Polaris-Ponyta, Mia-Alolan Marowak, Marin-Primarina, Lunick-Midnight Lycanroc, Twine-Lurantis, Hachi-Mimikyu, Zetty-Rotom Dex

Mewtwo, Lily-Mom Mewtwo, Twilight-young Mewtwo, Edward-Zoroark

Chapter 21: Night Wings

We'd have to split up our party. I needed Lily to teleport us to Tapo Koko. But Mewtwo had to stay to finish helping Anabel, which meant that Edward had to stay to keep up his Alakazam disguise. That meant the moment Lily teleported away, her disguise would disappear, and she would appear as a Mewtwo once more. The human Lillie was coming with me to see the Tapu. She would see the Mewtwo Lily without her disguise. So many complications. But I did trust Lillie – she wouldn't do anything to put the Mewtwos in danger.

Tapu Koko already seemed to approve of me, so he was the obvious choice to visit. Hopefully he would know something about Nebby. I didn't want to stretch our hospitality at the Tapu temple, so Ben and Hari would stay behind to help Mewtwo. Though Hari also had to deal with his cracked ribs. Zetty offered to stay too, in case his database could help. Memory restoration was still a new and tricky subject for Mewtwo. And once he was done with Anabel's memories, he had offered to do the same for Lillie and Gladion's dad.

Twilight decided to come with us. Lily, Twilight, Lillie and I gathered together in the corner of the hospital room. We waved to the rest of our friends, bidding them luck for the continued recovery of those with amnesia and poisoning. Then Lily teleported.

We found ourselves standing back where I had first met Lillie. The rope bridge had been repaired, and now stretched across the chasm to Tapu Koko's shrine. Lily and Twilight stood with their disguises stripped. Lillie the girl saw them and gave a yelp of astonishment.

"It's okay," I said quickly. "This is still Lily and Twilight. They've been in disguise this whole time, because they'd be in danger if people found out about them."

Lillie gaped at them for a moment, then gave a polite nod of greeting. "Nice to meet you. Um, properly."

"Please don't tell anyone about them," I said.

Twilight almost never met new humans. He floated over to Lillie, who took a startled step back. "Hello!"

"Hello. Um, Twilight, right?"

He nodded, grinning. "That's my mom." He pointed at Lily.

"Th-thank you again for all your help. With my mother," Lillie stammered.

"I'm glad I could help." Lily bowed her head and we started across the bridge.

This new bridge was much sturdier, to my relief. Twilight and Lily just flew over. As we neared the entrance to the cave, I paused. "Tapu Lele didn't like it when I brought legendary Pokémon to her island. Could the two of you wait out here, so we don't risk anything with Tapu Koko?"

Lilly and Twilight nodded, though Twilight looked disappointed.

Lillie gave me a questioning look, but I beckoned for her to follow. She hugged her bag tight, where Nebby was nestled. The pair of us stepped inside and down the cool, dark halls.

Tapu Koko was waiting for us at the altar. "I thought you would come. I thank you for helping defend my island."

"It was our pleasure," I replied. "I was hoping if you could answer a question for us."

"Is that all?"

"I hope so."

Tapu Koko gave a little snort of amusement. "What is it then?"

I nodded to Lillie. She stepped forward, and Tapu Koko's gaze shifted to her for the first time. Lillie fidgeted. "Aether Paradise let Ultra Beasts loose across Alola. They used Nebby's powers to do that. But it did something to Nebby too. She went all stiff like this, and hasn't moved since. I wondered if you knew anything about her. Or how to help her." She took Nebby out of her bag and held her out for Tapu Koko to see.

He reached out and touched Nebby's hard shell. "I see. Go to the Altar of the Moone, on Poni Island. Play the two flutes. However, I suggest caution. I don't believe Alola can link to so many other worlds without… Something greater taking notice. The Altar of the Moone is a powerful hub for such things. Don't let your guard down."

I tensed. "What is it?"

Tapu Koko was silent for a long time. "Another passage is trying to open. I don't want to know what's on the other side."

Lillie couldn't understand what he was saying, but she bowed and said, "Thank you."

I bowed too. The Tapu nodded, then turned and flew from the temple.

"What did he say?" Twilight exclaimed when we emerged back into sunlight. I told them what had happened in the temple.

"Maybe Nebby can stop that new wormhole from opening," Twilight suggested. "And we can help!" He glanced at his mom.

She smiled. "I think so. Let's go and fix your little friend." She teleported us to Poni Island.

We were standing on a staircase, cracked and crumbling but still intact. It seemed to climb up half the mountain. Lily used her psychic powers to lift us.

Lillie gasped at the unexpected sensation, grabbing for my arm. She looked half scared, half in wonder as our group flew up the ancient temple stairs. Above, a great circle was carved into the cliffside, decorated with symbols. Just beneath was a huge courtyard. Twilight zoomed out to explore, flying to the base of the cliff, and then from one side to the other. He was looking for the flutes Tapu Koko had mentioned. The rest of us walked forward, staring around at the huge temple.

"I found the flutes! There's one on each side." Twilight zoomed back to us and pointed at two points near the base of the cliff. "There's places for you to stand while you play."

Lillie and I nodded to each other, and headed in opposite directions to retrieve the flutes. Twilight flew past me and hovered over the pedestal where the flute was. The instrument didn't look old at all. It was beautiful and shining, with a crescent fixed to it. That same crescent symbol was carved into the cliff face. This was the altar of the Moone, after all. I lifted the flute from its pedestal. A strange sensation came over me. A sort of understanding, like the flute knew what to do. I glanced across the courtyard to Lillie. She was holding the second flute in the same sort of amazed way. Her feet seemed to carry her to a little platform on her side of the altar. There was a similar platform near me. I found my feet moving toward it. Then I lifted the flute and blew. My fingers slid over the keys on their own. In the distance, I could hear Lillie playing. The sound of the flutes twined like singing wind, echoing out over the courtyard. When the melody faded, the mountain itself seemed to hold its breath. Then the ground trembled. I automatically grabbed Twilight. Lily shot to our side. The ground around us burst into blue light. Gleaming patterns flowed up the cliff face and around the carved circle. The old stone cliff ground against each other in a shower of dust as an ancient circle opened into a doorway. Light speared out of the opening, forming into a beam that pierced to the center of the courtyard.

On the other side of the altar, Lillie gasped and made a grab for her backpack. Her bag had torn itself free from her grip. Something small and shining rose out of it, drawn into the beam of light. Nebby.

The brightness pulsed, and I threw an arm up to shield my eyes. The light condensed and shattered into fragments that rained down like stardust. As my light-dazzled eyes refocused, I saw a Pokémon. Great curving wings glittered like the night sky. She threw back her head and sang out a long, high note. She wheeled overhead in an aerial dance. We stared, entranced, as she landed in the center of the altar and waited for us.

It was Lunala, a legendary Pokémon of Alola which symbolized the moon. Lunala had emerged from the jeweled form of Nebbby. So… Cosmog was a baby Lunala?

"Nebby," Lillie whispered. Lunala faced her, making a soothing chiming sound. Lillie put out a hand, and Lunala nuzzled it. Then Lunala turned to me and pressed her nose into my palm.

"Welcome back," I said, my breath catching with the wonder of it. "You're beautiful."

She crooned softly. Twilight floated up to her, fascinated by this new Pokémon. Lunala was equally interested. We stood there, admiring Nebby's new form and watching her play with Twilight.

"Wow," Lillie said. "I never expected… And I did so much research!"

I shook my head. "I've never heard of anything like this either. I don't know any other legendary Pokémon that evolves. But legendaries are full of surprises."

Lily gave me an ironic smile. She certainly knew about that.

"So, Nebby," I said. "How do you feel?"

She gave a light laugh. "Powerful. You know, Nebby wasn't originally my name. I always considered it a nickname from Lillie. I used to go by the name Chanti. It's a combination of words for moon and peace."

"Chanti," I replied through telepathy. "It's lovely."

A shiver ran across Lunala's skin and she glanced around. Then Lily shuddered too.

"What is it?" I asked, even as I felt a creeping along my spine. A breeze swept past, and all of us looked up.

A wormhole was peeling open.

"Get back!" Lily shouted. She jumped in front of Lillie, Twilight and I. She and Lunala faced the wormhole, where black claws were gripping the edges. Huge arms pulled the rest of the body through, dark and angular. A fiery aura blazed off it. much like the aura from Nihilego and the other Ultra Beasts. And… and it was something like the Totem Pokémon too.

"It's Necrozma!" Chanti cried.

"What's Necrozma?" I shouted back, hugging Twilight and staying close at Lillie's side.

Chanti let out a dangerous growl. "Like the monsters in childhood stories. They say that long ago, he lost his light. Now he comes to steal ours."

Necrozma hurled a slash of psychic energy at us. Lily threw up a barrier, deflecting it.

Chanti let out a grating battle cry and hurtled forward.

"Wait!" I shouted.

The two clashed overhead. Lily left a protective bubble around us and went to join the battle. As I watched Necrozma fight, something seemed odd. And not just its alien appearance. It was the way it moved. I hesitated, then used telepathy to touch Necrozma. I shrank back. Necrozma was in pain. Constant, burning pain. Why? The pain felt so old that the creature had become its pain. Unending pain and rage.

Chanti struck with her wings, and Necrozma sent out a searing beam. Chanti dodged and pulsed a wave of light from her wings. Necrozma dodged, but Lily's attack hit. Staggering slightly, he turned and countered with another laser bolt. It struck our shield, shattering it. Lillie and I tumbled backward, but Twilight caught us before we went over the cliff. Lily gasped and rushed to our aid. But the black creature aimed at her exposed back and struck. She crumpled to the ground.

"Mom!" Twilight shouted. We hurried to her side.

Chanti keened in alarm. Necrozma seized her hesitation. He slammed into her and flattened her to the ground, pinning her there with massive claws. Energy surged through Necrozma and into Chanti, bursting outward in a blinding flash.

"Nebby!" Lillie shouted.

As the light dimmed, I thought I was reliving a nightmare. It was Kyurem all over again. Just as Kyruem had possessed Zekrom, so had Necrozma taken over Chanti. Her once starry wings shone pale, and her eyes glowed red and blank. Necrozma's armor covered her middle and his clawed arms reached out like talons. The fused beast threw back its wings and claws and screeched, a grating sound that made us clap out hands over our ears. Waves of darkness poured off of the beast. The darkness seemed to gather over our head, making the sunlight dim to dusk. Necrozma rose into the air and began to fade back into the Ultra wormhole.

"No!" Lillie cried, throwing out an arm.

Twilight clung to me, shaking. I took a step toward the wormhole, but froze. I'd just seen why the light was growing dim. The sunlight was vanishing. Chanti had said it herself. Necrozma had come to steal the light. Both hers, and our sun's. As Necrozma drew further back into the wormhole, the sun grew darker and darker.

Lily stirred.

I had to do something. I set Twilight down. "Lillie!" I shouted. Our eyes met. "Stay with Twilight. Tell the others what happened." She gave a brief nod. If that wormhole disappeared, Necrozma, Lunala, and the sun would be gone.

Lily wrapped an arm under my shoulders and shot up toward the wormhole. I didn't have time to look back. All I could see was the Alolan day that had suddenly become midnight, and the wormhole steadily shrinking. Then we plunged through.