Arms of Arceus

Food was always plentiful in God’s Breath proper. This wasn’t the case for the zones outside of the city, where the laws of nature reigned supreme. During his rule, King Siebold had insisted that these regions remain as harsh as the natural lands they had been formed out of. Battles were common, and while it was in the nature of most Pokémon to help one another, there was nothing there to enforce it. Those that chose to live there became strong as a result, adding to the power of the city’s forces. Those who could master the four zones were christened Champions, and were given high honors among their type and species. Only four champions had retained their titles while growing powerful enough to hold the respect given only to those of the High Council. They had continued the fight over long centuries, leading forces on thousands of fronts at the head of the King’s armies. As such, they had been elevated to a position on the Elder Council, though they had never chosen to join the others in sleep.

The four great factions of the city would often send their most promising sons and daughters out to conquer the zones. Those champions who were not nobility were often chosen as mates for influential members of society or the members of the High Council. Champions came in all shapes, sizes, types and species. The only requirement to gaining the rank was strength. This strength always accompanied changes within those who sought it out, be it physical or mental, as Pokémon gained muscle mass or increased in their elemental power. Two such champions, unique among their peers, walked down the streets of the city as they carried their mates to meet with the Champions of Harmony.

In rare instances the training one went through to become a Champion of God’s Breath led to unusual growth. Master Shen had grown to stand twenty feet tall as a result of his training, and his height had yet to be rivaled. Though Roll and Crae were head and shoulders shorter than Master Shen, their experiences had resulted in their massive size and corresponding strength. Every generation bred giants like these, though the great minds of the city were divided on the cause of it. Some claimed it was the food they ate, while some claimed their bodies were capable of sustaining nutrients more easily than others. Like all Snorlax, Roll loved to eat and had spent most of his time training his stomach. Some of the things he had claimed to eat had never been seen in the city, and some of his meals had been thought long extinct. On the other hand, Crae had spent two years searching for, and shaping, the perfect boulder to live in. The Crustle had lived in the Rock Pit during this time, eating rocks and absorbing their nutrients. By the time he had left to master the four zones, he had already gained the size and strength he now possessed. While Roll and Crae had been hailed as prime examples of the two overlapping theories, Lord Son had shown them both to be flawed.

Encouraged by his parents, the great Darmanitan had begun a lifestyle of meditation on his second birthday. For twelve years he had meditated without food, water, or sleep. On the day of his fifteenth birthday he took a meal of water and berries, and when he was finished he evolved. After his evolution he had grown to stand fifteen feet tall, slightly shorter than the champions he now walked alongside. He mastered the four zones in four months, and when the Charizard who had preceded him on the council perished defending the human world, he had been elevated to leader of the fire-types. Though the late king had always claimed that great size was one of many possible indicators of great spirit, the scientific explanations for this growth were still hotly debated within the Slowking College.

“The party is tomorrow,” Son said to his companions. “I’m not worried, though I can’t help but feel that it’s a little late for a meeting. We should be at the front lines.”

“It was Celestia’s order,” Suzuki said as she rode atop Crae’s shell. “Her Majesty has been in high spirits since the bonfire meeting, and she’s even happier now that Princess Twilight and her friends have returned safely. I believe they have some important information regarding another threat we might face, so it would be good to hear them out.”

“It would also be good to greet them and congratulate them for their courage and strength,” Harmony said as she rode atop Roll’s shoulder. “I spoke to Fluttershy briefly yesterday, and the things they have seen sound abhorrent, to say the least. Duchess Lucy, of the House of Eevee, has presented the six heroes with the children of Grace and Starlight to use as weapons in the coming fight. She offered them herself, in hopes that the heroes can help their spirits move on.”

“Powerful weapons will be good for the heroes. These ponies, while strong, aren’t built for battle in the same way we are. They lack claws, for instance.”

Suzuki and Crae snapped their claws in unison, to emphasize her point.

“That may be true, but they have a magic on their side the likes of which I have never seen before,” Son said as they entered the road that led to the gates of the palace. “I don’t think they have fully tapped that well of power, but its potential is incredible, to say the least.”

“Speaking of incredible,” Suzuki said, her eyes narrowing angrily at the sight before the gates of the palace. The Mega Scizor pointed her right claw at a Mega Gengar down the road, dressed in a long, ragged cape that shimmered with ethereal malice. On his wrists were bracelets made of golden spirit beads, and behind him stood six leering Gengar. He held a flailing Machop in one hand, laughing at the helplessness of the two Medicham standing before him. Five of the Gardevoir who guarded the palace stood at the ready, their Honedge drawn. Their eyes were full of fear and indignation, and the same helplessness that the fighting-types expressed.

“What brings you to the palace, Master Trickster?” Harmony said, her voice soft and respectful as her group approached the gates. The other Pokémon looked relieved and encouraged at the Council Member’s arrival, though the Gengar only narrowed his eyes as he examined the Mega forms of Harmony and Suzuki.

“I came at the request of the Elder Council,” Trickster said as he dropped the Machop in favor of these new, more interesting subjects. He leaned forward to peer at his victims, the broad smile never leaving his face as his third eye glowered down at them menacingly. They ran off into the streets, terror stricken but thankful for the council’s member’s intervention.

“Is it true that the elders who still slept took the Jirachi beyond the Black Gates?” Suzuki asked incredulously. “What purpose could that possibly serve? We have only a meager foothold in the Underworld. With the exception of the Fields of Evening, everything else is under the rule of Dark Arceus. You should have stayed in Moon Shrine.”

“Yet we thought it safer to bring the little scamps to live in our ‘meager foothold’. By the way, I’ve spent millennia holding that fortress and guarding the Black Gates. Don’t downplay my efforts so easily, child.”

“I meant no disrespect, Elder,” Suzuki said, her voice calm and easy, despite a slight blush in her cheeks. “Still, it is hard to ignore your absence from your post when you are here, abusing the citizens of God’s Breath.”

“That was just a bit of fun, my dear,” Trickster said innocently. “I see so little of it when my lines are pressed every other day. Besides, it’s good that I’m here. I had no idea of the seriousness of your situation until this morning when I traveled to the outskirts of the city myself. You will need my reinforcements if you wish to survive. My peers knows this, and so do our illustrious new leaders.”

“That may be true, Master,” Son said. “And we are very thankful for your presence, but the other elders left the gardens with no warning or explanation. I hope they have at least informed the princesses of why they left.”

“My wives have already met with the alicorns, as have I for that matter. Ann is with them as we speak. They know everything we know, and when this meeting is over, you will know these things, as well.”

“M-mistress Ann?” Son said, his eyes widening and his smile faltering.

“Mistress Ann is an honorable and venerated elder,” Harmony said quickly as she gave Son a nervous glance. “We are grateful for her assistance, but…”

“But she makes me look like a sweet little Cleffa!” Master Trickster shouted as his smile widened and he began laughing maniacally. His entourage joined him, and their malicious laughter echoed through the streets.

“Now, now,” said a soft voice from up above. “Neither of you are that bad. One is a battle hardened general, and the other is the Interrogator General of God’s Breath. Both of you have gained harsh reputations over the years, but I’ve seen your soft sides. These young ones know only the stories they were raised with.”

The gathering turned to the sky to see a group of Froslass floating through the air toward them. The one in the center had a meteor pattern on her belt that glowed with rainbow colors as she moved, and on her head she wore a golden circlet with a ruby set in the middle. Her handmaidens followed behind, their movements perfectly in synch. Just as all Cofagrigus in the city served Lord Ra in some way, all Froslass fell in step behind his wife. The title of servant was one that was earned, and while all Froslass and Cofagrigus were allowed free reign, they still hoped for the day when they would be called to serve at their patron’s side. Such was her esteem in the city, everyone except Trickster bowed in deference to Sakura as she floated to the ground.

“My dear, sweet sister-in-law,” Trickster said, his eyes gleaming as he met Sakura’s gaze. “I haven’t seen you on the other side of the gates in decades. Did my campaign bore you that much?”

“The fighting was good, but I wished to spend my days beside my husband. He sends his regards, by the way.”

“Despite his ruthlessness in battle, my elder brother was always a softy at heart. I think that’s why he’s held his place beside our king for so long. He could have passed on ages ago, you know.”

“Kindness isn’t the same as being ‘soft’. You and your wives know this, but you don’t like others to see that side of you. Besides, all of you could have passed on. Your love for your brother has kept you in our conflict all these years, and the love that Ann and Lynn have for you has kept them by your side.”

“Ah, yes. It all comes down to love in the end, doesn’t it? Princess Cadance seemed to recognize our feelings for one another the moment she set eyes on us, even before she knew who we were. That drove us a little bit mad, but c’est la vie.”

“Forgive me,” Suzuki said, a note of impatience in her voice. “But we seem to have strayed a bit from our goal. The princesses have something important to tell us, and we mustn’t make them wait longer.”

“Hmm?” Trickster said as he turned back to his juniors. “No one told you about the big event?”

“We have been on the front lines, master. Our focus has been elsewhere, I’m afraid. The only ‘big event’ we are aware of is the Crystal Fair tomorrow, which our rulers seem determined to carry on with.”

“The fair has been moved up, it seems. It will begin as soon as the meeting does, and it will end abruptly at six o’clock in the morning.”

“What happens at six?” Son asked.

“Why, at six, my dear, sweet boy,” Master Trickster said as his eyes shined dangerously from beneath his hood. “At six tomorrow morning, the shield will fall.”

Princess Celestia had held the meeting of the High Council as planned, and it went off without a hitch. While some of the council members had been shocked to learn of the immediate nature of the battle, others had expected it. Lady Dorris had explained that the psychics within the city had seen the shield falling, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. The only option was to fight. Lord Chompy was among those who roared the loudest as the excitement of battle rolled over the gathering. The mighty Tyrantrum had seen enough of the enemy fighting one another, and he was eager to sink his teeth into their flesh. He had said as much, to Twilight Sparkle’s dismay. Though she enjoyed the company of the Pokémon, some of their habits seemed a bit morbid for her tastes.

After Duchess Lucy had presented the six heroes with their Doublade, Princess Celestia had ended the meeting and called for the start of the Crystal Fair. Rainbow Dash had taken to the sky to start off the festivities with a Sonic Rainboom, which had reached the edge of the shields, to the astonishment and appreciation of the defenders. Princess Cadance had cast a shield spell to spread love and light across the city. Her most powerful shield wouldn’t have kept out the enemy for long, as there were now millions beating at their current shield and the strain of holding it under that pressure would have been too great. Instead, she cast a spell that she didn’t have to maintain. Enemies would be able to cross into the city, but their violent natures would trigger the shield’s defenses, slowing their movements and making them easier to fight. The defenders of the city had observed their enemies long enough that they knew what to expect. Even so, they were hopelessly outnumbered. They would have to use every ounce of strategy they could muster to survive, but Twilight Sparkle tried not to think of these things as she traveled through the sky.
Pinkie Pie had decorated the streets as quickly and as furiously as she could. Despite her rush, the decorations were beautiful. Balloons and party streamers were strung from every street corner, tree, and lamppost. Every other building had banners with figures of dancing ponies and Pokémon, while those that didn’t were decorated with glitter and silk-spun stars. The other princesses had assigned all the Leavanny in the city to create these designs, and Pinkie Pie couldn’t have been happier to use them. The last Twilight Sparkle had heard she was spreading cheer to the front lines. Rarity was busy sitting around Mistress Cloe’s bonfire, creating dresses with materials provided by the city as she and Fluttershy sang with the baby Pokémon. Applejack had found a kitchen full of Slurpuff and Swirlix, and she had set about making as many sweets as she could in the time they had. Rainbow Dash was making friends with the flying-types, and testing her weather making skills against the Castform. Twilight Sparkle had been called to the Coldlands, however. She now flew with her sister-in-law to the top of the Frozen Aerie.

“Why are we here?” Twilight asked as the alicorns landed before a large cave near the mountain’s peak. “What’s up here?”

“This is where Lady Lorna and her mate live. Several days ago, they told us that their eggs were going to hatch soon. Lorna left the meeting rather quickly, and it made me want to check up on her.”

“You think the eggs have hatched?” Twilight asked as she peered into the cave excitedly.

“It’s possible!”

“It’s not just possible, your majesty,” came Lorna’s voice from beyond the cave entrance. She sounded proud and blissful, and the ponies galloped forward to meet her. She and Dorian were gathered around their large, straw nest. The Yveltal bowed his head carefully as the princesses entered, and his wife lifted the two children in her wings. A tiny Yveltal and an even smaller Articuno, their eyes still closed, clung tightly to her feathers as she lifted them up to her cheek.

“They’re so beautiful,” Twilight Sparkle said as she and Cadance walked around the nest to stand closer to Lorna.

“You should be proud.”

“We’re very proud,” Lorna said as she smiled down at the ponies. “It’s a shame that we must leave them so soon.”

“The Chansey and Audino will take good care of them,” Cadance said. “It’s only for a little while. When the battle is over, the two of you will come home and care for your children, and you’ll have quite the story to tell them when they’re older.”

“That we will, your majesty,” Dorian said as he put his wing around Lorna and held her close. “For now, let us enjoy this calm. For tomorrow, we must all become engines of destruction.”

Princess Celestia had been in her study, debriefing Twilight and her friends when Dorris had brought her the news. If the young Meowstic hadn’t been so visibly shocked she wouldn’t have understood the significance of her story. The tiny cat played with her silver earrings, nervously batting at the eye-shaped diamonds as she spoke. Every psychic-type in the city had experienced the same vision in the same day. They had seen thousands of Orks, dressed in robes and carrying staves, falling to the ground where they stood. They had been overwhelmed by the power of the psychic field that was conducted through them, and as one they had expelled a massive wave of green energy. Dorris had described her own vision to the ponies, paying close attention to the ending. This psychic wave had torn the shields of the city asunder, temporarily paralyzing all psychic-types as the forces outside finally clashed with the defenders of God’s Breath.

The princesses had taken this news in silence, though it had not been unexpected. They knew that their time of peace and safety was limited, and that they would have to face their enemies sooner or later. With the help of the Slowking, the princesses had managed to pull Twilight and her friends physically through the Dream. They planned to use that power to open a portal through which they would carry the city to another universe, but they were not yet ready. They had commissioned the lone Diancie within the city to construct five diamond pillars. These pillars would direct the alicorn’s magic and hold the city together as they moved it, but the process was unavoidably long. The runes that the princesses had designed to further control the massive flow of magic were difficult for the Pokémon to learn, but she had assured the ponies that she would accomplish her goal in five days. She had begun the day before, and now as the clock struck five-fortyfive, Celestia knew that the next four days would be long and excruciating.

Two hours before the High Council meeting had begun, the princesses had been greeted by a group of elders from beyond the Black Gates. A Mega Gengar, a Mega Banette, and a Mismagius had flown before the princesses accompanied by an entourage of ghost-types. Cadance had immediately recognized the love between the three elders, and she had eagerly voiced her appreciation for it. This had surprised them, and they had temporarily mistaken her for a psychic. Cadance had assured them that it was simply a skill she had developed, and they had gone to a private study in the castle to meet.

The three spirits had informed the princesses that the Elder Council had taken the Jirachi beyond the Black Gates to keep them safe from the enemy. The day that they had disappeared, the elders had seen a vision of the Jirachi taken by spies from the Underworld during the chaos of the battle. These spies were under the leadership of Mewtwo, who had made a dark pact while in the dungeons. Though he remained disabled and immobile, the council had foreseen his breakout as the city struggled to survive. Lady Ann had suggested they kill Mewtwo, but the ponies had refused that idea immediately. The Mega Banette had insisted it was the only safe option, and even the Dungeon Mistress, Lady Sasha had signed off on the idea in a note carried by the elders. Sasha’s words were heavy with regret, but she had voiced her agreement with the execution.
Celestia and Luna had overruled them all, however, and the elders had not been happy. They had argued for a full hour, convinced that killing him was the right thing to do. Just as the Pokémon couldn’t understand why the ponies wanted to throw a party, hours before a brutal campaign, they couldn’t understand why the princesses would spare Mewtwo when he was clearly a threat. Celestia had calmly explained that the ponies of Equestria met hatred and war with laughter and singing, and they met betrayal with forgiveness. Mewtwo had originally wanted to follow in King Siebold’s footsteps. Celestia didn’t know the context of this ‘dark pact’, but she hoped that kindness would allow Mewtwo to see the error of his ways. Now she rose from her seat in the castle library alongside her friends. Master Trickster and his wives passed through the walls and met with the princesses, their expressions unsure, but obedient.

“We will release him, as you command, your majesty,” Trickster said as the ghosts-types bowed before the ponies.

“Are you certain that this is appropriate?” Lynn asked as she glared through the crystals hanging from her hat. The red spheres at her waist seemed to whisper for a moment, as if voicing the points she had argued the day before.

“I am certain,” Celestia said with neither pause, nor regret. “We lead the city now, and this is my decree. We will show him kindness. It is his choice whether he will give it back.”

“I’ve taken a vial of his blood, just in case,” Mistress Ann said, as she pulled a dark red vial from her right sleeve and shook it. The purple, ghostly nails that pierced her wrists shined malevolently as she slid the vial back in its place.

“Is he aware that you’ve done this?” Luna asked, a note of frustration in her voice. She had taken some of the spirit’s criticisms personally, though she clearly didn’t want to argue here.

“He will suspect it eventually, if he doesn’t now. In the end, it matters not what he knows or doesn’t know. Should the future ever require it, I can crush him with this in an instant. Hmm, perhaps I should just wait outside his door for his eventual escape?”

“No. You may keep this safety measure, if that is what you think you must do, but you will allow him to go free. We have four days of warfare ahead of us, and we will need your strength from beginning to end.”

“As you wish, your highness,” Ann said, as she clasped her claws together and bowed.

“We should go if we’re going,” Twilight Sparkle said. Celestia nodded her head in agreement and teleported the group into the dungeons. A cold, bitter laughter met them the moment they set foot on the stone.

“Come to finish me off, eh?” Mewtwo said, his voice ragged but defiant. “You were fools to remove the guards from my cell. Or are you simply desperate? If what I’ve heard is true, then why would you risk loosing me in the middle of your war effort? Unless…”

“Unless, what?” Celestia responded after a brief pause.

“I will never help you, so you had best let Mistress Ann use her blood vials and be done with it.”

“Ahahahaha!” the Mega Banette laughed. “You’re smarter than you look, boy. Bravo! Bravo!”

“We have come to release you,” Celestia said, ignoring the mistress’s cheers. “I do not have the resources to hold you here. We know that you will inevitably escape as this battle enters the city. Go now, and do what you must. But remember, it is not wise to trust in whatever Dark Arceus has promised you. When it abandons you, when it has no more need for you and you are swept aside like dust, you will find friendship in us. All you need do is ask.”

Princess Celestia opened the door of the cell and Mewtwo walked out. His eyes were sunken, angry, and deeply mistrusting.

“I don’t need your friendship,” he said, his psychic voice manic and convicted. “I need my birthright!”

Without another word, he turned and raised his hand. A dark, yellow portal opened and he flew through it.

“He will return, your majesty,” Master Trickster said as the portal closed.

“Yes, but he will not return during this battle. We have more than enough to worry about without a surprise attack from one of our own. Now, all of us should go to our stations. We have a city to defend.”

The ghost-types floated through the ceiling as the alicorns teleported to their stations. Celestia had just taken up her position in the city’s center when the sky turned a brutal shade of green. The clouds parted, the ground shook, and the shield fell as the great green wave passed over the city. The sky filled with countless cries of joy from the Orks, and countless cries of pain and agitation from the Tyranids. The Pokémon of the city took their stances, and the frontlines of God’s Breath faced their foes in battle for the first time.

Mewtwo flew through the wastelands of the Underworld, his arms crossed to keep as much body heat as he could. Since being placed in the dungeons, his heart had burned for revenge. He wanted to see the ponies in chains, cowering before him as he tightened his grip on God’s Breath. But he had been hopeless in that prison, and his heart had sunk on the third day. The dark whispers had reached him as he had just given up hope of ever gaining his rightful place on the throne. He had fought them at first, and they had vanished. Then, a single thought had come to him as he wallowed in despair. A small flame had been lit in his heart, and when Celestia had released him from his prison that flame had grown into an inferno. Now, he knew what he must do. It would take some time, but he would have his throne in the end.