Equestria. Manehattan. The Pokemon Festival. Nightfall.
In the middle of the night, many were asleep and yet many were awake. Such was the way of the Pokemon Festival. Ash's group found themselves spending the night in Manehattan.
Having her eyes closed but not actually asleep was Twilight Moonlight, who was patiently waiting for her time to break free from this magical bubble. She could just wait for the 9 days to be over, but the alternate Twilight would rather do things herself. Her time in this universe was almost up.
Under the Moon, her magical power was greatly elevated, but even against an alicorn, it wasn't enough. For now. She sat there, patiently, focusing on herself and nothing else. And by doing so, Moonlight's magic was growing and growing even further, getting stronger.
"Almost." Twilight Moonlight uttered. She was still being kept by Luna, who took over for her big sister. Currently, Luna was in the Dream Realm, doing what she usually does. But even so, Twilight Moonlight was not left unattended. Staying out here until he was needed was Darkrai, who was lurking in the shadows. He kept an eye on Twilight Moonlight, making sure she didn't try anything. "Tch. If only you weren't here."
"You wouldn't be in this mess if you ceased your attack on Ash. And also any attack on certain locations." The Pitch Black Pokemon pointed out.
"I already told you why I did it and you still want to protect him? You'd really risk it all on your bond with him just to prevent absolute destruction?"
"We understand motivations. That does not mean we have to tolerate them. And we will risk it all on that." Darkrai added. "Ash is a friend of mine and everyone else. We look after our own, even if they have the soul of a destructive individual within them. I figured that with your extensive knowledge, you would have already figured that out."
"Tch. I don't believe in that." Moonlight scoffed. "I've learned that eventually, the darkest side will show up. The best you can do is just delay it but it'll arrive, one way or another. I knew about Prisma's return when I was a baby and I had to live with that for so long."
"If you're so dedicated to defeating Prisma, why not try and understand those who are close to Ash? You're only focused on him and his counterparts after all."
"Nothing else matters but them. I'll be out of your hair once I take care of all ten of them. I shouldn't be in this universe either way, but until Prisma is stopped, you'll be seeing or hearing about me repeatedly."
"That so? Then I suppose at the end of the day, you're the one who is most likely to become Midnight Luminaria." Darkrai hovered around Moonlight and her bubble. "You said you conquered that part of you and you'd never become her. But I have a feeling that isn't the case. If everyone will eventually unleash their darkest side, what makes you so different?"
"I know that I won't ever become her. Twilight Luminaria's memories were given to me. Not any of my three counterparts. And speaking of which, the Human variant is without a doubt the one to most likely become her. I heard she once became Midnight Sparkle and even after her defeat, that part of her still exists."
"That's true. But there's one thing to guarantee that she won't ever return. Once again, taking care of our own is what decides it. I'd say she has a less likely chance of unleashing her compared to you."
"Pssh!" Moonlight scoffed at that notion. "I doubt it. "She's the weakest of the four. There's no way she can avoid what's coming."
Speaking of Sci-Twi, instead of falling asleep, she was hanging out with her Pokemon. Out of their Poke Balls were Kubfu and Bulbasaur, who Sci-Twi would try and get to know better and the way she would do that was by just hanging out instead of training. Then again, this was her own form of training. Bulbasaur would balance a plethora of books from Sci-Twi's bag, juggling them around. He launched them into the air before effortlessly catching them and stacking them in a single file afterwards.
"Great going, Bulbasaur!" She giggled, holding Bulbasaur's vines and shaking them as if they were arms.
"Kub! Kubfu!" Kubfu jumped up and down, wanting some praise of his own. And the only way he saw that happening was by doing something impressive.
"I know, I know, Kubfu. You want to do some actual training. So..." Digging in her bag, she pulled out another object for her to tackle. It took quite a lot of muscle power for her to remove this item. "I brought this. A Training Block. It's made out of Steel and pretty hefty. This is perfect for you. Go on and give it a shot."
"Kubfu...!" This was perfect. With a smile on his face, he could test out his strength against the Steel Block. The Wushu Pokemon took a deep breath, thinking only about destroying the block. "Fu!" He used Aerial Ace, running as fast as he could as his paw was enveloped in a white light. The Fighting-Type threw a punch at the block, expecting to break it. But in the end, not only did he not break through it, but his body would vibrate, causing him to jitter and move back. "Ku-u-u-ubfu!"
"Ooh. Not quite. Try again. But maybe a Fighting-Type move. If you do that, the attack is elevated since that's your speciality."
"Fu!" The Wushu Pokemon shook his head, trying to act cool and pretend that never happened. He tried shaking his arm to shrug off the pain, but he couldn't. Using his other arm, he would use Focus Punch, channelling all of his strength into a single point. Focusing his mind, the energy would build around his paw. With his mind fully focused, Kubfu would try again against the block. "Kubfu!"
And this time, it was a smashing success. The orange energy would combust upon connecting, bringing about a brilliant flash as the steel block received a hole straight through it. Not only that, but many cracks appeared on the rest of the block. He didn't quite destroy the whole but he came close and that was all that mattered.
"Wow! Nice, Kubfu!" Sci-Twi said with glee. "That's a great sign."
"Fu." Music to Kubfu's ears. With his arms crossed and the biggest smile on his face, he felt lke he was on top of the world.
"Do you want to go again? I have a good feeling that we have a ways to go before we can take on Mustard. He told us to come back at a later time, so let's be ready for him, alright?" In her bag, Sci-Twi had another Steel Block in waiting. While she would hang out with Bulbasaur, Kubfu would receive physical training.
Ponyville. Twilight's Castle.
As for Twilight Sparkle, she had returned to her castle over at Ponyville, previously at the Dragon Lands helping Nate with his Plasma Problem. While she managed to restore Nate's true form, at least for now, she couldn't quite get rid of the plasma that was still around his body. So, she came to her castle to try and find a solution.
The Rift Cauldron was on her mind immediately, of course. She figured that using all the Rift Magic in it combined with her own would come up with an issue to handle Nate's issue.
"What are you doing, mom?" Entering the room she was in were the two Flora Ponies she created. Daisy and Paradise.
"Just working. Don't worry about it. What have you two been up to this entire time?" Twilight asked.
"Not much. Just been busy searching for Pokemon. Are you making something new with that cauldron? Is there another problem we have to solve?" Paradise asked.
"Not at all. Nothing that you two can do anyway. This requires cosmic power." With her horn flashing, Twilight unleashed a flare of Rift Magic onto the cauldron. She's been at this for a while and at this very moment, something emerged from it.
She created something to shield everyone from the plasma while still making Nate visible to everyone. The goal was to make sure that Nate could touch everything else without scorching it, aside from the earth and rocks. From the cauldron emerged a cosmic cloak.
Its fabric was moulded from the cosmic energy of the Rift while having stars as its pattern. The size of this cloak was made to fit a Human instead of a pony as Daisy and Paradise marvelled at its beauty.
"This'll do. I'll call this little creation the Cosmic Cloak. Made to protect others from plasma."
"Can I put it on?!" Daisy requested, loving its appearance. "Please?!"
"Sorry, but I have to get this to Nate. He's been having a hard time with all the plasma around him and I want to remove that. But I'll make you something to wear." Finished with the cloak, Twilight used her magic to neatly pack it. "You two can go back to whatever you were doing and I'll see you later."
"We heard you ran into more versions of yourself though." said Paradise, bringing up Twilight Moonlight, Wish and Sci-Twi. "What's that all about?"
"Umm...I'll tell you later. It's a lot." Twilight promised. It truly was a lot to share considering it all tied back to Prisma. And yet, new things were being discovered.
Johto. Seas of Johto.
Still, the Dimensional Castle of Twilight Wish was still moving along the seas of Johto. The fourth Twilight was also on her own, but she was never truly alone when she has her Pokemon with her. Compared to the other three Twilights who were focusing, training and working, this Twilight was relaxing.
Lying on a couch located here at the castle, Twilight Wish was still on the run from her pursuers, unable to return to her universe unless she wishes to bring harm to her home once more, which was an obvious 'No'. But being on the run allowed her to experience this universe for the first time. After all, it was the universe where Prisma was the most present.
Only two Twilights were focused on stopping Prisma's return while two more wished to protect the ones harbouring Prisma's soul. But Twilight Wish clearly wanted a more passive approach to this.
"Hah..." She still felt lonely at the end of it all. There was just something missing in all of this and she knew exactly what it was. By using her magic, she brought over a picture sitting on the table. This picture consisted of Twilight Wish's friends from that universe. "I wish you all here right now. Megan. Spike. Applejack. Firefly. Everyone. It's so much harder when I'm not with you."
She isn't quite used to doing things on her own. After all, she was being hunted. Twilight Wish was more about doing things with her friends and yet, due to recent events, she couldn't even reunite with them. All she could do was stay in this universe until the Prisma issue is solved. As long as it comes to an end, Twilight Moonlight's universe will cease all pursuit on her.
For now, Twilight Wish would have to be on standby at the moment. She still had backup in the form of Equestria after interacting with Princess Celestia. And yet, there was an empty part of her that wished she could leave the castle without having to worry about a time limit. After all, it wasn't just Twilight Moonlight who was running a Time Limit. Neither side has perfect Dimensional Travel after all.
With all four Twilights thinking hard in their own way, there was a connection neither of them expected. Despite it being nightfall, there was a bit of sunlight poking through. The light from the lowered Sun started scattering through the upper atmosphere.
It was as if the Moon itself was reacting to the four of them. It was obviously reacting to Twilight Moonlight since she gets a bonus just by being underneath the Moon. Only Twilight Moonlight was thinking about the Moon and its benefits, but not what else could come from it when it came to her other counterparts.
Her magic was rising and rising, but as a result, it was directly responsible for this connection. Twilight Moonlight has been in this universe longer than she's ever been which was a first. But this also meant that a new reaction was formed. One that was unexpected and unforeseen.
All four Twilights had the same reaction. They each stopped what they were doing, having their eyes widen and their pupils shrink. In that instance, the four of them had a mighty connection. Together, they all saw the visage of Twilight Luminaria appearing in their eyes.
"W-What's happening...?!" Twilight Moonlight uttered as her magic was reaching a point where not even she could properly control it. Darkrai gasped, being at the ready for this sudden turn of events. The bubble of Luna was beginning to be pierced by the rays of Twilight Moonlight's magic.
"All four of you need to come together. As soon as possible." Speaking to not just Twilight Moonlight but also all the other Twilights was the voice of Twilight Luminaria herself. Not only did they see her visage but they also heard her voice at the same time. The echoing voice of this alicorn made their heads rings.
"Bulbasaur?!" Bulbasaur and Sci-Twi's other Pokemon quickly ran to her side once they saw her get on her knees, feeling the echo in her head.
"Mom?! Are you alright?!" The same went for Twilight Sparkle, who hasn't yet left the castle. She dropped the cloak, almost falling over as the echoing voice was louder for her compared to the other two.
Twilight Wish wasn't as disturbed by it but it was still rather vexing to hear. Without them even expecting it, Twilight Luminaria's voice invaded their heads, telling them to do one thing. Come together. All four Twilights have never been in the same room together.
"You have to do it before all 10 of Prisma's Halves reunite." And in her words, the four Twilights had to do it before all 10 of Prisma's selves can do the same.
The bubble that Luna created was immediately shattered, freeing Twilight Moonlight. But this was done by her own will. It was done by Twilight Luminaria. Darkrai would raise his arms, blocking the rays of light that came from Twilight Moonlight. In the end, she wasn't the one who freed herself. Twilight Luminaria did it for her.
"What the...?" Darkrai gawked in amazement.
"Apologies." Suddenly, she started speaking through Twilight Moonlight, taking control for a moment. "But I need to make sure she is free."
"Who are you?" Darkrai questioned.
"I am Twilight Luminaria." She finally introduced herself even if it wasn't in her actual body. Once again, Twilight Luminaria was taking control of someone's body just to further realize her plans to stop Prisma. "I don't have much time. My magic is still limited so I have to make the most of what I can in every instance. But I can increase it if all four of them reunite."
"You're going to put them together?"
"If all four of them come together, my true form will emerge and I can finish what I started by making sure Prisma doesn't return. My own soul has been inside of them, much like Prisma's own soul, so I'm aware of everything. And I'm afraid, Twilight Moonlight might have the right idea."
"By destroying Ash? You're in agreeance with that?"
"Not necessarily destroying him. But from how things turned out back in my world, there has to be some destruction involved. I don't have time to explain it all. Not when I'm on a time limit. I need to reach the others and by merging with the nearest Twilight, I can extend-" But before she could finish, fighting this control with all of her might was Twilight Moonlight.
"Leave!" Moonlight yelled, attempting to use her own magic to remove Twilight Moonlight's chatter. "I don't need you here right now! I can do this on my own!"
Fighting for control, Twilight Moonlight fared much better than the Aura Vampire Gardevoir. Mainly because she and Twilight Luminaria were practically the same pony. With her eyes aggressively flashing, Twilight Moonlight was in some control but Luminaria had control as well, essentially making it half.
"I should at least thank you for freeing my body from that bubble. But everything else, I can do on my own." Twilight took a deep breath.
"You can't stay here forever though. You're running on a time limit."
"I know...Ash is nearby, fast asleep. So there is no way I'm going to waste this opportunity. He's coming with me."
"No. He's not." Darkrai would still be the main bastion who would keep Twilight Moonlight at bay.
"Reunite with the nearest Twilight first." However, Twilight Luminaria suggested something else. Merging with Sci-Twi should be her first focus, but Moonlight wasn't having any of it. "This is the longest you've been in this universe and so many different effects could happen."
"I don't care. As long as I complete my mission. So, if you'd kindly leave my body and give me all the control I need...!" Twilight Moonlight would cast a spell that attempted to expunge Twilight Luminaria. In response, Twilight Luminaria would cast a spell of her own just to reverse this. Two different magical colours emerged from Moonlight's body, being a representation of the magical clash.
"Now's my chance." But Darkrai had a clear response to this. While these two were bickering, he would summon a Dark Void to put her to sleep. He moved through the darkness with all of his might before slamming it against Twilight Moonlight.
Before she could properly react, Twilight Moonlight was hit by the Dark Void as this interference disrupted the magical clash. With Dark Void successfully landing, it was inevitable that Moonlight would be put to sleep.
"Sorry. But you can't stop me that easily even with my limited magic." At that moment, Twilight Luminaria spoke to Darkrai while Moonlgith's eyes were lowering. "If we're entering the Dream Realm, so be it. That way, I'll have an even greater advantage."
"What?" What did she mean by that? Darkrai tried figuring it out as fast as he could, but before he could do so, the light from the magical clash returned but it mainly showed Twilight Luminaria's magic instead. With Moonlight knocked out, Luminaria won, enveloping Darkrai in this light.
And just like that, Darkrai was gone, entering the Dream Realm accidentally. Dropping to the floor and completely asleep was Twilight Moonlight, who was no longer in control. But she wasn't the only one to fall asleep.
The connection between the four Twilights was so potent that they all fell asleep. In unison, they dropped to the floor and closed their eyes. Twilight Sparkle fell over, sleeping in her own castle as the Flora Ponies watched. Twilight Wish was still on her couch so that much didn't change.
But Sci-Twi fell down on the ground, right outside as well, where the cold was at its most prevalent. At this very moment, due to Twilight Luminaria's actions, all four of them were about to share a dream. But it wouldn't be Moonlight's dream, Wish or any of the sparkles.
It would be Twilight Luminaria's Dream.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 360 End.