Twilight eventually came to on sandy-covered shores, groaning as she rubbed her head and fluttered her eyes open. She looked out at the ocean for the cruise ship, but saw nothing but rolling waves and other islands in the distance. She turned her head back to see where exactly she wound up, but could only see a mountain with some trees around it.

"W-wha?" She flapped her tail, splashing it against the waters as she flopped around. Once she was deep enough, she swam out to the rest of her friends, who were all waving over to her. "Girls? Where are we? What happened to Maelstro?"

"Calm yourself." Venoct landed on the water, balancing himself on the tips of his toes. "You are alright. Maelstro is defeated and all is well again. King Void has lost another one of his aces."

"But, much like everything in these worlds, it came with a heavy cost." Kyubi looked out at the waters. "That ship you were all on? Some evil thing with black raven feather wings destroyed it and slaughtered all of the ponies on board."

Twilight's entire body went cold at the sound of Kyubi's grim description. Her hands began to quiver as she thought about what had happened. "Midnight—no. I murdered all of those poor ponies. I'm to blame for all of them getting destroyed..."

"Midnight? Can you explain this to me?" Venoct went over to Twilight, kneeling down before her. "If I can grasp the situation at hand, I might be able to come up with a solution that might be able to alleviate your worries."

"Well, basically, when King Void first attacked me in Ponyville, he launched this black energy at me." Twilight recalled the day when she first encountered the Dark Yo-kai. "After that, he left us all to fight Lash. You remember him, right?"

"How could we not?" Kyubi tipped her claw. "That British accent of his got really old really fast."

"Well, just like what happened then, this new Yo-kai, Maelstro..." Twilight began to choke on her own words as tears began to form in her eyes. "She allured me with darkness, awakening Midnight Sparkle from within me. With both of their voices ringing, they took over my body and caused me to unleash dark magic beyond compare. With them in control, they made me kill those ponies cause unspeakable harm..." The tears eventually flooded out as she bawled like an infant as she swam over to her friends, who all gave her hugs and patted her on the back. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen!"

"Interesting." Venoct watched Twilight crying and wailing as her friends comforted her. "So King Void's trying to make Twilight evil by pressuring her into using this Midnight Sparkle. Of all of the cold-hearted, selfish, vile, and cruel acts that I've seen, that has to be the worst of them all."

"You tell us about it." Mermother swam up to the surface with Mermadonna and a lone Mermaidyn in tow. "King Void's Dark Yo-kai nearly destroyed our entire kingdom!"

"Those freaks ruined my make-up. When I see another of those stupid Dark Yo-kai, I'm gonna Soultimate them so hard that they'll be wishing they were never born!" Mermadonna pouted and crossed her arms.

"We need to stop them, but how are we possibly going to do it when those Dark Yo-kai keep on tempting Twilight to become Midnight Sparkle?" Rarity asked, looking at the group of Yo-kai. "Those heinous fiends show no respect for her, or for any of my stuff that was lost on that ship!"

"If Midnight Sparkle is being tempted out by the Dark Yo-kai, then we need to go to a place where King Void can't possibly touch her." Kyubi laid the unconscious Maelstro on the sands. "I was just about to head over there myself to drop this Dark One off, but I suppose I could make some more space for the rest of you."

"Kyubi? Are you implying that we take Twilight to the queen herself?" Venoct's eyes widened. "But the time isn't right yet! There are still plenty of things she needs to know before we—"

"Venoct, I appreciate the whole tough-ninja discipline and all, but it's seriously not helping!" Kyubi slapped Venoct's mouth shut with her claw. "Ponies in this world are dying each and every day and Twilight Sparkle keeps being influenced by Midnight Sparkle. We NEED to show her to Queen Ephemer in the Yo-kai World and I won't take no for an answer on this one!"

"Kyubi, sometimes I worry for your sanity." Venoct face-palmed and hovered towards the group of ponies. "Well, it looks like we're at an impasse, girls. Twilight Sparkle is coming with us to the Yo-kai World to meet Queen Ephemer." He reached out for them all. "I don't suppose that you'd like to come with us?"

"Well, it's a mighty fine gesture and all, but I don't really feel like this is the proper time for that." Applejack patted the back of Twilight's head. "Can't ya'll see that Twilight thinks she murdered a group of ponies? She needs us now more than ever, and I don't think she'd ever want to come with you in the state she's in."

"No, Applejack. It's fine." Twilight took a deep breath and wiped her eyes dry. "I've made a massive screw-up. I think I deserve some time in the Yo-kai World to clear my head and regather my thoughts..."

"Are you sure that you'll be OK there, Twilight?" Whisper flew up to her and held her hoof. "You've never been to the Yo-kai World before. It's unlike anywhere you've ever been before. I just don't think that you'll be quite relaxed over there."

"Whisper. Please." Twilight pushed him away. "I can't look at the ponies again until I feel confident enough to take on King Void. Until then, I'm going to spend my time in the Yo-kai World with Venoct, Kyubi, and the queen. It's the only place I feel is safe from King Void and the Dark Yo-kai anymore."

"But what about us? We can't get home if you just leave us stuck like this." Rainbow Dash looked down at her fins.

"And even if you do turn us back into ponies, you'd be stranding us on an island far away from Equestria with no possible way to get us all home." Fluttershy shook her head. "We have to come with you. There's just no other way."

"Before anyone else says anything, I want to give this to Twilight as a token of my appreciation." Mermother gently paddled towards Twilight and held out her hand. She dropped a Yo-kai Medal into Twilight's hands. However, it had a red rim instead of a silver rim like all of the others. "Now, why don't you two do the same?" She turned to Mermadonna and Mermaidyn.

"Yo-kai Medals?" Twilight took Mermother's medals before Mermadonna and Mermaidyn slipped theirs into Twilight's hand. "Why are they red around the edges?"

"They're Classic Yo-kai Medals." Whisper raised his finger. "In order to summon Mermaidyn, Mermadonna, and Mermother, you'll need to use your Yo-kai Watch Model Zero. No other Yo-kai Watch will cut it, I'm afraid."

"The Model Zero?" Twilight raised her brows. "How am I—" before she could finish, Whisper drove himself into Twilight's arm, eating the Yo-kai Watch whole "—WHISPER?! WHAT IN CELESTIA'S NAME ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Just switching your watch." Whisper took himself off of Twilight, revealing that the blue and yellow Model Zero was now firmly secured around Twilight's arm. "A handy tool for all wielder of the Yo-kai Watch. I, Whisper, can switch your watch at any time, so you don't have to take yours off and take a painfully long time getting the other one on."

"You can do that?" Rainbow Dash cocked a brow as she gazed at Twilight's new watch.

"It works for all Yo-kai Watches." Whisper nodded. "Including the Yo-kai Watch U that you received back when you met Nyanta Paws."

"Alright?" Twilight looked at her new watch. "So, how do I operate this one?" She took Mermaidyn's medal and slipped it into the watch. She was expecting the summon to be automatic, but nothing happened whatsoever.

"With the Model Zero, you simply need to turn the knob like this to the number one setting first." Whisper pushed it himself, hearing it click as he dragged it across the edge.

"Oh! Summoning Time!" The Model Zero spoke as the dial hit the one setting.

Twilight looked down at the watch's arms and saw a rainbow coil around it. Mermaidyn swam and danced to an acapella version of the Slippery Tribe's summoning chant with arabic instruments playing in the background. She watched as the mermaid Yo-kai swooped, dived, and gave an innocent smile to her.

"And once all that's said and done, you simply change the knob to the number two. Like so." Whisper moved the dial to the other side of the watch.

"Summoning: Slippery?" A small fanfare accompanied the watch as the light blue streams shot out of the watch. There was no tribe song, however, and Mermaidyn simply went through the hole above her head and burst out of the watch.

"Ta-da!" She threw her arms out and landed back into the water.

"And voila! You've just summoned your first Classic Yo-kai!" Whisper bowed before Twilight. "Glad to be of assistance, Princess Twilight."

"Well, if you're all done with your celebrations, we should get going." Venoct looked out at the waters beyond. "Who knows when the Dark Yo-kai could attack?"

"They'll probably be after me for capturing Maelstro." Kyubi hoisted the Dark One over her shoulders again. "Turn yourselves back into ponies and let's get going already!"

"Alright, alright. Sheesh. Such a buzzkill." Twilight lit up her horn and caused a pink burst of energy to flow from her. With a blast of light, the Main Six were all back to being the ponies that they once were, with all of their limbs and Cutie Marks intact. "See you all soon, Mermaidyn, Mermadonna, Mermother." She bowed to all of the mermaids, who waved them all off as they walked up to Venoct and Kyubi.

Once Twilight and the Main Six gathered with Venoct and Kyubi, the two Yo-kai put their hands on the ground, causing a massive rainbow-coloured portal to appear by their feet. The girls all dived in and flew through the vortex of light, following the Yo-kai to their world. Some of them screamed, while others whooped and cheered as they hurled themselves into it.

Kin, Gin, Inumaro, Nekokiyo, and Nurarihyon were all down on their knees, panting heavily as they wiped the blood off of their faces. Their bodies were heavily scratched and bruised and none of them had the energy to take another step forward or use an attack on their opponent.

"I... won't let you leave this place alive." Nurarihyon slithered forward, his slimy barbed tentacles gave him some mobility, but it was very limited as his vision became blurred. "Die! Time Witches!"

"For a Dark Yo-kai... you seem... to have a lot of fight in you, Nura—" Kin winced and gritted her teeth as the pain caught up with her "—rihyon."

"I've seen enough." King Void's voice boomed out as the sky turned black. "This pointless fighting will end nothing. Those that cannot fight, will not."

With a crash of lightning, the winged demon appeared before all five of the winded Yo-kai. He simply grabbed Kin and Gin by the faces and tightened his grip, causing them to disappear in a black burst of darkness. "Return to the castle, you two. You've made baboons of yourselves long enough."

"King Void!" Inumaro slowly got up to his feet and coiled his claws into a fist as he pulled his head from the dirt. "Stand... down! Don't make me hurt you!"

"What a waste of a Yo-kai you are, Inumaro." King Void simply kicked Inumaro in the back of the head, throwing him to the ground once more. "If only you and your accomplices had the conviction to destroy that foolish boy and his friends, you would've conquered the Yo-kai World and we might've become friends. How disappointing."

"Die!" Nekokiyo pounced from his spot and tackled King Void, gnashing his teeth at the Dark Yo-kai's face. "For the honour of Lord Nurarihyon and Queen Ephe—" he stopped, feeling that he had been impaled by the king's sword.

"Out of my face." King Void threw Nekokiyo against Nurarihyon, pulling the sword out of his chest. "Even if you were to become your fused form and attack me, you three would still not be enough to stop me or my plans. Darkness cannot be destroyed. It lives on in every living thing's heart."

"What... do you plan—" Nurarihyon coughed up some purple blood "—to do?"

"This whole universe is a giant chess board, with Twilight Sparkle and her friends as the major pieces." King Void crossed his arms. "Everything else is nothing more than a pawn, standing in my way of my ultimate victory. I will cut all of those fools myself and claim these worlds all for myself." He drew a circle around Inumaro, Nekokiyo, and Nurarihyon. "Run home to your queen. Tell her these precise words." He leaned in close to their faces as they sank through the portal that appeared around them. "Long. Live. The. King!"

Nurarihyon and his allies could only just black out as they fell through the portal, hearing screams of torment and anguish as they descended through the spiral of purple and black magic. King Void's words were echoing in their mind, chasing them down through the darkness as they tumbled towards a single sliver of light at the bottom of the darkness.