//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Spending Time, Part 2 // Story: My Little Pony: Rebellion is Magic // by MetaLord395 //------------------------------// “Ezra?” No response. “Ezra, do you hear me?” Still no response. Fluttershy nudged the young Padawan with her hoof. At last, the boy woke up, groaning. Ezra stretched himself as soon as he got up. He had just experienced one of the weirdest things to have ever happened to him. He looked around to see that he was in the middle of a field surrounded by all sorts of woodland creatures, from bears to birds to bunnies. “F-Fluttershy?” he asked groggily. “W-what just happened?” “You mean you don’t even know?” Fluttershy asked, a bit concerned. Ezra shook his head. “Well, you just passed out without giving any warning. So I brought you here to see if my friends could help you.” “Your . . . friends?” he asked, turning to see all the animals around him. Just in the distance stood a cottage, which he also assumed was Fluttershy’s. Something was tapping at his feet. He looked down to see a small bunny, who was staring back at him curiously. “Say hello to my pet, Angel Bunny,” Fluttershy said, smiling. “Um . . . hi?” Ezra waved at Angel, giving him a nervous grin. The bunny continued to stare back at him with curiosity. Ezra faced Fluttershy. “These are your friends?” Fluttershy nodded. “I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but I have the ability to communicate with all kinds of woodland creatures.” “Really?” Ezra asked, interested. “I can kinda do the same thing too, only with the Force.” “The Force?” Fluttershy asked, curious. “The Force is this mystical life energy which binds all living things together,” Ezra started. “There are certain people known as Force-sensitives who are capable of performing feats that normal people aren’t. For example-“ He faced a wooden log and held out his hand, trying to concentrate. The log budged a little, then eventually floated up into the air, unsupported by anything. All the creatures turned to watch in amazement, even Angel. Fluttershy herself looked amazed. “Whoa,” she whispered, awestruck. “Mhm.” Ezra lowered the log back into place. “And that’s not all.” He took off into a running start, and jumped into the air, eventually landing on the roof of the cottage. Fluttershy was watching him, even more impressed. “Careful,” she warned him, as he started to slide down the roof, eventually landing on the ground. “And here is something that Kanan taught me. It’s called a Jedi Mind Trick.” He went up to Angel, placed two fingers in front of the bunny, and said clearly, “You will go into the log right now.” Angel turned up his nose and looked away, crossing his arms. “You WILL go in the log now,” Ezra repeated, more firmly. Still the bunny refused. “You WILL go into the log NOW,” Ezra repeated, even more firmly. The bunny smacked Ezra’s hand and hopped away. “Sorry about Angel,” Fluttershy said nervously. “He’s usually a good bunny, but sometimes he can be a bit temperamental. Especially around strangers.” “That’s okay,” Ezra replied, shaking his hand to alleviate the pain. “I think it still needs practice anyway. I mean, I haven’t found time to do much anyway, what with battling the Empire and all.” He turned to face her. “And I want to apologize for Chopper’s behavior yesterday. He’s a good robot overall, but sometimes, he can be a real sleemo.” Though Fluttershy did not know what the word meant, she could tell from Ezra’s tone that it was not a very nice thing to call someone. “That’s okay. I mean, it’s not like he was an actual creature anyway.” She sat down. “So your passing out, I’m guessing it had something to do with the Force?” Ezra nodded. “I just came out of a Force vision.” “Force-sensitives also can experience visions?” “Uh huh. I just had a particularly disturbing one involving the Inquisitor, TIE fighters attacking, and Star Destroyers over Ponyville.” He turned to see a look of confusion on the pegasus’s face. “And I may be wrong, but I think I saw you and your friends battling him while wearing . . . pieces of jewelry?” “The Elements of Harmony,” Fluttershy muttered. “Come again?” Ezra asked. “The Elements of Harmony,” Fluttershy repeated, louder this time. “They are these necklaces that embody one aspect of harmony. They were given to us by Princess Celestia. For example, I am the spirit of the Element of Kindness. Rainbow Dash embodies Loyalty, Rarity is Generosity, Pinkie Pie is Laughter, Applejack is Honesty, and Twilight is Friendship and Harmony.” “That sounds pretty amazing,” Ezra admitted. “I’ve heard that you and your friends have had adventures of your own. Care to tell me about them?” Fluttershy grinned. --break— “Are you sure this will look all right on me?” Sabine’s voice came from behind the curtain. “Nonsense, Sabine darling,” Rarity responded. “I’m sure it will. And if something is out of place, I will be sure to inform you.” Sabine sighed from behind the curtain. “Okay, here goes nothing.” She drew back the curtain. And what Rarity saw next made her open her mouth in delight. Sabine’s hair was now dyed a brilliant purple, which somehow went very well with her eyes. Her Mandolorian armor, meanwhile, was now bedecked with all kinds of diamonds. She stepped out of the modeling space, worried eyes on the white unicorn’s. “Well?” “Magnifique, darling,” Rarity said. “Now, let us see what we can-“ Just then, Sabine’s comlink turned on. “Spectre-4 to Spectre-5. Do you copy?” Sabine motioned for Rarity to be a bit quieter, then turned the comlink on. “I read you loud and clear, Spectre-4.” “I don’t suppose you are finished with . . . whatever it is that you are doing, right?” Zeb’s voice responded. Sabine glanced at Rarity, who shook her head violently. “Not even close. Why?” “The pink one is starting to get on my nerves.” The annoyance was as clear as crystal in Zeb’s voice. “Oh come now, darling,” Rarity spoke into the comlink. “Sure, Pinkie Pie may be a bit hyper, but she’s just trying to help.” “Rarity has a point,” Sabine agreed, looking at a beaming Rarity. “Besides, after what the Imperials put you through, it’s about time you actually had a bit of good cheer.” “The only thing that would make me happy is knocking some bucketheads together,” Zeb’s voice muttered audibly. He evidently must have realized the channel was still on, because he backtracked, “But I suppose I could stand to get along with her. I mean, what harm could there possibly be?” The two girls smiled at each other. Somewhere in the distance on the other end, Pinkie’s voice rang out. “Zeb!” “Oh karabast. Gotta go!” And with that, he signed off. Sabine and Rarity looked at each other, then burst out laughing. After they had finally stopped laughing, Rarity asked, “What did these Imperials you speak of put your friend through?” Sabine turned to her. “Your friend may have mentioned it in passing when she first met us, but Zeb witnessed the Empire cleanse his entire homeworld.” Rarity gasped. “Oh, it only gets better from there. The instruments used to destroy the Lasats were disruptors that were only intended to take down starships. I know this because we encountered those weapons a while back.” “Terrible, just terrible,” Rarity managed to finally say. "Want to know what's worse?" Sabine continued. "Sometimes, they don't even follow their own rules. The genocide forced the Senate to make the weapons illegal, and yet we found out that some Imperials were trying to mass-produce them on Lothal." "Well, the sooner those ruffians get overthrown, the better," Rarity said. "I don't see how they were able to stay in power for this long." "Yeah, you and me both," Sabine agreed. "You should see how terrible the stormtroopers' aim is." "How bad is it?" asked Rarity, fighting hard to suppress laughter. "Well, put it this way," Sabine said. "You can stand right in front of them and they would still miss every shot they throw at you." "It's that bad, then?" Rarity continued, now smiling with glee. "Yeah," Sabine continued, equally amused. "It's that terrible." Just then, a young unicorn with a purple-and-pink mane came in, "Rarity, would you mind making some dresses for my-" She stopped, evidently taken aback by the presence of the newcomer. Sabine likewise registered the appearance of the new arrival. For a long time, no one spoke. Finally, Rarity said, "Sabine, allow me to introduce you to my sister, Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle, this is my guest, Sabine Wren." "Hi, Sweetie Belle," Sabine said. "Hi, Sabine," Sweetie Belle returned. "Rarity, would you mind making some dresses for my school play that's coming up for the end of this month?" "Of course, dear," Rarity answered sweetly. "Just let me finish up with Sabine." "Okay," Sweetie Belle said. "I'll just wait. In the meantime, I will contact the other Crusaders and see what they want to do." She exited the room. Sabine looked at Rarity. "She's your sister?" Rarity nodded. "Huh, I guess I see the resemblance." She admired herself in the mirror. Rarity spoke up. "Sabine, I heard Ezra tell me over breakfast this morning that you are an amazing artist. Would you care to show me some of your artwork and maybe even teach me how to paint?" Sabine beamed, pleased that someone had recognized her artistic talent. "I thought you would never ask." --break-- "Okay, Chopper," Applejack said as both of them traversed up Sweet Apple Acres, "ah want ya to be on yer best behavior with the rest of mah family. Don' even think of playing pranks on anypony while we are here, 'kay?" Chopper let out a groan which Applejack swore translated to a reluctant "Okay". "And try not tah hurt any of mah family while we're here, 'kay?" the earth pony continued. "Ah'm pretty sure Hera would not like tha'." Chopper let out another reluctant groan. When they reached the front door of Apple family house, Applejack opened the front door. "Big Macintosh! Apple Bloom! Granny Smith! Come here! I wanna show y'all a new friend o'mine!" Three ponies who Chopper never saw before entered the room. One was big red stallion with an orange mane with a green apple cutie mark, another was a much smaller pony with green fur and a bow in her mane, and the third was a green elderly mare. All three of them looked with an intense curiosity at Chopper, who looked at the newcomers with a bit of considerable distress. "Applejack?" the pony with the bow in her mane asked. "What is that?" She pointed to Chopper, who growled in displeasure at being referred to as an object. "Apple Bloom, say hello to Chopper. He's an astromech who'll be staying here in Ponyville for some time," Applejack answered. "Chopper, say hello to mah l'il sister, Apple Bloom." Chopper grunted a greeting. "And that is mah Granny Smith"-Applejack motioned to the elderly stallion, who waved with her hoof-"and mah brother, Big Mac." "Eeyup," Big Mac responded. Chopper let out a long low warble, which Applejack translated, "Chopper says, 'You don' say much, do you, Big Mac?'" "Nope," Big Mac responded. "Anyways," said Granny Smith, "we was just goin' out fer our afternoon apple-bucking. Want ter join us?" Chopper let out a series of short, quick beeps which Applejack conveyed. "Chop wants to know what apple-bucking is." "C'mon, we'll show ya!" Apple Bloom raced out the front door. Granny Smith, Applejack, and Big Mac soon followed, with Chopper eventually joining. When they were in the orchard, the three ponies each stood in front of a tree full of apples. Applejack said to Chopper, "Okay, now, apple-bucking is basically tryin’ tah collect as many apples as possible fer the harvest season. Basically, what you do is this." She kicked the tree with both of her back legs. Instantly, a shower of apples fell down. "Now you try." Chopper tried to do the buck the apples off the tree he was in front of, but found, to his frustration, that not a single apple fell. Applejack laughed heartily. "Aw, shoot, I don' blame yah. This kinda work needs strong back muscles an' yer just too hollow to pull it off right." Chopper let out a series of displeased beeps at Applejack. Just then a loud, snide voice came from over the hill. "Well, well, if it isn't the blank flank and her family doing country work! Trying to rake in more apples, I suppose?" Two ponies, who Chopper had never seen before in his lifespan, had come up the side of the hill. One of them was a pale magenta pony with a grayish violet mane with white streaks wearing a crown on her head. The other was a cornflower bluish gray pony with an azureish gray mane wearing glasses. At the sight of their appearances, Apple Bloom stopped bucking apples and glared menacingly at the two arrivals. “What do ya want, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?” she started. “Can’t ya see we’re tyin’ tah work here?” “Oh, we just heard rumors that you had a new friend over, so we wanted to see if he or she wanted to join our group,” the pony named Silver Spoon said. She then noticed Chopper, who registered her appearance with heavy disapproval. “I’m guessing that’s the one?” “He has a name,” Applejack responded warningly. “His name is Chopper.” The other pony, who Chopper assumed was called Diamond Tiara, went up to him and circled him in examination. “Well, I don’t see a cutie mark for this one. I guess that makes him . . . a blank flank!” The two fillies laughed at Chopper, who was now grunting dangerously. “Why in tarnation would yah expect him to have a cutie mark?” Applejack asked Diamond Tiara. “He’s not even a pony to start with!” “Oooh!” the two fillies said. “Wait till everypony finds out about this!” Their laughter increased in intensity. But by then, Chopper had had enough. With some difficulty, he rolled up to Diamond Tiara and gave her the same electric shock that he gave Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Diamond Tiara, evidently taken aback by the astromech’s behavior, called to Silver Spoon, “Let’s get out of here!” The two bullies ran down the side of the hill and disappeared. The members of the Apple family looked on with varying degrees of surprise at Chopper, who was very pleased with himself, but none were quite as shocked as Applejack, who could not believe that she had witnessed the astromech’s antics for the third time in a row in two days. Ah probably shoulda asked Fluttershy if ah coulda had Ezra, she thought to herself. Ah especially wanted to find out what was wrong with him back at Canterlot. But instead, ah have to put up with this one. For a long time, nopony spoke. Then Apple Bloom went to Chopper and said, “That was awesome!” Applejack shot her sister a look of confusion. “You kiddin’ me, l’il sister?” she asked. “Uh-uh!” Apple Bloom replied. “I think I know what to do if them bullies ever bother me, Scootaloo, an’ Sweetie Belle: just threaten to call up this here astromech! Can we please keep him while he stays here in Ponyville?” “Ah don’t know,” Applejack said uneasily. “Big Mac, what do you think? Should Chopper stay with us?” “Eeyup,” said Big Mac simply. Applejack sighed. “Okay, I know ah will regret this, but fine. Chopper can be with us.” Apple Bloom jumped up and down in victory while Chopper spun his top around on the spot. “Wup wup! Wup wup!” --break— Night had fallen, blanketing all of Equestria in a cloak of darkness. The Imperial shuttle landed on the edge of the Everfree forest. The front hatch opened and the Inquisitor exited the shuttle followed by a squadron of stormtroopers, red lightsaber ignited and possessed of a cold, calm sense of purpose that preceded murder. His prey was here; the Force had told him so. “You there,” he ordered the captain of the squadron. “Locate the rebel craft. The Jedi cannot be far behind.” “Yes, sir,” the captain said. He and two other troopers quickly departed. The Inquisitor froze and paid attention to the movement in the Force. He was not alone; he could sense six other beings nearby. And they were not the rebels. “I sense a presence,” he started out loud, “one that we have not encountered before.” He paused, paying attention. Immediately he extended the hand that did not have his lightsaber. At the Ghost, the guard stallions were moving restlessly, constantly on the alert for any suspicious activity. Eventually, one of them spoke. “Anything so far, Lord McIntosh?” “Nothing yet, Sir Hoofsalot,” the other said, pawing nervously at the ground. “I don’t suppose you think that-“ The stallion never got to finish his sentence, for in that moment, as if manipulated by invisible puppet strings, he rose up into the air, eyes bulging in terror. What in Tartarus was going on? Who was doing this? Suddenly, without the barest hint of a warning, he felt something invisible compress around his throat. Struggling to breathe, he put his hooves at his throat. The other guards looked at their companion in horror. What in all of Equestria was doing this? “Warn . . . Celestia . . . “ Lord McIntosh managed to choke out. “Rebels . . . in . . . danger . . . “ That was all he managed to say, before he dropped onto the ground and crumpled, unmistakably dead. The remaining stallions stood around, gathering around their fallen comrade in fear, when suddenly laser blasts appeared out of nowhere. Sir Hoofsalot turned around to see three bipedal creatures wearing bone-white armor heading straight for them, blasters at the ready. “Hold it right there!” one of them shouted. “Who are you?” Sir Hoofsalot shouted back. “On whose authority are you here?” “On Supreme Emperor Palpatine’s,” replied the armored man. “We claim this place in the name of the Empire.” “Equestria will never bow to the likes of you!” shouted Hoofsalot. “Come on, men! To Canterlot!” The remaining stallions took to flight and disappeared into the night sky, while the stormtroopers’ blasters shot blasts everywhere that didn’t even connect with their intended targets. “Leave them.” The stormtroopers stopped firing as the Inquisitor’s cold, cruel voice reverberated throughout the night. “They are the perfect messengers to show their fellows of our power. Soon, the rebels and their allies will be within our grasp.” He turned to the captain. “Contact Agent Kallus. Tell him to assemble to a full strike force for an assault.” The captain bowed and left for the shuttle. The Inquisitor turned to the other two troopers. “You two, contact the Sixth Sister and the Eighth Brother. We have Jedi to hunt.” The other two hurried off after him. The Inquisitor addressed the remaining troopers at large, “Scour the nearby cities. Leave no settlement unchecked. If anyone is hiding these rebels, show no mercy. They are now prisoners of the Galactic Empire.” They all scattered. The Inquisitor turned to the Ghost, and, red saber in hand, thrust it into the side of the ship, smiling. How foolish the Jedi and his Padawan were, to think that they could be safe here from him! He, who had bested them on Stygeon Prime and who had almost captured them in the old Clone Wars base! And now there was nowhere left for them to run. He would execute the Jedi, convert his Padawan to the Dark Side, and place this meaningless world under the Empire’s rule for all time.