//------------------------------// // A Disturbing Discovery // Story: Obsidian Flight: Crisis In Equestria // by EldritchNexus //------------------------------// “Come on, Twilight!” shouted Spike for the ninth time in a row. “Hurry up, and get downstairs! You have to look at this!” Twilight Sparkle was busy reading through yet another book about Star Swirl the Bearded, searching for any information on his unfinished spells. When she was unable to find anything else about them apart from she had already studied, she gave up with a groan and went downstairs to find out what Spike was shouting about. “I really need to send a letter to Princess Celestia to see if she knows anything about…” Twilight wondered aloud, when she saw Spike holding a letter, no doubt from Princess Celestia herself. “It looks kinda important.” Spike told her, as she used her telekinesis to grab the letter. Immediately, she began scanning the letter. Dear Twilight Sparkle, I have news that might interest you. A relic of some kind has been discovered in the Crystal Mountains. It appears to have some sort of magical properties, but it is nothing my sister and I can recognize. If you are interested in investigating it yourself, it has been moved to Canterlot, where it remains under a close watch by my guards. I have already told them to expect your arrival. P.S.: Be careful if you do decide to examine it. Something very unsettling is contained within the artifact. I don’t know exactly what is in there (it doesn’t seem to open, no matter what spell I use), but it gives me a very strange sensation, all the same. Sincerely, Princess Celestia. An ancient relic that even Princess Celestia doesn’t recognize? What in Equestria could it possibly be? Twilight thought. “Spike, we’re going to Canterlot!” Twilight said aloud to Spike. “Are you sure? Because just reading that postscript gave me goosebumps.” The baby dragon said. “It could be dangerous.” “You’re right.” The purple unicorn said. “I think we’re going to need some help with this one.” “Should I get the others?” Spike asked, referring to Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. “Definitely.” Twilight Sparkle nodded. Meanwhile, in Canterlot, the two alicorn princesses, Celestia and Luna, were standing adjacent from a large, black pyramid-shaped object. “Sister, who did you say discovered this…thing?” Celestia asked, staring at the strange markings on the sides. “I do not know, dear sister.” Luna answered, just as confused. “I assumed that simple pony-folk living near the Crystal Mountains had found it.” Celestia looked at the apex of the pyramid, and noticed a black crystal in its midst. “I wonder if that jewel has anything to do with opening it?” She suggested. She pressed her front hoof against the jewel, but suddenly a sound emitted from the pyramid: An assortment of soft beeping noises, followed by silence. “I guess not.” Princess Celestia said, slightly disappointed. “Oh, well. Come, sister. We have a kingdom to run.” “Indeed we do, big sister.” Princess Luna agreed, happy to be away from the strange artifact. The two princesses left the chamber, and returned to the castle. But as soon as they left, the beeping began again, followed by a distorted voice. It spoke in an incomprehensible language, one that nopony in Equestria ever spoke: “Rinks Shui, Aji oauiidas, Kressh! Jookio sioo ajibaj ma anm mioap ajoao…” droned the mysterious voice. Then as quickly as it came, the voice was silenced, and the beeps died seconds later. Obsidian Flight was still traveling through Hyperspace. They were now just a few standard hours away from reaching their destination: the Baroonda system. Naat Reath, who had been meditating on the bridge of the Bestial, felt a sharp pain in the head. She cried out, only for the sensation to abruptly vanish. “Are you alright, General?” asked a nearby clone trooper. “Should I get you to the infirmary?” “No, trooper. I’m fine.” assured Naat, who was suddenly out-of-breath. “I just felt something…odd.” “What, like one of those ‘disturbances in the Force’ that you Jedi keep rambling on about?” asked the trooper, with a skeptical tone in his voice. “Actually, yes.” Naat replied, ignoring the rude tone in the clone’s comment. “But I don’t know what to make of the one I just felt. It was either too brief or too far away…or both.” “Well, whatever it was, it’ll have to wait.” The clone told her, obviously uninterested. “Captain North has arranged to meet with you on the observation deck. He wants you to help him develop a strategy for the attack before we reach the system.” “Then lead the way, trooper.” Naat Reath commanded. They both went up a turbolift that would take them to the Bestial's observation deck. Meanwhile, on the jungle planet of Baroonda, a group of figures in black robes were standing in the heavy rain. Together, they quickly raised their arms, and sheets of rainwater were pushed away from them. “How long till those foolish Jedi come here?” one of them asked the others. “The Republic has been running slow of late, hasn’t it?” another asked. Suddenly, a third figure ignited a red-bladed lightsaber. The others turned to look at him. “Let them take as much time as they wish!” He said. “They will soon feel the wrath of our…” A strange, but vaguely familiar sensation entered their minds in unison. The man with the ignited lightsaber recognized it, but said nothing. Suddenly, the collective feeling was removed from their minds. “The Dark Side has cried out.” The second robed figure said. “But what did it say?” “Only time will tell, brother.” A fourth responded. “Only time will tell." On Coruscant, Master Yoda felt the exact same sensation. But since it was so distant, he did not not what to make of it. "Strange, this is." the ancient Jedi muttered to himself. "Put much thought into this disturbance, I must. In great danger, I assume are the ones that have triggered it. May the Force be with them all."