The group returned to the Dungeon, intending to find the other way in.
"So, where was the entrance you guys came through?" Hope asked Meowth.
"Let's see...I think it was...yes!" Meowth said as he scrambled over to a large rock. He along with Totodile, Riolu and Pikachu moved against the rock and pushed it aside to reveal a hidden path. "There we…" he said before a creature jumped onto Meowth.
"I'm so glad I found you guys! I was looking for you guys for awhile!" said a small yellow creature with a pointed tail and white wings.
"Yeah...you guys just left us behind." said a flying squirrel-like creature.
"Sorry...guess we got lost." Pikachu said. "Dunsparce, Emolga...we're glad you held on."
"What's going on in there?" Dunsparce asked. "The whole dungeon just got a lot darker and evil!"
"Long story short, we accidentally released a pony made of darkness." Kazuma said.
"That sounds more like on purpose than accident." Emolga said.
"So...did you manage to find the path to the center?" Totodile asked.
"Yeah...just before we left to look for you." Dunsparce said.
"Take us there." Riolu said as they ventured down the path.
'So...when did they join? I don't remember them from the games." Ajna asked.
"Oh, this was after the games. They joined when we took in this team called Pokemon Paradise. Apparently they saved the world also." Pikachu said. "They even fought against Kyurem."
"Kyurem? That's nuts!" Hope said.
"They did it so the world could have a chance. However the human who was with Oshawott, the other leader, had to return to the human world after they saved the world." Riolu said.
"It sounds like you guys are recruiting Pokemon from Rescue Squads all over the World of Exploration." Titanica mentioned.
"It's actually a mix of rescue and exploration. And no. Just the ones that had contact with humans brought over." Pikachu said.
"Wow...that is pretty incredible." Jexi said. "Glad to see your team taking off."
"Same for yours." Pikachu said.
The group then arrived at the central chamber. Looking around the rooms and then inside the ruined monument circle, they saw a new doorway leading to a new path.
"That wasn't there before." Hope noticed. "That likely leads to the chamber where Stygian is."
Going inside the chamber, they found it was a bit demented and had a bit of gothic architecture to it.
"Okay… so where's the big baddie?" Dunsparce asked.
They then heard a familiar evil laugh as shadow gathered together to form the Pony of Shadows in all its terrifying glory.
"Hahahahahahah!" he laughed. "You all were fools to return back here without the assistance of the Pillars!"
"That's fine. We don't need them to send you back to the pits you crawled out of." Theo said.
"You sound just like them." the Pony of Shadows sneered. "When they turned their backs on me, I found a place where the darkness could reach me. It spoke to me of a power beyond anything I could imagine, and I listened. The shadow and I then became one. Soon, all of the realm will feel the same despair I did, when they cast me out!"
"It sounds like they actually had a good reason, considering you tried to steal their powers for yourself." G. Aqua mentioned.
"No! It was they who were selfish!" the Pony of Shadows rebuked. "And once I'm finished with you… they will PAY!"
"Hahahaha! How amusing...you actually believe you have a chance against us." Ainz said.
"Sadly...that's not the case here." Theo said, changing his blade. "Aquarius Mode!" he said as he rapidly fired on Stygian.
"And honestly, I think the darkness has possessed your body long enough." Ace said, shifting Celestial Twilight to Urias in its whip form. "Heavenly Punishment!" he said, launching a crazy flurry of whip strikes.
"Rista, open up a portal directly behind him!" Ethox said.
"But that'll send him to the Unified Divine Realm!" Rista said.
"Not unless I change its course to a different location with a new spell I've been practicing." Ethox said. "Just do it, trust me!"
"Alright then, I hope you know what you're doing!" Rista said, getting behind the Pony of Shadows and opening a portal.
"Now, how about we send him somewhere different that he'll feel right at home in?" Ethox asked. "Like the Realm of Darkness!" He pointed his Keyblade at the portal and zapped it with magic, changing the portal's location to the Realm of Darkness in the Disney Heart Universe.
"Wait, you can use your Keyblade to change a portal's destination?" Double D asked.
"Yeah. Can't all Keyblades do that?" Ethox asked.
"Focus, guys!" Ultra said, bringing out Kartana. "Kartana, use Vacuum Wave!"
The Ultra Beast whirled its blades to send a wave of vacuum at the Pony of Shadows, hurting it. It also pushed it to the portal as it realized where he was going.
"No! You will not trap me again!" the Pony of Shadows declared as it struggled against the heroes, until they spotted a grey unicorn's head emerging from the shadowy creature.
"Thorani, you were right! There's really someone in there!" Hope said.
"I'll get him!" Mark said, flying up and getting a hold on the pony's head, but he suddenly found himself being pulled inside the darkness himself.
"Mark!" Hope said as he jumped head first inside the Pony of Shadow's body.
Blue light illuminated the darkness all around them as the two of them looked to see the grey unicorn slumped before them.
"You're.. Stygian, aren't you?" Hope asked.
"I was, once." the unicorn answered. "Until my friends betrayed me."
"Is that what really happened?" Mark asked. "Because the Pillars told us you were planning to steal their magic."
"No, I wanted their respect!" Stygian said. "I brought them together, helped them learn all about the beasts we faced. But I didn't have magic or strength, so nopony ever noticed me. I went to Ponehenge to make my own copies of the artifacts. I thought if I had them, I could be a Pillar too, and stand by their side in battle. I never wanted to steal their power."
"So they just made the assumption you were trying to steal their magic, and cast you out over a misunderstanding?" Hope said. "That's cold."
"Yes, that's what happened. Instead of sharing and letting me help, my friends threw me out….So I became stronger than any of them." Stygian said being covered in shadows. "The Darkness welcomed me when nopony would, and I will do what I must to defend it."
"This is all just a big misunderstanding." Hope said. "If the Pillars knew how you really felt, they wouldn't have had the need to cast you out. You're not so alone that you have to rely on darkness to get what you want. Become Stygian again and let us help you mend your relationship with the pillars."
"Even if my friends did still care, what makes you think you have the power to help me?" Stygian asked.
"Because it's what they do." Starlight said as she, Sunset and the Humane 7 arrived. "Sunset and I weren't so different from you, but Twilight and the others helped us change. Heck, even Mark almost succumbed to his own darkness, but we helped him fight his inner demons, literally."
"It's true." Mark said. "Long story. Point is, we've done this before, and we'll do it again with you. It's what friends do, after all."
"So like it or not…" Theo said as they grabbed onto Stygian and pulled him free. "We're saving you!"
The shadow that held Stygian roared in pain as he was released.
"Now let's send this Shadow packing to a place it can never escape from!" Hope said.
"Right…" Theo said as he and the other Keyblade wielders aimed at the portal as the darkness was sealed inside the rift into the Realm of Darkness.
"Ha! Take that you stupid blob!" Meowth said. "Hey...does this mean we cleared the dungeon?"
"Well, we saved Stygian without having the elements destroyed, and the Pillars are still here." Hope said. "I think this dungeon's treasure was a repaired friendship between a misunderstanding."
"But the Pillars weren't here to realize what Stygian was really doing." Ichiro said. "How will we convince them of what went wrong?"
"You don't have to." a voice said as the Pillars and Mane Six were seen standing behind them.
"...How long were you guys standing there?" Kaibara asked.
"We arrived right as Stygian told the truth of what happened. And we heard everything." Princess Twilight said as Starswirl approached the unicorn.
"Long ago, you needed our help, Stygian. But we turned our backs on you. Pride clouded my judgement. I owe you an apology." Starswirl admitted. "Thank you all for helping us see the errors of our ways. It seems I didn't account for the Magic of Friendship."
"We were happy to help." Al said. "So I guess we can count this dungeon cleared?" she asked.
"Yup. There may not have been any physical treasure to claim at the end… but I think Friendship in this universe is the greatest treasure of all." Hope said.
"What? That is the lamest thing I ever…" Meowth said as the dungeon began to shake.
"Proof that you are wrong in three, two, one…" Emo counted down before the dungeon simply… popped out of existence. "Well, look at that! The dungeon is gone! I guess that means we cleared it, eh guys?"
"...I will scratch off your face if you keep this up." Meowth said.
"Looks like the dungeons just vanish after the treasure is claimed or is cleared." Robin said.
"Either way...that's still one down...27 left." Jexi said.
"So where to next?" Simon asked. "How about our Universe?"
"Funny you should mention that place. Rumors say that in that dungeon… a certain foursome awaits." Kendo said.
"What?" Simon asked as he saw glimpses of the four Auditio. "But… they can't be there. Bayonetta banished them to the depths of Inferno."
"Isn't it possible that there are alternate versions of those four just like how there are different versions of us?" Hope asked.
"Hope...Bayonetta's angels don't even exist in the Sky Universe." Sheer said. "At least they're not supposed to."
"I have a counterclaim to that, Sheer." Mark said. "In the Multiverse, there is no such thing as impossible."
"That's not a counterclaim." Sheer said. "That's just...either way...this does pose some investigation."
"Y-Yes, let's go see for ourselves then." Simon said.
And so the heroes headed off to the next dungeon…. A palace in the sky that leads to heaven.