Later that night, Sunny and her friends are all putting their plan to take the Wings of Loyalty into action, being in position behind Queen Haven's throne and in anticipation of the upcoming show. Nikki and James, in the meantime, managed to gather their family, Sugarcake, Siren, and Sugarcoat into the alleyway Zipp mentioned to them and they braced themselves for what was about to come later on. It was a major gamble for all of them to make in order to take that next big step to restore Equestria and bring back the lost friendships and love between the ponies, Pokemon, and dragons, especially with the stakes by their knowing of Scarlet Nightmare and the possibility that she's responsible for the world being in such strife.
Upon the perch from the throne room, Zipp was leaning against the railings along with her mother and little sister, who came to see her before the show would begin soon. She could only hope that their plan would be foolproof enough that'll allow them and herself to "borrow" the Wings of Loyalty for the sake of restoring their homeland and bring back their extended family and Pokemon friends.
"I've heard you've been visiting our guests, child," Queen Haven began as she was powdering herself to spruce up her appearance.
"Huh? Pipp told you about that?" she gawked in shock at her.
"Oh, you know she tells me everything. Never one to miss a trick when it comes to you and how much of a rebel you are. Honestly, I wish you would tell me more about your insecurities and your ideas for the future. You're going to be queen one day and your sister long after depending on what you do to further propel us to prosperity and happiness. You'll wear this crown one day when I step down. And, trust me, this thing is much, much heavier than it looks."
"Actually, Mom, there's something I want to tell you and Pipp that's really important," Zipp began, frowning towards her mother as she explained. "The Unicorns, they don't have any magic. I've been doing a lot of thinking and I think it's tied to the fact that we can't fly for some-"
"Zephyrina! Where did you get such an idea?! Oh, I just don't know what I'm going to do with you, young mare!" groaned an aghast and shocked Queen Haven as she turned to her eldest daughter.
"I don't know what kind of foolish things those Unicorns have been putting into your head since they came here but you must remember that we have a duty to protect our citizens. The Pegasi are all happy enough knowing that we royals can fly and they can't. Why would you ever want to disrupt things as a result of your careless behavior even if it's for the best?"
"It's a lie, I don't want to live it anymore! What would be the point of it all?"
"It makes them feel safe and our lies being exposed is what scares me the most. When everybody knows that everything's a lie in the end and we've given them false hope, the Pegasi will rebel and they'll demand answers as to why we lied to them. How do you think they'll react to the truth once you tell them?"
"But, none of it would've mattered anyway if the Pegasi eventually find out and start questioning things. They're not stupid even they're being told lies daily."
"Yes, but nevertheless, our lies will continue to make them feel safe no matter what. One day, you'll understand. Your sister does..." reaffirmed Queen Haven much to Zipp's disgruntlement as Pipp arrived, being carried on wires and scatting as she warmed up her vocals. "Oh, here she is now."
"Showtime!" Queen Haven announced, spreading her wings proudly as the lights dimmed.
Then, the sound of upbeat pop music played in the background as the royals were carried up and gently lowered into the throne room. "Remember to smile!" she chirped to her daughters as they flapped their wings.
"Ugh!" Zipp groaned in disdain, as both she and her mom took their seat on their thrones.
Cloudpuff yapped as he took a sit besides Queen Haven. Looking behind her mother's throne, Zipp looked to see Sunny, Izzy, and Sarah, were all in place for the next phase of the plan. Just as Zipp had said, her sister, Pipp, made a grand entrance above her adoring fans, as she proceeded to sing, and "fly" to further captivate the audience.
(Pipp Petals)
We got the light
We're coming in stronger
We're in it together
If you want it it's all inside your mind
We got thе light
Won't wait any longer
We'll get it togеther
If you want it then you can paint the sky
Just as Zipp said, all eyes were all on Pipp's performance, including Queen Haven's. Though, even Sunset Shimmer couldn't help but whistle as she bopped her head to the rhythm of Pipp's singing.
"Wow, she's got nice sets of pipes!" Sunset commented.
"Uh, Sunset?" Sunny called, as she stood on top of Izzy. "Little help here?"
"Oh, right," Working her magic, Sarah levitated Sunny up, until she's right on top of Queen Haven's throne.
Used to care what they'd say
Let 'em into my brain
But I found a new way
Ooh-hoo-ooh
Every time I fall down
I pick it up like rebound
Gotta get through somehow
From there, Sunny made the swap with the fake crown that Izzy had crafted, while Sunny stole the real crown. Once the task was done, Sarah gently placed Sunny back on the floor, before she walked over to inspect the pegasus crystal embedded crown.
"Huh, so this is the pegasus crystal?" Sarah looked over the crown.
"Yeah!" Sunny nodded before putting the crown in her saddlebag. "C'mon! Next stop is Bridlewood!"
With that, the three mares galloped towards the nearest exit. Unfortunately, a guard was at the door. Fortunately, he was too busy talking to someone, possibly his girlfriend, on the phone, to notice.
"No, you hang up," The guard insisted.
Sunny and Izzy quickly closed the doors, when they and Sunset heard a dog whimper, to which they turned to see the royal dog, Cloudpuff, growling and flaring up his wings.
Sunny and Izzy both let out a scream, while Sarah focused her magic to stop the dog in its tracks. But the dog continued to bark and wriggle in Sarah's telekinetic grip.
"You're a spunky little one, aren't you?" Sarah said to the dog.
We don't fly like we used to
We take what we've been through
And we can feel brand new
Ooh-hoo-hoo
I know I am a fighter, I feel the fire
I'm shinin' brighter
Ooh-hoo-hoo
With Sarah holding off Cloudpuff, Sunny and Izzy galloped to another door, only to find Sheriff Hitch, in a paper-thin pegasus disguise, complete with a mustache.
"Sunny Starscout," The sheriff barked. "You're under arrest..." Before he could finish, Sunny closed the door on him.
Turning to another direction, Sunny and Izzy dashed off to find another way out, while Sheriff Hitch dashed in, only to find himself enchanted with Princess Pipp's performance, swaying his hip to the sound of her enchanting voice.
Glowin' up kind of love
Dip and slide through the cut
Glowin' up kind of love
We say "Hi", you say "What?"
Sarah was still wrestling with Cloudpuff, when the two guards from before caught her in the act.
"Hey!" The other guard shouted. "What are you doing with the queen's royal dog?"
"Uh...I was just playing?" Sarah grinned nervously, as she held the dog in her hoof and gave it a scratch behind the ears. "I just love dogs! And isn't he a cutie being a small puffball with tiny wings?" Unfortunately, the small dog wriggled himself free from Sarah's grip. "H-Hey! Come back here!" With that, Sarah took off chasing the dog, with Thunder and the other guard exchanging agreement.
"I don't blame her," Thunder commented. "He is cute."
Everywhere that I've been
Yeah, they say I'm say different
But I'm good in my skin
Ooh-hoo-ooh (Hey)
If it doesn't feel right
Break it in with tie-dye
And don't you stop 'til sunrise
Cloudpuff dashed into the crowd of pegasus ponies, to forcing Sunset to sneak around the crowd in hopes of cutting off the little dog's escape at the other side. Unfortunately, she was too late. By then, Cloudpuff had gotten to Sunny and Izzy and stole the crown back, intent on giving it back to Queen Haven.
Sunny and Izzy gave chase, only to crash into Sarah in the process, "OOF!" The three mares grunted as they fell to the floor.
"Wipeout!" Izzy moaned.
Sunny looked up and pointed, "There he goes!"
Working up her magic, Sarah levitated Sunny and Izzy off of her, before they resumed the chase.
We don't fly like we used to
We take what we've been through
And we can feel brand new
Ooh-hoo-hoo
Cloudpuff returned to the throne, wagging his tail as he sat at the base of the step. Before her mother had time to notice, Zipp quickly stepped in, struggling to pry the crown away from the dog. "Give me that!" Zipp grunted, pulling the tiara off, while Cloudpuff ran off with the pegasus crystal into the crowd.
At that moment, Sheriff Hitch had finally found his targets and was closing in on them. Thinking fast, Sarah beckoned both Sunny and Izzy to hide behind some curtains, while she stepped in and blocked Sheriff Hitch's path. "Get out of my way!" he ordered.
"Sheriff, I know you and Sunny go way back," Sarah began. "But you don't understand."
I know I am a fighter (Fighter), I feel the fire (Fire)
I'm shinin' brighter
Ooh-hoo-hoo
We got the light
We're coming in stronger
We're in it together
"No, you don't understand!" Sheriff Hitch argued. "I'm trying to keep Sunny out of trouble!"
"By arresting her?" Sarah countered. "Yeah, real helpful."
"It's not like I wanted to put her in jail! She's at the point of no–" Before Hitch could continue, Cloudpuff arrived and crashed into the stallion's leg, dropping the pegasus crystal in the process. "Huh?"
When Hitch looked down, like all the little critters, the little dog immediately took an instant liking to the stallion.
"Hey, he likes you!" Sarah said to the stallion.
"I can see that," The sheriff replied. "What is it with me and critters?"
Before the conversation could continue, the spotlights began to flicker out of control, interrupting Princess Pipp's performance.
"What the..." Pipp said in confusion.
Next thing everyone knew, the spotlight shines on Sarah and Sheriff Hitch. The pegasus crowd all shared confused looks at the new ponies. Then, out of impulse, both Hitch started to dance and sing awkwardly:
(Sheriff Hitch)
Throwing up
Find a glove
Fly around,
bup-bup-bup
Doing stuff that I love
You're like, why?
I'm like what?
"What is happening?" Princess Pipp asked, unsure as to how her spotlight could be taken by the winged unicorn and strange pegasus.
Sheriff Hitch continued to sing awkwardly, with Cloudpuff howling with the stallion:
(Sheriff Hitch)
Crisp and dry
Eat some mud
Glowing up
Lovey dove...
As the show went on and everybody was none the wiser of Sarah, Sunny, Izzy, and Zipp's plan to take the Wings of Loyalty and make a break for Bridlewood with everyone else, a scream was heard and the crowd looked to see Pipp Petals suddenly zipping around and spiraling out of control. In the midst of the chaos that began to break out, Hitch had managed to sneak into Zephyr Heights and find Sunny along with her friends but was distracted when he was seen "dancing" with Queen Haven's dog, Cloudpuff (who had actually fallen in love with him while he had disguised himself as a Pegasus) with the Wings of Loyalty.
Seeing her chance, Zipp made her move as she took the Wings and left the dumbfounded Hitch with the royal dog while the rebellious princess regrouped with Sarah (who was wearing a hat Zipp had gotten for her to hide her horn earlier), Izzy, and Sunny.
"I got it!" Zipp cheered, handing Sunny the Wings.
"Yes!" smiled Sunny as they quickly took off and tucked it away in her saddlebag.
"Good job, Zipp! Ryu would be proud of you if he could see you now!" smiled Sarah to Zipp.
"Thanks, let's go!" nodded the rebel princess as she led the other three with her to an exit.
"Nice work with the lights earlier," Sarah completed Sunny and Izzy as they ran. "By the way, how did you two manage to do it with how tight security is? "
Sunny blinked in surprise as she admitted, "We didn't do anything!"
"But, we did meet this nice Pegasus backstage as we got there. But, he was scared of us and he jumped on this strange thingamajig with all the flashing buttons, the levers, and he just took off screaming!" chirped Izzy, still as optimistic as always.
"Let me guess; is he one of the Pegasi responsible for the lighting and who was in on the Big Lie?"
"FREEZE!"
"Hold it right there!" two loud voices barked, stopping the quartet in their tracks as they saw some Pegasi guards spotting them and gasping in shock.
"The prisoners!" another guard cried, seeing Zipp's friends.
At that moment, Pipp came swooping down as she was still out of control from her wiring system going haywire until she crashed into Hitch and knocked his fake wings off, blowing his cover. "Oh, boy..." he peeped meekly.
"It's another Earth Pony!" gasped a random Pegasus, pointing to Hitch as he panicked and fled, leaving a heartbroken Cloudpuff behind.
"Whoooooooooa!" cried Pipp helplessly as she then accidentally crashed into Sarah this time, consequently knocking her hat from Zipp off her head from behind.
"Look, the Winged Unicorn from earlier!"
"No, wait! Look at her!"
"Oh, my stars! She's not just a Winged Unicorn!"
"No! It can't be, it's not possible!"
"But, how?!"
"She's an Alicorn!"
"An Alicorn?!"
"I thought her kind was dead!" gasped some of the other Pegasi spectators in shock (some of them fainting as the sight of an Alicorn with them became too much for them to bear) when they saw Sarah pick herself up and realize that everyone was staring at her now that she lost her hat.
But, everybody's troubles were only going to get worse because when Pipp came to the end of her flight, she was hung upside down as the wires on her were shown in the spotlight, shocking the entire Pegasi crowd.
"That's not flying!"
"Oh, of all the-!"
"She's a fake Pegasus!"
"She's fooled us with those wires and lighting tricks!"
"A fake?!"
"FAKE!"
"Let's get her!" snarled the audience furiously with one of the reporters in the room snapping a photo.
"The royals can't fly, either?"
"Have they been lying to us all this time?"
"Why, those lousy, good-for-nothings, backstabbing, feather-brained weasels!"
"You're going to pay for making fools out of us!"
Pipp gulped as she realized she was in big trouble now along with her mother but when she looked around the room, in desperate need of help, she saw her older sister, who stopped to look at the commotion and had her sights on her.
"Zipp?" she pleaded, only to see her doing nothing as she looked sadly at her.
Zipp was conflicted on what to do; even though she and Pipp had always butted heads in one way or another, she still loved and cared for her. The rebellious princess knew that she wanted to be free from the stringent and overbearing annoyances of her royal lifestyle and the Big Lie she was forced to live but she didn't want Pipp to suffer for her selfishness no matter how badly she wanted to change her destiny. She also wondered what Ryu would say if she were to abandon Pipp now and go with Sunny, Sarah, her family, and Izzy to complete their common goal. Would he be ashamed, would he be mad, would he be disappointed in her for not caring for her family this time?
Sunny and Izzy were galloping their way towards the exit but Sunny bumped into Zipp as she realized that she and Sarah haven't rejoined them yet. "Zipp! Sarah, hurry!" she shouted, forcing the rebellious princess to follow but not after solemnly mouthing "I'm sorry" to her devastated little sister.
But, Sunny had also dropped the Wings of Loyalty from her saddlebag as Sarah quickly picked it up and saw the three of them leaving. "Sunny! Hey, wait! You forgot-Sunny! WAIT!" she shouted, being too late as they soon disappeared.
"Princess Pipp is a fake, she's going down hard! Who's with me?!" shouted an angry Pegasus spectator as Pipp's former fans raged on the frightened younger princess and her equally frightened mother.
Sarah gasped in horror as she heard the angry crowd of Pegasi voicing their agreement and saw Pipp being left hanging helplessly above the enraged crowd as her popularity took a nosedive. The human-turned-Alicorn knew that she made a vow to help Zipp bring back her extended family along with helping Sunny restore Equestria and defeat Scarlet Nightmare should she ever escape. And, seeing the two in such a mess and remembering the vow she made to Zipp, she knew she couldn't leave them alone, thinking Ryu, his siblings, and their Pokemon friends won't be so forgiving if they weren't saved.
With no other choice, Sarah quickly stashed the Wings into her Satchel, concentrated her magic (straining as she did so) as she focused on a spell, and shot it at Pipp as she disappeared and reappeared next to her mother. Queen Haven was shocked as she looked between her daughter and where she used to be.
"Wh-Pipp! You ca-b-what? H-How?! How is it-when?!" she stuttered, completely dumbfounded.
"I-I, I don't know, Mother! Someone saved me, but-?" Pipp began before they found themselves at the mercy of the outraged Pegasi as they accused and pointed their hooves furiously at them.
But, they soon forgot their rage as Sarah suddenly teleported between them and the disgraced royals in a flash of light (through a teleportation spell she and Tsukumaro managed to learn before coming to Zephyr Heights), spreading her wings out and shocking the crowd as they backed away from her in fear.
"You will not harm them by my order as the Sun Princess!" she declared angrily before she disappeared with a stomp of her front right hoof and another flash of light, taking Pipp and Queen Haven with her.
"What happened?!"
"That Alicorn, she's gone!"
"S-S-She has magic! And, she managed to take the royals as well!"
"We're all gonna die!"
"We're doomed! Doomed, I tell you!" the crowd now panicked, screaming in absolute terror as they tried and failed to comprehend what just happened.
With Sarah, she, Pipp, and Queen Haven reappeared just outside the castle in another ball of light. Of course, having not experienced something like teleportation in their lives, they both felt dizzy and dazed from having traveled in such a haphazard way.
"Whoa! My life just suddenly flashed before my-Oh..." groaned Pipp, trying to shake off her nausea.
"You! Alicorn! I demand an explanation! What is the meaning of this?!" snapped Queen Haven, turning to Sarah. "Disrupting the royal celebration, the highlight of my daughter's career?! What are you playing at, a ploy to bring down my kingdom?!"
"Will all due respect, Your Highness, I was just trying to help," replied Sarah (trying to keep herself calm) as she glared back at the queen with an unfortunate Pipp stuck in the middle as she watched their spat (but also looking as miffed about everything). "If I hadn't used that teleportation spell, that crowd would've beaten you two to a pulp for the Big Lie you've made up."
"Oh, really? By stealing the spotlight when I least expect it, ruining my reputation AND my career in the process?" scoffed Pipp, feeling insulted. "Pfft! Yeah, right, some help you are."
"I'm serious, your career and reputation would've been busted regardless because somebody was bound to pick up that Big Lie sooner or later," retorted the Alicorn before the two, a little annoyed at them.
"Look, I'm sorry for going aggro on you all earlier today and I know I scared you to death with my outburst on what you planned to do with my family but that's not the point! My friends and I along with my family have a reason for doing all of this. We're trying to restore your magic as well as that of the Unicorns and the Earth Ponies as well as bring back your lost loved ones because of what this evil Alicorn from long ago, Scarlet Nightmare, had done. And, to do that, not only do we need your crystal along with two others known as the Earth Pony Hope and the Unicorn's Eye, we also needed your Wings of Loyalty."
To exemplify her point, she took out the Wings of Loyalty and presented it to them as she continued, "I now understand the pain you're going through from what Zipp told us earlier this afternoon so we needed this to-"
"Wait! Hold on, how did that get in there?" gasped Queen Haven in shock, seeing the Wings of Loyalty and the crown on her head. "If those are the Wings of Loyalty, then what have I been... What is this?"
"It's a crown from my friend, Izzy. She's a real artist, runs in the Unicorns in us. I think you'll find it just as beautiful as the Wings of Loyalty, Your Highness."
Impressed by the detail, Queen Haven put the crown back on her head as she commented, "Hmm... Good crafts-ponyship, not bad. But, still, I'm going to have you arrested and tried for sabatoge and I'll make sure you face justice for trying to steal my crown jewel! It was-!"
"FREEZE!" several voices shouted, causing the trio to turn and come face to face with an entire squadron of angry Pegasus guards surrounding them. "Queen Haven, you, your daughter, and the Alicorn are under arrest for conspiracy, deception, and treason amongst a host of charges I'm sure will be no cakewalk for you!" the leading commander spat angrily.
"Your days of royalty are numbered!"
"Surrender now or we'll drag you back by force!" added two more guards, just as furious as the squadron kept their spears pointed at them.
"...How DARE you betray me and my family! I'm your queen, you should serve me! I've kept you safe for many years with the Big Lie and this is how you repay me?!" snarled a shocked Queen Haven.
"If you've been honest with us about you traitors also not being able to fly like the rest of us from the start, we would've been more lenient on you! But, you decided to continue to play us for fools and your daughter helped you with your stupid act!" scoffed the commander. "And, because you've shown that you're a fake, you've shown why we can't trust royalty like you anymore! You also had the nerve to house an Alicorn, a creature that has never been seen nor mentioned in our records for many moons! And if that wasn't bad enough, with your lies, you've made complete fools out of us by believing that only royals could fly! As of this moment, we don't take orders from you anymore! You're coming with us whether you like it or not, all of you!"
The angry guards closed in on the three trapped ponies but not wanting her youngest daughter trapped in the mess they all made together, Queen Haven turned to Sarah and said, "You, Alicorn! Get out of here and take Pipp with you!"
A horrified Pipp turned to Queen Haven as she screamed, "W-Mom, NO!"
Smiling sadly as she held her daughter and kissed her before her arrest, she told Pipp, "It's alright, sweetheart, I'll be fine. Go, it's not safe for you here anymore, find your sister and get out of here!"
Then, she turned to Sarah one last time with a hopeful and slightly apologetic frown. "Look after her..." she said quietly.
Sarah was conflicted again but once again reminding herself of the vow she made to Zipp, she also steeled herself and nodded, before taking Pipp with her despite her protests and struggles to break from her magical grasp and teleported themselves to a separate alleyway. This left the stunned and shocked guards to arrest Queen Haven as they now saw no point in finding the fallen princess, thinking she would be toast along with Sarah since she didn't have the ability to fly either and they would find themselves in trouble to their liking.
In a separate alleyway, the Sun Princess managed to teleport herself and Pipp away from danger. But, once she was put down and back on her own hooves, Pipp was left crestfallen and devastated over the loss of her mother when she was arrested, angrily turning away from Sarah as tears of grief fell from her eyes.
"...Um, you're welcome?" Sarah called, raising an eyebrow.
"I never asked you to do this, I never asked for your help in anything," Pipp began, frowning with anger as she slowly got in her face and ranted. "Why would I bother thanking you for anything? You've ruined my show with your stupid transgressions, you've turned my own sister against me with your machinations, you've turned everypony against me and my mother back home while ALSO RUINING ME LIFE!"
"Excuse me? I went along with Zipp's plan because I wanted to help her and I made a personal vow to her! You ended your own life by living the Big Lie you and your mother made up! What makes you think I played a part in destroying it when it was your fault alone?!"
"You've ruined everything ever since you've set one hoof on Zephyr Heights and brought your monsters along with those two scumbags for ponies with you! And, you know what made it worse? The fact that you, YOU, are the only pony here in Equestria that-tha-that-t, you have WINGS, MAGIC! That suggests to me now that you're no ordinary pony! Zipp told us earlier that Unicorns don't have magic so how come you lied to her and us when she said YOU AND YOUR SO-CALLED FRIEND OF A UNICORN AND THE REST OF THOSE HORNED INGRATES DIDN'T HAVE ANY?!"
Sarah snarled as she was getting tired of Pipp trying to deny the truth and deflect whatever responsibilities she needed to take for her and her mother's actions for lying to their own subjects.
"Uh-Uh! Sorry, Ms. Oh-So-High-And-Mighty, but don't act like you're the only victim here! What I've done is purely out of self-defense and because I wanted to help you and Queen Haven, I couldn't just leave you high and dry when there was much more at stake than just your popularity! My actions don't even come close to you both lying to everybody 24/7 that only royals can fly and they can't!"
She then pushed Pipp away from her face as she continued, "You're a princess, and princesses are known to be fair, kind, just, and loyal, an inspiration to everyone in their own kingdoms. But, you told us earlier that only royals are only able to fly and instead of telling the truth, you and your mother decided to delude yourselves and your own subjects by promoting that lie and making everybody fall for it! Don't you even care that there are more important things in life than just being popular and that lying to them is only going to make things worse for both them and yourselves? This is why Zipp never went along with it; she was tired of living your Big Lie and deceiving herself and wanted something more to help her be somebody and not just a princess. Isn't that what telling the truth is for, to set you free from the pain you're all going through?"
"It doesn't matter now that my own sister backstabbed me and my mother was taken and with them being distant from my life, all I had left were my fans while I was popular until now! IT'S NOT FAIR! My own sister left me hanging by my wires, a fake unveiled from her smoke and mirrors before everypony's eyes! She could've done something to help me get out of that mess, but nooooo, she had to run off and I had to figure out how to get out of this jam before you interfered! I barely got away with you before they arrested Mom and all because my own dear sister couldn't find it in herself to put me first but SHE SOLD ME OUT BEFORE YOU SAVED MY SKIN!"
Pipp sniffed as she was lost in her anger and grief while she ranted again, "All my life, between her and Mom, I-I was like some kind of third-wheel pony hauling a two-horse cart. I had to be contented with Mom being the queen and Zipp being the heir since she was the eldest and next in line for the throne; she's always been the favorite between us. Me, I'm nothing with only a pretty voice to boot. Both of them never had time for me with their duties and all that, I was left in the dust by both of them because they had more important things to worry about other than spending time with me as they should've."
"You couldn't possibly know what it's like for me as the youngest daughter, trying to compete with Zipp for her attention just to get her to notice me when she would often tell me to stop fooling around with my phone and be like Zipp! When, in fact, there's only one of her, ONLY, ONE, ZIPP STORM?!" she finished before she finally broke down, sobbing heavily into her front legs as she laid down with her back turned.
Sarah was stunned by the gutwrenching truth; as Pipp and Zipp were Queen Haven's only two daughters, there was always going to be some form of sibling rivalry between them, even if they didn't notice it right away. And, not only that, Queen Haven was pulling off some favoritism when she was grooming Zipp.
She then realized why she had been livestreaming all the time and meddling with her phone; she was trying to fill in the void that Zipp and Queen Haven had left in her heart with her fans given her singing and performance career and vlogging. But, it was only a hollow comfort for her as her fans appreciated her for what she did and not for who she really is beneath the surface of being a princess. Pipp honestly felt like her own mother and sister didn't want anything to do with her and/or didn't have time to do anything with her in terms of family bonding between them. Now, with the reveal of her loneliness and the pain of having to deal with her own family be with her supporting what she can do and for who she's meant to be, it threw Sarah for a loop, and now, her opinion on her completely changed.
She was now starting to realize that given how close Ryu, his siblings, and their Pokemon friends really were to Zipp, Pipp, and Queen Haven, she realized that without them around after the dragons and Pokemon were banished, Pipp had no one else to turn to for help and to support her on her career and livestreaming.
Granted, Zipp and Queen Haven both suffered from the loss of her big brother and her closest friend but if any of them were close to Pipp, their loss after their banishment and stone-cold deaths by Scarlet Nightmare's power left her the most broken between them. So, to make up for that and believing her own family no longer cared for her, she decided to fill the void with her fans and fake friends from them when she started her performance career.
Now, Sarah felt sorry for Pipp so she decided to take the first step in trusting her as she stepped forward and placed a comforting hoof on her.
"...I'm sorry, Pipp. I had no idea that you felt that way," she began, a sympathetic frown on her. "You're right, I don't understand what you're going through. But, I think it's best for you to know... Zipp, actually, doesn't want to be future queen, ever."
Pipp was surprised as she stopped crying and turned to the Alicorn, "...W-What?"
"Zipp told me, my family, and my friends everything; she hated the thought of being Zephyr Heights' new queen and she would rather leave that responsibility to your mother. Hell, maybe she'd even consider you had she given you a nudge in the right direction. She's not ready to take up the crown yet but I don't think she ever will be given her rebellious nature. If anything, she actually admitted to us that she had nothing compared to you."
Pipp was shocked as Sarah continued to tell her about Zipp's true feelings, "I don't think you've heard this from her yet since she was training her parkour and didn't want any part of royalty but she was a little jealous of you. Your mother has the crown, you have your social media, performance career, and your amazing singing but Zipp... She's got nothing, just, Zipp, and her princess title. She wanted something more, something to make her be her true self just as you were, Pipp."
"I...I never knew," the former princess blinked, now understanding why Zipp was so distant as she was
"That was why she was being distant from you and your mother in the first place. She's been trying to find something else that'll make her special and unique and not just a princess ever since...you guys lost Ryu, his siblings, Helioseon, Seleneon, Thundereon, and Freezeon to Scarlet Nightmare's last attack many moons ago."
Pipp smiled sadly, remembering the dragons and Pokemon that had been extremely close to the three of them very well.
"Yeah, Tamu and the others... They were all great friends to us, especially Tamu. She always brought up the best out of Mother, always chatting and hanging around with each other whenever she's herself and not just the queen. Ryu and Zipp, they're almost like brothers even though he's a dragon. Zipp always looked up to him and wanted to be a leader like him. The others and I, we got along so well together..."
Then, she frowned again as she remembered how broken they were from their greatest loss. "When they sacrificed themselves for us and the rest of Ponykind, especially Ryu with Zipp, we were all so devastated. Mom and I were heartbroken but Zipp was really devastated even if she didn't show it, it was like we all lost a valuable part of us... I'm sure if they're here now and seeing what has become of our world along with what we've done, they would be very disappointed."
She then smiled at Sarah, now feeling grateful to her and Zipp along with her family and their new friends for actually doing her and Queen Haven a great deal, feeling as though a great weight was finally lifted off of her.
"I'm also sure that they'll be very proud of you for what you've done for us - me, Zipp, and Mom," she finished, a warm smile now on her face. "What happened earlier tonight was rough but now, I'm glad that the truth of us royals also not flying was finally out. Thanks, Sarah."
The Sun Princess nodded warmly as the two then shared a hug, a new friendship blossoming between them.
"Now, Pipp, I know it'll take a while to set things right back at Zephyr Heights and since you're a wanted mare now," she told Pipp as she brought up the Wings of Loyalty. "Let's find a way to get your extended family and friends back, starting with this and finding your sister. If the Wings of Loyalty have anything to do with helping us stopping Scarlet again, we'll need to bring it to them. I promise we'll explain everything once we find them."
"Okay," Pipp nodded with a soft smile.
Together, the two friends quickly set off to find everyone, knowing that the fates of Zipp, Pipp, and Queen Haven's loved ones and their Pokemon friends along with the rest of the world are now lying on their hooves along with everyone else's hooves, paws, and claws. With this, Sarah and Pipp started over and began a new friendship that'll propel everyone yet another step further to saving everyone and Equestria.
Meanwhile, as Sarah and Pipp made their way to the others, the sounds of police sirens filled the air as everyone in Sunny Starscout's party was galloping for their lives with Hitch following close behind. Sunny was shocked to see her childhood friend had tracked them all down to the Pegasi city as he did but she knew there were more dire matters to attend to as they had to get away from the Pegasus guards searching for them with Zipp leading the escape. They had even managed to meet up with Tsukumaro after he had to fight his way through some guards that were about to arrest him prior and they were all running together.
"Quick, this way! This is where Sarah's family is!" she shouted, guiding the group to take refuge in the alleyway Nikki, James, and Sarah's family all were. "Ok, I think...I think we lost them!" gasped Hitch as he, Sunny, Zipp, and Izzy all panted in relief.
"Tsukumaro, Sunny, Izzy, Zipp!"
"What happened?"
"We heard the sirens going off earlier!"
"We were worried you might've been caught!"
"Are you all okay?" Hashimoto, Winter, Silver, Ching Wan, and Boltund asked worriedly.
"Okay, not that I'm suspicious or anything, really. But, how and when did the runt who started our whole journey show up?" Eternatus quipped, reminding the ambitious and hopeful Earth Pony of her childhood friend.
"Hitch, what are you even doing here?!" she asked in surprise.
"Looking for, arresting, and saving you," he answered before sarcastically continuing, "Yeah, all three of those things. So, you're welcome!"
"Oh, gee... Thanks, but, we didn't need any saving, okay? We were doing just fine until you goofed everything up," Zipp snorted, rolling her eyes as she approached the headstrong yet paranoid detective. "And, who are you?" Hitch questioned.
"That fine pony you're speaking to is Ms. Zipp, Ms. Zipp Storm," answered Magearna as she approached them, making him yelp at her.
"Her mom is also the queen!" Izzy chirped again, surprising Hitch.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Hold on a minute," he blinked before he looked at Zipp, dumbfounded. "So, does that mean you're actually a princess?"
Zipp snorted amusingly and said with a mocking smirk, "Huh, well, look at that. The Sheriff of Maretime Bay promoted himself by becoming a detective."
"What?" Hitch chirped in annoyance as he deadpanned.
But, the banter was soon cut off as everyone took note of a TV screen in front of them from above announcing an urgent news broadcast. The news of Pipp and Queen Haven's lies about royals flying had gotten out in the open much sooner than anybody had ever anticipated as the city's top news reporters, Sky and Dazzle, appeared to share the new story with a photo of Pipp hanging upside down from her wires. It was clear the media was having a field day with what they had just discovered but indirectly from Zipp, Sarah, Izzy, and Sunny's actions.
"Welcome back to Zephyr Top Gear, mares and gentlecoats. In a recent hit of Breaking News, Zephyr Heights is now in a tremendous state of turmoil for tonight, there was a shocking revelation that the Pegasi royals can't fly. This was met with a huge public outcry by all the citizens as they demanded to know what the royals were playing at with their Big Lie," reported Dazzle, starting off the program.
The broadcast then cuts to an interview with a pegasus foal, talking into the microphone, "Pipp used to be my favorite."
"If we can't trust our own royalty, who can we trust?" another pegasus civilian asked hopelessly before the microphone was taken by a pegasus stallion.
"I blame the Unicorns and the Earth Ponies for this crap!" the stallion went on record to say. "They always ruin everything when you don't need them!"
"Forget them! What happened to that strange Alicorn who helped Queen Haven and Princess Pipp escape?" another pegasus asked, shoving the angry stallion to the side roughly, his question bringing a look of horror to Sunny.
"Alicorn?! Oh no, Sarah!" she gasped.
Izzy, Tsukumaro, and Zipp also gasped in horror and shock by the revelation; they were all so busy in their haste to try and get away from the chaos that ensued back at the palace with the Wings of Loyalty, they had accidentally left Sarah behind.
"What did you do?!" cried Mai, aghast as she turned to the quartet.
"I can't believe you!"
"You bailed on Sarah after you got the Wings of Loyalty!" Mist and Spark snarled as Ruby and Sapphire went to soothe them.
"Give us one good reason why we shouldn't take you down for betraying her," warned Sokka as he prepared to use Razor Shell.
"How could you do this to Mom?! We're supposed to be friends!" snapped Blitz as Curly did her best to comfort her crush.
"It wasn't our fault, everything was in chaos while we were looking for the Wings! And, we were just desperate to get out!" Sunny defended.
"Well, look on the bright side, at least they managed to get away safely. Look!" Izzy replied, pointing back to the news broadcast as it showed Sarah teleporting with Queen Haven and Pipp, both in tow in a flash of light before Queen Haven's arrest.
"For the moment, with all the panic that has been stirred tonight, the Alicorn who assisted in their escape is still at large along with the royals," continued Sky. "But, rest assured, there will be serious consequences for them by the official word of the guards. For if anypony should find them within Zephyr Heights' boundaries, they're to be hunted down and arrested on the spot."
Then, Dazzle gave them an update which showed Queen Haven's arrest (much to Zipp's horror as she gasped and watched on) as she was escorted to prison by Thunder and Zoom, "This just in, Queen Haven has just been arrested for being a phony pony full of baloney!"
"No comments and no photos!" she huffed as she walked before she quickly changed her mind with a grin. "Okay, one photo."
"What was that all about?" asked Terrakion.
"What did you all do up there?" Kommo-o demanded firmly.
"Anypony else care to explain what's going on?" Hitch added, raising an annoyed eyebrow.
"I'm sorry but this is really important. We had to get the crystal, look!" Sunny defended, reaching into her saddlebag for the Wings of Loyalty, only to find nothing as she and Zipp were horrified. "Oh, no! No, no! No, n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-no, no! It's gone, I can't find it!"
"Seriously?!" Zipp cried.
A whistle was heard, attracting everyone's attention as they saw Sarah with Pipp and the Wings of Loyalty in her magical grasp.
"Looking for this?" smiled Sarah smugly, twirling the Wings in her magic.
"Sarah!" cried Sunny, relieved as she ran up to and hugged her Alicorn friend. "You're alright!"
"AUNTIE!" cheered the Night Lights, tackling her to the ground and giving her loving nuzzles, making her laugh and yelp at them.
"Oh, sweetheart, thank heavens!" smiled Nikki in relief.
"You really had us going for you there, Ponchita," joked James as Pipp cleared her throat, looking a little irritated as she glared at Zipp.
"Oh. Yeah, but... You guys remember Pipp Petals, do you? I saved her from being arrested when this whole fiasco started," Sarah replied, directing everyone to Pipp as she marched up to her sister.
"Oh boy, here we go," groaned Zorua with an annoyed eye-roll.
"This again with the drama queen?" Hurricane sighed in exasperation.
"Will somepony please explain to me why THAT THING was so important to you all that you had the nerve to come in and ruin my whole show over it, essentially making me the laughing stock of all of Zephyr Heights?" she snarled, pointing at the Wings in Sarah's grasp.
"Trust me, Pipp, it was," Zipp replied, galloping to her sister as she angrily got in her face.
"Don't you start now, Zipp! You could've bailed me out when I was stuck up there but you threw me out and left me hanging until Sarah came in and saved my skin for you! Now, because of you, everypony knows that we can't fly apart from her and that other Pegasus!"
A vibration from Pipp's phone caused them to cut their conversation short as they looked to a news update from the Zephyr Top Gear with Dazzle giving the update and showing a mugshot of Queen Haven. "In yet another update for our breaking news, arrest warrants are being made for Zipp Storm and Pipp Petals," continued Dazzle.
"Pipp! Zipp! Please, save yourselves! Run!" Queen Haven exclaimed dramatically before she posed for another photo snap of her profile.
Zipp and Pipp were both horrified by what had happened and they knew that they and their new friends were at the epicenter of Zephyr Heights' current predicament and what was on the wrong track for them. With all of the Pegasi having turned their backs on them and Queen Haven and being made orphans with their mother's arrest, they were now officially wanted mares.
"Oh, no! No! No, no-no-no-no-no, this can't be! This can't be happening!" shrieked Pipp, looking frantic. "This is SO, NOT, HAPPENING! We're in so much trouble, I never thought things would actually get worse even if exposing the Big Lie was for the best but it just got worst!"
"Pipp! Calm down!" Zipp snapped, quickly grabbing her sister and getting her attention before she could descend into a panic attack. "Listen, forget about all that! We think there's a way we can bring back magic but we need the Wings of Loyalty to do that. I'm sure Sarah must've told you already when she explained it to you and Mom earlier."
"Zipp, have you lost your mind?!"
"Please, Zipp! Trust me, this is the only way we can do it. This might be our only chance to bring back Ryu, Tamu, and the others; don't you and Mom want them back after everything they did for us before Scarlet Nightmare attacked moons ago?"
Pipp frowned but suddenly became thoughtful as she remembered the devastating losses she and her family had with losing their greatest friends and Zipp's big brother. If it really was their chance to bring them back and save Equestria, what have they got to lose?
"You're... You're right, I can't believe I forgot about them, I know they would only want what's best for us and they've done so much for you, Mom, and I before Scarlet appeared and attacked them and everypony else along with the dragons and Pokemon we've all banished. And, Zipp... I'm sorry, Sarah told me earlier that you didn't want to be queen since Mom had been grooming you for her position one day until she retires. I had no idea you hated that since I had been too absorbed in my social media to care. I thought you both didn't care about me..."
Zipp frowned remorsefully along with her sister, realizing now that she hadn't had given herself any time to spend with her given her recently distant nature and longing for something more to make herself her own pony. "I'm sorry, too, for not paying attention to you and leaving you hanging in the spotlight earlier. Will you help us?" she offered.
Pipp sighed before she gave a determined nod. "...Alright, fine, I know a way out. Come on!" she declared, now taking the lead with her sister.
"Hey, wait! Wait! You guys can't-! What are you-we can't possibly-!" Hitch cried in shock as everybody else left him behind. "GET BACK HERE! I'M THE SHERIFF AND I'M SUPPOSED TO BE IN CHARGE!"
"Not in this town, Donut Lord!" Zorua retorted from her normal place on Zeraora's head.
"You've no jurisdiction here and this is completely out of your league, dork!" Hydro taunted with a mocking laugh.
"Come on, we've got to get out of here before the guards catch us!" Zarude shouted to everybody as Sarah used her magic to lift Hitch and drag him along.
"Uh, hang on, first off, who died and made you leaders of this pack?" he commented skeptically before he looked to Sarah. "And, second, how is it that your Alicorn 'friend' actually has magic, unlike the Unicorn with you?"
"And, how can she and Nikki actually fly unlike Pipp and Zipp, is that what you're gonna ask?" Echo quipped, directing to Nikki deciding to fly so she can keep an eye on everyone from in the air but at a reasonable height where she can see them with the help of Sarah's Flying Types.
"What?! Flying, f-flying?! What, what, what?! Flying-what?!" Hitch spluttered in shock, pointing to Nikki flying. "I don't care what you've either inhaled or eaten while you're with those giant birds, you can't possibly tell me that in this world, they can fly and those Pegasi can't! How does it make any sense?!"
"Oh, yeah! Don't you know; Sarah here's a princess from another world whose birth parents were actually our allies and who defeated the evil Alicorn, Scarlet Nightmare, a long time ago before they vanished. Now, she was sent here with her giant family to help us restore Equestria!" chirped Izzy, giving Hitch an abridged explanation. "And, for the record, we don't know why they still have magic but we'll let you know when we do."
This revelation threw Hitch for a loop as he was slack-jawed in shock before he finally built of the nerve and wit to finally say, in his total bewilderment...
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
But, as Pipp and Zipp lead everybody to a way out of Zephyr Heights and away from danger while being forced to leave Queen Haven to face the music from her family's own subjects, they had no idea that they were being watched by a Braivary. But, the Flying Type spying on them was no ordinary Braivary as it was black and white all over and it had glowing red eyes that narrowed at the entire group before it eventually flew off into the night.
At the base of the mountains leading back to Zephyr Heights, a familiar dark Alicorn mare was waiting for someone as she meditated underneath some nearby trees from a forest. She then heard a caw coming from above her and she turned to her left, seeing the dark Braivary coming down as it bowed to her.
"Mistress Scarlet, I've returned with bad news. It appears that we've gotten ourselves nearly 200 intruders having crossed over from another world and I think they may be related to your old enemies," the Braivary reported. "They've all appeared to be comprised of Pokemon and dragons but those dragons are not like the ones from this world."
"Oh, intruders? Pokemon and dragons, you say?" asked the Alicorn mare, revealing herself to be Scarlet Nightmare as she got up and emerged from the shadows. "I suspected as much but I never expected an entire army of sorts, never thought we'd find out about those again after so long. Did you find out who they were or who's leading them?"
"Just recently, a small group currently comprised of eight ponies are attempting to assemble the lost Equestrian Crystals those dragons and Pokemon from long ago once created together along with that army. But, there is an Alicorn mare amongst them and what makes it worse, she's actually related to the hooligans responsible for your imprisonment."
Scarlet was intrigued when she heard this as she hummed and rubbed her thoughtfully, "A daughter, to them? Hmm... How interesting, not once did I ever think they would have children and they're actually married. Somehow, she must've found out about me and my work on this miserable world and its ponies and is planning to ruin everything I've planned ever since those vile menaces were done away with by them. Those two and their companions that locked me away before are more resourceful than I first thought..."
"Shall our forces deal with her accordingly before we move on to the main course?"
"No, do reconnaissance first. And then, once they reach Bridlewood and that infuriating Earth Pony meets her match with her pitiful goal, we'll strike. We must find out if their daughter is as annoying as them the last time they crossed over. If she is, then she's our number one threat to cut off from our eternal nightmare for them."
"Understood," nodded the Shadow Braivary, bowing one last time before taking off to find Sarah's family and pony party to watch and keep tabs on them, leaving Scarlet with a lot to think about for her full return to power.
The next day, the Mane Five, Sarah, and her entire family were continuing on their way to Bridlewood, unaware of the danger that would be closing in on them later on throughout their journey. Now, after camping out for the night and managing to get away from Zephyr Heights, they were walking in a vast daisy field as they came to a large floral tree from a map Sunny has on her.
"There it is, that's the same tree from the map. That means it's, this way," she smiled, leading everyone else as Zipp, Izzy, Sarah, her family, and Tsukmaro followed.
However, Hitch and Pipp picked up the rear as both of them didn't like what was going on for different reasons. Hitch was vehemently against coming along for the ride given his previous xenophobia and his remembering to bring Sunny back to Maretime Bay and have her answer for her actions but he was outvoted and they were far away from his and Sunny's home so he has no jurisdiction to act upon his initial motives. Despite knowing that she and Zipp had to go on this journey since it is their only chance to save their family's lost dragon and Pokemon companions, Pipp was still miffed from her life being ruined since her sister and their new friends had to go against the status quo the Pegasi had been following for moons.
"What am I even doing here? Hoofing it across daisy fields, getting close with these mindless beasts, looking for a magical crystal that doesn't even exist!" he grumbled.
"I heard that," Sarah glowered lowly, making him yelp before he resigned himself to grumbling again.
"You think you had it rough? Last night was supposed to be my best show ever, now it's over. I'm a wanted mare, all because of..." Pipp began, still sore from the previous night.
"THEM!" they snapped together.
"And, let me tell you, THAT is so, NOT, COOL."
"Definitely not, e-did I just agree with a Pegasus?" Hitch replied in agreement before he blinked in surprise and Pipp caught up with her sister.
"Hey, Sis! Are you sure that Earth Pony even knows where to find this other crystal based on her sense of direction?" Pipp asked, skeptical of Sunny.
"Don't you trust me at all, especially knowing why we had to do this?" Zipp quizzed back.
"Oh, I don't know since you used to have better things to do back home. I want Ryu, Tamu, and the others back more than anything just as you and Mom do. But, you, your idiotic and persistent questioning of the status quo, and your rebellious attitude are what got us into this mess in the first place! You were the one that blew my cover and got Mom thrown in jail! Remember that?"
"Look, I'm sorry but we have no choice. This is too important for us to ignore and if Scarlet really is back, we have to be ready for her. Once we get our magic back and we finish her off and get the Pokemon and dragons back with us including Ryu and the others, they won't even remember what happened back then. You'll be a hero when we're done, Pipp."
Pipp just rolled her eyes, doubtful of Zipp's hope despite knowing that she's just as desperate for a solution to bring back their extended dragon and Pokemon family and friends. While the two sisters squabbled for a bit, Hitch caught up with Sunny and began to strike up a conversation with her for the first time in two days.
"Let's get one thing straight-" he began before he was cut off.
"We're almost to the river, everypony!" Sunny updated, making him groan before he got her attention again.
"Sunny, listen. I don't know what you're planning to do or why you decided to align yourself with another princess from another world we know nothing about. But, after this whole escapade is over, you're coming back with me to Maretime Bay. Is that clear?" he demanded with a snarl.
"Crystal," Sunny smirked at him.
Hitch smirked back as he started to brag about his position. "Great! 'Cause as you can see here, this badge here proves that I'm the sh-" he began but feeling nothing as he felt a vacant spot where his badge was supposed to be, making him panic.
"AH! Oh, no! Wh-where is it, where is it?! No, no, no, no! That's impossible! Where's my badge, what happened to my badge?! Hey, YOU!"
Hitch quickly pointed to Izzy, immediately suspecting that she might have something to do with his lost badge. "I know Unicorns like you like shiny things!" he accused, getting annoyed looks from some of Sarah's Pokemon and dragons that heard him.
"That jerk's really asking for it," Hydro snarled, hating his xenophobia more than ever.
"This is all his fault! If he and his own fellow ponies haven't freaked out and antagonized us, this would've been smooth sailing for us!" grumbled Jolteon, giving Hitch the stink eye.
"Let's not get bogged down about that too much. We'll deal with him later; right now, we must focus on finding a way to restore Equestria's magic, reunite the ponies with the dragons and Pokemon, and deal with Scarlet Nightmare when she appears," replied Cobalion firmly.
"If she shows her ugly face, you mean," implemented Wyveon, getting a knowing nod from Twilight and Dawn (Deathgripper).
"Are we there yet?" asked Stufful innocently while she rode on Sugarcake with Sugarcoat and Siren in either side of them.
"Not yet, Stufful, sweetie," smiled Sugarcoat as she looked at the small Flailing Pokemon sweetly. "Hopefully, the forest of Bridlewood should be past this daisy field."
"You know something, guys, I can't help but wonder if everything that's happening to all of us is because of Scarlet Nightmare," pondered Zarude, remembering the legend pertaining to the dark Alicorn mare. "Do you think the ponies themselves are the ones responsible for throwing their own home into decline after they banished the dragons and Pokemon, allowing her to return?"
"You think they caused the seal that was placed on her by King Doug and Queen Delilah to weaken and allow her to somehow break free?" asked Curly worriedly.
"If so, and she's somehow at large with all the chaos that's been running rampant aside from our own actions to help Sunny Starscout restore Equestria's magic and reunite the pony tribes along with the Pokemon and dragons, we'll probably have more of our work cut out for us," Rubble mused.
"But, there's one thing I don't get about Sunny's theory and what we just saw from Mischief's illusion flashback of Ryu's final memory of the battle against her. And, I think it has a few holes in it," interjected Blossom, also skeptical of Sunny's current plan. "It is true that we needed the Unicorn's Eye and the Wings of Loyalty but don't you think she needed to know about the Earth Pony Hope that we saw being created by Ryu and Helioseon?"
"And, not only that, I honestly believe that it'll take more than just those crystals together that can help bring magic back and end Scarlet's power. Remember when they and the others got Delilah and Doug to trust them with them and their powers being held in them?" Zorro added.
"Yes, it has to be the power of trust that allowed them to use the crystals. The Wings of Loyalty, the Unicorn's Eye, and the Earth Pony Hope together are powerful but they can't reach their full potential if someone doesn't have the courage to take the first step and bring everyone together to end her monstrosity," nodded Virizion.
"Well, let's hope we're ready for her somehow if she somehow rears her mugshot by the time we get to Bridlewood and get the Unicorn's Eye," Ching Wan hoped.
"I hope you're right, Ching Wan," nodded Blitz in agreement.
Later, everyone soon made it to a bridge that's along the path to Bridlewood but when they looked at it, they noticed that the middle section of the bridge was missing.
"Uh-oh, looks like we got a problem," said Sarah, seeing the hole.
"It looks like part of the bridge is gone," Tsukumaro replied, examining the bridge's missing section. "This could be either due to wear and tear from the steady march of time for having been here so long or the Unicorns, in their paranoia-filled drive to keep others out, intentionally sabotaged it for their own safety."
"I'm betting money on the sabotage part, Old Man. If those Unicorns are anything like those Earth Ponies and Pegasi that'll freak out from anybody who's not like them in any way, shape, or form, I wouldn't be surprised by their reactions," put in James knowingly.
"They must be really that desperate to protect their own if they had to destroy part of their bridge leading on the way to Bridlewood after they lost their magic as well and started suspecting the Earth Ponies and Pegasi having stolen it for themselves when it could be the work of Scarlet Nightmare," mused Nikki thoughtfully.
"Now, what are we gonna do?" Sunny asked.
"Well, Zipp, any more of your bright ideas?" Pipp quipped accusingly at her older sister.
"Uh, let me think. Uh... You know what would be great right about now? Hmm... Maybe something like, oh, I don't know... THE ABILITY TO FLY?!" she responded, resulting in the two of them getting into a squabble.
"Or, you know what would've been even better? Something like, oh, really... Not being stuck out in the middle of nowhere, being nothing more than MERE OUTCASTS FROM OUR OWN KINGDOM?"
Hitch gulped as he saw no point in continuing on and the situation was making him very, very nervous. "Oh, boy... Well, that's enough of that for one day. Guess it's time to go home; I wish I could say it was nice meeting you but it wasn't. Come on, Sunny," Hitch excused, trying to get away before...
"No, you don't," Zarude said, giving him a warning glare as he used his Vine Whip to drag the cowardly Maretime Bay sheriff back, much to his displeasure.
"Want to run that by us again, dork?" Charger challenged Hitch.
Lolita tried to think of a way for everybody to get across the bridge even though she knew that the dragons and Sarah's Flying Types can help them get across as Pipp and Zipp's squabble began to escalate and Hitch continued to try and make excuses to get back to Maretime Bay to the point of his protests becoming more frantic as he was given glares and being questioned by some of her cousins and siblings.
Then, when it all became too much for her as she failed to concentrate, she eventually snapped at everybody going bonkers.
"Will you all just SHUT UP?!" she bellowed, getting everybody arguing or snapping at one another behind the others to stop and turn to her in surprise and bewilderment while Sunny looked thankful to Persian's daughter, eager for the noise to stop. "I can't think straight on how we can get across that bridge between your screaming as well as my brothers and sisters' justified demanding of you, Mr. Hitch, and the Sisters Grimm's petty squabbling!"
"As much as I would want to condone my daughter's brashness, she is right," agreed Persian, sharing Lolita's frustrations.
"This is no time for us to be fighting when so much is at stake! Scarlet Nightmare will be at large and Ponykind will still be at each other's throats if Equestria's magic isn't somehow returned and we can't stop her! To that end, we must all put aside our differences and agree to work towards a common cause which is the return of Equestrian Magic, Scarlet Nightmare's defeat, and the return of the dragons and Pokemon of this world!"
"They're right, both of them! This senseless fighting is getting us nowhere! Look, we're gonna get to the other side, find the Unicorn's Eye, and bring back our magic! And, once we do, you'll both get to fly and have your Pokemon and dragon family back, you'll get your fans back, and you'll have me in custody! Everypony happy now?!" Sunny snapped as well, snarling at the startled Hitch, Pipp, and Zipp and looking between each of them.
Suddenly, before things could get out of hand with everyone and anybody else could break up their fighting, they all heard a loud CRASH in front of them. They all turned and to their shock and surprise, they saw Izzy standing next to a chopped down tree which she had used to act as a bridge.
"TA-DAAAAA~!"
"You didn't...!"
"Impossible!"
"How did you-?!"
"No...!" gasped Sarah, Tsukumaro, Nikki, James, slackjawed in shock by what they saw her do.
"I think she just solved our bridge problem, everybody," noted Zeraora, rubbing his eyes to make sure that he's not dreaming (which he isn't).
"Don't tell me you just cut down that tree, resorting to cutting it the same way that a beaver did with its teeth!" Zorua replied, gobsmacked at the happy-go-lucky Unicorn who simply nodded proudly.
"Alright!" Zipp cheered, impressed.
"Aw, great..." groaned Hitch, hanging his head dejectedly.
"I gotta hand it to that Izzy, she's really something of a mystery," Danny smiled, also impressed.
"I think you're right, brother," agreed Danielle.
"Well, come on, everyone! Time is of the essence, we must be absolutely punctual if we're to make good time on our way to this Bridlewood!" Noctowl told everyone as Sunny nodded in agreement.
"Let's go!" she declared as they walked across the tree together with the dragons and Sarah's Flying Types following them from the air.
"You do know you could ride on us whenever you're tired of walking, Sarah," noted Shadow.
"Where's the exercise part in that,? We need our exercise and we'll be fine as long as we take it easy and don't draw any unwanted attention to us," replied Sarah, getting an amused yet knowing chuckle and headshake from the older Night Fury as they all continued on their journey.
Darkness fell as nighttime rolled in again. For the second night along their trip to Bridlewood, everybody decided to make camp with Zipp lighting a campfire along with Flareon and with Audino supervising them while Sarah bringing out her enchanted tent and pitching it up with Tsukumaro's assistance and Noctowl's keen eye to ensure there were no mistakes as usual. When Pipp saw the interior of the enchanted tent along with Zipp (after the campfire was made), she thought it looked absolutely gorgeous as it looked like a palace-on-the-go from within according to its two-story design.
In addition to the usual fixings that were in the tent the previous times she and everyone else before Hitch, Pipp, and Zipp tagged along, it now had a small kitchen inside which allowed Sarah and her family to make dinner for everyone while Sarah stashed two Shaderoot and Iceroot Carrots for Spectrier and Glastrier (to their absolute joy as they ate away).
Hitch, on the other hand, was sitting alone nearby and he was trying to light up a campfire the old-fashioned way with using two sticks and without matches.
"Urgh, mmm, come on... Come on, you stupid stick," he grumbled as he rubbed the sticks together.
"You need some backup, Sheriff?" Zipp snarked.
"No, thank you! I got it. Come on, urgh, if only I had a match," Hitch grumbled, only managing to get a single spark before it fizzled out, annoying him.
"Yeah, no. If you want to try going against the tried-and-true method of fire without matches, Hitchy-Baby, be our guest!" Zorua quipped.
"Totally, that's just sad, way too sad. Come on, dude, quit trying to be a hero. Come and get warm," Zipp smirked, chuckling.
Feeling sorry for her childhood friend and despite their still brimming turmoil towards each other initially, Sunny decided to comfort him as she came over to his spot.
"Sunny, are you sure about all this? There's not much we can do, it's pointless," Hitch said. "Because, if we just go back to Maretime Bay and simply-"
"What have we got to lose? What makes you think all of it would be a waste of time when there's so much we could still do to help everypony?" Sunny questioned, not wanting Hitch to dampen everyone's spirits and hopes for a better future.
"Have you forgotten, by giving magic back to our enemies? Also, getting the dragons and Pokemon our people had to banish for our own safety to come back? What have we got to lose, you say? Uh, let me think, oh, I don't know... After everything we've just gone through earlier today, uh... Oh, I know, how about- A LOT?!"
"Come on, Hitch! You telling me that it's not worth our time to continue helping our new friends and looking for a way to bring back Equestrian Magic for everypony, we're not the only ones who've had it rough as far as we know. Do you really want us to live our lives as ordinary ponies and continuing to be scared of the unknown for the rest of our lives? Do you really want me to give up Sugarcoat, Sugarcake, and Siren, after everything we've been through together?"
Hitch groaned, wondering why he was even putting up with Sunny at all, "I don't know, Sunny, the world's broken ever since we lost our magic. We can't afford to trust anypony anymore."
Sunny frowned as she gently retorted, "Or, maybe the world's broken and we lost our magic and we don't trust anypony now aside from our new friends because everypony chose to. Isn't that the case?"
Hitch chuckled a little when he heard how wise Sunny was becoming despite her adventurous attitude and their previous misgivings before. "You know, you sound just like your father," he replied.
"He's the best pony I've ever had before he passed away."
"I really do want to believe that our world and magic can be restored but how can we when the world's proven us otherwise?"
"We can still make it happen once we find the Unicorn's Eye and set things right!"
"Your fellow ponies back home and those angry Pegasi back at Zephyr Heights would tell you otherwise, Sunny."
"That doesn't mean we can't keep trying if only to save everypony as we hoped! There's still a chance for all of us to fix this mess we've all gotten ourselves into!"
"Yeah, and you know what happened when you took that first step? You turned your back on your own ponies and betrayed me and Sprout, you joined forces with an Alicorn and other ponies we know nothing about, and we're on the hunt to find and use crystals that don't exist to save this world from its own demise and from an evil Alicorn mare that's nothing but a fairy tale! Look around, we're a world full of ponies who are fearful and mistrusting of others because we can't stop fighting over who's to blame for the loss of magic! You want to know why Pokemon and dragons don't belong with us despite what they did to protect and care for us back then, Sunny? They could potentially turn against us and plot to take over the world and steal it and our magic for themselves, even if we do bring them all back!"
"But, we can still change that no matter what!"
"Sunny, I'm done believing in that nonsense. None of it matters anymore since it's all still a fairy tale, what's important to me now is making sure you're safe and we get back home so you can face the consequences for your actions. I really want to go back to Maretime Bay where I'm needed."
Sunny sighed as she frowned at her childhood friend before she gave a determined glare and sighed as she gently smiled at Hitch, knowing that he'll eventually come around as long as she can convince him to take a chance despite his own disgruntlement over everything.
"If that's what you want, I won't stop you. But, you should know... I'm now actually glad you're here, Hitch, we all are," she told her before going back to the others.
Hitch was left speechless by what had been discussed between them and what Sunny had told her. He didn't know what to say as Sunny sat next to Zipp and joined urged him to join everyone else, to which he did despite his own feelings.
As everybody else gathered around the campfire with some of the dragon hatchlings, younger Pokemon, and the Night Lights playing together a small distance from the campsite, Sunny began to lay down the groundwork for the final phase of her plan to restore magic to Equestria could be. But, as she did so, Izzy started to feel down as she realized that with their potential final moments together, this could be the last time she could see and be with her new friends.
"So, at first light, I think we should set off for our last stop - Bridlewood. That's where we'll find the Unicorn's Eye and once we get that and put it together with the Wings of Loyalty, our magic will be back to normal and Scarlet Nightmare will be put to a stop once we're done," she began before she saw Izzy's downcast look.
"What's wrong, Izzy?"
"Nothing... It's just, oh... Being with you all, ponies, Pokemon, dragons alike, you've all been the best thing that's ever happened to me," she spoke out, sighing sadly. "I've got to see, do, and learn things with all of you that I've never been able to do so on my own. I...I guess I just, don't want our adventure to end."
"But, Izzy, remember what we promised? You'll get your magic back after everything that's happened."
"Hold on, I got a question to ask you, Izzy. Why did you come to Maretime Bay, really?" asked Hitch, now curious as to why Izzy would travel all the way from Bridlewood to their hometown in the first place.
"I've always wanted to visit but everybody at Bridlewood keeps telling me stuff that'll make a normal Unicorn there to hightail it back to their homes and never come out about places like that as well as you all, the Pokemon, and the dragons. But, I held hope that I would one day go there and make a new friend. When I was a little filly, I found this pretty lantern with a message that said, 'I had friends in Maretime Bay'."
She then pulled out a piece of paper from her mane and unfurled it to reveal a drawing that looked like an Earth Pony, a Pegasus, and a Unicorn, all of them together as in the ancient legends Sunny read in her journey and was told about by her father that said: "Hello, Pegasi and Unicorns! Come visit Maretime Bay, you have a friend there". There was even a Galarian Rapidash and a dragon drawn on it, waving and smiling along with the ponies on it. Sunny gasped, stunned as she saw the drawing Izzy was holding, the Unicorn then looking at the drawing and the surprised look on her face which told her what she was now realizing.
"I-I-It was you! Sunny, did you make this?" she gasped as she handed it to Hitch (who was also surprised to see the drawing) for the two Earth Ponies to see.
Startled by this, Sunny's Rapidash Guardians came over and saw the drawing, recognizing it as Sunny's handiwork as well as her signature on it. "Sunny, is this really your old drawing?" gasped Sugarcoat.
"You never told us what happened to it after it somehow disappeared," Sugarcake said to her.
"It still looks as beautiful as ever. Did you really draw this, your dream on paper?" Siren breathed in awe.
Sunny nodded fondly as she took back her childhood drawing, "I made it with my dad when I was just a filly. Before he died and left you three with me, we promised each other that someday, no matter what happens, we would prove that all ponies, Pokemon, and the dragons were meant to be family, friends. We'll do our part, hoof to hoof, heart to heart."
Everyone smiled warmly at each other as well as at Sunny for the vow she made with her father and the dream they shared for the future of Equestria that it so badly needed. And, as much as he didn't want to admit it, Hitch realized that his childhood friend's dream wasn't as crazy as he once thought. Maybe she's right from the very beginning; Ponykind, the Pokemon, and the dragons really do deserve to be together, after all.
"Hey, um... Guys, I can see where you're going... Listen, I know I gave you a lot of trouble before, and..." he said to them, looking between the and the Night Furies playing with their fellow Pokemon/dragon siblings and seeing how cute they really were. "If it helps, I want to do my part. Sunny's right, what've we got to lose, right?"
Izzy, Pipp, and Zipp were delighted to hear this as they cheered for Hitch deciding to take a chance to believe their, Sunny, and everyone else's noble cause. The others, despite their own eagerness of having Hitch believe in their cause, were understandably still skeptical of him and if he genuinely believes in restoring Equestria back to its normal self, reuniting the ponies, Pokemon, and dragons and stopping Scarlet Nightmare. But, they had to agree that he's starting to see the light.
"I don't trust him, he's probably up to something since he planned to arrest Sunny and throw the book at her," Jolteon snorted.
"But, at least, he's able to see that things aren't as hopeless as he used to think," Mudsdale replied.
"Hopefully, he'll fully understand what we have to do now that he's joining us," Winter added.
"For now, let's give him a chance. He's already realized where he went wrong despite his own feelings on the matter so the least we can do is trust him," put in Umbreon.
"I hope we can, Umbreon," nodded Hashimoto before he turned to Sarah, Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro for their opinions on Hitch. "What do you think?"
"...I suppose it wouldn't hurt for him to further see why a united Equestria is worth fighting for," Tsukumaro eventually spoke. "He did have the best intentions for the Earth Ponies at Maretime Bay when he did what he did."
"I'm sure we would've done to same thing if Ponchita and her friends are in danger," replied James and Nikki.
"...Alright, but one chance unless he breaks it," Sarah said warningly.
"I have to admit, really... A Unicorn forest like Bridlewood does sound kind of magical," Hitch smiled as he now felt a little more comfortable with the group... Until, however, they eventually reached Bridlewood and saw how lifeless and dull it has become without magic. "Or, not..."
"You were saying, dork?" Eternatus quipped with a groan, raising a skeptical and irked eyebrow at Hitch, who just shrugged.
"Come on! My house isn't far from here, we can stay there until we have a plan to get the Eye!" Izzy called, leading everybody through the forest.
However, despite her cheerful demeanor managing to lighten up the atmosphere around them, everybody couldn't help but notice that Bridlewood, even from its outskirts, looked boring. With the Equestrian Magic gone, the forest was slightly dark and lifeless and there were very few colored plants and florals dotting the area. In hindsight, remembering the legend about Scarlet Nightmare and what she did back then along with the banishment of the Pokémon and dragons that used to live in Equestria, they realized that the Unicorns also suffered as harshly as the Earth Ponies and Pegasi have been.
"Well, this is totally depressing," Zorua stated, looking around. "I'd imagine it being more lively and the Unicorns roaming around and being more jumpy with some leftover magic."
"Never thought a Unicorn forest with actual Unicorns like Izzy could be something like this."
"Well, they don't have magic anymore like the others besides Master Sarah, her adopted parents, and Master Tsukumaro do, remember, Ani-chan?" Ching Wan and Hashimoto bantered.
"I never thought the Unicorns would also be hit hard with losing own magic," Sugarcoat admitted. "And, the Earth Ponies and Pegasi think they're responsible for their magic losses."
"That definitely sounds hypocritical of them," added Sugarcake.
"Which is why we have to do this, girls," reassured Siren as they arrived at Izzy's house in a light-filled area.
"Well, here we are! La Villa Izzy!" chirped Izzy, opening the door to her home with a cheerful smile. Everyone was stunned as they entered Izzy's home with some of Sarah's larger Pokémon having to stay outside due to them being unable to fit in her literal treehouse abode. Everywhere they looked, they could see little bits and bobs of the many things that she was able to make and cycle up with her own unique creative touch, and all without the use of her magic. "Wow...!"
"They're amazing!" Leafeon smiled in amazement.
"This is totally wild!" Sunflare admitted with an awestruck smile.
"I can't believe there are so many things you've built up without having your lost magic!" Lilac gawked.
"Incredible, an assortment of toys, cutlery, every-day human items for ponies all by your own hooves!" blinked Calyrex in fascination. "You've must've had quite an artistic eye in order to conjure up these magnificent pieces!"
"Did you make all of this?" Zipp asked, also in awe from Izzy's creations.
"Yep, every last one! I call it, 'Uni-cycling'! Isn't it funky?"
"It's beautiful, Izzy."
"You must've had a mountain of art supplies big enough to fill even a giant kitchen pantry in the White House," Nikki and James admitted, also completely awestruck by Izzy's hoof-made things.
"Very creative and from a Unicorn such as you, Ms. Izzy," nodded Tsukumaro, impressed.
"I also make friendship bracelets along with this stuff! Oh, wait, wait! Watch this, hold everything! I've never actually gotten to do this with any actual friends!" Izzy continued, bringing forth a mobile table in the shape of a flower and opening it to reveal a tea party set she personally made. "TA-DAAAA~!"
"Whoa!"
"Unbelievable!"
"Cool...!"
"Oh, Izzy, it's adorable!"
"And, cute!"
"Awesome!"
"I so wish I had live-streamed that!" Zipp, Rosethorn, Mai, Pearl, Amethyst, Diamond, and Pipp gasped in awe at the table and the tea party set by Izzy.
"Hold it there, girls. I'm sorry to be a party pooper but as much as I would like to relax, too, I'm afraid we still have a lot of work to do," Sarah reminded gently.
"Sarah's right, we don't have time for that stuff right now. We came here to restore Equestrian Magic and if we can find any available information about the Unicorn's Eye, we have to dress the part," added Sunny in agreement, getting to the task at hand. "We can't stick out like sore hooves to the Unicorns and if they're anything like the Pegasi and Earth Ponies, we must keep my guardians and Sarah's family hidden. To that end, we need to look like Unicorns in order to blend in."
"Wait, does that mean...makeovers?" Pipp perked up as she squealed in delight, bringing dread to her older sister. "YAY! Makeovers, I just love makeovers!"
"Oh, no. No, no. No. This-t,this is not what I signed up for, no. No how, no way," Zipp stammered in embarrassment, chuckling nervously.
"Oh, boy..." James peeped quietly as he and Tsukumaro looked at each other in dread.
"That's only for Pegasi and Earth Ponies, in this case, James. Tsukumaro's fine but we'll need to spruce you and Nikki up and keep her wings hidden," Sunny clarified in reassurance. "And, Sarah, we'll have to hide your windows as well to make sure they don't recognize you as an Alicorn."
"I'm down with that," nodded Sarah before she turned to Izzy. "Izzy, can you do something about all this?"
"A glow-up for your entry to Bridlewood? Honey, if you want a glow-up, you've come to the right cottage!" she smiled brightly.
"Oh, not again..." Silvally groaned, knowing that another song number is coming up.
"Okay, I'm all for musical numbers as long as they make sense and aren't boring but this is just way too predictable even for a kids' movie," Shaymin remarked, making a fourth wall break.
"What is it with these ponies and their song and dance numbers?" grumbled Hydro with a pout, sharing their sentiments as Izzy began to sing.
(Fit Right in - MLP: A New Generation - Izzy Moonbow)
(Izzy Moonbow)
I thought Earth ponies were the pony ladder's bottom rung
I heard that Pegasi were brutes you'd hate to be among
"You smell like fishes! You're vicious! I bet you eat your young!"
Meet any one of you, the thing to do is run away
But although I know we're all a bunch of different breeds
Take away our wings and horns, and we're just frightened steeds
So let's put aside our differences, 'cause what we need's a win
Oh-oh-oh
Come on, rip out all the pages of your history books
Just because we're undercover doesn't mean we're crooks
When we walk you through the crowd and give your brand new looks a spin
You're gonna fit right in
Hitch Trailblazer: This is a new low.
(Izzy Moonbow)
You're gonna fit right in
Hitch Trailblazer: It's never gonna work!
They taught us unicorns were super-scary maniacs
With horns like razors and tongues like tasers and teeth like tacks
They take your hooves and then they grind them into midnight snacks
Zoura: Oh please!
The basic gist of it is unicorns are not okay!
Zoura: And you're done
(Sunny Starscout)
Look, I know we're riskin' everything for this endeavor
But look at us, we're brave and strong and weird and clever
We're runnin' out of options and we're desperate to begin
(Izzy Moonbow)
You're gonna fit right in
Hitch Trailblazer: If you say so.
(Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow)
You're gonna fit right in
(Izzy Moonbow)
I know you will, now watch and learn
This is how a unicorn walks (walks)
This is how a unicorn talks (talks)
This is how a unicorn hoops (hoops?)
This is how a unicorn—
Hitch Trailblazer: Oops!
Sunny Starscout: Oh!
Zipp Storm: Geez!
Izzy Moonbow: Stop!
This is how a unicorn struts
Oh, watch us shake our unicorn butts
Now you're in the unicorn know
Sunny Starscout: Whoa!
(Izzy Moonbow)
Soon you'll be a unicorn pro!
Oh, a unicorn horn makes a unicorn stride
It's the more-head on your forehead, it's the source of your pride
Every unicorn who's born has worn a horn that's unique
So we'll whip them up as we speak, you'll be lookin' très magnifique
And with those rocks in our pockets, we'll reap the reward
And folks'll be floored, we'll strike a new chord
Our magic restored!
(All)
Lately, all Equestria has lost its heart
But if we can help to find it, we should play our part
(Hitch Trailblazer)
If we fail, we'll go to prison
(Sunny Starscout)
But if not, we'll start to grin
(Izzy Moonbow)
So let's begin
(Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow)
We're gonna fit right in
(Izzy Moonbow)
This is how a unicorn walks
This is how a unicorn talks
Now you're lookin' unicorn strong
This is how a unicorn...
(Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow)
...ends this song!
Later, after going through the final preparations, Sarah, Pipp, Zipp, Hitch, Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro all have their disguises ready from Izzy and they were on their way to meet the Unicorn leader of Bridlewood and inquire him/her of the Unicorn's Eye.
For Zipp, Pipp, and Nikki, they were given unique horns designed by Izzy along with small jackets that covered up their wings, James, Sunny, and Hitch just had her horns fitted on them and as for Sarah, she was given another small jacket to cover her own wings while her horn helped to pass her off as a Unicorn.
With the Pokémon and dragons, the majority of Sarah's family would have to hide out until the Unicorn's Eye can be found but with Rapidash, Ponyta, Siren, Sugarcoat, Sugarcake, and Keldeo would join them in the village for despite their own unique colorings, they were the only Pokémon that can be passed off as normal Unicorns without setting somebody in Bridlewood off and arouse suspicion amongst them.
Taking their first steps into the village with Izzy leading the way, she pointed to many of the crystals in the forest and gave them a tour of the village of Bridlewood while giggling happily along the way (being eager to show her disguised friends her homeland). But, her cheerful demeanor wasn't shared by the rest of the Unicorns upon entering, each of them looking downcast, moping around as they all sulked gloomily.
Little did they know, however, that the Shadow Braivary belonging to Scarlet Nightmare was eavesdropping on them from out of sight, smirking slyly at the heroes.
"Whoa, what's with the Unicorn snore fest?" Siren admitted with a whisper, a little uneasy as they walked.
"Seems like the losses that they had also occurred in the past due to Scarlet Nightmare's attack, brother," replied Sugarcoat, also not liking what she's seeing.
"Well... I guess we just found out why Izzy's so happy to meet us when we first met her and Sunny at Maretime Bay," Sarah squirmed a little.
"Those poor darlings, it must be terrible for them without their magic to make them happy."
"Ponchita's right, they're looking even worse than kids who just flunked an important elementary school test and got into time out for bad grades," Nikki and James agreed, gravely concerned for the Unicorns.
"It's no wonder why Ms. Izzy would be so eager to have new friends when she first found out about Ms. Sunny's lantern drawing," stated Tsukumaro, also concerned.
"I don't like this, everybody. Those Unicorns are nothing like Dear Izzy and they could be looking for trouble if they're having a bad mane or hair day," warned Rapidash as she looked to her only daughter. "Darling, stay with us and don't try to mingle with them if they give you any trouble."
"Yes, Mommy," nodded Ponyta, a little scared as she huddled close.
"These other Unicorns around us seemed to be a whole lot different from you," Sunny commented to Izzy, feeling unnerved by how depressed and lifeless the village Unicorns are. Hitch looked around at the crystals in the forest, his previous suspicions and his doubts about Izzy's plan to "fit right in" still running high.
"This is all well and good, Izzy, but how can we tell which ones can use magic?" he asked the happy-go-lucky Unicorn, getting shocked gasps from some nearby Unicorn foals they just passed.
"Ooooooooh, you just said a bad word, Mister!" a male foal suggested, surprising Hitch as he raised a confused eyebrow while the foal turned to the other foals with him. "Hurry, dance! Before we all get jinxed!"
Then, surprising the small party along with Hitch, the Unicorn foals snorted to the foal's warning before they did a strange dance as they bounced along their hooves, singing or scatting, "Bing-bong-bing! Bing, bong! Bing, bong! Bing, bong! Bing, bong!"
Everyone in Sunny and Sarah's party was bemused by this with the Mane Five looking on in confusion and Sarah and her family shrugged at each other, stumped over what they saw.
"Uh... Could somebody explain to us why those foals acted like that?" Keldeo replied, unsure of what to think.
"Yeah... Uh, I'm gonna need some context on that jig they did," Zipp agreed with an awkward nod.
"Oh, that? Unicorns are very superstitious. If a pony ever says a forbidden word like that, we usually have to do a ritual to ward off the Jinxies."
"Ritual?" chirped Siren, Sugarcake, and Sugarcoat in confusion.
"Jinxies?" Nikki and Pipp echoed in surprise.
"Bad luck, actually," Izzy clarified.
"Forbidden words, what are they?" Hitch inquired carefully to her.
"You know. Like, 'magic', 'wing', 'Pokemon', 'dragon', 'scale', 'feather', that kind of stuff, oh! And, 'mayonnaise'."
"But, what in the Sam Hill is wrong with may-?" James began in confusion before Izzy frantically muffled him to avoid setting off a nearby Unicorn behind them, who continued to sulk.
Izzy sighed in relief as she released James and shushed everybody. "Come on, there's something I want to show you," she replied, leading everybody to a building in the village that looked like a moderate Unicorn teahouse/restaurant/bar.
"The Crystal Tea Room?" asked Keldeo, reading the sign. "Why did you bring us here?"
"Amongst all of us Unicorns, there is a pony inside who collects crystals including the Unicorn's Eye. Maybe he can help us with what we're doing."
"That's great, Izzy! You're the best!" smiled Sunny before she gave a warning look to James. "And, James, remember what we all agreed on just now-"
"I know, no forbidden words," the disguised Earth Pony nodded.
Sticking close to each other as they entered the Crystal Tea Room, the small party saw that the atmosphere from within the restaurant sadly wasn't all that different from the rest of the village. Like the rest of the villagers, the Unicorns dining inside were miserable and a quartet of them were singing just as pitifully on stage.
"Earth pony jinx, something stinks. Pegasus neighs..." they sang droopily.
The group looked around to find the pony who is responsible for being the best crystal collector in all of Bridlewood until Izzy pointed them to a middle age Unicorn stallion having a darker brown and yet short mane and tail at one of the tables off to the left side. "That's the pony I was talking about, he's our finest collector of crystals. If you're looking for the Unicorn's Eye, that guy's your man," she informed them.
Nodding to her, Sunny went over to the Unicorn and began to make inquiries on the second of the Equestria Crystals. "Hi, there. So, word has it around this forest that you collect crystals, on top of being the best crystal collector or hunter in the area. Do you happen to know anything about one called the Unicorn's Eye?" she questioned to him.
The crystal collector sighed as he nodded before he went on to dramatically explain what he had done with them. "Yes, I do. I used to have quite the collection on me throughout my travels. I did, really, no problem. But, I've lost them all competing in a limbo contest with... D'oh... Alphabittle!" he finished, wailing dramatically.
"Alphabittle?"
"Huh...?" "Who or what names their pony Alphabittle?" Sunny, Keldeo, and Sarah blinked in surprise and confusion.
Izzy gasped in horror, dread coming across her face as she feared the worst. "Oh, no... I know that name from anywhere in this forest," she began, a small bell ringing catching their attention as they looked to the source of it.
The party saw that in the midst of what looked to be a contest involving a Rubik's Cube with another Unicorn pony named Jasper, a tall and great Unicorn with a small white beard, mane, and tail, revealed to be Alphabittle, had managed to solve the difficult puzzle in no time. Jasper was disheartened when he failed to solve it in time just as he did.
"I'm sorry, my boy. But, your time's up," Alphabittle smirked smugly at the disgruntled Jasper. "Guess that makes me the winner, again. Now, pay up."
"Urgh, fine. Just don't think you'll roll over all of us with your stupid victory streak," Jasper snarled, handing over a knickknack that looked personal to him to the arrogant Unicorn before he sadly walked away.
"You could always try winning it back!" the Unicorn player called before he took it and placed it on some shelves behind him amongst whatever other "prizes" he had won and stole from the losers including the Unicorn's Eye. "Alright, suit yourself, chap. Heh-heh..."
"Hey, that wasn't fair!" spat Ponyta in shock as Rapidash held her back gently, not wanting her daughter to get into a fight.
"Who's the idiot gambler robbing everybody of those things?"
"He's even got the Unicorn's Eye from that nice crystal collector!"
"Izzy, dear, do you know him?" Sunny's Galarian Rapidash guardians said, finding Alphabittle already to be unpleasant and aggravating.
"That's Alphabittle, our leader. He's always had a knack for winning possibly every game and messing with his opponents to win every time," Izzy replied fearfully, gulping as everyone's eyes were on him. "They said he's never lost a single game or puzzle and he's never made any friends by winning all the time and being a genius which gave him some respect but also some loathing from others while growing up. His opponents have a hard time dealing with him in every game because he usually places so much pressure on them and seeks to outdo them in everything involving games and puzzles including making bets with their personal knickknacks. He takes advantage of them losing anything they possess and care about to him and playing off of their fears to win!"
"If you ask me, I think he's got no honor, at all," scoffed Keldeo. "What's the point in winning a game or something or being a genius if all you're going to do is push everybody who wants to play for fun and be your friend for the sake of having fun and being happy away?"
"How are we supposed to deal with that?" Zipp asked worriedly.
"I don't know... We've never gone up against anybody as competitive as that," Sunny replied worriedly. "If we can't get the Unicorn's Eye, how are we supposed to bring everypony's you-know-what back?"
"...I'll have a go against him," Sarah suggested, taking a step forward.
"Sarah, are you sure you can go up against Alphabittle?" Izzy asked, greatly concerned as she walked with her along with Keldeo, who knew what she was thinking.
"If beating him at his own game is the only way to get him to hand over the Eye, I have to do it before Scarlet Nightmare appears again," she reassured her Unicorn friend. "Then, we can find the Earth Pony Hope and once we face down Scarlet and get everyone to stand against her, we're home free."
"You're not going to back down as usual with situations like this, are you, Princess?" quizzed Keldeo. "What if he wants something out of you like your eggs from that dead Night Fury couple we'll been safeguarding from Berk?"
"I have my old crown that I've found amongst my parents' wealth in the treasure room months ago. It'll be no big deal, you guys can make me a new one but whatever time I have with it, will always be the best I've ever had with another thing to remind me of them. What's more, I have your support and faith, that's all I need in order to win."
"...Okay, but be careful, Sarah. Alphabittle can smell fear and he's never lost a match," Izzy relented.
"I've faced down creeps much worse than him along with some humans back in my world. He's got nothing as far as I can see," replied Sarah as she went forward.
Meeting with Alphabittle at his table, she sat down and brought out some gold coins from her family's wealth as she gave the surprised yet intrigued Unicorn leader a hardened glare. "Tea, please," she said lowly.
Alphabittle hummed curiously as he looked at Sarah while a hedgehog-like critter with him brought the princess her drink but she stopped it as it tried to give her some milk, her glare unwavering.
"Hmm... You look like a strange fellow for someone of your type," Alphabittle began, chuckling smugly at her. "Those eyes of yours, I haven't seen eyes like that in a challenger for some time. I assume you're here for business or something else in mind, right?"
"I get that from ponies all the time," Sarah rebutted simply, unfazed as she sipped her tea. "I take it you're quite the game player with all of those knickknacks you've 'won' from your challengers, right?"
"It passes the time, always looking for a challenge on anything considering I've been a genius for my whole life and a real competitor. Champion of Champions and Master of Games, that's what they all call me. Why, do you play?"
"Of course. In fact, I don't just play games, I win 'em." Alphabittle smirked, finding Sarah to be interesting from her hardened declaration. "Is that so?"
"Yeah. And, what's more, since you're so eager to play, I'll make an offer you can't refuse," she nodded, eying the Unicorn's Eye before pointing at it. "I challenge to play a game for a prize worthy of only my liking, amongst all the crystals you've won from the crystal collector - the Unicorn's Eye!"
This gamble of hers garnered surprised and shocked gasps from virtually every single Unicorn and the Mane Five (sans her oarty from ehr family) in the restaurant as they stopped what they're doing and turned their attention to the duo, just as a shadowy pony figure was lurking in the village and arrived at the Crystal Tea Room.
"That thing... Hmm-mmm-mmm, do you really think you can beat me?" smirked Alphabittle again. "You really are a strange unicorn, aren't you?" "Only one way to find out and that's to play hard or go home."
"Tough talk for such a small pony."
"On the contrary, I've been medium-sized according to my tastes," retorted Sarah, bringing out a beautiful crown that was made for her when she would be older back then in Alola's past. "This enough for you, what do you say?"
"Heh. Bring it on, kid..."
But, just before Sarah and Alphabittle can get their game duel going, the doors to the Crystal Tea Room were kicked open with a loud BANG, startling everyone as they jumped from the noise. They all turned to find a small, all-black Kantonian Ponyta standing in the busted doorway with a powerful red-eyed glare at Sarah and Alphabittle and gasped in shock.
"Hold it!" the Ponyta called, pointing at the two before it came over to them while everyone else watched on worriedly and suspiciously with a twinge of fear.
"Whoa, I've heard of Ponytas but I've never seen one all black..."
"That is one weird Ponyta."
"But, who is it? And, where did it come from?"
"Something tells me that is no ordinary Ponyta," Hitch, Zipp, Sugarcoat, and Sunny whispered, greatly concerned.
"I don't know, Big Bro. Who's that Ponyta going towards Sarah and Alphabittle?"
"Somepony horrible by its appearance, I'd reckon," quipped Shortcake and Siren.
"Watch yourselves, everyone. This could mean trouble," warned Tsukumaro, throwing the black Ponyta a warning glare as it reached Sarah and Alphabittle's table.
"Are you the Unicorn leader and the so-called Master of Games in this lowly pony dump known as Bridlewood, Pops?" asked the black Ponyta (voice reference: Norm - Fairly Oddparents)) bluntly.
"Yes, that's right. I'm the Unicorn leader and the Master of Games," answered Alphabittle, regaining his cocky smirk. "And, throughout my life, since my very first games as a little foal, I've never lost against anypony once. Do you want to play against me for something and lose, too?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," nodded the Ponyta before it pointed to the Unicorn's Eye as well.
"I would also like to challenge you for the Unicorn's Eye. How about it, two-on-one? You obviously know more about any and all games with your know-how. If this Unicorn and myself win, the Unicorn's Eye will be ours. But, if you win, you can start on what special valuables we have, right?"
Sarah was surprised by the appearance of the mysterious black Ponyta and what it was doing for the Unicorn's Eye. She suddenly had the same uneasy feeling about the strange visitor to Bridlewood as her friends and her family had but she didn't want to speak out too much just in case there really is something off about the weird Pokémon before her and everyone else. Deciding to dwell on that later, she looked to the Ponyta curiously.
"Excuse me, are you sure you want to do this? We won't be playing fair by going up against one Unicorn," Sarah questioned the Ponyta, who gave her a soft, sweet look regarding her concerns.
"Where's your sense of competition, Missy? I'm sure we can have fun and win the Unicorn's Eye if we both try hard do our best. Trust me," it said to her before looking back at the amused and still-intrigued Alphabittle.
"How about it, Pops? Shall we play it your way for the prize of the day?"
"...Have it your way, Little Pony," Alphabittle smirked again, feeling overconfident in another victory for him. "But, if you're both going to win it, then you'll have to beat me in one of my favorite duels ever played."
"And, what kind of duel is that?" inquired Sarah.
"One of the oldest duels ever known in the history of Ponykind: a duel...of Song!"
"Huh?!" The Mane Five, Nikki, James, Tsukumaro, Sugarcake, Sugarcoat, Keldeo, Rapidash, and Ponyta gawked as they comically faltered.
Sarah and the Ponyta just looked at each other before they nodded with shared smirks and then told him, "Deal/Deal."
"So, what's the catch?" Ponyta quizzed.
"What'll we have to sing about?" added the princess.
"Simple; the winner must sing for me the best reason for giving it to either of you. Make sure your vocals are all warmed up, I'm looking for the best performance between you two. Ready?"
"Very well."
"Let's get it on," they agreed, being led to the stage as they took their positions.
"Alright, let's see what you gals got," Alphabittle announced.
"Fine then/Fine then." Ponyta and Sarah glared at each other before they broke into song.
(Give Me the Wand - Fairly Oddparents Parody - Give me the Jewel)
(Alphabittle)
I'm a swinging P-O-N-Y-T and A
Huh? Hey
Let me tell you
What that spells to me
While I've been collecting gems
Their shiny and new, man
My unicorn powers stopped for me
And that's pretty dang annoying to me
I've got that crazy gem you ponies got
If want the gemstome you'll have to sing alot (Hey!)
To give each and every child a great big smile
To me this means a lot, it ain't no evil plot
Gimme the jewel, and you'll all see
Gimme the jewel, your buddy, I'd be
Gimme the jewel, a-da-do-da-dee
I'll make you a natural blonde
If you give me the jewel
(Shoo-doop-shoo-be-do-wah)
"Okay, he's good." Hitch winced, seeing their chance at getting the Unicorn's Eye more complicated.
"He-he, wait until Sarah starts to sing." Keldeo smirked.
(Sarah)
I'm a very selfless young unicorn gal
I'm doin my very best to restore this land
(Shoop-bah-doo-bap-Dooby-doo-wah!)
This grim magic world
Lost all of it spark (Ponyta: Well duh)
But gonna get your powers back
And to restore your land
(Ponyta and Sarah)
Give us the jewel, we'll have a ball
(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow!)
(Alphabittle)
Give me the wand
I'll give you a call
(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow!)
(Alphabittle, Ponyta and Sarah)
Give us the jewel, a-do-doo-dow
(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow!)
We really hope, you all respond
Come on, give us the jewel
(Alphabittle)
Don't be so cruel!
(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow)
(Ponyta and Sarah)
Give us the jewel, and end this duel
(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow)
Give us the wand, a-doo-dah-dee
(Doot-doot-bap-dooby-doo-zow)
Don't let yourself be ruled
Now give us the jewel!
Everyone was stunned by how well both the black Ponyta and Sarah sang in their duel; between their parts and their clashing reasons for wanting the Unicorn's Eye from Alphabittle, it was hard to tell which one of the two would be able to win the crystal. Even Alphabittle couldn't help but be impressed with both reasons even though he has to choose between one of them.
The others were also amazed by how well Sarah was able to sing and despite the black Ponyta's impressive and sly vocals and the Unicorns were taken by the song by both of them along with Alphabittle's additional vocals in tune with theirs at the tail end.
"Ooooooh! Sarah's got herself some slick vocals!" squealed Izzy excitedly. "She's going to win, I can feel it!"
"Whoa... I never knew she could sing so well," Pipp admitted in awe.
"If I wasn't so shocked by her singing, I would've live-streamed that until my eyeballs fell!" gasped a stunned Pipp as Hitch was left in stunned silence.
"Wha-how?!"
"EEEEEEE! Sweet, awesome, radical! Love it, love it, love it, LOOOOOOOOOOVE IT~!"
"You guys never told us she could sing like that!" Sunny's guardians all said, completely flabbergasted over Sarah's singing.
"You'd be surprised about what she can do, even my teachers and I couldn't help but feel impressed when she lets the music take her over," Keldeo smirked.
"That's our Ponchita."
"She's got a talent for anything."
"I've never known another goddaughter like her and I won't ever will," James, Nikki, and Tsukumaro smiled.
"Well now, I must say, you've both moved me with your impressive vocals and I couldn't be happier," Alphabittle admitted, looking between the pair as he cleared his throat and took the Unicorn's Eye as he thought for a moment. "But, there's only one among you who's given me reason to trust you with the Unicorn's Eye. And, that winner is..."
Everyone watched with bated breath, wondering who Alphabittle will entrust the Unicorn's Eye to.
He then presented the crystal to...Sarah, much to her surprise as she held the Unicorn's Eye and took back her crown. "T-Thank you, Alphabittle," she smiled, getting a nod of respect from the Unicorn leader.
She returned to her friends and her family as they all cheered happily for her success. The black Ponyta watched on without any reaction to its loss but when it noticed a tuff of feathers coming from her jacket on her right-hand side, it smirked darkly before it then managed to slip out without being discovered and arousing immediately suspicion as if it had suspected she would win and it was part of some plan it had in mind.
In the midst of the group's celebrations, though, Ponyta was so ecstatic about her human caretaker/aunt winning the Unicorn's Eye that she tackled her happily to the ground and nuzzled her, making her laugh. Her tackle also caused one of her wings to unfurl from her jacket and be exposed, causing the Unicorns to gasp in shock at what she really is.
"An Alicorn?! I thought they were extinct for years!" gawked a flabbergasted Alphabittle.
"And, Pegasi!" spat Zipp, she, Pipp, and Nikki throwing their jackets away and glaring at them, immediately seeing trouble afoot.
"Don't forget about us, you rapscallion!" added Tsukumaro with a glare as he stepped forward and prepared himself to fight while Sunny, James, and Hitch took off their horns and prepared to fight or run.
"And, a Unicorn! Which, you knew already!" Izzy added.
"Izzy! W-how did you-?!" gasped Alphabittle, seeing Izzy as the Unicorns glared at them.
"Alphabittle, I know it doesn't look like it but trust me when I said we're here to help," Sunny spoke up.
"Help, huh? We've never needed help from anypony, not even from fools like you. Now, give me the crystal," Alphabittle snarled.
"No deal, Alphabittle," spat Sarah as she held the Unicorn's Eye in her magical grasp. "I won fair and square and you can't take back your earlier word since the loser left since he's not here."
"I'll be sure to rectify that immediately once we're through with you. You tricked me when you made the offer and now that I see through your ugly mug, you can consider our earlier deal off. The crystal, NOW!"
"Uh...Wait! Magic! Wing! Feather! Pokemon! Dragon! MAYONNAISE!" Hitch cried out in panic, causing Alphabittle and the other unicorns to cry out in panic and perform their Jinxie ritual again.
"Ha...HAH!" bellowed Keldeo, quickly firing a Focus Blast at the startled Unicorns, blasting at them and leaving them stunned and dazed all over the restaurant from the power of his attack. "Now's our chance, c'mon!"
"Go, go, go!" cried Sunny, urging everybody to run out of Bridlewood as they got the Unicorn's Eye, leaving the Crystal Tea Room for the rest of the party.
"You'll regret this, YOU'LL REGRET THIS!" yelled an outraged but still stunned Alphabittle he and the other Unicorns with him were left high and dry.
With both the Unicorn's Eye and the Wings of Loyalty with them, the group managed to run into the force and then head into a clearing where they found Sarah's entire family waiting for them, the clearing acting as a makeshift safe spot for them.
"You guys okay?" Hashimoto asked as they reunited with them, panting in relief.
"I suppose you all ran into trouble finding the Unicorn's Eye?" put in Zeraora.
"But, did you guys get it?" asked Pyre.
"Let's hope you managed to remember it since you didn't forget about Aunt Sarah this time!" Wildfire added.
"Yep, right here," smiled Sarah, panting as she showed her family the crystal.
"Great! But, what's going on?" asked Zorua.
"Alright, Kid, what kind of mess did you all get into this time?" quizzed Mischief.
But then, everyone heard some nearby bushes rustling until they saw Queen Haven, managing to escape from prison but looking a little ruffled.
"Mom!" Pipp and Zipp cried happily.
"Oh, my darlings! Thank hoofness!" Queen Haven gasped, hugging them in relief.
"You escaped!"
"But, how did you find us all the way here?"
Zipp and Pipp soon got their answer when Queen Haven's pet and Hitch's unintentional critter crush, Cloudpuff, suddenly burst out of the bushes and tackled said pony (screaming as he was startled by her appearance) to the ground. After reuniting with him, Hitch discovered that she had his badge in her mouth that he lost during the whole scuffle for the Wings of Loyalty, which was how she and Queen Haven were able to track them down.
"Ah! Is that-Yes! My badge, oh, my lovely badge! I promise I'll never leave you alone again!" he hollered happily, glad to have his sheriff's badge back.
"Oh, my little fillies! I'm so glad that we found you, I know it's hard for us ever since this debacle started but we can still make things right," Queen Haven smiled to her daughters. "Now, why don't we just go back to Zephyr Heights and explain everything that happened. You know, spin the story and then, they'll love us again, right?"
Zipp and Pipp looked at each other worriedly but before they could voice their opinions to her and explain that they needed their extended family and friends back more than anything, they saw a disheveled Alphabittle and a few unicorns (including one of the foals they've previously seen) that had recovered from the ordeal and had gone through the trouble of chasing them.
"Uh..."
"Listen, let us explain-!" Izzy and Sunny began frantically before Zoom, Thunder, and an eight Pegasus guard platoon arrived.
"Aha! There you are, Your Ex-Queen Criminal Highness Haven!" spat Zoom, still sore from her and her fellow Pegasi being lied to. "You've given us the slip for the last time and you're coming with us!"
"AH! Look out, Unicorns!" Thunder cried, throwing a tennis ball at the Unicorns which did nothing.
"Ahem... Return the Unicorn's Eye to us and never come back!" snarled Alphabittle.
"HA! Your crystals? They rightly belong to us, unlike you conniving horned maims!" spat Queen Haven.
"Not anymore, it doesn't! I won it fair and square!"
"Hah! I certainly doubt it! Unicorns are known to be cheaters!"
"You Pegasi always thought you were better than us!"
"Hey, that's our queen you're talking to!" Zoom defended Queen Haven.
"She's not a queen here!" a unicorn mare replied.
"Who do you think you are?!" Zoom growled.
"We're gonna zap you with our horns!"
"This is our land!"
"You're not welcome here!" the other three unicorns growled as the two kinds looked ready to fight each other, making the unicorn foal scared.
"Surrender the crystal or I'll use my powers against you!" Alphabittle threatened.
"I'd like to see you try!" Queen Haven challenged.
"Will, you, all, SHUT UP?!" screamed an aggravated Eternatus, finally having enough of the Pegasi and Unicorns arguing and his agitated roar terrifying the two pony tribes and nearly deafening everybody as they were forced to cover or fold their ears and look to him when he had finished and took a deep breath. "Thank you..."
"Was that really necessary?" asked Sarah incredulously, shaking her head to regain her bearings.
"Sorry, but these idiotic children with us are all making me sick with their boisterous and sickening squabbles and I can't stand it any longer," Eternatus replied, shaking his own head and sighing again. "I've been meaning to do that since they needed to have the truth told to them. We're already on a stupid time crunch as it is."
"Uh, t-t-thanks, Eternatus..." replied Sunny, before she cleared her throat and spoke again, "As we've been trying to say, NOPONY HAS MAGIC! But, we're here to bring it back."
Everyone sans the Mane Five and their entire party gasped in shock and surprise as the bombshell dropped and they tried to wrap their heads around what Sunny had just told them.
"Is it possible?"
"Did she just say magic?"
"This is a trick, there's no way," a female unicorn, Zoom, and Thunder whispered in complete bewilderment.
"I know it sounds impossible to you all but trust is, this is going to work and then, we'll all have our magic back!" Sunny pleaded.
"Children, you don't really believe-?" Queen Haven began in denial before Pipp and Zipp turned to her with pleading looks.
"Mom, please! This could be our only chance; if our magic is back, then we can start all over again!" begged Pipp.
"Please, Mom, we can't go on like this," added Zipp. "Don't you remember Tamu and Ryu and what they, Sefu, Drake, and our Pokemon friends did...? Don't you want them back, too?"
"Pipp, Zipp, I..." Queen Haven began, her previous resolve faltering after she was reminded of her sister figure and best friend until she gave a relenting groan and agreed. "Oh, alright, but only for now."
"Hmph, you're wasting your time, kid," Alphabittle scoffed before Twilight and her brother appeared and pointed their tails threateningly at the Unicorn leader, spooking him as he gave a frightened yelp at them along with his fellow Unicorns.
"These scorpion tails of ours are filled with the deadliest poison known to man and dragons where we come from and they pack a paralyzing punch!"
"Anybody who dares to harm our friends and our family, especially our rider, Sarah, will know our trick known as the Two-Sting Fatality! Got it?!" Twilight and Dawn'sfully-grown children threatened menacingly.
"Yeah, we got it!" squeaked the Unicorns fearfully.
"Good!" nodded Dawn as he and Twilight lowered their tails but kept their glares on them.
Standing in front of everyone, Sunny got out the Wings of Loyalty and Izzy got out the Unicorn's Eye. "Ready, Izzy?" Sunny asked, prepared to make the big moment happen.
"Ready!" Izzy replied.
The two friends then put the crystals together but to Sunny's shock, as they were combined together, nothing happened.
"What? I-I don't understand it," she breathed, becoming frantic as she tried again. "It's not working, it has to! Why isn't it working?!"
"I think I know why..." Sarah replied, deciding to let her Earth Pony friend and everyone else know what she and her family had discovered from the flashback of Ryu's final memory as she took the crystals and saw the empty center from them.
"Sunny, didn't you remember the flashback of that final battle against Scarlet Nightmare and what Zipp and Pipp's extended family and friends did? Ryu and Helioseon along with their siblings and friends created three Equestrian Crystals; we've only collected two of them which are the Unicorn's Eye and the Wings of Loyalty. You still need to find the Earth Pony Hope but, even if you do... That alone won't be able to bring magic back, it's impossible."
"Impossible?!"
"You're lying!"
"What are you talking about?" Alphabittle, Queen Haven, and Thunder gasped in shock as the Pegasi and Unicorns voiced their opinions as well.
Sarah sighed as she shook her head at the Pegasi and Unicorns and spoke out when they're done after silencing them with a raised hoof, "I mean, the real magic that you have in the entire world is the friendship, the love, the trust you have for each other... The very things you've forsaken after Scarlet Nightmare's actions caused you to tear yourselves apart and turn your backs on the ones you protected you and destroy your friendships, love, and trust between each other and them!"
"I can't believe you are all stupid to believe you would think of yourselves as self-sufficient and independent to survive in this broken world but you've proven my and my family's suspicions about all of you correct. Yes, Scarlet Nightmare may have been the one to leave you all broken, afraid, and shaken to the point where you can't hope to trust each other again but instead of turning to the ones who supported you for help, you backstabbed them and decided to kick them out of your world out of fear! They didn't deserve that nor asked for it to happen, not after what Ryu and the others did to save you all!"
As Sarah spoke and admonished everyone that had been fighting, despite some of them being stubborn and not wanting to admit to her being right about their actions and what they've done, her consistent mentioning of Scarlet Nightmare started to get the attention of some of the other ponies with them. They either had heard of the legend involving her before but thought nothing of it or just passed her off as another fairy tale but what they all didn't know was that said Alicorn mare was lying and waiting to appear and from within their shadows, she chuckled darkly in amusement, enjoying the ponies tearing each other apart as if that's what she wanted while she listened in.
"How delightful..." she smirked with a sly and quiet chuckle.
"But, you know how things would be for all of us if the dragons and Pokemon were to remain with us!"
"Why should we invite them back in when they'll eventually turn on us and claim Equestria and the world for themselves?"
"They'll have some sort of elaborate scheme planned behind our backs and they'll kill us just as-!" two Pegasus guards and a Unicorn stallion tried to argue.
"SILENCE!" Sarah bellowed angrily, making the three of them shut up as they closed their mouths and perform a zipping motion over them while the rest of the Unicorns and Pegasi, even Queen Haven and Alphabittle, flinched in fear of her.
"Look at yourselves, everyone! You're becoming nothing more than savage monsters ever since you've banished the Pokemon and dragons after Scarlet was first defeated all those moons ago! This is what you really are and what happens when you let your fear, anger, hatred, and distrust for everyone and everything around you catch hold of you and take you over! You're letting it all stem from the aftermath of that one event divide you and develop misconceptions about one another, deepening the rift between you all and causing all of Equestria's magic to disappear and your work to become broken as it slowly eats you alive!"
The little princess did her best to control herself as she continued on with her speech, determined to help the ponies finally see the light and discover what their previous actions had brought them. Her family and the Mane Five could see how hard she was trying not to break down again after what happened with Queen Haven at Zephyr Heights last time and it was once again starting to take its toll but she pressed on, vowing not to crack again.
"You want to know why my family and I are able to use magic? It's because we still have our friendship, we're a family; that's how it's meant to be. That's the true mark of Equestria and where the magic really comes from. Sure, we may not be a normal family for the most part and we may be the strangest family ever known but that doesn't matter! What mattered to us is that the love, our friendship, and trust we have for each other remained strong and it's continued to grow stronger over the years despite everything being thrown in our path," she told everybody passionately yet calmly.
"You all have a chance to make everything right again if you just trust us now to finish what has been started by my parents, the Alicorns who once crossed over here during their previous rule: King Doug and Queen Delilah. To finally learn the true Magic of Friendship and learn to trust each other again, that's what they would want for all of us, for me..."
"B-But, how would you know that?" inquired a stunned Alphabittle.
"There's no way, how could you...?" Queen Haven asked in disbelief.
Sarah looked between them and answered for everyone to hear, a tear rolling down her left eye as the memories played again, "Because, before my family and I came here, they gave their lives to save me and our kingdom many years ago in our world. Back when I was only a baby..."
The Pegasi, Unicorns, and their leaders gasped in total shock, all of them flabbergasted as they wondered why Doug and Delilah didn't come back if they knew them before.
"Y-Y-You mean... You're actually an orphan, and, the Earth Pony and Pegasus with you are...?" Hitch began, spluttering in shock before trailing off as he didn't know about Sarah's past prior to his joining the group.
Even Pipp was stunned by the bombshell revelation that had dropped with the fact that Sarah was an orphan and when she realized that Nikki and James are her adopted parents and not her real ones. She was even thrown off from hearing that the human-turned-Alicorn basically had her previous life ripped away from whatever had plagued her and her real parents back in their world when she was only a baby.
When she was finished, she returned the crystals to a sympathetic Izzy and Sunny as they gave her comforting looks. "This has to be why Ryu, Tamu, and the others trusted them back then to seal Scarlet and her creations away when she first attacked Equestria. And, now, you have to do the same if you want to restore your magic and your homeland and finish Scarlet Nightmare off for good!" she concluded, making her point clear.
"But, that's impossible! Scarlet Nightmare is nothing but an old mare's tale," Zoom replied skeptically.
"She's been gone for several moons by now! She would've already been nothing but dust in the wind!" scoffed another Unicorn.
"Oh, my little ponies... Some things never leave you even when somepony such as myself once left this world behind," chuckled a voice that startled everyone as they looked around, Sarah, her family, and the Mane Five gathering together as they braced themselves for what's to come.
"Who's that?!" Izzy peeped fearfully, holding the Unicorn's Eye tightly.
"Someone's out here besides us!" Sunny cried as she held onto the Wings of Loyalty as the chuckle slowly grew into low mocking laughter.
"Who's there?" Queen Haven demanded, looking around along with her guards, their previous grievances forgotten.
"Where are you?!" demanded Zoom.
"Show yourself, right now!" shouted an agitated Alphabittle.
The low chuckle grew into a burst of demonic female laughter as everyone became even more uneasy and tried to stay strong but couldn't and before they could understand what the hell's going on, a gust of wind blew as the skies darkened. Then, in a flash of lightning amongst a series of shadowy flames coming from everyone's shadows, the main culprit behind Equestria's decline and the loss of everyone's magic (sans that belonging to Sarah, James, Tsukumaro, and Nikki) herself appeared in her physical form, the Alicorn Angel of Darkness herself: Scarlet Nightmare.
The ponies all gasped and screamed in shock and horror at seeing the supposed old mare's tale being back from her imprisonment and in the flesh while she gave a demonic smile to them, eager for her revenge and to enact her new plan of attack.
"No... I-I-Is that...?" Alphablittle stuttered, feeling small in Scarlet's presence.
"It's impossible..." breathed a horrified Queen Haven.
"That's her! The one who Ryu and the others fought with along with King Doug and Queen Delilah!" Pipp cried, pointing at the Angel of Darkness.
"Scarlet Nightmare..." snarled Zipp, seething at the evil mare who took her big brother away from her.
"How can this be? She's not supposed to be here!" panicked Hitch before being shushed from an equally horrorstruck Sunny.
"So, you're the one they called Scarlet Nightmare, am I right?" Tsukumaro asked, steeling himself along with his family to fight as they got into defensive positions.
"Well, quite a glittering assemblage here, I see. Fallen royalty, delusional horned nobility, the exotic gentry, and... Oh, how quaint, even the optimistic rabble," Scarlet Nightmare (voice reference: Maleficent - Disney's Sleeping Beauty) began, gesturing slyly towards everyone around her and irking Zipp as she tried to charge at her but was stopped by Pipp and her mother.
Scarlet chuckled as she continued, "I really felt quite distressed at not being given a welcome home party-"
"You weren't wanted nor were meant to come back!" Zipp snarled.
"Not wha-Heh... Oh dear, what an awkward situation, really. I had hoped we could come together again on equal terms, especially since you've been helping in my return ever since my first assault all those moons ago." The Angel of Darkness then turned to Sarah who had her parents' heirlooms on her and was ready to fight.
"So, you're the daughter of the ones responsible for my imprisonment. Hmm-Mmm-Mmm, I would've expected something more from the only daughter of King Doug and Queen Delilah, much more, but the fact that you stand here before me now and you have their heirlooms suggests to me that you are indeed no ordinary child."
"B-B-But, tha-that's not possible!" Alphabittle denied, slowly losing his previous nerve.
"How did you escape? Ryu and the others all banished you to the ends of the earth along with every last one of your demons!" Queen Haven exclaimed in disbelief.
"Bravo, bravo, an extraordinary deduction, Your Highness. And, in all honesty, regarding my being free, I would very much like to thank you for setting me free. You obviously seemed so surprised to see me back at my full strength and you thought there was some other force behind it when you've been responsible for my return to grace this whole time."
"What do you mean?" Alphabittle questioned, standing in front of his fellow unicorns as they cowered behind him while he steeled himself. "You must've done something to our magic and now, you'll return it to-!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, my dear Alphabittle. For you see, my beautiful slaves, my Shadow Dragons and Shadow Pokemon, all feed off of your fear, distrust, hatred, and paranoia of each other, and as your so-called 'magic of friendship' grows weaker until it is but a mere fairy tale, we grow stronger as we kept feeding off of your xenophobia... Yes, Alphabittle, it was you and every last Unicorn, Earth Pony, and Pegasus that bought me back and killed Equestria."
"No, it can't be! But, it was the Pegasi-!"
"It was you all who killed off your only means of defense by banishing your own Pokemon and dragon friends, YOU who turned against each other and lost your own magic by making each other enemies!"
"But, why?!" demanded Queen Haven, badly shaken from the truth along with every last one of the other ponies with her, Alphabittle, and the Mane Five.
"Because you immediately suspected the worst and wanted to save your own skins. You'll find that fear and paranoia can indeed be powerful weapons for you to use against one another; not that you even knew what you were doing since you've dismissed my legend at first glance after hearing about it, you knew about it because you or your families before you were there all those moons ago when I made my attack and when those blasted lizards, those runts for Pokemon, and those meddling Alicorns imprisoned me and you've helped me to escape after the prospect of my return became too much for you to bear. I've been waiting for moons for my release and when I felt a dwindling power around me in the middle of my 'sentence', I realized that because Doug and Delilah's seal relied on the magic of friendship from all of you coming together and trusting each other, you've given me a hail mary of my own for my return..."
Everyone couldn't believe what they were hearing, especially the ponies when the bombshell dropped as Scarlet continued.
"I knew right then and there that as long as you would be fearful of one another and see yourselves as enemies and if someone should ever find the Equestrian Crystals, they would bring me back just to bring the magic back. And so, ever since you've cut yourselves off from each other and back to your designated tribes, my babies and I have been feeding off of your ongoing xenophobia, your fear of the unknown, and your hatred for others for something trivial as bringing back friendship, just to prepare for my grand return so I can have my revenge..."
Scarlet chuckled darkly as she allowed everything she said to sink in. "Yes, my friends, I knew you would sink so low into becoming savage beasts towards each other and you've helped to accelerate my return," she taunted.
"But, my parents stopped you along with their friends the first time! And now, my family, friends, and I are going to do the same to you!" Sarah yelled in defiance.
"But, why go through all of this? Why didn't she just ask us to help her with her power?" Izzy replied, wondering why Scarlet would plan such a scheme.
"I know why! Because, if we had realized what everything we're doing would lead to her coming back, we would've come up with more elaborate plans to counter her return and get everypony to fully trust each other along with the dragons and ponies again!" Sunny gasped in shock.
"But, even you can't even begin to comprehend the power that I now have thanks to all of you and your tearing each other apart for all these moons! No mere mortal can..." sneered Scarlet.
"You've been eating too much fear and mistrust and watching too many horror movies for your own good to do pull something like this, Scarlet Nightmare!" Zipp snapped. "And, since you took my big brother from me, I'll make you pay for this!"
"A typical mortal response as usual from a pony of such spunk, Zipp Storm. But, unlike your Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends and family of old, of whom I've killed one by one since they never stood a chance against me when fear and hatred took hold of this land again, I'm a superior being of pure magic and hatred incarnate. And, now that my demons and I are free to enact our revenge, I shall take over Equestria and remake it as one land under my image as it was meant to be! But, first..." She then smirked at the little princess before she fired a spell that immediately paralyzed her and allowed her to be snatched away and dragged over to her.
"PRINCESS!" Magearna cried, running after her before falling again.
"Sarah!"
"Honey!"
"NO!"
"Ponchita!"
"Put her down right now!"
"Release the princess!"
"Let her go!"
"What they said! As the Sheriff, I order you to put her down!" The Mane Five, James, Nikki, and Tsukumaro shouted at her, seeing Sarah in her magical grasp.
"Don't hurt her!"
"Please, give her back!"
"You'll be sorry if you skewer her!"
"Don't you dare!" "Let my mother go, you creepy crone!"
"Unhand King Doug and Queen Delilah's daughter, this instant!" demanded Blitz, Curly, Skystorm, Hurricane, Silvally, and Calyrex.
"You're no match for Master Sarah when she breaks free, then you'll be sorry!" snapped Hashimoto.
Scarlet Nightmare just cackled before she gave a taunting smirk towards everybody gathered, "No, you're no match for your own selves since the darkness has taken everyone over thanks to your fear and paranoia of each other because you have no more magic to fight me with and you've lost your only protectors. I, on the other hand, am the hero who's going to save Equestria from destruction. But first, I think I'll have some fun with Doug and Delilah's daughter while my beauties and I work towards your land's downfall and then the world..."
"You won't get away with this, Scarlet Nightmare, you fiend!" Magearna angrily called, devastated as she helplessly watched Scarlet continuing to hold her charge in her grasp as she gave a final taunting smirk towards the Artificial Pokemon. "Oh, I already have..." she finished with a final dark smirk before she disappeared with Sarah in tow.
"NOOOOOOOO/NOOOOOOO/NOOOOOOO!" Sarah's friends and family screamed in horror.
"Princess!" Magearna shouted again as she cried and broke down over the loss of her charge, being separated not long after they were finally together. Sunny was horrified by everything that had happened and with Sarah being taken, she was left broken and with a feeling of hopelessness. "SARAH!" she screamed, devastated.
It wasn't easy for them to escape when Scarlet's forces appeared as they ran but with Sarah's family's help, they were able to keep going despite nearly being killed one too many times. Once they were out of danger and they felt they were safe as they reached another forest to take shelter in until a plan could be made, everyone was at a loss over what to do now. Things had never been this out of hand before and they have no idea what to do since they've never even considered going up against Scarlet again.
"Did we lose them?" Salamence as he comforted a frightened Eevee and Skitty.
"I don't know but I did lose my lunch back there while running," groaned Dracozolt as he tried to hold his stomach in and not throw up, looking green in the face.
"AAARRRGGGHHHHH! I hate all of this!" screamed Talonflame furiously, really hating how things were going.
"Come on, Sis," Cranidos replied worriedly for his sister figure.
"Come on nothing, Crans! What are we supposed to do now?!"
"Thisssss issss a total dissssaster, I just can't believe it..." moaned Seviper, feeling miserable as he curled around a crying Magearna and did his best to comfort Sarah's distraught guardian.
"We just got our tails whipped by the worst pony ever to exist in this whole adventure!" fretted Stufful.
"What'll we do now, Sunny? We gotta do something," Zipp asked the devastated Earth Pony. "We've got to take down Scarlet if we're going to have any chance of getting Sarah back and finding the Earth Pony Hope!"
"But how, dear? You heard what she said; we can't fly, the Unicorns have no magic, and we've only got a handful of dragons and Pokemon on us to help stop this fight!" Queen Haven pointed out, already losing hope. "She's getting more and more powerful with all of the hatred, fear, and mistrust she and her demons can all feed and it's all our fault!"
"There's still a chance we can fix all of this, right, Sunny?" Izzy asked, only to hear nothing from Sunny.
"Sunny...?"
"What's wrong?"
"Are you okay...?" she asked again along with Nikki and James, everyone seeing the Earth Pony now completely broken.
"I thought it could work before Sarah made us realize we were missing the Earth Pony Hope, I thought I could do the right thing..." she said to everyone with her in total despair, resorting to taking the crystals and giving them back to their owners, Alphabittle and Queen Haven looking on in surprise and bewilderment before she decided to leave for Maretime Bay. "I'm so sorry for causing you all this trouble..."
"Sunny, wait! Are you really gonna quit while you're ahead, we can't give up!"
"Where are you going?" Zipp and Pipp asked worriedly as they, Izzy, and Hitch tried to follow as everyone else watched in worry and hopelessness.
"I'm going home, everypony," Sunny replied simply, no longer having the drive to fight anymore.
"But, what about Sarah, are you really just going to abandon her? You're her friend, we all are! She needs us!" Izzy begged.
"What about us, Scarlet is at full power now because of everything we and everypony else have done since she was sealed away the first time! I thought that I could make a difference, to take the first step and show everybody that we can be more than just enemies and just friends with our own kind... But, the truth is, while everyone else helped to accelerate her return, I was the one to instigate her coming back in full force and taking Sarah from us. Everything bad that's happened to us since you both and her family first came to Maretime Bay, Izzy, is my fault. Everywhere I go, I just make things worse..."
"That's not true! We've faced problems like this before, we can get through this together! Right?"
"Yeah!"
"Of course!" Pipp and Zipp added reassuringly, only failing to convince Sunny otherwise.
"I'm really sorry that I've let you all down including Sarah," she finished sadly, turning away from everybody and just making her way home.
Everyone was shocked and further devastated that the pony who had the most hope for Equestria's survival and the return of the Pokemon and dragons along with the evil Alicorn's defeat had all but given up hope.
"Oh, what are we gonna do?" asked Shortcake, not liking Sunny being so down on herself and losing hope with everything that had happened and Scarlet's return.
"What else can we do, Shortcake? Scarlet won and with Sarah in her grasp, we're already at her mercy," frowned Sugarcoat solemnly, nuzzling her and Siren's younger sister.
"Let's just go home and see if we can help her," Siren replied before he turned to the Pegasi and Unicorns sans Zipp, Pipp, and Izzy. "I hope you and the other Earth Ponies are all happy with what you've done. Is it all worth it just to have them for your own and all of the pain that had come because of your own fear and xenophobia and for your peoples' own safety, now?"
None one of the two pony tribes before everybody didn't know what to think or even admit it if they're too proud to say it as Sunny's guardians left to rejoin their charge but what can they say after everything they've done, intentionally or unintentionally? Izzy was the most devastated in seeing Sunny having already given up due to her own mistakes and her own part in Scarlet's revival as she didn't know what to think. And, realizing that Sunny was really beating herself up hard, Hitch decided to join her and try to comfort her, even if he also played a part in everything that happened and started her journey.
"I guess this is goodbye... Friends," he replied sorrowfully, now realizing that he and Sunny are parting ways with their new friends.
"Better hurry, we'll think of something. Don't worry," reassured Zipp. Nodding gently, Hitch hurried to catch up with Sunny and her Pokemon guardians, leaving everybody else wondering what they should do while Sarah's family looked to each other and nodded in shared determination before silently leaving.
Arriving back at Maretime Bay, the dejected Sunny and her guardians came back along the path leading to the quartet's lighthouse home while Hitch prepared to head back to the town. "I'm right here if you need to talk, Sunny," Hitch told her gently.
But, his encouragement was all for naught as she just looked at him, still feeling depressed while her guardians gave her an angry glare, a shared dejected frown, and a headshake from Siren, Shortcake, and Sugarcoat, mentally telling him that now's not the time for him to comfort her and that he shared part of the blame for what's been going on and for Scarlet's return.
Sighing in defeat and realizing that the three Galarian Rapidashes were right, Hitch turned away and left the quartet alone since he knew that they needed time to themselves.
Entering their home, Sunny and her Rapidash Guardians looked around and thought about everything that had happened on their adventure as well as the ramifications that came out of it. Sunny was still dejected that everything had gone wrong since she, her new friends, and everyone else had helped in the evil Alicorn's return to her full glory but she also made several mistakes that compromised everything and accelerated her return. No longer convinced in doing what she feels is right in accordance with everything she heard from her late father, she decided not to bother anymore, still unsure of what to do with Scarlet ready to enact her revenge in full force.
Going into her room, she decided to leave the past behind as she put away her Mane Six figures and the lamp her father made for her into an open drawer while her guardians sadly watched, unsure of what to say first. Sighing in defeat, she turned to the large stand where the lightbulb was along with the multiple drawings she did from her childhood. However, when she pulled out the drawing Izzy got from her and looked at another one like it, she suddenly noticed that an object in the center looked awfully familiar to her.
She looked at the object between both drawings and after rubbing her hoof on the drawing, a small beam of light shone through and hit the top of her father's lamp showing her the pictures of Unicorns, Earth Ponies, and Pegasi living happily together; a sight that her father showed her when she was a filly before and after she got her Rapidashes.
Looking back at the lamp after thinking back to the Wings of Loyalty and the Unicorn's Eye along with the flashback of Ryu's final memories and the moment when he and Helioseon first created the Equestrian Crystals, she gasped as she then noticed something about the top of the lamp. Pulling it out and looking at it, she saw that it was a crystal that looked like a disc. Then, looking back at an odd shape of the stand which looked like the Wings and the Eye together, she placed it on the center circle, causing it to and the other two pieces to sink and it was in the very same shape that Sarah had noticed.
Sunny's eyes widened in awe and amazement as she realized what the crystal actually was, it was the third and final Equestria Crystal she was missing: the Earth Pony Hope. Her father had it with them all along and she didn't even know about it, until now.
With her hope renewed, after telling an equally amazed Siren, Shortcake, and Sugarcoat about the Earth Pony Hope, they quickly galloped back into the streets of Maretime Bay. But, as they galloped to find Hitch and show him the Earth Pony Hope, Sunny Starscout slowed down and stopped as she noticed that the town was empty and devoid of life.
"Sunny!" Hitch cried, coming out of his station frantically.
"Hitch, Hitch! I figured it out, I found the Earth Pony Hope! It was right with us-!" Sunny began, the sound of fireworks catching their attention as they saw some going off at a large building that's actually Sprout and Phyllis' home.
Sensing trouble afoot, they all hurried over, only to see all of the townsfolk wearing helmets on them and marching down the streets.
"Huh? Hey, w-wait! What is going on here?" Hitch asked an Earth Pony named Toots.
"We can't tell you, Sheriff Hitch. We've signed the Official Sprout Act," Toots replied, much to Hitch's bewilderment.
"Official Sprout what?"
"What could that Momma's Boy be doing while we were gone?" asked Siren.
"Why would you put him in charge of the town while you were looking for us and Sunny?" quizzed Sugarcoat to Hitch, having a bad feeling about what's going to happen.
"I don't know... What in the name of Faust did he even do?" pondered Hitch worriedly.
"I don't know but we have to find out what's going on," Sunny replied before she turned to her guardians. "Siren, Shortcake, Sugarcoat, until we find out what's going on, please stay hidden and keep out of trouble."
Despite their reluctance to leave their charge alone, her three Galarian Rapidashes agreed as they went off to hide while Sunny and Hitch went off to the building known as Canterlogic, finding all of the citizens in line and wearing helmets called Anti-Mind Reading Helmets and Sprout being escorted by a few of them acting as his subjects and slaves with Phyllis standing beside him as he took to a podium.
"The Stallion-in-Chief!" another Earth Pony, Sweets, announced.
"Sprout?" Sunny and Hitch quipped in surprise.
"Sprout! What are you doing?" Hitch called, not knowing what their childhood friend is doing, a nearby crab and two chickens seeing him and coming to his side.
"Awwww, Little Sheriff Hitchy came trotting back, waaaah. I'm glad you and Sunny made it back, really. You're just in time to see me do what you couldn't – ATTACK OUR ENEMIES!" Sprout snapped, his jealousy taking over.
"Ugh! No, wait! Wait, wait, no! Sprout, please, listen to me! What you're doing is wrong, we were all wrong from the start! The Pegasi and the Unicorns along with the Pokemon and dragons can be our friends again. There's no need to be afraid of them. Besides, they don't even have magic!"
"Please, Sprout! You don't understand what's really going on and you need to stop this now!" Sunny added, also aghast by what Sprout had done and what he had become in her, her guardians, and Hitch's absence. "Scarlet Nightmare has just returned along with her Shadow Pokemon and Shadow Dragons! They're all coming to take over Equestria and unless we join forces with them and stop her, we're all doomed!"
"...What?" Phyllis gawked in silent bewilderment.
"No magic, HA! That makes it even better!" cackled Sprout mockingly. "And you must've gotten your heads in the clouds too much, guys! Scarlet Nightmare? She's nothing more than an old mare's tale, it's nothing but a bunch of baloney!"
She then turned to the rest of her fellow ponies, desperate to get them to realize the danger they're all in, "We can still bring magic back, bring friendships back! And, with Scarlet's return, we have to come together! To try and fix everything since King Doug and Queen Delilah first sealed her away! But, we have to join forces and do the right thing because we saw Scarlet Nightmare! She's back and her demons nearly attacked us before we were saved by some REAL Pokemon belonging to our friend, Sarah, after she was kidnapped! With their help along with the Unicorns and the Pegasi and even the dragons and the Pokemon, we can still save this world!"
The citizens seemed to be convinced as they started to take off their helmets until Sprout used his new power to force them to think twice before he brought in what looked to be a giant and automized version of Hitch's Splat-a-Pult, a machine that's built to kill ponies. "Say hello...to Sprouticus Maximus!" he cackled, horrifying the ponies around him including his own mother, Sunny, and Hitch.
"Baby! This is a bit too much, dear!" cried Phyllis, realizing his mistake.
"Troops, on to Bridlewood!" Sprout demanded.
But, as he activated his machine, a shadowy blur swooped in and destroyed it, revealing itself to be a Shadow Braivary.
The citizens screamed in shock and terror as they immediately recognized what it was, suggesting that they've heard the legend before and truly believed it between them while denying it on the surface. Even Phyllis and Sprout couldn't handle seeing the evil Pokemon copycat.
"What is that?"
"It-it's-!"
"Oh! Oh my goodness, NO!"
"It's a Shadow Braivary!"
"What's it doing here?!"
"The spawn of Scarlet Nightmare!"
"I thought she and her demons were dead!" some of the citizens cried out in horror as they stepped back and held each other in fear.
"That's impossible...!" breathed Phyllis in terrified silence.
"No, no! Y-You can't be real! You're just one of that Sarah's Pokemon coming to destroy us!" screamed Sprout, being the cowardly pony he always had been.
"We are indeed real and so is our mistress, little pony," the Shadow Braivary smirked as an entire flock of Shadow Braivary (100, in total) emerged in the sky, giving the Earth Ponies reason to fully know that Scarlet Nightmare is indeed back with a vengeance. "And, now, we bid you all farewell. Attack! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
Some of the ponies took the initiative to run as they attacked but just before they could be turned to stone as the Shadow Braivary divebombed them, they were thrown back by a powerful Moongiest Beam and deflected by a strong Protect, followed by three Moonblasts that knocked some of them away. The Pokemon that had emerged to protect them were Nebula and Nebby as they growled and screeched at Scarlet's minions.
"Get away from our new Auntie Sunny and Uncle Hitch!" Nebby roared.
"Nebby! Nebula!" gasped Sunny in shock, seeing Sarah's Sunne and Moone Pokemon protecting them.
"But, where did those Moonblasts come from?" asked Hitch, wondering who also saved them.
"Sunny!" called a familiar voice, the two of them turning to find Zipp, Pipp, Izzy, Sunny's guardians (the ones responsible for the previous Moonblasts), and the rest of Sarah's family coming towards them.
"W-what are you all doing here?" Sunny asked, aghast at them returning to her and Hitch.
"It's too dangerous for you all to stay here!" Hitch replied, still knowing the danger at hand.
"We don't care what anypony says!"
"We've been through too much to leave you alone without knowing how to deal with Scarlet Nightmare and save everypony and Equestria!"
"Yeah, we just wanna stay friends! For the sake of the Pokemon and dragons, and our family!" the three ponies told them.
"You didn't think you could be rid of us that easily, did you?" smirked Siren, nudging her playfully.
"I thought we agreed to be friends forever and stick together no matter what happens! Especially when we still have to save Sarah and protect you," replied Sugarcoat incredulously to Sunny, knowing that the Earth Pony was crazy to give up so easily and keep them hidden for their own safety as she did before.
"Yeah, but-!" Sunny tried to explain.
"Uh-Uh! Sorry, but don't think you're the only ones who need to fix this," interrupted Hydro, smirking at her. "Besides, we still got a job to do and that's to bring back your magic, save this world, and welcome back the Pokemon and dragons living here with open arms!"
"Sunny Starscout, you and our new friends along with Hitch aren't the only ones who can make a difference. We all can," reassured Reshiram with a knowing nod and smile.
"And, we choose to come back, stay with you all, and fight!"
"Yeah! No way are we missing out on all of this!" smirked Mist and Spark, nodding their heads in agreement.
"But, where are Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro, and the rest of you guys? What happened to them?" she asked again, seeing that a quarter of Sarah's family is missing.
"They're off to get some reinforcements to help us!" replied Nebula.
"And, they better hurry 'cause here comes trouble!" added Nebby, seeing the Shadow Pokemon preparing to attack while more hoof steps can be heard galloping towards the group as they turned.
The heroes' party turned and they saw Nikki, James, Tsukumaro, and their own party from Sarah's family joined by Alphabittle, Queen Haven, Cloudpuff, and all of the other Unicorns and Pegasi behind them. Their presence suggested to the Mane Five that Sarah's adopted parents and godfather were successful in their mission to get reinforcements after Scarlet made her attack on everywhere else including Zephyr Heights and after some convincing, the Unicorns and Pegasi all agreed to unite with them, the Mane Five, and the Earth Ponies to fight back against them and take a stand.
"Mom!"
"Alphabittle!" Zipp, Pipp, and Izzy gasped in delight.
"All soldiers, ATTACK!" Tsukumaro bellowed, the reinforcements with him, Nikki, James, and their party charging forward with renewed vigor as the Shadow Braivary flock divebombed again and turned into other different Pokemon and dragons before they brawled with all of the ponies, Sarah's family, and the Mane Five along with Sunny's guardians.
As they fought, Phyllis, Sprout, and the Earth Ponies looked on in shock as the other two pony tribes had come to their home to do the very thing they least expected upon Scarlet Nightmare's return: to help them, with the assistance of some REAL Pokemon and REAL dragons, of all creatures.
With Thunder and Zoom, they led the charge with the other Pegasi in Queen Haven's royal guard along with a handful of Sarah's dragons covering them from above as they flew. Voltage and Hurricane ran some blockers for the ponies, blasting the Shadow Braivary with their lightning and water blast attacks while Glastrier and Calyrex (having changed to his Ice Rider Form) catapulted Glacial Lance, freezing a number of the Shadow Pokemon charging from the ground before blasting them.
Oshawott, Vaporeon, Keldeo, and Suicune got together as they unleashed a Water Gun and Hydro Pump frenzy on some of the Shadow Pokemon and the Shadow Braivary attacking them and everyone else from ground level.
Azul and Azula quickly leapt off of Aurorus's back and landed on Thunder and Zoom's backs as the two Pegasi galloped through the street, becoming their Pokemon gattling guns as they fired Water Gun at the Shadow Braviary, Bewear, Beartic, Pidgeot, Trumbeak, Gumshoos, Kantonian Persian, and Ariados.
Alphabittle and the Unicorns all bucked and kicked the Shadow Pokemon coming at their as hard as they could while making use of their horns, swinging and thrusting them like swords while Sarah's Rapidash and Ponyta assisted them with their move sets, using attacks like Psycho Cut and Moonblast. Mudsdale even used Mud Slap to make them go blind before Terrakion, Cobalion, and Virizion blasted them on both ground level and on the air using Hyper Beam, Flash Cannon, and Magical Leaf. Then, with a few others, they used High Horsepower and Sacred Sword to bash and slice and dice a Shadow Houndoom platoon coming at them.
From the air, Phoenix and Nova had Queen Haven and some of the Pegasi joining her on their backs for aerial combat along with Winter, Shadow, Rubble, Starfire, Skystorm, Flystorm, Rosa, and Lilac. With everybody now on board with
"Okay, dragons, dive in and do your thing!" the Pegasus Queen called.
"Yes, M'am!" the pair carrying her and her party answered.
Divebombing at high speed while the Pegasi hung onto their backs and their fellow dragons with them giving them cover, blasting a majority of their common enemies, they've blasted any stragglers from Scarlet's forces coming at them, making them screech and cry out in pain. The battle took a while until the current fleet they're all dealing with was finally gone.
"That's it for these guys!" called Zorua after she and Zeraora had finished their their lot.
"Good thing we got here while we did," Zipp replied.
"No kidding, I think we might just survive this until we find Scarlet and Sarah," noted Whiplash.
"Hashi, Star, and I'll check on the Earth Ponies," said Ching Wan.
"Okay," Zarude replied.
As everybody else regrouped to prepare for what would be the next stage of their rebellion against Scarlet, Star and the Wushu Brothers quickly rushed over to the Earth Ponies. None of them, not even Phyllis and Sprout, could muster up a response as they saw the other two pony tribes, Sunny, Hitch, their friends, and Sarah's family fighting against her forces to save their homeworld and them as well. For years ever since Ponykind lost their magic after she was first sealed away and they banished the dragons and Pokemon that used to live with and protect them, they've always thought of both species as enemies and they've used them as scapegoats for their own grievances. But now, with Scarlet Nightmare's return and the arrival of their unexpected reinforcements, that all seemed to change with said army fighting back against their common enemy while the Earth Ponies all cowered in the face of danger as Scarlet's return became a reality.
They were soon snapped out of their own stupor when Star, Hashimoto, and Ching Wan arrived as they exited Canterlogic and came face to face with them.
"...I-I don't understand," Phyllis started, she and her own son finding it difficult to speak with the three Pokemon diplomatically after what everybody just went through right now.
"Trust us, we're not as thrilled about all of this given the circumstances and your first impressions about us and our family," Ching Wan replied knowingly. "But, since our master was taken by your kind's old enemy and since she wants to kill you all and us to take back what she lost years ago, you can say that we're all on the same side now."
"We're glad that you're all okay, really. At least those Shadow Pokemon and Shadow Dragons didn't do you any harm," added Star, looking at the Earth Ponies with a hard look but with gentle, motherly eyes. "We know you may have some misgivings about us, the Unicorns, and the Pegasi before but if we don't do something now, you won't have any magic to get back."
"We don't expect you to trust us right away but you should know that no matter what happens, we'll fight to protect all of you and everyone else Scarlet Nightmare's planning to attack once she's finished with Equestria," nodded Hashimoto just as Alphabittle, Queen Haven, and the Mane Five arrived to check on the Earth Ponies as well. "Unless we come together and fight as one to end her wrath before she kills us all including Master Sarah, there won't be a Maretime Bay, a Bridlewood, or a Zephyr Heights for you all to return to, no Equestria for you to defend, and not while you're alone."
"Sprout! Thank Faust you're safe!" Hitch said to his and Sunny's childhood friend, hugging him in relief.
"Are you crazy?! Becoming emperor and causing war as a joke, building a war machine and causing everypony to fight in a pointless war as soldiers, using them as weapons because you're paranoid and afraid of our fellow ponies when we're actually helping the real enemy that's been under our noses the whole time? You almost got yourself and your mother killed as well!"
Sprout didn't know what to think as the Earth Ponies took off their helmets and looked down in shame as he did, he didn't know what to say since he went back on his promise to Hitch to keep everyone else safe before Scarlet's forces attacking opened his and their eyes.
"We're so glad you're alright but you have no idea what's going on and what you're really fighting for!" Sunny added in relief.
"Look, I know it doesn't look like much but what you're seeing is the truth. The Pegasi, the Unicorns, the Pokemon and dragons in Sarah's care, every last one of them wants to help us and be our friends. With their help, we can stop Scarlet Nightmare, get our friend back, and save Equestria while bringing back the Pokemon and dragons that used to live with and protect us before she was first sealed away moons ago. But, we can't do that unless we work together. Please, Sprout, you all have to trust us!"
"...After everything that's happened, how can you be sure that we can possibly trust them?" Sprout questioned, geuninely guilty for his actions and still wondering if what Sunny told him is the truth.
"It may feel impossible but sometimes, you just have to take the first step. Even if you're not ready," replied Nebby, coming over to the group and looking at Sprout gently. "That's what Mama believed in."
"And now, we have to do whatever it takes to get her back and take down Scarlet Nightmare" Sunny stated to all of the ponies gathered along with her friends. "To bring friendship and magic back to Equestria, once and for all!"
"But, Scarlet took her to a place that we don't know about and they could be anywhere in Equestria," stated Zipp doubtfully. "How would we know where they are?"
"My species are well known feeling the aura of our masters and friends, I can lead you all to where Mom is if her aura's still strong," suggested Star.
"...Can you do that?" Phyllis asked in surprise.
"I'm not an Aura Pokemon for nothing; that's literally what we Lucario can do, even Aunt Nikki's Lucario can track down his master's aura. I am a Guardian of the Aura, after all. Actually, I really need to think about having Mom finally take me to the Sinnoh Region to see Lucario Kingdom when we're done."
"Then, you can find out where Sarah is judging by her aura, Star?" asked Pipp.
"If she's still alive and somewhere in Equestria, she's bound to be fighting back somehow. Honestly, I hope she is still fighting back after being captured," nodded Star, before concentrating her own aura. "Aura is with me..."
Through her aura connection, she looked throughout all of Equestria for Sarah and her aura until, after a few tense moments from everyone else around her as they waited for an answer, she came across what looked to be an old temple at the base of the mountains leading to Zephyr Heights.
"I found her, at an old temple at the base of Zephyr Heights!"
"Let's go!" shouted Sunny, getting knowing nods from everybody as they quickly rushed off to the mountains.
But, while the attack on Maretime Bay was being staved off and the ponies had finally come together with Sarah's family and the Mane Five, in her temple at the base of the mountains, Scarlet Nightmare was walking through one of the hallways. Her Shadow Pokemon and Shadow Dragons all stood at attention and bowed to their master, ready for whatever orders she would give them. She had also gotten wind of her initial assault on Maretime Bay failing but she wasn't concerned about that in the slightest, she had gauged her enemies and knows what they're capable of now There was something of a more pressing matter on her mind that she needed to do first before she would attack again.
Entering a series of dungeons under the temple, Scarlet reached the cage at the farthest end and smirked at a disheveled Sarah, an anti-magic ring placed on her horn along with a brace on her wings preventing her from using magic or flying. It also didn't help that she had her heirlooms on her (sans her Twilight Amulet that refused to be taken off), her Dragon Blade, and her Dragon Heart Scepter, technically leaving her defenseless against her.
During her time in her imprisonment, Scarlet had not only weakened badly through a series of beatings that left her with numerous cuts, scratches, and bruises all over her body but she also stole her Alicorn Magic, making her twice as powerful and leaving her weak and low on energy despite her best efforts to resist her might until help arrives.
Scarlet continued to smirk as she observed her prisoner at her worst with everything she did to her, hearing her groaning as her stomach growled in hunger while she laid on the prison floor.
"Oh, come now, Princess Sarah. Why so melancholy of the new future I'm about to bring to Equestria?" she mocked. "A new wonderous future lies before you; Equestria under my wing and you as my first esteemed guest."
Sarah just glared at her as she continued, "I must say, though; when King Doug, Queen Delilah, and those eight pests and I first fought, they all caught me off guard when Ryu and Helioseon created the crystals and your insolent mother and father took their power a step further when they combined them with their heirlooms I've taken from you. I was blasted out to kingdom come and I've underestimated them by a wide margin but with them gone, you're the last reminder of my suffering and now that I have you, Equestria will be mine and the world will soon fall within my reach."
"You... You, haven't, won... Yet, Scarlet," Sarah grunted, snarling and slowly panting at the evil Alicorn. "My friends, ugh... My family, dugh... They'll all stop you, when they, catch up... You haven't, seen... What they, can... Really do, together..."
"We'll see, Princess. Your time is almost up, as we speak. If your friends and your supersized family can really go up against me, ME, the Mistress of Equestria's Hatred and Fear, they'll see what they'll do while I have you as my bargaining chip."
"Mistress!" cried a Shadow Kantonian Persian as it, a Shadow Lucario, a Shadow Gengar, and a Shadow Swampert appeared and bowed to her with an urgent message for their leader.
"Mistress, we've got trouble! All of those annoying ponies and that Alicorn's army have just arrived at the temple! They've joined forces and are looking to destroy us all!"
"Excellent, they've arrived at the nick of time. Please, prepare a warm welcome for them and when we join you," Scarlet smirked, waving a hoof at them as they bowed in acknoledgement to her orders and went to prepare her army while she smirked at her prisoner. "Well, my little pony, it's over. As they always say, showtime..."
Sarah just glared at Scarlet, hoping that if Sunny, their friends, the pony tribes, and her family are coming, they'll stay strong and fight to the bitter end for Equestria's survival.
True to the Shadow Persian's warning to its master and Star's aura, Sunny, her friends, the pony tribes (now all united), and Sarah's entire family arrived in front of Scarlet's temple. There, they came face to face with the evil Alicorn's army as they all hissed and growled at them while guarding the temple before they saw Scarlet appearing to join them and chuckled at the sight of her opposition.
"So, you finally found my temple and you've all come as we've expected," she began as she walked out and stood in front of her army. "You're all brave but foolish, a Pokemon or dragon dies like any other pony and now, you'll all feel the same pain Twilight Sparkle and every last one of her friends in this world felt when they fell to my wrath."
"We're not afraid of death as long as we stand together against you, you big meanie!" Nebula spat.
"Where's our Mama?" demanded Nebby giving her a searing glare.
Scarlet chuckled darkly as she tapped into her magic and teleported Sarah from her cell in front of them, falling onto her right side as she still felt weak from her latest round of torture from an enemy such as her.
"SARAH/SARAH/SARAH/HONEY/PONCHITA!"
"Princess!"
"Mama!"
"AUNTIE!" the Mane Five and her family cried in shock, Sunny Starscout, Magearna, and Hitch Trailblazer running up to help her while Scarlet threw her Dragon Blade, her parents' heirlooms, and her Dragon Heart Scepter to them as well.
"Take them and the princess. She'll be of more use to you now that I got what I wanted."
"Sarah, I'm so sorry for everything! Are you alright?" Sunny asked frantically as Zeraora grabbed her weapons and joined them.
"Yeah..." Sarah panted weakly.
"What happened to you?" Zeraora quizzed, concerned over her lack of strength.
"She... S-She, ugh, took my, magic... Right after, she... Captured, me... Now, she's more... Powerful, with it..."
"What?!"
"She stole your magic?"
"That can't be!" Izzy, Zipp, and Pipp gasped.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! It took a while since she's a stubborn little cookie but I finally did it. You may have finally brought Ponykind together but you're too late since I've taken all of her power while you were fooling around," Scarlet cackled, looking at the shocked and now-angered army.
"And now, with the power of the only daughter of King Doug and Queen Delilah at my command along with all the anger, fear, mistrust, and paranoia my army fed upon ever since your whole journey started, even with your army, no one shall ever defeat Equestria's Angel of Darkness, its own Hatred Incarnate! Between you poor, simple fools, I am INVINCIBLE!"
Nobody knew what to say while Sunny snarled at her until she blinked and then smirked before she began to taunt, "How can you be invincible if you didn't have me to kick everything off? I *have* made things worse everywhere I go just to return magic to Equestria and bring back the Pokemon and dragons, right?"
Scarlet was surprised as she stared at her but she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, realizing that she was also able to return through Sunny's efforts and haste to do what everyone once thought was impossible.
"You speak the truth, I haven't been able to become stronger without your efforts in particular," Scarlet admitted.
"Then, if I'm responsible for you coming back as well, I might be just the pony to put you down for good along with all my friends."
"You're a fool to think you can put me down like those infernal Alicorns did before their daughter crossed over."
"One last fight; we win, Equestria is saved and if you win, you can start on us. Winner take all?"
Scarlet looked hard at Sunny but she smirked before she nodded, agreeing to what'll be the final battle for Equestria's fate for the future.
"Show me your true strength," she dared.
Sunny then turned to everyone else and said, "Okay, everypony, this looks like this will be our final battle. Now, let's give her everything we got!"
"YEAH/YEAH/YEAH!" everyone with her and Sarah shouted in agreement, ready to fight for Equestria against Scarlet.
"This battlefield will be your grave when I'm through with you, you poor unfortunate souls! Let the contest for Equestria and your magic BEGIN!" declared Scarlet, firing a dark blast from her horn and signaling her army to attack.
Letting out war cries and standing united in their fight for Equestria, all past petty and ignorant grievances now forgotten in the face of danger, all three pony tribes and Sarah's entire family of Pokemon and dragons along with herself, her parents, Tsukumaro, and the Mane Five charged forward, putting themselves on the line to finally end Scarlet Nightmare and her reign of terror for the final time.
Marowak was the first to throw the first punch as he barreled through his own grunts with Flare Blitz while Audino and Aqua joined forces to fire a Twin Ice Beam attack to freeze a platoon coming towards them before the Hearing Pokemon then joined up with Ponyta to use Focus Blast and Psybeam to destroy the platoon.
Winter and Shadow took to the skies with some of the other dragons along with Sarah's Flying Types and Reshiram to combat against Scarlet's Flying Type spawn while the other dragons did what else they could on ground level, the Striker Class Fury couple firing barrage after barrage of plasma shots, Hydro and Hurricane firing water at her demons, and Melody and Echo firing amber blasts amongst the ones fighting back. For some of the younger dragons including Twilight and Dawn's children, Puff and Big Puff, and the Night Fury Hatchlings from Sarah's conservation project, they didn't know how to fight back so the older hatchlings, Twilight, and Dawn had to step in to protect them so they wouldn't be easily targeted.
"Okay, fine. Just stay away from anyone older than you but keep close to one of us," replied Twilight to her and Dawn's children after saving them from an attack from a Shadow Raichu pair.
Against some Shadow Kantonian Meowths and Kantonian Persians, Persian and Lolita joined forces as mother and daughter attacked together with Shadow Claw and Fury Swipes, showing their foes the true might of the Alolan Monarchy's last remaining royal cats. Blitz and Curly, on the other hand, attacked as one against some Shadow Alolan Ratattas and Raticates with Volt Charge and a feint combo of Charm and Thunderbolt.
Noctowl and Braviary soared against some Shadow Skarmory and Shadow Staraptors and sliced them with Steel Wing and Wing Attack while Talonflame burned them with Ember to make their cutting easier and she took down a few with her Aerial Ace and Brave Bird attacks (despite having to take in recoil damage from her last attack).
The Unicorns bucked and bashed their way through against some of the Shadow Spawn of dragons and Pokemon that came their way, continuing to buck at them with their four legs between each hit and using their horns as swords to skewer them as they had done before. Tsukumaro was able to use his magic along with his bucking and horn by itself to his advantage (feeling glad and relieved that he and Sarah had practiced combative training with their magic on the way to Bridlewood even if it wasn't much as they would've hoped).
Even if they don't have much magical strength and they're not as in tune with the natural earth compared to James and their ancestors, Sunny, Hitch, and their fellow Earth Ponies fought hard as they bucked and headbutted each Shadow Pokemon and Shadow Dragon that dared to hurt them. Even Sprout and Phyllis, after overcoming their xenophobia and realizing who the real culprit responsible for everyone's troubles in Equestria is, helped out in any way they can as they got their hooves dirty for the greater good. Nothing else mattered to them anymore; like everybody else, what mattered most to the tiny family of two is the survival of them and everyone else living in their homeworld as well as Sarah and her family.
Joining forces with the King of Bountiful Harvests and his Steeds, Zarude used Darkest Lariat on the Shadow Pokemon and Shadow Dragons that surrounded him and tried to kill him, burning them until they're nothing but ash. As for Calyrex (in Ice Rider Form still), he used Icicle Crash and Glacial Lance with Glastrier while the Wild Horse Pokemon used fired Ice Beam and Blizzard along with smashing them with Headbutt and High Horsepower once they're frozen. Spectrier, on his own, used Phantom Force, Double Kick, Dark Pulse, and Shadow Ball to blast and knock his foes back while using Agility to increase his speed to give them a hard time trying to hit him.
Stufful (after gaining her confidence), Yamper, and Scorch joined forces to show their larger foes what small Pokemon can really do with Yamper unleashing Howl to increase his family's attack power while Scorch kicked a Shadow Raboot doppelganger with Blaze Kick and Stufful then using Rock Slide to destroy the other Shadow Pokemon with it.
Danny and Danielle along with Goodra, Houndoom, Latios, Latias, and Salamence converged Shadow Ball, Ice Beam, Shadow Claw, and Flamethrower into one team blast to tear through the Shadow Dragons coming at them, all while the Eon Pokemon siblings used Dragon Dance in conjunction to increase their attack power and speed to allow them to hit first.
As for Sarah and Sunny's guardians, Sugarcoat, Shortcake, and Siren were all able to kick and buck any Shadow Dragons coming at them while firing Moonblast to force them out of range and back while the little princess managed to regain enough strength to allow her to buck a few others with her rear hooves and kick with her front legs and hooves.
But, as they continued their assault, they suddenly took notice of Tsukumaro, James, Nikki, and Sunny (having joined them during the fight) fighting another group while two Shadow Pokemon (Shadow Seviper and Shadow Carnivine) sneaking up from behind them to pull a fast one on them.
Sarah gasped as she quickly rushed over to her adopted parents and godfather with the three Galarian Rapidashes galloping after her to get to Sunny in time.
"SUNNY, LOOK OUT!" Sugarcoat shouted, just as they reached their loved ones and forced them out of the way before they clashed with the Shadow Pokemon.
Despite having managed to destroy the Shadow Seviper and Shadow Carnivine, it also resulted in the four of them being turned to stone in the process, their loved ones looking on in horror as they saw them becoming statues along with the Mane Five and some of Sarah's family (all of them gasping or crying out in horror as soon as they heard their screams).
"Honey!"
"Ponchita!"
"Princess!" Nikki, James, and Tsukumaro cried in shock.
"NO!" Sunny screamed, engulfed in utter terror as she rushed over to her Galarian Rapidashes just as they and Sarah were now completely stone. "SUGARCOAT, SHORTCAKE, SIREN!"
Everyone else saw what happened and were horrified that Sunny's guardians and Sarah gave themselves up to protect their loved ones but none of them had time to dwell on it any longer as they soon started to feel angry. Their grief-filled anger was shown in their continued fighting but with renewed strength, everybody wanting to avenge their fallen four fighters and friends/family as they let out furious yells and continued to skewer, cut down, blasted, slashed, and beat up the Shadow Pokemon and Shadow Dragons.
"SARAH! NO! YOU FIENDS, YOU BASTARDS! I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Tyrantrum raged as he and Aurorus used Ancient Power, Head Smash, Ice Fang, and Rock Tomb along with their feet, tails, and heads mercilessly against their foes.
"Four down... Now, now, dearies, there's no need to rush to your deaths. But, I've expected better from you all given how lackluster you were being as fighters," Scarlet scoffed with a dark chuckle, seeing that her revenge is coming into fruition with Sarah and Sunny's guardians defeated.
"You... I'll fix you! Give back my family and Sarah, you hear me?! GIVE THEM BACK!" Sunny snarled, letting out a war cry as she charged at Scarlet to get her revenge, only to be blasted back hard as she tumbled on the ground with a pained yell.
"Sunny!" gasped Hitch, Sprout, Zipp, Pipp, and Izzy as they rushed to her aid while Scarlet continued to smirk darkly at the heroes' army.
"You still have a future if you stop fighting and learn to accept that there is no hope for you left to defeat me. I was born from the rage and fear that came out of your hearts when King Doug and Queen Delilah first sealed me away and you allowed your paranoia over history with me repeating itself with your own Pokemon and dragon protectors. When tensions between Equestria and its neighboring kingdoms became too much for Princess Twilight Sparkle and every last one of her friends to bear in their time due to civil unrest that sprung up from petty affairs in the civilian circles and the political scene, their growing fights and grumblings resulted in giving me life. And, from those same tensions that crumbled relationships Equestria had with the rest of the world, I've built up my strength, feeding as much of the anger, fear, hatred, paranoia, and mistrust there is until I'm virtually invincible at that time. Thus, after being born and seeing and hearing everything that's happening, I've begun to realize that friendship can only take one so far before it crumbles when nobody knows who can be trusted, what is worth trusting, who your friends really should be, and so on if that same fear and paranoia they felt could be used against them."
"You used all of the unrest and panic that's been brewed back then to throw Equestria into chaos the first time and had Twilight Sparkle and all of her friends destroyed and shatter their friendships with everybody they knew and love!" Sunny spat furiously.
"They were simpletons that knew nothing about how fragile friendship really is."
"Don't you dare mock them and their friendship!" screamed Izzy defiantly. "Everypony back then may have caused the world to be thrown out of whack that forced the Pokemon and dragons we were living alongside with to save us all from total disaster but you're still responsible for everything that led us to this point!"
"If everypony back then had settled down and discussed things more calmly and with leveled heads, Equestria and its neighboring kingdoms that were cut off from us as the years went by would've continued to live happily!" Hitch added in agreement, glaring at Scarlet as the fighting continued around the group and Scarlet.
"But, you ruined everything, and now, after King Doug and Queen Delilah along with the last dragons and Pokemon managed to seal you away last time, you've proven that there's no point where you're never willing to sink so low because you represent all that is made out of our deepest, darkest fears! Even the ones that are nonexistent and mainly came down to paranoia and total misconception!"
"A small stepping stone on a long path that leads to your own demise coming soon, Hitch, my boy. But, it was necessary for me to make all of this happen since I still plan to remake Equestria as my own and take over the world by crushing all of those who'd dare to oppose me and remember the old legends about Twilight Sparkle and every last one of her friendship posse. However, you all stand in the way of my grand plans for this land's future and I can't allow you all to interfere with my intended goals."
"Why do you care about Equestria when all you've done is destroy everyone back then and right now along with the help of your demons for Pokemon and dragons, especially when you took my, Pipp, and our mother's extended family from us?" growled Zipp as she and Pipp glared at Scarlet.
"Haven't you realized it yet? There can only be room for one pony who's the perfect fit to rule and oversee Equestria's prosperity and that pony...IS ME!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Scarlet Nightmare! But, everypony-no, everyone, including the dragons and Pokemon, is in charge of Equestria's prosperity because we all get to choose who our friends and family can be and live together happily with them and nobody should cross the line of having to hurt others to force them to be friends with you nor take this land as your own and have us all living both a lie and a total nightmare because we couldn't trust each other!" Sprout declared, finally standing up for himself fully as he threw a defiant glare back at her.
"I may have crossed that line once and there will be a lot I'll have to atone for but if there's one thing I've learned throughout this whole war we're in with you, it's that friends are forever and together, we stand strong! We all have a power that you don't understand and you never will since you were only born from everyone's fears, hatred, mistrust, and the lies we've been living and that something is what'll keep us, the Pokemon, and the dragons together as one! We will be the ones to choose Equestria's future because we all need each other for the dragons and Pokemon needed us just as we needed them and that's how it's going to stay!"
"Your so-called defenders have all been driven out of this waste dump of a kingdom and out of your lives by the mere memory of me!"
"They're not as gone as you might think!" Sunny defiantly shouted.
"To business, Sunny Starscout. And, with that, I'm going to teach you all including your ingrate royal friend's family a lesson you'll never forget. Let's match the powers of Scarlet Nightmare, Equestria's Hatred Incarnate, against the descendants of the late Princess Twilight Sparkle and her pony entourage!" finished Scarlet, signaling her army to fight back even harder as they clashed with her demons again.
"Sunny, Scarlet's army is growing stronger!" Tyrunt shouted as he and Amaura did their best to fight back.
"They aren't backing off!" shouted Totem Marowak.
"They're everywhere!" cried Sonic, she and Nitro along with Shaymin, Silver, Whiplash, Reignstorm, Mirage, and Charger striking back at the demons as best they could while their enemies closed in.
Sunny looked around as the situation was starting to become hopeless; everyone fought to the best of their abilities but they were starting to become tired as much of the ponies fighting back were losing their energy from having exerted themselves too much in the fight. With their exhaustion, some of the Unicorns, Earth Ponies, and Pegasi were turned into stone when their guards were let down. She was horrified that they were starting to fall behind and were being backed into a corner as she tried to figure out what to do, seeing some of Sarah's family also becoming stone once they were overcome by Scarlet and her demons.
It looked as though everybody had finally hit a roadblock they weren't sure they were going to clear to end Scarlet Nightmare and her army until she bumped into the statue of Sarah and looked to her, wanting to have some sort of miracle given to her if she were with them. Then, as if she was suddenly struck by lightning and had a Jimmy Neutron inspired Brain Blast, she suddenly remembered something that she and Sarah once asked Zipp about when she revealed to them, their families, and Izzy her, Pipp, and their mother's extended family back at the summit ruins of Zephyr Heights and as they prepared to get the Wings of Loyalty during the royal celebration that was thrown for all the Pegasi.
(Flashback)
"Zipp, there's something we don't know about all of this," Sunny began to Zipp as she looked at the petrified forms of Ryu, his siblings, and their Pokemon. "About your family including your brother, really."
"What made them decide to trust my parents with their crystals?" Sarah pondered looking at Ryu and Helioseon's statues. "They must have had some reason for wanting to entrust their power and the crystals themselves to Mom and Dad..."
"You know, that's something I've never been able to know and I don't know what goes on in Ryu's head most of the time," Zipp admitted, smiling fondly as she looked at her big brother's statue again.
"But, in cases like this, I felt that he knew that whenever the situation calls for it, he can place his trust in the most unexpected of ways and ponies to help them see the light in what they should do in their own lives or give them a nudge in the right direction. I have no idea why he, his siblings, and our Pokemon friends would trust them, either. It could've been one of them who would've done it, I still think about how things could've been different if any of them had used them and their power to save Equestria back then. In the end, all I know is that they trusted Doug and Delilah and they trusted them, and so..."
(Flashback ends)
When she was snapped back to reality by Scarlet's victorious cackling, a rainbow of light shone over her eyes and she gasped in total realization, now seeing how she and everybody else surviving the ongoing war can still beat her. They have to do the exact same thing that Zipp and Pipp's extended family and Doug and Delilah had done all those moons ago.
"It's over, fools! You've already lost," Scarlet Nightmare gloated. "There's no one left to help you and you don't have magic that can stop me anymore!"
"No... You're wrong, Scarlet, this is not about magic! It's about trust!" Sunny began, getting everyone's attention as she stepped forward, glaring at her.
"What...?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's why our friendship, our love, our trust for each other can still work! By doing the one thing that Sarah and her family wanted all of us to do, what my father wanted us to do before he died! To come together at this time and fix everything including destroying you! But, that can only happen if we all come together and that's what we did since I finally know that it's not the crystals that make friendships, it's US!"
Everyone was surprised and amazed that Sunny was able to realize and understand that the only ones that needed to be brought together aren't the Equestria Crystals but all three of the pony tribes that have fought one another and had separated each other for many years following their enemies' downfall.
"It's us ponies that needed to be brought back together, all along! We can still bring back the magic we lost because of you and fix everything that's wrong with us since that time; we can stay and live separated from one another on account of fear and mistrust among us all or we can do the very thing that Sarah and her family had done before meeting us and after everything King Doug and Queen Delilah when they crossed over - trust friendship and love! So, I should thank you for helping us see that, especially me! Thanks to you, I finally saw the light!"
"HA! Do you really think things would go back to normal and you could destroy me by trusting friendship, an idea or value that's as fragile and weak as your egos and your hearts? Don't make me laugh, you're just deluding yourself with an empty promise for the future! Must you always insist on playing the hero as that puny princess had done before I did away with her and your guardians?"
"Everypony we love may be turned to stone by you and our friends may be gone but their spirits still live, inside us!" Sunny finished firmly, making her last stand against Equestria's Angel of Darkness.
"As long as we keep them in our hearts and we're together... If they think of us now and then and if they don't forget me and my friends, our hearts will be one as we're united by our friendship, our loyalty, our trust in each other! Our friends are our power and we're theirs! That's the true magic you'll never take away from us, EVER!"
That was the moment that changed everything and turned the tide of the war in the heroes' favor as the crystals reemerged and they started to glow, regaining and triggering their lost power.
Everyone was shocked and surprised when they saw all three crystals that had been created by Ryu and Helioseon started to glow their respective colors (Wings of Loyalty - blue, Unicorn's Eye - purple, Earth Pony Hope - white). They soon surrounded Sunny after hearing her previous declarations against Scarlet, speeding up as they made her float into the air.
"Whoa!" she gasped.
"What?" Scarlet breathed, her eyes widening at the shocking sight before her.
Hitch, Pipp, Izzy, and Zipp also gasped in shock as the crystals continued to circle around Sunny, their combined and revived power granting her with a pair of golden-yellow wings and a horn made from their magic along with a rainbow streak in her tail and mane as it lost two ribbons. She marveled at the sight of her new body features and gave a determined smirk towards her horrified enemy as she and her forces started to flinch and inch back at what would be a most welcome sight for all.
"This is not possible! It can't be here!" the evil Alicorn breathed again, growing more agitated and starting to reel back at the sight of Sunny now being another Alicorn. "I destroyed the Alicorns and all magic along with those that followed Twilight Sparkle and her fools! Who are you?!"
"I've been asking myself the same thing. Am I an Earth Pony, a believer, a troublemaker, an optimist who believes in something more, a friend to all, somepony who's more than what she is on the surface...? Turns out, I'm all of those things," Sunny replied simply before tapping into the crystals' power and shooting a ray of light at Scarlet.
Akin to the death of Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Scarlet was hit hard by the ray of light as her chest gained a hole on it, screaming as she tried to fight off the pain. Not wanting to give her any opening, Sunny hits her with a second ray of light with small patches of it appearing on her face and her body while her minions screamed and withered in pain as if they felt it, too.
Finally, Sunny looked at the crystals one last time as she gave a final glare as she unleashed their power one last time and then hit Scarlet and her minions with a much more powerful ray of light that surrounded the area and everyone surviving along with their foes, all of them still withering and screaming in pain until they couldn't resist anymore. The crystals then floated above the new Alicorn and then came together in the intended formation they needed to be in and with a final blast of light, unleashed a powerful rainbow aurora borealis of magic throughout Equestria. The return of the Magic of Friendship was too much for Scarlet Nightmare and with one final angered and agonizing scream of defeat, she exploded into nothing but shadow along with her minions as they were all dissolved and banished, never to return again.
The magic's return also restored everyone and the Pokemon and dragons in Sarah's family that was turned into stone, much to their amazement and awe as they soon directed their attention towards Sunny and the restored Equestria Crystals.
Sarah's entire family cheered as they reunited and were delighted from what had become of the land, everybody around them, and the final defeat of Scarlet Nightmare and her forces. What added to their exuberant joy was the sight of Izzy's horn glowing along with Pipp and Zipp's wings and Hitch and Sprout's hooves and bodies, the magic of all three pony tribes finally returning to their rightful owners with Scarlet's defeat and their moment of coming together with each other and the little princess' family.
"Whoa! Ha, ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Zipp laughed, feeling herself taking flight as she zipped around happily along with Pipp.
"We're flying! We're really flying!" Pipp cheered excitedly, their mother, Alphabittle, and Phyllis regaining their own magic along with the rest of their fellow ponies as they all cheered and celebrated the return of their magic and Scarlet Nightmare's destruction.
With everyone's magic returned, Sunny drifted back down to the ground as the ponies cheered for her and even her friends joined her in amazement, admiration, and excitement for their Earth Pony-turned-Alicorn friend.
"Wow, Sunny! Check you out!"
"Wow... You know, beautiful," Pipp and Hitch commented in awe.
"I can't believe it!" Sunny exclaimed, hardly believing her eyes as she looked at her horn and wings. "I'm actually an Alicorn now!"
"Now, THAT is what I call a Glow Up!" Izzy chirped ecstatically.
Then, Sunny heard three sets of gasps from behind her and she turned to find her Rapidash guardians having been released from their stone prison and were looking around in awe at the Earth Ponies, the Pegasi, and the Unicorns celebrating the return of their magic. She was stunned but then she started to cry tears of joy as she saw her remaining family alive and breathing again.
"Sugar, Short, Si?" she called, getting their attention.
"Sunny...?" Siren breathed in awe and relief, the small family of four reunited as they looked at each other before they ran to and nuzzled each other happily as tears streamed down their faces, Sunny crying as she buried herself into their nuzzling embrace.
"You were awesome, Sunny," Shortcake praised.
"Your father would be so proud of you, just as we are..." added Sugarcoat, giving her a tearful nod and smile of approval.
"I can't believe it! We did it, we brought everypony and magic back together!" Sunny cried happily until Siren noticed something off as they broke free and he saw what the problem was.
"Uh, Sunny, everyone, it might be a little too early for you to have a celebration..." the Shiny male Galarian Rapidash admitted, much to her surprise as he turned and pointed to the source of his worries. "Look."
The Mane Five and everyone else looked to where or what he's pointing at and there was Sarah, still a stone statue as she wasn't affected and brought back by the magic's return.
"Sarah!"
"Oh, no!"
"It can't be! She should've been revived, too!"
"That's impossible!"
"She's still a statue!" the Mane Five cried as Sunny rushed over and held her petrified friend.
"Sarah...? No, no... You can't, please, no..." Sunny begged, holding her stoned face as she tried to deny what didn't happen.
But, it was too late for her to hold her emotions in as she continued to look into her dead, stone-cold eyes as she realized what had happened; Sarah didn't get her Alicorn magic back from Scarlet after she had managed to destroy the Angel of Darkness and her minions and as a result, she wasn't effected and revived by the magic's return. Seeing that she had failed her fellow Alicorn and one of her closest friends, Sunny bawled as she broke down, hugging Sarah as everyone else watched solemnly and some of them started crying along with much of Sarah's family (their devastation being shown in their various ways of dealing with their emotions from crying to trying and failing to shut out the pain from their loss and letting it out as they screamed).
"Mama...?" Nebby cooed, walking towards the grief-stricken Sunny and his petrified human mother, also heartbroken. But, if they thought Sarah's story had ended with her death through the ultimate sacrifice for her family and her pony friends, they were wrong. A final surprise lied in wait for everyone as moments later, it suddenly started to rain, the sight of it amongst the now-bright aurora-covered sky catching everyone by surprise.
"Rain?" Alphabittle blinked.
"But, how? There wasn't any storm schedule to be around this time," pondered a stumped Phyllis.
"Where did it come from?" Queen Haven quizzed, sharing their confusion. But, before anybody else could voice their confusion and surprise, Blitz and Curly's ears perked up as they thought they could hear a distant sound. They looked at each other and turned to the sound coming from north of Bridlewood.
"What is that?" Blitz asked.
All of the ponies and Sarah's family turned to what Blitz and Curly were seeing, coming over from the water. But, what they all saw coming towards them left everyone in total shock and amazement.
"I don't believe it...!" breathed Sprout, joining the Mane Five in awe.
What they all saw was also something that shook Pipp, Zipp, and Queen Haven to the core as tears started welling up from their eyes; there were the once-exiled dragons and Pokemon of Equestria, returning home and also having been brought back by the Magic of Friendship that Sunny had unleashed. Leading them all were the royal Pegasi's dragon family and Pokemon friends including Tamu, Sefu, Drake, and Ryu with Helioseon, Seleneon, Thundereon, and Freezeon riding on their backs (the dragons all running on raindrops like they were makeshift stepping stones).
Nobody knew what to say as they were all shocked to see them come back as they flew overhead with Zipp, Pipp, and Queen Haven's old friends/extended family leading the way. Lead by Ryu, the dragons, and he and his siblings' partners all flew down and circled Sarah's stone form together, putting their revived magic to use to make her statue glow and float up into the sky in the center of their formation. Then, before they knew it, everyone saw her stone for breaking and chipping off of her body before it was blasted off of her and she was back to her full glory (her Alicorn magic also returned) to her family's shock and relief.
When she finally opened her eyes, Sarah gasped as she spread her wings and flew around, seeing all of the dragons and Pokemon that had once been kicked out of Equestria, finally back where they belonged, joining them in the air as they flew the ponies (getting a playful nudge from Ryu and Helioseon in the process). The little princess soon saw her family and the Mane Five amongst the ecstatic crowd as they all cheered, she descended down to them, flying over their heads before she gently touched the ground and smiled.
"AUNTIE!"
"Auntie Sarah!"
"Mama!"
"You're alright!" the younger/baby dragons, Nebby, and Nebula cheered and cried as they immediately dogpiled and nuzzled her, making her laugh as she managed to get up and break free from their tearful embrace before she saw Sunny and walked over to her.
"Sunny..." she began.
"Sarah," smiled Sunny Starscout before they eventually shared a loving hug.
The reunions weren't over yet as Tamu, Sefu, Drake, and Ryu joined the Mane Five and Sarah's family while Helioseon, Seleneon, Thundereon, and Freezeon jumped off their friends' backs and met them as well. No longer being stone on account of Scarlet Nightmare anymore, much of Sunny and Sarah's giant party was in awe of how beautiful the eight of them really were.
Helioseon looked like a small four-legged Egyptian Sphinx of a cat, having a blue body and Sphinx-inspired ears with yellow stripes. His sphere-shaped tail complemented the crescent-shaped insignias on his waist and shoulders and on the center of her forehead, there was another crescent on him but instead, it had three points on it.
Seleneon is more like her brother's skinny female counterpart, being dark red all over and having a three-point crescent moon on her forehead coupled with two crescent earrings fixed to her ears. Her neck had more of a large tan-inspired shading with her tail having a singular loop in the center and having crescent moons dotted on her waist and shoulders.
Thundereon resembled Zekrom but in his own unique way, his upper back having large golden wing structures resembling the Deep Black Pokemon's wings while his chest, lower back, tail, and ears having pristine crystalline blue fur that gave him a powerful appearance.
And, for Freezeon, she had a crystal blue coloration with a clear face covering that reached her chest. Her stellar appearance was complemented by her tail being a series of linked crystal spheres that circled her, giving her a more regal appearance.
But, the dragons that were their partners and the royal Pegasi's extended family were no slouches either in terms of their appearances, being similar to Sisu's siblings yet having their own distinct looks that clearly differentiate them from one another.
Tamu was more of a light green dragon with a darker forest green mane and having white tuffs at the ends of it. Her underbelly and upper dorsal fin were while like her mane tuffs and her tail also had her green and white coloration while a single crescent horn dotted her forehead.
With Sefu, he was more light orange with a blond mane coated with shades of black on the edges (similar to a male lion) and sharing a white dorsal fin with Tamu. But, his underbelly and tail were a darker shade of orange with his tail having a black tuff at the end and he instead had two straight horns on his head.
Drake was instead a light purple with darker purple shading on his body with a violet dorsal fin and underbelly. His tail had white tuffs at the end and his singular purple horn with white shading was shaped like a lightning bolt.
And finally, Ryu resembled Pengu but he instead has a single green and blue teardrop-shaped horn instead of two. His body and face coloring were also a cerulean blue while his dark blue mane reached his shoulders and his tail and eyes were more of a turquoise blue, making it look like he has the sea in them.
Queen Haven and Pipp stepped forward while Zipp was frozen in shock as she stood back, the three of them unsure of what to say to their revived Pokemon friends and extended dragon family.
"Drake, Ryu, Sefu..." Pipp breathed in shock.
"T-T-Tamu... Is, that you?" Queen Haven began slowly, not wanting their return to be a dream.
"...Yes."
"We're back," nodded Ryu and Tamu warmly, confirming their return.
"...TAMU!" cheered Queen Haven, losing herself as she and Pipp rushed to the eight Pokemon and dragons and hugged them first, tears of joy falling from their faces.
"Haven, Pipp..." Tamu breathed in relief, nuzzling her sister figure and the queen's second daughter while the four Pokemon nuzzled them happily and Drake and Sefu joined in.
"It's good to breathe in your perfume-filled stench again, kiddo," smiled Drake, chuckling as Pipp smiled brightly at him and Sefu as they also hugged her.
"I'll take, t-t-that as a c-complement," sniffed the younger Pegasus princess happily, relieved to be with the family that understood her as well.
Queen Haven and Tamu continued to hug each other before the queen looked over to Ryu and nodded in relief and happiness to the eldest of the dragon siblings with them. He nodded back and then, taking notice of Zipp, he walked forward and stopped a few inches from his previous party. The eldest daughter of Queen Haven still didn't know what to say as she looked at her big brother in utter shock, her body trembling as she looked like she was going to faint.
"...Zipp!" Ryu called, feeling proud of Zipp and delighted to be back with her.
"...Big Bro," Zipp finally answered, eventually slowly walking to him before she went into a gallop as she and Ryu finally hugged and she bawled in total happiness.
The two of them held each other tight as they cried, both Pegasus and dragon thinking that if they let each other go, then everything that had happened would be nothing but a pleasant dream. But, this was real; they felt each other, they felt the happiness and pain they went through as they were reunited. The others just gave tearful smiles as they watched.
For Zipp, even though she wanted to have something more than continue to live the lie she and her sister had once pushed about royals being the only ones who can fly, what she wanted most of all was her big brother back. And now, with Scarlet Nightmare's defeat and the return of magic along with the dragons and Pokemon of Equestria, she finally got her wish. And, with their return, nothing will tear both her and Ryu apart ever again.
And, their joy and happiness have spread to all corners of Equestria; for the Unicorns, when most of the Unicorn tribe returned to Bridlewood for a rest, they saw their home teeming with life once again. The crystals around them glowed brightly and the trees were becoming filled with bright, colorful leaves again. Some of the foals, ecstatic by the presence of their magic returning to the world and being real, rushed over to their parents to tell them that it is indeed real.
Some of the Pegasi returned to Zephyr with their flight magic as they flew around the streets and skyscrapers of the city, hollering excitedly. After realizing that Scarlet Nightmare was responsible for the loss of everyone's magic moons ago along with themselves with what they did to each other and the Pokemon and dragons, they no longer cared about the royal family's Big Lie. Instead, they opted to start over with them to look forward to and build a better and brighter future for everybody, not just themselves.
The Pokemon and dragons that were once exiled were given a hefty apology by all of the ponies and welcomed back with open arms. To their surprise and relief, most of them held no ill will against them as they said to have missed their old friends, families, and masters so much, their well-being the only things on their minds as well as their own. But, while some of them would take time to forgive them since the pain of some regarding their exile all those moons ago after Scarlet's first defeat ran deep for them, the majority of the Pokemon and dragons returning were just glad to be back in their rightful home with their rightful friends and families.
At Maretime Bay, after most of the ponies and Sarah's family returned, the same happiness was shared by everybody as they mingled together and Sprout and Phyllis along with Alphabittle and Haven apologized and forgave each other for their earlier actions and the sins of the past while also taking in the return of the Magic of Friendship.
"Oh, I see you made a new friend," cooed Queen Haven to Cloudpuff as her dog played with a male Earth Pony foal before she flew up to and nuzzled Tamu (who joined her along with Seleneon).
"Oh, good to see you again too, Cloudpuff," giggled Tamu, Cloudpuff yipping happily to her dragon and Pokemon friends before she rejoined the Earth Pony foal she was playing with earlier.
"Hi there, little buddy!" chuckled Alphabittle to another foal meeting him.
"Wow!" Hitch blinked in awe, seeing Izzy and Tsukumaro replace some fallen trolley cars back on the tramway with some Earth Ponies cheering for the two of them. Pipp and Zipp, with Drake, Sefu, and Ryu beside them, joined some of the other Earth Ponies including Toots and critters that took a shine to Hitch for some selfies and photos, the two Pegasi sisters happier than they had ever been with the return of their extended family.
"Stunni-i-i-i-i-ing!" sang Pipp after successfully taking a photo.
"Mommy, was I a good sheriff?" asked Sprout meekly as he and his mother mingled about.
"Oh, uh, uh... Look, a flying dog!" Phyllis began sheepishly before she noticed Cloudpuff and started following her, leaving Sprout to sulk just as Nikki came to him.
"Sprout, you have the makings of a good sheriff but you allowed your paranoia and fear to take you over and take it the wrong way," she gently admonished while giving him a warm smile. "Being a good sheriff doesn't mean destroying your enemies, it's about protecting the people, ponies, those you love the right way... By learning to trust others to help you when you needed it."
"...What do you mean?"
"You failed at being a good sheriff because when you took Hitch's position and warped his last words to you, that he trusted you to keep everybody in Maretime Bay safe while he's gone, you thought you would do things your way just to spite him. He trusted you and you betrayed him; nobody, not even Sunny and Hitch themselves, thought you were capable of such madness."
Sprout frowned remorsefully as he realized that he nearly pushed his fellow ponies to a nonexistant war with the other pony tribes after giving into his previous xenophobia before Scarlet revealed herself and attacked everybody, even the Earth Ponies.
"Now, I don't know if you're jealous of Hitch when he and Sunny told us what had happened while my family and I along with the others were convincing the Pegasi and the Unicorns to join forces with us against Scarlet Nightmare or if you really hate him because he has something that you don't... But, it's not uncommon for someone to feel envious-wanting something that someone else has-or jealous-fearful of losing someone or something you love-of others. You were afraid of losing Hitch since along with Sunny, he was your only real friend by the sound of it despite your making fun of her, right?"
Sprout squirmed as Nikki hit the nail on the head with him and his xenophobia and fear of the unknown but he ultimately nodded, confirming that fact as he hung his head down, ashamed. Sarah's adopted mother rubbed him gently, making him feel better despite his previous actions weighing him down a lot.
"I'm sorry... None of us, even me... We-I didn't know anything about real friendship," he began, tears welling up in his eyes.
"And, Hitch, I just couldn't stand seeing him be better at being a sheriff than me. He always seemed to be more popular with everypony else and even the critters seemed to adore him given all of his hard work and his best efforts at maintaining peace around Maretime Bay. Me, I'm nothing compared to him; I'm just a third wheel, a tagalong, an errand boy, a servant, nothing but second best, and a total coward compared to him... It's not fair, what does he have that I don't? Why can't I be just as good as him...?"
"I'm sure you'll find what you're good at in your own way, Sprout," Nikki answered softly. "But, if you want that to happen, you start by taking the first step..."
Sprout knew that the first step he had to take meant apologizing to everybody in Maretime Bay along with Alphabittle and Queen Haven for his previous actions as well and even Sunny and Hitch for nearly putting them in danger before Scarlet's forces made their mark. He was worried that he'll never be forgiven, especially when he allowed himself to do what he did since he was jealous of Hitch and afraid of what he thought could come from the Unicorns and the Pegasi.
"Do you think they'll forgive me and if Sunny and Hitch would even want me back...?"
"I think you know the answer to that with the return of all your magic, the dragons, and the Pokemon living in this world. It's never too late to change and start over..."
With that, Nikki smiled as she gave him a small peck on his forehead, leaving Sprout surprised with everything that he heard and what could be possible. He thought it would be impossible given the weight of his actions but then, he had to smile, knowing she was right and that it was indeed never too late to start all over again.
With Sunny Starscout, the Earth Pony-turned Alicorn watched on and marveled at the sight of all the Pokemon, dragons, and ponies living and mingling together happily in cooperation, friendship, love, and harmony. This was a sight she had hoped to see ever since she was a foal and when her father told her the stories of the old Equestria under the reign of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. For her, this was perfect.
"You did it, Sunny," smiled Hitch as the Mane Five, the Mighty Ones, and Sarah and her family came together one last time.
"No, we did it. Together," Sunny replied warmly.
"Now, we never have to be apart!" Izzy grinned, making the five chuckle as they brought their hooves together and happily shouted, "Hooves to hearts!"
Then, the new princess turned to Sarah and her family along with her friends and the Mighty Ones, feeling grateful for everything they've done.
"Sarah, thanks," she smiled to Sarah.
"No problem, we're just glad we could help," Sarah smiled back before she looked to the group before her and her family.
"This is what we've been all fighting for and we've managed to do it but our journey with you is over now as your new one is just beginning. You've all fought bravely alongside us in this world and you've all come so far since we've first met you, Sunny, Hitch, Izzy, Zipp, Pipp. You risked your lives to do what is right and help bring back magic and your lost loved ones home. Throughout this journey, you've all surprised even me that you were able to come together and believe that there's still hope for friendship and magic even when it seemed impossible with everything compounded by Scarlet Nightmare's return. Now, it is time for us to leave."
This announcement suddenly left the Mane Five crestfallen as they realized that with their journey with Sarah over and everything back to what it used to be in Equestria, she and her family would have to leave and return home, their mission to help bring back magic and stop Scarlet Nightmare done.
"What?" Pipp peeped sadly.
"Oh, no..." moaned Izzy miserably.
"Do you have to go? Why don't you stay a little longer, to help us with a few things before you all split?" asked Zipp, a little devastated.
"Sorry, Ms. Zipp, but we can't," replied Tsukumaro gently with a soft frown. "My Lord and Lady are still somewhere in our world and now, we'll need to return home and rejoin our friends on the other side. If they really are alive, we must do everything we can to bring them back."
"Then, you'll do us all proud by finding Doug and Delilah, all of you. Give them our best regards when you do," smiled Ryu (voice reference: Doggie Cruger - Power Rangers SPD) gently as he held Zipp. "And, Sarah, we'll never thank you and your family enough for vanquishing Scarlet Nightmare, for good. You finished the work that we and your parents started all those moons ago, they both would be very proud if they see you now."
"Thanks, Ryu," smiled Sarah, nodding to him.
And, it wouldn't be goodbye forever as everybody thought for the Equestria Crystals then returned and floated down to the little princess, glowing before they changed into the shape or pin of an Alicorn, the new pin placing itself on the strap of the holder housing Sarah's Dragon Heart Scepter.
"The crystals!" gasped Sunny.
"...What did they do?" asked James, baffled as Ryu smiled warmly.
"I see, they came together to create the Alicorn Pin which will allow you to travel back and forth between Equestria and your world. With our powers back and the Magic of Friendship safely returned for everyone to share, there's no need for the crystals to be here anymore. But, don't worry, we'll all live on; as long as we keep believing in our friendships, our love, our trust, and happiness for each other, there will be no more evils like Scarlet Nightmare to ever return again. So, in a way, this isn't goodbye forever but more like see you real soon, as you humans would put it."
"Then, we can come and visit them any time we like?!" gasped Sarah in surprise along with the Mane Five.
Ryu nodded warmly, "Of course, Sarah. It would make no sense for your world and ours to be separated even if it could be for the greater good, you and your family have earned the right to cross over to Equestria whenever you wish."
"...But, what about us, what if we want to see her world, too?" quizzed Izzy worriedly, not wanting to part ways with her royal friend.
"I believe my own magic can help with that," replied Tsukumaro, whipping out his wand and performing the Doubling Charm on the Alicorn Pin, creating five more Alicorn Pins for the Mane Five. The younger dragons all cheered as the Mane Five marveled at their new tokens, knowing that it really isn't goodbye forever.
"Awesome," smiled Zipp just as the portal back to Sarah's family's world opened.
"That's our ride. Goodbye, everyone, and thanks for everything," smiled the princess.
The others in her family also said their goodbyes as they all prepared to head back through the portal and return to their homeworld as the other ponies, Pokemon, and dragons joined them to say goodbye to their world's saviors as well.
"Wait!" called Sunny as she walked over to Sarah and they shared a final hug.
"Goodbye, Sarah. I'll see you and your real parents if you do return, we all will."
"Okay, we'll come back once we have them home, Sunny," nodded Sarah with a reassuring smile before she and her family made their way to the portal. "Come on, everybody, let's go home. Goodbye, my friends!"
With everybody in Equestria waving and saying their goodbyes to their new friends and the group responsible for Scarlet Nightmare's demise, Sarah and her family went through the portal and it closed on them once Sarah entered and they were left alone. Nobody knew when or if they would really return once they found King Doug and Queen Delilah but for their new friends including the Mane Five and the Mighty Ones, only time will tell and nothing like that will be impossible as long as they don't stop believing in the Magic of Friendship. One thing, to them, is certain; Sarah and her entire family may be gone for now but it is the memories of them, the new Legend of Sarah Tomoe, the Sun Princess of Alola and the only daughter of Doug and Delilah Tomoe, and her family that stays fresh in their minds for the rest of their lives. For Sunny and all her friends, old and new, they would never, ever forget what had become...their greatest adventure.
(End Credits Songs: Lead The Way ft. Jhene Aiko - Raya And The Last Dragon, To Know The Unknown - Pokemon 3: Spell of the Unknown, CELEB-R-A-T-E - Pokemon 4Ever)
(Epilogue)
When Sarah and her family arrived home after parting ways with the Mane Five and the Mighty Ones, they were soon greeted by a surprised Ash and the Pokemon School Gang, all of them worried after Zekrom told them of their mission after they left.
While much of them were glad to be home after the wild and crazy escapades they went through with Sunny and her friends for the past couple of days, James, Nikki, and Tsukumaro were most relieved to see that they've regained their human bodies after spending the last couple of days as ponies even if the whole adventure, surprisingly, didn't last long with the journey only lasting a whole day in the real world.
Needless to say, none of them, not even Sarah herself, would ever think about taking being human for granted again.
Of course, with them being back and having heard from Zekrom about their mission, they had a million questions to ask them and the rest of their family and they had to calm them and their partners down before they told them everything. How Equestria had lost its magic and the pony tribes split into three and were ruled by living in fear and paranoia of the unknown and each other. How they discovered that Pokemon and dragons once lived alongside them before they were banished. How Scarlet Nightmare was the one entity responsible for Equestria's decline and destruction and that they joined forces with the Mane Five to stop her permanently and save the world before it fell into darkness. For Sarah and her family, it was an understatement to say that they were shocked beyond belief at the whole story.
"Oh, no way! You guys were ponies for a few days?!"
"Incredible!"
"Amazing, I never knew of a world where magic reigns!"
"I wish I could've been there!"
"That's phenomenal!" Sarah's friends praised in awe at them.
"BOOP-BOOP! I had no idea that even happened back then!" gawked Rotom-Dex in amazement. "I mean, King Doug and Queen Delilah having to seal an evil away long before they tangled with Necrozma, Lothor, and Team Eclipse? That's unbelievable!"
"Sarah, do you think after we find your parents and get back, you can give us a few tips?" asked Sophocles.
"It wasn't easy but it was smooth sailing after a while," Sarah admitted, smiling.
"I can see the headlines in Equestria now, 'Evil Alicorn and Army Defeated by Princesses and Pony, Pokemon, and Dragon Army'," blinked Mallow, still trying to wrap her head over everything she and the others heard.
"Cool, you know what that means, right?" Ash smiled, suddenly getting ideas. "Once we find your parents, you can take us with you and show us what's going on there!"
"NOOOOOO!" screamed a panicked James, Nikki, and Tsukumaro, not wanting to go through with being ponies again.
Sarah, on the other hand, just smiled as she chuckled at her adopted parents and her godfather.
Back in Equestria, all of the ponies were continuing to settle down happily to their new and improved lives with their Pokemon and dragon companions and with their magic in the know once again. And, out of all of them, Sunny, her guardians, Izzy, Hitch, and Pipp and Zipp along with their extended family (with Ryu, Sefu, Drake, Helioseon, Thundereon, and Freezeon joining them while Tamu and Seleneon were catching up with their mother at another spot in Maretime Bay) being the ones who are making the most out of it. They were currently having a picnic together at Sunny, Siren, Sugarcoat, and Shortcake's lighthouse home and contemplated on everything the Mane Five went through ever since Sarah and her family first crossed over. During this time, Izzy, Pipp, Zipp, and Hitch managed to get their own Pokemon partners just as Sunny had with her guardians. For Hitch, he got himself a Bounsweet, Izzy - an energetic Maractus, Pipp - an elegant female Swanna, and Pipp - a swift and honorable male Hawlucha.
Then, Izzy's nose twitched and her horn lit up as if she had a Jimmy Neutron Brain Blast and brought out some stuff she got from a saddlebag she brought along with her from her home in Bridlewood and started crafting again.
"What's up, Izzy?" Sunny asked as they came up to her.
"I've thought about this new game while figuring out what we could also do on our picnic," Izzy replied.
When she had finished, everybody say that from whatever materials she brought out of them, she managed to create a game that's not unlike a Pokemon card game but along with custom Pokemon cards she crafted, she had six wooden figurines of certain Pokemon on either side of a custom table board along with a dozen others (60 in total which she probably crafted prior to the picnic) on the side and some small wooden balls with Pokemon energy of all 18 Pokemon Types painted on them.
Then, as she began to set up the new game she thought off, everyone looked on curiously at what she had made. Sunny, being the most curious, stepped up to one side of the board and looked at the pieces on her side while Siren, Sugarcoat, and Shortcake stood alongside her.
"Hmm... Six Pokemon for you and me, then what?" she asked, still smiling.
Izzy gave a knowing hum as she took up two Water Type energy balls while whipping forward a Water Type figurine on the field and setting down a Pokemon card in front of her while preparing one of two slingshots that would be used for the balls.
"Just watch...!" she smirked while she began her game and shot the balls before the movie ends as their and everyone else's new journey in the revitalized and reunited Equestria truly began.
Disclaimer Note: Freezeon, Helioseon, Seleneon and Thundereon belong to redballbomb on Deviantart who gave me permission to use them in the story.
Sarah's Team
1. Pikachu (aka Blitz)
Moves - Thundershock, Tackle, Thunderpunch, Double Team, Thunderbolt, Electroweb, Volt Tackle, Wild Charge
2. Lycanroc (Dusk Form) (aka Dusk)
Moves - Rock Throw, Bite, Tackle, Rock Slide, Protect, Accelarock, Outrage, Stone Edge, Close Combat
3. Lycanroc (Midnight Form) (aka Luna)
Moves - Rock Throw, Bite, Tackle, Protect, Rock Slide, Outrage, Counter, Stone Edge, Close Combat
4. Silvally
Moves - Crush Claw, Air Slash, Hyper Beam, Swords Dance, Dragon Claw, Multi Attack, Tri Attack, Aerial Ace, Blizzard
5. Mudsdale
Moves - High Horsepower, Double Kick, Mud Slap, Bulldoze, Iron Head, Superpower, Close Combat, Focus Blast
6. Wooloo
Moves - Wild Charge, Tackle, Electro Ball, Volt Tackle, Double Kick, Copycat, Cotton Guard
7. Ponyta (Galarian Form)
Moves - Dazzling Gleam, Moonblast, High Horsepower, Heal Pulse, Psybeam, Psychic, Future Sight
8. Meowth (Alola Form) (aka Lolita)
Moves - Thunderbolt, Scratch, Iron Tail, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw
9. Primarina (aka Aqua)
Moves - Pound, Water Gun, Icy Wind, Bubblebeam, Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Acrobatics, Liquidation, Sparkling Aria, Hydro Cannon
10. Milotic
Moves - Dragon Pulse, Ice Beam, Twister, Mirror Coat, Dragon Tail, Hydro Pump, Recover, Aqua Tail
11. Ampharos (Shiny) (aka Candy)
Moves - Thunderbolt, Confuse Ray, Power Gem, Signal Beam, Discharge, Iron Tail, Dragon Pulse, Focus Punch, Shock Wave
12. Sylveon
Moves - Tackle, Tail Whip, Copycat, Shadow Ball, Light Screen, Moonblast, Dazzling Gleam, Fairy Wind
13. Goodra
Moves - Water Gun, Protect, Tackle, Dragon Breath, Dragon Pulse, Rain Dance, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Water Pulse
14. Noctowl
Moves - Wing Attack, Foresight, Air Slash, Confusion, Sky Drop, Superpower
15. Meowstic (Male) (aka Danny)
Moves - Helping Hand, Psyshock, Light Screen, Future Sight, Dark Pulse, Psychic, Calm Mind, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Miracle Eye
16. Meowstic (Female) (aka Danielle)
Moves - Heal Pulse, Psyshock, Light Screen, Dark Pulse, Future Sight, Psychic, Charge Beam, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball
17. Snivy
Moves - Vine Whip, Leaf Storm, Twister, Leaf Blade, Grass Pledge, Double Team, Solarbeam
18. Oshawott
Moves - Water Gun, Razor Shell, Icy Wind, Iron Tail, Water Pledge, Double Team, Scared Sword
19. Tepig
Moves - Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Solar Beam, Rock Tomb, Fire Pledge, Wild Charge, Double Team
20. Vulpix (Alola Form) (aka Snowflake)
Moves - Protect, Powder Snow, Ice Beam, Iron Tail, Icy Wind, Hypnosis, Freeze-Dry
21. Dragonite (aka Draco)
Moves - Dragon Rage, Iron Tail, Ice Beam, Hyper Beam, Dragon Rush, Dragon Claw, Dragon Dance, Dragon Tail
22. Hydreigon
Moves - Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Wing Attack, Flash Cannon, Dragon Rush, Tri Attack, Hyper Beam, Dragon Pulse
23. Flygon
Moves - Crunch, Dig, Rock Slide, Steel Wing, Dragon Rush, Dragon Claw, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch
24. Solgaleo (aka Nebby)
Moves - Sunsteel Strike, Focus Blast, Teleport, Flamethrower, Wild Charge, Cosmic Power, Calm Mind, Psychic
25. Lucario (Shiny) (aka Star)
Moves - Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Aura Sphere, Dig, Vacuum Wave, Shadow Claw, Focus Blast, Dragon Pulse, Metal Claw, Force Palm
26. Poipole
Moves - Venoshock, Fury Attack, Peck, Iron Tail, Poison Jab, Pin Missile, Nasty Plot
27. Mimikyu (aka Mai)
Moves - Shadow Claw, Drain Punch, Wood Hammer, Psychic, Mimic, Light Screen, Dark Pulse
28. Umbreon (Shiny)
Moves - Dark Pulse, Psychic, Moonlight, Shadow Ball, Iron Tail, Flash, Throat Chop, Copycat
29. Jolteon
Moves - Thunder Fang, Thunderbolt, Double Kick, Shadow Ball, Pin Missile, Wild Charge, Copycat
30. Vaporeon
Moves - Water Gun, Swift, Iron Tail, Shadow Ball, Dive, Copycat, Water Pulse
31. Flareon
Moves - Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Double Edge, Shadow Ball, Ember, Copycat, Mystical Fire
32. Espeon
Moves - Psychic, Psybeam, Iron Tail, Shadow Ball, Light Screen, Copycat, Dazzling Gleam
33. Leafeon
Moves - Synthesis, Energy Ball, Solar Blade, Shadow Ball, Leaf Storm, Copycat, Last Resort
34. Glaceon
Moves - Shadow Ball, Ice Fang, Icy Wind, Ice Shard, Iron Tail, Copycat, Freeze-Dry
35. Eevee
Moves - Helping Hand, Protect, Dig, Double Edge, Swift, Iron Tail, Copycat, Bouncy Bubble
36. Skitty
Moves - Doubleslap, Ice Beam, Iron Tail, Copycat, Double-Edge, Play Rough, Solar Beam, Charge Beam
37. Braviary
Moves - Superpower, Sky Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat, Steel Wing, Sky Drop, Rock Tomb, Wing Attack
38. Absol (Shiny) (aka Mulan)
Moves - Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Shadow Claw, Hyper Beam, Flamethrower, Shadow Ball, Stone Edge, Close Combat
39. Houndoom (Shiny)
Moves - Thunder Fang, Solar Beam, Sludge Bomb, Flamethrower, Crunch, Stone Edge, Iron Tail, Incinerate
40. Latias (Shiny)
Moves - Safeguard, Psychic, Mist Ball, Dragon Pulse, Steel Wing, Recover, Reflect, Dragon Dance
41. Latios (Shiny)
Moves - Steel Wing, Psychic, Giga Impact, Dragon Pulse, Luster Purge, Charge Beam, Reflect, Dragon Dance
42. Salamance (Shiny)
Moves - Incinerate, Hydro Pump, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Rush, Protect, Steel Wing, Shadow Claw, Draco Meteor
43. Rapidash (Galarian Form)
Moves - Psycho Cut, Mystical Fire, Megahorn, High Horsepower, Heal Pulse, Agility, Wild Charge
44. Yamper
Moves - Wild Charge, Fire Fang, Play Rough, Double Edge, Dig, Thunder Fang, Howl
45. Raboot (aka Scorch)
Moves - Quick Attack, Double Kick, Flame Charge, Ember, Headbutt, Blaze Kick, Acrobatics, Counter
46. Stufful
Moves - Force Palm, Ice Punch, Thunderpunch, Focus Punch, Brick Break, Rock Slide
47. Calyrex
Moves - Psychic, Magical Leaf, Agility, Pound, Solarbeam, Light Screen, Reflect
Calyrex (Ice Rider)
Moves - Psychic, Headbutt, Mist, High Horsepower, Icicle Crash, Double Kick, Glacial Lance, Light Screen, Reflect
Calyrex (Shadow Rider)
Moves - Psychic, Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Agility, Phantom Force, Double Kick, Astral Barrage, Light Screen, Reflect
48. Glastrier
Moves - Headbutt, Thrash, High Horsepower, Mist, Icicle Crash, Double Kick, Ice Beam, Blizzard
49. Spectrier
Moves - Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Calm Mind, Agility, Phantom Force, Double Kick, Haze, Protect
50. Lunala (aka Nebula)
Moves - Teleport, Cosmic Power, Moongeist Beam, Moonblast, Phantom Force, Protect, Psychic, Psycho Cut
51. Charizard (aka Kaji)
Moves - Ember, Fire Spin, Dragon Rush, Metal Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, Thunderpunch, Fire Punch, Seismic Toss, Blast Burn
52. Kubfu (aka Hashimoto)
Moves - Counter, Aerial Ace, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Ice Punch, Iron Head, Headbutt
53. Urshifu (Single Strike Style) (aka Ching Wan)
Moves -Brick Break, Revenge, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Ice Punch, Wicked Blow, Protect, Bulk Up
54. Eternatus
Moves - Dragon Pulse, Dynamax Cannon, Recover, Enternabeam, Cross Poison, Flash Cannon, Dragon Tail
55. Arctozolt
Moves - Freeze-Dry, Pluck, Ancient Power, Bolt Beak, Discharge, Hydro Pump, Icicle Crash, Icicle Spear
56. Cinderace
Moves - Ember, Counter, Double Kick, Electro Ball, Acrobatics, Reversal, Flame Charge, Bulk Up, Pyro Ball
57. Cufant
Moves - Iron Head, Play Rough, High Horsepower, Superpower, Iron Defense, Rock Tomb, Dig, Brick Break
58. Dracovish
Moves - Hydro Pump, Dragon Pulse, Ice Fang, Dragon Rush, Earthquake, Fishious Rend, Rock Tomb, Bulldoze
59. Dracozolt
Moves - Pluck, Dragon Tail, Bolt Beak, Discharge, High Horsepower, Stone Edge, Dragon Claw, Dragon Rush
60. Zarude
Moves - Jungle Healing, Close Combat, Solar Blade, Vine Whip, Power Whip, Darkest Lariat, Synthesis
61. Arcanine (Shiny)
Moves - Agility, Dragon Pulse, Iron Tail, Close Combat, Wild Charge, Psychic Fangs, Howl, Extreme Speed, Heat Wave
62. Alolan Ninetales (aka Tundra)
Moves - Aurora Beam, Ice Beam, Aurora Veil, Dazzling Gleam, Blizzard, Confuse Ray, Freeze-Dry, Draining Kiss
63. Tyrunt
Moves - Thunder Fang, Crunch, Rock Tomb, Ice Fang, Draco Meteor, Dragon Tail, Fire Fang, Charm
64. Amaura
Moves - Ancient Power, Blizzard, Mud Shot, Aurora Veil, Calm Mind, Mirror Coat, Safeguard, Weather Ball
65. Pyroar (Shiny) (aka Kion)
Moves - Tackle, Ember, Noble Roar, Headbutt, Double Team, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Bulldoze, Iron Tail
66. Pyroar (Shiny) (aka Kiara)
Moves - Tackle, Ember, Double Team, Fire Fang, Wild Charge, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Bulldoze, Iron Tail
67. Suicune (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Ice Beam, Aroura Beam, Air Slash, Hydro Pump, Mirror Coat, Roar
68. Raikou (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Charge Beam, Thunderbolt, Discharge, Aura Sphere, Wild Charge, Roar
69. Entei (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Flare Blitz, Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Eruption, Lava Plume, Roar
70. Beautifly
Moves - Twister, Electroweb, Safeguard, Solarbeam, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Aerial Ace
71. Lycanroc (Midday Form) (aka Dawn)
Moves - Drill Run, Safeguard, Close Combat, Iron Tail, Fire Fang, Stone Edge
72. Seviper
Moves - Haze, Poison Tail, Flamethrower, Double Edge, Iron Tail, Dragon Tail, Dark Pulse, Wrap
73. Audino
Moves - Heal Pulse, Safeguard, Psychic, Fire Blast, Dazzling Gleam, Ice Beam
74. Cranidos (Shiny)
Moves - Double Team, Headbutt, Head Smash, Crunch, Swords Dance, Zen Headbutt
75. Talonflame (Shiny)
Moves - Ember, Flame Charge, Tailwind, Brave Bird, Aerial Ace, Steel Wing
76. Tyrantrum (Shiny)
Moves - Head Smash, Ancient Power, Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, Ice Fang, Draco Meteor
77. Aurorus (Shiny)
Moves - Hail, Rock Tomb, Aurora Veil, Ice Beam, Mist, Nature Power
78. Haxrous (Shiny)
Moves - Dragon Claw, Draco Meteor, Focus Blast, Giga Impact, Iron Tail, Close Combat
79. Sawsbuck (Shiny)
Moves - Double Kick, Megahorn, Energy Ball, Double Edge, Solarbeam, Camouflage
80. Totem Alolan Marowak
Moves - Shadow Bone, Bone Rush, Double Edge, Stone Edge, Iron Head, Boomerang, Flare Blitz
81. Totem Togedemaru (aka Sonic)
Moves - Zing Zap, Spiky Shield, Pin Missile, Iron Head, Iron Tail, Rollout, Thunderbolt
82. Totem Vikavolt (aka Nitro)
Moves - Thunderbolt, Signal Beam, Zap Cannon, Solar Beam, Energy Ball, Wild Charge
83. Kommo-o
Moves - Counter, Focus Punch, Close Combat, Clanging Scales, Dragon Claw, Dragon Pulse, Shadow Claw
84. Zeraora
Moves - Brick Break, Plasma Fists, Iron Tail, Drain Punch, Close Combat, Thunderpunch, Focus Blast, Double Team
85. Zoura
Moves - Night Daze, Dig, Super Fang, Bounce, Tackle, Double Kick, Mud Slap, Dark Pulse, Copycat, Shadow Ball, Foul Play
86. Cobalion
Moves - Metal Claw, Flash Cannon, Quick Attack, Work Up, Leer, Retaliate, Swords Dance, Sacred Sword, Focus Blast, Close Combat, Double Team
87. Virizion
Moves - Megahorn, Giga Drain, Double Kick, Sacred Sword, Swords Dance, Magical Leaf, Focus Blast, Close Combat, Energy Ball, Double Team, Calm Mind, Helping Hand, Quick Attack
88. Terrakion
Moves - Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Smack Down, Sacred Sword, Hyper Beam, Retaliate, Swords Dance, Focus Blast, Double Team, Close Combat
89. Keldeo
Moves - Aqua Jet, Focus Blast, Hydro Pump, Secret Sword, Water Pulse, Double Team, Close Combat, Calm Mind, Scald
90. Cresselia
Moves - Psychic, Moonlight, Moonblast, Magic Coat, Psycho Cut, Protect, Double Team, Signal Beam, Solarbeam
91. Pikachu (aka Curly)
Moves - Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Charm, Grass Knot, Brick Break, Light Screen
92. Zoroark (aka Mischief)
Moves - Night Daze, Night Slash, Double Team, Shadow Ball, Foul Play, Agility, Focus Blast, Copycat, Shadow Claw
93. Persian (Alola Form)
Moves - Power Gem, Bite, Scratch, Fury Swipes, Night Slash, Play Rough, Hypnosis, Shadow Claw, Iron Tail
94. Serperior (Shiny) (aka Blossom)
Moves - Frenzy Plant, Grass Pledge, Solarbeam, Double Team, Sunny Day. Synthesis, Dragon Tail, Dragon Pulse, Iron Tail
95. Samurott (Shiny) (aka Sokka)
Moves - Razor Shell, Sacred Sword, Detect, Night Slash, Slash, Megahorn, Water Pulse, Hydro Cannon, Liquidation, Iron Tail
96. Torterra (aka Kurma)
Moves - Frenzy Plant, Grass Pledge, Grassy Terrain, Solarbeam, Stone Edge, Synthesis, Rock Polish, Double Team, Wood Hammer, Rock Slide
97. Sceptile (aka Zorro)
Moves - Frenzy Plant, Grass Pledge, Grass Whistle, Solarbeam, Leaf Storm, Dragon Pulse, Double Team, Dragon Claw, Acrobatics, Aerial Ace
98. Slurpuff
Moves - Fairy Wind, Safeguard, Magic Coat, Cotton Guard, Draining Kiss, Aromatherapy, Copycat
99 - 108. Kion and Kiara's Pride - (6 F and 3 M)
Totem Luxray
Moves - Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Electro Ball, Double Team, Double Kick, Secret Power
Sarafina, Nala and Sarabi
Moves - Tackle, Heat Wave, Double Team, Fire Fang, Protect, Flame Charge, Flamethrower
Kovu and Simba
Moves - Tackle, Heat Wave, Double Team, Noble Roar, Wild Charge, Flame Charge, Flamethrower
Litleo Cubs (Tifu, Zuri, Cinder)
Moves - Tackle, Ember, Headbutt
109. Delcatty
Moves - Copycat, Blizzard, Solarbeam, Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, Iron Tail, Water Pulse
110. Boltund
Moves - Fire Fang, Thunderbolt, Charge, Wild Charge, Flame Charge, Psychic Fangs
111. Wvyeon
Moves - Dragon Claw, Dragon Breath, Ice Beam, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, Steel Wing
112. Cryoceros (aka Nico)
Moves - Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Wide Guard, Ice Shard, Sheer Cold, Focus Energy
113. Cryoceros (aka Saba)
Moves - Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Wide Guard, Ice Beam, Icicle Spear, Work Up
114. Orcrown (aka Azul)
Moves - Water Gun, Water Pulse, Aqua Jet, Aqua Tail, Hypnosis, Light Screen
115. Orcrown (aka Azula)
Moves - Water Gun, Water Pulse, Life Dew, Liquidation, Muddy Water, Magic Coat
116. Infernoble (aka Apollo)
Moves - Flamethrower, Noble Roar, Psychic Fangs, Fire Fangs, Flame Charge, Calm Mind
117. Infernoble (aka Enya)
Moves - Flamethrower, Noble Roar, Psychic Fangs, Fire Fangs, Flame Charge, Light Screen
118. Reshiram
Moves - Fusion Flare, Blue Flare, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Claw, Steel Wing, Flamethrower
119. Minesheo
Moves - Bulk Up, Force Palm, Focus Punch, Aura Sphere, Acrobatics, Detect
120. Uxie
Moves - Teleport, Psychic, Protect, Light Screen, Reflect, Copycat, Tri Attack
121. Mesprit
Moves - Teleport, Psychic, Protect, Light Screen, Reflect, Copycat, Tri Attack
122. Azelf
Moves - Teleport, Psychic, Protect, Light Screen, Reflect, Copycat, Tri Attack
123. Shaymin (Land Form) (Shiny)
Moves - Seed Flare, Quick Attack, Magical Leaf, Aromatherapy, Double Team, Nature Power
124. Magearna (Original Color)
Moves - Focus Blast, Crafty Shield, Shadow Ball, Brick Break, Dazzling Gleam, Double Team, Signal Beam
Sarah's Dragon Companions:
1. Winter - Light Fury (F)
2. Shadow - Night Fury (M)
3. Skystorm - Deadly Nadder (F)
4. Mist and Spark - Titan Wing Hideous Zippleback (M)
5. Inferno - Singetail (M)
6. Sunflare - Monstrous Nightmare (F)
7. Starfire - Stormcutter (F)
8. Silver - Razorwhip (F)
9. Venom - Triple Stryke (M)
10. Camo - Titan Wing Dramillion (M)
11-15. His pack of five - Dramillions (3 F and 2 M)
Yellow Dramillions: Mimic - F, Violet - F, Sunflower - F
Red Dramillions: Ocean - M, Tidal - M
16. Melody - Death Song (M)
17. Echo - Slithersong (F)
18. Twilight - Deathgripper (F)
19. Dawn - Deathgripper (M)
20. Dart - Night Light (F)
21. Pouncer - Night Light (M)
22. Ruffrunner - Night Light (M)
23. Rosa - Titan Wing Dramillion (F)
24. Lilac - Terrible Terror (F)
25. Hydro - Tide Glider (F)
26. Hurricane - Windwalker (M)
27. Cantana - Death Song (F)
28. Rubble - Gronckle (M)
29. Boulder - Shovelhelm (M)
30. Voltage - Skrill (M)
31. Flystorm - Deadly Nadder (M)
32. Phoenix - Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare (M)
33. Nova - Titan Wing Singetail (F)
34. Whiplash - Razorwhip (M)
35. Rosethorn - Triple Stryke (F)
36. Reignstorm - Stormcutter (M)
37. Ruby (M) and Sapphire (F) - Mist and Spark's Parent - Titan Wing Zippleback
38 - 40. Skystorm and Flystorm's Children - Pearl, Amethyst, Diamond (3 F)
41 - 42. Sunflare and Pheonix's Children - Prye, Wildfire (2 M)
43. Silver and Whiplash's Child - Skylar (F)
44. Starfire and Reignstorm's Child - Crescent (M)
45. Venom and Rosethorns' Child - Flora (F)
46. Inferno and Nova's Child - Sunset (M)
47 - 51. Twilight and Dawn's Adoptive Children - Viper, Wyvern, Rhaegal, Kayda, Edna (3 M and 2 F)
52. Mirage - Changewing (F)
53. Flo - Threadtail
54 - 55. Puff and Big Buff - Buffalord (M and F)
56. Charger - Rumblehorn (F)
57 -58. Night Fury Eggs
59 - 60. Starlight and Eclipse (F and M)
61 - 62. Spike and Appa (M and F)
Sarah's Pokemon Gems (Original):
1. Cresselia
Moves - Psychic, Moonlight, Moonblast, Magic Coat, Psycho Cut, Protect, Signal Beam, Solarbeam
2. Giratina (Origin/Altered Form)
Moves - Shadow Force, Dragon Pulse, Aura Sphere, Will-O-Wisp, Dragon Claw, Iron Tail
3. Rayquaza
Moves - Draco Meteor, Hyper Beam, Dragon Rush, Dragon Claw, Dragon Ascent, Twister
4. Zacian (Hero of Many Battles/Crowned Sword)
Moves - Iron Head/Behemoth Blade, Metal Claw, Sacred Sword, Wild Charge, Solar Blade, Swords Dance
5. Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles/Crowned Shield)
Moves - Iron Head/Behemoth Bash, Metal Claw, Close Combat, Dazzling Gleam, Focus Blast, Iron Defense
6. Xerneas
Moves - Moonblast, Aurora Beam, Dazzling Gleam, Geomancy, Focus Blast, Nature Power
7. Zygarde (10% Form/50% Form)
Moves - Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Core Enforcer, Superpower, Land's Wrath, Dragon Dance
Sarah's Pokemon Gems (Non-Original)
1. Dialga
Moves - Roar of Time, Flash Cannon, Draco Meteor, Dragon Claw, Aura Sphere, Protect
2. Palkia
Moves - Spacial Rend, Hyper Beam, Dragon Claw, Fire Blast, Aura Sphere, Protect
3. Suicune (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Ice Beam, Aroura Beam, Air Slash, Hydro Pump, Mirror Coat, Roar
4. Raikou (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Charge Beam, Thunderbolt, Discharge, Aura Sphere, Wild Charge, Roar
5. Entei (Shiny)
Moves - Extreme Speed, Flare Blitz, Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Eruption, Lava Plume, Roar
6. Ho-Oh
Moves - Sacred Fire, Sky Attack, Flamethrower, Safeguard, Recover, Steel Wing
7. Yveltal
Moves - Oblivion Wing, Focus Blast, Dragon Rush, Phantom Force, Psychic, Sky Attack
8. Reshiram
Moves - Fusion Flare, Blue Flare, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Claw, Steel Wing, Flamethrower
9. Zekrom
Moves - Fusion Bolt, Bolt Strike, Dragon Claw, Dragon Pulse, Wild Charge, Steel Wing
10. Kyurem
Moves - Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse, Shadow Claw, Glaciate, Sheer Cold, Focus Blast, Flash Cannon
Black Kyurem
Moves - Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse, Shadow Claw, Fusion Bolt, Freeze Shock, Sheer Cold, Focus Blast, Flash Cannon
White Kyurem
Moves - Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse, Shadow Claw, Fusion Flare, Ice Burn, Sheer Cold, Focus Blast, Flash Cannon
