The ancient Sith home world of Korriban glowed its usual bright orange glow as an imperial shuttle zoomed in toward the planet’s surface. When it finally reached the surface, it came slowly down along the red-sanded terrain. The rear cargo bay door opened, allowing Darth Seraphina and her entourage of Stormtroopers to emerge. Seraphina glanced around the birthplace of her order and couldn’t help but feel slightly nostalgic. Three years passed since she last came her, yet it only felt as though it were yesterday.
Walking slowly forward, her dark cloak billowing behind her, Darth Seraphina made her way towards the Sith Academy. Walking through the halls of the ancient training grounds of the great Sith, its path certainly held an aura. Breathing in through the receptors of her mask, she could taste the darkness radiating from this place.
“This is certainly an unexpected surprise.”
The voice drew Seraphina toward her right where a figure slowly approached. The figure was that of an elderly Sith woman with gray hair and a rather wrinkled complexion. She wore dark bluish purple robes connected to a facial apparatus. The one distinguishing feature surrounding this woman were the set of blood red Sith eyes.
“Overseer Ragate,” Seraphina acknowledged. “We finally meet at last.”
The elderly Sith bent her knees in the presence of the Emperor’s Fury.
“Darth Seraphina, so divine to make your acquaintance,” Ragate reciprocated.
The elderly lady rose back to her feet, proceeding to lead Seraphina and her guards through the academy.
“What can you tell me of the acolyte you’ve been training?” Seraphina asked.
“Not much is really known of her other than what we’ve been told my lady,” Ragate answered. “She was brought to this planet when she was fourteen years of age. The soldiers found her on Nar Shaddaa working as a dancer for a Hutt by name of Wuttle. They witnessed a man mercilessly beat her when she refused ‘service’ to him. In the blink of an eye, she sent the man flying backward before crushing his scrawny neck with the force. Quite satisfying, I must say.”
“How long was she on Nar Shaddaa?”
“Since her first breath, I’m told. Stolen from her mother’s arms before she even opened her eyes and sold to a slaver. When she started walking, they fit her with a shock collar and from that day forth became a slave. As she grew older, her beauty grew stronger which ultimately led to her being sold to the Hutt. The moment she demonstrated her force powers, she broke her chains, killed the Hutt, and was brought here to Korriban. She has been under my tutelage since.”
As they walked, Seraphina grew increasingly impressed by the things the overseer was telling her. To demonstrate such raw Sith talent at such a young age, certainly that’s something to notice.
“I’m certain you’ve received your orders from the Emperor?” Seraphina asked.
“Indeed I have,” Ragate nodded. “She’s currently training in my office as we speak. I’m certain she will not disappoint you.”
“For your sake… you had best be right,” Seraphina threatened.
The overseer led the entourage to her office where practice dummies scattered in pieces along the ground. The sounds of struggle lured them to the far side of the room, a sight which truly interested Darth Seraphina. A young alien girl, a Twi’lek to be specific, was currently dismantling a practice dummy with a training war blade. The girl seemed at least eighteen, with skin oddly pale for a Twi’lek. Her two lekku tendrils had a form of strange black design, falling gracefully down her back as she worked. Much like herself and Ragate, the girl also had a pair of red Sith eyes. Her appearance most definitely fearsome in Seraphina’s eyes.
The Twi’lek immediately stopped her assault on the dummies when she felt the presence of others around her. Turning over her shoulder, she noticed the entourage standing there and looking at her with fascination. Slowly turning to face them, she approached them and stood directly before Seraphina. It seemed as though the two locked eyes, even from those behind the mask, and the girl slowly melt before her.
“Do you have a name child?” Seraphina asked.
The girl looked up slowly for a moment before bowing her head again.
“Demitria,” She answered.
“Rise Demitria,” Seraphina commanded.
Demetria did as she was told, slowly rising back to her feet. Seraphina slowly stalked around the Twi’lek, looking her up and down as she did. When she fully circled around her, she turned toward Ragate.
“I would like to see a demonstration of her abilities myself,” She said.
Ragate gave no response, but merely nodded her head. Seraphina looked toward one of the troopers in her group.
“You, step forward,” She pointed to one.
The trooper looked between the dark lady and the acolyte before slowly making his way forward. Seraphina turned back toward Demitria.
“I want to see exactly what you’re capable of,” She explained. “Demonstrate your powers on this trooper.”
This made the trooper snap his head in the Sith’s direction.
“WHAT?!” He yelled.
Without a second thought, Demitria shot her arm out and a huge blast of force lightning zapped from her fingers. The poor trooper screamed in agony as the lightning coursed through his body. Seraphina stood watching the scene of torture with wicked satisfaction. To this evil Sith lady was once a kind-hearted teenage girl is utterly shocking. Finally Seraphina cut the Twi’lek off, having seen enough.
“Impressive work child,” Seraphina complimented. “However, you must demonstrate more to impress me. Many Sith Lords have the ability of force lightning. If you wish to be my apprentice, you must demonstrate something never before seen in Sith history.”
Demitria turned back to the stormtrooper, who was having difficulty standing up due to the immense amount of force lightning he endured. Demitria grinned maliciously at the challenge, remember the anger from all the years of slavery under the fat Hutt. All the things he made her do, the things she was forced into, it sickened her to the core. Focusing all her energy into that anger, the very air around her seemed to freeze. The trooper before her seemingly levitated off the ground. Not only rising off the ground, but the ten other stormtroopers too. All of them seemed completely immobilized as they floated off the ground.
And then… it happened.
The armor they worse slowly began to cave into itself. The troopers screamed internally as their insides were crushed within their own armor. It all happened within the expanse of a single moment and soon as Demitria broke her focus, the troopers all fell to the ground dead. Darth Seraphina looked over the many dead Stormtroopers on the ground and smiled with sinister satisfaction. Looking over at Overseer Ragate, she nodded in confirmation.
“It seems I found my new apprentice,” She said.
She turned to face the young Twi’lek, who in turn faced her.
“Join me in darkness, and I shall impart all the knowledge and wisdom of the Empire upon you.”
Demitria nodded her head slowly.
“What do you wish of me, my master?” She asked.
Seraphina looked between Ragate and her new apprentice, as a perfect idea to showcase her loyalty came to her.
“Your first order in my charge… kill the overseer.”
“WHAT?!” Ragate yelled.
“Yes master…” Demitria agreed.
Ragate quickly turned to run but didn’t make it very far when she was lifted off the ground through Demitria’s force power. The Twi’lek used all her might through the force to hurl the Overseer repeatedly into the office walls. She finally let the dead overseer fall limp to the ground before facing her master. The demented Seraphina said no words, only nodding her approval. Gesturing the young girl to follow, they both emerged from the Sith academy before climbing into the shuttle. The ship lifted off the ground and proceeded back to the heart of the Empire itself.
<>
The jagged face of a huge ice wall sat gloomily in the dim twilight of a Hoth day. Luke hung upside down, ankles frozen into icy stalactites, his extended arms within a foot of the snow floor. One side of his face was covered in a dried mask of frozen blood. Finally, he opened his eyes as a chilling moan of the hideous creature echoed off the gorge walls.
The beast itself was in a corner a short distance away from his pay. Eating the remains of Luke’s deceased Tauntaun, the creature’s blood hanging over its jaws and fur coat as he ate. The beast would soon eat the beast down to the bone and it won’t be long until Luke was next.
Seeing the severity of the situation, Luke pulled himself off, grabbed hold of his ankles, and futilely tried to unfasten the throngs. Exhausted, he dropped back into his hanging position. As he hung there, he spied the handle of his lightsaber lying near a pile of his discarded gear, about three feet out of reach. Recalling his training from the late Ben Kenobi, he focused on the saber and, as his hand strained toward the weapon, he squeezed his eyes tightly in concentration.
The ice creature had its fill of the Tauntaun and slowly loomed over toward Luke. With time against the young man, he channeled the focus until… the lightsaber jumped from the snow into Luke’s hand. The young warrior instantly ignited his sword, swinging up, and cut himself loose from the ice. He flopped to the snow in a heap as the startled creature moved back, his giant yellow eyes blinking. But then it roared and reached for Luke, who scrambled to his feet, swung his lightsaber, and sliced the monster’s arm off leaving the beast hollering in pain.
As the beast wailed over the loss of its right arm, Luke staggered from the gorge into the dark, snowy twilight. Weak and exhausted, he stumbled down a snowbank struggling to get back to the base against the blistering winds of Hoth’s icy air.
<>
Meanwhile, a small, lone figure riding a Tauntaun raced through the hostile vastness of snow and cold. As it ran, the Tauntaun’s legs kicked up large clouds of snow and ice into the snowy air. Though the perils were great, the figure would not turn back until he found what he was looking for.
<>
Outside the hanger, Storm Shield and the two droids kept watch over the snow blizzard, which grew erratically stronger. R2 stood in the falling snow, beeping worriedly. 3PO moved stiffly over to him.
“You must come along now, R2,” 3PO advised. “There’s really nothing more we can do. And my joints are freezing up.”
R2 beeped in response, long and low.
“Don’t say things like that!” 3PO argued. “Of course we’ll see Master Luke again. He’ll be quite all right, you’ll see.”
Storm Shield turned toward 3PO before he slowly approached the little droid.
“Stupid little short-circuit,” 3PO grumbled to himself. “He’ll be quite all right.”
“3PO does have a point R2,” Storm said. “Luke will turn up alright in the end. You’ll see.”
3PO turned back inside the main hanger as R2 mournfully kept his vigil. Storm looked over to see a herd of Tauntauns corralled by the entrance to the cave base. Suddenly, Storm felt a strange sensation wash over him. The presence of the force, but it wasn’t due to him or the girls. Whatever it was, it drew him toward the raging blizzard at the entrance. Quickly, he made his way over to the Tauntauns, quickly saddled up one, and dressed himself for the harsh conditions outside. Climbing onto the Tauntaun, he took one last look back at the base before deciding to keep this from Twilight and the others for a moment. It was much safer for them if he went alone.
“Come on then girl,” He spoke to the Tauntaun.
He gave a light kick to the side and the creature took off into the blizzard. Storm lead the beast through the blanket of white death in search of the strange force energy calling to him.
<>
Later, the wind was blowing quite strongly now. Luke struggled to stay upright, but a blast of freezing snow knocked him over. He struggled to get up but found that he couldn’t. The young warrior from Tatooine dragged himself a couple feet before he eventually collapsed from exhaustion.
<>
Back at the Rebel base, Princess Leia and the Equestrian heroes stood by the dark entrance, waiting for a sign of the two Rebel heroes. She shivered in the cold wind as, nearby, Chewie sat with his head in his hands. Feeling sympathetic for the big guy, Fluttershy sat beside Chewie patting him on the shoulder.
“Don’t be scared Chewie,” Fluttershy cooed softly. “Han will be back with Luke any minute. They just have to come back.”
In the background, R2 and 3PO move through the doors feeling just as anxious as their friends. A Rebel lieutenant approached Major Derlin, an officer keeping watch with the princess and the Equestrians.
“Sir, all the patrols are in,” The Lieutenant informed. “There’s still no contact from Skywalker or Solo.”
“Mistress Leia, everyone,” 3PO spoke. “R2 says he’s been quite unable to pick up any signals, although he does admit that his own range is far too weak to abandon all hope.”
Leia nodded an acknowledgment, but it’s clear she’s lost in thought.
“Couldn’t we just keep the doors open for a little longer?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “What if they get to the base and they can’t come in.”
“Your Highness, there’s nothing more we can do tonight,” Derlin spoke reluctantly. “The shield doors must be closed.”
“He’s right Twilight,” Leia sighed. “Do as you wish.”
The Equestrians looked on worriedly as the Major addressed his Lieutenant.
“Close the doors.”
“Yes, sir.”
The worst fears of our heroes come true, the moment the lieutenant walked away. That it was possible, if not probable, that their friends are lost in the frozen wilderness or worse.
“Oh no…” Fluttershy moaned sadly.
Chewie released a long, mournful howl, somewhat like a coyote. Fluttershy leans her face against his shoulder, bawling her eyes out while Rarity tries to comfort her friend. At the same moment, R2 began a complex series of efficient beeps.
“R2 says the chances of survival are seven hundred seventy-five… to one,” 3PO translated reluctantly.
“Don’t you two ever offer any good news?” Spike muttered.
Leia stood praying to herself as the huge metal doors slammed across the entrance of the ice cave. Loud booms echoed throughout the huge cavern, while Chewie released another suffering howl.
“Fluttershy, will you please do something to calm him down?” Rarity asked.
“He can’t help it Rarity,” Fluttershy cried. “How would you feel if any of our friends are lost out there?”
“I knew we should’ve gone out there!” Rainbow muttered. “If those boys turn to popsicles on us, so help me—”
“Actually Rainbow, R2 has been known to make mistakes… from time to time,” 3PO suggested. “Oh, dear, oh, dear. Don’t worry about Master Luke. I’m sure he’ll be all right. He’s quite clever, you know… for a human being.”
“Thanks for tryin’ 3PO,” Applejack sighed. “I only hope the force is strong for those two.”
“Yeah… could you imagine being out in that blizzard out there?” Pinkie asked nervously. “If the cold don’t get to you, there could be a bunch of creepy monsters out there that could make a smorgasbord out of you soon as they catch you.”
Fluttershy cried after hearing such a tearing thought. Chewbacca growled toward Pinkie, while the rest of the girls frowned in disappointment.
“Thanks a lot Pinkie,” Rainbow frowned. “Now you’re going to give Fluttershy nightmares.”
Just then, a rebel soldier quickly rushed toward the tiny group.
“My Princess, it seems one of the Tauntauns are missing,” He informed. “Someone must’ve taken it and ventured off into the blizzard.”
“Now who else would be foolish enough to go out in this weather?” Leia asked.
Twilight looked out amongst all the members of her friends (Including some familiar allies). She started counting heads silently one-by-one, suddenly she let out a gasp realizing they’re missing one head.
“Wait a minute!” She realized. “Where’s Storm?”
<>
The blizzard blew furiously as Storm Shield lead his Tauntaun out into the frozen valley. The snowy winds were growing stronger by the second, the atmosphere was so thick with heavy snow that nothing could be seen up close. No sane individual would ever think to be out here at this hour, where the chances of freezing to death are higher than being eaten by a rogue Wampa. But the force was strong in this atmosphere, propelling Storm to move forward and he had no intent of coming back until he found the source.
“Where are you?” Storm asked no one in particular. “Give me a sign…”
Though the tauntaun groaned and moaned, frightened to be out here, Storm merely gave the beast a gentle tap under its chin before kicking his heels on its side urging him forward. The beast trotted off as Storm scanned the high grounds for any sign of life. But with nothing but snow and ice within miles of where they are, it seemed this search was proving most fruitless.
And suddenly… he found a sign: A single gloved hand sticking out from the snow. And the power of the force was directed straight toward the figure buried a couple feet in snow.
“Luke?” Storm spoke.
With a click of his tongue and a kick of his heels, Storm propelled the tauntaun forward stopping just inches from the figure. Storm hopped off the tauntaun and cautiously approached the figure. He proceeds to brush away the snow off the figure as quickly as he can. In doing so, more of the figure was shown… particularly the black clothing.
“No way…” Storm shook his head.
It was difficult to assume given the figure was lying face-first into the snow for who knows how long? Wanting to make absolutely certain, Storm Shield slowly pushed the figure onto its side and the moment he got a look at his face… Storm’s eyes went wide.
“You…”
Just as it’s suddenly coming together, an additional sound draws Storm Shield to turn around as a shadowy figure starts to approach the trio through the snow. Storm cautiously drew his lightsaber pike, igniting the blade, preparing for whatever was coming for them…
<>
As Dusk settled onto the landscape, Luke Skywalker himself laid face-down onto the snow nearly unconscious. His life was currently hanging by a thread and with him unable to act, his temperature will dangerously decrease, and the furious cold will overwhelm him…
“Luke… Luke…”
Then Luke heard a voice in the distance. Slowly he looked up and there it was… Ben Kenobi, barely visible through the blowing snow. It’s difficult to tell if this is the ‘real’ Kenobi or a figment of his own imagination.
“Ben?” Luke spoke weakly.
“You will go to the Dagobah system,” Ben Kenobi instructed.
“Dagobah system?”
“There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me.”
Soon, the image of Ben faded, revealing a long Tauntaun rider approaching from the windswept horizon.
“Ben…” Luke groaned faintly. “Ben…”
Eventually Luke dropped into unconscious, his body giving up on him. And the shadow of the lone Tauntaun rider, when up close… turned out to be a ‘pair’ of Tauntaun riders. Han Solo riding on one Tauntaun, with Storm Shield following close behind. And close behind Storm, leaning unconsciously against him, an unknown victim of the cold.
Han pulled up and leapt of his mount, while Storm steadily laid the unconscious man on his own tauntaun and slowly stepped down. They hurried toward their snow-covered friend, the Captain cradling him in his arms. The Tauntauns released a low, pitiful bellow but their riders’ concern was for Luke. Han shook him urgently, as Storm leaned over him.
“Luke! Luke!” Han Solo shouted, nudging him. “Don’t do this, Luke. Come on, give me a sign here.”
But no response came from Luke’s lips. Storm crouched closer toward Luke, holding his wrist seeking a pulse.
“It’s very faint…” Storm observed. “If we don’t get him back to base, he’s going to die out here.”
Desperate, Han frantically rubbed and slapped Luke’s unconscious face. As they start to lift the youth, the men heard a rasping sound behind them. They turned around, just in time to see their Tauntauns stagger and collapse onto the snow. They carried Luke to the moaning beasts. One tauntaun gave a final groan before ultimately expiring. Storm approached his own tauntaun, but it’s painfully clear the beast is not going to make it. With a reluctant sigh, he ignites his own lightsaber pike, while caressing the weak beast softly. His eyes glow as he looked on sadly.
“Oo nesan, oo yurushi kudasai. Anata no seijin ga riki de hashiri masu…”
Reluctantly, Storm Shield used his lightsaber to slit the beast’s throat for a quick and painless death sparing the creature from enduring the winter cold. The color in his eyes fade as he stares sadly at the Tauntaun, a tear sweeping away into the wind. He turned toward Han.
“We don’t have much time,” Storm spoke. “We’re never going to make it back to the base. If we don’t get these two warmed up they’re going to die.”
“I still don’t agree on letting you take him with us,” Han argued. “You know who he is.”
“Yes… I do,” Storm nodded. “But we need him… just as we need Luke.”
Han just gave an exasperated sigh as he pushed Luke’s inert form against the belly of one of the dead beasts.
“Ben… Ben…” Luke moaned.
“Hang on, kid,” Han spoke.
“Dagobah system…”
Quickly, Han ignited Luke’s saber and slit the beast from head to toe. Storm does the same to his fallen Tauntaun, albeit more reluctantly than willingly. But realizing the fate of these young men are at stake, they quickly toss the steaming innards into the snow, before lifting their inert forms and stuffing them inside the carcasses.
“Oh, sweet Celestia…” Storm reeled from the odor. “I’m really sorry about this…”
“Dagobah…” Luke muttered.
“This may smell bad, kid…” Han added. “But it will keep you warm… till I get the shelter built.”
“Yoda…” Luke moaned.
“Yoda…?” Storm spoke, surprised.
There wasn’t enough time to think, as they struggled to get the boys deep into the bodies of the dead Tauntauns.
“Ooh… I thought they smelled bad on the outside!” Han groaned.
“Worse than salted, fermented cabbages and radishes,” Storm agreed.
The wind picked up considerably, making it difficult for anyone to move. Han proceeded to remove a pack from the dead creature’s back, taking out a shelter container. As he began setting up what can only be a pitiful protection against a bitter Hoth night, Storm Shield looked up toward the heavens with one thought on his mind.
“Master Yoda…” Storm thought. “You’re alive?”
<>
At the height of dawn, four snub-nosed armored snow-speeders raced across the white landscape. One pilot, Zev, in the enclosed two-man craft, concentrated on the scopes which ring his cockpit. Just then, he heard a low beep from one of his monitors.
“Echo Base… I’ve got something!” Zev informed into transmitter. “Not much, but it could be a life form.”
The small craft banked and made a slow arc, then raced off in a new direction. The pilot switched over to a new transmitter.
“This is Rogue Two, this is Rogue Two,” Zev called, through transmitter. “Captain Solo, do you copy? Commander Skywalker, do you copy? Commander Storm Shield, this is Rogue Two.”
There was a sharp crackle of static, followed by a faint voice.
“Good morning!” Han greeted, through Zev’s receiver. “Nice of you guys to drop by.”
Satisfied with the answer, Zev proceeded to switch transmitters.
“Echo Base… this is Rogue Two. I found them. Repeat, I found them.”
The small shelter Han set up was covered with snow on the windward side. A makeshift antenna rested gingerly on top the snowdrift. Han spotted Zev’s snowspeeder approaching in the distance, waving his arms frantically at the tiny craft. Close by, Storm Shield stood beside their unconscious friends (Thankfully they are both alive). Storm kept one hand clutched along the stranger’s grasp.
“Hang in there,” Storm whispered to the man. “You’re in good hands…”
The figure did not speak, but a sign of life was shown when his fingers twitched. Whomever this person was, someone only Storm knows, he knew for certain that the rest of his friends were in for a big surprise.
“Princess Twilight is definitely going to kill me…” Storm thought, cringing in thought.
<>
Deep within the oblivion of her own mind, Sunset Shimmer followed the former Sith Emperor through the deep valley. As Sunset looked about, she noticed that the entire landscape was entirely dead. All around her, burnt trees and black rock filled the decaying landscape.
“The old ways held you back,” Valkorion spoke, as they walked. “You were never able to tap into your true potential. It’s time you were unleashed.”
“What are you talking about?” Sunset asked confused.
A deep chuckle from Valkorion was all she could hear before everything went black. When Sunset’s vision returned, she looked around and found herself once again in Equestria. Or more rather, what looked like Equestria. Everything was still frozen in time, old warships still in an endless battle above her. She stared up toward Canterlot Castle, as Valkorion walked alongside her.
“Your former prison,” He said. “You always were superior to the mindless fools in charge here.”
Sunset turned toward Valkorion, shaking her head.
“That’s not true!” She argued. “Celestia and Luna maintained order in Equestria for thousands of years.”
“The more lies you tell yourself, the longer the chains of your past will hold you back.”
In a bright flash of light, the two now stood in the former Castle of the Two Sisters where a frozen image of Celestia and Luna battling one another was seen. Only Luna was not herself, but Nightmare Moon.
“What you see before you lies a perfect example of what happens when you allow yourself to be chained,” Valkorion observed. “Denied of the greatness you rightfully deserve.”
But again, Sunset shook her head with denial and disagreement.
“That can’t be true!” She said. “Princess Luna sought to overthrow Celestia and bring about eternal night. It was anger, greed, and jealousy that turned her into a monster.”
“Or perhaps she merely hoped to finally break free of her imprisonment that was her former self,” Valkorion suggested. “In order for one to embrace true greatness within, they must first obliterate the thing holding them back.”
Next thing Sunset knew, Luna disappeared from view. Now Sunset found herself standing in the center of the great hall, Celestia standing right across from her. Only Celestia looked extremely disappointed.
“You were a disappointment to me the moment you first walked through the door,” Celestia spat. “Is it any wonder I replaced you with Twilight Sparkle? She proved herself far more reliable and greater than you ever could be.”
Hearing such talk from her teacher truly cut Sunset to the core. After she reconnected with Celestia long ago, she truly remembered how much she had missed her. Valkorion stepped from behind her.
“You must prove you are willing to move forward to achieve greatness,” He informed her. “The first step is quite simple… ‘kill her’.”
Sunset’s eyes instantly widened, as she whipped her head toward Valkorion in shock. He was actually telling her… to kill her teacher! The very though alone made tears swell in her eyes.
“No…” Sunset spoke quietly.
“What did you say?” Valkorion asked.
“I can’t… I-I-I won’t do it!”
“You’d rather live in the shadow of a false Goddess?” Valkorion asked. “The decision ‘is’ yours to make, though I feel I should warn you. Refuse to fight and she kills you, there’s no hope for you. Dying within your subconscious will destroy your entirety till nothing remains but darkness.”
Sunset shook her head, as tears started falling down her face. When she looked down at her hand, she noticed she now held the lightsaber given to her when she turned to the dark side. She really did not want to fight Celestia; however, the alicorn goddess had other ideas in mind. She charged her horn and sent a massive magical blast at Sunset, who thankfully dove out of the way in time. Valkorion walked out from behind Celestia.
“You do not wish to die yet refuse to strike down the one thing that truly stops you from achieving true potential,” he spoke.
Celestia again sent another blast of magic and Sunset leapt to the side. Only this time, before she could get up, Celestia soared through the air and landed atop her. She held both her arms down with her hooves, glaring deeply into Sunset’s eyes.
“You’ve been such a disappointment Sunset,” She sneered. “Now I’ll make sure you never disappoint any pony ever again.”
Celestia charged her horn again, even stronger than other times before. Sunset turned toward Valkorion, who merely observed from the side.
“Allow yourself to move forward,” He instructed. “Let go of your past.”
Sunset looked toward her other side, seeing her lightsaber discarded to the side. She truly didn’t want to do this, but she didn’t have much choice. She reached out with the force and the lightsaber flew into her hand. Just as Celestia was about to blast her, Sunset ignited the saber and the glow of the red blade pierced right through Celestia’s abdomen. Celestia’s eyes widened for a moment before her body fell to the side. Sunset slowly sat up, as she looked toward the now deceased form of her teacher. Crawling over to her, she knelt to her side and wrapped her arms around her head openly sobbing. She didn’t even notice Valkorion stepping beside her.
“Tell me Sunset,” He requested. "Did it satisfy you to kill her?”
Sunset looked toward the former emperor, tears still freely falling.
“Why?” She wept. “Why did you make me do this?”
“I never made you do anything,” Valkorion responded calmly. “The decision was yours alone to make. You could have simply allowed her to kill you… you refused.”
“You stacked the odds against me,” Sunset argued. “You gave me no choice!”
“There’s ‘always’ a choice. This serves as a demonstration that your power far exceeds anything beyond your imagination. The Crystal Empire… the Council of Friendship… the Elements of Harmony… all failures. You alone achieve victory.”
“I don’t understand…” Sunset cried.
Valkorion simply turned his back away from the girl.
“Your world is not worth saving; your enemies are not worth fighting,” He spoke. “A greater purpose awaits us.”
Valkorion proceed toward another division of the void. Sunset looked down toward the fallen form of Celestia one final time.
“Celestia… I’m sorry…” Sunset sobbed, shaking her head. “I’m so very sorry…”
Finally letting Celestia’s head drop to the floor, she reluctantly turned away from her fallen mentor before following Valkorion deep within the darkness.