"But are you sure you're okay?"
Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep, long breath before answering with clenched teeth, taking care to not snap at her brother walking next to her down the halls of the Royal infirmary.
"Shining, you've asked me that seventeen times now. Yes, I'm okay. I don't feel weak or dizzy, and my head barely hurts. I'm fine."
Her brother held up a hoof in surrender. "Okay, okay!" he said. “Sorry, it’s just — I mean — can you blame me on this?”
Of course, she couldn’t, but she wasn't exactly about to say that. A sigh left her as she thought back to the past six hours. Sawbones had poked and prodded her from muzzle to dock for the better part of two hours before he had declared her to be perfectly healthy, save for some magic trauma to her horn. He had explained that her horn was suffering from afterburn, which usually happened when a unicorn used magic far beyond their usual.
Twilight grimaced as she remembered Sawbones's order, delivered with all the hardness of a judge's sentence.
"No magic for a week…" she groaned. "A week! How am I supposed to get any of my studies done now? Spike's good at writing things down, but he doesn't know how to write a thesis!"
Shining patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, I get it! I'm in the same boat too." That wasn't saying much. Pretty much everypony who had been overwhelmed by what was now being called the Blast Wave was under medical restriction. It hadn't been just her, or Shining, or even just the unicorns; some pegasi and earth ponies had been hit hard as well, some even knocked into a coma, like she was. There was no real pattern to it, except that most were extremely talented in one way or another. Some pegasi had passed out mid-flight, crashing in various places and causing injuries. It had been a miracle nopony had died so far.
How did she know this? Well, it wasn't for nothing that Canterlot's rumor mill was considered the fastest and most trusted in Equestria. All she needed to do was listen.
As for Spike… oh, how her heart broke for her trusty assistant. The poor dragonet had been under a lot of stress for the past few hours, and she couldn’t blame him. He was still young, and what he had seen would traumatize most adult ponies. Watching her scream in agony, unable to help, and unable to do anything besides riding it out? She didn't blame him for breaking down in tears when she had woken up.
Right now he was riding on Shining’s back, just looking blankly ahead. The tears on his scaled cheeks were all dried up, leaving behind a salty trail in their wake. He looked practically emotionless; drained, Twilight knew, by the sheer rollercoaster of events and emotions. Perhaps, she thought, when she was fully recovered she could do something for him. After all the hard work he had done for her for the past few years, finishing up studies at the School for Gifted Unicorns—it was only fair. Perhaps that new Power Ponies comic book that he’s always raving about would be a good start, and there was a comic book convention in Manehattan not too long after the Summer Sun Celebration.
The stroll back home was a bit difficult, due to the constant stream of ponies being brought into the hospitals, either comatose or awake. Twinkleshine had luckily been one of the latter, and they had managed to talk with her for a bit before they had left.
"I'm sorry things went south like that," Twinkleshine had said to Twilight with a grimace. "Maybe when things are back to normal, we can have a proper picnic, huh?" Sawbones had sent them off shortly after that, stating that his patient needed rest. The look on his face was all the incentive the group needed to hoof it out of the ward; visitor or patient, you didn't argue with the head of the Royal Infirmary. Even Princess Celestia didn't cross the ill-tempered doctor on his best day.
Bringing her thoughts back to the present, she replied, “Right now, I just want to go home and rest and read a book.” Which was something she was looking forward to even if she couldn't use her magic for the time being.
A chuckle came from her older brother. “Even after leaving the hospital the only thing on your mind is reading.” A dramatic sigh came out. “Truly, my sister is an egghead.” That earned him a shoulder bump for his cheekiness.
“Shush, you.” Twilight seethed, which made Shining Armor cackle a bit. It certainly did help with easing the very noticeable tension around them, at least where Twilight and Spike were concerned.
As she looked around, she could see the drawn and shell-shocked faces of the ponies, and the tired, grim faces of the guards. Some were scuffed and bruised, some even had bandages in various places. One caught Shining's eye, and saluted with his good wing; his other wing was in a splint.
As for the city itself…
Twilight couldn't remember a time when Canterlot had looked so… run down. Every building she could see either had broken windows or cracked chimneys. Some had their roofs torn as they had been under a strong wind. Glass and debris littered the streets. She had once seen pictures of a small town after a near miss from a tornado; the kind of tumult and disarray she saw before now brought that to mind.
Looking up, she could see a sooty trail of thick, dark smoke, streaked across the blue sky like a black tear; still yet to fully disperse into the wind. Next to it was a thinner, paler trail running almost parallel to the larger trail, and well on the verge of dissipating entirely.
"Shining… what exactly put that there?"
Shining Armor looked up at the dark trail and grimaced. "Wish I knew myself," he muttered. "Damn thing came pelting overhead just after you got sent off to the infirmary. Couldn't make it out entirely, but I can say it wasn't a meteor."
Twilight looked over at him. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
Shining seemed to ignore her, instead of saying, "Let's just get you home safe and sound, okay?"
They continued without another word through the crowd of scared and tired ponies. It almost seemed like forever before Twilight could see the tower observatory in the distance. Surprisingly, it didn't seem to be that damaged — a few roof tiles out of place, some scratches on the stone walls where debris had been hurled against it. But there it stood, a stalwart sentinel against the near-noon sky.
Twilight couldn't help but feel at least a little glad for that. The old tower had been her home for five years now and had served well.
Spike leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Shining's neck. "I'm happy it's not trashed," he said quietly as if voicing Twilight's thoughts.
Shining gingerly reached around his neck to pat Spike with a hoof. In any other situation, it would have been funny.
"Me too, Spike."
One by one, they each ascended the stairs and walked inside. Already, stepping inside her home was a huge relief to Twilight. She could already feel it washing over her and relaxing her tense muscles.
Spike gently climbed off of his older brother. Had the stallion not been injured he might’ve hopped off instead. Twilight could see some of the weight lifting from the dragon. She couldn’t help but think about home being where the heart is; so it has proven in a way.
Twilight looked at the books currently stacked on her desk. This was not going to be easy to read through without magic. No matter, she could always turn the pages with hooves. The real problem was getting them down from the rope she had built. She’d have to remind herself to never do that again.
Coming to the ladder by the bookshelf, Twilight carefully gripped the steps and readied to climb up. A clawed hand placed itself on her hoof. Looking to her assistant, the unicorn gave Spike a caring smile, knowing what he was about to say.
“I think I can get a book, Spike.”
Spike seemed to consider Twilight's words for a moment. The determined expression fell for a moment as he looked down before he turned his eyes back to the pony. That same determination crept into his voice as he spoke.
“I know, but let me continue being the assistant I should be Twilight. You should rest.”
Her face fell as a wave of sympathy came to her. Just when Twilight was about to say something, Shining Armor put a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. The purple dragon’s hand came to his side as he looked at the guard captain. Shining’s face took a slightly somber smile upon it.
“I know you wanna help Spike, but that doesn’t mean doing every little thing to make up. It’ll all be okay given some time.”
Shining then pulled Spike into a hug. Twilight could tell that he was tearing up at this point and she got down and placed a hoof on his shoulder. Spike’s arms wrapped around Shining’s neck as he calmed down. It was a few seconds before the three separated again. Shining sighed from exhaustion.
“It’s been quite a day. I think everyone deserves some rest.”
Twilight and Spike nodded in agreement. With little else said, Shining headed for the door. Once the duo were alone they both felt the same exhaustion. Spike headed to bed while Twilight headed to a nearby bookshelf. While she agreed on resting, that didn’t mean she would be idle. Retrieving a text on old myths and legends, she flipped through the pages, looking for something which would help her find out what happened over Canterlot.
She pulled a blank journal over to her as well and picked up a pencil in her mouth before looking over an entry that had caught her eye. Skimming over it, she quickly decided that it didn't have what she was looking for before moving on through the book.
But what should I look for?, she thought as the pencil moved and twitched idly in her mouth. It wasn't like she had much to start from. A psychic wave knocks out half the population of Canterlot, and then something flies just overhead barely five minutes after? It didn't take a degree from the SGU to figure out that they were connected. The real question was how.
What had caused the psychic… attack? Could it have been an attack? It made sense; if you wanted to have an advantage against magic using a country like Equestria, knocking out most of the talented ponies first would be a good way to do it.
But even as she thought that she had dismissed it; it didn't seem right. Something she couldn't explain told her that the Blast Wave — whatever it was — wasn't deliberate. She was certain about that at least, though how she was so sure was beyond even her. It had a cause, but it wasn't the intended effect. The fact that not every pony was rendered unconscious proved that. If it were intended, the majority of ponies would be incapacitated, not just a fraction of them. As much as Twilight couldn't even comprehend her teacher being seriously hurt, Princess Celestia would almost certainly have been worse off than just having a hot compress on her head if it were a real attack. And why now of all times? There was nothing significant, no big celebration where everyone was really off guard. It was just too random, too chaotic, to fit into any real plan of attack.
In the hedge gardens of the Royal Palace, one of the statues seemed to sneeze and rock on its plinth.
Then everything fell silent again and all was right with the world.
No, it wasn't an attack, she decided, pencil twitching again in her mouth. Some kind of celestial event? A collision? That would explain the meteor Shining had described…
Though come to think of it, he said something was off about it… she never got anything beyond that. Perhaps she should ask him about it, considering how things are she can say with confidence that her big brother will show himself tomorrow.
She sighed, shaking her head. As much as she wanted to figure this out she wasn’t really in the proper state to do so, neither physically nor mentally.
The pencil flicked and twitched again in her irritation with her powerlessness. She needed to do something…
“Twilight?”
She turned to look over her shoulder, pencil dropping from her mouth. Spike was standing at the base of the stairs leading up to their bedroom, his favorite blanket in tow.
“Are you coming up?” he asked quietly.
Twilight blinked owlishly at him before shaking her head again. “Yeah, I am, Spike. I just wanted to see if I could figure out something before hitting the sack.” She looked at him more closely, noticing the way he seemed to draw back into himself. “Is something wrong?”
Spike stood there for a few seconds, then darted forward to bury his face into her neck. Twilight could feel his little body trembling against her shoulder.
“I don’t want to be alone.”
His voice was small and barely audible, even to Twilight’s ears. It barely took any time at all for her to make up her mind.
She stood up and closed the book, wrapping a foreleg around Spike. “Okay,” she said gently to calm him down. “Let’s go upstairs. Let me clean this up first, okay?” She set the book on a nearby table to get shelved later, then picked up the journal. She glanced idly at the page as she made to put it away —
Twilight froze on the spot, staring at the open page. Spike walked up next to her, standing on tiptoe to look at the journal. “What’s that?” he asked, tilting his head. Twilight only stared at the image of the vaguely sword-like object on the page, with a tube-shaped hilt and a blade that looked like fire. Out of the tired fog in her mind, a voice came, like a familiar echo as if she had heard it in a dream.
An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age.
Twilight shook her head again to clear it. “I-it’s nothing, Spike,” she finally said, closing the journal. “Just a random scribble. Didn’t know I was even drawing it.”
That wasn’t a lie, either; she had only been twitching the pencil in her mouth idly while she searched for leads.
She had to admit, she drew it well despite not having any experience with art.
Turning away from the journal, she ushered Spike back up the stairs. “C’mon, let’s get to bed, we’re both tired.”
Spike yawned as if on cue, his eyes drooping as he leaned against Twilight. “Looked kinda cool,” he murmured. Twilight smiled, but her mind was racing.
She had almost entirely forgotten about the strange dream she had experienced before waking up — strange landscapes never seen on Equestria, a skull-like face of black steel, a blade of azure fire…
Twilight said nothing of this to Spike as she tucked him into her bead, then squeezed in next to him; neither of them was willing to sleep alone. She decided on one final thing before she closed her eyes, her little assistant curled up against her like a scaly kitten.
She would need to tell Princess Celestia.
“I’m pretty sure this isn’t necessary,” Luke muttered as Fluttershy hovered around him with a roll of bandages, wrapping up his bare chest in a veritable cocoon.
The pegasus, just like the last three times he had said this, serenely ignored her on-again-off-again patient and continued her work. The entire group after Luke had been accidentally used as a landing pad by their second surprise guest of the day, dragged the Jedi back into the farmhouse. Both pegasi were left outside. Luke didn’t see what had transpired outside afterwards. Both ponies re-entered the house after ten minutes. The blue pony, shaking from mane to hoof, had immediately retreated to a nearby corner. Fluttershy, meanwhile, had instantly set about treating Luke’s new injuries despite the Jedi’s continued protests.
“I think one more wrap should do it…” Fluttershy repeated for the fifth time as she wrapped more gauze around Luke’s head.
A tap on her shoulder got her attention. “Uhh, Fluttershy I think that’s enough.” Applejack said, sounding both amused and worried.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.
The cream-colored pegasus looked at Luke and furrowed her brows. “Alright, if you’re absolutely certain,” she said hesitantly.
Luke gave her a gentle smile and waved her off. “It’s alright. I’ve dealt with worse before,” he said nonchalantly.
Fluttershy brought her hooves to her mouth in shock. “Oh my.”
The visitor forced himself up, his body straining a bit from the effort needed to fight against his wounds and fatigue. “I must get moving. Staying still weakens the body.”
The pegasus grabbed the man’s shoulders and stared at him straight in the eyes, unblinking. “I cannot allow such rash behavior!” she spoke firmly. “You will need to rest here and recuperate. If you continue to push yourself in your current state then you’re going to come out of this worse for wear!” She flinched and moved back slightly. “I mean, that’s what happens to my animal friends when they do just that.” She started reminiscing. “There was this bear that got stung by a bunch of bees–”
“It’s okay!” Luke interrupted her. He chuckled a bit then cringed from the pain. “I’m starting to think that you’re right.” He paused for a moment and performed a brief introspection. “Alright. If it will make you happy then I won’t move from this farm, okay?”
Fluttershy’s stoic gaze instantly softened to her usual, meek expression. “That’s all I’m asking for.”
Luke nodded and pulled his shirt back on. Applejack stepped forward and began inspecting the young man’s attire. Judging by her annoyed and increasingly angry expression, Luke realized that something about what he was wearing was irritating her to no end; even he didn’t need the Force to figure that out.
“Sugarcube, yer clothing's in a right manner of disrepair. If yer gonna be goin’ about here then ya need something that ain’t torn worse than apple tree bark when termites come nestin’,” she said. All the while she was poking the man’s leg.
The Jedi stared blankly at the farm pony throwing out colorful metaphors at him. She kept mentioning things that passed by his head like an old speeder. If termites could rip the bark off a tree they must be immense and powerful beasts, and he was in no mood to deal with another. He had enough with the Rancor and Sarlacc Pit.
“Um, what do you recommend then?” Luke gestured to himself. “I don’t exactly have any spare sets of clothing or the material necessary to fix my current ones.”
The farm pony rolled her eyes. “Ya don’t need ta fix ‘em, silly. Ah, know a pony that could help with that. Figure ah could get her over here with mah brother if ya don’t mind.”
Luke shrugged as he replied. “Certainly. I don’t see a reason why not.” His lips briefly pursed. “Just make sure to tell your friend what I look like.”
AJ briefly laughed in good nature. “Ya underestimate what creatures we meet here in Equestria.” She rubbed her muzzle and looked at Luke’s hand. “Though ah reckon she might get a might bit anxious or excited with that metal claw o’ yers.”
The Jedi looked at his hand and grinned. “Well, make sure to warn her about that too then.”
The farm pony brought her brother alongside her and closed the door behind, just for it to reopen a second later. “And don’t ya start doin’ some fancy moves or moving heavy weights. Ya gotta rest, got it? Or mah brother is gonna hogtie ya up real tight ‘til ya get strong enough to move around without issue.”
Luke almost laughed at the thought. Having these tiny colorful creatures threaten him didn’t work out as well as his host thought it would. That is until her brother poked his head through the door far above her own.
Big Mac narrowed his eyes at the Jedi. “Eeyup,” he added.
The door closed once again and didn’t open a third time. There was a strange chill that went through the Jedi's spine, making him visibly shiver if just a little. A giant red pony simply said one word that he wasn’t sure even was a word, yet Luke could sense the ill intentions behind that singular note.
He took in a deep breath and sighed. “Well,” Luke started. “That was an exchange.”
“Don’t mind them,” Fluttershy reassured. “They’re just doing what they think is right, and I don’t know anypony as honest as Applejack.”
Luke turned to look around and caught sight of the blue pony that crashed into him earlier. “What about you? Are you just going to hide there?”
Rainbow Dash glared at her interlocutor and muttered inaudibly under her breath. Luke frowned in worry and confusion. Had he done something wrong? He noticed that the blue pegasus almost immediately cowed when Fluttershy looked at her with a disapproving frown. Even this angry blue pony seemed cute when she was afraid, like a loth-cat when it was chastised for doing something bad.
“I’m just going to, uh, watch you.” Her eyes darted to Fluttershy every few words spoken. “In case you do something you might regret,” she said.
“Okay.” Luke nodded. “I can understand that, but you don’t need to worry about me doing anything to your friends. It’s not the Jedi way to harm innocents.”
“The what?”
“I’ll explain later,” Luke replied.
Rainbow Dash dropped the subject and made for the door, followed by Fluttershy and Applebloom. Luke was about to follow, but a faint warble behind him made him look over his shoulder. Kyugee was peeking out from behind a corner, his single photoreceptor gazing pleadingly up at Luke.
Luke rolled his eyes. “Ok, c’mon, Kyugee. I’m not going to leave you behind.” The droid let out a squeal of delight and trundled up behind him as he stepped outside, happily bleeping and burbling.
Outside, Fluttershy was sitting, waiting for Luke, while Apple Bloom hopped around excitedly. Rainbow Dash — who had yet to see Kyugee, stared at the black-and-gold droid with a mixture of consternation and horror. “What the hay is that?”
“That’s Kyugee,” Luke replied. “He’s a droid who crashlanded with me —” Before he could explain further, Apple Bloom interrupted him.
“C’mon, let’s go! Ah, figure, if yer gonna stay here with us, ah can show ya around the farm!” she exclaimed.
Luke smiled at her. “I would rather not remain here forever with you, but I am still grateful for your hospitality.”
He looked around a moment, taking in the scenery, but Apple Bloom noticed that his expression had gone from warm and serene to slightly perplexed.
“Somethin’ wrong?” she asked him.
“Hm? Oh! Not really, just…I have never seen farms like this before, although I was on a farm some time ago,” he recalled.
“Really? Yer a farmer too?” The young filly’s eyes bulged and sparkled.
“Yes, but I’ll tell you about it after you give me a tour of your home. I think that would be more exciting, to show someone your family’s accomplishments, no?” Luke suggested.
Such a suggestion hurt him inside somewhat. He was happy that he got his father back, but his actions were still a grim reminder of the scars left on the galaxy and what Palpatine had done to him. While he never dwelled on it, the thought always crossed his mind of what might have happened had his father never turned to the dark side. Would he have died in the Clone Wars? Would Palpatine have found someone else to replace Anakin? So many questions that he would never know the answers to. Thus, they weren’t important enough to be stuck on.
“That’s sure true!” the young filly agreed. “Us Apples have been farmin’ for a long time, ‘n this is an old farm that Granny says was passed down to us by our ten times great grandparents, although she founded it herself. Says it was passed down in spirit ‘re somethin’ like that. Ah, don’t understand it much though.” Luke raised a brow. That was an interesting point of view from the old pony. Luke once again had an odd feeling that Yoda would have found a kindred spirit in the old pony.
Applebloom was first stopped by a giant wooden structure standing near the house. It had been painted red with prominent wooden planks sticking out having been painted white. “This here’s the barn,” Apple Bloom began. “We move the livestock, our bushels of apples, ‘n all our equipment in it ta keep it safe. We only ever let the livestock in here when it’s too dangerous to lead ‘em back ta their stables ‘n stuff.”
Luke leaned in, clutching his chin with his mechanical hand. “I see.” He walked towards it and felt the strange, grainy roughness of the wood. “I’ve never seen wood like this before, let alone structures made of wood. Those tend to only be done by the species that are either too primitive for plascrete and durasteel or prefer to be closer to nature.”
Rainbow Dash clicked her tongue. “He’s calling us stupid,” she whispered to Fluttershy.
“Now, Rainbow Dash. You know very well that’s not what he said,” Fluttershy corrected. “He’s just sharing his experiences. To me, it just sounds like he’s being informative.”
Rainbow growled as she remained hunched over and her feathers fluffed out angrily. “He didn’t say we weren’t primitive either.”
The yellow pegasus sighed. “Why are you so suspicious of him, Rainbow?” She asked
The blue pegasus looked to her friend and then back to Luke and intensified her scowl. “I don’t know. There’s just something about him that rubs me the wrong way like it’s scratching at my head.” She rubbed it with a hoof.
“Probably just your paranoia,” Fluttershy said dismissively. Rainbow snorted at that.
“It’s apple tree planks,” Apple Bloom said proudly. “Our apple trees are tough ‘n sturdy, so we don’t gotta order no trees from outside as the other ponies do.” She looked around towards the orchard and groaned in disappointment. “Normally we uproot a dead or dyin’ tree and cut it apart for the wood. Then we plant some more seeds where it was so it can grow.”
“I see.” Some strange yapping noise caught the Jedi's attention. He had never heard anything like it before. “What is that noise?” he asked.
The Jedi spun around but too late. The next thing he knew he was on the ground, being assaulted by a disgustingly wet and slobbery tongue.
“That’s Winona, our guard dog,” Apple Bloom laughed.
The Jedi was having trouble getting a moment to move the strange, fluffy creature away without it somehow getting its tongue into his mouth during the manic licking. “Your what?”
“C’mere, Winona!” Apple Bloom called out. The dog obeyed and hopped towards the tiny filly, bouncing around happily and energetically.
The young Jedi was curious as he hadn't exactly seen an animal like her. Sure, he had seen similar creatures, but none like this small and energetic ball of fur.
His curiosity got the better of him as Luke was left to wipe his mouth and spit several times in disgust from a wet tongue. “I wasn’t expecting that. At all. Sometimes the force is disappointing in that it purposefully doesn’t warn me of things like this.” Luke paused for a moment. “Maybe that was Master Yoda’s doing.” He mutters to himself swearing he could hear his other former master chuckle down at him.
Apple Bloom and Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle at the scene. The filly commented. “She likes you.”
“I can tell.” He wiped his lips while the dog stared up at him with an innocent gaze. “I think this world might have more to teach me than I thought, and I already expected a veritable wave of information.”
“Then perhaps we could be of some service to you?” Fluttershy asked. She shied away when he looked at her. “I mean, only if you would allow it.”
Luke chuckled. “No need for ‘allowing’. You can just share what you know with me.” He looked to the pegasus’ wings and Apple Bloom’s bare back. “For example, why are there two kinds of you creatures here? I am very curious to know.” He rubbed his chin while digging through the archives that were in his mind. “I’ve met a few species with several different types of their kind living together with each serving a different purpose in their society.”
“Oh, well, that is pretty close to how we ponies function,” Fluttershy said while reciprocating the smile.
“But we’re three tribes ‘a ponies,” the young filly added. Her surety suddenly made way for doubt, something Luke felt before it showed on her face. “Er…do alicorns count as a fourth tribe?” Apple Bloom asked, looking at Fluttershy, who shrugged with her wings. It seemed that neither of them had a concrete answer for whatever an ‘alicorn’ was.
Luke filed away the unfamiliar term for later. “So, the three tribes then,” he pressed on. “What exactly are the differences?”
“Well,” Apple Bloom started. “Ah ain’t pay much attention ta history in class, but ah recall Miss Cheerilee tellin’ us that we were fightin’ a lot in the past just cause ‘a how we looked.”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” Fluttershy intervened. “But it was a fight between pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies.”
“I see, and which ones are you?” Luke asked Fluttershy.
Rainbow Dash bolted forward, glaring at Luke from a distance. “We’re pegasi!” she exclaimed. “We’re the best at flying and working with weather thanks to our magic,” she bragged.
“Bravado can only get one so far,” Luke chastised gently.
Rainbow scoffed at his comment. “That’s only for those who can’t back it up.”
He mutters out ‘fair’ before continuing. “And what about you?” Luke asked Apple Bloom.
“Ah’m an earth pony! Ah’m good at field workin’!” the tiny filly proclaimed proudly. Then she turned sheepish, scuffing the dirt before her with a hoof. “Or, I’m gonna be, when I grow up a bit. Applejack said so.”
“You’re gonna be great, squirt!” Rainbow Dash said, tousling Apple Bloom’s man with a hoof, eliciting a giggle from the filly.
“Their magic makes them very tough and with a natural affinity with the land.” Fluttershy rubbed the back of her head. “Well, normally. Most just like to travel around inventing things.”
That was twice now that Luke heard the word ‘magic’ which reinforced the abilities of these creatures. It was uncannily similar to a few tales he managed to recover from the old times of the Jedi and Sith orders. He was now feeling curious about that last tribe more than ever.
“And what about this last one you mentioned?” He placed his hand on his chest and started tapping it with one finger pensively. “Uni…kitties?” He asked tentatively.
“Unicorns,” Rainbow corrected with a slightly smug look on her face.
Luke gave a sheepish grin. “Ah. Yes. Of course. Unicorns. And, what is it that their magic does?”
“I-! Uh…” Rainbow’s proud façade almost immediately crashed. “I only know they do magic…”
Fluttershy frowned at herself. “Maybe Rarity would know?”
Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. “Better that they stay in Canterlot. A lot of them aren’t exactly…mmm…open-minded like Rarity is.”
Luke exploded in laughter. That sounded a lot like a holonovel he had once caught Leia reading. He was sure she had more than just that — there had been an ongoing rumor within Rogue Squadron that Leia had some kind of contraband in her quarters, but no one could confirm it. The one time someone had bothered to ask Han, being the resident smuggler, he had promptly turned green in the face and said he didn’t want to talk about it.
“What are you laughing at?” Rainbow asked.
His face heated up a little. “Nothing important. Just some family things,” he explained with a giant grin.
“Okay?” Rainbow stared at him, confused.
Apple Bloom spoke up. “I gotta ask, are you an Alen?”
“What?”
“An Alen.”
Luke became confused, he honestly had no idea what she meant by Alen. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“An Alen!” She repeated. “You know the ponies live in space!”
“You mean Alien?” Rainbow corrected.
“That's it!”
Oh, that’s what she meant. Luke realized though he wondered why it took them this long to ask. “Uh yes.”
All three of them stared at him wide-eyed and silent. Luke was starting to feel a little uncomfortable before Rainbow Dash shouted at the top of her lungs.
“I KNEW IT!”
Luke rocked back on his heels from the sudden shout — and the fact that a blue hoof was now hovering inches from his nose.
“Falling out of the sky in a big metal can? That beeping garbage can on wheels? And the fact that Fluttershy hasn’t seen anything like you before!? If Fluttershy doesn’t know what you are, you can’t be from around here! What are you doing here!/ Are you a spy!? Are you here to make the way for a globe-spanning alien invasion? Is that what all the headaches and comas were for before you landed!? Huh!?”
Apple Bloom stood next to the two, looking from one to the other as Rainbow Dash pelted Luke with questions without giving him a chance to answer. Luke’s head spun with all the questions the irate pegasus was throwing at him, but the last question caught his attention in particular.
“Wait — headaches? Comas!? What are you talking about?”
“Don’t give me that!” Rainbow Dash spat; she was on a roll now. “Do you expect me to think that it was just a coincidence that half the ponies in town got migraines or passed out on the spot just before that thing flew overhead and dropped you off!?” She poked Luke’s chest with her hoof. ”I may not have been the smartest in my class, but I can put two and two together, so spill it!? What did you do!?”
“I didn’t do anything! I don’t —” Luke stopped as a thought struck him. “Wait… I think I have an idea.”
“Oh really?” Rainbow asked, her tone oozing with sarcasm, but Luke didn’t answer. He turned to the direction the Nubian had flown from and began to reach out with his senses. Almost immediately, a harsh wave of pain slammed into his mind like a sledgehammer. Luke had to bite back a cry of pain. The Force itself writhed, almost retracting from him as if it were bruised and hurt. Battered and tense, it snapped at him like a wounded animal. Luke staggered and felt his knees give way. Luckily, there was a tree behind him which he slumped against as he tried to clear the pain from his mind. He dimly heard Apple Bloom call his name and when his vision cleared and the ringing sounds within his ear slowly left, he saw Fluttershy standing between him and a startled Rainbow Dash, wings spread.
“What are you —”
“H-he’s not fully healed yet!” Fluttershy said. “ We can’t be stressing him out so much so soon!” Her wings drooped a little. “I-I mean, I’m curious too. If he has an answer, I want to hear it… but I don't think he had anything to do with it.” She looked back at him over her shoulder. “He seemed too surprised to know anything about it.”
Luke's tongue felt stiff in his mouth, but he managed to speak. “Th-thanks,” he managed to stammer out, slowly getting back to his feet. “But I think she’s got something right.”
The ponies stared at him expectantly, waiting for an answer as Luke tried to think past his new migraine on how to explain the Thing he and Anakin had encountered.
“It’s a bit complicated, but—”
“Hey!”
Luke looked back over his shoulder to see Applejack trotting over to them, a satisfied grin on her face. “We brought Rarity over, she’s over by yer pod right now!” She motioned to the group. “Come along, Luke! She ain’t the type to be kept waitin’!” Luke immediately nodded and made to follow Applejack, only for Rainbow Dash to stand in his way.
“Hold it! You still haven't —”
“I know,” Luke cut her off. “But I need to think of how best to explain what happened, and why. There are some things I’m not sure of myself, and we’re dealing with concepts I’m not sure your people have even considered before. Besides…” His tone became a little sheepish. “It’s best to wait until Applejack and her family are all present. They should hear it too; I mean, I did crash into their field.”
Rainbow Dash seemed to consider this for a moment. “Fine,” she said at last. “I’m holding you to that!” She took to the air in a multicolored contrail. “And don’t think I’ll let you off later!” She called over her shoulder as she sped in the direction of the farmhouse.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Luke muttered under his breath. That got a little giggle out of Apple Bloom with Fluttershy smiling a little. “I’m sorry that happened,” she said quietly. “She’s just worried.”
“I would be too in her position,” Luke admitted. “She has a right to know what happened. You all do.” He started towards the farmhouse. “Now, let’s see what this ‘Rarity’ is like.”
Rarity, as it happened, turned out to be a pure white pony with a well-groomed mane of deep purple. When Luke, Fluttershy, and Apple Bloom stepped out of the orchard, she was examining the massive bulk of the escape pod. She turned to meet them and Luke saw the short, spiral-grooved horn jutting out from behind a curled forelock. Her eyes — a soft blue, and framed by well-done make-up — fell on Fluttershy first, and then Apple Bloom.
“Why, darlings! It’s so good to see you!” She exclaimed in a slightly posh tone, trotting over to the group. “Now how have you… two… been?” She had finally noticed Luke. Her eyes passed over his head to toe once, twice, and thrice, and then her mouth comically hung agape.
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy braced themselves for the impending explosion. It came as no surprise or disappointment. The steam-whistle shriek that echoed off the trees was so loud that Luke was sure that people the way over in Nar Shaddaa had stopped trying to swindle one another to ask “What was that noise?” Before he had the chance to reflect on that notion, however, he was immediately set upon by a purple and white blur.
“Oh, my goodness! Just what have you done to your wardrobe!? All these frays, those stains, threadbare patches — are those burns!?” Her voice rose several octaves as she discovered each bit of damage to Luke’s clothes. Eventually, words failed her and she zoomed around the hapless Jedi, muttering under her breath as she examined the crimes against fashion before her.
Applejack walked up to Luke, shaking her head. “Sorry about that, sugarcube,” she apologized. “Rarity’s the best tailor in Ponyville —”
“— only tailor,” Rarity corrected, examining a hole over Luke’s right knee. “Though I do appreciate the compliment, darling.”
“...Only tailor in Ponyville,” Applejack acknowledged. “If anypony could fix yer getup for ya, it’s her.”
“Well, there doesn’t seem to be any fixing this!” Rarity said, backing away from Luke. She had a look on her face like a person had broken wind just under her nose. “By the time I’m done, you’d be wearing nothing but patches! Besides, wearing black? At this time of year? I won’t have it!”
Luke felt his face heat up. “It’s not like I have any spare clothes!”
Rarity clucked in disapproval. “Well, that just won’t do! I’ll take some measurements and make you a few outfits by tomorrow!” She trotted past Luke towards the farmhouse. Luke shook his head at the sheer strangeness of the whole thing. What was she expecting him to have done, pack a suitcase before getting shoved in the escape pod? He walked back to the house after Apple Bloom and Big Mac with Rainbow Dash and Applejack trailing behind him at a slow pace. They seemed to be speaking about something, but Luke couldn’t hear what.
Inside Applebloom was sitting with Big Mac on a couch, while Rarity was rummaging through her purse on the middle of the floor. "If you would just stand right there," she gestured with a hoof over to a spot on the floor next to her. "And don't move, please. I won't be able to make accurate measurements otherwise." Luke did as he was told and stood next to Rarity.
"Ah! Here we go! Hold still, now —"
Rarity's horn suddenly lit up a pale blue, and a long soft tape ruler slithered out of the bag. Liquid light danced around it as it floated.
"All right, let's get started, darling! Now if you will hold out your arm…"
At once the process began. The measurements seemed to pass by in almost a blur. Rarity carefully measured Luke's arms, legs, torso, and even his head in different angles and directions, marking down the measurements on a small notepad that sparkled with the same semi-fluid glow as the tape measure itself. Rarity asked some questions which Luke answered readily. The questions and measurements seemed to take hours, and by the time Rarity was done, the sky was starting to turn gold from an impending sunset and then slowly into an orange-red. Finally, the tape measure and the notebook flowed back into the bag.
"Well, that should do it," Rarity said, wiping her hoof across her brow. "I'll work on the outfits tonight and should be back with the finished product by tomorrow… hmmm, let's say noon? That should give me enough time to make a few sets."
Luke let out a sigh of relief. Even if he was used to meditation, standing for hours on end without moving was still tiring. "Thank you, Rarity," he said with a smile. "If there's anything I can do to repay you for this—"
Rarity waved him off. "Oh, don't even worry about it, darling! I’m just happy to help…whatever you are!”
Luke couldn't help but smile at that. "Even so, if you need help with anything, let me know."
He then blinked. The room seemed to sway a bit around him. Before he knew it, he was leaning against Big Mac, who had moved from the couch to catch him. Rarity deadpanned a bit. "If you want to repay me, getting yourself some bed rest would be a good start. You look dead on your feet!"
“Yeah I agree, you look like yer about to fall faster than a cart full of apples.”
“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh agreed.
Luke nodded slowly, blinking. He simply didn’t have the energy to argue.
Rarity beamed at the scene in front of her before trotting back through the door. “Well, I best be off. Those suits aren’t going to make themselves!” She opened the door and walked through before turning back to look inside and speaking one last time. “I’ll be back at noon, and not a second later! Ta ta!”
With that, the door closed, and Rarity was gone.
“I’d better be going too,” Rainbow Dash yawned. “I’ve got dew duty tomorrow, and that’s always a pain if I don’t get enough sleep.” She glared at Luke. “But don’t think you’re in the clear yet, Luke! I’ll be back tomorrow, and you won’t be worming out of it next time!” Before anyone could say anything, she marched through the door and was gone in a multi-colored blur.
Fluttershy said nothing, but merely shuffled over to Luke and then hugged him around the waist so tight Luke thought he felt a couple of vertebrae pop. She then blurted out of the door even faster than Rainbow Dash.
Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith moved on to the kitchen, but before Luke could follow him, Applejack pulled him aside.
"I heard about what went down with Rainbow Dash," she began quietly. "You all right?"
"Yes," Luke replies. He hesitated for a moment, fearing the answer, then pressed on. "Did any of you here… pass out?"
Applejack shook her head. "Granny was napping when it happened, so she was fine. Woke up with a start though, and said something about setting off firecrackers on her ears. Me n' Apple Bloom didn't feel anything. Only one of us that felt anything was Big Mac; he got a headache and he couldn't lift anything for a few minutes. Didn't last long though, was right about to start plowing when you, well, hit."
Luke grimaced. "I—"
He suddenly found his mouth covered by an orange hoof.
"Don't go blamin' yourself for that. You didn't know, and you weren't tryin' to hurt us. Fluttershy told me how you looked when Rainbow mentioned the comas. She said you went white when you heard it. We can tell you ain't meanin' to do anything bad. So don't worry about it."
"Also, I wouldn't worry about Rainbow Dash," she continued. When she saw Luke's questioning look, she elaborated, "She acts like a hot shot sometimes, but she's got a good heart."
"I noticed that," Luke said with a bit of a smile.
Applejack smiled back. "She's been visiting the farm since we were both fillies, so she considers us family. Any time there's even a tiny bit of trouble, she's got our back. She just gets a bit too intense on protectin' her friends sometimes. There are a few folks like that out there — they don't seem like much, but they'll stick with ya through thick n' thin."
Luke thought of a trench run, of a large round shadow passing over his fighter as pursuing TIE fighters suddenly burst into flame behind him, and a familiar gruff voice whooping out of nowhere over the comms.
"You're all clear, kid! Now let's blow this thing and go home!"
Luke felt a grin stretch across his face at the memories. He could agree with Applejack — there were people like that out there.
He looked at Applejack, who was smiling back.
“C’mon now,” she said, pushing Luke towards the kitchen table where Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith sat. “Let’s get you fed n’ watered before we getcha to bed. We'll talk more about what happened tomorrow when we're all rested up.”
The next few hours went by in a blur for Luke. He barely remembered what the Apples had made for dinner, only that it was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten. The next thing he knew, he was at the door to the guest bedroom once more, Applejack wishing him good night before trotting over to her room. Apple Bloom hugged him around his leg before zooming off to bed herself. Luke collapsed into his bed and almost instantly fell asleep.
Later, however, his sleep became more restless. The feeling of something that he couldn’t name prickled more and more at him, slowly bringing him out of sleep. When he fully woke up, it was dark in most of the guest room. Moonlight streamed through the window, and Luke could see stars in the sky; though he did note that the little bit of horizon he could see was paler now. It likely wouldn’t be long before morning.
A strange feeling came over Luke, and he felt the inexplicable need to go outside, to see the sky. He got up, put on his boots, then crept out of the room and down the stairs as quietly as he could. He didn’t want to wake the Apples.
It was as dark in the living room as it was upstairs, with only the moonlight through the windows giving light. Luke carefully stretched his thoughts out into the Force, not wanting a repeat of what happened that afternoon. There was still some resistance; the Force was still bruised, for lack of a better word, but it didn’t lash out at him like before. There was instead a muted sort of ambiance that he couldn’t name, a tension he had never felt before.
All he knew was that he had to get outside.
As quickly and silently as a loth cat, Luke moved to the door, taking care to avoid the obstacles the Force pointed out to him in silent whispers. He only needed to navigate to the door without stepping on a loose board or tripping on furniture. Where his eyes could not help him, the Force made up for the difference.
Before he knew it, he made it to the door. He turned the latch as slowly and carefully as he could, but it made no sound; the Apple family kept their home well-maintained. The door made no creak as he carefully opened it. Luke then stepped outside before gently closing the door behind him.
It was cool outside, but pleasantly so. Luke, no longer feeling the need to be stealthy, walked on; taking his time to enjoy the scent of grass and leaves in the air. He still felt the need to go somewhere. Yet he could take his time. He had the inkling that something was going to happen, something he needed to witness, but he also felt that there was also plenty of time to enjoy nature and its scenery. He wouldn’t be needing to go very far.
He left the farmhouse and the plowed field, moving on through the short grass. The moonlight falling over everything gave the trees and grass a strange, calm, ethereal atmosphere. It was quiet, save for chirps from unseen insects and a faint rustle somewhere behind him. Luke let the faint noises flow around him and continued on his meandering path. Before long, that niggling compulsion to go somewhere led him to a small hill that gave him a clear view of the surrounding area. Luke stopped at the hill’s summit and gazed about him, taking in the view.
In the relative darkness of the night, he couldn’t see much beyond the shapes of hills and mountains in the distance, the dark masses of trees, and the faint gleam of starlight and moonlight off small rivers in the distance.
He could see a massive peak to the northeast, a faint mass of lights clustered halfway to the summit. A city, perhaps? Luke remembered flying over that mountain in the escape pod, and catching the barest glimpse of buildings before they had rushed out of sight. Although he couldn’t remember very well. Everything that happened before the landing had been a blur from the time that… Thing… attacking them.
As if the thought of that mysterious attacker had somehow directed Luke’s gaze, his eyes were drawn westward and upward once more; to the white silver orb that hung in the sky. He could see the arrangement of craters and lava plains taking the shape of a unicorn’s head, horn leveled as if threatening. There was no doubt about it, the attacker was there. Luke could feel the cold, steely presence of the Thing radiate from that moon, carried on its rays like a parasite.
Yet beyond it, around it…
Luke turned to gaze at the still dark sky, awash with all the stars of the Galaxy, and all the stress he had carried up until that point was washed away in an instant. No matter what planet he was on the stars were always so captivating and beautiful, like silver dust over dark blue velvet. It was hard to believe that this world, this peaceful sleeping world; was adrift in the same galaxy that had been ravaged by the Clone Wars, the fall of the Republic, the Empire, and the Rebellion.
There was a faint rustling behind him, and a muttered oath so quiet it could have been mistaken for a breeze. Luke smiled to himself. He had known he was being followed from the start.
“You shouldn’t try to sneak in the tall grass,” he said over his shoulder. “It rustles too much.”
“Oh, and I’m sure you’re the expert on being sneaky!” replied a familiar raspy voice dripping with sarcasm. Luke turned behind him to see Rainbow Dash stumble out of the tall grass and bushes behind him with a face like a thundercloud. Her mane and tail were messier than before with a few blades of grass and twigs poking out here and there. All in all, it looked hilarious, and Luke had to keep himself from laughing and waking up everyone in a five-kilometer radius.
“Stupid twigs and roots,” Rainbow Dash grumbled, shaking off all the loose grass. “Kept tripping over roots and stepping on twigs.”
“And there’s another reason why you don’t sneak in tall grass,” Luke pointed out, still grinning. “You can’t see where you’re going.”
Rainbow Dash brushed the rest of the grass off her coat before sitting down. “Yeah, right, and what would you suggest?”
“Fly,” Luke said simply, and Rainbow Dash stared at him. “Most ground patrols don’t bother to look up,” he explained. “If they do, they don’t look up beyond a forty-five-degree angle. You could move from tree to tree, run along a rooftop, or fly right over their heads and they wouldn’t notice — provided you stay quiet.”
That little trick had been a lifesaver when, on missions for the Rebellion, he had to sneak in and out of Imperial bases without raising the alarm; the average stormtrooper was more focused on what was right in front of him than anything above him. Most patrols didn’t even notice Luke when he carefully hopped from roof to roof more than once.
It was a different story altogether where his father was concerned, however — blind spots weren't exactly a factor when the Force was involved.
Rainbow Dash gaped at him and Luke shrugged. “Of course, you could have just landed and walked along with me to enjoy the scenery. It’s nice out tonight.”
She glared. “And just what were you doing out in the middle of the night? Making contact with your alien invader pals?”
“Didn’t I just say what I was doing?” Luke asked drily. “I was enjoying the scenery. It’s not every day I’m on a planet like this and I have the time to appreciate the view.”
He wasn’t exactly lying either; he never got to see Alderaan before it was destroyed. Like only had an idea of what it looked like from what Leia had described. Tatooine looked nice enough at dusk he supposed; but in his opinion, if you saw one desert planet you saw them all, nice sunsets aside. On Endor, everyone had been a bit too preoccupied with the massive Imperial base and shield generator to marvel at the impressive redwoods around them.
Dagobah was… Dagobah. Enough said.
Luke had been on more than a few remarkable worlds, but he was always too busy to look around; what with fighting the Empire, Darth Vader, local scavengers, Darth Vader, wild animals, bounty hunters, Darth Vader, Boba Fett — again! What the kriff was his problem? — Darth Vader, another Death Star, the Emperor, and oh yeah, did he forget to mention Darth Vader?
He shook off the thought and turned to look at Rainbow Dash. “I could honestly ask the same thing to you. What are you doing up so early?”
Rainbow Dash drew herself up proudly. “I was busy training if you want to know! I’m aiming to make the Wonderbolts — The best stunt flyers in all of Equestria!” she added, looking at Luke’s blank face. “I may be the fastest flier around, but I gotta keep my skills and tricks nice and polished or they won’t look at me twice! But come the Summer Sun Celebration, I’ll show ‘em my stuff! Then they’ll let me on!” She then glared at him again. "Then I saw you walking around in the dead of night —"
"It's almost morning," Luke pointed out, but Rainbow Dash kept on going as if he hadn't talked.
"-- And I figured I should keep an eye on you just in case you tried something funny! There's no way I'd leave the Apple’s hangin'!"
"And why would I hurt them? They helped me!"
"You're the alien, you tell me!" Rainbow spat back.
Luke shook his head in exasperation. "I'm not going to hurt anyone here, Rainbow Dash. This time yesterday, I didn't even know this planet existed. I have no reason to hurt anyone here, much less Applejack and her family." He looked at the obstinate little pegasus. "You care about them, don't you?"
She puffed out her chest in what she likely thought was a show of strength. To Luke, it was just cute.
"Of course I do! I've known them since I was a filly and they've looked out for me all the time I've known them! I'll look out for them anytime! If anypony wants a piece of them, they're gonna have to deal with me! I'll clobber 'em!"
Rainbow Dash smiled with such smug confidence that Luke was once again reminded of Han boasting about the Falcon making the Kessel Run in under twelve parsecs. He couldn’t help but smile and chuckle at the sheer resemblance. “Hey, what’s so funny!?” Rainbow Dash was back to glaring at him.
“Sorry, I wasn't laughing at you,” Luke said, chuckling. “You just reminded me of a friend of mine — Han Solo.”
Rainbow Dash wasn’t about to let it drop. “Oh yeah? What’s this friend of yours like?” she asked skeptically.
Luke looked out over the hill. “He’s a smuggler, a cheater at cards, and a habitual liar. He's a complete scoundrel who fits right in with the criminal underworld. He’s smug, selfish, boastful, scruffy-looking, and has just about the biggest head out of everyone I’ve ever known in the whole galaxy.”
Rainbow Dash’s face started getting redder and redder with fury as he went on, but before she could say anything, Luke cut her off.
“He’s also smart, quick-thinking, caring, dependable, honorable, and one of the best shots in the galaxy with a blaster. He met his best friend in the works by freeing him from slavery and making countless enemies in the process. He's saved my life multiple times, even when the smartest way to save himself would have been to run and leave everyone behind. I’ve never met a pilot better than him anywhere I’ve gone, nor anyone more loyal. If he’s got your back, he’ll stick with you to the ends of the galaxy and beyond, no matter what happens. He always figures a way out of any situation no matter how grim, and never leaves his friends and loved ones behind. That is Han Solo.”
He turned back to Rainbow Dash. “And honestly? I’m glad to know there’s someone like him here. I'll bet that many friends of yours are in good hands — well, hooves,” he amended sheepishly.
Rainbow Dash, her face still flaming red, opened and closed her mouth multiple times. No sound came out. Finally, she turned around to look out over the hill, facing away from Luke.
“Well, I guess you can’t be that bad,” she muttered.
Luke chuckled again, but suddenly froze mid-laugh.
Something had changed. He felt it in the air. He felt it in the earth. He felt it in the Force itself. There was new pressure on him. One so alien, yet so like what he felt coming from the moon. However, where the Moon's presence was cold and steely; the new pressure was warm and draped about him like a mantle. Instead of weighing him down to submit, it uplifted him and supported him. If it weren’t for this he would have immediately collapsed to his knees from the weight of it. Instead, he stood, still in silence, feeling the Force. The air itself seemed to vibrate with a new kind of anticipation, a yearning. Something was coming.
Something had come.
It began with a sound; a sound that wasn’t a sound, but more of a vibrating surge humming in the Force itself. It blanketed the world around him and Luke felt every hair on his body stand on end. It was like standing in front of a massive orchestra; an orchestra that covered the entire globe, holding a single tone, waiting for a single conductor to begin the movement.
Thus it soon did.
The Music in the Force began to rise, slow yet strong, building to something Luke could not name. It then flared, a sudden, brief rise of sheer command that could not be overturned. Luke tried to follow the surge, the thrumming, blaring flow of power, and his eyes were inexorably drawn to the Moon.
The Moon which, until that very moment, had stood stationary and immobile among the innumerable stars.
The Moon which was now sinking not in the same way any other moon he had seen — smooth, constant, and inexorable as the world itself turned; but instead begrudgingly, reluctantly, gently, and firmly as if being physically pushed under the horizon by a giant invisible hand. The Moon resisted, pushed back, fought against the power that would tame it. Its passage slowed and Luke could see on the dark equine face emblazoned on the white sphere, a single blue Eye flaring angrily; defiant even as the Music built up for a second fanfare-like surge.
When it came The Eye’s baleful light immediately winked. The Moon, submitting, sank below the western horizon and out of sight. Luke’s eyes were now drawn to the great mountain to the northwest.
On the face of that distant peak, amidst the cluster of faint lights midway up the slope, a new light had joined them. This light was different — clean cut and shimmering, like a golden star had descended to that distant peak. As he watched the Star waxed in brilliance and the Music in the Force began to build one final time. On impulse, Luke whirled to face the eastern horizon where the pale glow from before had steadily grown from pale blue to pink to red to a fiery orange. The stars, one by one, began to wink out as the sky paled.
For one single brief and eternal moment, the world froze and the Music fell silent. Nothing moved. Luke didn’t even dare to breathe. Every cell in his body waited in anticipation for what he knew was to come, what was inevitable, his eyes fixed on that brightening horizon.
A blinding speck of shining gold pushed over the horizon, and the Force exploded into a crescendo of unbound joy and victory. Luke felt the Force vibrate around him and through him, to the point he thought his teeth rattled. He turned and looked back at the Golden Star, a miniscule echo of the Sun.
At first all he saw was that gold shine. He then beheld a waving banner of soft pinks, greens, blues, and a gleaming alabaster white with the faintest tinge of violet. He saw a long, proud horn raised to the heavens; a point of molten gold burning at its apex. Bright wings framed each side, flared out in an image of majesty. Finally Luke saw two eyes, warm and fiery pink. For a single instant, frozen in time, he stared at them. The eyes stared back.
The eternal moment soon passed and the vision faded. The Golden Star waned, its work done. The Sun rose higher and higher taking its seat in the sky, proud and victorious as the world brightened to greet it. The Music of the Force itself rising to one final high note that slowly tapered away.
All was then silent. To any other it was just another morning. A welcome one to be sure, but a morning like any other. To Luke however, it was the single most incredible experience in his life.
For what seemed like hours he stood there, mouth agape at what he had just witnessed. Something then tapped on his shoulder which jolted him back to reality. Rainbow dash was still there, looking at him like he had grown a second head.
“Are you okay?” she asked, frowning. “You really spaced out there.”
Luke shook his head to clear it. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m all right. Let’s go back. I’m sure Applejack and the others are awake by now.” Rainbow Dash didn’t reply, but trotted down the hill with Luke in tow. Every now and then she gave him weird looks over her shoulder. Luke trailed behind as he plunged deep into thought.
Never before had he witnessed such an event, and never again would he see anything like it as long as he lived. It dawned on him, at that moment, that this beautiful thing had existed in the same galaxy that had suffered decades of war — the Clone Wars, the fall of the Republic, the Empire, the Rebellion — and had not been touched by it in the slightest. This cosmic island of peace, warmth, and beautiful things had remained untouched and unscathed from the countless star wars that had scarred the rest of the galaxy for eons. Something began to stir in Luke that day, a decision that would not take shape until much later.
Luke could not have known it at that moment, but that one moment had changed his life — and the lives of countless others — forever