//------------------------------// // Duel Of The Princesses // Story: Twilight Sparkle Fools Around With A Lightsaber // by DmitriTheWriter //------------------------------// Twilight gently pushed open the colossal doors to the Canterlot Palace. The vast halls were strangely empty, almost abandoned, like nopony has even lived here for centuries. Dust hung in the air like thick clouds, causing Twilight to go into a brief coughing fit. The blinds on the windows were-all half drawn, and the dais was partially cloaked in shadow. The doors suddenly closed behind Twilight, leaving her to see only by the light she could summon with her horn, which dimly lit the entire room. "Hello?" Twilight called, as the unsettling thought that this may have been a trap began to gnaw at her mind. "Is anypony there?" "Welcome, Twilight Sparkle," a sinister figure appeared on the dais. It seemed almost to be a living shadow, and Twilight would know. She had fought too many of those. "Wh-who are you and what have you done with the Princesses?" Twilight asked, already having a faint idea of who it was. "Oh, you know who I am," the shadowy figure revealed itself to be Nightmare Moon, who lit the torches lining the walls of the palace with emerald green fire. "Nightmare Moon?! But, but how?!" Twilight questioned. "I thought you were gone for good! I-I w-warn you, I'm armed!" Twilight timidly drew her lightsaber from her saddlebag, activating it. "Hmm, how cute," Nightmare Moon drew her own lightsaber hilt from a now-visible scabbard on her left rear leg. "Impossible! How can you have one too?!" Twilight questioned further. "I find your lack of faith disturbing," 'Nightmare Moon' chuckled lightly and winked at Twilight. Twilight suddenly realized her decidedly non-dire situation and allowed herself to relax just a bit, even smiling. "Twilight Sparkle, you do not know the power of the dark side!" Luna said as she activated her lightsaber, its blade glowing red. Twilight pawed at the ground, preparing to charge. To her shock, it was Luna that initiated the conflict, galloping forth with her saber in tow. Their floating lightsabers clashed, sending a wave of sparks flying. As they dueled, Twilight realized that she was giving more ground than she thought she was, being almost all the way back to the palace doors. In a split second, Twilight teleported onto the perch above the palace doors, narrowly avoiding being cut by Luna's fiery blade. "Impressive. Most impressive," Luna commended as she flew up to look Twilight in the eyes. "Pony-Wan has taught you well. You would do well as my apprentice, child." "Never!" Twilight yelled as she and Luna resumed their fight. Twilight started to get the hang of fighting with her lightsaber after a while, even managing to send Luna's saber flying all the way to the dais where the thrones sat. With no fear of immediate counterattack, she jumped from the perch above the palace doors as Luna levitated her lightsaber hilt back to herself and reactivated it. After sending some more sparks flying between them, Twilight and Luna finally got into a fierce power struggle with their blades so they could talk for a bit. "Pony-Wan never told you what happened to your father," Luna said. "He told me enough," Twilight faked anguish in her voice. "He told me you killed him!" "No, I am your father," Luna said. Twilight's facial expression changed from false distress to genuine confusion. "That's...not true. That's impossible." "Search your feelings, you know it to be true," Luna insisted. "No, I mean that's literally impossible. You're a female, you can't be my father. That's not how biology works," Twilight explained. "Seriously? This is what you are choosing to nitpick?" Luna asked incredulously. "It's a legitimate nitpick!" Twilight insisted. "Never you mind!" Luna continued. "Join me, Twilight, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son!" "Mother and daughter," Twilight corrected. "Oh, you know what I meant!" Luna shouted playfully, causing both combatants to laugh uncontrollably, causing them to disengage briefly before getting back to the fighting. Despite Twilight's newfound experience with her saber, Luna still attacked relentlessly enough to force her back, not even getting a hit in herself. This continued until a light as brilliant as the sun itself began to shine behind Luna, pausing the fight for a moment. Luna turned her head and saw that it was her sister Celestia, her pursed lips revealing that she was trying her hardest not to crack a smile as she stood upon the dais at the center of the throne room. "Hold it right there," Celestia said. "Darth Nightmare Moon, I believe you have plagued Equestria for long enough." "Pony-Wan Kenobi?! This cannot be! You were dead!" Luna said. "You struck me down, so I became more powerful than you could ever imagine," Celestia said. "No!" Luna shouted to the heavens in a comical fashion, causing uproarious laughter among the three princesses. "Well wasn't this fun for all parties involved?" Celestia asked rhetorically. "I'll say!" Twilight agreed. "Let's do it again sometime!" "I'll need some white robes and a beard for next time," Celestia said. "And I'll need a dashing helmet with horns or some such!" Luna added. "Ooh, and a voice amplifier as well!" "Trust me, sister, you do not need a voice amplifier," Celestia said, causing yet more laughter among the princesses.