Pinkie Pie sighed as she walked through Ponyville, feeling the slight fatigue in her bones fade away from stretching. She could really use this walk since she's not just physically exhausted but emotionally as well.

Being the most emotionally attuned of the Mane Six, Pinkie Pie's devastated if not depressed loosing four of her five best friends,Twilight still alive since she's a powerful Alicorn. Fluttershy and Rarity both passed away from old age and yet lived their lives to the fullest. Rainbow Dash and Applejack each died a hero's death as they sacrificed themselves for the ones they loved against the Pokémon and Bakugan consumed by the influence of Lucemon. And Pinkie's heartbreak is as painful as all their Guardians' put together.

The ones able to help her smile the best since then were her husband Cheese Sandwich, their son Lil Cheese, Princess Twilight, and the Cake Twins. Cheese Sandwich's songs of love and comforting support help her to celebrate the memory of her friends by making a holiday for each of them. Twilight supported her as she finds these memorable as well. And Lil Cheese and the Twins (who are an older sister and older brother to him) work together to set up the celebrations, making his parents proud. Pinkie and Cheese feel that their son will soon be a great party pony like them, especially since he's almost grown up; he has even earned his Cutie Mark years ago for it.

Pinkie beamed a little at the memory of that special moment her son got his Cutie Mark. So much has happened since Trister and the other Guardians have left, both good and bad. But the one memory she will always cherish was the last days she spent with her Guardian before he left…because they started with a Pinkie Promise.

Flashback*

"Let's see..A few balloons here… some streamers over here…Ooh, I think this will be perfect right here."

As Pinkie Pie was zipping left and right, up and down with the decorations for the audience area of the coronation, Trister was setting the tables with the plates and silverware. But try as he might, he can't crack a smile. Drago's words are still implanted in his mind.

"We are going to have to leave Equestria… as long as we continue to stay here, Equestria will never be at peace. Evil such as Naga and Kyurem are only the tip of the iceberg. To keep our home safe, to keep our partners safe, we must depart. This news does not come lightly to any of us but make peace with your partner and loved ones before my or Twilight's coronations. We must leave shortly after."

At the remembrance of his friend's words, Trister dropped the utensils, fell to his knees, and broke down sobbing into his hands. That caused Pinkie Pie to stop with her decorating and turn to her Guardian with confusion. Seeing him crying , she immediately dropped her decorations and rushed over to him.

"Trister," she asked, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I…I don't…I don't want…" he whimpered.

"You don't want to do the tables?" Pinkie replied, thinking that's why her friend's so sad. "Oh, you could've just said so, Trister. I'd be happy to do the tables while you do the decorations."

"No…" her Guardian sniffled. "I don't want to leave." Pinkie became more confused but a little sad as well.

"What…What are you saying?"

"I'm sorry, Pinkie," Trister sighed as he wiped away his tears. "Drago, he…he said that we can't stay with you and the girls anymore." Pinkie immediately felt her heart stop right then and there.

"What?"

"Drago said that…after the coronation," Trister answered with shaky breaths, "we have to return to Vestroia. It's the only way you and all of Equestria can be safe and at peace. If we stay…we'll only be putting you all in danger. I know you don't want me—or us—to leave, but…I don't want you to get hurt or worse because of me." He then buried his face into his hands with more sniffling, but Pinkie Pie only wrapped her front legs around his neck to give him a comforting hug.

"Oh, Trister," she said softly, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"No, Pinkie," he sniffled. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I wanted to tell you sooner, but…I didn't wanna make you cry…" She only gave him a tearful smile as she wiped his tear away.

"Hey, it's okay to have a good cry," she then said to him with a soft smile. "Mrs. Cake says that if you keep it in too long, it will cause you more pain."

"But…we can't be together anymore," he whimpered. "Oh, Pinkie, we've been through so much. This coronation will be the last one we've planned together."

"Yeah, but we'll always be together in each other's hearts," she assured him. "And who knows…maybe we'll meet again someday. We don't really know what the future holds, but we'll be together again." Trister turned to her with a bit of hope.

"Pinkie Pie Promise?" She nodded in answer before the two of them did their Pinkie Pie Promise salute together:

"Cross my heart

And hope to fly

Stick a cupcake

In my eye."

And the two of them shared another hug with slight tears.

End Flashback*

And the two of them were able to keep their Pinkie Pie Promise, although it was for a short period of time every chance they got. When they're not together, the two of them were able to keep in touch with letters to each other; Trister has been moving up in the world and making Pinkie proud when he was appointed Grand Admiral of Vestroia's Navy.

The times they do get to be together were made special as they made the best of it just like with Twilight's coronation. Trister was beside himself with joy when she told him that she's marrying Cheese Sandwich (he knew those two crazy kids were made for each other) and was honored when she asked him to help her father give her away. And when the couple had Lil Cheese, he couldn't stop smiling as he looked down at the little bundle of bouncing joy in her arms.

The times that he couldn't come visit because of his Naval duties were made up with letters and pictures. And he was able to write them back as well as send birthday presents to Pinkie, Cheese Sandwich, and Lil Cheese. And his letters would often tell of the naval officers under him who would make him proud as they would strive to protect those they love.

But with the good visits come the bad ones as well. With each of her four best friends passing away, Pinkie and her husband would come to Vestroia to attend the funeral. Trister who loved them as well would also comfort her alongside Cheese. And yet a part of her assures her that her friends are always watching over her as are her families.

Wanting to comfort his friend more, Trister convinced Drago and Dharak to give her a special pendant that will grant her access to Pureheart Cemetery in Vestroia to visit her friends' graves as they're heroes in their Guardians' eyes. That was why Pinkie walked over to a hill with a lone tree in full bloom. Once on the hill, she touched the balloon-shaped pendant around her neck, and a bright blue portal opened before, showing her the four gravestones she was looking for. With a tired smile, she stepped into the portal to enter Pureheart Cemetery, Vestroia. Once the portal closed behind her, she smiled down at the graves of Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack.

"Hey, girls. It's great to see you four again. Things have been going well back home last we've talked. Lil Cheese was asked to plan his friends Rosebud and Cocoa Berry's wedding. He told me he knew they'd be together; he must've inherited my Pinkie Sense. Even the twins—"

She stopped when she felt her tail tremble abruptly and jumped out of the way.

BAM! Pinkie was just in time to avoid a pair of long claws struck the spot where she was. Looking up, she saw that it's a Bakugan, an Aquos Krakenoid. But this one is different from the other Krackenoids. He's a darker shade of blue that's close to black, and he has a black-and-purple aura seeping up from him like steam.

Lucemon's Corruption! Pinkie thought with dismay as the Bakugan turned to her.

"Give me the pendent," he demanded with a rumbling growl, "and I shall gain access to that defenseless Ponyville." Pinkie covered her pendant with her hoof, a look of determination in her bright blue eyes.

"No!"

"Then I'll kill you," he growled, "and take it anyway."

Suddenly, a trident of icy white struck the dragon's wing, tearing through the flesh to make him roar with enraged pain.

"Not while I'm here, you're not." Pinkie turned to see a familiar figure step up to her side, dressed in his blue admiral's uniform with his medals of honor and bearing a barely visible marking of three balloons on his hand.

"Trister!" Her old Guardian turned to her with a warm smile.

"Hey, Pinkie," he said with a small way. "Guess you wanted to visit the girls too, huh?" She returned the smile in reply before turning sharply to the roaring Krakenoid ripping the trident out of his wing.

"You'll pay for that!"

"Pinkie, take cover!" The Pony obeyed as Trister turned to the Krakenoid with another Neptune Trident. "Bring it!"

From behind the huge oak tree, Pinkie watched as the fight between the two Aquos commenced. Trister ferociously fights Krakenoid, expertly wielding his Neptune Trident and using his ice and water manipulation abilities. Just like the old days. However, Krakenoid with Lucemon's influence empowering him was slowly but surely overpowering the Grand Admiral of the Vestroian Navy.

Pinkie watched with dismay when Krakenoid sent her Aquos Guardian flying through a row of nearby gravestones with a final blow of his tentacle. As he laid in a beaten heap, she saw that he's covered with so many wounds that are certain to be fatal…and his opponent was approaching him with triumph blazing in his eyes.

"Time to end this," he growled as he raised an arm to finish off the Guardian.

BOOF! A huge blast of confetti and such hits him in the side, tearing through his uninjured wing. Roaring with pain, Krakenoid turned sharply to Pinkie, who fired her party cannon at him to save Trister.

"Leave him alone!" she yelled angrily. The beast only turned around fully with more rage in his snarl.

"You will pay for that!" he roared…just before Trister impaled in the chest him with his Neptune Trident, the last of his energy freezing the corrupted Bakugan.

"Looks like I still got it," Trister said with a weak but confident smile. As he succumbed to the ice, Krakenoid turned to him with hostility.

"Oh, you got it alright!" he roared before flicking his still flexible tentacle up. A bit of water swirled above the claws to become a concentrated water bullet…and he flicked it promptly at Trister's heart.

"NO!" Pinkie jumped in and knocked her Guardian out of the way…only for the bullet to hit and mortally wound her.

"PINKIE!" Trister cried with a howl of emotional agony. He gritted his teeth at the Krakenoid as he was finishing up succumbing to the freezing. With rage in his eyes and roar, he shot a powerful stream of water from his hands and at his frozen foe, shattering him into thousands of pieces.

Seeing Krakenoid fully destroyed, Trister collapsed to his knees right beside Pinkie, both mortally wounded now. With a bit of his waning strength, he gently picked her up.

"Pinkie…I'm sorry." She only looked up at him with a weak smile.

"Don't be," she groaned softly. "I didn't want to lose you…At least…you won't be alone." Trister only smiled back weakly before holding up his free hand slowly.

"At least…let me give you…one last surprise." And he opened a portal to the Aquos Region and used a bit more of his powers to carry the two of them in. When he sets them down again, Pinkie saw that they're by a beautiful waterfall.

"I've crafted this waterfall for you," Trister said to her. "It took me a few years…what with my duties and all…but it was worth it." Pinkie hugged him weakly.

"I love it. Thank you, Trister." Trister smiled back weakly as he felt the veil of death drawing closer.

"I'm going to miss your smile, Pinkie…Always so sweet…I'll see you on the other side…"

"I'll see you there..Trister…" With that, the two of them closed their eyes for the last time.

Later*

Drago stood before the two fresh graves in Pureheart Cemetery. Behind him stood Boulderon, Taylean, Helios, and Wolfurio. After receiving word from one of Trister's commanding officers that he and Pinkie Pie have been found an hour after they've died, they had the two of them buried side by side in the cemetery. The Guardians had it that way because the know it's what their two friends would've wanted…like they were destined to die together…unlike the rest of them.

Drago however balled his claws into fists with rage as Cheese Sandwich and Lil CheeseHe wanted to hit and destroy something but didn't want to desecrate this sacred ground.

"Drago?" Taylean spoke up, concerned for his friend. The ruler only turned to him and the others, tears of rage streaming down his cheeks for all of them to see.

"Lucemon has hurt us for the last time by taking away our partners, including Pinkie Pie." he said firmly as the two Ponies watched him. "And now he has robbed us of one of our own also…Trister." He then stood up straight.

"It's time we dealt with him once for all. All of you, get your troops ready for a full-on assault. We're ending this now."

"Got it!" Helios replied, thinking the same thing before the four of them left. Drago then turned to the Cheeses.

"Cheese Sandwich…Lil Cheese. I don't you two to forgive me, but I swear it. Pinkie's sacrifice will not be in vain."

"We know we can't stand in your way," Lil Cheese replied. "But we'll be routing for you." Drago smiled sadly.

"Thank you." And so he went to prepare for the final showdown with Lucemon.