her eyes. "Come on, there's been a death trap waiting for us at every place we've gone to. It was the giant, fire ghost at the lost tower and it was the you know what inside of the giant tree. I'm just waiting to see what comes out to kill us this time."

"As much as I hate to agree with such a pessimistic outlook, you're right sister," Marble agreed as she walked up beside them. "Spiral wouldn't leave this place undefended, nor would he miss that an Ambassador was on her way here. He will have something planned, so we should be on guard to make sure we are not taken by surprise."

"Agreed. I want Marble and Twilight behind me. Limestone, watch my left. That's the side where my horn is slower to reach," Absol instructed. The two ponies nodded and fell into their positions, but Twilight stared at Absol for a moment before shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused. Since when do you give orders and they listen? Back at the city you guys could barely go a few moments without arguing with one another and now you're acting like a team?" Twilight asked. "Are you sure you guys don't want me to call out orders? It's kinda what a ruler does?"

"Princess Twilight, just listen to the Pokemon," Limestone said curtly. "While you may be a ruler of this land, Absol and the rest of us have far more experience fighting and defeating these ghosts. Trust us and we'll make it out of this just like we made it out of all of the other messes Absol led us into."

"You are blaming me? You and your sister are the ones that brought the ghosts to my doorstep. They left me alone up until you two forced your way into my life."

"And aren't you better off for it? Now you've got two beautiful mares to talk to instead of being stuck up on that freezing mountain by yourself."

"There's that arguing I was talking about."

"Please Princess, just go along with it for the time being," Marble begged. Twilight sighed in resignation and followed along next to Marble, keeping a sharp eye on the buildings that were being covered by a fog that had not been there when the four of them had first arrived. Absol took note of the fog as well, using his sharper senses to peer into the fog to make sure that there were no surprises waiting for them. But the surprises were there.

The surprise came in the form of a large, shadowy figure whose true identity was hidden by the fog. Absol held out a paw to stop the groups advance before he slowly began to walk forward, eyes narrowed and horn at the ready.

"I can sense Rarity's father just in the building past...whatever that is," Twilight said with a bit of an edge in her voice. Absol nodded before inching closer. As he approached the fog suddenly parted around the area, allowing him to see the being that had been hidden in the fog...and how it was a being that he recognized all too well.

"A...Hariyama?" Absol said in disbelief. The being was humanoid, with huge, three fingered hands that hung at his sides. His legs were colored blue and massive in girth, which matched the rest of his massively sized body well. He had no visible mouth, but his eyes could be clearly seen glaring at the group, eyes that were tainted with a purple color and held rage within them. The being, at well over seven feet, towered over the group, making it all the more menacing.

"What the heck is a Hariyama?" Limestone asked, her voice nervous as she caught the look that Absol was giving the being.

"Hariyama is another Pokemon. This one is a fighting type, however, and hails from a different part of the lands where I live," Absol replied, trying his best to bite down the fear he felt building in his chest. He knew that as a fighting type, Hariyama was at a clear advantage over Absol. But there were also the images of the flames, the shadows that surrounded Absol and his mother...and how some of the shadows matched Hariyama perfectly.

"A fighting type?" Limestone muttered, catching on instantly. 

The Hariyama locked eyes with Absol and began to walk towards him, lifting his arms and assuming his fighting stance. Before either Absol or Hariyama could begin their battle, Twilight walked past Absol and stood between the two fighters. "A fighting type, huh? Well if I remember correctly, you told me a couple of days ago that fighting types were weak to both psychic and flying types. You also said I was both of those. So if you want to stand back Absol, I can take care of this one."

"Wait Twilight, he is still a Pokemon. I do not know how he got here, but there is a chance that I can talk to him and get this sorted out," Absol begged the Princess. Twilight glanced back at Absol before nodding, stepping to the side to allow Absol to take a few steps towards the Hariyama. "Hariyama, I do not know how you got here or why you are standing before us, but I beg you to please stand aside. There are lives at risk and we must save them from the ghosts before it is too late!"

The Hariyama said nothing in reply.

"I know that dark and fighting types have never gotten along, but I know how nearly all fighting types hate ghosts types more than dark types. I also know that your species are honorable fighters and would not sit by while others are in danger," Absol continued on, though he did not like the path the one sided conversation was going. "If you work for Spiral, know that whatever he promised you will never be fulfilled. He is an evil-"

In the blink of an eye the Hariyama lunged forward, closing the gap between him and Absol with a speed that the Disaster Pokemon didn't know they were capable of making. Twilight had been waiting for the fighting Pokemon to make its move, so she was ready to hurl herself in-between the two of them and construct a barrier with her magic. The Hariyama lashed out with an open palm and struck Twilight's barrier with such force that ripples spread across the barrier while the ground cracked beneath her. Yet the barrier held.

"Nice try, big guy. But now you're in for a world of hurt!" Twilight yelled. She lowered her barrier only to fire off a blast of magic from her horn a moment later. The Hariyama hadn't been expecting the barrier to vanish, so it was caught off guard and right in the chest by Twilight's beam of magic. A roar of pain escaped the Pokemon's mouth as it was knocked backwards a bit, staggering as it held a palm to it's wounded chest.

"And there's more where that came from if you don't surrender," Twilight told the Hariyama, who had shifted it's attention from Absol to Twilight. "So how about you stop trying to hurt my friends and calm down so we can talk this out? It's better than getting blasted again by a type you don't match up well against, right?"

The Hariyama once again answered with silence, but took up its fighting stance none the less. Twilight let out a sigh as she charged up magic into her horn, waiting for the Hariyama to make its move. Once more, with a speed that one would not associate with one of its size, the Hariyama lashed out Twilight with a rapid flurry of palm strikes from its right hand. Twilight constructed a barrier to block the incoming attacks while she began to plan how to counter attack. She never got the chance. 

She was so busy focusing on the palm strikes that were striking her barrier that she never noticed that the Hariyama had swing with its left hand. A hand that was covered in a dark energy. When its left hand struck the barrier, it pierced through it like it was nothing and caught the unaware princess right in her side. Twilight let out a shriek of pain as the impact ripped her from her hooves and hurled her across the street, where she slammed into the side of a building and slumped over. The notebook she had been carrying had been knocked off of her and landed with a clatter in the middle of the road.

Then the Hariyama, with the only real threat to it gone, turned towards Absol and lunged once more.

Absol saw the Hariyama incoming, knew that with the speed it was using and the force behind the attacks when and where he would have to dodge. And for a Pokemon with his speed and agility, it would be an easy task for him. Yet he found his legs didn't move, his brain refused to work and his body locked up in fear as he watched the five hundred pounds of muscles come charging towards him. And all Absol saw as the Pokemon approached was the ring of fire and the shadows of those who wanted to kill him. And he froze.

Limestone did not.

"ABSOL!" she screamed before tackling into his side. Her impact moved him out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed by the flurry of palm strikes that the Hariyama had thrown out...by placing herself directly into the firing line.

The first strike caught her square in the side, causing her to roar with agony as the five hundreds pounds of force that was all muscle slammed into her. The second palm strike drove her to the ground, where she weakly tried to stand back up to fight back. The third strike shattered her fighting spirit and drove her back down, where she let out a weak whimper as her body began to twitch. And the forth blow caused her to cease to move, leaving a broken pony that lay motionless in the center of the road.

Absol watched with absolute horror as Limestone was beaten into the road, praying that the Hariyama would stop. But the Arm Thrust had a chance to strike five times, depending on how the Hariyama felt. And as the Hariyama brought back its arm for the fifth strike, Absol knew this would be the end of Limestone. Despite knowing that she was as solid as a rock and tough as steel, he knew one more strike would kill her. Because rock and steel was the worst combination to fight a fighting type. And the thought of losing her burned away all of his fear for his own life and replaced it with the ability to act.

The Hariyama had just begun to launch its final strike at Limestone before something registered out of the corner of its eye. It turned just in time to see a blur move past it, landing behind it. The Hariyama turned around to see Absol standing with his back to the Hariyama, crouched down low as if he had just landed. The Hariyama began to move towards Absol before it noticed that the Pokemon's horn wasn't black like usual. It was instead bathed in a violet light.

Hariyama had just enough time to ponder what that meant before absolute agony coursed through his body and he fell to the ground without another sound. Just as he struck the ground, Absol rose back to his full height and spoke his finishing blow.

"Psycho Cut."

He glanced over his shoulder at the fallen Hariyama, who lay motionless. Then, the fighting type slowly began to fade away into blackness, similar to how the ghosts would sometimes vanished when Absol defeated them. After a few moments the Hariyama was no more, leaving Absol to stare at spot where he had vanished with a bitter expression.

'I am sorry.'

Then he raced over to Limestone's side, pressing his head against her chest and praying that he would hear a heartbeat. A quick moment of relief spread through him when he heard her heart beat, but that moment was then replaced with desperation as he started to search around for anything that could heal her. Marble, who could finally find the will to move again now that the fighter was gone, reached into her bag and pulled out medical supplies that she had gathered at the doctors office.

"Absol, what happened to her?" Marble asked with fear filling up her voice.

"She threw herself in the way of an attack she was four times weak to," Absol said, half in fear and half in disbelief. "But why would she do that? Why would she willingly throw herself in front of an attack that would have killed her?" Marble, upon hearing these words, looked up at Absol with disbelief.

"Because, you stupid idiot, she truly cares about you. How have you not noticed?"
> Wounded
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is where he is supposed to be," Twilight told the group as they came to a stop in front of a large building, the only building in the town that hadn't yet succumb to the wear and decay that the other buildings had faced. "His is the only magic that I can sense inside, but I'm still not adapt at sensing ghosts yet. Absol, do you detect any spooky foes waiting for us within?"

"No, I cannot sense any ghosts within," Absol said curtly. The Pokemon then glanced over his shoulder to the wounded Limestone that lay on Absol's back. After the Hariyama had been defeated, Twilight had used her magic to repair as much of the damage done as she could, but it would still take a few days for the effects of the beating to wear off entirely. Absol had taken Limestone onto his back and had refused to set her down for any reason that didn't concern her health. Yet Twilight had to try one last time.

"I can go in by myself to retrieve Rarity's father, but I wouldn't mind having you in there to back me up," Twilight offered hopefully.

"No. I will not leave Limestone unguarded against any potential attacks," Absol cut her off. "You can defend yourself against the ghosts despite your poor type matchup. Limestone cannot even move at the moment. She needs me here to watch over her. Now go."

"Yeesh, no need to get so touchy," Twilight muttered before she turned and entered into the building. When she was gone Absol knelt down and folded his legs under him, so that he was laying down yet also supporting Limestone at the same time. Marble knelt down next to her sister and held a hoof to her forehead, before she sighed and flashed a small smile at Absol.

"It's kinda funny seeing how worried you are for her despite all of the bickering that you two do," she pointed out. Absol didn't say anything in reply. "But, once again, I need to thank you for saving my sister. It seems that neither side will ever be out of the debt that they have accrued with the other."

"She was the one to save my life. That Hariyama was an incredibly high level," Absol replied with a bitter frown. "Had she not pushed me out of the way I would have most likely been killed by the attack. While I am strong and fast, I am not the best Pokemon to be taking hits. We are fortunate that Limestone is so tough. A lesser being would have folded under the first hit alone. She withstood four, even with such a crippling weakness to the attack. That's...a strength I wish I had."

"Wow, look at all of this praise coming from you. She would never let you live this down if she could hear you," Marble said with a small giggle, getting Absol to smirk in reply.

"Why do you think that I'm only saying this while she's out cold? I can only praise her when she can't hear me or else she rubs it in my face."

"Don't let that stop you. Go on, keep saying nice things about me." Both Absol and Marble turned their heads towards Limestone, who was smirking at both of them with a weak but amused expression on her face. "You're right by the way, Absol. I am not going to let you forget all the nice things you said about me."

"Limestone, you're awake!" Marble exclaimed before checking both of her sisters eyes and then her forehead once more. "Are you feeling okay? Nothing broken? You're not running a fever?"

"I do feel a little hot, but I think that's because I've been laying on this furball for too long," Limestone weakly jabbed at Absol. Despite the jest at him, Absol couldn't help but smile at Limestone's words.

'Beaten into the dirt with enough force to kill her and a few hours later she's awake and taking shots. She's the toughest being I know,' Absol thought, but he didn't speak a word of it to Limestone. "Well if you're tired of riding on the back of this furball, you could walk for yourself you freeloader."

"No thanks, I think it fits me to be carried around," Limestone said before weakly coughing. "And to be honest, I don't know how much I can really move in this state. Better not push it for the time being."

"That is something we can agree on," Absol nodded. Limestone stretched her neck with a small wince, before she looked back to Absol with a concerned look.

"So, what the heck happened against that Pokemon? I've taken my fair share of bruises over the years, but I've never been...beaten like that."

"That's because you had one of the worst matchups against you," Absol replied. "Back in the city, I guessed you were a plain rock type. But after seeing your reaction to being hit with a fighting type attack and your own steel like attitude, I'd wager you have a second type. Steel."

"Let me guess, both rock and steel are weak to fighting?"

"Correct."

"Ugh, why do I get stuck with two bad types?"

"Actually, rock and steel are well known for being defensive types. Honestly, that high defense and stamina you have is probably why you survived getting hit so many times by a fighting attack," Absol guessed, then a smirk crossed his face. "Being a steel type also gives you a few natural immunities. Tell me, are you a pony known to get sick?"

"That's funny. Limestone got sick once when she was a filly and missed so much work that she promised she would never get sick again. And to this day she hasn't," Marble answered for her sister.

"So I'm immune to being sick? Whoopee. I'd rather have a type that was immune to being pummeled to death," Limestone said as she rubbed the parts of her that hurt, which was everything. "But I wasn't the only one that was having a bad matchup, was I? How come the Pokemon managed to shrug off Twilight's magic? I thought she had the advantage over it?"

"She did, but like I said, that was a high level Hariyama. Hariyama's learn a dark move when it is a low level, but it takes a long time for them to have enough strength to withstand a direct psychic attack. That is how I knew it was a powerful one," Absol said. "And since Twilight didn't know it could learn a dark move, she was caught off guard. And as you well know, Hariyama hits hard."

"But you apparently hit harder. So when were you going to tell us you could use a psychic move?" Marble asked. Limestone looked at her with confusion while Absol's face gave nothing away. "Right, you were out cold, sister. Absol's horn flashed violet when he struck down Hariyama, the same color as Twilight's magic. Now granted this is a guess, but since you said fighting was weak to flying and psychic, and that sure didn't look like you flying, I assume that's what you hit him with?"

"You truly are far more clever than I would have believed. Yes, I know a psychic attack to defend myself against fighting types," Absol admitted with a shrug. "It's useful to use when they aren't suspecting it."

"Then why were you so terrified of it then?" Limestone asked. Absol turned to her and the pair locked eyes for a moment. "I know that you were terrified. I saw you lock up and knew that you wouldn't get out of the way of the attack in time. That's why I pushed you and took the attack myself. If you had a move like that, why do you fear fighting types?"

"Well, aside from the bad type matchup, it's because...it's...there were Hariyama's there. The day I lost her," Absol choked out. Limestone's face fell and she gently wrapped her arms around Absol neck, wincing slightly as she moved her limbs. Marble wasn't sure what Absol meant, but she followed her sister's motions and hugged Absol as well. "Not to mention that I got lucky my attack did critical damage on him. I wonder if he belly drummed before fighting us? Well, can't ask him now."

"That's my biggest question, why did he attack us?" Marble asked. "You tried talking to him and everything yet he didn't respond with so much as a grunt. And then there were his eyes..."

"So you noticed that too? I've been wondering myself," Absol muttered as he put on his thinking face. "How did a Hariyama come to this world? Palkia didn't send it or else I would have noticed the power of a legendary. Why was it fighting against us? Hariyama are generally peaceful Pokemon, so he wouldn't fight with no reason. And why were his eyes red?"

"Spiral. Gotta be him," Limestone cut in. "He probably brought the Pokemon here, tricked him or mind controlled him into fighting us, and planted him where he knew we would eventually end up. Checks all the boxes to me."

"Your reason is sound. Spiral seems to gain more and more resources to throw at us each day, doesn't he?" Absol asked.

"But how?" Marble asked, getting Absol and Limestone to turn to face her. "He guarded Big Mac and Applebloom with a giant bug. Then he guards Rarity's father with a fighter. Those are both the two types that you are weak too. How did Spiral know to send them against us?"

A cold chill swept over Absol as he realized that what Marble said was the truth. Spiral had used the two of Absols weakness to fight against him, when Absol had only revealed his weaknesses to one other and when he knew there were no ghosts around. The Pokemon began to rack his brain, desperately trying to think of when or how Spiral could have gotten his hands on that information. But he couldn't think of anything.

"It doesn't matter. So he knows two of my weaknesses. I can fend of fighting types and with two rock sisters on my side bug types can be dealt with. It doesn't change anything," he said with strength. "We will find those who were taken, stop the ghosts from taking over this land and put Spiral back into his grave. That is the promise I made and that is the promise I shall keep."

"Heh, look at you acting and sounding like a hero. Think I'm starting to rub off a little on you," Limestone chuckled. The group shared a quick smile before Twilight walked out of the building, levitating an unconscious pony behind her within her magic. "Hey Twilight, seems that you found who we were looking for."

"Yes, I did. And I also found something very disturbing," Twilight said with a dark look. "I found markings and tools around him to indicate that the ghosts in this area were about to perform some sort of ritual on him before we showed up. We got here just in the nick of time, if I'm being honest."

"A ritual? But I thought that Spiral took them to use them as leverage against you and your friends?" Absol asked.

"That's what I thought too, but maybe he has other plans for them. Or maybe, now that there is a being in this land that can slay him, he's realized that hostages might not be enough," Twilight guessed. "Either way, it doesn't matter. We're taking this guy back to Canterlot and then we're going on the full offensive. Celestia believes she knows of a few locations where some of our family might being held and you mentioned that Spiral told you where the rest of your family was being held."

"Correct. He told us that they were in the Eternal Forest, far from where we are," Absol replied.

"Alright, then we have our next plan of attack. Go to Canterlot, rest and restock...and then we're taking the fight to Spiral. We're going to save our families and bring down the ghost king once and for all!"

"That sounded cool and all Princess Twilight, but Absol said the same thing literally a minute ago. And honestly? He sounded cooler."
> Empowered
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well that was a bust," Ahuizotl said to Spiral. The king of the ghosts was laying in the dead fields surrounding his castle, trying to regain the power that he had lost opening the portal to the other world. "You managed to convince one of those, whatever it was to come over and all it did was get one shot by Absol. Another one of your hairbrained schemes that has failed. And yet I doubt that you will actually do what I suggest, which is sending your entire army to crush Absol, and instead think of something else foolish."

"I would suggest that you watch your tongue. Do not mistake my friendly demeanor for a friendly being," Spiral warned Ahuizotl, only for his form to shimmer a moment later from exhaustion.

"Please, in the state you are in it would only take a stiff breeze for you to fall apart," Ahuizotl mocked, before sighing and looking out over the lands. "But I am intrigued by that other world. How many Pokemon are over there? How do all these types match-up? And how come they could enter into our world, but we could not go into their's? It does not make sense."

"I can answer that last one. Because there is a being there, a being whose power far surpasses mine. A being that can control space itself," Spiral answered. He floated back into the air after he had spoken, his form solidifying into a stronger image.

"Well so much for trying to invade that world once we are done with this one," Ahuizotl said with a sigh, before noticing that Spiral was smiling. "Let me guess, you've come up with another plan?"

"I've figured out how to beat the being that prevents our passage. However, that is something that will take not only quite a bit of time to actually do, but I will need Celestia and Luna's help...let us focus on what we can do for the moment. For starters, how many of the Ambassadors families do we still have?"

"Only two. The Pies and Fluttershy's brother, what's his name? With your focus on...whatever it is on, the Ambassadors have actually managed to rescue some of their family," Ahuizotl informed Spiral. "And I would like the remind you that you informed Absol of the Pie's location, so it is only a matter of time before he finds them. You are losing what little edge you had over the Ambassadors to being with. When I first read about you, I had believed that you were an unstoppable force of evil that the King barely bested. Now I see why he was able to do it by himself. You get far to distracted by learning to focusing on crushing your foes."

"Hence why I will be giving the reigns of the world to you once we have conquered it. Ruling over others does not interest me. But it is easier to experiment on others when there are no royals trying to stop you and banish you back to the darkness. But I digress and you are right. I must start thinking more strategically."

"Finally."

"Leave Fluttershy's brother to be found. He is useless and I do not care if they get him back. As for who should guard the Pie's..." Spiral went silent for a long time after that, losing himself deep in thought. Ahuizotl didn't dare to interrupt this train of thought, however, as he saw the expression on Spiral's face. An expression of planning, cunning and decision making. For the first time since he had met the king, Spiral was being serious.

"Tell me again, how Hariyama came to be beaten."

"Absol struck him down in a single blow. It was quite impressive actually. Perhaps we should get another."

"Feh, these common Pokemon will not help us. But Hariyama would have beaten him, perhaps killed him, had another not interfered, correct?"

"If you are referring to Limestone, then yes, she pushed Absol out of the way and took the brunt of the attack herself. We have been having issues with her and her sister before Absol decided to fight against us," Ahuizotl said with a sigh. "The ghosts have informed me that she was the one that broke free of the ghosts that were supposed to capture her and that she was the one to convince Absol to join the ponies. Honestly, she might be a bigger problem than Absol."

"Indeed. She defeated the bug that we sent to defeat him, which it would have. She saved him from Hariyama, who would have beaten him...perhaps it is time to be rid of her," Spiral muttered, before turning towards Ahuizotl with his mask glowing. "And it is time for you to do you part in earning that world you so badly want. Tell me, what do Absol's thoughts tell him about the rock type?"

"How would I know? I can't read his mind."

"Strong to the flames and the flyers. Weak to the waves, the forest touch and the quaking ground. Yes, that shall do nicely," Spiral said before blasting Ahuizotl with his dark magic. Ahuizotl let out a scream of pain as his body was twisted and morphed by the powers of Spiral. But after a few moments the pain ended and Ahuizolt fell to the ground, breathing heavily as he glanced down at himself.

"W-what did you do to me?"

"See for yourself. Place your hand on the ground and demand it to move." Ahuizotl did as he was requested, stunned to find that a moment later the ground moved beneath his fingers, shifting and moving depending on his will. "I have granted you the ability to move the ground as you see fit. I do not know how well this will work, but I believe that you are now a ground type."

"I notice that you did not give me the type needed to defeat Absol, but rather the two mares that are always following him around. I take it that is your plan?"

"Limestone is, as you put it, the biggest thorn in our side. But while I am not ready to see Absol die, I do not care for the two that follow him. Slay them as you like, but if you do battle with Absol, please try to leave him alive. I would hate it if he were to go before I could truly use him."

"This will come back to bite you. Leaving the heroes alive is always the wrong choice," Ahuizotl muttered, before smiling with a shrug. "But I will play your game for now. Where do you want me to go?"

"Where else? To where the Pies are being held. That is where you shall kill Limestone and Marble. And without them, Absol will either fall...or bow," Spiral said with a smile, before a dark look crossed his face. "But if you excuse me, while you are doing that, I must focus my efforts. It is time I brought the greatest soul I have back from the brink. The soul...of Sol."

(]o[)

Canterlot was too bright for Absol's taste.

Twilight had transported him and the Pie sisters to the golden capitol, along with Rarity's father, straight past all of the security and the forces that had gathered incase the day came that the ghosts attacked Canterlot. Twilight couldn't teleport them, as Absol's natural immunity to her magic prevented the spell from working, so instead she had ripped open a vortex between where they recovered Rarity's father and Canterlot, allowing them to walk through, straight into the main castle.

"Good...we...made it," Twilight wheezed, the vortex spell nearly wiping her out.

"I am glad to see that we did. Now where are these doctors that will help Limestone?" Twilight spoke with some of the guards and they took off into the castle.

"They will fetch the doctors for you. If you wish, you can leave Limestone here with her sister until they arrive, but I we need you to come with me," Twilight said in a very urgent tone. "Celestia and Luna have been wanting to meet with you for a long time."

"Oh yes, ever couple of years they would send ponies into my domain trying to either capture or interrogate me," Absol replied with a smirk. He knelt down and allowed Marble to lower her sister off of his back and to the floor, where she made Limestone as comfortable as she could before motioning for Absol to go with the Princess. Absol nodded and, with one last look at the sleeping Limestone, walked off with Twilight.

The Princess of Friendship said nothing as she walked through the hallways with Absol, though a quick look at her face revealed to Absol that she was thinking deeply about something important. The silence was broken when the pair of them reached a pair of golden doors, that had blue highlights within them. Twilight opened her mouth to tell Absol where they were, but he locked eyes with her and she figured that he had deduced it. So without a word, she used her magic to push open the doors to the throne room.

The two princesses had been expecting them. Celestia, in all her divine beauty, stood proud and tall as she gazed down at Absol. Luna, with her mystery and calm, eyed Absol like one would if they weren't certain if who they were looking at was friend or foe. Absol walked alongside Twilight, but opted not to bow when she did to the two before her.

"Congratulations, you finally got me in here," Absol stated right off the bat, not waiting for any introductions. "So are you going to try to throw me in a dungeon or take the direct approach and just kill me? Because neither of those will end for you the way you think they will."

Celestia and Luna both raised their eyebrows at Absol's words, before they cast their gaze towards Twilight. "Forgive him, princesses, he's still in battle mode from having to fight Spiral's forces," Twilight said with an apologetic laugh before she stepped between the Pokemon and the princesses. "He's not mad at you two."

"That is not the look somepony who is not mad at us would give," Celestia pointed out, while Absol stared her down with crimson eyes.

"There is no need for such hostilities. We're all on the same side, right?" Twilight asked both sides.

"You tell me. I tried to live my life in peace in this land, but these two would not leave me be," Absol spat. "Soldiers, magicians and more, all sent to bring me in. All because I was different."

"Because you are dangerous. Because all forms of magic have no effect on you. Because you bring disaster," Luna corrected, stepping forward with narrowed eyes. "Wherever you appear, disaster is sure to follow."

"I tried to prevent those disasters. I tried to warn the ponies in those towns that they were in danger. It is not my fault they were too stupid to ignore my warnings."

"You will not speak that way of our subjects!"

"Forgive me, I forgot that it is only the royalty that is allowed to speak ill of the fools of this land."

"I would do no such thing!"

"No, you would just try to take control of them as Nightmare Moon. I've been here for a while, Luna. I've heard what you've done," Absol said in a cold whisper. "And it sounds like to me you bring just as much disaster and pain as I claim to. Yet nopony seems to want your head on a stick. Must be nice, being the younger sister of your better half."

"That tears it!" Luna roared before firing a blast of midnight magic towards Absol. A smirk crossed Absol's face as he took the blast right in the chest, only for it to do nothing to him. Luna was taken aback for only a moment, before she prepared another spell and took aim.

"Enough." Celestia hadn't shouted those words, but the tone told the everypony that the fight was over. She walked in-between her sister and the Pokemon, making sure that neither could start anything else. Then she cast a quick glance at where the magic had struck Absol, seeing that there truly was no effect. "You truly are immune to magic, even magic such as ours."

"That scare you?"

"That all depends. Yes Absol, for years we have hunted you and tried to learn what you were. But right now there is a greater threat to our lands than any you might bring and that is Spiral. Now I know next to nothing about you, but I do know that you sided with two of my subjects and have been fighting against Spiral yourself. So all I need to know about you right now is will you help us bring down Spiral?"

"Yes. But not for you and not for your sister. I may be fighting your enemy, but make no mistake I am not your friend, Sun princess," Absol snarled. "I fight to keep my promise to Limestone and Marble...and also to make sure that one filled with hatred does not rip apart any other families. We can settle our differences when all of this is over."

"Very well. As long as you are fighting against Spiral, I see no need to question anything else," Celestia said calmly. "Now then, from what Twilight has been telling me through her magic, you know the location of the rest of the Pie family? I take it you wish to save them as soon as you can?"

"Correct. Do not try to stop me."

"I would not think of it. So instead how about I offer you something instead. My sister and I will come with you, along with Twilight, so she choose to join us. I have a feeling Spiral will be guarding this group of ponies far more fiercely than the others, if nothing else but to get back at you. You could use the extra firepower."

"Very well, but I will wait until the healers have restored Limestone. i wish for her and Marble to join us as well," Absol stated, confusing the ponies there.

"And why is that? She cannot fight the ghosts like you can."

"Because while I do not fear what the ghosts will try to do to me, I do fear what she will do to me if I leave her behind. Out of everything I've seen in this land, she scares me the most."
> Swallowed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marble wasn't happy that Limestone was coming with them. Absol knew that none of them had any choice in the matter.

Once the healers had restored Limestone's strength and she had rejoined the group, Celestia and Luna had teleported the ever increasing group to the entrance to the Eternal Forest. The forest, at least on the outside, looked like any other forest. Trees, bushes, filled with all assortments of cute little animals. But to those who were attuned with magic, or those that resisted its effects completely, they could sense something far more sinister within.

"This is domain to the ghosts," Celestia said with full understanding. "This is a place for the dead."

"I can sense it as well, princess," Twilight agreed with a frown. "The decay, the drain...it's almost like these trees and illusion of peace are all to hide the death and chill within."

"That is exactly what it is doing, Twilight," Absol confirmed as he walked towards the forest ahead of the rest of the group. "And I can sense an incredible amount of spirits resting within. They are not moving around either. It is like they are waiting for us. They know we are coming."

"But how could they know that?" Luna asked. "We have not spoken to any others about this plan aside from Twilight and our magical energies have kept the ghosts out of Canterlot since their invasion. There is no possible way that they should know that we are coming."

"However they did it, the ghosts know. We can spend time trying to figure out how they know or we can head inside and ask them ourselves," Absol put forward. Before the princesses could begin to argue his point, Absol, along with Limestone and Marble, headed into the forest.

"Faust he is insufferable," Celestia muttered before she and the other princesses followed after him.

"Do you two have a history with Absol?" Twilight asked the sun and moon.

"Luna no, but I have had...near encounters with him," Celestia admitted. "He is crafty and elusive. I learned about him nearly fifteen years ago when he showed up before a massive earthquake claimed a town near the coast. Survivors told me that right before the earthquake struck, they saw a being in white with a scythe like horn appear before them. That was when I first discovered Absol was in our land. He appeared numerous times after that, each time before a large disaster. He actually showed up to some ponies before Nightmare Moon returned."

"Have you hunted him all these years?"

"...yes. Know this, Twilight, we knew next to nothing about Absol, since he wouldn't talk to us and we couldn't catch him. My advisers and I suspected that he was either responsible for the disasters or he could somehow predict them. We had to know," Celestia said before a smirk crossed his face. "But he was never captured. And until he showed up with you in my throne room, I truly believed that I would never meet him face to face."

"I do not like him," Luna spoke, adding herself into the conversation. "He is cold, rude and I can't get a read on him. Then there is the fact that he...is immune to our magic."

"Because he's a dark type. That's what he told me," Twilight informed the princesses. "And because he is a dark type he is immune to our magic. That is how it works in his world. Certain types have strengths and weaknesses against one another. He is incredible strong against us and ghosts. That is how he strikes them down so easily."

"But he does have weakness?" Luna pressed.

"He doesn't like fighters. That was made clear when another pokemon, a fighting type, attacked us. And I think he may not like bugs, but I may be wrong," Twilight said, before she narrowed her eyes and thought. "There may be one others. The way he reacted when he met Pinkie told me...there might be one that he hasn't revealed to anypony. But I have nothing concrete yet."

"Are you done talking about me behind my back?" Absol asked, snapping all three sets of heads towards him. "You are correct Twilight. I do not like fighting types. But I can best them. Nor do I like insects. I crush them all the same. Pray that I do not do the same to you."

For a brief moment the three princesses narrowed their eyes at the pokemon, up until Limestone smacked him in the back of his head with her hoof. "Why are you acting all menacing like that? Cut it out, it makes you look like a bad guy," she chastised him before smiling back at the princesses. "Ignore him, he only acts like that when he wants to seem tougher than he is. You guys have nothing to fear from him, trust me."

"We...will take your word for it," Twilight smiled back weakly.

"Must you always sweep my feet out from under me whenever I am trying to be serious?" Absol snapped at Limestone.

"Don't give me that. Be threatening to the ghosts, not our allies. This is why you had no friends before you met me," Limestone smirked.

"They are not my allies. They have hunted me ever since I arrived in this land. And Luna tried to take over the world once, who is to say that she would not do it again?" Absol asked with a glance back at Luna, one that earned him an elbow in the ribs. 

"Stop that. Princess Luna is sorry for what she did and is trying to be better. And who are you judging others base on their past? Mr. Disaster Pokemon that never really caused a disaster."

"But she did try to take over the world!"

"Yes. And now she is reformed. This isn't that hard."

"You know, despite being immune to our magic and having powers that I don't comprehend, seeing him like this...makes me less afraid of him," Celestia said with a bit of a chuckle as she watched Limestone and Absol continue to bicker.

"Almost makes him seem like a regular pony, doesn't it?" Luna followed up.

"Nothing regular about him. He's tolerated my sister far longer than any other pony I know," Marble added on, making the princesses do a double take as they noticed that she was standing next to them. "But I'm happy for my sister. She seems happier ever since she found somepony that she can actually talk to. So please Princesses, know that Absol has done good things since living here."

"Do not worry, Marble. I know that we are in Absol's debt. Doesn't mean that i have to like it," Luna grumbled with a small smirked.

"Then you will not like this at all."

Moments after the voice spoke the ground heaved beneath the princesses, hurling them into the air. Since all three of the princesses had wings, it only took a moment for them to right themselves in the air and look around for the one that had attacked them. Then a scream reached their ears and they realized there had been a pony standing with them that could not fly. Twilight looked down just in time to see the earth open up and swallow Marble within its maw.

"NO!" Absol bellowed as his horn crackled with dark power. With a roar he slashed his horn into the spot where Marble had been swallowed, ripping apart the earth and revealing a small cavern that she had been dragged down. Without so much as a word to any of the princesses Absol leaped down into the cavern after her. The princesses barely had begun to shout after him before Limestone followed him down into the earthy depths. Twilight, Celestia and Luna started to fly after them, but at that moment the uncountable number of ghosts that Absol had sensed all appeared out of the forest, encircling the princesses.

"Celestia, should we go after Absol?" Twilight asked as all three sets of horns came to life.

"He is on his own," Celestia replied, casting a glance towards the ground to see that it sealed itself up once more. She then raised her eyes towards the ghosts, which were tearing across the sky to get at the royals. "For now we most focus on surviving up here. Absol will overcome whatever he faces. We shall have to do the same."

Deep beneath the surface of the ground, Absol slid down a long tunnel of dirt and mud, barely able to hear the cries of Marble ahead of him. Despite there being no light whatsoever for him to navigate off of, his night vision was incredible and he was able to tell when he needed to shift or move to keep pace with the earth pony. He could hear cursing and tumbling behind him, telling him that at the very least he wasn't alone in his descent into the depths.

A faint light began to shine from the end of his tunnel, telling him that he was hopefully at the end of his descent into the planet. With a single kick off he propelled himself into the air, where he flipped twice before landing on all fours without making a sound. He slowly raised his head to find that he was in a deep cavern, with a single, orange crystal providing what little light there was for him to see with. But even with the little light, he could see enough.

Marble was in a coffin of the earth, entombed up to her head in mud and sand. Her panicked eyes glanced towards Absol, the fear on her face clear as day. But then Absol's eyes shifted over to the figure standing next to Marble, a being with a strange face, arms of an animal that Absol didn't recognize and the tail of an Aipom. While Absol may not have known who this being was, he knew that he was trouble.

"Ah, Absol. We meet at last," the being said as he slammed his tail on the ground, causing the earth beneath it to ripple.

'A ground type? If so, nothing I can't handle,' Absol thought to himself before he spoke. "You have one chance to release Marble and walk away before I am forced to do harm to you. And believe me, I can do an incredible amount of harm if I so wish."

"None of that Absol, you are of little threat to me. I know all about your type and what you're strong against," the being replied. "But where are my manners? I am Ahuizotl. And I am the one that freed Spiral."

"Hmm, so that's what happened. Let me guess, you did it for power or treasure," Absol guessed, getting Ahuizotl to chuckle.

"Indeed. Spiral promised that if I freed him, he would make me king of Equestria once his ghosts wiped the princesses off the face of Equis," Ahuizotl said with a cackle, before he locked onto Absol with a look of loathing. "And I would be king of the world now if it wasn't for you. For the one being in this land that could fight back against the ghosts. Had you not reared your head, Spiral would have conquered the world and I would be king."

"But he became interested in you. In how you fight, in your matchups and how you might be able to beat him. So he experiments, he tinkers, but worst of all he delays. He delays crushing the princesses and bending this world to my will all so that he can continue to observe you. Which means that if I am to ever get my crown!" Ahuizotl roared as he used his new powers to tear chunks of rock out of the ground and levitate them around Absol. "Then you must be exterminated!"

"You think that a mere ground type can beat me?" Absol asked with a chuckle, slashing his horn at the rocks and slicing them to pebbles. "You are sorely mistaken. You have no advantage here. I will free Marble and then proceed to bury you deep in the earth you love so much. You have no advantage in this fight. You have none of my weaknesses."

"Oh, that is not true at all, Absol. See, you have another weakness besides the fighters, the bugs and the...fairies," Ahuizotl revealed, getting Absol's eyes to widen with terror at the realization that his foe knew of his third weakness. But then he began to wonder what could the other weakness be. "And if I am not mistaken, here she is."

Then Limestone tumbled out of the tunnel and landed right on Absol's back.
> Buried Alive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Limestone, what are you doing down here?" Absol asked the mare that had just crashed onto his back.

"Getting my sister back and saving your life. As usual," Limestone grunted as she pushed herself up to her hooves. With a snarl she turned to face her sister's kidnapper, but then confusion replaced the rage as she recognized the foe that stood before her. "Hey wait a sec, I know you. You're from the Daring Do series. I thought you were nothing more than a fictional character? Why are you here?"

"That infernal Daring Do has the gaul to not only use my name in her stories, but to do so without letting me see so much as a bit of the profits," Ahuizotl grumbled to himself, before shaking his head and smiling down at Limestone. "I am here because I have been tasked by King Spiral to be rid of the only thing that stands between him and Absol."

"Your king wants Absol? Why? Does he know the guy? Total buzzkill," Limestone said with a smirk. Absol grabbed hold of her and pushed her back a moment later, getting her to struggle to break free of his grip. "What the hell, Absol? What's the matter with you?"

"Look, if what I think this guy is turns out to be true, then you need to stay as far from him as possible," Absol warned her in a tone as serious as the grave. "Free your sister while I hold him off, but promise me that you'll get out of here the moment that you have her!"

"No way, every time I leave you on your own you end up getting the crap kicked out of you. I'm not leaving until you're-"

"Neither of you are leaving here alive!" Ahuizotl roared before slamming his fists into the ground. The earthquake caused by the impact ripped Absol and Limestone off of the ground and hurled them into the walls of the chamber. The ceiling shook from the force and began to dump earth and rock down on them. Absol was back up first, his horn glowing with a dark power before he charged the monster of the ground.

Right when he got into striking distance Ahuizotl leapt back and used the hand on his tail to grab hold of a root system in the ceiling, dangling himself out of reach of Absol. A snarl escaped Absol's lips before he kicked off the ground and lunged upward towards Ahuizotl. Unfortunately for Absol, by attacking in the air he made it so that he had no ways of maneuvering. Ahuizotl knew this, so the moment Absol had gotten within range of his limbs he lashed out, striking at Absol with arms equivalent to those of a gorilla. Absol saw the attack coming, but due to his positioning he had no way to avoid the incoming strikes. He took two fists to the chest and was sent crashing back down below, where he landed hard on his back and rolled to the side.

"Curses that hurt," he snarled to himself. He rose himself back up and looked towards Ahuizotl in time to see the villain propel himself off of the ceiling and lunge towards Absol, both arms raised over his head. Absol snapped to the side just in time to avoid being crushed under Ahuizotl's strength, but the resounding impact of Ahuizotl striking the ground created another earthquake that hurled Absol across the chamber.

He twisted in the air and planted all four feet on the wall that he had nearly struck, before kicking off and rocketing back towards Ahuizotl. The villains eyes widened with surprise right before Absol's horn slashed across his chest, getting him to roar with pain as he clutched at his wound. Absol swung back around and went in for another slice, but this time Ahuizotl got one of his arms up to take the brunt of the slash. The moment Absol had finished his attack Ahuizotl's tail hand lashed out and grabbed Absol by the horn, lifting him into the air and slamming him into the dirt.

"I would love to end this here and now," Ahuizotl told Absol as he slammed him into the ground again and again. "But luckily for you, I've been given orders to keep you alive. Not unscathed, but alive nonetheless. Take small comfort in the fact that Spiral wishes to study you more!"

'His defenses are too strong,' Absol thought. His thoughts were scattered when Ahuizotl slammed him back into the ground for a fifth time, knocking the wind out of him and causing his vision to start to blur. 'My physical attacks aren't doing much to him. Need to think of a new strategy before he-'

"Hey jerkface!" Ahuizotl turned his head around just in time to receive two hooves right to his nose. Despite having defenses strong enough to tank some of Absol's attacks, it was a Pie kicking him in the face. And when Pie's kicked something, it went down. Ahuizotl was no exception and a moment later he was staggering backwards with hands clutching at his bloody nose. "Are you okay Absol? He's been beating you into the dirt, literally."

"Get...Marble...get out of here," Absol snarled as he felt a rush of rage and fear push himself back up. He knew that Ahuizotl was there to do something to Limestone. He didn't know what, but he knew she was in danger. And that was all he needed to know. So with one last push he rose back up to his feet, breathing heavily as he stared down Ahuizotl. "I can handle him."

"Yeah, because that previous performance inspired so much confidence in me," Limestone snarled before she pawed the ground and glared down Ahuizotl. "You're not at an advantage and he's taking your attacks far better than anything else I've seen. You're going to need help for this."

"I said I got this!" Absol snapped, turning his gaze towards Limestone. The moment he took his eyes off of Limestone, a huge chunk of the floor clocked Absol in the side of the head, sending him tumbling backwards and taking him out of the fight for the moment. Limestone would have glanced back to make sure he was okay, but before she had the change Ahuizolt catapulted himself into the air and was on her in a moment.

He grabbed for her with arms strong enough to break rocks, but with a burst of speed Limestone moved closer to Ahuizotl, the opposite of what he had expected her to do. With a bellow of power she slammed her skull into his face, causing something to go snap before more blood poured out of his nose. She ducked his follow up punch before driving one of her forehooves into his chin, snapping his head up. She followed up with a rapid fire of blows to the chest, staggering the far larger Ahuizotl and forcing him back.

"You are stronger than I thought you would be," Ahuizolt noticed as he wiped away the blood.

"Try working on a rock farm all of your life. It builds your muscles," Limestone spat, before she cracked her neck. "Now let's see, you released the king that attacked my family, kidnapped my sister and beat up the only guy in the world who I can stand. Yeah, I'd say that you're long overdue for a flank whipping."

"Perhaps, mare. But you cannot beat me!" Ahuizotl roared before lunging towards her once more. Limestone smirked as she tensed her muscles, preparing to strike back, but before she got the change Ahuizotl's tail flung a handful of mud into her eyes. A roar of confusion escaped Limestone's lips as she tried to figure out what happened, before a fist collided with the side of her head. The blow had come as a surprise and she hadn't had the time to prepare for it, so she tumbled across the ground with pain pounding in her head.

"Because I will do whatever it takes to win!" Ahuizolt promised as he followed up with a blow to the side of her body, staggering the mare once more as she fought to clear the mud from her eyes. "Even if it means altering my body so that I have an advantage! Even if it means releasing the king of ghosts! Even if I have to threaten your sister to ensure that I win!"

Ahuizolt cracked the side of Limestone's head as he said this, but this time when his fist struck her head she didn't budge I the slightest. With shock slowly being written across his face, Ahuizotl watched as Limestone slowly turned her neck to glare into his eyes, ignoring the fact that he was still straining against her with his might.

"What was that about my sister?" Before Ahuizotl could respond or act, Limestone drove a hoof into his gut with enough force to rip him from the ground and rocket him into the ceiling. He slammed into the ceiling of dirt with such force that his body carved a small chunk out of it before he crashed back down to the floor. He gagged and wheezed as he slowly rose back up to his feet, staring at the oncoming Limestone with fear and disbelief in his eyes.

"This...can't be happening! I have the type advantage! You should be on your knees with home much more powerful I am than you!" Ahuizotl roared as he ripped the ground up with his hands, before slamming it back down and sending tons upon tons of dirt and stone towards Limestone. Limestone, in reply, slightly lifted her front hooves, before slamming them back down, canceling out the shockwave with one of her own and forcing the ground back to where it had lay. Ahuizotl's eyes widened with fear at the display of strength as she walked straight up to him, staring into his fear filled eyes.

"But...you are weak to me. My attacks should leave you broken and beaten before me," Ahuizotl whispered. "Absol proved that the better typing wins. He...he's shown..."

"I don't care about typing. I don't care what you did to yourself to get these powers over the land. But what I do care about is that you threatened my sister. And because of that, no amount of power or typing is going to stop me from bringing you down." Limestone then slammed her hoof into the face of Ahuizotl, dropping him to the ground without another sound.

Limestone spat on the body before turning and walking towards the land that had imprisoned her sister, slamming a hoof into the confinements and shattering them into pebbles. Marble looked at Limestone with both gratitude and a little fear, before the two of them walked over to Absol. Absol had long since recovered from being knocked around, but he was still trying to process what he had just witnessed.

"How?" he asked Limestone, who raised an eyebrow upon hearing his words. "How did you do that?"

"I punched him really hard in the face. I solve a lot of problems this way," she reminded him.

"No, I mean...he hit you with at least four different ground based attacks. Attacks that should have crippled you! You're incredibly weak to that type, but you just...brushed it off like it was nothing," Absol said, unable to find an explanation.

"If you really think that I walk if off like it was nothing, then you aren't looking close enough," Limestone smirked. Absol raised an eyebrow before looking down to find that her body was covered in bruises and she was shaking violently. Absol assumed it was only her willpower and incredible strength that was keeping her from falling over. But then he looked into her eyes to see a strength and power that he knew he could not match. "But none of that matters to me. He tried to hurt somepony I love. So I beat him down. Because if anypony threatens my family, I don't care what powers of advantage they have. They're in for a world of hurt. Come on, let's get going."

"Wow, I knew Limestone was strong, but...she's really something," Marble said, shaking her head with a smile as her sister began to walk off. Then she looked at Absol to find that he was looking at Marble's sister with a look she had never seen on his face before.

"Yeah...she really is."

"How cute, you think that love will beat me." All three sets of heads spun around to see that Ahuizotl was getting back up, blood still pouring from his nose but a malicious smile on his face. "But that will never be enough. So what if I can't beat you one on one? That doesn't matter! All that matters is killing you here and now!"

Ahuizotl then slammed his hands into the ground with all of his might, activating his powers and causing the whole chamber to begin to come down around them. Tons of dirt and rocks began to cave in around the three, with Absol realizing that they only had seconds to act. And so did Limestone.

"Take my sister and get out of here!" she roared at him.

"But you-"

"I'll live! Now go!"

Absol didn't argue, despite how badly he wanted to. He grabbed hold of Marble, threw her onto his back and leapt the tunnel that they had come down. His claws allowed him to climb the tunnel with relative ease, even with the extra passenger. And when he looked back over his shoulder, a smile crossed his face when he found Limestone was following him up the tunnel, using her brute strength to force herself up. She looked up at him and a smile crossed her face, mirroring the one that he was wearing while looking at him.

Then a hand on the end of a tail grabbed her leg and yanked her back into the chamber just as the earth caved in, burying all inside of the tomb of rock and stone.
> Fallen King
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Absol dove after Limestone the second she was pulled under. That second saved the life of Limestone.

Absol landed next to Limestone and took aim at the tail that was holding her leg. He channeled all of his power into his horn and sliced the tail clean off. He normally held back on his attacks so not to kill his opponents, but he had no qualms about slicing off a limb to save one he cared about. Ahuizotl bellowed in pain from having his limb severed, but his roar of pain was quickly drowned out by the place coming down on top of him.

With Limestone having been freed from Ahuizotl, she and Absol lunged back towards the tunnel, barely able to see it with the tons upon tons of rock and dirt that was closing in around them. Absol shifted behind Limestone and shoved her up the tunnel, making sure that she was in the tunnel this time before he tried to follow after her. That was until an incredibly large rock slammed into the back of his right hind leg, snapping the bone with ease. Absol howled in pain as agony raced up his leg, yet the moment after he cried out Limestone grabbed him by the chest fur and yanked him into the tunnel with her.

The tunnel was caving in around them as well, but with Limestone's natural strength she powered up the tunnel with three hooves while dragging Absol along with the other. The two of them burst forth from the tunnel at the top just as the whole network collapsed into ruin behind them. Limestone landed on all fours, but when Absol tried to follow suit his back leg gave out on him and he collapsed in pain. 

"Absol! Are you alright?" Limestone asked as she knelt down next to him, her eyes locking onto his rear leg that was at a bad angle. "Okay, yep, that's a broken bone. I think I can reset it for you, but this is going to hurt. A lot."

"Do it," Absol snarled. Limestone nodded before she placed her hooves on his leg, giving Absol a sympathetic look before shifting the bone back into place. The wave of sheer agony that coursed through Absol's body would have caused a weaker being to black out, but with all of his will he managed to not only avoid passing out but also from biting his own tongue off. The scream that roared from his mouth was another matter.

"Sorry. Marble, are you alright?" Limestone asked as Marble ran over to them, having been drawn by Absol's screams of pain.

"I'm fine, but what about the two of you? I saw you get dragged back down and Absol dove in after you..." Marble began, before her eyes locked onto Absol's leg and her pupils shrank. "Oh my Faust, Absol. Your leg. Um, hang on, let me look around for bandages or maybe I can make a splint."

"No time. Twilight and the other princesses were fighting the ghost horde," Absol seethed, gently pushing himself onto three legs. "We need to catch up with them and make sure that they're alright. They are at a type disadvantage and won't be able to hold them off for long."

"Like you'll be able to do any better?" Limestone asked. She had grabbed two similar sized pieces of wood and set them down next to Absol, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a blanket. She ripped strands of it off and used the strands to tie the pieces of wood around Absol's broken leg. "There, that will hold for now. Lean against me as we walk, I don't want you using that leg at all."

"Where did the two of you learn medical tricks like this?" Absol grunted as he leaned into Limestone, who supported most of his weight.

"Please, we grew up on a farm where we moved and broke rocks with our hooves all day. Do you know how many broken bones we ended up with?" Limestone asked with some pride. Absol smirked at her response before he bit back the pain, shuffling forward while Limestone kept pace with him. "I don't see any ghosts however. Considering how three out of the four princesses are here right now, you think that they'd be out in drones."

"Hang on, I think I see the princesses up ahead," Marble pointed out. Absol and Limestone shifted their eyes forward to notice that indeed the three princesses were all standing back to back, clearly exhausted and covered in bruises. But when they lifted their heads to see the two mares and the Pokemon approaching, smiles crossed their faces and they walked towards them.

"Hello there, friends. Seems that you have gotten here just in time," Luna said with a confident smile, one that shone brighter than either Twilight's or Celestia's.

"I am glad to see that all of you are alright, but where are the ghosts?" Marble asked, looking at the walls like the spirits would emerge from them at any moment.

"I don't want to tell them. Why don't you tell them?" Luna asked her sister, the princess of the night's smile growing even wider. Celestia shook her head at her sister's words, but Celestia couldn't stop a smile of her own from crossing her face.

"We were out numbered and doing poorly against the onslaught of spirits. Just when it seemed that all hope was gone, my sister unleashed this dark...pulse and obliterated all of the ghosts in the room," Celestia explained, causing all three sets of jaws to fall to the ground. "Seems that she has a little bit of that dark power that you have, Absol."

"I've actually been practicing tapping into my dark powers. When I heard from Twilight how you used darkness to destroy the ghosts, I figured that I would be able to do the same," Luna explained with pride. "I haven't had any success until now, but it makes sense I would access the power when I needed it most. Seems that you're not the only ghost slayer in these lands anymore."

"Well at least I can say that I showed the princesses of the land how to strike down these spirits," Absol snarked back, before he gritted his teeth in pain, having accidentally set his back leg down. Celestia noticed and moved to his side, wincing slightly when she saw the injury.

"I am surprised to see you crippled like this. Did whoever dragged you beneath the ground do this to you?" Celestia asked.

"I suppose you could say that I suffered this wound because of them," Absol admitted.

"Do not worry, once we get back to Canterlot we shall have our best healers look at you. It is the least we can do for having you help us. Come, we still have to find the rest of the Pie family and they are supposed to be in here somewhere."

"Do not worry. You shall fall long before you can find them."

All six sets of eyes snapped towards the sound of the voice, which came from the center of the chamber. The shadows began to twist and the light scrambled away as a being seemingly made from the darkness rose out of the floor. He had a body that was as large and tall as the princesses, though a small difference was that his was transparent. His coat was ashen gray, his mane was short but messy and he wore a mask on his face that hid all but his eyes, leaving the group looking upon the smile that was carved into the mask.

"Spiral," Celestia snarled with hate.

"Correct, Princess Celestia. And I see Luna is here as well. The two descendants of Solace," Spiral muttered, before looking over Twilight. "And an Ambassador without her friends here to access her true powers? Oh, this really is too good a chance to pass up."

"Finally decided to stop hiding in the shadows and face us yourself?" Luna asked with a smirk, her horn glowing with a dark power that was similar to Absol's. "Well you picked the wrong day to do it. I'll show you why in just a moment."

"Actually, I believe that I picked the perfect time. Everything seems to be going perfectly. You're injured, their's only one of the Ambassadors and both princesses came without their army," Spiral laughed, his eyes resting on Absol and his broken leg. Then they shifted to Limestone. "Seems that Ahuizotl failed to do what I asked of him. Pity. But I also see that he was successful in crippling the only being in this land that could possibly stop me. I suppose that will be good enough."

"If you think I won't fight..."

"Oh Absol, I've studied you long enough to say with full confidence that I know you will fight. But in the state your in, you can't hope to beat me. Or to keep these precious friends of yours alive," Spiral said with malice as he turned his gaze towards the princesses. "For example."

A blast of ominous wind erupted from behind the king of the ghosts, catching the entire party off guard before the wind struck them. Absol, being a dark type, barely felt the effects of the ghostly wind. The rest were not so lucky.

Celestia, Twilight and Luna all cried out in agony as the wind seemed to rip at their very souls, driving them to their knees as the striking gale did it's damage. Marble staggered under the soul chilling wind and struggled to remain upright, gritting her teeth as the wind tore into her. And Limestone, though she suffered just as much as her sister, knew that Absol needed her for support, so despite the pain she didn't budge an inch.

"See Absol? This is how it was always going to go," Spiral said, gazing across his beaten foes with a smile spreading beneath his mask. "Well, I first thought there would still be more fighting between you and me, but the end result would be the same. And Luna, your are the same poor, deluded fool that you've always been. Despite your newfound power, you still cannot stand up to my might. My power preys on the very magic you pride yourself on. You and your pathetic sister never stood a chance. Now then, which of them should I finish first?"

"NO!" Absol bellowed. He pushed himself off of Limestone and staggered in front of Spiral, his horn being encased in black power as he glared at Spiral with a single, red eye. "I don't care what kind of power you have or how badly injured I am. I will not let you rip apart any more families. It ends here, Spiral!"

"Yes..." Spiral said with a smirk, as he slowly began to walk towards Absol. "Yes, I suppose it does. Goodbye, Absol."

Then a brilliant beam of blinding light erupted down onto Spiral, causing him to roar with pain as the light consumed him. The light was so blinding that all in the room had to look away until it died down, though when they opened their eyes once more they weren't certain if their eyes were playing tricks on them or not.

Standing where Spiral had stood now stood a unicorn, one that was the same height as Celestia, though this one was a male. He had a white coat with streaks of gold in it, a red mane as well as a red beard and mustache, though both of those were thin. But what made all eyes, except for Absols, go wide was the mark on his flank. For it was a mark similar to the one that Celestia wore on her flank, only brighter and glowing with power. 

The figure stared down at the ground near his hooves, where the mask Spiral had been wearing lay. A grimace crossed his face before he slammed a hoof down on the mask, shattering it into pieces. Then he raised his eyes towards the ponies, and he orange and yellow eyes filled with delight as he gazed upon them.

"So, you are Celestia and Luna. I must say, neither of you really look like my brother. And you must me the Pie sisters that managed to get away from Spiral. Your resourcefulness is impressive if you managed to escape from him. And you are the Pokemon, the being that he has obsessed over so much. Absol, was it? Nice to meet you."

"It...cannot be," Celestia said in a whisper, recognizing the being before her. "But you were killed so long ago..."

"I was, but it seems Spiral was desperate enough to bring me back to fight you. Fat lot of good it did him," the being said before bowing to the group. "But where are my manners? I am Sol. Prince of Equestria."
> Prince Sol
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Confusion reigned supreme at Canterlot upon the return of Celestia and the others.

Celestia had dozens of questions that she had wanted to ask Sol, but given the state of Absol and the others, she figured that returning to Canterlot would be the best option. She had searched the room that Spiral had been guarding and discovered that the entire Pie family had been resting within, trapped within a sphere of underworldy power. She had been unable to crack it open, leaving her no other option but to teleport it and the others back to Canterlot.

Absol was taken by Limestone and Marble to the medical wing, where his broken leg was treated with the most powerful healing magics. Which didn't work on him. After their magic had failed, the doctors used an older method of healing patients, which involved numerous terrible tasting herbs and a cast that he would only have to wear for a week. After making sure that he was okay, Absol, Limestone and Marble left to join back up with Celestia, Luna, Twilight and Prince Sol. The three of them found the princesses in the throne room, working with the prince returned to break the sphere.

"None of our magical abilities can get through it," Celestia said at last, her horn losing its glow when her powers failed to so much as scratch the surface of the sphere. "Spiral might have been a lunatic, but his powers were serious. This will take a considerable amount of time to break through."

"Spiral always did have a knack for being far more trouble than he was worth," Sol admitted with a sigh, one that was ancient and filled with pain. But then he glanced back to see Absol and the mares approaching and a smile crossed his face. "However, despite the strength of Spiral's last spell, perhaps there is one here who possesses the power to break through this sphere. Absol, was it? Forgive me, all I know about you comes from what Spiral spoke aloud."

"If the sphere is based off either ghost or unicorn power, then my darkness should be able to cleave through it," Absol nodded, feeling lightheaded thanks to the pain numbing herbs he had taken. He took aim at the sphere, filled his horn with a dark power and unleashed a slash powerful enough to cleave through a building. The blade of darkness shattered against the sphere. "Well, that's new."

"It is as I feared. Not even dark powers will work on this one," Luna said with a shake of her head. "I tried my own dark powers earlier and even they failed to make a dent. Seems that this will take time."

"Is our family alright?" Marble finally asked, walking to the sphere and peering inside to see her family trapped in a limbo state. She reached up to place her hoof against the sphere, but Twilight used her magic to stop her from touching it.

"At the moment they seem to be fine. The sphere is not harming them. It only seems to be keeping them in this...trance," Twilight said. "We've done all we can for the moment to break it, but once the other Ambassadors reunite, I promise that we will find a way to break it apart. The Elements of Harmony were used to beat Spiral and the Rainbow Power is three times the strength of magic that the Elements were. Just give us a little time."

"We should be able to recall them now, right?" Limestone asked, while helping to keep Absol standing. "I mean, the king of the ghosts is dead. Shouldn't the world be at peace once again?"

"If only it were that easy," Sol said with a shake of his head. "Spiral was the force controlling the ghosts, leading their actions and giving them instructions on how to attack. He took a multitude of specters and turned them into an army. Without his leadership, they will be wild and reckless. No longer organized, but a threat regardless. We should be ready."

"And why are we listening to you?" Absol asked. "Last time I checked, you were dead, betrayed by Spiral and used to turn him into the being that we faced. How are you back? Did you find a way back on your own or did Spiral revive you? And if it is the latter, I want to know why."

Absol spoke for all of the ponies there, who hadn't asked the same questions based on their respect for the formerly fallen prince. Sol looked around at all of their faces to see that they were all waiting for an answer, so with a wry smile he constructed himself a chair from the very light of the sun and sat down.

"Very well, you are all owed explanations, especially the two of you who are long descended from my brother," Sol admitted, before taking in a breath that he seemed to relish. "Forgive me, it is just nice to take in air once more, to feel the sun on my skin and the wind in my hair. After what Spiral did to me, I wasn't exactly in the best part of the afterlife."

"I did not ask to hear how you felt. Tell me how you returned or I will turn my power onto you," Absol threatened. The moment he did so, Celestia and Luna stood between the Pokemon and Sol, eyes glowing with power as they prepared to fight him. "Of course you would pick his side. How do you know he was not brought back as some plan Spiral had? You could be turning your backs on the most dangerous threat in the room."

"Absol, come on, you saw Prince Sol take down Spiral. Why would he do that if he wasn't on our side?" Twilight asked.

"Easiest way to gain someone's trust. Strike down their foe and suddenly we're all best friends," Absol snarled, before latching his eyes onto Sol once more. "I believe I asked you a question, your highness."

"Heh, you are not a very trusting being, are you?" Sol asked with a chuckle. "You are not far from the truth, my dear Absol. Spiral did indeed intend to use me in striking all of you down and claiming the world for himself. He brought me back from the underworld, using his dark powers to control my mind and force me to slay my own family. But, as you clearly saw, it did not work."

"And why is that? I thought that Spiral could control others if they gave their names to him willingly," Twilight asked. "And according to myth you did give yours to him."

"True, I did. But Spiral didn't know that his powers cannot control anypony that has been touched by the Elements of Harmony," Sol revealed, getting all eyes to widen in shock. "My brother was touched by them and so was I. Of course, I didn't wield them like he did, but they did choose me at one point. Yes, even if their power or the one they touched was to fade from this world, their protection persists. That is how powerful Harmony is."

"I didn't know that," Celestia muttered.

"Really? Didn't you find it odd that Spiral never tried to control any of you?" Sol asked. "The reason is that he couldn't. My dear Celestia and Luna, both of you were immune due to the Elements you once wielded. Twilight, the same goes for you and your friends. Your Elements and now the Rainbow power grant you protection against his mind control. As for you...Marble and Limestone, was it? Being the sisters of both an Element and Rainbow power wielder, you were safe thanks to your sister."

"Spiral had no idea why his mind powers wouldn't work against any of you. So he brought me back in hopes that I would be able to offer some insight into what was going on. I told him that the reason that his powers didn't work was because of your will or something like that. He believed me, though, as he also believed that I was under his control when I told him that."

"So then he asked you how to get us under his control?" Luna asked with an impressed smile.

"That he did. And I told him that he would have to confront and overpower you in pony if he wanted to claim you all as his own," Sol smiled back. "It is amazing how quick he was to believe my suggestion when he thought I was working for him. So he showed up to battle you and I struck him down the moment he focused all of his power into fighting Absol. And that is how I returned to the land of the living. Does that satisfy your request?"

Absol's response was to narrow his eyes, but before he could say anything Celestia and Luna stepped forward, smiles on their faces as they gazed at their ancient relative. "Your story is truly impressive, Prince Sol. To not only resist the powers of a being that nearly defeated your brother, but to also trick him into believing your words...you were always said to be one of the smartest royals in the history of Equestria. We are glad to have you back."

"Indeed. We could use some of those smarts to help us clean up Equestria of the rest of the spirits that still roam it," Luna agreed.

"I can't wait to learn all that you know! I'm sure there are hundreds of spells that the world never knew that you managed to discover!" Twilight exclaimed with glee.

"So that's it? You just trust him?" Absol asked. The three princesses turned to look back at the Pokemon, who was looking at Sol with an expression none of them could place.

"Of course we are. He not only helped us be rid of Spiral once and for all, but he is family. And family trusts one another," Celestia said in a tone that told Absol that the conversation was closed. Absol narrowed his eyes for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders and motioning for Limestone to help him out of the room.

"Absol, I understand that you do not trust me. I cannot say that I blame you. Even back in my day, when I was the most loved prince in all of the world, there were always a few that did not trust me. But I know that trust is earned, not given. So I promise that I will will earn yours. Just as you seem to have earned theirs."

"We'll see," Absol replied.

Limestone helped Absol limp out of the throne room and into the main hallway, where they found the guards all trying to sneak a peek at the returned prince. Absol walked by them without a glance and the three soon found themselves outside in the garden that Celestia kept close to her castle. Absol snarled once they reached the garden, his horn crackling with a dark power as he shook his head.

"Something the matter? You've been awfully upset since we got back," Limestone noticed.

"I am not being testy. There is...something wrong," Absol snarled in reply.

"Okay, I've got to agree with Limestone about that testy comment, you never act like this," Marble added on. "Care to tell us what is the matter?"

"There has been something different...something wrong since we returned from the place where we found your family," Absol snarled, shaking his head like he was trying to clear out spiderwebs out of his head. "I don't think it's coming from Sol, but at the same time it...is? I think those herbs that the doctors gave me are messing with my senses, but there is one sense that remains as clear as day, even now. And that is what frightens me."

"Absol, you're scaring me. What sense are you talking about?" Limestone asked as she placed a hoof on Absol's shoulder. "What is frightening you?"

"What scares me is that even with all the families found, with the ghosts pushed back and even Spiral gone, my instincts scream out in danger," Absol muttered, before looking eyes with Limestone. "Because even with Spiral gone, I sense disaster on its way. The likes of which this world has never known."
> A Chance to Talk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marble had gotten used to finding Absol in the throne room. In the week since they had returned from finding her family and watching Spiral being destroyed, Absol almost seemed to refuse to leave the throne room unless he was forced to. And most of the time it was Limestone that was forcing him to the medical wing, so that the doctors there could check up on him. But whenever he wasn't there, he was in the throne room, trying in vain to free her family from the dark prison.

"I don't think this is good for your health," Marble pointed out as she walked into the room. Absol stood in the center, panting heavily as his legs shook from weakness. All around the sphere, on the walls and floor, were slash marks caused from his night slash attack, but the sphere remained as smooth as it had when they had found it. "You should be in bed resting, not trying to cut a hole in the side of the castle."

"I am trying to fulfill my promise to you and your sister," Absol panted in reply. Marble shook her head, recognizing the stubbornness in his tone before she glanced down at his leg still covered in a cast, noticing that it was shaking harder than the other three.

"Have you been standing on that leg the entire time?" she asked with disbelief. Absol said nothing and only narrowed his eyes as his horn began to glow. A frown crossed Marble's face before she walked in front of Absol, placing herself between him and the sphere. "Stop that right now. You need to lay down and rest before you do permanent damage to that leg."

"I do not have time to rest. I have to free them before-"

"Yeah yeah, before the next disaster. But you don't know when that disaster is coming and even if you did, in the shape you are now you wouldn't be much good against it," Marble pointed out to him. Absol snarled in reply, but the look in her eyes prevented him from replying. "Absol, it touches my heart that you care so much about us and our family, but we also care about you. Watching you ruin your body like this isn't helping anypony. Rest, let the doctors fix your leg and then, once you're at one hundred percent, try again. My family can wait a little longer. They're tough. They'll live."

"But-"

"Do I have to get my sister in here to help you?" she asked with a coy smile. Absol glared at her for a long moment, before he relented his stubbornness with a sigh. "See, aren't things easier when we think them through? Come on, you can lean on me as we get you back to the medical wing."

"Very well, as it seems I have no choice in the matter," Absol grunted. He pressed up against Marble's side, surprised slightly to find that she was fairly strong herself, before the pair of them walked out of the throne room and headed towards the medical wing.

"I'm surprised that Princess Celestia let you into the throne room. She didn't seem to like you very much," Marble said.

"She said that as long as I was using my powers to help free your family, she did not mind me being there. But I can tell in the way she looks at me and acts around me that she does not trust me," Absol spat with narrowed eyes. "Funny how she harbors a being that once tried to overthrow her and cast the world into eternal night yet Luna isn't considered a threat in the least. I try to help some ponies survive disasters that claim their homes and I become public enemy number one."

"I don't think she's views you as a threat, but it's more...she's scared of your power. Or rather, your immunity," Marble clarified. When Absol raised an eyebrow for her to continue, Marble elaborated. "All my life, I've been taught how unicorns are the most powerful of the pony species. And how the alicorns are superior over them, all thanks to their magic. And I'm certain Celestia has thought to same way. Not to say that alicorns or unicorns are better than others, but they are stronger with their magic. That's the way it's always been."

"And then she learns that you have a power that makes their magic useless against you. Magic that is strong enough to move the sun and moon is useless. Imagine hearing that. That is why Celestia is afraid of you. Not because you've done anything, but because if you were to do something she would be powerless to stop you." Absol did have to admit that if he had that power and had come across a foe that it did nothing to, he would be scared as well.

"Still, she has no right to hunt me the way she has. Until you and your sister dragged me into this, I lived a peaceful life."

"Don't act like you regret coming along, I see how being around me and Limestone has made you happier," Marble replied with a knowing look. "But you are right, Celestia shouldn't have hunted you. You are a good pokemon and you shouldn't be judged based on what you could do."

"Or what I try to help others avoid."

"That as well."

"And yes, I am grateful that I went along with you and Limestone. Journeying with the both of you has indeed brought joy to my heart...even if your sister does get on my nerves," Absol chuckled and Marble smiled in reply. "That is why I am so desperate to free your family before this disaster gets here. If they are still trapped and this kingdom on the mountain were to collapse..."

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would teleport us all to safety. Well, I guess aside from you, since teleportation doesn't work on you," Marble noted. "But that also includes our families. Absol, you don't have to always act like the weight of the world is yours to bear alone. We're all here to help you. Me, my sister, the Ambassadors and even the princesses, even if they won't admit it. You don't have to push us away."

"Are you sure about the Ambassadors? Twilight seemed like she will take after Celestia."

"Twilight, from what Pinkie has told me, has always followed Celestia to the letter. But she is fair and kind, so I doubt she would try to harm or capture you. And even if she did, Pinkie would stand against her," Marble said with a knowing smile. "I talked to Pinkie about it a few days ago while you were having a checkup. She is beyond grateful for what you have done, not only in rescuing us, but also helping to find the rest of our family. She said that she owes you a debt that she can never repay and hope that you like parties for the rest of your life."

"Hmm, never really been to a party before," Absol muttered. "We haven't had a chance to talk like this in a while, you and I."

"Yeah, because you're too busy spending all of your free time with my sister," Marble replied with a smirk. When she saw Absol's eyes widen, her smirk turned into a genuine smile. "I'm not upset in the least. I know better than almost anypony how difficult Limestone can be, so I'm extremely happy that she found somepony that enjoys being with her. Just for that alone I am grateful to you. Saving our lives is just extra."

"Your sister can indeed be difficult. But she is one of the strongest beings I have met. I admire her strength," Absol said, only to notice that Marble was giving him a coy look.

"Just her strength? Nothing else about her? Maybe her legs, or how the sunlight can make her mane shine?"

"Nice try, but I am not falling into that trap. Right now my only concern is saving the rest of your family and ridding this world of ghosts once and for all. That is all I care about," Absol said a little too quickly. Marble smiled at his response, but then his face fell and took on a graver look. "You told me what Pinkie said to you because Pinkie is not here herself to tell me, am I right? Are all of the Ambassadors away from Canterlot at the moment?"

"Yes. From what Pinkie told me before she left, Princess Celestia sent them across the land to help aid in places where the ghosts have been attacking. Prince Sol is right about the ghosts being far less organized, but they are still as dangerous as before, so the ponies of this land need constant help. Why do you ask?"

"I wanted them here for when the disaster comes," Absol replied with a concerned look. "With my senses returning to me, I know that the disaster will take place here. But I cannot sense when or why. It is like something or someone is messing with me, somehow managing to prevent me from using my abilities to the fullest."

"Who would do that? Spiral and Ahuizotl are both gone and the ghosts aren't coordinated enough to do such a thing to you. Even our pony magic can't affect you in any way. So how would somepony be able to block your abilities?"

"I do not know. But I do know that if someone is going through such efforts to make sure that I cannot predict this disaster properly, then it cannot mean anything good for the rest of us," Absol whispered. He raised his head when he and Marble arrived at the medical wing, a grimace crossing his face before he removed himself from Marble's shoulder. "Thank you for taking me this far, but I can do the rest on my own. Let us hope they can get me back to my full power. I would hate to have to face this disaster with anything less."

"Hey Absol," Marble asked before Absol walked into the medical wing. "I know you can't tell when or where, but...can you still sense how bad of a disaster this is going to be?"

Absol didn't reply for a minute, allowing Marble's mind to slowly realize just how bad this disaster was going to be. "If I had to be perfectly honest with you Marble, this may be the greatest disaster that I have ever sensed. One that I do not know if this land will be able to survive."

And after leaving her with that pleasant thought, Absol turned and limped into the medical wing.

(]o[)

A roar of unholy might echoed across the emptiness, the roar of a beast that was struggling with all of its might against a force it did not understand. The beast could feel it's body turning sluggish as more and more of the power crept into its very mind, slowing its movements and halting its otherworldly power. The beast did not know what power was being used on it, but it did faintly recognize it as being similar to magic. For a brief moment the beast wondered if this was a new form of psychic type. And that one thought proved to be its undoing.

In the moment its mind was taken off of its battle with the power, the power took hold of its very being. The beast stopped its struggle and became motionless, having fallen under the power that had assaulted its mind. The other being, the one that had been unleashing its power upon the beast,  let out a sigh as he finally wrestled control from the beast.

'For a week you have managed to fight my power. That is...beyond what I thought possible. I guess you do live up to your reputation,' the voice spoke in the void, before a chuckle escaped its thoughts. 'But that does not matter. Now you are mine and mine to control as I wish. You shall destroy Canterlot for me. You shall wipe those who oppose me off the face of the planet. And then you will make me a god among all. But before all that, there is one, crucial question I must ask you.'

'What is the move that allows a psychic type to use its power against a dark type?'
> The Chilling Sun
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The streets of Canterlot were mostly empty. That was the way Absol liked it.

The disaster pokemon walked through the streets alone, glad for a chance to finally stretch his rear leg after a week of having it trapped in a cast. He was also glad to finally be off of the herbs that the doctors had given him for the pain, as his sense were clearer than they had been in a while. Yet despite his senses being restored to their usual sharpness, he still couldn't sense where the next disaster would come from and what it would entail. That did not sit well with him.

Lost in his thoughts as he was, he still kept an ear to the world around, ever vigilant. But he did not hear any danger, the screams of ghosts preparing the tear him apart or the roar of a dead king that was not as dead as he had thought. Instead, he heard the whispers of the few ponies that were actually out so late in the night. Whispers that were all aimed at him.

'Is that him? The pokemon right?'

'I've heard that he's the one that helped the ghosts to return.'

'No, he's the one fighting them. He appears wherever there's disaster.'

'Actually, I think that he causes disaster. I've heard that he's called the disaster pokemon.'

'Makes sense, I remember him being there when that earthquake hit Mareiland. I don't think he's bad though.'

'Shows what you know. He uses the power of darkness. You know who else did that? Sombra, Nightmare Moon and that shadow beast. All evil.'

'Maybe we should keep our distance, just to be safe.'

Despite having heard all of those words before, Absol couldn't help but frown to himself. He had hoped that in coming to a new world, one far from where the people and pokemon had cast him out and hunted him, that he would finally be able to avoid those whispers. But they persisted, even across reality. Perhaps he was a bringer of disaster. One that brought disaster to himself. 

'Can't think like that. Need to focus,' Absol snapped back. He gave a glare to the ponies talking about him, sending them running away in fear, before he focused his thoughts on what was to come. 'I don't know where this disaster will be, but considering how huge it feels then it will most likely come here. This is where the protectors of the world are, so it would come for them first. And despite what certain ponies think about me, I will help them fight this disaster, just as I have for all the others. That is what you taught me, mother. I will make you proud.'

"I'm sure you will." Absol whipped his head around to see Prince Sol walking up behind him, a kind smile on the Prince's face: a stark contrast to the look of disdain on Absol's. "Now that is a look I have only seen one other give me. Care to explain that hostile look on your face?"

"I don't like you. Plain as that," Absol snapped back.

"Ah, well that would explain the look. Now may I please have an explanation for why you don't like me?" Sol continued.

"A few reasons. Your sudden return. Your unreadable face. But the biggest is that you should have kept a tighter leash on Spiral," Absol began, getting the prince to raise his eyebrows. "I've thought it over while laying in the hospital and I've realized you could have prevented this disaster. Isn't that what a ruler is supposed to do? Protect those they rule over?"

"Of course, I understand. It must be hard for somepony who has stopped every disaster they have sensed to gaze upon one who has failed a number of times," Sol replied, though he raised an eyebrow when Absol looked away. "What is that look for? Surely with your ability to sense disasters you have been successful in preventing every, single one you've come across? Why, isn't that what that ability is for?"

"I...have not prevented every disaster," Absol admitted with shame. "In fact I am...more or less even on success and failure for stopping them."

"I see. Then I do not understand why you judge me so harshly for failing with Spiral," Sol replied in a sterner tone. "Up until him, my brother and I had managed to prevent every disaster in Equestria. And Spiral was an old friend of the family, so I had no reason not to trust him. Perhaps if I had that ability of yours, to sense oncoming doom, I could have stopped him. But apparently that ability means nothing if the one that uses it is...what's the word? Inadequate?"

Absol spun on Spiral, anger burning in his eyes, but the fires that burned were quickly doused by the chilling reality that flashed in Sol's own eyes. "The ability to sense disasters before they happen. A type that allows you to ignore the effects of all magic. And the speed and strength of a prime athlete. You have been given so many gifts and yet it seems that you cannot do anything with them. And here I had such high hopes for you."

"What do you mean?" Absol spat back.

"Upon my return, I wanted to help usher Equestria into a new age. An age void of villains like Spiral or the plethora of ones my descendants have fought since I was imprisoned," Sol began. "But to do that I would need a new team of peacekeepers, those that could fight against powerful magic users, such as Discord and Sombra. You would have been one of them. But now I know better."

"What?"

"You lack determination, Absol. You lack resolve," Sol began, his cold eyes locking onto Absol once more. "I can see it by looking into your eyes. I heard the full story of how you came to join Limestone and Marble from my descendants. You did not join them out of the kindness in your heart or a desire to free the world. You did it because you lost a bet. And here I had thought you were some kind of dark hero, but it seems you are just a loner. You only help others if you must."

Absol had no words to reply with.

"You would not be a good fit for my team. After all, Equestria is the land of friendship and harmony, but it seems like those two traits elude you. I will say that it was nice to meet you, but this talk with you has finally made up my mind. I do not need you. And know this, Absol. That thought...truly saddens me. I had such high hopes for you."

"Sorry to disappoint," Absol spat, but Sol was already walking away from him, having made no indication that he had heard Absol. Absol watched him go until he left Absol's sight, before the pokemon turned around and continued he walk. He tried to return to his previous thoughts, but to his annoyance all he found that he could think about was the look of disappointment that Sol had given him. And that made Absol angry.

He let out a roar of fury before unleashing a slash of darkness from his horn, cleaving one of the statues in the town square at the base and causing it to topple over. For a brief moment Absol was remorseful for his actions, but then he shook his head and turned away without a care.

"Yeesh, haven't seen you like that in a while." Absol lifted his head to find that this time the pony that had come to speak with him was somepony he actually liked.

"Limestone. You're out late."

"Couldn't sleep. And since I'm such a caring pony, I decided to come visit you in the medical wing only to find out that they let you go early. So I came looking for you," she said with a smile.

"You found me in this huge city this quickly?"

"Quickly? I've been looking for an hour. For the only pokemon in this world, you can be pretty hard to find if you want to be," she replied.

"Sorry, I've just...been thinking."

"Well that's never a good sign. Come on, sit on down and tell me what you were thinking about," Limestone said. She sat down on a bench and patted the seat next to her, getting Absol to smile as he sat down beside her. The two of them looked up at the stars for a few minutes before Absol finally decided to talk.

"Limestone...do you believe that I have no determination?" Absol weakly asked.

"Yep." Absol nearly laughed aloud at how quick and sharp her reply was. "Ever since I met you all you seem to want to do is sit and brood, trying your best to show what a dark and cool loner you are. Even now, after having spent so much time with me and my sister you still fall back on the loner personality that I can't stand. It's enough to drive anypony away from you honestly."

"Heh, that so? Sorry that I'm such a brooding loner that has no drive," Absol replied. Limestone rolled her eyes before smacking Absol on the shoulder, gaining her his full attention.

"Aren't you listening? I said that if you were that brooding longer it would drive anypony away. But considering Marble and I still hang out with you, that means you can't still be that same loner, right?" she asked. When he raised an eyebrow at her, she just sighed and gave up. "You aren't the same pokemon you were when my sister and I first found you. You used to be a loner with no determination, but now you're a way more outspoken and kind guy with no determination."

"Is that supposed to be an insult or...?"

"Argh, why is talking to you so difficult?! You lack determination for yourself! You don't like to do anything unless you have to. That is the part of you that has no determination," Limestone snarled, before her gazed softened and she smiled at Absol. "And then either me or my sister gets in danger and you become an unstoppable force of will. Eve when you're afraid, you still come back to help. You don't act for yourself, but for others. Does that make sense?"

Absol wasn't sure himself.

"It's almost like...you're on the cusp of reaching the guy that you want to be, but there's something holding you back. Something that you're missing that, if you can find it, will make finally make you complete," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I don't know what it could be, or what would even trigger it. But I know you will find it. Because, despite my better judgement, I have faith in you."

Absol, once again, found himself speechless for the second time that night. But unlike the first time with Sol, the reason he couldn't speak this time was because the emotions he felt were clutching at his throat, preventing him from speaking. Eventually he gave up on trying to reply and simply smiled at the mare with gratitude.

"Thank you," he managed to whisper.

"Um, sure. Don't mention it," Limestone muttered, looking in every direction except where Absol was. Then her eyes locked onto something happening above them and she felt fear grip at her heart. "Absol? Do you know what that is?"

Absol lifted his gaze just in time to see a pink slash appear in the sky, ripping a small line in the very sky above them. Then, two clawed hands pierced through the lines, ripping them apart and turning the tear in the sky into a full on vortex. Yet it wasn't the vortex that caused Absol's heart to drop into his gut. It was who came out of that vortex.

The being had a long next with a fin that traversed the whole next, reaching from its shoulders to the tip of its head. On its shoulders were large, spherical pearls that glowed with an otherworldly power. The being's tail swished back and forth in the same movement as its head, which looked back and forth across the new world that it found itself in. Then the being threw its head back and unleashed an unholy scream to the sky, one that shook the very fabric of space around them.

"It can't be..." Absol whispered in horror.

"Absol...what is that?"

"Palkia. Palkia, the pokemon god of space, is here."
> Dead Space
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In one swift motion, Absol flipped Limestone off of her hooves and onto his back. The moment she was there he turned and ran for all he was worth, tearing through the almost empty streets towards Canterlot Castle. He prayed that he could make it there before Palkia did, but those prayers died as Palkia soared overhead and reached the castle far faster than Absol would have believed possible.

"Palkia?!" Limestone screamed in hysterics. "The same, mythical being that brought you to this world? What in the name of Faust is he doing here?!"

Before Absol could answer, Palkia let out a bellow and cloaked his tail in a sea of water. He then lashed out with his tail towards one of the towers that made up the castle, ripping it apart with a single strike. Both Absol and Limestone felt their jaws hit the ground, but now that he knew what Palkia's purpose was Absol fueled all of his might into running. Within another minute he made it to the front gates of Canterlot Castle, just in time to see the three princesses take to the skies and surround the pokemon of space.

"Halt, beast! I do not know why you have decided to attack our home, but know that you have made a grave mistake in doing so!" Celestia roared as her horn began to glow. Palkia let out a bellow of fury in response, a bellow with such force that it knocked the three princess out of the sky and sent them crashing down in the garden. Absol took in a few quick breaths before he raced over to where the had crashed, relieved to find that none of them were harmed. 

"Are all of you alright? Palkia didn't hurt you, did you?" he asked them as he and Limestone helped them up.

"Seeing as you know that being's name, I take it you know who he is," Luna asked. Absol opened his mouth to answer, but before he could Prince Sol ran out into the garden with them. He quickly glanced around at everypony to make sure that they were alright, but then the darkest of fears filled his eyes as he looked towards the heavens, seeing the being that floated above all of them.

"It can't be. Palkia has returned?" he asked with disbelief in his voice.

"You know of this being, ancestor?" Celestia asked.

"This is Palkia, a being so powerful that it is said to be able to cross space itself," Sol whispered, his words filling the others with the same fear that he felt. "My brother and I encountered this being long ago, when it somehow found its way to our world and then tried to take it over!"

"What?!" all three princesses, Limestone and Absol all yelled at once.

"My brother and I used all of the our strength and the resources we had available to us to try to combat it, but it was far too powerful to defeat in combat. So we used the last of our power to send it away and then mask our own world so that it couldn't find it again! How has it found us?!" Sol roared, trying to think of some explanation.

"It is too dark," Palkia snarled in a voice that shook space itself. He then raised both of his arms and let out a pink wave of energy, one which rewrote space around the entire world. Then, to the horror of Celestia and Luna, the sun rose from the east while the moon rose from the west, both of them coming to a halt in the sky the same distance away from each other. With both the sun and moon now in the sky, blinding rays of light descended upon the world.

"It...has the power...to..." Celestia whispered.

"But...only our magic...can..." Luna quaked.

Then, for the first time, Palkia seemed to notice the beings that were beneath him. He slowly looked down to see five ponies staring up at him...along with one pokemon that had a look that was a mix of confusion and fear. A dark smile crossed Palkia's face as he slowly floated down to them, crushing the statues in the garden with his sizes as he landed. Despite being in the presences of four royals, Palkia only gazed upon Absol.

"There you are. My faithful spy," Palkia said, shaking the ground with his voice.

"W-what?" Absol asked. "What do you mean spy, Lord Palkia?"

"Exactly what I said, Absol," Palkia replied, his black eyes shining with malice. "I sent you here so that you could gauge how the world has changed since the last time I was here. To see how strong or weak these ponies had become in my absence. And you did well. For thanks to you, I have learned that those who stopped me before have weakened. And the champions that now protect the world are no threat to me. Or did you believe that I sent you here out of the goodness in my heart? No, I had a better plan for you. And you played your part."

Absol's heart practically came to a stop as he felt five sets of eyes rest upon him, knowing what was going through each of their heads. But what they thought of him was nothing compared to the pain and betrayal that was flooding his own mind. 'How could Palkia do this? He wasn't like this when I begged him to find me a new world? Has something changed or has he been playing me for a fool this whole time?'

"Absol would never spy on us!" The sound of the one voice speaking up for him shattered his thoughts and brought him back to reality, getting Absol to look up to see that Limestone had taken a step towards Palkia and was glaring up at him. "He maybe be a recluse and have no pony skills whatsoever, but I refuse to believe that he would do something like this! He would never harm us!"

"Of course he would, worm," Palkia snarled in reply. "He is the disaster pokemon. His sole purpose, the purpose of his race, is to bring disaster to all who set eyes upon him. And now I come to bring the disaster."

"It matters not what the two of you are planning," Celestia replied, having found her strength once more. "Because it stops here. We care not what being you are or from what reality you hail. You will be stopped here and now! Twilight, Sister: with me!"

"No!" Absol roared. But his words went unheeded as the three princesses took to the sky to try to fight the being that had invaded their world. Palkia sneered at them before he brought his right arm back, channeling his divine power into it. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

In the face of such overwhelming power, this time the princesses heeded Absol's words and all dodged to the side just as Palkia released his attack. A beam blade of pink energy erupted from his arm and sliced apart space and sky as it sailed past the princesses, just narrowly missing them. The beam struck a mountain far off in the distance and in the blink of an eye it was gone. The princesses and Sol all watched the mountain vanish with horror, before they slowly turned back to face Palkia.

Palkia didn't waste any time. In a burst of speed nopony would associate with his size, Palkia rocketed towards the three princess with a bellow of power. Twilight had the reactions to teleport out of the way, but Celestia and Luna were both slapped out of the sky as Palkia drove both of his fists into their chest. Twilight appeared next to Absol and Limestone just as Celestia and Luna crashed into the side of the tower.

"Absol, you know this guy better than any of us. What do we do?!" she screamed at Absol.

"I...we can't...he's too..." Absol began, before Limestone grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook him.

"Absol, now is not the time to do this!" Limestone yelled at him. "You know Palkia! You know what type he is and what he is weak to! We need you here, before he-"

"He won't be any help! Twilight, here is what we will do!" Sol roared, taking control of the situation. "I can recast the spell that my brother used to banish him all those years ago, but I will need an incredible source of power to do so! The Rainbow Power, along with the power of the princesses should be enough to do it!"

"We can do that?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, but it will drain the power out of all of you for a period of time," Sol warned, before he looked up to see Palkia turning his attention to them. "But we don't really have much a choice here and now, do we? Go, gather your friends. Absol and I shall stall Palkia until you get back."

Twilight looked like she wanted to say something else, but she fought back those questions and vanished in a flash of violet magic. "Absol, I know that you are scared and are only used to making things worse, but if you care for these ponies at all you will stand with me against this beast," Sol said in a dark tone to Absol. Absol looked from Sol to Palkia, who had raised a hand to his head and looked dazed. "Hurry. There isn't much time left."

"Absol," Limestone whispered. Absol shook his head and walked up beside Sol, the two of them staring down the god of space. Palkia seemed to have regained his focus and he glared down at the both of them with dark eyes that burned with dark power.

"Sol. I thought you had died ages ago," Palkia asked Sol.

"I did, but it will keep more than death to stop me from saving my world," Sol spat back, getting Palkia to smirk in response.Then Palkia turned to look at Absol and for a brief moment Absol swore he saw confusion in Palkia's eyes. Then the eyes hardened and a sneer crossed Palkia's face.

"And you, Absol. I did as you wished. I sent you to a world that you would no longer be hunted or ostracized in. And yet here you stand, ready to fight me. Is that how you repay someone who gave you so much?"

"Palkia, I beg of you, do not do this," Absol pleaded with the deity.

"I will not hear your words. Prepare to fall!"

Palkia unleashed a blast of dragons fire from its mouth, forcing Absol to leap out of the way while Sol constructed a barrier around himself with magic to protect himself from the attack. Absol kicked off of the side of the castle and lunged towards Palkia, his horn glowing with dark energy as he slashed at Palkia. Palkia, in return, let out a bellow that blast Absol back and sent him crashing into the ground.

"Absol!" Limestone cried as she raced over to his side. Absol slowly began to pick himself off of the ground, his visions going black as he tried to stand once more. "It's okay, I'm here. You're alright. You can do this."

"I...can't..." he muttered weakly, shaking his head. "Palkia is...a god among...too strong...stand no chance..."

"That doesn't matter! All you have to do is hold out until Twilight returns," Limestone yelled at him, but her voice sounded very far away to Absol.

"Run...save...yourself," Absol said.

"And leave you to die? Hell no!"

Palkia had decided that was enough. He locked onto Absol and Limestone, bringing his arm back and taking aim at the both of them. Pink power that could rend the heavens burned along his arm, shaking the castle to its core as he prepared to unleash it upon both Absol and Limestone.

"Absol move!" Limestone screamed at Absol. But Absol didn't move. He stared right into the face of Palkia. For only Absol had seen Palkia's face before, when he wasn't angry. His face was generally calm and composed, but there was always a hint of mischief in the eyes of Palkia. But as he looked into Palkia's eyes at the moment, he saw darkness and evil...but also the tiniest hint of confusion. Almost like Palkia wasn't sure what he was doing.

So Absol did something he'd never thought he'd do. He closed his eyes and waited for the end.

He heard Palkia roar in rage, heard the sound of the spacial rend being hurled towards him and heard Limestone call out his name in desperate agony...before everything went black and he felt nothing.
> Banished
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Absol dreamed about his mother. But for the first time in a long time, there weren't any flames or screams in his dreams. Just him and his mother sitting atop a small hill, watching the sun setting on the horizon while a flock of Pelipper flew over the ocean. It was a pleasant dream, so for the time being, Absol allowed it to continue.

"Why are we called the disaster pokemon, mom?" he asked his mother. A look of concern crossed his mother's face for a moment, before her smile returned and she ruffled Absol's fur with her paw.

"Because my dear, we have been granted a special power, one that many beings in the world would love to have," she replied in her calming tone, one that Absol remembered her using whenever he felt angry or sad. "We can sense when and where a disaster is going to happen, meaning that we can do something to try to prevent it or, if we cannot do that, help those that have been affected."

"But...if we use our ability to help, why to the people and other pokemon hate us so?" Absol asked. Once again his mothers face was clouded with confusion, but it was quickly replaced by her smile.

"Because they are afraid of that which they do not understand. They believe that since we appear at the sight of disasters that we are the ones that cause them. It is not that they fear us, just that they have come to believe that we are the cause of their strife. And once someone latches onto their hate, they often no longer listen to reason," his mother said with a sad sigh. "I have tried many times to convince others that we are not the cause, but they do not listen."

"They why should we continue to help them?" Absol asked in an angry tone. "If they're just going to blame us for their problems, then why not just give up and let them be destroyed by whatever disaster is coming for them? I'd say that they deserve it."

"That's one way of looking at it, I suppose. But I believe that we were given these abilities for a reason," she said with a nod. "We would not have been given these abilities if we were not supposed to do something with them. If we were not supposed to use our powers to help others. Because I know if it was me in danger of a disaster, I would hope that someone would help me."

"Would you blame them for causing the disasters after they saved you?"

"Well...no, I would hope that I wouldn't. But then again, people and pokemon do act differently when they are scared."

"That why you're going to try to convince that town to leave their homes tomorrow? So they aren't wiped out by the earthquake?"

"Yes, that is exactly why I will be doing that," his mother replied, before lowering her head and nuzzling him softly. "Remember son, your actions will speak louder than their words. Even if they hate and fear you now, eventually they will see all the good that you have done. You just have to keep trying and one day you will find those that see you the way I do. Because the only time something is truly lost is when you have given up the will to find it."

"Okay mom. I promise that I'll try."

The dream then shifted for Absol, transitioning from a relaxing rest near the beach to the frozen and wind swept mountaintop in the heart of the Sinnoh region. A single, white pokemon climbed the rocks that were more ice than mineral at that point, knowing that one misstep would most likely result in his death. But the pokemon climbed on anyway, knowing that it didn't make much of a difference whether he lived or died. But he at least wanted to try to reach his goal, so he climbed on despite the wind and ice trying to claim his soul.

Despite the obstacles and the elements doing everything in their power to kill him, eventually Absol managed to drive one paw down at the top of the mountain, dragging the rest of his half frozen body to the top of the mythical mountain top. He took a moment to regain feeling in his body before he slowly began to limp to the center of the peak of the mountain, where an ancient temple that had long since fallen apart resided. He had nothing on him, save for a few packs filled with berries he had gathered for his journey. That and his desire, which had burned hot enough to keep him warm even in the freezing cold.

Absol dragged his body to the center of the fallen temple, noticing that even though the wind blew and blustered all along the mountain side, it was eerily quiet at the peak. There was also a power in the air, a power far greater than anything he had ever felt in his life. The power of a god. But Absol had come too far to back down, so he gazed towards the heavens before he shouted out his demands.

"Palkia! Deity of Space! I seek an audience with you!" he bellowed into the heavens. The stars swirled and twinkled overhead, seemingly gazing down on him to decided whether or not he was worthy of an audience with a divine. Just as Absol was beginning to think that he would freeze to death, a tear in the fabric of space appeared at the end of the temple. Then, the tear widened and grew to a size large enough to allow a giant dragon of pink coloring to walk through.

The pokemon towered over Absol and radiated an aura akin to nothing Absol had ever felt before, telling him he was in the right place. Palkia shifted his gaze down towards Absol and crouched down slightly, so that he could get a good look of the dark pokemon before he nodded.

"Interesting. I do not often see Pokemon from the Hoenn region. You must have traveled quite a way to make it here," Palkia muttered to himself. Then the god rose to his full height and his face took on an expression far more formal and divine than it had previously. "Absol, Disaster Pokemon, why have you sought out the pokemon of space?"

"Because I need to ask...no, I demand a favor from you," Absol replied. He had wanted to put more emphasis and power into his voice, but the exhaustion from climbing had begun to get to him and he could only pant out his words. "You are a pokemon with control over all of space. Meaning that you know of more worlds out there than this one. I demand that you rip me from this world and take me to somewhere else. Anywhere else."

"And why would you wish for this?" Palkia asked, losing all of his formalities and having them replaced with confusion. "This world may not be perfect, but it is built specifically for us pokemon. This is our world and we should cherish it."

"I have nothing here," Absol spat back. "The ones I love are gone, taken from me by not just the humans, but other pokemon as well. I do not wish to live on the same world as those who would rip those I care for from me. But I have no desire to take revenge upon them either. Striking them down will not bring back my family and will only deepen their fear of my race. So I wish to leave this world and find a new world, any world, where I do not have to fear being hunted for something I have no control over. Please, I beg of you."

Palkia gazed over Absol for a long time, considering what the young pokemon had said to him. Palkia then used his powers to see into space, able to view all that was going on not just in the Hoenn region, but also any region that the species of Absol called home. And he was not happy with what he found.

"...very well Absol, as unorthodox as this is, I shall grant you your request," Palkia replied, causing Absol to look up at the legendary beast with disbelief in his eyes. "I know of a world, one of peace and harmony, that you will find solace and peace within. But, if you try a little harder while there, perhaps you will find something greater than peace. But worry not, your suffering in this world is over.

Palkia then used his spacial rend to tear a hole in reality, motioning for Absol to join him. The disaster pokemon did so, walking up to see that indeed an entirely different world awaited him on the other side of the vortex. He lifted a paw to step through it, only to halt as a thought crossed his mind.

"Why did you so willingly help me?" Absol asked Palkia. "Things are never this easy. Most would either want a favor of their own or have some ulterior motive. Why help me?"

"Because you are right. This world hates you and your kind for something you have no control over. But in this new world, I believe they will come to accept and care for you. They will give you what you truly desire," Palkia replied, before the vortex shimmered slightly. "Go. I cannot hold it forever. And Absol, know that despite all that this world has done to you, it is not as evil as you would believe it to be. Maybe one day you will see that for yourself."

"Thank you Palkia. I...did not expect you to be this kind."

"Most do not. Of course, most of the time I must keep up appearances and act like I would end the world in a heartbeat. But I like the world too much to do that. Now go."

Absol bowed to Palkia before he leapt into the vortex, barely able to hear what Palkia said next due to the vortex of energy around him. "I wonder if my old friends Solace and Sol are still ruling Equestria. Perhaps one day I will visit there again by myself? But for now...there is work to be done."

(]o[)

The first sign for Absol that he was waking up was the overwhelming agony that flooded his body, making him feel like he had suffered dozen of fire type attacks all at the same time. The next sensation he was aware of was the scent of the earth and rocks, a scent the like of which he had only smelled on two mare in all of Equestria. Then his sense of hearing slowly came back, allowing him to pick up on a conversation that was being spoken. About him.

"It isn't fair!" the voice of Limestone roared with such fury that he nearly leapt out of bed in surprise. "After everything he's done to help us, to save our families from the ghosts...!"

"I am aware of what Absol has done for us. But I am now also aware that he is truly the bringer of disaster," Celestia's voice replied, sounding far angrier than Absol had ever remembered it sounding. "Palkia, the being that sent him here, confirmed that for us. The same Palkia, might I add, that Prince Sol fought lifetimes ago and just barely managed to keep from taking our land. It seems that Absol was nothing more than a pawn this entire time."

"So what if Palkia used Absol? Absol had no part of that and he's been helping us-"

"Palkia used Absol once. Who is to say that he would not use him again? We just barely managed to send Palkia back to his own world, at the cost of our royal magic and our Rainbow Power. Twilight has told me that it will be at least a week before those powers return to us. We are vulnerable during this time, all because we had to be rid of a being that would not have arrived had Absol-"

"Do not try to pin this on him! Maybe if you did a better job protecting your subjects, Absol wouldn't have had to step in and do your job!"

"You dare..."

"Limestone, you might be going a bit to far," Marble said nervously. Her tone, along with the fact that he could feel the anger that Celestia and Limestone were flinging at each other, told him it was time to get up. As he sat up, he found that he was in the medical wing once more and that Celestia and Limestone looked like they were about to kill each other. Both snapped their eyes towards him as he rose, Limestone's face being filled with relief while Celestia's seemed to harden.

"Absol, how are you feeling?" Limestone asked as she and Marble rushed to his side. He placed a paw on her shoulder and smiled gently at her, before he turned his full attention to Celestia.

"Absol. I am glad to see that you are awake," she replied in a tone that sounded anything but glad.

"I can see that. I can also see by the fact that everyone is still alive that you managed to banish Palkia?"

"Correct. He has been returned to his home world. But speaking of banishing-"

"Save your breath. I heard everything," Absol snapped back. "You want me gone? Fine. I'll leave Canterlot for good right now."

"I do not just want you gone, I do not want you to interact with my ponies again," Celestia warned him. "You may not be our enemy, but you do truly seem to bring disaster wherever you go. For the sake of my citizens-"

"Celestia, can I ask you a question?" Absol cut her off. "With my dark powers and immunity to your magic, could you stop me if I decided to stay here?" He waited a full minute for her to respond before he continued. "No. You couldn't. So know that I'm leaving because I choose to. Not of any fear of you. Remember that the next time you want to hunt me down. Because even my mercy has its limits."

And then Absol turned and walked out of the room.
> Revelations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Absol, wait up!" Limestone yelled as she chased the white furred pokemon through the streets of Canterlot.

The sun was just starting to rise from behind the mountain, causing the city to be colored in a warn orange and red. Most of the ponies that lived there were still preparing for the day, but the few that were already out saw Limestone running towards Absol with a look on her face that told them that this was going to be good. The mare caught up with the pokemon and placed a hoof on his shoulder, spinning him around to face her.

"Limestone. Is something the matter?" Absol asked.

"Didn't you hear me yelling for you the entire time you were walking?!" Limestone seethed. "I have been calling out to you and trying to get your attention the entire time you've been walking away!"

"Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. What were you asking me?"

"Argh! I was asking how you could just...walk away like that?!" Limestone yelled. "After all we've been through, after all the battles and all of the...well, other moments, how can you just say that's it and walk away from all this? That's...okay, that's who you were when Marble and I first found you, but that's not who you are now! So what gives?!"

"It's simple, actually. I saw how Celestia and Luna were acting after Palkia's attack on the city and it was made abundantly clear to me that they didn't want me here anymore. Which works out well for me, because I do not want to be in this city any longer than I have to be," Absol replied calmly. "Also, my leaving would allow Spiral to think that he's safe to move into the next phase of his plan, which means that we can stop him sooner rather than later."

"Spiral?" Limestone asked in complete confusion. "But...but Prince Sol struck Spiral down. We all saw it."

"No, we thought we saw it," Absol corrected for her. He then glanced around and saw the looks that all of the ponies were giving him, telling him that they would have to move elsewhere. "Walk with me. I was not really welcome in this city before and with the attack by Palkia being blamed on me I have no doubt that these ponies don't want me around. Let us find a quieter place."

Absol and Limestone found a quiet part of the city where there were no ponies just as the sun cleared the mountain top, a part that seemed to be a bit more run down than the rest of it. Absol didn't mind the worse for wear and sat down on one of the few benches that hadn't succumb to nature yet, Limestone joining him after giving the bench a less than approving look.

"So, you were saying about Spiral?"

"Right. I actually fell for his whole being struck down by Sol at first like the rest of you, but over time too many questions arose without any answers. Like Sol's story about being brought back. Too many holes," Absol began with a shake of his head. "And then there was the question of who was messing with my disaster sense. It couldn't have been any of the princesses, since their magic doesn't affect me. So I started to keep a close eye out on when and where my senses were dulled, leading me to realize that they dulled whenever Sol was around."

"But he uses magic like they do. And if their magic wasn't able to affect you, then his wouldn't be able to either. Unless..."

"Unless he had another source of power that could affect me. I see that you're catching on," Absol said with a smile. "You are far smarter than I originally thought. So I take it you can piece together what Spiral would do next?"

"Well, if he wanted Canterlot or something similar, he would need to be rid of you..." Limestone guessed, before narrowing her eyes. "But since his power can't kill you, he would try to discredit you. And he would do that by controlling Palkia and having him attack the castle while saying it was because of you?!"

"Correct. At least, that's what I think. Also, when I met Palkia and asked him to send me here, he did so because he was friends with the ponies of this world, including Sol and Solace. That's where Spiral messed up," Absol replied, his smile gone. "But that concerns me greatly. Palkia is a literal god in my world, so the fact that Spiral was able to control him shows that his power is far beyond what I thought it was. If it wasn't for the fact that my own typing is immune to him, he may have completely destroyed me already."

"Well, we should consider ourselves lucky that you have the dark type then," Limestone smiled, before fear and concern crossed her face. "But then shouldn't we warn the princesses?! And their Rainbow power along with their alicorn might has been drained out of them! They could be vulnerable to his power right now!"

"I believe so. In fact, I'm kinda banking on that for the next part of my plan to work," Absol revealed. "With their attitudes already against me, telling the princesses any of this wouldn't work. They would never believe me and it would tip my hand to Spiral that I'm onto him, either forcing him to change up his plans or try something different. But right now I've guessed what he wants to do, meaning that we can stop him."

"Okay, so what's his play?"

"He wants to control the ambassadors and princesses. I don't know why, but as Sol he kept mentioning how they were immune to Spiral's mind control thanks to their powers. And he wouldn't have created that fight with Palkia that required them to temporarily sacrifice those powers if he didn't want them under his control. But he needed me gone before he could do that, hence why Palkia blamed me for the attack."

"Jeez, this is one heck of a plan. But how will we know-?"

"Your sister is on my side. Pinkie, I mean," Absol continued on. "She said that if things started to go wrong, she would set off a massive burst of confetti above Canterlot. I'm waiting any moment for that to happen."

"When did you tell her all this? You just woke up for your fight with Palkia."

"I've suspected Sol for a while. The fight with Palkia just confirmed my suspicions. He also talked about me like a test subject, similar to Spiral. They had to be connected. And with me gone, he's not going to waste any time. He'll try as soon as he can," Absol stated, before biting his lower lip. "But I am worried. If my guess is wrong or if maybe he catches onto that I know. Losing his ghosts tailing me was hard enough, but if he figured out that I know..."

Before Absol could go on any further, a massive explosion of confetti detonated above the Canterlot castle. The explosion was so grand in size that the two on the bench could see it despite being a ways away from the castle. Without needing to say a word to the other, they lept off the bench and charged in the direction of the castle.

"Remind me again why you chose to move so far away from the castle?" Limestone asked as they ran.

"Because I had to be far enough away the he truly believed me to be gone," Absol replied, the both of them reaching the main gates to find that dozens of ghosts were now standing guard. "Well he certainly didn't waste any time, did he?"

"Then neither should we."

Absol roared as he lunged into the fray, ripping apart ghosts in flashes of dark energy, sending their screaming souls back into oblivion. Despite having the numbers advantage, Absol cleaved through groups of four or five at a time without so much as breaking a sweat. Limestone aided the best she could as well, heaving rocks at the ghosts and knocking them off balance, setting them up to be destroyed by Absol. 

Once the ghosts were dealt with, Absol and Limestone raced towards the front gates of the castle. They were locked, but one solid kick with her hind legs ripped the gates off of their hinges and sent them clattering down on the ground. She raced on ahead while Absol looked at the fallen gates and took a moment to appreciate that she had never kicked him with her full might before. He caught up with her in the main entrance, finding Limestone looking around with no idea where to go next.

"He's in the throne room," Absol told her as he moved on ahead. "He's not even trying to hide his ghostly aura anymore, so either he knows that I'm here and doesn't care, or he thinks I'm gone and can get away with it. Come on, let's go."

Absol and Limestone walked towards the throne room together, taking one last chance to prepare themselves before Limestone kicked open the doors. On the other side they found King Spiral, standing in front of the Ambassadors and Princesses, all of who had strange, murky eyes that didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular. Spiral turned to face the two of them as they walked into the room, a smile spreading across his face when he saw Absol.

"So, you figured me out, did you? Of course, I didn't make it all that difficult," he admitted with a sigh. "I actually didn't expect that to work as well as it did, all things considered. I knew I could fool the Ambassadors and maybe you, Absol, but I thought for sure that the princesses would see through me. Of course, Alicorns have always been something of an idiot when it comes to matters of family. Far too trusting-"

Spiral let out a yelp as he moved to the side, just in time to avoid a slash of darkness that would have taken his head off. In the blink of an eye Absol was on him, horn aimed at the throat of the ghost king as he prepared to end his reign once and for all. The king vanished in a cloud of smoke and appeared on the other end of the room, his smile gone.

Absol went on the offensive once again, flickering across the room as he moved in for the killing blow. The flickering came from the fact that he was so fast that Spiral's eyes had trouble keeping up with him, but the king didn't need to see where Absol was to now where he was going to be. The darkness swirled around him once more and he just barely managed to teleport out of the way of another slash.

As he reappeared, he took not that Absol had just landed from his attack, which left the pokemon on the other side of the room. Which meant, as he glanced at Limestone, nopony was protecting her. With a burst of speed that even Absol would call fast the king dashed over to Limestone, barely giving her time to yelp before he wrapped his darkness around her neck.

"Stay over there, Absol, if you care what happens to her," Spiral warned Absol.

"Oh no you don't! You are not using me as a-Mph!" Limestone snarled as the smoke wrapped around her mouth, cutting her off.

"Let go of her right now and I promise to make your demise quick, Spiral," Absol growled in a dark tone.

"Please, call me Sol. After all, it is what everypony else has been calling me," Spiral suggested.

"So the really Prince Sol has remained dead all this time," Absol muttered. "All you did was try to steal his memories and impersonate him. I can't believe that we fell for your lies." But to the pokemon's surprise, all Absols words did was cause the dark king to chuckle, before he transformed back into the image of Sol once more.

"Actually, I spoke almost noting but the truth since the moment I "returned" to the world. For you see Absol, I was not just pretending to be Sol," Spiral replied with a laugh. "I, Spiral, am truly Prince Sol."
> Third Eye
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm sorry, what?" Limestone asked.

"I am Prince Sol. Sol and Spiral are one in the same," Spiral cackled. "It was my greatest secret, one that I, unfortunately, took to my grave. But yes, fools, the Prince of Equestria and the king of the dead are one in the same."

"But that...doesn't add up with anything that we've heard about you," Absol muttered, trying to piece it together. "The legend said that you trick Sol and used his soul to turn yourself into a being that could raise an army of specters. That Solace asked for you to revive his sister and instead you betrayed him. For the two of you to be one in the same would be..."

"Ah, that's the problem with legends, isn't it? So much information lost over the years and even if the information is kept, bias and self gain can change even the greatest of legends," Spiral sighed, before getting back on track. "Take my legend for example. Here is the true version of what you've heard. I had two identities. The benevolent, all loving, Prince Sol who was worshiped by his subjects. And Spiral, the scientist who would do whatever it took to learn the secrets of the afterlife. All so that he could restore his fallen sister. That bit was true."

"But the whole benevolent leader charade was only that. A charade. I needed to be the kind and loving prince so that no pony would ever bother me or question what I was truly doing when I went missing for days at a time. See, when you're universally loved by all in your nation, you can get away with anything. Volunteers, acts of evil: you name it, I could do it."

"So after years of acts that would make the two of you gag, I finally achieved what I desired for so long. A way to return the spirit of a being to the land of the living. Turns out I was too late to save my sister, she had moved on to a better peace, but in the afterlife I found millions of souls that were unhappy or jealous of the living and wanted to take their revenge on them. They wanted a way back to the land of the living and I wanted an army. So we helped each other."

"Why take over the world then?!" Limestone snarled at Spiral. "You failed to save your sister. I get it, that would hurt like nothing else in the world, but why take over the world? These ponies have done nothing to you!"

"Simply, really. See, there's a little bit of my story that I didn't tell you. Solace found out. Found out that Sol and Spiral were one in the same. Learning this nearly drove him mad with guilt and rage, but my brother was a strong one. He unlocked the power of the Elements and managed to seal me away. Guess he couldn't bring himself to kill me. And then he told the world that Spiral had tricked Sol and killed him. I'm guessing he did that so the ponies wouldn't have their spirits shattered upon learning who I really am."

"How horrible for them," Limestone snarled.

"Yes, indeed. The ponies of this world have always been fragile little snowflakes. But the point of this story is that I can't do what I want if there are those that oppose me. I'm not saying I'm going to kill everypony that doesn't agree with me, but I have to do something with them. That's when I decided to learn how to control minds. I tested that out the last time I got loose, though unfortunately the royals at the time were able to seal me away before I could revive my army. Made sure to avoid that possibility when I came back this time."

"So it's not that I want to rule the world, it's just...it would be easier to do what I want if the whole world stays out of my way. And so to do that I needed to become ruler of the world. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, that you're crazy, you want power, and that I'm going to enjoy taking you down," Absol snarled as he stepped forward. "There's plenty of flaws in your crazy plan, but here's the biggest one: me. I'm going to bring you down and then expose you to the whole world. And once they see who you are, they'll not only lock you away once more, but then they'll know that your legacy is nothing more than a lie. And you'll be nothing more than a ghost story."

"Ah Absol, as just and thick headed as ever. You think I didn't account for this?" Spiral asked Absol. "Two problems with your plan. The first is that the ponies will never listen to you. Because I've gone and made you public enemy number one."

Absol gave Spiral a look of confusion, one that made Spiral's smile grow even wider. "The whole event with Palkia has already spread across the land. I told the land that you brought Palkia to this land, that you are the reason that he tried to destroy the world and, if given the chance, you would bring even more ruin to this land. After all, you're classified as the disaster pokemon."

"The ponies may not believe Absol, but they'll listen to the princesses! And once we free them-!"

"They'll repeat what I've just said," Spiral smirked, before he motioned back to the ponies behind him that were held captive by his magic. "They aren't hearing any of this. And when I release them from my power, they won't remember any of it. That's the beauty of my spell. While they are under my control, they remember nothing. So whenever I need to do something a little dastardly, the magic goes on. When I'm just Prince Sol, the magic comes off. That way, the princesses and ambassadors are on my side, Prince Sol is the beloved ruler returned and my experiments go undisturbed. Now are there any flaws with my plan?"

"Just one. Me!" Absol roared as he cloaked his horn in darkness. In the next moment he lunged towards Sol with darkness trailing behind him. "I don't care how powerful your magic is or what spell you've put on the princess! None of that matters if I strike you down here and now!"

Spiral smiled as Absol approached, waiting until Absol was nearly on top of him before he activated his hidden trump card. Absol noticed that magic was forming around Sol's head and had just enough time to realize that a magical, third eye had appeared on his forehead...before a blast of magic caught him in the chest and hurled him across the room. He slammed into the wall and slid down to the floor, feeling the stings of magic for the first time in his entire life. But the stings of pain that he felt was nothing compared the feeling of horror that clutched at his heart as he shakily rose back up to his claws.

"But that's...impossible," Absol whispered.

"Oh, I would agree with you, had I not learned a little something from the short time Palkia was under my control," Spiral smiled. "See, I only wanted Palkia to arrive in this land so that I could shift the ponies rage away from me and put it on you. But then I learned something amazing from Palkia. That there was a technique that could allow my magical attacks to harm you, despite you being a dark type. And once I mastered that...I knew that there would be nothing to stop me from claiming the world as my own!"

Another blast of magic slammed into Absol's chest, hitting him with enough force to smash him through the brick wall and send him tumbling down to the first floor in the main entrance. Pain flooded his body as he struggled to get back up, but before he could Spiral shot him in the chest once more and sent him rocketing into the main doors. The doors were shot open by the force of the pokemon slamming into them. Absol tumbled across the front lawn of the castle and ended up near a crowd of ponies that had gathered outside the castle, having been drawn in by the appearance of the ghosts.

"Is that Absol?"

"What's he doing out here?"

"Seems like somepony's been kicking the crap out of him."

"Oh my gosh, it's Prince Sol!"

"He's even more handsome than the legends say!"

"Is he fighting Absol?"

"What disaster did Absol bring on us this time?"

Their words clawed at Absol, but he had no time to correct them on their line of thinking. He pulled himself back up and turned to face Sol, who was glaring at Absol with a look Absol had only seen on the other Royals before.

"Absol, it is time to bring an end to you and your disastrous powers," Sol said in the voice of a leader. "Not only have you endangered the ponies by being a key factor in the return of Spiral, not only did your presences bring a monster that can cross space to our world...but then you have the gall to attack the princesses when they tried to stand up to you?! Truly you have no soul!"

The sound of the ponies gasping told Absol that Sol's words had hit their marks, but he knew changing their minds was a futile effort. So instead he would strike down Sol and run the risk of what would come after. With a roar he charged towards Sol, his horn cloaked in darkness. Sol smiled slightly, before his eyes went wide with horror and he took a step back as if his life was in danger. Then, in a flash of white, Celestia appeared between Sol and Absol...right in time to take Absol's attack to her side.

"NO!" Absol roared as Celestia let out a scream of agony and collapsed to the ground. The ponies behind Absol began to scream in panic, drawing the attention of all of the other ponies that had been nearby and drawing them into the ground. Absol was aware of all the eyes that were on him as gazed down at Celestia, who was writhing in pain with a new black slash mark on the side of her body.

"Behold, ponies. This is what awaits you if you cross this being," Sol said with a snarl. Absol took his eyes off of Celestia and lifted them to face Sol, who was now flanked by Luna and the Ambassadors of Harmony. Absol swallowed his fear and prepared for the toughest fight of his life, before Limestone leapt over the heads of the Ambassadors and landed beside him. She flashed him a quick smile before she turned to face Spiral, a snarl on his face.

"Don't worry, you won't have to fight him alone," she promised Absol. "I'll be by your side till the end. That's my promise to you."

"How sweet. You have actually come to...care for this being," Sol said just loud enough so that only Absol and Limestone could hear him. "Which will make it all the more tragic...when Absol strikes down the only being that has ever cared for him in this world."

"I would never..." Absol began, before Spiral smiled.

"Absol, don't you remember? You gave me your name," Sol reminded him. In the next moment Sol's horn glowed and Absol's eyes went blank, mirroring the eyes of the Ambassadors and the Princesses.

"Absol, what's the matter?" Limestone asked Absol, who didn't reply. Then, slowly, Absol lifted his head and turned to face Limestone, his horn beginning to glow with dark power. "Absol, what are you doing? You're scaring me."

"And there is the greatest part of this new ability of mine, Limestone," Spiral cackled as Absol menacingly stalked Limestone. "Not only his he now able to be harmed by my spells...but now his mind is not shielded from my power either. Behold Limestone. Absol is now mine to control."
> Mentally Broken
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A flash of darkness sliced apart the section of wall that Limestone had been standing in front of in the blink of an eye, just narrowly missing the pony that had barely managed to get out of the way. Sol smirked to himself as he watched Absol slowly turn towards Limestone with his horn cloaked in darkness, preparing the murder the mare that he had spent so long protecting.

Limestone didn't know what to do. She couldn't believe that Absol was under the control of Spiral, but his actions towards her made it clear that he was. She knew that in the state he was in she fight have to fight him, but what she didn't know was if that was a battle she could actually win. Nor did she know if she could bring herself to hurt the pokemon she had come to care for so much.

"Flee, ponies! Stay away from this battle! Before Absol turns his attention towards you!" Sol warned the ponies watching the battle. The ponies heeded his advice and ran off screaming, leaving Limestone alone with Spiral and his mind controlled drones. Once all of the ponies were gone, Sol let out a chuckle before he held up a hoof, momentarily stopping Absol's assault on Limestone. "Come now Limestone, surely you realize that you stand little chance against Absol. While he may no longer be immune to my power, his own strength over darkness is formidable still. You'd be wise to give up."

"Sorry, but you've got the wrong Pie. My sister Maud is the wise one of us. I'm the one that beats down everypony that dares to harm those I care about," Limestone snarled. Sol waved his hoof with a sigh and Absol lunged forward, resuming his attack. Limestone watched his movements, waiting until Absol was right on top of her before she reached out and intercepted his horn with one of her hooves. With Absol momentarily locked in place, she let out a bellow before she prepared to slam a hoof into his face and stop him. Yet when the moment came to strike him down, she found that her resolve had abandoned her.

"I...can't. Not to you," she whispered softly, letting Absol go. The moment he was free Absol drove his shoulder into Limestone's chest and slammed her up against the wall, pinning her in place. Sol shook his head with a small chuckle at her actions.

"Oh Limestone, you truly wear your heart on your sleeve. You had the chance to release the being you care so much for from being my servant, but instead your own weakness holds you back. And because of that, now Absol will have to live with the fact that he killed you for the rest of his life," Sol laughed menacingly. "Absol...finish her."

"Absol, please. Don't," Limestone begged as she locked eyes with Absol, trying one last time to reach the being she knew wouldn't fail her. For a moment Absol and Limestone stared into each other eyes, one set blank and the other desperate. Then the front of the castle of Canterlot exploded into a shower of bricks and stone.

Sol let out a curse before a giant chunk of rock crashed down onto him, burying him underneath of its weight. The princesses and the Ambassadors constructed barriers of magic to protect themselves, but at the same time they rooted themselves in place. A stray chunk of rock caught Absol in the side of his head, knocking him to the ground. Any of the stones that came near Limestone were crushed by her hooves, but before she had the chance to wonder what was happening, Marble came running out of what used to be the front of the castle.

"Sister, time to go!" she screamed at Limestone, before slamming her forehooves into the ground and knocking the ponies left standing off of their hooves. Marble raced over to her sister, scooped up Absol onto her back and took off running into the streets of Canterlot, with a very confused Limestone on her heels. A minute after they were gone, Spiral floated through the rubble, stretching his neck before glancing off in the direction where they had gone. The princesses and Ambassadors began to move to chase after them, but he held up a hoof to stop them.

"Let them go for now. There is nothing they can do," Sol said with a smile. "The magic of the Elements that protects Limestone and Marble will fade soon enough. And even if Absol can break free of my control, he knows that if he faces me again I can simply place him back under my power. And even if they somehow manage to beat me, the world will hate them for taking away Prince Sol once again. They have no way of winning."

(]o[)

Marble panted heavily as she gently laid Absol down on the plant covered ground of the forest, finally taking a moment to take a breath. She and her sister had run for the better part of a day, escaping from Canterlot and managing to make it to a smaller forest that grew at the base of the mighty mountain that housed the city that now belonged to Spiral. Limestone was breathing heavily as well, but most of her focus seemed to be on Absol. Marble had never seen such concern in her sisters eyes before.

"I can't believe that we made it," Marble wheezed.

"He let us go. If he wanted us dead, we'd be dead," Limestone said in a dark tone. She walked over to Absol and gently started checking on his head injury, worry slowly creeping over her face. "That was pretty impressive what you did. Did you kick down the wall?"

"Something like that," Marble replied as she took a moment to collect herself.

"Things must have really been bad if you used your full strength. Normally you're terrified of using all of that power you've got inside of you," Limestone pointed out. "Where were you, by the way?"

"Absol looked like he was about to kill you and I needed to take him down. I'd say that things got pretty desperate," Marble replied. "I was hiding in the castle. I saw the confetti cannon go off and ran over to Pinkie, but she managed to shoo me away before Spiral showed up and mind controlled them all. If he knew I was there, he didn't care."

"Guess we should be thankful that he's so lazy," Limestone muttered. Their conversation ended when Absol let out a groan and slowly opened his eyes, blinking hard as the light from the sun blinded him. "Absol! You're awake! You're alright!"

"Alright being a poor choice of words," Absol grumbled as he slowly pushed himself up to a standing position. "I felt like...I was in some kind of dream. Or more like a nightmare. One where my body wouldn't listen to me and I was forced...Limestone, I'm so-"

"Don't you finish that sentence! That was not you who was attacking me, that was Spiral! He took control of your mind and forced you to do those things," Limestone cut him off with fire in her voice. "And besides, you didn't hurt me. You had the chance to and you resisted!"

"Or maybe your sister knocked me out before I had the chance," Absol whispered. He then turned to look at Marble. "I heard that right, correct? That you knocked me out before I could do anything? Or was that apart of the nightmare as well?"

"No, you are correct. I...hit you in the side of the head with a big piece of rock," Marble admitted. 

"I see. Thank you for stopping me before I had the chance to hurt anyone," Absol bitterly said.

"Alright, enough feeling sorry for ourselves. We need to figure out what our next plan of attack is," Limestone said, turning both sets of eyes towards her. "Spiral has us on the run and he's beaten us down pretty badly. But since he was foolish enough to let us live, then that gives us a chance to put him back in the grave once and for all!"

"...you cannot be serious right now," Absol whispered with a shake of his head. "After all we just went through, and how you two barely managed to escape, you want to go back there and face him again? Are you certain that you did not suffer a blow to the head as well?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that going after Spiral would be suicide!" Absol roared at her, all of his anger and fear reaching its boiling point. Limestone narrowed her eyes at Absol, but said nothing so that he would continue. "Spiral has your friends and family under his control. He still has his undead army that could show up whenever he wants. But worst of all, he has found a way to bypass my natural immunity to his powers!"

"We'll find away around his mind control. With your willpower I'm certain that you could-"

"He has already proven that he can control me! And even if I somehow manage to overcome that, I am now vulnerable to his magic! Magic that is strong enough to move the sun and moon and rip apart space and time!" Absol snapped back. "How are we supposed to fight against that?!"

"We will fight against it together," Marble spoke up, turning Absol's fury towards her.

"Yes, because our friendship will be enough to stand up against a being that can revive the dead and three alicorns who can move the heavens on a whim. We'll be just fine," Absol snarked. "But what if he doesn't decide to fight us himself? What if we have to go through your friends and family to get to him? Can the two of you bring down those that you love to fight him?"

"Our families and friends are strong. When it comes down to it, they will break free," Marble said with confidence.

"Sure they are. Because I'm certain that the reason they haven't broken free already is that they're waiting for the right time and place to do so," Absol snarled. "Or maybe it's that the mind controlling magic is too strong and they're trapped under his power, just like I was! Maybe that magic of friendship you thought was so strong wasn't strong enough! Maybe I wasn't as strong as you thought!"

Limestone and Marble shared a worried look. "Absol, this isn't you. You would never give up like this. What is the matter?"

"What's the matter? The matter is that...no, what's the point? Even if I tell you it doesn't change anything. Forget I said anything. And forget about me going back. If the two of you want to get yourselves killed, then leave me out of it. I'm done bringing disaster to those I care about."

Before either of the ponies could say anything, Absol turned and raced off into the forest, vanishing quickly from sight despite the fact that his white fur stood out.

"Do you...really think he meant what he said?" Marble asked Limestone. The youngest sister's voice was filled with fear, fear that Absol might have just left them for good. "We can't win without him. Even if you and I go back to face Spiral, Absol is the only one we know with a type advantage against him. The two of us would be doomed without him. But, if he's truly gone..."

"No Marble, he's just afraid. For the first time in his life he felt the affects of magic powers and they were used to make him attack somepony he cared about," Limestone replied in a calm tone. "I bet he's hoping that if he doesn't go, we won't go either. But we will, whether we have him on our side or not. Because our family is up there. I've nearly lost them once. I will never lose them again."

"But...without Absol..."

"I'll try talking to him one last time. Maybe I can talk some sense into him," Limestone replied. "But if not, we need to regroup and then plan out how we're going to save our families. Because I fear what Spiral is going to do with them now that he knows that the only one that can stand before him is broken."
> Fears
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Limestone found Absol sitting beneath one of the many trees in the forest, his eyes turned towards the heavens and he seemed to be millions of miles away from where they were. Limestone said nothing to announce her presence. All she did was walk beside Absol and sit down next to him, following his gaze and looking towards the heavens.

"You're right. I am scared of Spiral," Absol admitted after a long time of silence.

"I could tell. I've gotten a pretty good read on how you act," Limestone admitted. "But why does he scare you to the point that you don't want to fight him? I mean, you were scared of the giant insect and that Hariyama guy, and yet you fought them. What is it about Spiral that scares you so much?"

"...even on my darkest days, when I was being hunted for bringing disasters that I tried to prevent, I still knew that I was not responsible for those disasters. That I had not brought pain and suffering into the lives of others, but had done everything in my power to prevent it. That I was in control of my actions. Eventually the pain became too much for me to bear, but I never lashed out in anger at those who persecuted me. It was...the one thing I was proud of actually," Absol admitted with a smirk.

"But now I am not in control of my own actions. Now there is another that can force me to act in ways I would never dream of. He can force me to strike down those I care about. He can force me to attack innocent ponies or others. I am his servant of darkness. And he can truly make me into the one thing I never wanted to be. A bringer of disaster."

"Absol, you're not a bringer of disaster. You've prevented numerous disasters in the time that you've been here," Limestone said with a smirk. "So don't start getting down on yourself now because there's a lunatic that can control your mind. You are strong enough to break his control. You just didn't get the chance before."

"But is that a risk we can take? Even if I can fight against his mind control, he has your sister and all of her friends on his side. Can we best him without having to hurt any of them...or worse?" Absol asked. "And even then, he has magic as powerful and ancient as he is. Is this a fight that we can win?"

"Absol, it's not about if we can win this fight. We HAVE to win this fight. Because if we don't, then the whole world loses. All of our families fall under his control, the world is overrun with spirits and Spiral will use the living beings of this world as lab rats to experiment on. We have to win. That's all there is to it."

"Heh, I wish I had your optimism. That and your downright refusal to accept when you're horribly outclassed," Absol said with a smirk, before he returned his gaze towards the heavens once more. "You know, the darker part of my mind actually wondered if Spiral might have been able to bring my mother back to life. Or at least, bring her spirit back to the land of the living so that I might have the chance to talk with her one last time. I almost asked him, actually."

"Why didn't you? I know if I had the chance to talk with a family member that was long gone I would take the chance."

"Two reasons. The first is that Spiral would probably use my mothers spirit against me, either holding her hostage or turning her against me with his power. The second is that there's no need to talk to her. She'd probably tell me the same thing that you're telling me right now. To stop whining and do something about the oncoming disaster, even if it's one of the worst that I've ever sensed."

"...is that why you're so hesitant to fight? Because you can sense the oncoming disaster?" Limestone asked, not liking how Absol went silent at her words. "Your powers are no longer being held back, so I take it you can sense what's going to happen? Absol, tell it to me straight. What do you sense for us if we go up against Spiral here and now?"

"It ends in ruin. In the ruin of us and the whole world," Absol finally admitted. "We don't stand a chance against him. Within a matter of days Spiral will launch his army upon the land unopposed. I sense terrible disaster for me, for your sister...but the disaster that is awaiting you is far beyond that of any I have sensed before. If you go into battle with Spiral...you will not make it back out. That is what I sense."

"I see...welp, sucks to be me," Limestone said a moment later. Absol turned to look at her like she was crazy, but when she stared back at him he found there was only her usual, stone cold determination in her eyes. "At least now I know what's coming. That way I can give it my all and make sure that if I'm going down, I bring that monster Spiral down with me."

"What? No! I will not allow you to do this!" Absol roared as he shot up to all fours. "I will not allow you to throw your life away in a battle that we cannot win! We will wait and find others that can aid us! Surely your sister and her friends aren't the only ones that can fight against evil! There has to be others that can-!"

"Absol, how soon do you predict this disaster happening?" Limestone asked point blank. Absol went quiet for a long time before he lowered his head to speak.

"Soon. Very soon."

"I see. And how accurate are your predictions?"

"So far...none of them have ever been wrong, be it time or place."

"You know what that tells me, Absol? It tells me that we don't have the time to go out and find others to help us. That no matter what we want to do, it's going to end with us going up there and facing him once and for all, right?" Limestone asked, waiting until Absol nodded before she continued on. "Well then, I'll go talk to Marble and then we can create a plan of attack. As long as we can keep Spiral from mind controlling you, we have a chance."

Limestone had gotten up and started to walk back towards where Marble was, but she stopped and turned around when she found that Absol wasn't following her.

"How are you so strong?" Absol asked Limestone. Limestone raised an eyebrow in response. "How can you hear about your impending doom and still charge into battle without a second thought? How can you handle everything that you've been through without fear or pause? You have no resistance to his power or even magical powers of your own, yet you still press on. I don't understand."

"It's simple, really. He's got my family. He's got my friends. And they're relying on me to save them. And so long as that's the case, not only will I fight against him, but I'll find away to win," Limestone said with no emotion. "And when those you love are in danger, even the fear of death means nothing so long as they're counting on you. Am I afraid of dying? Of course. Am I afraid of losing my family and loved ones even more? Yes. That's why I can press on like this. Because I have to. For them."

Limestone then walked back to where her sister was, leaving Absol alone with his thoughts. He turned his eyes towards the heavens once more, silently wishing that he truly could talk to his mother once again. He was scared and wished to hear her words once more, words that always comforted him and let him know what to do. But then, after a few minutes, he too turned and walked after Limestone, knowing that he hadn't been entirely honest with her. Being mind controlled and turned into a being that brought about destruction upon others was definitely one of his greatest fears. But it was not his greatest fear. Not anymore.

"So I take it you have some sort of grand plan to bring down Spiral?" Absol asked, trying to mask his fear with sarcasm as he reached the two sisters, who had been talking amongst themselves. "Because whatever it is, you should make a backup plan for it and then a backup for the backup."

"Glad to see that you have such confidence in me and my plans," Limestone snarked back, before Marble stepped between them.

"We've only just started making our plan, but we've got a good idea," Marble began. "The current idea is for you and Limestone will be the distraction, taking Spiral's attention off of the others and allow me to reach my sister. She may be mind controlled, but Limestone was telling me how you managed to fight the mind control when he told you to harm her. If her words could get through to you, then I'm certain that I can get through to my sister. And as a last resort I can try to share whatever part of her Element is protecting me. It's worth a try at the very least."

"I see. That's not a bad plan. Too bad that it will not work."

Absol snapped to attention just a moment too late and in a heartbeat two spheres of dark power encased both Limestone and Marble, who both let out yelps of surprise before their spheres levitated into the air, coming to a stop next to a ghostly king who stared down at Absol with a sinister grin spreading across his face.

"SPIRAL! Release the both of them this instance!" Absol roared up at the king, who chuckled down at Absol.

"Now now, Absol. Why would I give up my greatest advantage against you? Or give up a potential threat against me?" the king asked in a disappointed tone. "I honestly thought you were smarter than this. I mean, just because you broke free of my control doesn't mean that you're free of me. I'm still in your mind, able to hear what you say and hear. You honestly have nopony but yourself to blame for me capturing them."

"Let them go, they are of no threat to you! I am the only threat left to face you!"

"Ah, see, that is once again where you are wrong. These two, thanks to the Element still protecting them, are a greater threat than you are. Because I can't control them, making them wild cards. But as for, I can control you any time that I wish," Spiral threatened, before a smile crossed his face. "But I've heard what you've been saying. How scared you are of me and the disaster that I will bring upon this land. So I'm going to give you a choice."

"What kind of choice?"

"Flee to the farthest reaches of this land, far beyond where anypony has dared to tread before and I will spare your life. Everypony else that you care about will either die or be  my slave, but this is the best option for you. Or you can try to face me, alone, and will be brought under my control so that I can turn you into what you fear the most. A being that brings disaster. Those are your two options. I have my own predictions, but I can't wait to see how things go. The choice is up to you, Absol. Chose wisely."

"Absol!" both Limestone and Marble cried out before they vanished along with Spiral, who teleported them away in the blink of an eye. Absol roared with rage once they were gone, before he lowered his head and thought about Spiral's words.

'I can't go. If I do, he will surely mind control me once more and use me to unleash terrible disasters upon the land. But if I do not go...Limestone. Marble,' Absol battled with himself. He then snarled before racing off towards the road that climbed the mountain all the way to Canterlot, knowing that as badly as he feared being turned into a bringer of disasters, he feared losing them even more. And that made the decision for him.
> Bringer of Disaster
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The walk through Canterlot gave Absol a little time to plan for what he needed to do. He ignored the looks the ponies gave him. He allowed their whispers about how he was back to bring another disaster upon the land to fuel his rage. And he reminded himself that despite how they felt about him, not all ponies were like them. Twilight and her friends were not like them. Marble was not like them. And Limestone...wasn't like anyone else he'd met. The ponies and some of the guards had been following him through the streets at a distance, but by the time he reached the main courtyard to the castle he found that was no longer the case.

Absol stood alone at the gates to Canterlot castle. On the other side of the gates stood Spiral, dressed as Sol, flanked by the Ambassadors of Harmony, the two princesses and his dearest friends, who were still being suspended in spheres of ghostly magic on either side of the king. Spiral smirked when he saw Absol approaching.

"Ah, there you are, Absol. I thought for certain that you would have come sooner. For a brief moment I had thought that you were using your brain and had fled to the furthest corners of the world. I am glad to see that you didn't," Spiral laughed, before a look of interest crossed his face. "But just hours ago you were speaking of how afraid of me you were? So why come here even if you have no chance of winning?"

"I am afraid of you. I am afraid of having my mind controlled and being forced to do your bidding. But I fear something else far more than that. And to make sure that fear doesn't come to light, I will fight you, no matter how hopeless things may seem. I still have a promise to keep," Absol replied, before crouching down and taking up a battle stance.

"So be it, Absol. While you may have made a tactical error, I can still respect your will. Girls...get him."

The Ambassadors and Princesses lunged towards Absol, unleashing explosions of magic upon the pokemon with enough force to tear apart the brick and stone that made up the main castle entrance. Absol, knowing that he couldn't afford to hold back, roared as he channeled the darkness into his horn and dashed between the ponies. His strikes were faster than their eyes could follow, leaving them unable to find him until he came to a stop behind them.

The ponies turned to continue fighting him before they all cried out in pain, dark slash marks appearing over their bodies. Twilight, Celestia and Luna all collapsed to the ground while barely moving. The other Ambassadors, though pain coursed through their bodies, lunged towards Absol with ghostly power crackling around them. and Pinkie didn't seem to be bothered in the least by the dark wound.

AJ and Rainbow were the fastest out of the remaining ponies and reached Absol first, meaning that they were the first to take his psycho cutter to their chest. The both of them cried in pain before they crashed to the ground, barely able to move after the impact. Absol didn't have a moment to relish his victory, as Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy were on him immediately. He slashed another night slash into Fluttershy and Rarity, putting them down for the count. But when he faced Pinkie, he found that he couldn't bring himself to fight her.

"Pinkie, I know that you are in there," Absol said to the pink pony, who stared back at him with blank eyes. "And I know that you would never want to make your sisters upset, so please fight this! Do not give into Spiral's power!"

"You are wasting your breath, Absol. She fights for me and only for me," Sol said with a chuckle. "Now either strike her down and face me, or fall to her and save me the trouble of dealing with you. Either option is fine with me."

Absol gritted his teeth in desperation before he glanced up at Limestone and Marble. The both of them were watching their sister, but when they saw Absol look up at them Marble nodded somberly. Limestone looked back and forth between the two...before she too nodded. Absol grimly turned back to Pinkie, who charged at him full steam.

"I am sorry to do this, Pinkie. Out of your group I liked you the most," Absol stated before he vanished, appearing behind Pinkie a moment later. A slash of violet light appeared on Pinkie's chest and she collapsed to the ground without another sound. Absol then turned his attention back to Spiral, who had an amused look on his face.

"You know, I had hoped that the Ambassadors of Harmony would put up more of a fight than that," Sol said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But I suppose when I drained their power of harmony I weakened them considerably. Consider yourself lucky for that Absol. Because now you have the honor of being my final experiment before I fully take over the world."

"Do your worst. I shall best you."

Spiral cackled in reply before a blast of ghostly magic erupted from the end of his horn. Absol leapt out of the way and just narrowly avoided the beam. Sensing his chance to attack he lunged up at Spiral, his horn cloaked in dark power as he swung at Spiral. Right when he was about to strike Spiral, the king moved the sphere holding Limestone in the path of the attack. Absol realized what he was about to do and spun himself to the side to avoid striking her. Yet in doing so he left himself open to an attack from Spiral. The dark king blast Absol in the chest and threw him over the gates of Canterlot castle, which caused him to come crashing down on the other side.

"Absol, you've made this too easy on me," Spiral said before he blasted Absol in the chest once more, hurling Absol down the streets of Canterlot and towards the center of the city. "Ponies of Equestria, hear the words of your prince! Absol has returned and tried to bring down the royals that fight so hard for you. He has beaten the Ambassadors! He has beaten Celestia and Luna! But he will not beat me!"

Absol weakly got back up to his claws, amazed at how badly the magic was hurting him. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed that he was in the main center of Canterlot, where over a hundred ponies were all watching the match, be it from the city center itself or from their houses. But one thing that all of the ponies had in common was that they were all cheering for Sol, having completely bought into his lie. They didn't see an evil threat that was about to slay their only hope and enslave them for eternity. They saw a hero about to bring down the monster responsible for so much of their trouble. Absol was again the enemy.

Absol bellowed with fury and fired three psycho cuts towards Sol, who nimbly dodged out of the way of each strike, before firing a blast of magic into the chest of Absol. Absol tanked the blast before firing off a massive night slash towards Sol. Sol raised a barrier that managed to absorb the blow, but to Absol's relief he found that he attack hit the spheres holding the two mares...and it slight cracked them. Then Absol took a giant beam of magic right in the face.

Absol howl of pain was drowned out by the roar of the crowd, before he crashed into the side of a fountain with enough force to crack the marble. Pain lanced through his body as he weakly pushed himself back up. His vision was blurry, his body was in agony and he was fairly certain that he was running out of power. 

"And this is how it ends, Absol," Sol said to Absol, who didn't even have it in him to spit out a retort. "With you finally paying for all the disasters that you have brought upon this world. For aiding Spiral. For bringing Palkia to destroy us. And just plaguing the ponies of this land with your presences. As the only ruler left standing, it is up to me to sentence you."

"I considered banishing you. But when has banishing ever worked, ponies? Discord came back! Sombra came back! Tirek came back! There is only one way to deal with this being," Sol said as he channeled all of his power into his horn, aiming at the barely standing Pokemon. "To erase them off of the face of the planet."

"Let's do something about that face of yours first!" Sol barely registered that somepony had spoken before a rock slammed into the side of his face, snapping his head to the side. The crowd of ponies let out a shocked and confused gasp as Marble and Limestone, who had broken free of their spheres, landed on the street next to Absol and sided with him. "Nice aim back there, Absol. Glad to see that you haven't give up the fight completely."

"Heh, I knew that if I gave up you would never let me hear the end of it. At least if we all die here you won't nag me all the way in the after life," Absol weakly replied.

"Come on you guys, let's do this together," Marble said nervously, as she, her sister and Absol all turned to face Sol, who had recovered from the attack. He narrowed his eyes at the group, before a dangerous smile crossed his face.

"So Absol, you would use your powers of darkness to control these mares and then sacrifice them to gain even greater power?! I will not allow it!"

"What? We're not being mind controlled!" Limestone bellowed up at Sol, who smiled deviously.

"Maybe not," he said just loud enough for Limestone and Marble to hear. "But he is."

Limestone heard her sister cry out in pain and she turned just in time to see Absol slam into her, knocking her to the ground. Sol let out a cry and rushed forward to stop Absol, but in a flash of darkness Sol was sent tumbling backwards. Absol then placed a paw on Limestone's chest, pinning her to the ground as he glared down at her with crimson eyes and a horn billowing darkness.

"No...no you're not going to do this," Limestone spat up at Absol, more angry than afraid of him. "You will not allow him to turn you into what you fear! You are better than him! You are stronger than him! And I know that you're deep down in there, that you are fighting! You are not a bringer of disaster! You are a force to stop disaster! So what are you waiting for? Fight it!"

For a brief moment, Absol's eyes seemed to wave and he didn't seem certain of his own actions. Limestone seized that chance and slammed a hoof into the side of Absol's jaw, her sucker punch snapping his head to the side and staggering the Pokemon. The action freed her from Absol and Limestone rolled up to her hooves, turning to see that Absol was shaking his head in confusion. That was the opening she needed. Limestone raced towards Absol, extended both of her hooves...and wrapped the Pokemon in a hug.

"Come back to us, Absol. Come back to me. I need you."

Absol slowly shook his head, before he looked down at her with eyes filled with reason once more. "Limestone? What happened? And why does my jaw hurt?" he asked as she released him from her hug.

"Because you dumb dumb, I had to find some way to snap you back to reality," she said with a smile. "Now come on, we need to stop-"

A blast of magic drove itself into Absol's chest, hurling him away from Limestone and sending him crashing to the ground. Sol appeared in front of Absol, glaring down at him with eyes that a benevolent ruler would not have. He unleashed spears of magical energy from his horn that pulverized Absol, who was too weak to some much as cry out in pain. Only after he made sure that Absol was unable to move did Sol finally speak to him.

"You have managed to overcome my mind control. Impressive, despite the fact that you clearly needed help to do so. But impressive, none the less. Take some small comfort in that," Sol snarled as he aimed his horn at Absol's heart. "Before I bring you back as a soldier in my army of the damned!"

Sol then unleashed his most powerful blast of magic at Absol, who closed his eyes and awaited to join his mother in the afterlife. But the pain that he expected never came and instead he felt something fall onto him. So slowly he opened his eyes...and then wished that he had died.

For laying on top of him was Limestone...who had used her body as a shield.
> The Truth Comes Out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"No...no!" Absol roared as he rolled over Limestone in his arms. "Limestone! Limestone, speak to me!"

"Ow...oh man, that...that hurts," she said weakly before she coughed hard.

"You're going to be okay," he said to her, his voice cracking with fear as he looked up at down her. Her body was twitching violently, while burn marks covered most of her. Her eyes were dim and her breathing was erratic, while pain racked her body every time she spoke. "You have to be okay. Please."

"Of course...I'll be okay," she grumbled weakly, but the usual fire in her eyes was no longer there. "Even if...that stupid disaster sense of yours told me I was going to die...because I'm way to strong...to fall into the clutches...of a pony like Spiral."

"I know you are," Absol whispered back.

"I know this is tragic and all, but I believe that I was just about to finish you off," Sol whispered, before he took on his more regal voice. "How could you, Absol? How could you control this innocent mare to sacrifice herself to protect you? Have you no shame? Have you no heart?!"

"GGGGGGRRRRRAAAAHHHHHH!"

Sol turned to his side just in time to be driven through a wall by the force of a mare whose fury had finally been let loose. Marble bellowed with agony and rage before she ripped the fountain out of the ground and hurled it through the hole that she had made with Spiral's body. The whole house crashed down around the prince, but that wasn't enough for Marble. She kicked off into the air before she came rocketing down onto the house, creating a massive crater that caved in on both her and Spiral.

"Oh jeez...Marble's mad," Limestone coughed with a smile. "The last time she truly got made she ripped up a giant chunk of our farm and hurled it to a mountain. We use the hole she made for a small lake now. Hey...that reminds me...you haven't visited our farm yet. We should...do that."

"Limestone...wait, berries," Absol whispered to himself before reaching into his hair, pulling out an emergency sitrus berry that he had stashed in there before confronting Spiral. "You need to eat this! It will restore some of your strength! Please, hurry!"

"Okay...okay..." Limestone grumbled before she started to nibble on the berry. Absol watched her eat before a cry of pain caught his attention and he turned his head just in time to see Marble sliding across the ground, having been knocked out cold. He then lifted his head to see Sol floating towards him, eyes pitch black and a demonic aura surrounding him as he approached.

"It ends here, Absol. You, your friends and this whole damn nation fall to me," Sol whispered before summoning forth all of the dark and ghostly power that he housed within his body. "So rise to your claws one last time. Rise and fight one last time in vain to save a world that doesn't even want you. And know that when you fall to me, you legacy will be one of disaster, evil and failure. Rise so that you may die."

Absol glared at Sol before glancing down at Limestone one last time, glad to see that she had finished the berry and seemed to be looking slightly better. "I will not let you down. I will fight to the very end," he promised her before he lowered his head and gently kissed Limestone on the forehead. She cracked her eyes open and looked up at Absol, with her eyes focusing on something she noticed that was normally hidden beneath his hair.

"Is that...the rock I got you?" she weakly asked. He reached up to his ear and brushed the rock that had been made into an earring that was hanging from it, before smile gently down at Limestone. "You seriously kept that?"

"It was the first gift someone had ever given me for helping them. It was the first gift of kindness that I had ever received. I know you got it for me as a joke, but it...means the world to me. Just like you do," Absol whispered to her, before he rose to his claws and turned to face Spiral one last time. "So I will fight. And I will win."

"A promise that you cannot keep. Yes, that sums up your legacy perfectly," Spiral snarled.

Spiral then bellowed with fury before unleashing blasts of ghostly and magical power towards Absol, who leapt and weaved out of the way of the attacks to avoid being hit. His horn crackled with dark power as he lunged towards Spiral, slicing at him with all of his might. Spiral vanished in a flash of magic and Absol missed completely.

The king of the ghosts appeared behind Absol and ripped the ground apart with his magic, hurling chunks of rock and debris towards the Pokemon. Absol sliced easily through the oncoming rubble with his horn, closing the distance between him and the dark king in the blink of an eye. His horn lashed out at Spiral once again, but this time it was a barrier of magic that deflected the blow. Absol's horn struck the barrier and the force of the impact staggered the pokemon slightly, leaving him open to Spiral's attack.

Spiral wrapped Absol in his magic and hoisted him into the air, where he sneered up at the struggling Pokemon before he whipped him around and slammed Absol into the ground. Absol wheezed as the wind was knocked out of him before he was hoisted up once again and driven back down. Realizing what a bad spot he was in Absol used his horn to fire a blade of psychic energy towards Spiral. The attack caught Spiral off guard and he roared with pain as the blade of psychic energy caught him square in the chest.

The attack freed Absol from the magic that was being used to slam him around, so even though his body felt like it was in an inferno of pain Absol forced himself back up. With a roar of willpower Absol lunged towards Spiral, who lifted his head just in time to see Absol's dark horn come slashing at him. The king constructed a barrier to protect himself from the attack, but the barrier was constructed too quickly and thus did not have the strength needed to stop Absol's attack. The night slash ripped through the barrier and sliced across Spiral's chest, causing the king of the ghosts to scream in pain as he crashed down to the ground.

"You...have lost," Absol panted weakly as he landed on the ground, nearly falling over from exhaustion. Spiral's form was flickering back and forth between his Sol look and his Spiral look, causing the ponies watching the fight to stare at their Prince with no idea what to think. "You're army of ghosts...your centuries of lying...and your attack on all those I care about...it all ends now!"

"You...have not won!" Spiral snarled, giving up on his Sol form and took on the form of the ghost king once more. "I can and will defeat you!"

"How, Spiral?" Absol snarled. The knowledge that his foe was almost beaten gave him the strength to continue moving forward even when all his body wanted to do was collapse. "You don't have your army...you don't have the power...and you don't even have the typing to beat me. Do you hear me? You've lost!"

"Lost? I have waited for millennia for my chance to return! I will not lose it to you! Forces of the dead...come to me!" Spiral bellowed into the sky. As if he summoned them with magic hundreds of spirits emerged from the ground and flew to Spiral. Yet the moment they got close to the king he used his magic to wrap all of them in a sphere of energy, which he then shrunk down and absorbed into his chest. Absol staggered forward to try to stop whatever Spiral was doing, but he was then knocked back by an explosion of unholy power. 

Spiral bellowed as his wounds were restored and his power returned to him, allowing him to rise up to his hooves. Black and grey magic poured out of his body, so much magic that the sun was blocked out by his power and the air became like ice. Spiral slowly turned to face Absol, his eyes swirling with darkness and evil. "You do not have the power! You do not have anypony to help you! And now...you no longer have the type advantage! Conversion!"

Absol braced himself as a flash of light erupted from the end of Spiral's horn, one that cloaked both Absol and Spiral in the same light. When the light died down, Absol glanced down at himself to find that he didn't feel any different. He then snarled at Spiral before hurling a night slash towards Spiral...only to watch as the king of the ghosts shrugged off the attack like it was nothing.

"This...cannot be," Absol whispered before he hurled a psycho cutter towards Spiral, only to watch as that attack had no effect. "But...the only typing that can resist that power with no effect is..."

"That is right, Absol. I have copied your type! Now your attacks do nothing to me!" Spiral bellowed before blasting Absol in the chest with magic. Absol roared with pain and confusion as he was sent skidding across the ground. "And while it may eventually cost me my soul, you have proven to me that I have no choice but to use this! So now I use the power of dark magic! A magic so powerful that even your type advantage will not save you! Now, will you do me a favor, and finally die?!"

Another billow of dark magic slammed into Absol, ripping him off of the ground and sending him crashing across the square. Absol coughed up blood as he tried to find the strength to stand, only to realize that all of his power was gone. He couldn't even find the strength to lift his head, having to watch out of the corner of his eyes as Spiral approached him, the killing blow being summoned on Spiral's horn.

But then, before the final blow could be struck, a pony moved herself slowly between Absol and Spiral. A pony that caused horror to fill up Absol's eyes while Spiral's eyes were filled with annoyance. Limestone, despite her injuries, stood once again between Absol and Spiral, staring down the king of the ghosts with her old fire blazing in her eyes.

"Limestone...run...you can't..." Absol started, but his words died when she held out a hoof to silence him.

"I know I can't win. I know that I can't beat him. But I also can't just stand back and watch him kill you. Even if it cost me my life, even if it costs me my soul, I will not allow him to hurt you any more," she wheezed weakly. "So please, take what little time I can buy you to regain your strength. That is all I can do for you."

"You...can't. You have a family! You have others that depend on you! Why...would you give...your life for mine?"

"Have you seriously not figured that you yet, you idiot?" Limestone asked, turning to look back at Absol just as Spiral unleashed his ultimate magical attack upon the both of them. Despite the attack about to consume her, despite how close to death she was, Limestone gave Absol one of the kindest smiles he had ever seen. "It's because I love you, moron."

Time slowed to a crawl for Absol, who watched the attack slowly heading towards Limestone, whose face was frozen giving him a loving smile. Absol brain tried to register what she had just said and it was unable to do so. But the words that he had so desperately wanted to hear all his life reached his heart, a heart long broken and pained, and made it whole. And they gave him strength.

Power and energy erupted from Absol, creating an explosion so powerful that Spiral's ultimate attack was canceled out by the force of the explosion. All eyes moved towards Absol, who was covered in so much power and energy that they could barely see him in the eye of the storm that surrounded him. But then the barrier of power that surrounded him began to crack before, in a roar of power that would shake the city to its core, the barrier shattered at revealed Absol to the world.

"Heh, you don't know how long I've waited to hear that. For a while, I actually never thought that I would ever hear those words from you. I always thought that we would just have what we had. But now that I've heard how much you truly trust and love me," Absol said as his body radiated a power that made everypony that felt it feel like they were standing in the presence of a divine, before he spread two angel like wings while a rainbow symbol burned over his head.

"I feel like I've finally reached my true power."
> Mega Absol
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Absol kicked off the ground, ramming into Spiral with a speed that nopony, not even the king of the ghosts could register. Spiral coughed in pain before Absol took their flight path straight up, driving Spiral and himself into the heavens. Black storm clouds surrounded Absol and Spiral, the latter breaking free of Absol and flying backwards.

"What...is this?!" Spiral bellowed before firing a blast of magic so powerful that the colors were drained from the sky and all was covered in black and white as a beam of unholy power tore apart the heavens on its path to Absol. Absol smirked as the beam of almighty magic struck him...and then bounced off into the sky. Spiral looked from where the beam of magic had vanished into the sky, before slowly looking down at Absol. "Bwuh...wha...?"

"This Spiral...is something that I thought I would never achieve in my life. Something that I had only heard through rumors and those that had fought forms like this," Absol said with a dangerous smile to Spiral, Absol's earring flashing with rainbow light from beneath his fur. "This is proof of Limestone's love. This is the proof of the bonds I share with my friends. This...is Mega Evolution!"

Absol rocketed across the sky and tore a hole of darkness behind, slashing his horn across Spiral's chest and sending him into free fall. Spiral recovered and fired hundreds of blasts of dark magic at Absol, but the to king of ghosts horror all of the spells that connected with Absol bounced off of him and came hurtling back towards Spiral. 

"No! No I won't let this happen!" Spiral screamed as he was struck by his own magic. He let out a bellow that could wake the dead, a bellow that summoned all of the forces that he had left to his side. Absol stared down at Spiral, who was now surrounded by near a thousand ghosts. "KILL HIM!"

Absol twisted in the air before rocketing straight down, weaving past the ghosts and spirits that were trying to strike him down. He channeled his darkness into his horn before spinning like a drill, carving through the army of ghosts that surrounded him. With a bellow of power Absol ripped through the army of the ghosts, leaving him a clear path straight to Spiral.

The king of the ghosts only had time to widen his eyes in shock before Absol slammed into him at full speeds, driving the both of them down to Canterlot and into the side of Canterlot castle. With a roar Absol slammed his paw onto the back of Spiral's head before dragging his body through the castle walls at incredible speeds, barely able to hear the roar of Spiral over the sound of the bricks being broken with his face.

A blast of light erupted from Spiral's horn and he teleported out of Absol's grasp. Absol turned around to see Spiral flying above him, rage and hatred burning across all of his features. Absol smirked up at the king of the ghosts and made a motion for him to bring it. Spiral bellowed with fury before he brought everything that he had. Devastating blasts of dark magic, swarms of the spirits that had not yet fallen and all of the magic and spells that he had ever learned bombarded Absol, consuming the Pokemon in an explosion of magic so large that it wiped the Canterlot castle off the face of the planet.

And yet, in the center of the explosion, stood Absol. He stood next to the unconscious Ambassadors and Princesses, the barrier that was preventing Spiral's magic from hurting him protecting them as well. Spiral felt his soul, something that he hadn't felt in lifetimes, go cold as he watched his foe take everything he had and smirked back up at him. Then Absol's bladed horn flashed with magic and in the blink of an eye he was back into the sky, slicing through all of Spiral's remaining forces. Spiral blinked twice and found himself alone in the sky, just him and Absol who was staring him down.

"No more spirits. No more tricks or deception. You and me. To the bitter end," Absol said in a voice as cold as the grave, a voice that made Spiral's soul shiver with fear. Spiral then replaced all of that fear with anger and, with one last bellow defiance, charged himself with all of the dark magic that he had left. His body contorted and expanded with muscle and power, with his own bony wings growing out of his back. He screamed in pain and rage as dark magic began to ooze out of his body, turning him into a twisted and warped version of an alicorn.

"So what if my magic doesn't work on you?! So what if my minions all fall to your might?! I still know what you are! You are a dark type! Meaning that any and all fighting types will damn you to the fires of hell!" Spiral bellowed as he lunged forward, his form twisting and thrashing as he charged towards Absol. Absol flung himself backwards out of the first strike before ducking under the second blow. Spiral bellowed as he slammed his hooves together, having taken aim to crush Absol between them. But once again, in the blink of an eye, Absol was behind Spiral.

Absol roared with power before he charged his horn with enough dark power to turn the sky black, before driving himself horn first into Spiral's back. The two of them rocketed straight down out of the sky, driving the both of them down thousands of feet in a matter of moments, right into the planet down below. The force of them crashing into the ground created a giant crater, but despite having suffered such a blow, Spiral managed to spin around and lash out at Absol with his fists. Yet once more Absol detected and dodged the blow, leaving Spiral clutching at only empty air.

"DIE! DAMN YOU DIE!" Spiral screamed as he rocketed towards Absol, driving himself into Absol's gut and taking the both of them back into the sky. Absol gritted his teeth in pain as he was driven through the bottom of Canterlot, being driven through the tons of rock, earth and metal that made it up, before he was hurled out through the streets of Canterlot. Spiral appeared beside him a moment later and drove his hooves into the sides of Absol's body and sent him rocketing back into the streets, tearing them apart as his body tore through concrete, bricks and cement. Yet despite those kinds of impacts, a moment later Absol was back on his paws, the same smirk he had at the beginning of the fight still on his face.

"This...this isn't possible," Spiral whispered, ascending into the sky so that he was far above Canterlot. "The power of love is just sentimental nonsense! The bonds of friendship are what weak ponies say to themselves to make themselves feel strong! This power you are accessing is not real!"

"Real enough to deal with you," Absol replied with his smirk growing.

Spiral's mind finally snapped and he screamed with an insanity and power that made all of Canterlot shake to its core. His muscles then retracted as he took everything he had, his life, his soul and all that he had, and put it into one, final blast that was pure power. Absol watched him channeling this power and closed his eyes, lowering his head for a moment as if in prayer.

"DIE!" Spiral screamed as he unleashed a blast of pure darkness and death down towards the land. Absol's eyes then snapped open and he launched himself into the sky, driving himself horn first before impacting with the beam of power. His horn and his magical protection halted the advance of the beam that was strong enough to tear apart the nation, but it was slowly getting the better of him. "It doesn't matter if you stop this attack! It doesn't matter if you get back to me! I know all your moves! Neither of your attacks can hurt me! This battle will go on until I say it ends!"

"Mother, thank you for teaching me to always stay true to myself. That no matter how bad things get or how the world viewed me, to keep being who I am," Absol whispered to himself as he pushed back against the beam with all of his might, coming to a deadlock in the air. "Marble, thank you for being kind to me and being willing to take a chance on one like myself. You truly are a kind soul. And Limestone...thank you, for loving a fool like me."

"Saying your goodbyes?! Have you finally realized how this battle will finally end?!" Spiral roared, reaching into whatever power he had left to pour more fury and power into his attack. "Then die! Die and become my greatest slave for all eternity!" And then Absol looked up with the most evil smile that Spiral had ever seen.

"And father, whoever you are, thank you for leaving me with my strongest move!" Absol bellowed before his horn glowed with an insect green color and ascended through the beam of death, cleaving through the blackness with a blade of green light. Spiral could only watch in horror as his most powerful attack, the physical manifestation of his will and power, was being cleaved in half by a being fueled by love and trust. And it broke him, leaving him unable to do so much as blink right before Absol impacted.

"MEGAHORN!"

Absol's horn drove itself clean through Spiral, who didn't even have the power left to cry out as the horn drove itself clean through his body. As Spiral's magical powers that kept him alive ran into the barrier of Absol that negated all magic, Absol slashed his horn with speeds that the winds couldn't keep up with and slashed Spiral into an uncountable number of pieces.

The force of the slashes was so great that the clouds themselves were ripped apart, allowing the sun to pierce through the heavens once more. Spiral in his last act, let out a bellow of pain as he was finally sent to the realm that he had spent all of his life learning how to avoid. And then, with one last strike, Absol cleaved in half the last bit of Spiral's body and watched as the pieces of shadow burned away under the light.

"Your legacy of lies ends here. Now go face those that hate you the most," Absol said calmly to the sky. Then he turned around and flew back down to the ground where Limestone was, landing next to her to find that she was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Absol...what is...?"

"This is my Mega form. A form that I can only achieve when I find one who I trust completely, and who trusts me in return," Absol stated, before he walked forward and gently nuzzled Limestone. She closed her eyes and returned the gesture, before a weak light surrounded Absol and his wings faded away. "And I feel the same way, Limestone. I love you as well."

"Well I already knew that. Why else would you always look at me with such longing eyes?" Limestone teased softly, but her eyes were only filled with joy before she pulled Absol into a tight hug. "But it's nice to hear you say it. Is Spiral...?"

"Gone. For good this time. He has finally been sent to the place that he has avoided for so long," Absol promised her. A groan caused the two to break apart and they looked off to the side to see Marble shaking her head as she slowly got to her hooves. "You okay, Marble?"

"As okay as I can be after my own friend knocked me out," Marble smirked. "But considering that we're all still alive, I take it you won?"

"Of course I did," Absol replied. Then a sound caught his attention and he looked around the square to realize that there were still hundreds of ponies watching him, all of them terrified of the being that stood before him. And he knew why. Then he lifted his head to the sky to see the Princesses and the Ambassadors come flying down before him, with all of the princesses glaring at him with looks of absolute fury.

"Princesses, what's the matter?" Limestone asked, before Absol moved himself between her and them.

"They don't remember or know anything that just happened. None of the ponies here knows what truly happened. But if I had to wager a guess," Absol began.

"They all believe I just killed Prince Sol.
> One Last Lie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Absol, what have you done?" Celestia asked Absol. She held up a hoof to silence him before he could speak. "No. Don't. We all know what you've done. I may not have any idea why it is suddenly a different day or why my castle has been obliterated, but all of us here saw what happened. It may have been in a fog like state, by we saw what you did. You...killed Sol."

"Are you sure about that? You were unconscious," Absol pointed out.

"Do you take us for fools?!" Luna snarled as she pushed past her sister. "There are wounds on our bodies akin to those that you have inflicted upon your foes. We saw your winged form battling with Sol over the skies of Canterlot, before you ripped him apart with your power!"

"What?! No! He was fighting Spiral!" Limestone snapped back in reply as she stepped forward, only for Absol to hold out a paw to stop her. "What?! It's the truth!"

"Perhaps to us. But not to them."

"You must have suffered a head injury yourself Limestone, for Spiral is dead. And we saw who Absol was battling with. It was Prince Sol," Twilight informed Limestone, giving Absol a nasty look as he did so. "So why did you do it Absol? Why did you strike down one of the kindest and noblest royals in the history of Equestria?"

"Are you all idiots?! That wasn't-"

"Of course it was! We all saw it happen!" Limestone turned to look at the crowd of ponies that had gathered, all of them having gained a backbone with the arrival of the princesses and the Ambassadors. "Absol used his mind powers to force those two mares into helping him! He attack the princesses and the Ambassadors! He killed Sol!" they all roared at Absol.

"It seems that Spiral has played one last trick on me," Absol said with a small smirk. "We saw him for what he was. But apparently the princesses and the Ambassadors saw him for the prince still. As far as they are concerned, I struck down their beloved prince."

"Absol...I admit that I judged you based on what I had heard. But when I met you in person, I thought that I had misjudged you. That perhaps you were not a bringer of disaster, but instead one that would help us. Now I see I was wrong," Celestia said in a whisper. "You brought Palkia to this land. You attacked my sister and my ponies. And you've...killed a member of my family that I had just recently reclaimed. There are no words to describe the unyielding hatred I feel for you right now."

"Prince Sol, my ancestor, was going to help us finally fix Equestria," Luna added on, glaring daggers at Absol. "He had come up with a strategy to put an end to strife, to the evils that had constantly plagued our world. He brought joy to the faces of the citizens. He...he was going to help us usher in a new era of peace. And you took him from us."

Absol stared back at the princesses with unreadable eyes, before he turned and glanced over the crowd of ponies. A lot of them were glaring at him with eyes filled with hatred. But some of them were sobbing to themselves, while others had looks of despair on their faces. And he knew that all of those emotions were because of him. Because, in their eyes, he had struck down one of the greatest ponies that had ever lived.

"I am sorry that my actions have hurt you so. I do not regret what I did," Absol said in a somber tone. Limestone looked at him like he was crazy, while Marble bit her lower lip, having figured out what Absol was about to do.

"That's all you have to say?" Twilight whispered in disbelief. Absol turned to look at her, finding that her and all of her friends, sans Pinkie, were giving him the same look of anger and hatred that the princesses had been giving him. "You kill Prince Sol and this is all you have to say for yourself?! That you don't regret what you've done?!"

"That is all you will listen to. Anything else I say will fall on deaf ears," Absol said, having been in this same spot many times before. "And know this. Despite how you feel about me, despite how I have hurt you, know that I would do the same thing again to protect all of you."

"Ponies. With me," Celestia snarled as she motioned for the Ambassadors to join her and Luna. "We must find a worthy punishment for this...bringer of disaster."

The ponies formed into a group and began to talk amongst themselves, leaving Absol to stand alone in silence. Marble and Limestone ran over beside him, the latter of the two practically blowing steam out her ears with how angry she was.

"Of all the ungrateful...grah! I can't believe them! You save them all and this is how they repay you!" Limestone growled, her hooves cracking the bricks beneath her. "I swear if I wasn't on the verge of passing out I would run through that crowd and deck every single one of them!"

"That would not help. Besides, this is all that can be done," Absol said somberly, getting Limestone to look at him in confusion. "The crowd, the Ambassadors and especially the princesses believe that I have killed somepony they all cared about. Somepony that would be the saving light that they have all waited for. Their anger at me, at least in their eyes, is justified. They believe I killed their hero."

"So we just tell them the truth and-"

"They won't believe us," Marble cut her sister off. Limestone tried to look her sister in the eyes, but Marble avoided her gaze. "They all fell for Spiral's lie. They all believe that he's the incorruptible hero that he said he was. They would rather believe that Absol struck him down than they would believe that he was Spiral. After all, Absol is the bringer of disaster and Spiral wasted no time in poisoning their minds against him. He knew that they would turn on Absol."

"Then...what are we going to do about it?" Limestone asked as she looked up at Absol, only to find his face was calm, determined...and filled with acceptance. "No, no you can't be thinking of what I think you're thinking..."

"The ponies will not believe my words. And even if they did, the knowledge that Spiral is Sol, the pony that they all admired so greatly, would bring a pain to them that they might not be able to heal from," Absol revealed, before a bitter smirk crossed his face. "But if them pinning their pain and anger on me protects the lie that keeps them happy, that makes them believe that the royals are kind...then I can bear their hatred and anger. I have done so all my life." 

"But you did nothing wrong. You saved us," Limestone pleaded with him one last time, getting Absol to turn to look at her with sad eyes. "It's not fair."

"My mother did nothing wrong and yet she was killed. I fought to save others from disasters and I was hunted. And even here, I am believed to have killed the Prince that they love so much. The world has never been fair to my family. It is our curse," Absol said to her with a small smile. "We have the power to predict and try to prevent disasters, but we shall always be blamed for them. But if that is what it takes to prevent these ponies from suffering, then I can bear it one last time."

As he said this the princesses and the ambassadors all split apart, glaring at Absol the same way the crowd was glaring at him. "Absol, we have talked it over and we have decided what your punishment shall be for your crimes against Equestria. You shall be banished to the darkest pit of Tartarus, never to be heard from again. Is there anything you wish to say?"

"No. I will not resist. This is for the best," Absol said with a bow of his head.

The princesses nodded to each other before their horns began to glow, using their combined magic to create a vortex in the center of the square. On the other side of the vortex the ponies could see a land of fire, agony and chains, a land that held only the most evil and dangerous criminals in the world. Absol figured that he'd fit right in.

"Marble. Limestone," Absol whispered as he turned back to face them. "Thank you for being there for me. Marble, for lending me your kindness and for believing in me. And Limestone...I'm sorry. So sorry that it has to end like this. But please, know that I do this to-"

"NO!"

The bellow of rage that came from Limestone not only silenced Absol, but also caused everypony that heard her to jump in the air. Limestone began to walk forward with a look of absolute fury on her face that was so intense that everypony, even the princesses, backed away from her with fear. 

"No! I am not letting this happen! I am not letting you take the fall once again for something that you didn't do, not when they should be singing your praises for saving them!" Limestone snarled, before she spun around to gaze at the massive crowd of ponies. "You wanna know what happened? Well here's the truth! Spiral and Sol are one in the same. They always have been. Spiral used the guise of Sol to trick others into trusting him, where he could then do what he wanted unopposed. He put the princesses under mind control and would have done the same to this whole stinking city had Absol not stopped him. That's the truth about your so called hero. He was scum."

"Do you have any proof of your accusation?" Celestia asked in an annoyed tone. That tone was smacked off of Celestia's face when Limestone spun to face her with the fury of hell in her eyes.

"I don't need proof. I've got her," Limestone spat before she pointed at Applejack. "Pinkie told me how your powers work, Ambassador of Honesty. You can tell when a pony is lying and telling the truth, can't you?"

"Ah...um...ah suppose that is one of mah powers," Applejack admitted, only to shrink back slightly when Limestone marched right up to her.

"Then here's the honest truth and you can tell me if I'm lying. Spiral and Sol are one in the same. He tricked his brother Solace and he tricked all of you so that he could take over this world. And Absol saved all of your sorry flanks and then was prepared to take the fall so that you could all live under the illusion that he was some great hero. So tell me, Applejack, was any of that a lie?"

The crowd, the princesses and the Ambassadors waited with baited breath as Limestone glared down Applejack, who was processing what Limestone had told her. "No...none of it was ah lie. What she's saying...is the truth."

A massive gasp came from the crowd and all of the ponies began to speak with one another, unable to comprehend what they had just heard. The Ambassadors all looked at one another with shocked eyes and the two princesses stared down at the street, looking like all they had known had come crashing down on them.

"And if that isn't enough for you, before this whole fight went down Absol told Pinkie to watch Sol incase he tried anything," Limestone snarled to the crowd, regaining their attention once more. "Pinkie, got something you wish to say?"

"My sister...is right. I was keeping an eye on Sol as a favor to Absol for keeping my family safe. And...Sol mind controlled all of us," Pinkie admitted, getting the ponies to gasp once more. "I wasn't sure at first...my mind was like a fog when I woke up, but I remember it clearly now. Him gathering us together. Him casting his spell on all of you. The confetti cannon I set off. And then him controlling me. It's all true."

All eyes then slowly moved from Pinkie to Absol, who glanced around to see devastation, betrayal and pain in all of the eyes of the ponies. Pain and betrayal felt from having learned that their greatest ruler turned out to be their greatest threat. He quickly moved beside Limestone and turned her to face him.

"Limestone, what are you doing?! This is what I was trying to avoid," Absol told her, only to get a less than amused expression in reply. "This pain, this suffering...they've just lost their faith in a pony that-"

"A pony that lied to them, experimented on them and then tried to pin everything that he did on the real hero of this world," Limestone replied before she turned to all the ponies, who were looking at her like they had no idea what she would say next.

"What's the matter? You want to believe that Spiral was a good pony, that he wasn't responsible for so much pain? You want to believe that Absol brought all this disaster, when in reality he was the one saving you from all of Spiral's plans? You want to pin all this on my Absol? Tough," Limestone spat to the entire crowd, including the princesses. "So get this through your thick skulls. Spiral is Sol, both of them are trash and Absol is the hero that nopony here expect me deserves. Have a great rest of your day."

And with that said Limestone turned and walked over to where Pinkie was, leaving the crowd, the princess and the Ambassadors to deal with the bombshell she had dropped on all of them. Marble and Absol followed slowly after her, not sure what she would do next. "Come on Pinkie, with Spiral dead maybe now we can get the rest of our family out of the sphere that he trapped them in. I want to introduce them to Absol before anypony else tries to tell them about him."

"Um, okay, but why is that your biggest priority?" Pinkie asked, looking around at all the others who were trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"Oh, because Absol's my coltfriend and he's going to be staying with us," Limestone replied deadpan. Pinkie looked from her to Absol, who shrugged in reply, before she shook her head and gave Absol a sympathetic smile.

"You weren't wrong. You just can't escape disaster, can you?"

"Hey!"
> At Peace
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Pinkie, stop bouncing around for once in your life and help me to set the freakin place mats!" Limestone roared at her sister, who was hopping around the lamp on the ceiling instead of helping her sister like she was supposed to. Marble was busying preparing the food, but she did glance over her shoulder to smile up at Pinkie.

"I can't help it sis! I'm just so super duper ultra happy excited!" Pinkie giggled before she leapt off of the ceiling, turned a full one eighty in a standing position, and landed hooves down without moving so much as a muscle. Limestone didn't even blink. "We have a new friend at the rock farm! And not only that, he's your coltfriend! I mean, if Absol hadn't just saved us all from the darkness of Spiral by tapping into an incredible power that nopony knew he had, I'd say this is the greatest miracle that has ever befallen our family! There's somepony in the universe outside of us that can actually tolerate you!"

"Ha ha, you're so funny," Limestone snarked back at her sister, but a smile still managed to force its way into her face as she thought about recent events.

"Now there's a look I don't think I've ever seen on your face," Maud said as she walked down the stairs. "Normally you're either scowling or staring at somepony with a less than friendly look. I think this might be the first time in months I remember you having such a smile on your face."

"Come on Maud, I smile a lot!" Limestone snarled back, looking to her other sisters for help. Marble suddenly became very interested in a plate that was made completely of stone, while Pinkie just gave her a kind, understanding smile that didn't give away anything. "Okay fine, maybe I am grumpy most of the time and don't enjoy smiling. But with everything that's happened and...Absol, I can't push down these feelings of happiness that burst to the surface."

"And speaking of the Pokemon, where is he?" Igneous asked as he and Cloudy walked in through the front door to their house. The Pie father scanned the room for the Pokemon with a less than amused expression, but when he saw that Absol was not there his face returned to its blank slate look. "Because if we are going to have...him living with us, I would like the chance to talk with him over a nice meal. Can't he at least humor me?"

"Come on dad, don't be like that. This is a huge change for him as well," Limestone replied in a stern voice, one that made her lock eyes with her father. "He's use to being alone and hunted, so coming to a place willingly has been hard on him. And after all he did for us, you can at least try to be nice to him."

"After what he did. She says that as if we haven't heard conflicting reports," Cloudy added softly. "Some say that he's a bringer of disaster and that he killed the returning Prince Sol. However, you have been nothing but adamant that he is nothing short of a hero. Forgive us if we are skeptical."

"He did save us. Sol he saved our entire family and the families of the other Ambassadors, yet it's amazing how quickly all of them forgot that when Spiral flashes around a nice smile and throws around some big words. Ungrateful jerks," Limestone snarled, before she too started looking around the room. "But you are right in saying that he should be here. I'll go find him and bring him in for dinner. And I beg the both of you, please don't try to make this awkward or else I'm running off to Faust knows where and starting a dance club. I'm serious."

With those words of warning Limestone raced out of her house, leaving Igneous and Cloudy to look at their other daughters, who smiled at them with shakes of their head. Igneous only spoke again once Limestone was far out of earshot. "I still cannot believe that she found somepony who can actually put up with her attitude. I never thought it would happen."

"I know! We were just saying the same thing!"

"Truly this Absol is a bringer of miracles."

Limestone, far away from her families discussion about her but still aware that they were talking about her, raced through the rock fields with the smile forcing its way back onto her face once more. The moon shone its pale light down upon the endless stretches of rocks and stone, creating a strange mix of blinding light and creeping shadows. The smaller rocks were bathed in the light of the moon, while the large rocks cast their shadows that stretched far. And it was atop one of those giants rocks that Limestone spied Absol, who was staring up at the moon with the serious expression that he always wore on his face.

"Figured I'd find you here brooding by yourself," Limestone said as she hopped up onto the rock beside him. Absol didn't say anything upon her arrival, but when he scooted slightly closer to Limestone it was more than enough for the mare. "Dad wants you to come inside for dinner. He's probably going to read you the riot act because of well...you know. Hope you won't take it to heart, my family can be...yeah."

"From what little I have seen of him, he seems like a kind pony. Stern, but kind," Absol replied. "Same goes for your mother. Your sister Maud is like your mother and father, devoid of emotion, but still reliable and strong. You and your sister share traits with your parents, but have your own quirks. Her softness and your unyielding rage."

"What can I say? I'm perfect."

"That's not the word I would use. Bossy. Temperamental. Kind," Absol said before nudging her shoulder. Limestone had to use all of her self control not to blush at the act. "As for Pinkie, I have no idea how she is related to any of you. Are you certain that she is not adopted?"

"Certain."

"Well, I shall take your word for it," Absol replied, before turning his gaze towards the moon once more. "And to correct your earlier statement, I have not been sitting here brooding by myself. Just half an hour ago both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna showed up to speak with me."

"I bet that was entertaining."

"Indeed it was. They said how they both felt terrible about what they had done and how they had allowed Sol to cloud their judgement against me. You know, that kind of talk," Absol smirked. "Afterwards they asked me if I still held any ill will towards them or the ponies of the land."

"They probably asked because they're afraid that if you did something they wouldn't be able to stop you. Since Spiral failed to teach them the same technique he used to make magic hurt you."

"That's what I figured as well. So I told them that I was still on the fence and what was to happen in the near future would determine how I...felt," Absol told Limestone with a devilish grin. "You should have seen the blood drain from their faces. They then asked me of there was anything that they could do to make my stay in Equestria more enjoyable. I told them that I would call for them if I needed anything."

"And now you've got the two princesses on call to bend over backwards for your every need. That is amazing," Limestone said with a cackle. "Are you sure that Spiral wasn't somewhat right and you are secretly evil?"

"I do have my dark side. Dark type and all that. But honestly, after everything I've been through in both my world and this one, I'm just finally ready for some peace and quiet."

"And yet you came here with me?"

"Well, I said I was ready for it. Didn't say that I would get it," Absol said with a smile at Limestone. Limestone smirked back in reply before she snuggled up closer to Absol, laying her head against his shoulder. "Besides, it seems that thanks to my adventures with a pair of mares that summoned adventure and danger wherever they went, I seem to have...developed a bit of a taste for a more crazy and wild life."

"You can thank me later," Limestone smiled. Absol tensed next to her and the both of them lifted their heads to the sky, just in time to see a rift in space appear before them. A moment later Palkia emerged from the rift, glancing around for a moment before he spied Absol and Limestone. He floated down to the both of them, coming to a halt just above the ground.

"Absol. Limestone. I am glad to see the both of you safe," Palkia said to the both of them in a voice that made space around the three of them distort. "After being mind controlled by that villain Spiral, I wasn't sure what lay in store for the both of you. I am glad to see that things have worked out, especially for you, Absol. You see to finally have found your peace."

"Yes...or at least I've found a place and group that will finally accept me for who I am. At least, if I can impress Limestone's parents I will have," Absol joked, before a more serious look crossed his face. "Palkia...I just wanted to thank you. To thank you for bringing me to this world. For the longest time I sat alone on that mountaintop, wondering why this world. But now I know why."

"I had always suspected that you talents would be better appreciated in this world that they would be the other one. But I truly believe that you would be interested to know that humanity has actually begun to realize that Absol's do not cause the disasters like they once believe, but instead prevent them. And they are doing much to make up for the centuries of pain they have brought upon your kind," Palkia revealed, causing Absol's eyes to go wide. "In fact, the world has changed so much that I believe they would welcome you if you were to go back. It is your choice."

"Sorry, but you can't have him," Limestone snarled as he wrapped her forehooves around Absol's shoulder, pulling him in close and locking him in place. "Now or ever. Don't even try to take him away. I will fight you."

"She will," Absol agreed when Palkia gave Absol an amused look. "And as much as I would like to rub this in the faces of the humans and Pokemon that caused me so much harm, my place is here now. My place is with her. And perhaps with some time and work, this world can truly become a place where I can be one of them."

"A Pokemon in a world of ponies?"

"Like I said, a lot of work," Absol smiled. Palkia nodded before he spread his wings and started to ascend back towards the vortex, waving to Absol and Limestone as he did so.

"I wanted to make sure you were given the choice, though I did not expect you to take it. And I am also glad to see that his land of second chances has managed to give you a second chance, Absol. I hope that you never come to me again in anguish and pain. And Limestone, make sure to thank your sister for freeing me from Spiral. Farewell, my friend."

And with that Palkia ascended into the vortex, which closed behind him a moment later. Absol and Limestone watched him go before the both of them stood up, stretching their legs before they hopped off the boulder.

"It was nice of him to come by and wrap things up for you. But if he had tried to take you with him I would have had to bring him down. You know that, right?" Limestone asked Absol, who smiled at her reply. 

"I am certain you would of. Your unwavering courage in the face of impossible odds is one of the many things that I love about you," Absol said as he and Limestone walked close to one another, both of them simply enjoying the fact that they were with one another. "Now come, let us go face my greatest challenge in this land. Getting your parents to like me."