//------------------------------// // Daughter of the Moon // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Out at Sea. The Sea Temple. Samiya. Nightfall. Back in the Sea Temple , it would have hit the mountain up ahead, however, after a moment of brief silence, the large mountain was broken through by the fearsome power of the tsunami. The tsunami's ferocity was not being halted one bit, blasting its strong waves through the mountainside, completely demolishing the rock structure. The Sea Temple was safe from crashing into a mountain, but was instead caught in a wave and carried across the sea by this wave. The Samiyans were all in disarray, feeling the temple pick up speed. They all gripped onto the walls, trying not to fall over from the intensity of this wave. Struggling to reach one of the crystals in an attempt to stop this was Ash, who was moving forward with all of his might but kept losing his balance as the Sea Temple moved. "I can't get to it! My feet are stuck!" Ash exclaimed, trying to free his feet but couldn't. "Ash, are you alright?!" Twilight shouted, still holding onto the Crystal Pedestal. "I can't move! And the crystal is right there!" He grit his teeth, his movements being held back by the unbalanced temple. The Sea Temple continued moving along with the waves. It was not able to stop the motion and momentum, moving faster and faster, making Ash struggle even more. "I think I'm gonna be sick..." Pinkie Pie whined, her body sliding against the floor and hitting the wall. The water inside the temple would also flow everywhere, creating puddles of water for everyone to slip and slide around. The temple was completely drenched with the salty ocean water. "S-Sceptile...!" Applejack, who was being carried away, managed to throw one of her Poke Balls into the air, summoning Sceptile who was airborne upon emerging. "Use...Frenzy Plant! Grab a Crystal!" She quickly screamed. "Tile!" Sceptile's hands glowed green as he raised them, unleashing a flurry of vines from his hands. They pierced the walls, attaching themselves to the wall. Sceptile, while using his vines to keep himself in place, was also trying to grab one of the crystals on the pedestal, managing to snag it with his vines. "Sceptile! Over here! Pass it!" Ash held his hand out while holding onto a pillar, attempting to stay on his feet. Sceptile, hearing his Trainer, threw the crystal over at Ash, allowing him to catch it with one hand. "Thanks, Sceptile!" Ash managed to catch the crystal while gripping onto a pillar. "Got it!" Now that he had one crystal in his hand, Ash could harness its power once more, attempting to slow down the Sea Temple's momentum. Things were very much rocky for him which would normally throw his focus off. But Sceptile would quickly fix that. The massive roots he summoned with Frenzy Plant acted as obstacles as Ash's body would smack into one of them, bringing him to a halt. Others would come to a halt once their bodies hit the roots. "Ahh! Thanks, Sceptile!" Fluttershy smiled as she managed to stand on her two hooves. The Samiyans were glad they had someone like Sceptile here, saving the day and preventing them from being tossed around like rag dolls. Holding the crystal close to him, Ash would harness its power, focusing his mind on the Sea Temple's movement, wanting it to slow down. The temple would start slowing down, allowing everyone to gain their footing and stand up properly. The light would radiate from the crystal, shining brightly and illuminating the entire Sea Temple. It directly interacted with the tsunami, clashing with the powerful force of nature. The waters, after coming into contact with the light, would stop moving and the sea would calm down. The waves would settle and the tsunami would come to a sudden halt. This involved the Thunderstorms too, calming down and ceasing their rain and thunder. The clouds would part and the sun would shine once more. Everyone inside the Sea Temple took deep breaths, relieved at the fact that the temple had stopped and the storm outside had died down. "That was crazy!" Rainbow Dash remarked, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "This temple, I swear! It's always so safe and dangerous at the same time!" "I'm surprised we're all okay..." Twilight sighed before gazing at the crystal in Ash's grasp. "It's a good thing you can use it without being a Samiyan, even if it's limited to one." "If we had stayed asleep for any longer, we would have met our end." Alo commented, relieved that the Sea Temple was not destroyed. "To think that we were attacked by these Nightmare Monsters..." "It's not just that." Ash placed the crystal back in the pedestal. "Right now, Nightmare Rarity's started attacking our universe so it's way worse out there. I have no idea what's going on back there." "So it's another big attack on our world? Again?" Pinkie Pie questioned, tilting her head. "We're used to this by now though." Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves. "But we need to stop her now before it's too late. I hope Princess Celestia and everyone else are doing okay back there." Twilight remarked. "I'm guessing we go straight into the heat of things too, right?" "You bet. You saw what happened back in the Dream Realm. Luna's still in there, fighting to keep everyone's dreams safe. And Nightmare Rarity's got something planned, no doubt. I know the rest are doing what they can, so let's chime in. We gotta hurry." Ash answered. "Alo. Do you think you and everyone can have the Sea Temple travel at Lightspeed again? We really need to get going." "Of course. It may be difficult since we are all a bit shaken up from the ordeal, but we can still manage." "Awesome. I'm also gonna need some of you to get Sandbar and the others home safe." Ash faced Twilight and the others. "Pretty sure their parents and guardians are super worried about them right now, so they've gotta go back as soon as possible. So you guys, do you think you can do that?" "Of course. We'll take care of that." Fluttershy volunteered to be the one to help them get home. Pinkie Pie offered a hoof in that as well. "Alright. I just gotta call Ember to let her know." Ash took out his Rotomphone, wanting the Dragon Lord to be aware of Smolder's whereabouts, especially at this time. Selecting her Trainer ID, Ash started calling for her. Ember picked up after a couple of rings, her image appearing on screen. "Ash! There you are!" Her voice was immediately that of alarm, showing how concerned she was. "What happened to you? Why didn't you pick up earlier? We've been trying to reach you!" "Uh, sorry. Got a bit preoccupied." Ash admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "I tried calling you, Twilight, or anyone else! But you all wouldn't respond!" Ember continued. "Especially with what's been going on right now... Please tell me you know about everyone being captured?" "Huh?! Wait, what? Captured?!" Ash exclaimed, followed by everyone else getting close to Ash, their eyes focused on the screen. "It's mostly everypony and Pokemon that went inside that secret base that got captured. One guard saw it all and reported it back to Princess Celestia. Right now, Princess Celestia's gone to that universe, and I'm still here. I just got done dealing with some Nightmare Monsters." "You said everypony, right?!" Rarity zoomed in, accidentally shoving Ash aside as she was up close and personal in front of the screen." Does that mean Sweetie Belle!?" "What about Apple Bloom?!" Applejack joined in, pushing Rarity aside, almost causing her to fall over. "What about Spike?!" Twilight, followed by Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. All of them were shouting their friends' names, demanding answers. "I-I don't know about Spike. I don't think he went to that base since he would've had to bring Rayquaza with him too. Rayquaza wasn't there so I don't know where Spike is right now." "They're all in her Universe...!" Twilight spoke, her heart racing, realizing the implications of what was happening. "So while we've been asleep dealing with those Nightmares, she's taken our friends and family." "We gotta go! Now!" Rainbow Dash flew up to her friends, rapidly shaking Pinkie Pie. "They probably took my parents too!" "What about you, Ember? Is everything alright for you in the Dragon Lands?" Fluttershy asked. "Well, I'm fine, plus some others. But some aren't waking up right now. Those Nightmare Monsters snuck up on us and caught a lot of us off guard. But don't worry. We won but some of them got put to sleep and we can't wake them up right now." "If we're gonna get to Nightmare Rarity's world, we'll need a gateway. I don't have a Travel Sphere or anything like that on me." Ash uttered. "If Celestia went through, then she's got a gateway up. Let's use that. Do you know where she put it up, Ember?" "Um..,Not really. You're gonna have to find it yourself. I don't she put it in Canterlot though. She probably put it somewhere else." "Great. How're we gonna find it? That's like, the entire country we've gotta look at. We're wasting time, and who knows what she could be doing right now." Pinkie Pie grumbled. "If we can't find it, we'll have to open up our own gateway. There should be some spare Travel Spheres at Canterlot Castle" Twilight revealed. "Okay! Let's head for Canterlot!" Ash exclaimed as Alo and theSamiyans already knew what to do. Set a course for Canterlot. Universe 5. In Universe 5, Oculus Gloom continued monitoring the various screens. While Celestia and the others had made their way into her city, she was observing the many other events occurring around. She was keeping tabs on everything, watching the various locations. In one of the cities, it would show the battle between the Shadow Slimes and the Golurks. The Golurks were dealing heavy damage to the Shadow Slimes, but these monsters weren't going down so easily. Their gooey forms were extremely flexible, letting them dodge attacks. They even had a form of regeneration too. The Shadow Slimes, along with the rest of their kind, had an ability to turn into their original state. If they were attacked by anything, they could transform back into a puddle and avoid any further damage. But it didn't mean they would be able to avoid getting attacked. When turned back to their normal form, the Golurks were capable of picking them up and tossing them into the air, or even slamming them into the ground. With their strong bodies, these slimes were not a problem at all. While they did manage to overwhelm the Golurks in a different way, the Golurks were simply too tough for them to do anything. Unlike what happened in the Canterlot Mines, these Golurks were not caught off guard and had more numbers on their side. Larger monsters were used against the Golurk, ones that were able to overwhelm the Automaton Pokemon. Some even matched the size of the Golurk These powerful attacks were enough to deal massive damage to the Nightmare Monsters that came to the rescue, but they had the sheer number to their advantage. And while the Golurks were stronger than the other members, their strength was not enough to defeat these Nightmare Monsters. Meanwhile, moving through the streets of this city were Dimstar and the vampires, all flying above. Dimstar, with her invisible tendrils that could only be seen through special means, grabbed some Nightmare Monsters without even knowing what they were being held up by. The Nightmare Monsters were greatly confused as it looked like nothing but air was holding onto them. After grabbing them, she would toss these Nightmare Monsters aside, continuing on her way. It was mainly Dimstar who dealt with the Nightmare Monsters that came in the direction of the Vampires since she was leading the way. Her tendrils being so massive allowed her to reach some of them before they could even get too close. "Do you see any of the Equestrians yet?" Dimstar turned to one of the vampires, who was currently emanating a dark energy from his eyes. This allowed him to view through buildings at great distances, seeing what was happening. He was scouting, searching for the Equestrians, looking through walls and doors, finding the locations of the various prisoners. That is until he came across the building of Oculus Gloom. He looked through the building, managing to spot the heat signature of various Pokemon and ponies, restrained and ready to be transformered. The sight caused him to gasp. "I found them! It's that building on the left! It looks like that single-eyed monster has all of them trapped." "Good. That way then!" Dimstar's group made their way to Oculus Gloom's complex, which was the transformed Town Hall. As for Princess Celestia, she had already dealt with the Nightmare Monsters that stood in her way. After clearing out a good portion of the area, she was finally able to get closer to the castle that Nightmare Rarity had created. The Nightmare Castle loomed in the distance, looking incredibly eerie, fitting for a Nightmare Monster. Celestia's eyes were focused on it, targeting the very top of it. Since she was a Ruler herself, she knew for a fact that most rulers keep their throne rooms at the very top of their castle. This meant Nightmare Rarity would be waiting there, ready to face her. From her horn, she was building up a huge beam, planning to blast through it. With all opponents in the air dealt with, Celestia was free to unleash a devastating attack, which could open a path. From her horn, a golden beam was unleashed, striking the very top of this castle, destroying the first layer of the building. She managed to strike the ceiling, leaving a large hole for her and the others to pass through. She, Reshiram, and Gardevoir all entered this hole, flying through and landing in the hallway of this castle. They would quickly turn their attention to the doors, noticing how grandiose they were. Celestia would make her way towards the door, her hooves clicking against the floor. Reshiram felt himself squeezing in this place, unable to fit properly. Not wanting to risk any innocents getting hurt, Celestia returned Reshiram to his Poke Ball, allowing him to rest inside. The three of them would make their way through the door, entering another chamber. This room was an assortment of dark colors, mainly purple, blue, and black. It had a sinister appearance to it. The Nightmare Castle had a unique layout, one that was far different than any other castle. In this room, Celestia was greeted with a long hallway with a staircase that led to the next floor. So far, no throne room. It was as simple as it all seemed, which was only natural since it was designed in Rarity's taste. "Let's move. She has to be up here." Celestia declared, making her way up the stairs with Gardevoir and Passion following. They would go up to the second floor, entering a hallway that was similar to the last one. They would come to a door, which Celestia pushed open, and entered another room. However, she would soon find out that this castle came with its fair share of dangers. Not in terms of Nightmare Monsters being in it, but in terms of what the castle itself could do. As Celestia walked, the stairs beneath her would start to wobble and shake. Look down, she and Passion saw that the stairs themselves suddenly morphed, gaining what appeared to be sharp teeth. "Garde!" Gardevoir quickly flew up, grabbing Celestia and pulling her up as the stairs transformed into a monstrous creature. "What the...?!" Celestia and Passion's eyes widened as the stairs became a living entity, trying to devour the two. Each part of the stair was a pair of teeth, clamping down, trying to catch the two. And it wasn't just the stairs. The walls themselves would also morph and twist, becoming mouths that were drooling and hungry. The doors would morph too, their handles becoming sharp. Everything was changing, coming to life. "Passion! Psychic!" "Garde!" Passion would create a telekinetic forcefield, protecting herself and her trainer from these hungry walls, doors, and stairs. They were all moving about, attempting to devour them. With a simple psychic attack from Gardevoir, the staircase would be thrown away, crashing into the wall and being reduced to mere wood again. "I'm guessing this castle is alive, and the very foundation of it is an actual living entity." Celestia remarked, landing on the second floor. She then glanced back, seeing the other floors, walls and the ceiling, all moving about. She would narrow her eyes, taking a deep breath. So far, no sign of Nightmare Rarity. This was still the top of the castle and yet it was rather long. But Celestia had to keep moving. The Princess would continue forward, with Passion and her following behind. As Celestia went along the hallways, she eventually came across Nightmare Monsters that were also indoors, these ones following a common theme. These Nightmare Monsters appeared as Knights, much like the one Sweetie Belle took on in the throne room. Their armor was pitch black, their spears glowing and their eyes shining bright. They grunted, spotting Celestia and charging forward. The Sun Princess narrowed her eyes, ready to blaze through these obstacles too, just to take down one Nightmarish leader. With Oculus Gloom, she was already beginning her work on turning Pokemon into Nightmare Monsters. Some Pokemon were lined up while restrained, struggling to get out of their bonds. All around them were objects that could turn them into Nightmare Monsters. Stacked together like sardines, one of the objects moved closer, ready to make contact with them. "Now, it's time for your transformation." Oculus Gloom declared as the objects came even closer. The Pokemon could feel the energy radiating off these objects, their faces contorting with horror and fear. Their strength had already been weakened thanks to the Shadow Slime's strange body, leaving them unable to break free or fight back. Some of their Trainers were forced to witness this as the objects got closer. "This is what will happen. First, your cells will be infected by Nightmare Energy, transforming you. It will feel absolutely excruciating. After your cells are infected, your own DNA will change and alter your appearance, giving you a new look befitting our universe. Your memories will be intact, thankfully, but you will care not for them and only want to serve the Veiled Mistress. This is the fate that awaits you." Oculus Gloom spoke, her voice sounding ominous and threatening. She was clearly enjoying the situation, watching these poor Pokemon become her minions. And it was only a matter of time before they infected. The Nightmare Energy started spreading through their cells, beginning the transformation. The Pokemon roared and whined, feeling a terrible pain that they could not escape. Oculus Gloom watched in amusement, ready to witness her newest creations. However, when observing this, she saw that some of the Pokemon, despite being weakened, were managing to resist the Nightmare Energy infecting her cells. Looking at one of her screens, she witnessed how the cells of a few Pokemon were fighting bak, slowing the progress down. "Hm. It seems that some Pokemon just have stronger cells, making it a bit more difficult. But it's only a matter of time until they succumb." She commented. "Your cells can fight back, but in your state, it's only temporary. As for you ponies, it will practically be swift for you. Your cells are far weaker than theirs. It's why I'm infecting them first." "Let us out! Let me Pokemon go!" Scootaloo banged on the Shadow Slme, but her hooves were far too weak to even swing them that hard. Not that she could break out. She watched as her Rapidash was being turned into a Nightmare Monster, struggling with the process. "You'll get used to this. We can't have you interfering." Oculus Gloom told her, gazing at Scootaloo. "After all, be grateful. You will all be the first ponies to become one of us. All the rest are but decorations." "Decorations." Some of the ponies gasped and murmured amongst each other. They were unaware of Nightmare Rarity's obsession with making others decorations. "Oh, yes. If you all were from any other universe, the Veiled Mistress would have taken great pride in having you as decorations, showing off your beauty and grace. But not this time. This time, she's going to use you for her purposes. Your Universe is conisdered the best of them all. But once we've overtaken it, that will all change and that title will go to our Universe. Oculus Gloom revealed, causing the ponies to gasp. The thought of their universe being ruined was enough to terrify them. But the thing that made it worse was knowing they were unable to stop it. So many of them in one room, captured by this Shadow Slime Monster in this massive room that could fit it and not a single one could break free. The Pokemon were lucky to have strong cells that helped them resist, but they couldn't keep it up forever. Eventually, their will to resist will give out, letting the Nightmare Energy infect them. "As for your Princesses..." Oculus slithered away while moving her eye around her body, causing her to face the Ponies while heading in another direction, making some of them shudder. "The Veiled Mistress has something special for them. Instead of decorations, they get a special treatment. Something that would put the rest of you to shame." "If you're talking about my daughter, forget it!" Speaking through the crowd of ponies was Twilight Velet, mother of Twilight Sparkle. Oculus's eye moved over to her, narrowing. "My daughter and even my son are still out there! You think you're so confident when you haven't even come in contact with them yet. Hmp! "Honey..." Night Light gulped while looking at Oculus Gloom's creepy eye. "Careful with your words...We're restrained after all. What are you gonna do if you say something she doesn't like?" "Hoh? Looking at you, you do resemble Twilight Sparkle, don't you" Oculus Gloom chuckled. "Well, as much as I'd like to get into this little spat, I have plenty to deal with right now. And I'm afraid, your daughter is not here. But eventually, she'll be found and dealt with soon enough. In just this single night, we will overtake your entire Universe. It's only a matter of time. Especially with what happened to this universe's Twilight." "W-What What did you do?" Moondancer shuddered. "Twilight Sparkle was obvously the first to go against our Veiled Mistress. Obviously, she lost and the result was her being sent to the Moon itself. Much like how Luna was in the past. However, unlike Luna, Twlight Sparkle isn't just trapped on the Moon...On the contrary, she's the one who gives us power. in this endless night." "What did you say!" Twilight Velvet and all those close to Twilight bellowed. "She is our power source! Her alicorn magic combined with the Veiled Mistress's Nightmare Magic and the power of the Moon have created a wonderful combination. She is our Moon!" A truly shocking revelation was made. The Moon up there that shines in this endless night was not just a standard Moon. Not anymore. Due to the events that have happened here, that Moon was none other than Twilight Sparkle herself. The Princess of Friendship was currently trapped and being used as a power source. Such was her punishment and loss for taking on Nightmare Rarity, who showed no sympathy for her former friend. Not anymore. This was truly a Dark Universe where one of the worst possible outcomes has occurred. "And I'm sure you can guess the rest. There is only one way to stop such wonderful power from flowing." Oculus said with a devious glee in her voice. "How are you with Destroying your own Daughter?" As the journey continues. Chapter 476 End.