Equestria. Lucario's Temple. Afternoon.

During the pursuit of Delta Lucario who ended up arriving here, Rarity and Applejack came across Somnambula, who also came to visit this temple. However, something just as interesting came up that Somnabula revealed to them both.

"W-What?! You caught a Mega Lucario! In that state?!" Rarty jerked back, flabbergasted by this sight. "That's incredible! But how did that happen?"

"S-So...is it just stuck like that?" Applejack stammered. "How'd ya find a Lucario that's stuck like this?"

"Strange, isn't it? Even though I don't know much about Pokemon, this isn't normal, right? I found her like this and figured it was off." Somnabula commented. "You know how to fix it, yes?"

"Fix it...?" The two of them said in unison. They most definitely didn't know how to fix this.

"Well, dd Lucario at least tell ya how it happened?" Applejack asked. "She should've at least told ya that."

"She did." Somnambula looked out into the distance, thinking back to when she and Mega Lucario met. "It wasn't that long ago, honestly. It was exactly 4 days after I and the other Pillars came back. I decided to head back to my home, which was also named after me."

2 Months Ago.

After Somnambula and the other Pillars had returned from their Century Long Null and helped to stop the Dread League, they went their separate ways, returning to the places they used to live in, just to see how they've changed after all these years. Somnambula was currently on her way there, unaware that it was named after her. She trekked the deserts and passed through the rocky, uneven terrain.

She was a long way from home, but Somnambula was willing to make it there. After all, she's been in limbo for centuries, so this wasn't too much of an issue.

"Hooh...Did these deserts get bigger since last time?" Somnambula yawned, walking along the rocky road. Unbeknownst to her, because both worlds had become one, the Earth was now outstandingly bigger than it previously was. As such, travelling from one location to the other would take more time and effort than before.

But as she was trekking the landscape, something up ahead caught her attention. Something she didn't notice was up ahead. A large, blue temple of some sort. A rather small one too. For a temple to be blue was rather strange to her. Especially since it was made out of an unusual-looking material.

"My, my, that's a peculiar-looking structure." She raised an eyebrow. "A blue one no less. I wonder..."

Somnambula made her way towards the temple, slowly walking up to it and getting a better view of it.

"Hm. What is all this energy?" She felt a certain kind of energy emitting from it. Energy that she had never felt before. From how it appeared, it resembled Aura. Around this time, Somnambula had only briefly seen Aura from Ash's Lucario. But that was about it. It was simply brief, but she recognized the appearance.

"Is this that Aura thing I saw?" Out of curiosity, Somnambula would slowly move her hoof towards the temple, wanting to interact with the Aura even for just a moment. Slowly and slowly, her hoof came closer to the structure. Then...

"Ah!" Somnambula gasped when her hoof touched the structure. She stumbled back, her eyes widening as the aura flowed through her body. Touching the Aura felt like interacting with both lightning and water at once, electrifying her body and filling her with a sense of wonder. But it also showed her visions that would rapidly flash through her head.

Visions of something within the temple. Brief flashes of what appeared to be a Lucario went off.

"What...was that?" Somnambula panted, feeling her entire body shake and vibrate from the Aura. It felt like she was seeing everything and nothing at once.

She soon shook it off, looking at her hoof before gazing at the temple. "That's...amazing. It's still going? Such energy is inside?" She asked herself, placing her hoof back on the temple, just to see if there really was still a large amount of energy stored within.

There was still plenty left, but it didn't come to shock her again. The energy was calming and serene, just the way Somnambula liked it.

"This Aura...is rather soothing." She closed her eyes, focusing on it. "It's unlike anything I've felt. If this is what Aura is, then I see why others enjoy it." She chuckled. "The question is...where did this even come from?" She glanced around, trying to find some sort of clue to where it could've come from.

Thus, she entered the temple, deciding to explore it for answers and just out of plain curiosity.

"Most likely, it must be one of those new locations that come from those regions. But how did it end up here? If it's not that, then what is it..." She trotted inside the temple. Inside, there were certain symbols engraved into the walls. Symbols that resembled a Lucario. "That Pokemon. Lucario, was it? Is that what this is...?"

Aside from the symbols, there wasn't much else inside the temple, aside from a strange pillar of blue light that stood in the center. This pillar was the source of all the aura, being what Somnambula saw.

"A pillar of Aura...? That's odd. So this is what this place is for, I suppose." She observed the pillar. "It feels like the Aura's been concentrated into this one area." She placed a hoof on it. "This doesn't feel natural."

The pillar pulsed with energy as if it was reacting to Somnambula's presence. Suddenly, the symbols on the wall began to glow and the ground shook with power.

"Hm?" Somnambula raised an eyebrow, taking a step back. "What's going on?" She wondered. The symbols then started flashing rapidly, letting out powerful hums that echoed across the entire temple. Somnambula looked around her, seeing these symbols flash everywhere at high speeds.

Suddenly, the ground stopped shaking and the symbols stopped flashing. The only sound that could be heard was Somnambula's hooves tapping on the floor. But the silence was quickly broken as something emerged from each of the symbols. Right before her eyes, Lucarios started jumping out of them, all around.

"Rrr!" They all growled upon emerging from these symbols, promptly landing in different areas. Everywhere she looked, there were Lucarios everywhere, all surrounding her. Each of these Lucarios all had their eyes locked onto Somnambula.

"Huh?! What is this?!" Somnambula yelped. Just like that, she was surrounded by countless Lucario, all growling at her. They all stood there, looking at her, ready to pounce and attack if they needed to. Somnambula had no idea what to make of this.

She didn't know if they were about to attack or if this was some sort of ritual. "M-Morning? I'm not intruding, am I" She questioned.

The Lucarios did nothing but stare at her. No one dared to make a move as Somnambula's mind raced with confusion and fear. Was she about to be attacked by these Lucario? Would she be able to defend herself? Or would she have to fight her way out of here?

As these thoughts ran through her mind, Somnambula suddenly felt something else. The Lucario in front of her stopped growling, slowly raising a paw towards her. This gesture made her jump back, worried that something bad was about to happen. But instead of attacking her, the Lucario's paw began to glow with Aura.

Aura was flowing through his paws as he sent it towards Somnamubla, the energy slowly approaching her. Somnambula's eyes widened as the aura surrounded her, engulfing her entire body.

"What is this?" She asked herself. The aura then began to flow into her body, entering every inch of her body. This energy made her feel strong and powerful. It gave her a feeling unlike anything else she'd ever experienced before. More importantly, it started interacting with her mind. The Lucarios were using their Aura to look into her mind and see who she was.

The Lucario in front of her, the same one who had emitted the Aura, was able to read her mind. He saw everything there was to see. He saw her history, her past, her achievements, her accomplishments, and even the recent events that took place.

Looking into her mind and by extension her heart, the aggression shown by the Lucarios came to an end. They had calmed down and were now all calm, having stopped growling at Somnambula. Somnambula watched as they all entered less aggressive stances, standing far more casually than before.

"Oh...I-Is everything fine now?" She nervously asked, still not sure what to make of this. The Lucario that had read her mind was the one to make a move next, doing the unthinkable. The Lucario had jumped up high, landing in front of Somnambula with grace. Somnambula's eyes widened as the Lucario stood there, staring at her.

Just then, she heard it. Somnambula could hear the Aura within her as the Lucarios were all speaking to her. She gasped, hearing so many voices come in at once, all speaking through the power of Aura. She was hearing the Aura and the Lucarios were speaking to her through it. Somnambula wasn't even aware that she could hear this in the first place. To her surprise, she had an Aura within her that was resonating strongly, being brought out by the Lucarios.

And as she took this all in, all the other Lucarios would step aside, making way for one more, rather special Lucario. Somnambula looked onward to see her.

Mega Lucario.

She was in her Mega Evolved State, showing no signs of returning to normal. She stood on the highest platform of this temple, looking down on Somnambula. Somnambula gazed at her, seeing how Mega Lucario stared back at her with a piercing gaze.

"Lu..." Mega Lucario softly said, her Aura connecting with Somnambula's. "...cario..." After speaking to her briefly, Mega Lucario would turn around, walking away. However, after hearing all the Auras of the Lucarios that spoke to her, Somnambula immediately knew something was amiss. There was a reason they all spoke to her and it all connected back to that one Lucario.

"Wait! Let me talk with you!" Somnambula started running, pursuing Mega Lucario as she quickly climbed up the temple's steps. The Lucario did not stop walking or even look back, simply letting her climb up. The other Lucario watched as Somnambula made her way up the steps, entering another part of this temple that looked bigger on the inside.

"I heard all those Auras...they spoke to me about how I was safe to be in here." Somnambula spoke to herself while pursuing Mega Lucario. "That Lucario...was that the Lucario that they're trying to protect?"

The Lucarios shared the information that this one Mega Lucario was to be protected, which was why they appeared so hostile in the beginning. They had to make sure she was someone to trust. Somnambula saw what Mega Lucario was doing as she walked to a certain area. Right before Somnabula's eyes as she came to a screeching halt, an array of pathways could be seen.

A labyrinth.

The temple was a massive labyrinth that contained a massive array of pathways that were far too numerous to count. Mega Lucario was already out of sight, somehow outpacing her despite walking. She was gone.

"Oh, dear..." Somnambula sweatdropped, glancing around. "How am I meant to find her in all this mess?" She scratched her head, trying to figure out where to go. "I don't have my magic. I'm not a unicorn, so I can't do anything to track her down..."

She began to look around, exploring the various different pathways. They all looked the same. There was no indication as to where Mega Lucario went. For all Somnambula knew, she could be anywhere in this labyrinth. She passed by many Lucarios that hung around here, watching Somnambula try and navigate this maze.

And as she was passing by, the symbols on the walls took on different appearances that Somnambula noticed. When looking at the, instead of symbols of Lucario, they looked to be symbols of a certain man. A certain man who was said to be a danger to many. The symbols would glow, letting off Auras that flowed in Somnambula's general direction. And when feeling their Auras, she saw and heard his name.

Prisma.

"Ngh!" Somnambula grunted, holding her head. "W-Who is that?!" As she wondered who Prisma was, hearing his name and seeing brief visions of him, Somnambula felt a strong sense of dread. It felt like she was looking at a demon of some sort. But the vision vanished before she could get a closer look at him.

"What...was that just now?" Somnambula pondered. She shook her head, trying to regain her focus. Once she did, she quickly realized and remembered that she was still lost in this labyrinth, making minimal progress. The path before her was blocked by a wall of blue energy, so she had to go back and take a different path.

And after taking a new path, it soon became obvious that she wasn't getting anywhere. The layout of the labyrinth was changing constantly. Each time she went through a new pathway, she'd end up in an even more complex and confusing section of the labyrinth. This labyrinth was changing every time she entered a new section of it.

The walls would shift and change as the blue energy would appear. Somnambula could only watch as she was trapped inside of this maze that was constantly shifting. At this rate, she might be trapped in here forever and may never return to her home. It would be the equivalent of being in that limbo, almost as if she had never left her trapped state.

This labyrinth was endless.

"What was the point of even being brought back if I would just end up in this state?" Somnambula sighed, taking a seat and lowering her head. "What am I to do? All this energy and it's doing me no good. Simply speaking to me, but not even sharing a thing." She sat in silence for a while, contemplating her situation.

Somnambula wasn't sure what to do next. She felt like she was stuck here with no way out. It was like this temple was designed to trap those who entered. And as she stayed silent, taking in all the Aura around her and the one that was within her, she felt something. This moment of silence did something for her. While she wasn't sure what to do next, that didn't mean she was willing to give up.

And when trying to focus on something new, she felt it. A grand Aura. For the first time, Somnambula was starting to sense and detect Auras from this temple. With her eyes closed, she saw Aura Signatures.

"Hm...?" She slowly raised her head, seeing three large Auras before her. They belonged to all the Lucarios here, but one in particular was the strongest. The same one she had been looking for.

"You..." She muttered, sensing the Aura that Mega Lucario was giving off. It was massive, far larger than the rest of the Lucario. "That's where you are!" Somnambula gasped, rising up. She looked around, seeing the other Aura Signatures from the other Lucarios. And while they were present, the only one she cared about was Mega Lucario's.

Now that she managed to track down Auras, she could use this to navigate this labryinth. Now that she knew where Mega Lucario was, all she had to do was follow her Aura. And as she started to move, she found herself at another wall of blue energy. This one was blocking her way, but she already had an idea of how to pass through.

"Well, if it's Aura..." Somnambula placed a hoof on the wall, pushing into it. She felt the energy flow through her body as the wall vanished. "Oh! So it is." She smiled, making her way forward. From that point on, she would be able to track down Mega Lucario's Aura by feeling its presence.

And soon, she'd find the very Lucario she was looking for. She was in the middle of the labyrinth, sitting in silence. She sensed Somnabula's presence coming closer, knowing that she was nearby. The temple wasn't changing anymore, so it was now much easier to navigate. Somnambula used her powers to track down Mega Lucario, eventually finding her in a chamber deep within the maze.

"There you are." Somnambula smiled, trotting over to Mega Lucario. Mega Lucario didn't respond, simply sitting there. Her expression was solemn and serious, not even making eye contact with Somnambula. "Hello." She greeted her. "I'm Somnambula. You're Mega Lucario, right?"

Mega Lucario didn't reply.

"Not quite chatty, are you?" Somnambula took a seat, still smiling. "I just came here because I wanted to know why you were stuck like this. All those Lucarios spoke to me about you."

Mega Lucario still remained silent.

"I don't suppose you can tell me, can you?" Somnambula asked. "They were quite vocal, so I thought you could be. I noticed that your Aura is greatly larger than the others. Perhaps, it's because of that form you're in, correct? You must be a special kind of Lucario, are you?"

She tried to talk to her, but it was no use. Mega Lucario was silent, not even budging. Somnambula wasn't sure what to make of this. She didn't understand why Mega Lucario wouldn't say anything or even look at her. But she did have one idea.

"Well...could you perhaps tell me about the man I kept seeing? I assume there's someone else here aside from Lucarios. Is there someone called Prisma here?" She asked.

"Lu!" Mega Lucario flinched, finally acknowledging Somnambula. The Lucario looked at Somnambula, giving her a fierce glare. Her expression was filled with anger. Somnambula was taken aback by her reaction, seeing how she reacted to the name Prisma.

"M-My apologies! Did I say something wrong?" Somnambula questioned, tilting her head.

"Lucario." Mega Lucario pointed to herself.

"Hm? What about you?" Somnambula questioned. Clearly, she needed a better way to communicate than this. Thus, she would try and use the Aura within her to communicate. She didn't know much about the Aura, but she understood its basic uses and was starting to get the hang of it. Her Aura began to connect with Mega Lucario, trying to understand her.

Things were silent for a bit, only for Somnambula to finally get something. Mega Lucario's Aura spoke to her, sharing valuable information as to why she was even here.

"You're going through an Aura Overflow? Uncontrollably?" She translated. "And that's why you can't return to your regular state?" She asked. Mega Lucario nodded in response.

"Is that the problem? You're overflowing with Aura and can't get back to normal?" Somnambula asked, to which Mega Lucario nodded once more. Somnambula looked at Mega Lucario, seeing the Aura flowing out of her body. Mega Lucario couldn't contain this power and it was beginning to overwhelm her.

But there was more to it. A reason as to why she was going through this Aura Overflow.

"This Overflow..." Unexpectedly, she used the Aura as a form of telepathy to further communicate with Somnambula. "It acts as a punishment for me. For the mistake I made." Mega Lucario explained. "This Overflow was caused by him. Prisma."

"Prisma did this to you? How?" Somnambula didn't know much about Prisma, but based on the visions, he was clearly a human. How could he even pull it off.

"I made a great mistake that led to this outcome for me. Something I regret deeply. I inadvertently helped with Prisma's path to power and the destruction of so many places. Something that all the other Lucarios in here regret as well to some extent." Mega Lucario explained. "One of his Pokemon once came from here. A Riolu."

"Riolu? I'm assuming it's a Pokemon related to you?"

"It is related to our species. But more than that, that Riolu was a Pokemon that I bestowed upon him. My own son. And then...he betrayed us by using the power we gave him against us. He aided in the destruction of so many universes. The end of all things." Mega Lucario sighed.

"He...betrayed you? Why? Your own Son turned against you?"

"I realized the mistake I made by doing this, but it was too late. When Prisma attempted to destroy everything, I and all the Lucarios aided our Queen, Twilight Luminaria in a great battle against him. During that battle, I ended up fighting my own son who was under Prisma's control. I still remember it all so vividly. And to think that we were close...Prisma, I mean."

Mega Lucario's eyes widened as memories of those events played back to her. Everything leading up to that moment was coming back to her now that she was speaking of it. And Somnambula would be there to hear it all, listening to what led up to this point as the journey continues.

Chapter 619 End.

Author's Note

You're getting a flashback within a flashback