//------------------------------// // Return of the Sith // Story: Maul-verse // by AntiBronyBenSwolo //------------------------------// Maul fidgeted with the ropes binding himself and Rainbow Dash as Light Gazer brought Twilight and the rest of her friends to Nightmare Moon. As much as he couldn't believe that the Shadowbolt survived a fall like that, Maul thought best to use him as a distraction. "I must say, it is impressive you were to survive a fall like that," Maul lied to Light Gazer, flattering him. "Oh, well...thank you, I guess," Light Gazer replied, awkward about being complimented by the man who tossed him off a cliff. Light Gazer cleared his throat and continued his own lie to Nightmare Moon. "Anyway, as I have mentioned before..." Light Gazer said, before being cut off. "Yes, yes, yes. You caught the other five ponies before they could get the Elements. Well done," Nightmare Moon said, patting Light Gazer's head. "Gotta say. It is a relief seeing you alive," Night Streak commented. Shooting Star patted Light Gazer on the back as the three Shadowbolts went off to congratulate each other for their victory with Nightmare Moon. Rainbow Dash bowed her head in sorrow and defeat. She didn't realize the deception created to blind Nightmare Moon, and fell blind to it as well, believing that Nightmare Moon actually had won. Her sorrows were halted, however, when her hoof was poked with a jagged rock, causing her to jump. "Oh, sorry," Maul sarcastically commented. Rainbow Dash was confused and heard a low sawing noise. She felt her binds getting looser by the second. "Wait, what are you doing?" Rainbow Dash whispered to Maul. "Escaping. What does it look like?" Maul explained, as Rainbow Dash looked down and saw a sharp rock in Maul's front hoof cutting the binds off of them. "Wait, what about..." Rainbow Dash asked before being cut off. "When you're free, reunite with your friends. I've got other things to worry about," Maul explained as he continued to cut the ropes off. Soon enough, the binds were broken as Maul got up and snuck into the dark corridors of the castle while Rainbow Dash got back to her friends. "Hey, guys," Rainbow Dash whispered to her friends. "Rainbow Dash? How'd you get out?" Applejack whispered back. "Maul cut the ropes. Anyway, I'm gonna get us out of here," Rainbow Dash explained. "But we got here to get you out," Fluttershy whispered back. "You didn't think all five of us would actually be captured by an injured pony, right?" Pinkie Pie asked, confusing Rainbow Dash. "Where's Maul by the way?" Rarity asked. Rainbow Dash shrugged as she realized that leaving Maul unchecked was a bad idea. He was the one who broke everypony's bones and delayed them from getting the Elements longer than Nightmare Moon would have. Meanwhile, Maul roamed the dark halls of the castle with only the Force guiding him, as well as the pale moon lighting up the hallways. Where were these "Elements of the Dark Side" Kenobi spoke of? And what did they do? Only one way to find out. Maul continued to roam the castle finding the answers to the questions swirling his dark mine. "I see you're lost," Kenobi's voice said, startling Maul. Maul stared at Kenobi and growled. "Well, I haven't found the Elements of the Dark Side you told me about, so yes. Yes, I am lost," Maul said, as he stomped off with Kenobi following him. "Turn right," Kenobi said, as Maul looked at Kenobi, wanting to yell at him so badly, but didn't want his cover blown. "'Turn right'? What's that supposed to mean?" Maul asked. Kenobi shrugged at Maul, almost chuckling. "I'm helping you find your Elements. Now turn right," Kenobi explained. Maul looked to his right and saw another couple hallways, one of them illuminated with a red light. Maul followed the red light, changing direction from corridor to corridor until he came face to face with a door with two torches on both sides, each torch lit with a red flame. Maul examined the flames a bit further, as they reminded him of the many red lightsabers he saw in his path. Maul's head flashed back, as he remembered every lightsaber duel he has ever been in, tears swelling down his eyes. He saw the dead body of his brother, Savage, as the green mist of the nightsisters slowly left him, leaving Savage from the powerful juggernaut who once served him faithfully, to the weakling he was born as on Dathomir. As much as Maul hated to admit it, he loved his brother, so much as to even take him in as his apprentice. The door lit up, revealing ancient text reading "From sorrow comes purpose, and from purpose comes power," Maul read the text, and by reading the text causing the door to open. Maul walked in and saw 4 pedestals half the height as the ones he saw before, and instead of housing silver orbs, four large red crystals, each of them encased in pieces of dark grey armor. The armor appeared to be two cuffs that were worn on the front legs, a chest piece with artificial wings, and a helmet with an artificial horn. Maul was about to touch the helmet when the temple started rumbling. "Kenobi, tell me what's happening. Is this place booby-trapped?" Maul asked. "No. In fact, this rumbling might be because Twilight and her friends are facing off against Nightmare Moon. They have the Elements of Harmony." Kenobi guessed. Maul realized that he didn't want to miss out on the fight, and took the armor for himself. As he placed the armor, he wondered what kind of power this armor would bring. He didn't have too much time to think, as the armored Maul raced towards the room he was kept a prisoner in, and planned to join in. Maul came out of the dark corridors and saw a bright light surrounding the six ponies. The Shadowbolts lied down unconscious, as they have been beaten by the six mares. Nightmare Moon just stood there petrified. Maul just watched them as nobody noticed him. "You see Nightmare Moon when those elements are ignited by the Spark, it ignites and creates the sixth element. The Element of Magic!" Twilight monologued. Maul clearly missed out on what happened but went with it. Twilight and her friends fired a beam of pure white magic at Nightmare Moon but was shielded by a dark magic. Nightmare turned around and saw Maul using the Elements to defend her. "You? What are you doing here?" Nightmare Moon asked, concerned about how long Maul's shield will last. "You didn't think I was done with you, didn't I?" Maul asked, hissing like a snake. Nightmare Moon gulped in fear. Maul wasn't going to rescue her, but rather imprison her with the Elements of the Dark Side. "What happened?" Night Streak asked, his head throbbing from an aching fight. He woke Light Gazer and Shooting Star up, and the three Shadowbolts saw Nightmare Moon being pulled apart by the Elements of Harmony and the Dark Side. "You think it's a good idea to disrupt this kind of thing?" Light Gazer asked as he placed his hoof on Night Streak's shoulder. "It'll be fine. You wanna save your queen or not?" Night Streak asked as Light Gazer conceded and followed his fellow Shadowbolt into battle. Maul saw the two pegasi charging at them, but as they were, two bolts of red lightning lunged from Maul's armor and into Night Streak and Light Gazer, rendering Night Streak unconscious, while incinerating Light Gazer. "That's what you get for surviving the first time around," Maul muttered, as he returned his attention to Nightmare Moon and the Mane 6. Shooting Star was shocked by Light Gazer's disintegration, and grabbed Night Streak's body and escaped the battle to prevent any more casualties. Maul concentrated his use of the Elements of the Dark Side to his fullest potential, clashing with the magic of the Elements of Harmony, causing a massive explosion blowing the entire palace to the ground, and stunning everyone. "Did we get her?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight, as the six friends saw an unconscious blue mare with horns and wings, like Nightmare Moon, except looking less evil than before. Twilight and her friends examined her up closely, as the mare got up and felt like she slept forever.