Star-Wars: A cultural phenomenon, one of the largest franchises ever to grace the surface of the Earth. Spanning countless movies, games, tv shows, books, toys, and virtually every other form of media. It is a series that is beloved worldwide, having captured the hearts and minds of millions.
For many, Star Wars is their life, having been fascinated by its world ever since they were first introduced to it. The number of diehard fans in the world is staggering, people who cosplay and attend conventions in an attempt to get closer to a galaxy far, far away.
Eric Callahan is just one of these people. He had just finished up a binge marathon of everything Star Wars, starting with The Phantom Menace, and ending with The Rise of Skywalker. Eric absolutely loved the Star Wars universe, he always had. Like many other fans, it was his greatest dream to be taken to that galaxy, to live out his wildest fantasies.
He sighed as he made his way to his room, why did he have to be born in this world, and not the one of his dreams? Looking out the window he gazed up at the night sky full of twinkling stars. "Please," he said to himself as he watched the large blanket of lights. "Take me to a galaxy, far, far away." After he said that, he covered up in his bed and consigned himself to the embrace of sleep. However, he failed to notice, as one of the stars in the sky grew ever brighter as if it had heard him.
Blearily opening his eyes, Eric Immeadietly knew something was off. Moving his fingers, he felt his hand brush through something that definitely wasn't his bed sheets. Looking to see what it was, he was confounded to discover that he was laying in a field of grass. Confused, he sat up, the sleep vanishing from his eyes as he gazed out in bewilderment at what lay before him.
He was in a forest.
He looked on in a dumbstruck stupor, struggling to understand what was going on. What was he doing in the middle of the woods, and, how'd he get there for that matter? He knew he hadn't gone camping, and as far as he was aware he wasn't a sleepwalker. Could someone have kidnapped him maybe, and just dumped him in the middle of the woods, like some sort of bizarre prank?
He silently got to his feet, still trying to figure out how he got there. He looked around in all directions, nothing but forest for as far as his eyes could see. Gazing skyward, he used his hand to shield his eyes from the sun bearing down on him.
Eric tried thinking back to the last thing he could remember, to see if he could recollect anything out of the ordinary that he didn't think anything of at the time. He recalled finishing his star wars marathon, and then afterward he went to his room, where he looked up at the night sky for a few moments before going to bed.
As he thought about last night, something stuck out to him. He remembered as he stared up at the stars, how he had wished to be sent to the Star Wars universe. He stopped in his tracks as the realization hit him. Did- did his wish get granted, did he get sent to a galaxy, far, far away? He felt hope rising within his chest, was it possible, did his dream become real? While the idea might seem crazy at first, it would actually answer how he was in the middle of the forest and not in his room. Still, though, he couldn't be one hundred percent positive, but, there was a way he could find out for sure.
Setting off into the woods, he picked a random direction and started walking. If he was really in the Star Wars universe, all he had to do was find a spaceport or something and that would prove it, so he made it his mission to find one. As he trekked through the wilds, assuming this really was the star wars galaxy, he started wondering what planet he might be on. Due to the dense foliage around him, he could rule out places like Tatooine, or Coruscant. Maybe Naboo, he thought. Kashyyyk, Takodana, there were so many planets that fit this description it was near impossible to know for sure.
Eventually, he broke out of the treeline and into an open field. And as he escaped the confines of the forest, his heart swelled with excitement as he caught sight of a small village in the distance. Unable to contain his glee, he started running toward the town, too excited to stop. As he got closer, however, something started to stick out to him as odd. The town seemed really old-fashed, with thatched roofs and everything. While settlements like that existed in Star Wars, what really drew his attention were the villagers, they were only a few feet tall, and came in many different colors. Now, this didn't bother Eric, as the countless races in the Star Wars universe varied greatly, but a nagging feeling in the back of his brain told him that something about them was familiar.
As he neared the town, he became aware of a small group of villagers breaking away to meet him. again, something about them seemed familiar, like he should know them from somewhere. As they got closer to him, he was able to start seeing them in greater detail. They walked on four legs, making them quadruped, and in addition to their varying colors, he could also make out strange markings on their flanks. They also looked kind of like horses, he noted as they drew ever nearer, or maybe more like...Ponies...
Oh no!
He paused in his tracks, horror dawning on him as he came to the realization of where he'd seen all this before. As they approached, he took a subconscious step back, struggling to come to terms with what was before him. This wasn't Star Wars, this dream had turned into a nightmare.
As the crushing weight of the truth came down on him, he almost failed to notice when a lavender-colored pony began speaking to him.
"Is everything all right?" she asked with concern.
He didn't answer, just staring off into space.
"Sir, is everything all right?" she tried again.
This time, Eric mustered the willpower to respond. With a shakey face, he looked at the pony and replied. "W-where am I?" he asked, with a weak, wavering voice.
The pony looked at her friends with a hint of confusion in her eyes, before turning back to face Eric. "You're in Equestria."
At those words, he felt a tidal wave of grief crash over him. "No," he muttered as he grabbed his heart, clutching it as if he had been stabbed - which in a way, he had been. He collapsed to his knees, sorrow weighing him down as he threw his hands and head to the sky and let out a powerful wail.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
As he found himself wallowing in despair, the ponies in front of him continued to show looks of concern. "Sir, is something the matter?" The lavender pony spoke again. "If something is wrong, just tell us and we'll do what we can to help."
"How did this happen?" he wondered to himself aloud, not really paying attention to the pony.
"Can you tell me your name?" The pony asked yet again, making sure he heard her. "Just start by telling me your name."
Eric looked at her with a blank expression, as if he was staring through her like she was some sort of ghost. "Eric," he said, at last, his voice sounding hollow. "My name's Eric."
"Hello, Eric, my name is Twilight Sparkle," she said, pointing one hoof at her chest, before proceeding to point at the other ponies around her. "And these are my friends, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack." The other five all gave a hello as Twilight introduced them.
Eric shook his head, struggling to comprehend his current predicament. "I don't understand, why am I here? Did I do something wrong? Did I do something to anger the Force? What sin have I committed that warrants this?" As the six ponies watched him, unsure of what he was talking about, everyone's attention was drawn to a new voice speaking from seemingly out of nowhere.
"Why, because I brought you here, of course." Said a living case of taxidermy gone wrong as a creature made out of several different animal parts materialized out of thin air.
Twilight scoffed. "Ugh, Discord, I should have known you had something to do with this.
"Why, whatever do you mean Twilight?" The creature Eric could only assume was Discord asked, feigning a look of shock. "Why would you think I had any hoof to play in this?"
"Because you just admitted to having a hoof to play in this!" Twilight shouted in exasperation.
"Huh, I guess I did," Discord exclaimed nonchalantly, examining one of his claws.
'Wait, hold on!" Eric exclaimed, cutting into the pair's exchange. He pointed a finger at Discord. "You said you brought me here, explain!" Eric demanded of the mismatched being.
"Oh, well it's quite simple really," Discord said. Effortlessly, he waved a claw, and suddenly Eric was back in his room, staring out the window. "I heard you say, 'take me to a galaxy, far, far away, and so, I did exactly as you asked for." As soon as Discord said that, Eric watched as a star in the night sky began to grow brighter and brighter before the light seemed to enter his room and suddenly whisk him away.
"And that's how you came to be in Equestria!" Discord said joyfully as he dropped the illusion, leaving them back in the field outside town.
"But, I said I wanted to go to a galaxy, far, far away," Eric said, confused as to why he was here now. "As in, Star Wars."
A question Discord was happy to answer. "Well technically speaking, Equus is in a different galaxy from Earth, so you got what you asked for. And I mean, come on, how was I supposed to know you meant the Star Wars universe?"
By this time, their conversation had started to draw in a crowd, with many ponies gathering around the small group to see what was going on.
Eric looked at Discord blankly. "A galaxy, far, far away," He spoke the words slowly, and with emphasis. "Those words, are synonymous with Star Wars!" he roared in outrage, barely able to contain his anger.
"Oh, are they?" Discord shrugged his shoulders. "My bad."
"My bad?" Eric echoed Discord's words with an eerie calmness. "All you have to say for yourself is my bad. I could have been a Jedi Knight in the High Republic, I could have been a rebel in the fight against the Empire. I could have been a bounty hunter going after my next mark, I could have been a smuggler carrying cargos of spice. I could have been a Sith Lord, I could have been an Imperial, I could have been a droid mechanic for all I cared!!" He screamed out. "I COULD HAVE BEEN ANYTHING I WANTED!"
"And you..." he turned to face Discord again, his voice reacquiring that calmness from before. "You took it all away from me, you ruined my dream and turned it into a nightmare. You sabotaged everything I'd ever hoped for, you...you...you..." He trailed off, grasping for the most insulting thing he could say, and then it hit him.
"YOU JAR JAR BINKS REJECT!"
All the ponies present screamed in horror, lurching backward as if he had uttered some obscene curse. Rarity fainted on the spot, while Fluttershy started cowering, covering her head with her hooves. Applejack sent him a stern look as she covered the ears of a smaller pony with a pink bow on its head.
Discord huffed and folded his arms. "Well, I never," he said, turning his back on Eric.
"Eric, I understand that you are upset, but there is no need for such vile language!" Twilight scolded him.
"I'm sorry," Eric apologized. "But what do you expect, he destroyed my chances at living out my dream."
"Well, then let's see about that," she said as she turned to face Discord, getting his attention. "Discord, do you think you can help Eric here get to this Star Wars place he keeps talking about?"
"Well of course I can." Replied Discord, turning his head over his neck to look at her. "But after what he said give me one good reason why I should."
"I see," she responded. "Well, if Eric were to apologize for insulting you would you consider helping him then?"
"...I suppose."
Twilight turned to face the human. "Well Eric, what do you say, does that sound reasonable?" She asked.
"Yeah." He nodded his head. "Discord," Eric began as he turned to face him. "I'm sorry I compared you to Jar Jar, will you please accept my apology?"
Discord turned around with a smile on his face. "Well since you asked nicely..." He snapped his fingers, and suddenly a portal appeared just a few feet from Eric, hovering in the air. "This doorway will take you to the Star Wars universe, depositing you at the time and place of your choosing."
"Thank you," Eric said.
"Oh and take this," Discord gave him a small remote-like device. "It'll allow you to travel back and forth between the Star Wars galaxy and Earth freely."
Eric took the device from Discord and pocketed it. He walked up to the portal, preparing to go through before he stopped and stared at it hesitantly. 'So I just walk in?" he asked.
"Yep," Discord replied, enter the portal and you'll be in a galaxy, far, far away."
"So I guess this is good by then?" Twilight asked looking up at him.
"Yeah, looks like it."
"Okay, well, take care then," she said.
He nodded back down at her. "You too.
With all the final pleasantries out of the way, Eric turned back towards the portal. "Well, here goes nothing," he said before walking through.
When Eric stepped out the other side of the portal, he found himself in a futuristic utopia. The entire planet was a city, with massive buildings that towered up to the heavens. Species of all kinds walked down the streets, and flying ships soared over his head.
Seeing all of this, he couldn't help but let a huge smile spread over his face.
Oh, yeah, this was more like it.