Maul-verse

by AntiBronyBenSwolo

Darth Strayn

It had been an uneasy morning for Twilight. After not only learning of Discord's potential return but of Maul's newfound limitless potential, it would be best to warn everypony of the coming storm of chaos headed their way. But she did not know how to explain what she had learned. And how to best deal with the threat. So she sat there, in her room, pacing and planning her attack on Discord and Maul, and tried her best to account for every scenario.

"Twilight? Are you in there?" Fluttershy asked as Spike let her in to check on her. Planning to save the world from two clashing incoming threats meant less time for friends, unfortunately, and Twilight put a lot of time into planning to save the world.

"Ah, Fluttershy. Just the pony I was looking for," Twilight said, covered in red strings as her eye twitched, unsettling Fluttershy. Fluttershy and Spike looked into her room and found maps, notes, and red yarn strewn all over the place like a spider's web. The longer Spike and Fluttershy looked into it, the more sorry they began to feel for Twilight.

"Spike said you were very worried about something and that you haven't come out of your room all day. I just wanted to check to see if everything is all right," Fluttershy said as Twilight shrugged aside her friend's kindness in favor of her own goals.

"Well, I will be all right, if the next few days go according to plan!" Twilight said, with an almost crazed grin. Then, without warning, Spike got out a spray bottle full of water and splashed Twilight in the mane.

"Twilight, this is for your own good. Just...take a break, and I'll take care of the rest," Spike said as Twilight grew more and more concerned by the second. The ever-looming threat Darth Maul possessed still haunted Twilight. Twilight took a deep breath and got some of the red string out of her mane.

"I understand why you're doing this, but I can't afford to take a break when there are two looming threats heading our way," Twilight said as Spike shook his head.

"That's why you got friends who have your back. There may be two threats coming this way, but there are still plenty of us who stand in their way. We're unstoppable when we have each other's backs," Spike reminded Twilight as she embraced the little dragon in a small hug.

"Thanks, Spike. I really needed that," Twilight said as she finally calmed down and left the room with Fluttershy leaving Spike to take care of Twilight's notes and write a message to Celestia informing her of what they had learned. Among Twilight's notes on Chaos Magic and its effects, Draconequese and their mastery over chaos magic, and strategies on how to best both Discord and Darth Maul, all webbed together in a mess of red string like a spider's nest, one large note sat in the center simply reading: "WHO IS DARTH STRAYN!?"

---

"And just what do you plan on doing again?" Nightmare Moon asked from within her crystal ball as Maul placed the four crystals in a diamond formation surrounding him as he sat quietly.

"I'm gonna contact Darth Strayn. If I can meditate on the Dark Side through the Elements, I should be able to contact the Element's creator," Maul explained as Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. Maul closed his eyes as he concentrated on his pain and hate. As he did, his mind flashed back to the duel of the fates, when he lost his legs to Obi-Wan Kenobi. And then to Mandalore, when he lost his brother pleaded with Palpatine for mercy, only to be met with the agonizing blue lightning that surged through and tortured his body. As the pain and anger reminded Maul of what he was still fighting for, Maul awoke in a deep dank swamp. The trees were blackened and burnt with not a leaf growing on them. The water was polluted and smelled very nasty, to say the least. And the only source of light, a relatively small lamp, came from up ahead with a small figure underneath the lamp. Maul trekked through the murky swamps to meet with the figure. The figure appeared to be a pony, but upon closer inspection was clearly not. He had a blackened burnt-colored exoskeleton with holes along his legs, mane, wings, and horn. His eyes were a burning yellow and red, much like Maul's own eyes.

"Ah, Darth Maul. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," The lone changeling said as Maul realized the creature's identity.

"You're Darth Strayn, aren't you?" Maul asked as the Sith Changeling smiled at the fellow Sith Lord's quick thinking.

"Quite the perceptive little Sith, aren't you?" Strayn acknowledged as Maul stood bewildered at his presence. He didn't present himself like any other Lord he had learned about from Sidious but rather sat humbled like a hermit.

"But you're not like any other species I've seen. Not in Equestria, at least. What are you?" Strayn asked.

"I am Maul, a Dathomirian Zabarak," Maul answered.

"Dathomir?! Mother Talzin's planet?" Strayn asked.

"You...know of Dathomir? How?" Maul asked.

"Through the Dark Side, I have seen and learned many things. All of which proved...Enlightening," Strayn said, bowing his head in humility.

"I see..." Maul said, focusing on the task at hand.

"You created the Elements of the Dark Side, didn't you? Could you teach me how to use them? An ancient evil may be returning, and I want to be prepared to face him!" Maul requested, prompting a smirk from Strayn.

"I can...but I sense that's not the only thing you want," Strayn said. Maul sat back and watched as Strayn practically read him like a book.

"It's...these ponies. They stand between me and wanting to conquer Equestria for myself," Maul explained.

"Very well, can help. But first, you must tell me what resources you have. I need to know who I'm working with here," Strayn explained.

"I have...a prisoner, your elements which have restored my legs...and an annoying hallucination of my sworn enemy," Maul explained as Strayn was taken aback by that last part.

"Okay...Didn't need to learn that last part. But the Element you have can be used as a conduit to bring to Equestria, your Equestria, objects and life forms you wish for," Strayn explained as Maul pondered his meaning.

"So...what you're saying is that these Elements are a...kind of interdimensional portal device?" Maul asked as Strayn nodded.

"Yes, my friend. That's exactly what it is. In fact, if I were to take a guess, I'd say they're what brought you to Equestria in the first place," Strayn theorized, intriguing Maul.

"All you need to do is focus on what it is. Let's start with something small," Strayn instructed as Maul began to meditate. Maul concentrated on the Elements, feeling the power of the Dark Side flow through him like a raging tsunami. And through this dark power, he saw countless worlds, far vaster than his own and Equestria combined. As he focused on any random world, a large hunk of blue rock apparated outside of his hut in the physical world, startling Maul in the spiritual.

"What...was that?" Maul asked.

"I think you might have summoned a hunk of Energon. Not sure," Strayn answered.

"Not what I wanted," Maul snarled.

"If you're trying to get back to your home world, you need to focus solely on what or who you're going for. Otherwise, it'll pull anything at random." Strayn said, frustrating Maul further.

"No! You misunderstand. I was trying to pull something else," Maul explained, much to Strayn's surprise.

"Then...what else would you want?" Strayn asked.

"The Darksaber," Maul answered. Strayn looked at Maul with a hint of confusion.

"Eh...The Darksaber? You're gonna have to be just a tad bit more specific. I've seen plenty of lightsabers with black crystals in my time," Strayn said.

"A symbol uniting the people of Mandalore together. And last I knew, it belonged to me," Maul explained. As Maul described the importance of the Darksaber, an apparition formed between Maul and Strayn, showing the changeling Sith the Mandalorian Blade Maul sought to collect.

"Quite a unique design, I must say," Strayn said, before facing Maul. "But something tells me this won't be enough to face Discord,"

"No, it won't," Maul said. "But it's a start. I'll need an army to conquer with,"

"I believe I may help with that," Strayn responded, prompting Maul to face him.

"You can? How so?" Maul asked.

"That would spoil the surprise," Darth Strayn said. As Strayn gave Maul a quaint little smirk, Maul woke back up to the physical realm, leaving him to his own devices and the Elements of the Dark Side that lay right in front of him.

Meanwhile, far off into the Changeling Hive of Queen Chrysalis, a lone Changeling General by the name of Tarantula slept while his beloved Queen Chrysalis began to scheme to feed her hive an enormous amount of love from a very important wedding. And while the General slept, he heard a voice.

"Awaken, young one," a voice called out, startling Tarantula awake.

"Who--Who's there?" Tarantula asked, his vision blurred from sleep.

"A Changeling from a forgotten era. But you may call me 'Guide'," Darth Strayn introduced to the young general, as the ghostly apparition appeared in front of him.

Comments

[Darth Wrex]

Sweet