My Little Pokémon

by Amarvax

Return over the Horizon

Equestria. Ponyville. Twilight's Castle. Day.

Arriving at Twilight's Castle unexpectedly was Zero. As promised via Ash's invitation, he would show up to assist Twilight in these Rift-related studies. Although, he made his entrance in the strangest way possible, sitting on a broken pillar that was caused by the Reshiram and Zekrom race, which was going into a second round at the moment.

Twilight pulled back along with her Pokemon. However, Absol was the only one not alert. His horn didn't tremble. Already, this Absol knew that Zero was not hostile or anyone to worry about. Despite the fact that Zero did still have a menacing face even after all of these years. Those golden eyes weren't all that helpful.

"Zero's my name. Ash sent me here." He got off the pillar. "Pleasure to meet you, your majesty."

"Uh...Nice to meet you too." Twilight was still a bit frozen. "You made quite an entrance here. How did you even get in? The door was locked."

"Glad you asked. I got in with this." Zero had then approached, holding out the Rift Sphere that he had formed. Out of its box and casually being held by Zero, he revealed it to Twilight and her Pokemon.

"Rift Energy?!"

"Espeon?!" Espeon and the other Pokemon were reasonably taken aback by this. Especially with how he was holding it without anything happening to his body. Zero wasn't even wearing any gloves.

"Surprised?" He juggled it with one hand for a bit. "Not so volatile in my hands, is it?"

"How are you holding it like that?!" The Princess of Friendship demanded answers as her hoof trembled while pointing at Zero.

"Ah. I had to do a lot of work to make this possible." He then rolled it on his arm, treating it as if it was a toy. In fact, when looking at it, Ninetales and his dog-like tendencies were acting up. The Rift Sphere did remind it of a toy as all nine of his tails started moving. "Neat, isn't it?"

"Uhh..." Twilight still had a lot going through her mind. Zero had mentioned Ash plus him just suddenly entering her castle was still something she needed to process. Not to mention how he was holding Rift Magic and appearing completely fine without any effects.

"Sol. Absol." However, Absol spoke to Twilight, nudging her. She looked at the Disaster Pokemon, seeing him nod his head once. Absol wasn't alone in this. Togekiss flew over, doing the same. Both of their nods confirmed one thing for Twilight.

"Oh. He's fine." Twilight translated. Absol sensed nothing that was a threat and Togekiss, who could always pick up on good spirits, could see right through Zero. "Well...okay. I can trust you two. But did Ash really send you?"

"Wish I had one of those Xtransceiver things to confirm it." Zero shrugged.

"I do! Give me a second." Thankfully, Twilight had her own. As she went to grab it, Zero couldn't help but look at the interior of the castle. A bit hard on the eyes for him, even though he owns an Arcade with luminescent lights. He also saw how Twilight had a plethora of Pokemon-based books present here. Even though she had her own Pokemon Lab, she made sure to keep some around here.

At the same time, while Twilight had just found her Xtransceiver, immediately searching for Ash's Trainer ID which was the very first one for obvious reason, Ninetales went up to the sphere, seeing it as a toy. He grabbed Zero's attention, causing him to flinch for a bit. "Nine! Ninetales!" Ninetales wagged his nine tails, jumping up and down as his eyes locked onto the sphere.

"Oh? You want this?" Zero caught on fast, raising the ball.

"Nine-Nine! Ninetales!" Ninetales made it clear as day that he wanted to play catch with it.

"Well...sorry, you can't." Zero shook his head, putting the orb behind his back. "I may be safe from it, but you certainly aren't. At least not yet. It's for your own good."

"Ninetales..." Ninetales whimpered, lowering his head as his tails also dropped.

"Hey, Twilight. I was wondering if you could take me-" Just then, entering the room was one of Twilight's students. The young Rift Pony Cold Colt. Upon entering, his eyes immediately fixated on the newest visage within the castle. That would be Zero.

However, being blessed with the knowledge of the Pokemon World as a Rift Pony, upon seeing Zero, it reminded Cold Colt of who he was. Or rather, who he used to be. "Y-Y-You're Zero!" He shouted, immediately knowing about Zero's past actions, causing him to shake this room, startling Twilight, her Pokemon and even Ash and Pikachu who were on the Xtransceiver.

"Cold! Cold! It's okay!" Twilight teleported to him before he could start panicking, using her magic to hold the young colt from making any drastic movements. "He's alright."

"H-He is?!"

"Straight from Ash and Pikachu," Twilight revealed the Xtransceiver to Cold Colt as Ash and Pikachu were on the call. "Zero's here to help. With Rift Energy, just like he said."

"Yep. He learned how to use it faster than anyone I know." Ash replied as the sound of Flurry Heart chatting could be heard in the distance. A Poke Ball could also be heard as the princess from another universe was currently in the midst of trying to catch a new Pokemon. "Oh, nice throw, Flurry!"

"Pikachu!"

"So you're a Rift Pony." Zero approached him. "You truly do blend in well with this world. It'd be impossible to tell who's a Rift Pony this way."

"T-Thanks..." Cold shivered, still fearing Zero. He just couldn't get those memories out of his head. If anything, this was one of the few times he wishes he never had a vast knowledge about the Pokemon World and important events.

"Gotta go, Twi. See ya soon." Ash finished the call, bidding farewell to Twilight.

"See you soon, Ash." Twilight did the same before putting the Xtransceiver away. "Okay. So...you're the first one and I believe only one to harness Rift Energy, huh?"

"Certainly." He then held the sphere with one finger, spinning it. Not only could he casually hold it, but also play around with it as if he wasn't holding a power source capable of doing practically anything. "All I need to do was push my scientific capabilities and even the power of the cosmos can be utilized."

"That's just..." Twilight closed her eyes before being starstruck. "Amazing, honestly! I can't believe you managed to do that! But then again, I can kind of believe it. How exactly?"

"I would say it took me a lot of time. And it did. But it goes further than just me sitting around to perfect holding it so that I wouldn't have to let its power run wild."

"Ninetales!" Ninetales still wanted the sphere, even after knowing of the dangers it could cause.

"Ninetales, no! It's dangerous" Twilight held Ninetales back with her magic before he could pounce.

"Your Ninetales has been eager to play with it. Don't worry. We can make it so that I'm not the only one who can touch it casually."

"So. How do we make that happen?" Twilight asked.

"That's why I'm here. And also to help your little student here get used to his magic." He then turned to Cold Colt. "The only way to do so is in the same way I did it. It's all I know anyway. Luckily, I brought my set with me so we can get to work."

"Uh...Where would that be?" But Twilight didn't see any sign of Zero's work set. There was nothing for him to use, and neither did he carry it with him.

"Right here." Zero indeed had it. And to prove it, he revealed his set by using the Rift Sphere. Out of it, as if it were a clown car, an assortment of scientific objects. Twilight, Cold and the Pokemon backed up as they sorted themselves out. The objects didn't even lose balance when emerging out of the sphere. It was as if they were automatically tidy when being sent out.

"You kept all of that inside of there?!" Twilight bellowed.

"I certainly did." Zero went up to his seat. "I'll tell you this, my little pony. The way to control Rift Energy, from what I found out, is by science. And I mean hard science. From what I hear, you're fairly clever. Clever enough to help with this?"

"Well..." Twilight wondered for a moment. Was she? She knew that her Human counterpart dabbled more in science whilst she focused on magic. "Sorry. I'm more about magic than science."

"Hm. I see." Zero closed his eyes. "So...you might not be as big of a help as Ash let you on to potentially be, eh?" Zero was somewhat disappointed by that. He was expecting more. But it seemed that he would have to do it himself once more. "What a shame..."

"Wait!" Despite knowing this, Twilight still had something to say. "You said you used hard science to control the Rift Energy, right?"

"That's right. Took me from the beginning of the earlier years of the worlds crossing over to make it happen. It was all worth it to make this." He held the orb out. "Unfortunately, you're not qualified to do so."

"I am!" Twilight exclaimed. "I may not be into hard science...but I am into hard magic. Or just magic in general. How's that?"

"Magic?"

"Cold Colt over here uses Rift Magic. It's something that I've been coming to understand more and more each time I teach him. I believe I can help with magic. Much like how you're great with science."

"Hmm..." Zero thought about it for a few seconds before smirking. "If you say so. Let's see if your magic can be as useful then, princess."

"I can prove it." Twilight trotted over to Zero's set with her head and chest held up high. She felt confident and mighty in her abilities. And that's exactly what Zero wanted. The best way to have Twilight work alongside her came from underestimating her and it certainly worked like a charm as now Twilight would do what she could to prove to Zero that her expertise in magic can match his expertise in science.

Thus, they got to work. They had used the Rift Sphere Zero already owned. But Cold Colt was another candidate. He stood completely still whilst Zero observed him with his various inventions. The young pony scrunched his face through it all, afraid that one of these inventions could end up poking him if something sharp was involved. Twilight was having some trouble. Despite her confidence in knowing about Rift Magic, interacting with it was a different story. Her magic was ineffective against it after all.

Zero had the upper hand in that as his machine already had readings of Rift Energy. Compared to the sphere he had, Cold Colt had a lot to offer. His Rift Magic potential was massive and had yet to be brought out. While observing it, he looked to Twilight who was still struggling.

"You seem lost there, my little pony."

"I didn't exactly say I could interact with Rift Magic." Twilight pouted. "The only pony who isn't a Rift Pony who can interact with it is Princess Celestia. I can still try something to understand the inner workings of this thing." She narrowed her eyes at the sphere.

"Well, even if your magic is ineffective, you can find a way, can't you? I hear you alicorns are brimming with magical capabilities that far exceed any other pony tribe. Much like a Legendary Pokemon for comparison."

"I believe I can. This is my first time trying it though." Twilight sighed. "You've had since the start of the worlds crossing over to make it work for you."

"Indeed. But it took me quite a long time to get adjusted to the cosmic power that this thing holds. I almost had my entire body affected by it."

"Almost?!" Twilight gasped.

"Right. The power that the Rift holds, even in something small, is nothing to overwhelm almost anything. There is little that can withstand the overwhelming force that it creates. Trying to avoid what it can do is almost impossible. If it had entered me, I'm not sure my body would've handled all of that power. The energy would occupy and fill me from the inside and overtake me completely. It's a miracle that never happened during my time testing on it."

"Occupy..." Twilight thought about that for a moment. Her brain was acting up at this moment. What Zero said made Twilight ponder about something. She then thought back to every instance that someone had harnessed Rift Energy. And to her, the most interesting example would be from the Arcane Seas. The same spot where Zero found a piece of Rift Energy and where she and her friends went on a trip on the Royal Unova.

Twilight remembered when Pinkie Pie ended up receiving Rift Magic inside of her thanks to the Rift-influenced waters. The result was her gaining a sonic voice that was exceedingly loud. But aside from that, there was one crucial thing that she thought about.

Despite gaining a sonic voice thanks to Rift Energy, Pinkie Pie eventually lost it. As if it had run out. Recalling that moment including when the Indigo Alliance from Pegalysium felt exhausted when using Rift Magic fairly recently made Twilight think. She put the two of them together and realized something.

"That's it!" She had a brainstorm, startling Zero and the others. "What if there's a new way for anyone to harness it without a problem?!"

"And what would that be?"

"How about...we make it a vessel."

"A vessel?" Zero repeated.

"Mhm!" She nodded vigorously. "What if say I emptied out of all my magic power and I became a vessel for Rift Magic? Everypony in Equestria already has magic inside of them, even if it's not that clear as a unicorn or an alicorn. Their bodies ran out of that power eventually but some of them managed to keep a bit of it around. Like King Paramount. So far, only ponies with high magic potential can hold them. But what if the same can be said for everypony?"

"Ooh...I get what you're saying." Zero was catching on fast.

"That's right. And I'm going to try." Twilight looked at the Rift Sphere.

"Right now?!"

"Right now. But um...maybe not from this now that I think about it. This is yours." She giggled. "I know exactly what I can use."

---

The Cauldron.

Brought over by Zecora, the cauldron of Rift Magic was the perfect object to use. The cauldron had been placed down but not too hard as to avoid having the liquid inside splash.

"Thanks, Zecora. This should do perfectly." Twilight thanked her before facing the cauldron. Zero promptly stopped what he was doing to see how Twilight would use this. It made him curious. Zero backed away, sitting down next to the sleeping Ninetales. Twilight was ready to test her theory out.

"Wait, Twilight!" Cold Colt halted her for a moment. "What if it goes wrong? I mean...what's all that power going to do to your body when you let it get to you?"

"That's why I'll have you to count on, Cold." She looked at her young student. "Whatever happens, I can trust you to get rid of it. Besides, I'm not planning on keeping it around forever."

"Alright. I'll try, Twilight."

"Now...here goes." Twilight took a deep breath as it was time for her to empty out all of her magic. It was certainly something she's never done before. She's felt her magic emptied out before but not by her own will. Now was the time to try it for the first time. Twilight dug deep, using her finite pool of magic for this one more.

From the magic she had as a unicorn to the one she has as an alicorn. Her eyes opened with all of the magic showing itself in a white flash of energy. Everyone here squinted their eyes from the blinding light as purple energy started violently exuding out of Twilight's body. It was far more violent than anyone was expecting.

However, during the process of emptying out of her magic, Twilight was in a static position. She had a lot of magic to go through as letting it all out was not swift due to her magical potential. Everyone else looked in awe as they had never seen anything like this before.

The room had been illuminated by her signature purple aura as it could even be seen from outside, flashing through the windows as if a rave or a light show was going on. All of that magic was not emptying anytime soon.

But while she was emptying it, Twilight soon found herself within her mind. Not exactly what she was expecting considering she was emptying out her magic. The young alicorn gasped once she saw herself within her mind, which was a purple and white ethereal land.

"How'd I get here?!" Twilight wondered, seeing that she was suddenly within her mind. "Is this what happens when you empty out your magic?"

"Why do you think you're here?" Just then, a voice replied to her. A voice that sounded identical to her own. Twilight's ears twitched before turning around, spotting where the source of that voice had come from. Lo and behold, it was an entity that she had forgotten about that existed. The same entity that Princess Luna had within her in the form of Lunar Ire before managing to master the Sorrowful Rage Magic. This entity had also been first unleashed on the same day Luna had become Lunar Ire and now she had returned.

Horizon Storm.

"You..." Twilight looked at the alicorn who sounded exactly like her but vaguely resembled her with crackling bizarre magic around her body. "It's you! Twilight did remember this entity. Only barely. She honestly thought she'd never see it again.

"That's right. You forgot all about me, didn't you? Horizon Storm spoke with an echoing voice that was identical to Lunar Ire. "I bet you forgot that I even existed. Right after you calmed down..."

"You're the same as what Princess Luna has. Just like Lunar Ire..." Twilight's jaw dropped. "You're...Um...What's your name?"

"Gh!" Horizon Storm twitched, feeling insulted that Twilight would forget her name. "I am Horizon Storm!"

"Oh, right. The names come from our parallels and anger." Twilight squeed. "Well...I didn't expect to ever see you again. I'm surprised I remember your appearance."

"What do you think you're doing? Emptying out your magic?"

"I'm trying to solve the key to Rift Magic here. That's all. But how come I ended up here with you when doing it?"

"I intervened. Sorrowful Rage Magic helped me do so. Right now, your magic is still being emptied, but slowly. Emptying it out will get rid of me, don't you know?"

"My magic will recover. Well...I'll have some help making it recover. I don't have the Boundless Cutie Mark after all. And that includes you as well, right?"

"I suppose so." Horizon Storm shrugged. "But either way...now that you remember me and we meet again...when are you going to let me out?"

"Hm?"

"Do you have any idea how many instances I've tried unleashing myself? When Ash overloaded himself with Aura, resulting in his worst Delayed Aura Ataxia effect by far, I mourned for him. But you managed to power through it. When that Pheromosa attacked us at Manehattan, I tried showing myself once again. Even during the entire invasion, I attempted to make my return, but nothing happened during that. Even when Jade was captured, the rage inside of me was itching to burst out. So many instances where I could've returned."

"Then how come you didn't show yourself if you had all those chances?" Twilight asked. "Princess Luna has had Lunar Ire at least show up here and there before she controlled. It even spoke to her for a while."

"It's because of you." Horizon Storm narrowed her eyes. "You seem to have better control of your emotions than Princess Luna, leading to the Sorrowful Rage Magic being held back. There hasn't been anything major yet to truly break past those barriers to let me free."

"And you want out."

"Precisely. So that I can unleash my magic and take revenge on those who have crossed the line. Ghetsis. That Shiny Gardevoir, the Indigo Alliance and so many more."

"Hold on!" Twilight halted her. "That's too risky, don't you think?! Besides...I don't want my body being used for revenge."

"Tough. You and I are one in the same. Lunar Ire confirmed that with Princess Luna. Therefore, there is a part of you that wants revenge against Ghetsis and everyone else, right? If anything, it's what you want deep down."

"No." But Twilight refused. "We've already beaten Gardevoir and even stopped the Indigo Alliance once. Ghetsis has also been pushed back here and there. What you're looking for is pushing it."

"Tch. Should've expected that kind of response from you. You're the same pony that believes reforming everypony is the way to go, aren't you?"

"Well...Not everyone." Twilight shifted her eyes to the side.

"I don't know how Princess Luna did it, but Lunar Ire was what she should've fully embraced." Her echoed voice was starting to intensify. It was clear that much like Lunar Ire, Horizon Storm wanted absolute control over Twilight's emotions.

"Just like Lunar Ire..." Twilight said to herself. "Well in that case...since I'm here, I might as well try and do the same to you."

"What?"

"How about we work together?" Twilight held her hoof out. "We are one in the same, aren't we? We should be just like Princess Luna and Lunar Ire. Unified. I'll have you within me to use a new type of magic."

"Pfft...You're joking, right?" Horizon started chuckling in a low tone. "You think I want that?"

"Well...That'd be the best result, wouldn't it? You and I would be in sync." Twilight squeed. "But I'd have to keep this magic under control. And also learn about it."

"As if I'd let that happen before missing out on the chance to get back on those who hurt you. Who hurt us." Horizon Storm's magic started pulsating as it was very clear where she stood. Only one thing was on her mind. Revenge.

Not exactly what Twilight pursued but for Horizon Storm, these past 3 years for revenge was all that she pursued. Her magic was starting to show its rage more than its sorrow as Twilight felt the ethereal floor shake.

"I'm getting out of here! Starting today!" She roared, causing a wind pressure to fly in Twilight's direction. Twilight already knew how Horizon Storm felt at this point. Talking to her when so much rage was boiling within her would only lead to an impasse.

"Horizon! Wait!" Twilight covered one eye with her mane being blown vigorously by this pressure. But it was clear that Horizon Storm wasn't going to wait as she started walking over to Twilight.

"How about I leave you inside of here and take care of everything else?!" The Sorrowful Rage manifestation of Twilight's emotions roared as two overlapping voices could be heard. They were still the voice of Twilight, just in a dual state.

"Oh, great. No way around it." Twilight stood up tall, knowing that Horizon Storm wasn't going to talk it out with her. But it was the moment that the young alicorn looked back to how Princess Luna managed to overcome Lunar Ire. She knew one thing that was true.

She and Horizon Storm were indeed one in the same. However, it was keeping this emotional and raging side of her under control that was the biggest obstacle to reaching this great understanding. Twilight readied herself for the worst while on the outside, her magic was still being emptied as the journey continues.

Chapter 769 End.

Comments

[ArcticAce01]

Oh man. This isn’t good. Hopefully Twi will be ok and can calm down Horizon

[CorporateColonel]

i actually forgot Horizon Storm existed LOL

[Winsor27]

References to Fairy Tail, Yu-Gi-Oh and Bleach have appeared in this story

What's next Inuyasha?

[Magic135]

I can think of one reason why Twilight has Ash's name at the top of her Xtransceiver list.