Beyond the world of Pokemon. Beyond the world of Ponies, lies the one place the rift dwells.
An endless plane of astral and cosmic energy flowing through this realm. The rift sits there, playing out the events, as it is visited by those that work under it. Cold Colt, and the man who was with him, along with 3 other unidentified ponies and humans.
"Great Rift. The Darkrai phase is going well it seems. The ponies, humans and pokemon don't know how to deal with it yet. Is this interesting for you yet?" A mysterious earth pony said. The rift had responded. Actually having a voice of its own.
"It is already interesting to me. I am already anticipating how Ash Ketchum and Twilight Sparkle and her friends will solve this. The thrill of two worlds interacting with each other is just wonderful."
"I'm still pretty mad about what happened back at Oreburgh. That Rainbow Dash girl is gonna get what's coming to her if we meet again." Cold Colt said, still upset about Rainbow easily defeating him by snow of all things.
"Let the Darkrai event play out. And once they solve that issue... I will send in another event that might be just as fun."
Back in Ponyville, the now gigantic Darkrai was the major obstacle in the way for everypony, pokemon and human there. And without hesitant, Darkrai fired black balls of energy from its dark hands. If hit, the target will fall into a deep sleep. But it was worse. Hundreds of them were flying all over the place. All were running away from the nightmare spheres, but they kept on getting hit. Many fell asleep, living out their worst nightmares forever.
Twilight cast a large protection spell around the remaining ponies, humans pokemon. The spheres hit the barrier continuously. It protected them but it wouldn't last long.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. We have to do something!" Twilight's barrier was breaking apart from all the attacks, pushing everyone back. Pinkie Pie whipped out a ballon as she blew on it as hard as she could, Eventually the balloon was filled with a plethora of air.
"Everypony grab on!" The gang held onto Pinkie Pie as she raised the balloon upwards, The barrier had broken apart finally, but luckily they managed to fly off with the balloon. That didn't last long either, as Darkrai caught sight of this instantly, swiping its shadowy claws at the balloon, destroying it. The group was sent flying back down, screaming as loud as they could. And just like that, a void appeared underneath them, sucking them all inside. Now all of Ponyville was pulled into a black void of nightmares.
Rainbow Dash had woken up, opening her eyes to Cloudsdale. Everything seemed fine as she was in her home.
"Home?" She opened up her doors, coming out to the open as the pegasi were just enjoying their day. When all of a sudden, the clouds began to phase out. The pegasi were struggling to fly all of a sudden, clinging onto building and edges nearby. "Oh no!" I got you guys!" Rainbow Dash flew over to try and save one of them who was hanging on the edge, however, she was suddenly stopped. She couldn't put her hoof out to help the pegasi. She couldn't get any closer either.
"Rainbow Dash. Why aren't you helping me?" The pegasi said as she was slipping.
"I'm trying! I can't reach you for some reason!" She tried flying through this invisible wall but nothing was working.
"Rainbow." The pegasi said. As just like that, she fell from Cloudsdale, along with everypony else. Falling to their demise. And there was nothing that she could do about it. She screamed in both sadness and terror as she could feel this dark sensation all over here. The sounds of Darkrai, loomed over her, haunting her. She was destined to repeat this process over and over again. In multiple locations, multiple scenarios and multiple times. She could not save anypony no matter what. And this was just the first few minutes.
Pinkie Pie was sitting in a desolate land in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but hard ground everywhere. No sign of trees or even any water. "Hello? Anypony out there?" Nopony was out there. The cold hard atmosphere got to her, sending cold pressures all over the place. She could feel herself losing strength until she saw a pony in the distance. She gained a smile on her face as she tried to run towards that mysterious pony. And as she got closer, she could see a town filled with colours. Many more ponies were there, smiling away and having fun. This excited her, making her determined to get there.
"Everypony! Don't start the party without me!" However, it was no use. She was being pulled back suddenly. The distance between her and the town was getting farther and farther. Soon she was far from the town and at the edge of the desolate land, losing sight of the colourful party. And like that, her always ecstatic hair become dull and droopy. She couldn't join in on all that fun. She repeated this cycle continues throughout multiple sequences. As it kept going on, each of them looked bleaker and bleaker until all the colour was sucked away. From both the world and her. And the hands of Darkrai appeared behind her.
Everypony. Every Pokemon. Every human. Living out some of their worst nightmares. It wasn't just limited to one. It was many more. Each of their worst fears throughout their lives, being sent to them in the worst possible ways that they imagined and more. Fluttershy was surrounded by ponies mocking her but to the extreme. Her body was frozen so she could not move away from the mocking, the taunting, the insults, no matter how hard she tried. Her eyes were the only active thing. But they only let out tears. The one other thing she heard was the laughter of Darkrai.
Rarity saw all of her dreams being crushed in front of her. Over and over again. Everything she worked for and wanted to achieve had just crumbled into dust as all she could see was Darkrai being the one to destroy them.
Twilight was in some sort of forest. As she looked around she could see gravestones. 5 of them actually. Each of them of her friends. But it got worse. There were hundreds more that surrounded her in a circle. Everypony she had met up to that point had their names on each gravestone. "No... what is this?" And from above was Celestia who looked down on her. "Princess Celestia! I don't know what's going!" She cried out. Celestia turned away, ignoring Twilight as she flew off into a dark void. Twilight was starting to lose it. She was living out the worst possible scenarios repeatedly. Her friends falling to their doom, never meeting with them or just being in solitude. With no Spike even. All by herself without anyone even acknowledging she exists. The only one there in the room with her was Darkrai.
It was all looking bleak. All those who were in this nightmare-scapes were suffering from no end in sight. That is until Twilight saw a hand come out of thin air. She looked up to it as she could see that it was Ash's hands.
"Twilight! Take my hand!" His voice cried out. The voice of Pikachu was there was as well. She lifted her hoof near his hand as he grabbed it.
"Ash? Pikachu? But how?" She was being pulled out of the room and closer to them. As she was dragged out of the room and into a black realm with no space, Ash had saved her from that nightmare sphere. She hugged the two of them, feeling safe as she was free from that horror. "How are you-"
"I and Pikachu know this. We've experienced Darkrai's nightmares before."
"H-How were you able to break free of it though?"
"How? Because I trust him and trusts me. Darkrai only wants you to live out the worst possible scenarios that you wish never happen. My fear was losing my buddy. But I didn't let that get to me. Because he's got my back, and I've got his." They smiled at each other in certainty. Twilight could finally see it. The indomitable spirit and hope they gave. Throughout all their adventures, they've been tested. Their loyalty, compassion, trust and friendship for each other. They have been through so much throughout their journeys. It would take more than just a nightmare to get in the way of that. Twilight began crying as Pikachu and Ash comforted her. With them here, she felt safe. And to make sure that she felt truly safe, Ash said something that an old friend said to him long ago.
"No need to worry." Twilight looked up at the not so worried two. They were not scared in the slightest. "We'll get everyone out. They'll all be safe and sound."
Applejack, one of the ponies who had already been sent to sleep a while ago before Twilight and the gang arrived was living out her nightmares as well. That's when she saw Ash, Twilight and Pikachu reach out to her.
"What the... Twilight? And who are they?" She asked, petrified.
"Take my hoof Applejack! It's okay!" She assured the earth pony that it would all be okay, as she was pulled out of the nightmare, entering the void. With haste, ponies, people and pokemon were being saved by Ash and Twilight's efforts. It was as if all those horrible scenarios were just fictional now. On the outside world, pressure could be felt. Emerald Aura and the drill haired girl could feel it too. Darkrai felt weakened by this pressure. The huge void he conjured was starting to break apart. And out of it came as a thunderbolt that grazed him. And with that, complete freedom. All were starting to wake up from the horrible nightmares they had been saved by Ash, Pikachu and Twilight.
"They broke free of the nightmare! Holy Moly, how'd they do that?!" Emerald was shocked. The nightmares were huge and there were so many of them.
"You may have had everyone trapped in there. But I and Pikachu are far beyond that!"
"What are you on about, brat?!" The drill haired girl said.
"Our friendship and bond have been around for a long time! Longer than your entire existence! Like we'd let some nightmare get in the way of that!"
"Talk about spirit. What now?" Emerald asked her partner.
"This has already made me pretty aggravated. Forget what the rift thinks, these pests have to go! Darkrai! Crush them all!" Darkrai lowered itself, facing all of them.
"You sure you wanna do this Darkrai? You're just gonna let these guys command you to cause to much trouble?" Ash asked the nightmare pokemon.
"I believe you're a good-hearted Pokemon deep inside. It's just in your nature to cause nightmares. I'm sure you mean harm." Fluttershy followed.
"Yeah! And who are these chumps to boss you around? They just came to be all of a sudden! You've been around longer than them in your world. So if anything you shouldn't be taking all of this from them!" Rainbow Dash said with aggression. Darkrai knew that this was wrong. It only caused nightmares to defend its territory. But here, it was in their territory. Darkrai, despite its intimidating appearance, was a good Pokemon through and through. Ash should know. He knew the Darkrai that risked its life to protect the garden it loves. And he remembered the Darkrai that Tobias had were both on good terms with each other.
"That's enough babble! Darkrai! Go!"
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded Pikachu to release a thunderbolt as it hit the ground where the two of them were standing knocking them back. Darkrai held its head as all of the magic that Emerald placed in its mind was pouring out like crazy. Green lights flew all over the place, returning to Emerald who was on the floor. Darkrai had fainted on the ground, exhausted from all that magic that was boiled up in it. Everypony and Pokemon lent a hand, lifting the fainted Darkrai from the ground.
"This was a total bust!" Emerald got up, feeling dizzy from the thunderbolt. "But I think it turned out great! This'll definitely get the rift huge satisfaction eh?"
"Oh shut up you. We're leaving." And with the power of the rift, they vanished away like how Cold Colt and the other guy. Ponyville was saved along with everyone else. They managed to push back a huge threat that threatened them all. A moment of celebration was called for. Pinkie Pie was the most excited to start it due to what she experienced back there. And that is when up the sky, the voice of the rift finally called out to them. Not just to Ponyville but the entire world. Both worlds.
"I congratulate you all. You've managed to put on an amazing show. I will leave you all to have a moment of peace for a few weeks. And then I will start another event. One greater than this." The voice of the rift then faded away. Now everyone was alert but had time to relax.
Hours passed as the sun was setting. A party was being thrown as everyone was celebrating. Disaster averted. Pikachu was with Fluttershy and Pinkie. Eating some food that the Slurpuffs had helped make. Dash and Jack were competing whilst Rarity bought along her helpful Sewaddle's. Twilight was sitting outside, looking at the setting sun as she had some time for relief after what just happened back there. Ash came out to see her sitting there alone.
"Hey, Twilight. Aren't ya gonna join in? Its a blast."
"I will. I just still need some more time. It's crazy how all of this is happening. Just because the rift wants to have fun. I don't get it."
"Yeah. It's pretty weird really. But it ain't nothing I'm new to."
"Really? How come?"
"I've met lots of Pokemon that are similar to the rift. They just enjoy a good prank or so, or just wanna have fun. They don't mean any harm. Although the rift I can't say the same for. He sat down, eating the leftovers from an ice cream cone.
"I still have a long way to go compared to you. You've been doing this for years now from what you told me. You've probably made so much more friends than me. I'm outclassed."
"It doesn't matter how many friends you have, Twilight," Ash said.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"A friend you'll have today will be a friend the next day too. Now that's a friend who'll stay with you. I know some people out there who didn't want any friends at first. But once they got their first-ever friend, that's all they ever needed. You can have millions of friends or even just 3 of em. But at the end of the day, they'll always be with you. I know personally." Those words that he said really reached her. She realised that she didn't have to rush to make friends, or just seek out any potential friends. Friends at the end of the day are bound together by either destiny or fate. Like how Ash and Pikachu were bound together from day one of the meetings.
"You're a weird guy Ash. I like that about you."
"I get that a lot."
"How wonderful. I'm proud of you Twilight." All of a sudden, Celestia was here. It was almost as if she was overhearing this conversation for a while.
"Princess Celestia! You're here!"
"Woah, man. She's pretty awesome looking! Check out that mane!" Ash was amazed by how Celestia looked. Pretty radiant and majestic like Arceus.
"Thank you. You are Ash Ketchum as I have heard right?"
"That's me!" Ash said with a grin on his face.
"Ash, show respect!" Twilight wanted Ash to either bow down or act polite in front of the Princess.
"No need for that Twilight. I want to thank you. Both of you. And everypony else here. For overcoming such an obstacle like that." Celestia was proud of how they overcame the Darkrai situation. "And Twilight. You could learn a lot from Ash here. Perhaps, he can be your teacher in the lesson of friendship."
"Teacher?!"
"ME?!" They were both shocked. Ash for starters was only good at teaching Pokemon how to battle. You wouldn't catch him teaching any classrooms in any lifetime.
"Well just use him as an example."
"Oh. Alright, Princess."
"I know you and your friends will be able to handle the rift and its antics. Both our worlds are sure to be safe with you two around."
"Aw jeez. You're embarrassing me, Celestia." Ash put his hands behind his head.
"I'll leave you all to your fun. Goodbye." Celestia went over to her carriage, leaving to Canterlot. A moment of silence was there and it was immediately interrupted by Pinkie grabbing them both out of nowhere.
"You two! Get in here! We're about to see this pokemon called Illumise do something awesome!" She dragged them both inside as the lights were turned off. Illumise, the firefly pokemon, created drawing patterns of light in the air as they were in the shape of other ponies' cutie marks. Everyone was awed by this as it got better. It then drew a pegasus fused with a Quilava. Looked pretty cool to the pegasus. As they were enjoying the light show, Fluttershy noticed Darkrai was in the far distance. It was obviously leaving. It had been freed from everyone there and it wanted to find peace, living in its territory. Fluttershy waved the Pitch Black Pokemon goodbye, as everyone else partied the night away.
Chapter 9 End