Chaos erupted in the skies above Drommund Kass. Republic fighters and cruisers battled against the Empire’s fleet of destroyer cruisers and fighters. And on the ground below, Republic Soldiers, led by brave Jedi Knights and Counselors, led a ground assault across the city grounds. Among these heroic Jedi fighting valiantly against the Sith was a Zabarak Jedi warrior named Rola Blix. She had peach-colored skin with tattoos across her weathered face resembling the wind and water. She wore a yellow-and-brown tunic covered in a flowing white-as-snow robe billowing in the wind as she held her Jedi weapon aloft. Her lightsaber, in question, was of unusual design as it sported unstable vents and the insignia of the Jedi Order along the emitter resembling a crossguard and housed a cyan kyber crystal, an uncommon color amongst her fellow Jedi. The Sith Empire’s forces held off against the Republic’s armies, but the Jedi proved too strong for them and quickly scattered.
“Master Blix! We found Darth Edris’ Laboratories!” A young Jedi Padawan cried out as Rola turned her attention toward the student.
“Lead the way. The rest of you, form up behind me! We’ll finally put an end to this Sith Mastermind’s schemes!” Rola Blix announced as her fellow Jedi followed Rola Blix and the Padawan across the war-torn battlefield and into the buildings, where the Dark Lord of the Sith was hard at work. The buildings were darkened and dimly lit by the windows clogged by the fog of war and the light of mad science just down the hall.
“Just a little more power!” Edris demanded as the Imperial Scientists turned a knob, increasing the power of what looked to be a giant portal large to fit a large ship in. Just as the experimental portal began springing to life, the Sith soldiers opened fire outside the doors of the lab, only to be struck down by the Jedi Interlopers. Left unguarded, the brightened silhouettes of ten whole Jedi flooded the room as the scientists were left in shock.
“In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest Darth Edris,” Rola Blix announced, aiming her cyan blade at Edris. The Imperial Scientists were shocked by the Jedi’s interruption and promptly surrendered. But, unphased by the interruption, Darth Edris simply sighed and turned to face her enemy.
“Why must the hero rushing to save the day always be too late?” Edris asked as she stepped closer to Master Blix until the blade of the Jedi’s lightsaber was just an inch from her face. Rola Blix sternly faced down the Sith Lord as Edris just smirked at the gesture. The various colors of the other Jedi lightsabers surrounded Edris as the Jedi closed in to sit her still and put an end to stop her nightmarish schemes. Then, before anyone could react, Darth Edris ignited her twin lightsabers and clashed the many various lightsaber blades of green and blue with her own red and yellow, and cut down a couple surrounding Jedi to give herself an opening.
Rola Blix, shocked and enraged by this resistance, engaged in combat against the Sith Lord and began to duel Edris herself. The quick strikes and flashes of red, yellow, and cyan light dashed at one another, trying to knock each other off balance, but to no avail. For as good of a duelist Rola Blix thought herself to be, she had to admit Darth Edris was a formidable fighter. And Edris, in her own head, began thinking the same thing. Rola held off Edris’ advancement while another Jedi came to her aid. Darth Edris raised her guard against the two Jedi and juggled her stance against the two Jedi. Master Blix was hoping the two of them would be too much for the Dark Lord, but Darth Edris began swiftly dodging strike after strike until she cut the opposing Jedi down. Rola Blix cried out in anguish at the loss of her fellow Jedi, and Darth Edris found the chip in Blix’s armor. Before long, Edris used the distraction to strike a blow into Rola’s right arm, and attacked Blix with a barrage of bright violet bolts of lightning, entangling Rola’s body like a web of pain.
“I believe I’ve had my fun. But know that I won’t try and stop you from crossing my portal. Feel free to join me on the other side,” Darth Edris said to the fallen Blix as she reached out through the Force and pulled an abandoned switch, bringing the unstable portal to life. The giant gateway crackled and sparked in mysterious blue energy that surrounded the behemoth of a device like a very thick web of plasma and fire. Edris marched toward the portal, cutting down the remaining Jedi one by one as they tried to stop her from crossing. By the time she made it to the entrance of the portal, all of the Jedi have been bested, leaving no one to thwart her. And then, the moment of truth came. Darth Edris took a deep breath and walked into the bright blue portal into another world. Edris’ limbs felt funny. Like they were becoming mutated. Edris felt her fingers vanish and become what she would assume was a hoof of some kind. Still, Edris trudged right on through and decided to accept any side effects that came with her experiment. Rola struggled to recover from the pain of the lightning and the jab on her arm but felt more pain from being the only survivor.
“Master Blix! Status update on capturing the Sith Lord!” A Republic Commander asked through a communication device as Rola Blix regained her composure.
“We’re too late. Darth Edris opened the portal but left it open. I’m the only one who can stop her!” Rola Blix responded as she limped toward the portal after Edris.
“Are you sure, General? I can send in a squad of soldiers and--”
“There’s no time! Mere soldiers won’t stand a chance. I’m the only one who can!” Rola Blix reassured her soldiers as she shut her communication off. Role Blix stuck her hand in her portal and pulled it away as she felt her hand almost vanish. The look of terror on her face as her arm morphed into a hoof-like entity was very unbefitting for a Jedi. But there was too much at stake for something like this to stop her. Determined to stop the Sith Lord, Rola Blix swallowed her pride and stepped into the portal. She felt her body morph and change beyond comprehension as she was blinded by a very bright light, and then watched as it all faded to black.
“Is…is she alive?” A quiet and timid voice asked as an elderly voice assured her everything would be all right.
“I’ve never seen any kind of pony look like this. Even if we expected them to look more…well…alien,” another voice, one more analytical, noted. The pitch-black darkness that clouded Rola Blix’s vision was fading away as she finally got a glimpse at this new world. Rola Blix saw that she was no longer the Zabarak that she used to be, but rather a small equine replication of one. She became a pony. As she recovered and at least tried to get used to her new surroundings, she saw three other ponies. One of them was a small shy pegasus with a yellow coat and a pink flowing mane. The second older one, a unicorn by the looks of it, had a grey coat with a silver mane and beard and was adorned with a blue cloak and hat. The third one looked more like an orange insect than he did a pony, but there was a lot about this new world she had yet to learn about.
“Welcome back, old friend,” The elder-looking unicorn said, confusing the Jedi.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Rola Blix asked as the three ponies looked on in surprise and began to discuss amongst themselves.
“You said you knew this Jedi personally,” Roach said as Starswirl looked on in shock.
“I did. At least, that’s what I remember,” Starswirl explained, as he rubbed his noggin through his hat.
“I mean, how much do you remember of her?” Fluttershy asked Starswirl as the wizard began to think on that question.
“Mmm…not really much, now that I think about it. But I do remember seeing her face around three thousand years ago, and what she told me about the Jedi, but I can’t really remember her mission,” Starswirl said as Fluttershy and Roach looked on at one another with a hint of concern, but another hint of satisfaction.
“Well, do you guys think whoever messed with Starswirl’s memories also messed with our Jedi friend’s memories as well?” Fluttershy asked as Roach took the idea into question.
“It’ll be our working theory until we can get more clues. But for now…” Roach said as Rola Blix dropped some eaves into the conversation.
“Might I ask what is going on here?” Rola Blix asked as Fluttershy decided to explain everything so far to the poor clueless Jedi Master.
“Umm…Hi there. My name is Fluttershy, and I wish for you to train me to become a Jedi Knight,” Fluttershy explained as Rola Blix’s eyes widened at Fluttershy’s request, almost in disbelief and fury at what she was hearing.
“You dare ask for my teachings in such a crude matter? Your timid demeanor would make for a poor warrior, and your ignorance as to what the Jedi are would disgrace the Order!” Rola Blix snapped back, shocking Fluttershy and almost causing her to tear up at the Jedi Master’s harsh words.
“Now you listen here! I’ve been helping Fluttershy train to become a Jedi for the past four years, and she has been one of the best Jedi I have ever met! You really have no right to say she’d be a bad Jedi unless you actually saw it for yourself!” Roach bellowed in Rola Blix’s face.
“I see. And you are?” Rola Blix asked as Roach stared down the wizened Jedi.
“My name’s Roach. I’m Fluttershy’s training assistant,” Roach explained as Rola Blix scoffed at the changeling’s claim.
“Training assistant? Have you properly had this poor excuse of a padawan memorize all 7 forms of lightsaber combat?” Rola Blix questioned, much to Roach’s shock.
“Well, I--” Fluttershy stuttered before Rola interrupted.
“And has she memorized the Jedi Code by heart?” Rola once again questioned as Roach huffed at the question.
“Then you’re a poor mentor, Mr. Roach,” Rola Blix finished as Roach sat beside Fluttershy and pouted at the accusation.
“Well…that’s why we need your help. For as much of a good teacher Roach has been,” Fluttershy said, comforting her changeling friend “we still don’t know everything there is to know about the Jedi. So…could I please be your apprentice?” Fluttershy asked as Rola Blix huffed at her insufferable begging.
“If you insist. But hear this: It will be tough, it will be tiring, but once I’m through with you, you’ll never again be a poor excuse of a Jedi,” Rola Blix said as Fluttershy was worried by her wording. It sounded a bit too much like how Iron Will talked her into being a bully years ago.
“If you say so,” Fluttershy said as she felt a sense of regret.
“Then it’s settled. Once Fluttershy is all trained up, the four of us can face up against this Dark Shadow,” Starswirl the Bearded said as Rola Blix’s attention shot toward him, as she had just remembered her mission.
“Dark…Shadow? You don’t happen to be referring to Darth Edris, do you?” Rola Blix asked as everyone’s attention turned to the Jedi Master.
“I think it might be. But one question, who is Darth Edris?” Roach asked, hoping it’s not the worst-case scenario.
“A very dangerous Dark Lord of the Sith, the enemy of the Jedi, and a mad genius from my world who built a portal into…what looks like yours. The last thing I remember before ending up here was…following Darth Edris through her portal. Next thing I knew, I woke up in this…strangely furnished cave,” Rola Blix explained. Fluttershy could practically feel the Dark Side of the Force oozing from Rola Blix’s mouth as she uttered the Sith Lord’s name as if a curse had been placed on her name. Not even Grogar, Sombra, or Tirek’s names struck as much fear into her as Edris’ did. It was unsettling to think about.
“But, since it was only a few moments ago after her, we still have time to stop her before she takes over your world,” Rola Blix said, not realizing one small problem.
“Uhh…It’s been 3,000 years since I last saw you,” Starswirl said, as Fluttershy began to think everything over. And she did not like what she was thinking.
“I…may need to meditate on this if you’ll excuse me. Roach, if you could cocoon me so I could…” Fluttershy suggested as Roach followed her to a small quiet place so he may wrap her up for meditation. Starswirl was more or less confused as he never heard a pony let a changeling cocoon her, but as these Jedi matters were a little beyond him decided not to question it.
In the shining Spirit Realm of the Force, where Fluttershy arrived from within her cocoon, the young Jedi sought out the Masters of the Force so they may shed some light on the peculiar situation.
“Hello? Masters? Anyone?” Fluttershy called out, hoping they can hear her. And as soon as she called, the familiar visages of Qui-Gon Jinn and the Griffon Prince appeared to her. Fluttershy let out a smile of relief at their presence.
“Hello again, Fluttershy. Have you come to seek our wisdom once more?” Qui-Gon asked as Fluttershy nodded at the question.
“Roach and I have found a Jedi Master to train me. Her name is Rola Blix, and she claims to have come here through a portal a few thousand years ago, but her memory just sort of blanked after that. She also mentioned something about a Sith Lord named Darth Edris. Do you know anything about this?” Fluttershy asked as Qui-Gon and the Griffon Prince looked at Fluttershy and then one another with a twinge of fear, worry, and guilt. The silence was broken when the Griffon Prince took a sigh of defeat.
“Fluttershy, it’s time you learned the truth,” The Griffon Prince said as Fluttershy knew instantly by the tone she was gonna learn something she wished she didn’t.
“Darth Edris…is responsible for everything in your world. Everything you know about Celestia and Luna, about all the friendships you forged, about all the enemies you faced, and most importantly, your Elements of Harmony were all because of Darth Edris! She is the shadow I warned you about back at my tomb,” The Griffon Prince said as Fluttershy looked up at the Prince in shock and dismay. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I…I can’t…Why couldn’t you have told me from the beginning? I already know as much as I do now,” Fluttershy asked as Qui-Gon stepped up to the little pony.
“She is the reason I warned you to keep your connection to the Force a secret all those years ago. Had you revealed your discovery to your friends, Edris would have swept in and captured you for real, turning you to the Dark Side of the Force a lot quicker,” Qui-Gon explained as the Griffon Prince fluttered to Qui-Gon’s side.
“Trust me. I know it’s hard for you to believe. I could hardly believe it myself when I first learned the truth. It truly is a difficult burden to bear, knowing the truth could break the very foundation of what ponies believe to be real or not. And while it does mean we have very few options, it does not mean we are out of hope,” The Prince reassured Fluttershy as she took deep breaths back and forth, allowing herself to regain focus and letting the Force flow through her to regain her thoughts.
“Well…I have my Master now. What’s my next move?” Fluttershy asked.
“If you are to face off against Darth Edris, then your mission is to find any weakness Darth Edris may possess. She has a cult of assassins past the Equestrian deserts just outside Klugetown. They may know something,” Qui-Gon said as Fluttershy thought the mission over.
“Wait, if I’m the one Darth Edris wants…won’t I be walking into a trap?” Fluttershy asked as the Griffon Prince once more turned to Fluttershy.
“The Force will protect you. Good luck,” The Griffon Prince relieved her as Fluttershy simply smirked.
“Well, if that’s the case, there’s no such thing as luck in my experience. I’ll be on my way,” Fluttershy said as she concentrated on the Force and was enveloped in bright light, bringing her back to the waking world.
As Fluttershy awoke covered in green slime, she was once again met with the smiling face of Roach, as well as Starswirl and Rola Blix who waited patiently to hear what she had learned. Fluttershy shook the gunk off of her and prepared to share what she had learned with her cabal.
“Padawan. Report what you have learned!” Rola Blix demanded in a tone most unbefitting for a Jedi as Fluttershy scowled at her rather harsh teacher.
“I’ve learned Darth Edris has not only been around for the past three millennia but she’s been controlling all of Equestria for all this time,” Fluttershy reported as Roach and Starswirl gasped at the news and turned to one another in shock.
“All this time? That explains our memory loss,” Starswirl theorized as he stroked his long beard, contemplating what else she could have done.
“Did they say anything else?” Rola Blix added as Fluttershy remembered the information Qui-Gon and the Griffon Prince told her.
“They said Edris has minions outside of Equestria. They must know of a weakness Darth Edris may possess,” Fluttershy said as Rola Blix began hatching a plot.
“Then it’s settled then. Tomorrow at dawn, we head outside of this place and hunt for these assassins,” Rola Blix said as Roach scowled at the Jedi Master.
“Begging your pardon, Master Jedi,” Roach said, clearly mocking Rola, “But Fluttershy’s in charge, not you,”
“Begging your pardon, insect, but a Padawan has no right to lead. Besides, I’m an esteemed military veteran while your friend is a pacifist! She’ll lead you to disaster!” Rola Blix warned as Fluttershy was clearly hurt by those words, but did not speak up against them.
“What do you say, Flutters? Should we put her in charge,” Roach said as Fluttershy was barely paying attention.
“We’ll do it your way, Master Blix,” Fluttershy said with a sigh in defeat, as Roach was shocked by Fluttershy’s decision while Rola Blix stuck her nose up triumphantly. With his best friend in defeat, an arrogant relic taking charge, and a mission outside of Equestria, Roach only had a few words to say:
“I have a bad feeling about this…”