Star Wars, Episode Pony: Friendship is Magic

by Kendallonian

Chapter 1

Twilight Sparkle Sat bolt upright, her breathing heavy. In the early morning gloom that filtered through the metallic blinds on her window, she could only barely make out the shapes that made up the edge of her bed, the bookshelves lining the left side of her room, and the countertop under the window to her right. Confirming that she was still in her familiar room, Twilight then closed her eyes and began to recite the Jedi code to bring herself calm;

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.

“Are you alright, Twilight?” asked a young male voice from near the door; It came from a small purple-and-green reptilian that only barely stood tall enough to reach the light switch while standing on his clawed toes, which he was currently doing.

“Oh. Yes, Spike. Just another dream.” Twilight said as she straightened her mane with her forehooves. “Sorry to wake you.”

Spike dismissed the apology and plodded on his two legs to the opposite side of the room, where he fiddled with more controls he could barely reach. The metallic blinds on Twilight’s windows opened, which revealed the magnificent spires and busy airspace lanes of Canterscaunt, gleaming brazen, gold, and ivory in the early-morning sun.

“Was it the same one?” Spike asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

“Yes.” Twilight responded while idly bunching her gray blankets into a wad in front of herself. “most of it, anyway.”

“That’s not good.” Spike said, almost musically, as he set up and climbed a small step ladder next to a countertop. He retrieved a cup from a nearby cupboard and filled it with a hot, steaming liquid from a small dispenser. He offered it to Twilight from across the room, who grabbed it with her magic and levitated it to her forehooves before taking a tentative sip.

“Maybe you should start taking sedatives before you go to sleep.” the small reptilian suggested as he filled another, smaller cup for himself.

“I can’t just block the dreams out, Spike. They’re trying to tell me something important; I just know it.”

Spike tightened his jaw and adopted a small frown, but said nothing more. Twilight took another sip of her tea before setting her cup onto her nightstand with her telekinesis and donning her tan Padawan’s robes.

“Spike, get me that library data on Predictions and Prophecies.”

Spike hurriedly climbed down his stepladder and moved across the room to a set of bookshelves that were stacked up against the wall, laden with luminescent stripes of glass. After perusing it’s contents for a moment, he pulled out one particular pane and offered it to Twilight, who forcefully yanked it out of his grip and brought it to a stop on the bed in front of herself. The surface of the tablet glowed with words and runes, which shifted rapidly as Twilight flipped through its pages.

“No… no… no…” Twilight muttered to herself as she passed page after page of irrelevant information.Then came an “Ahah” once she spotted a name she recognized. She began reading aloud.

“Luna; jedi knight. See Darth Nightmare?”

“Darth nightmare?” Spike repeated. “Isn’t that a Sith name?”

Twilight quickly flipped to the indicated page and continued reading; “Darth Nightmare; a powerful alicorn turned sith; banished by the Elements of Harmony. prophecy states that on the longest day of the thousandth year, she will return to bring about eternal night.”

Spike wrinkled his nose before taking another sip from his cup. “That sounds… unlikely,” he said.

Twilight gave him a similar, wrinkled-nose look. “Why would you say that?”

“Well for one thing, bringing about eternal night is impossible.” He replied. “Even if you somehow manage to stop the rotation of a planet, it’d still be day on one side, right?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “That’s hardly the point, Spike. It could very easily be metaphorical. The important bit is that Darth Nightmare is going to return! We need to inform Master Celestia right away!” She stood from her bed and cantered toward the door.

“Uh, I think she’s kinda busy… and didn’t you promise to help Moondancer with the younglings this morning?” Spike said just before he finished the last drops from his cup.

“This can’t wait!” Twilight said resolutely, pausing beside Spike’s stepladder in order to hoist him onto her back. He was soon forced to cling to her mane as she galloped out into the hall, where several other Padawans were just beginning to emerge from their dormitories and go about their various morning rituals. Twilight galloped hastily down the crimson captet-clad corridors and briefly through the vaulted common area, running into the hall opposite the Padawan’s wing. As Twilight neared her master’s favorite meditation room, she slowed, let Spike jump off of her back, gave herself a quick once-over to make sure that she was presentable, and quietly entered.

The room was small and unadorned, save for two round, cushioned seats near the center. On one of them sat Master Celestia, two hooves crossed beneath her, and two pointed into the air, her elbows resting on her knees. Her white coat almost glowed in the early morning light that filtered it’s way to her through a set of partially closed blinds. Her multicolored mane that reminded Twilight of a beautiful sunset waved to and fro slowly in an astral wind that only it could feel. Not for the first time, it struck Twilight how much her master looked like the white alicorn from her visions, and simultaneously how different. The Jedi Master’s eyes were closed in a serene expression, and did not open even as she began to speak.

“It’s quite early for you to be up today, isn’t it Twilight? Are you prepared for today’s lessons already, then?”

Twilight climbed onto the seat across from her mentor, taking a deep breath and letting it out before speaking.

“Not exactly, Master Celestia. I mean, I am ready, but I need to tell you something first.”

Celestia’s right eye opened at that last statement to peer at her student’s expression, but soon afterward she closed it again.

“Indeed? What is it that I ought to know?” she asked evenly.

“I- I think- I believe I’ve been having visions.” Twilight said.

“Oh?” Celestia said. “Of the past, or of the future?”

“Both, I think.” Twilight said. “First, I see you, much younger, fighting and defeating a sith lord; another alicorn. Then, sometimes I see something dark… it’s difficult to describe; like a shadow over a lamp. The rest is just… feelings. I just know something bad is going to happen.”

“Mmm... I see.” Celestia said. “And, how would you interpret these visions?”

Twilight was slightly surprised by Celestia’s question, but endeavored to recover quickly.

“I- well, I’ve been doing some research in the temple library, and I found some entries about an old Jedi prophecy… You are familiar with an ancient sith called Darth Nightmare?”

Celestia nodded.

“Well, according to my research, she was prophesied to return on the longest day of the thousandth year of her banishment. Looking at the calendars of the time, I can only assume that-”

“Ah, I see.” Celestia interrupted, nodding calmly. “So this is what has had you so worried lately.”

“Yes!” Twilight almost shrieked her affirmative before getting her voice back under control. “So we’ll have to…” Twilight trailed off once she realized that her mentor had not stirred from her meditation position. “You seem remarkably calm about this;” Twilight eventually said.

“Mmhmm,” Celestia intoned, which was accompanied with another nod. “...And that is because there is nothing to be concerned about.”

“Oh. good.” Twilight said, though her expression was anything but relieved. “Um… why?”

“Simply put, Twilight, sometimes dreams are just dreams.” Celestia said serenely.

Twilight stammered briefly. “B- but… but…”

“Let me put it this way;” Master Celestia said; “If you have felt a disturbance in the force, would not others have felt it as well?”

“I… maybe?” Twilight said, shifting in her seat.

“Yes, they would,” Celestia said. “Trust me when I say that none of the masters within this temple would ever allow Darth Nightmare to do anything that cannot be repaired, whenever she does return.”

“So.. you don’t believe me?” Twilight said. At the moment she wasn’t sure which would be worse; The Sith lord returning to destroy her mentor, or her mentor not believing in her.

Master Celestia gave a deep sigh. “Oh, Twilight. You are a very fine padawan, and I foresee you one day becoming a great jedi knight, but you simply must get your nose out of those books from time to time.”

“but, I-” Twilight began to protest, but caught herself when she realised who she was speaking to. She eventually relented. “Y- yes, Master Celestia.”

“Good.” Celestia said; “Because that is why I am sending you on a small mission.”