My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Equestria. Canterlot. Canterlot Castle. Afternoon.

A gateway had opened.

To the shock of Celestia, a gateway had randomly revealed itself in her throne room, surprising the Ruler of Equestria. She, Luna and the guards looked on to see the figure drop out of it.

Out of it emerged Medly. Her body was covered in wounds, but her eyes still glowed fiercely as she tried to get back on her hooves. But her legs felt like rubber, and she fell to her knees before she was caught by Celestia. She was exhausted and it seemed as though she was about to collapse from sheer exhaustion. The princess looked down at the young Pegasus with concern. She had never seen a pony look so weak before. And in her hooves, she held the Dream Orb Ethan was kept in.

"Medly! Are you alright?!" Celestia rushed over to help the Pegasus up. "What happened?! Is everything alright back there?!"

"The Dream Orb...Ethan's in it. Please...!" Medly's breath was short, and she struggled to keep herself upright. She weakly held Ethan's Orb. "Don't...let them have him." After saying that much, Medly fell into a deep slumber.

Celestia took a moment to process the Pegasus's words and quickly understood. Looking at the orb, she saw Ethan within it as it rolled out of Medly's grasp. Celestia grabbed the orb and carefully carried it in her wings, looking at it with great interest. She could see the energy and dreams inside it, swirling and dancing in the orb's centre.

As for the gateway, it would fizzle out, dispersing out of existence. Celestia had the guards take Medly to a room to rest while she kept hold of the Orb, thinking about this new situation.

Universe 30. The Dream Nexus. Nightfall.

As for Medly's world, the second she left, something terrifying had happened.

A dark presence filled the air. Twilight Moonlight's head turned up. Her ears perked up and her heart raced. The walls of the room began to tremble, and a dark energy seemed to be radiating from somewhere outside of the room.

"What is that?" Twilight Moonlight's voice was low and strained as she looked around the room. A wave of terror washed over her as she felt a familiar presence.

One that the Arcane Institute has been working on these past few months and the Professor's Ace in the Hole. The presence was powerful and overwhelming and it sent chills down her spine. She knew what was going to happen, knowing what was about to happen to this Universe's Residents.

High above the night skies, an unknown item was approaching. The clouds parted as an enormous shadow loomed overhead, casting an ominous aura on the land below. It was an immense machine, larger than anything anyone had ever seen. It seemed to be made from some kind of unknown material and it glowed with an eerie blue light. Its design was alien and menacing, its form seemingly shifting in and out of focus.

It was the Arcane Institute's secret project. An artificial machine created by the institute, with the intention of stopping anything from bringing Prisma back. Its main objective, however, was to restrain those who would dare get in their way. The machine itself somewhat resembled a Crystal, and speaking of Crystal, out of it, multiple crystals began to rain down from the sky.

As these crystals fell, the ground trembled. It felt like an earthquake was beginning. As the crystals landed, they embedded themselves deep into the ground. And then something happened. The crystals began to grow and expand, creating large, spire-like structures. They were beautiful and mesmerising, yet at the same time, there was something ominous and otherworldly about them.

The crystals began to glow with an intense blue light, as if they were alive and had a power of their own. The ponies of this city gazed at these crystals and immediately felt something within them.

Within their souls.

Millions of screams rang out across the Dream Nexus as the bodies of all the citizens would glow, and then disappear, emerging as dark pink orbs, their souls being pulled away and trapped in the crystals that rained from above, making them grow bigger the more they absorbed. Their souls would be seen inside these Crystals. It was the perfect prison to prevent anyone from interfering with the Institute's plans.

Twilight Moonlight and her Samurott stepped out from the vault, only to see that the entire area was devoid of life and only had these large crystal structures scattered across the streets, in homes, in alleyways, anywhere. She looked up and saw the machine, seeing the last of the souls enter it.

She lowered her head, knowing that the Professor would be upset with her for failing to retrieve Ethan. If anything, the collection of all these souls the second-best reward for the Arcane Institute, the perfect prison for anyone who dares interfere in their mission.

But it would be more than just a prison.

"Well, based on that, Twilight must've failed." Delight looked up, viewing the sight of this massive crystal from a faraway distance, alongside Venture. "Ethan definitely got away."

"Either way, I think we're done here. Probably gonna chase down Ethan to whatever world he's gone to." Venture added. "And thanks to that thing, I think it'll be easier the second time around."

The Arcane Institute.

"Excellent. This is a nice gathering of souls." The Professor spoke, watching it all from his monitor. "By taking all of their souls, not only am I preventing them from stopping us, it will also benefit Twilight. She hesitated, proving to me that she isn't strong enough. But I can still see the potential. If she was Twilight Luminaria, I believe she would've done it. Which is why these souls will help in her return. If Prisma does return, he won't be the only one to make a comeback."

The existence of this machine was clear. In case the first plan to stop Prisma did not work, a backup plan would be activated. To bring back Twilight Luminaria herself, the souls of millions, possibly billions of people would be required in order to bring back this entity, who could very well have a better chance of ending the threat.

And with the first world being successfully cleared, this plan was already set in motion. The Institute would not let anything stand in their way of saving the world from Prisma's revival.

"If it comes down to it, this option might prevail. Either way, both options are to ensure that he never returns. Either by destroying him ourselves, or having the one who defeated him in the first place do it once more."

Back at the Main Universe at Canterlot Castle, Medly was starting to wake up in her bed. She looked around, noticing the castle walls. The memories of what happened came rushing back to her and she gasped. She quickly looked around her bed to find Ethan's Orb.

"Ethan?" She whispered to herself, frantically looking around for him, but no luck. It seemed that the Orb wasn't with her. "Where is he?"

"Right here." Opening the door was Ethan, who had been revealed to be out of the Dream Orb. All thanks to Princess Celestia, who undid the magic as she stood behind Ethan. Medly gasped as she looked at him, happy to see him awake once more.

"Well, at least you're safe. But I couldn't keep my world safe." Medly looked down in defeat, knowing that her universe was about to get ravaged. "To be honest...I shouldn't even be here right now."

"What makes you say that?" Celestia walked over. "Ethan told me everything, how Twilight Moonlight appeared and almost captured him. It's wonderful that you're still here."

Medly looked up at her. "I got lucky. So, so lucky that she hesitated there. I wasn't sure why but it allowed me to get away." Medly then turned her head to Ethan. "But I shouldn't have fled. I should've stayed to protect my world, my home."

"But if you didn't, I'd have been gone." Ethan sat beside her. "Thanks for the save."

"That may be true, but who knows what's happening to my world right now? They completely overpowered us the moment they arrived." Medly's voice quivered. "They have the ability to traverse through universes. What else can they do?"

"Medly, you're not to blame." Celestia comforted her, placing her wing on the pony's back. "You did the right thing by fleeing to our world, bringing Ethan with you and warning us. And it isn't the end either. Everyone at the Universal Alliance promised to look out for one another. No matter the circumstance, we'll assist and save each other. Whatever happened to your universe, it won't be the end."

"Plus, you did me a huge favour." Ethan pointed at himself. "You didn't just save me, but you made it easier to join up with my counterparts."

"I did?"

"Mhm." Celestia nodded. "Recently, Ash and Red have decided to stick around each other more often. And now that Ethan is here, the three of them will be closer together. And I believe all 10 will be reunited once more. They believe, and I also believe that all 10 being together will help with the Prisma situation, but in a more positive way."

"I guess that's a victory in a way..." Medly sighed, but her thoughts went back to her world, hoping that everything was okay back there.

"I'll be sure to check up on your universe. I've already sent a few to investigate. You should get some rest while Ethan makes his way to Ash and the others." Celestia spoke before walking off, leaving Medly to rest for a bit longer while Ethan got up and walked off, giving a thumbs-up afterwards.

Medly looked up at the ceiling, thinking back to the moment when Twilight Moonlight hesitated. "Why didn't she do it?"

She remembered the way Twilight Moonlight had looked at her with those intense eyes, but she didn't have the drive to finish the job. Instead, she seemed to be in conflict with herself, essentially sabotaging herself.

The Dream Nexus City was in shambles with all of its souls taken and stored away. Of course, the entire universe itself hadn't been affected. Only this one city. And of course, such an event alerted the Rulers of this nation, who lived in an even larger city known as Fardream Capitol, an even bigger and grander city. This place as home to the largest accumulation of dreams possible, without a doubt.

At the heart of the Capitol was a grand castle that stood tall and proud against the sky. This was the home of the rulers of the Capitol, the Queen of Dreams, the King of Dreams and their daughter. Inside the throne room, they were discussing what to do next in response to this event. The King of Dreams was the one leading the discussion and had already called upon the most trusted members of the city to help him make a decision on the next steps.

"Princess Celestia says she'll speak with us further, but this is a disaster! All the souls of the Dream Nexus have been taken by that thing!" The King exclaimed, pacing back and forth.

"Thankfully, we can see it in the distance, but it hasn't made its way over to the Capitol. Not even the nearby cities." The Queen pointed to a screen that showed an image of the city, and a massive crystal in the sky.

The Princess of the Capitol was listening intently, and a look of worry was on her face as she watched the conversation. It was her first time experiencing something like this and she wasn't sure how to handle it. She looked out of the window, looking at that massive crystal. The Princess felt overwhelmed, as if she had to do something, anything, to help. She couldn't bear to sit back and do nothing while people's souls were being stolen.

Her name was Luna. This was yet another Luna out there in another world, but at a far younger age with different parents. She had the same blue coat and the same night sky-themed mane, with the exception that her mane had been changed to a shorter style that went to the back of her head.

"Well, it's starting to leave and we won't be able to catch it in time. All those from that Arcane Institute have started leaving as well." One of the royal aides informed the rulers. "We can't chase after them..."

"Not now we can't. But we will eventually. Once Princess Celestia sets something up, we will get all those stolen souls back and restore our subjects." The Kingt of Dreams vowed on hit, his dream-like beard flowing.

"I hope we do." The Queen sighed.

"Could I maybe do something, Mother? Father?" The little Luna asked.

"Sorry dear but this is far too much of a problem to have a child like yourself deal with it." The Queen shook her head.

"Mmrgh..." She pouted.

"In the meantime, let's keep every other town and city safe from them. They may have gotten the Dream Nexus, but I refuse to let them get anywhere else!" The King exclaimed, pointing to the sky. After years of them knowing peace, something has finally broken that cycle of peace and it would not go unanswered, no matter what they needed to do to stop them. But it wouldn't be the end of it.

It would be the beginning of something else. Something bigger than what they were all prepared for. The threat that the Arcane Institute are fighting against.

The return of Prisma, and the end of everything.

As for Twilight Moonlight, she was sitting by herself within the Arcane Institute's mode of transportation as they travelled elsewhere in search for their target. The vehicle in question resembled a train.

There, she thought back to her hesitation, and her lack of will to eliminate those in her way, even if it meant to prevent Prisma from reviving. Her lack of willingness to harm a foe was a great weakness for someone such as her.

"Was the Professor right? Am I really that weak to the core?" Twilight muttered to herself. The Professor had been proven right in her eyes. That weakness within her led to the mission of capturing Ethan ending up as a failure. Even though Ethan was right there, she held herself back, allowing Medly to save Ethan.

But was this really a weakness of hers? The Professor believed that she needed to have a strong will to eliminate all that stand in the way of preventing Prisma's revival, even if it means destroying innocents.

Twilight Moonlight sat on one of the many chairs within the train, staring up at the ceiling of it. "If I was as strong as the Professor says I could be, would I have done it? If I really had that will to end everything in the name of saving the world, I could have..." Twilight trailed off. She began to doubt herself, believing that maybe she wasn't cut out to be the chosen student of the Arcane Institute. Maybe she wasn't meant for the task at hand.

However, a strong part of her believed that she was eligible for this. After all, three other counterparts certainly wouldn't be up to it. Twilight Sparkle was far too close to Ash to even think about harming him. Sci-Twi was the same and Twilight Wish, despite not being close to him, would never think of that due to her kinder nature.

Only Twilight Moonlight deviated from her counterparts, having a more serious, stoic personality as well as having more magical training than all the Twilights. This gave her an advantage that her other selves did not possess. However, her own moral compass would be what hindered her, and that is the Professor was trying to make her overcome, to have no hesitation to eliminate anything and anyone that stands in the way, no matter how close it is.

But it wasn't as easy for her as the Professor would like it to be.

She continued staring at the ceiling. She knew that if she wanted to succeed in the mission of stopping Prisma, she would have to do something about it.

As Twilight Moonlight pondered the weight of her actions, a chilling voice resonated in the confines of her mind. "The failure that transpired was not a mistake, but a warning. A warning that this weakness of yours must be eliminated before we lose our grip on our goal." The Professor said within her mind. She had forgotten that the bodiless entity would sometimes speak within her mind. "I am disappointed in your failure to bring back the Dream Orb containing the counterpart's brother. Your failure to take decisive action was the result of your lack of conviction. If we are to succeed, you must steel your heart against any obstacle and take any necessary measures."

"But Professor, I-"

"No excuses, Twilight Moonlight." The Professor interrupted her, cutting off her sentence. "I have seen the potential within you and I am determined to unlock it. You possess a unique connection to the power of Twilight Luminaria, which could prove instrumental in our fight against Prisma. We are at war with the potential return of a powerful enemy who has already destroyed countless universes and taken countless lives. If we are to stop him and save countless lives from certain destruction, we must take every advantage available to us, regardless of the cost."

"I understand that, Professor." Twilight Moonlight looked down at her hoof, placing it on the seat. "The next time, I'll do it. Without a shadow of a doubt, I'll do it."

She said with her eyes narrowing, believing in herself, having a strong resolve. She had to. In order to save countless people from the return of a monster that destroyed an entire universe. And this was the one person that defeated him.

"We've located Ethan's next location. He's at the main universe. It won't be easy finding him there. That universe is the biggest threat and the most powerful out of all of them." Venture spoke to the other ponies and humans, who all listened intently. "So be extra careful when you're there. We'll try to be as discreet as possible in that universe. It's far too risky to draw any attention."

Everyone nodded and they were off. Their objective to retrieve Ethan. As for their objective, it was something they knew had to do. It wasn't a matter of want. But of need. For the Professor, his goal was clear as day. And the rest of them had that same goal in mind as the journey continues.

Chapter 645 End.