"It Is Too Late"
Twilight and her friends soon arrived on Mount Aris, the home of the hippogriffs. When searching, they found that the hippogriffs were nowhere to be seen, and their once glorious kingdom was completely abandoned and in ruins. It was there the Main Six pieced together what Capper and the Parrot Pirates meant by them saying that no one knows where the hippogriffs are, and began to feel that their search had been in vain. Until they heard the sound of someone humming coming from an underground pond. The Main Six saw something flee, and tried to follow it. Only to find themselves getting sucked in by a whirlpool, and trapped in a submerged cavern. Before they all drowned, they found themselves saved by the same creature they tried to follow. It turned out to be the most unusual creature they have ever seen. A seapony named Princess Skystar, and she soon took them to meet her mother after understanding their plight.
Skystar lead the Main Six to the underwater kingdom of Seaquestria, the home of the seaponies. When meeting Skystar's mother, Queen Novo, she was quite furious to see 'surface dwellers', due to them being forbidden there. Fortunately, Skystar was able to vouch for them, and avoid any unpleasant confrontation. When Twilight asked what happened to the hippogriffs, Skystar, against her mother's wishes, told them what happened. Long ago, the Hippogriffs did indeed live on Mount Aris, but the Storm King invaded their home, and they fled. Skystar revealed that the seaponies are, in fact, the Hippogriffs themselves, transformed by Queen Novo's magical pearl. The queen also demonstrated the pearls power by turning the Main Six into seaponies too. When Twilight asked Queen Novo for help by using the pearl's magic to save their home, she refused, out of fear of it falling into the wrong hands.
Out of desperation, Twilight had her friends mingle with the seaponies to use as a distraction, in an effort to try and steel the pearl. This did not go well, for the pearl alarm went off, in addition to getting caught in the vines of the jellyfish the pearl was kept safe in. What Twilight did not know was that while she had tried to steal the pearl, her friends managed to gain their trust with fun and games. And had almost gotten Queen Novo to help them in return if it were not for the alarm. Queen Novo, hurt and angered by Twilight's deception, banished her and her friends from Seaquestria.
Back in their original forms, the Main Six and Spike washed up on the shores of Basalt Beach near Mount Aris. Twilight's friends were furious with her for trying to steal from the seaponies. Twilight defends her decision by saying that they are not in Equestria, and that their usual methods of resolving problems are not good enough to save their home. As Pinkie and Twilight get into a heated argument about how little Twilight trusts her friends, Twilight angrily lashed out by saying she would be better off without friends like them.
"What were ya thinkin'? Ah mean, stealin' their pearl?"
"It was the only way to save Equestria."
"Cept it wasn't! The Queen was going to say yes! We did what you told us and that's what made her realize we were ponies worth saving! Unless... You didn't really want us to show her the best time ever! You just wanted us to distract her!"
"I never would have done it, but this isn't Equestria! We can't just dance around with con artists, make rainbooms in the sky and expect everything to work out! It's not enough! We are not enough!"
"No, Twilight! We stuck together! We were gonna get the help we needed! The only thing that stopped us... was you!"
"Well, I'm doing the best I can! It's all on me. I'm the one Tempest wants. I'm the last Princess!"
"You're also the only one who doesn't trust her friends!"
"Well, maybe, I would've been better off without friends like you!!! Pinkie, I..."
"I just can't talk to you right now."
The words haunted Twilight's mind. She soon found herself almost all alone at the top of the beach cliffs, falling into deep remorse over her actions as she cried her heart out. She had let everyone she held dear to her down, and was at the point of losing all hope of ever saving Equestria. All of a sudden, Spike got seized by a Storm guard. Before Twilight could try and save her little drake assistant, a cage trapped her from above, and brought her on board the skiff of Tempest Shadow. Spike managed to escape from the Storm guard with his fire breath, but was unable to save Twilight, and could do nothing else but watch helplessly to see her being taken away.
On Tempest's airship, Twilight's attempts to break out of her cage with her magic was in vain, since the cages were highly resistant to magic. Tempest came, chuckled at Twilight's vain escape attempts, and taunted Twilight over losing her friends. When Twilight asked Tempest why she was doing this to her fellow ponies, she revealed her own tragic backstory. As a young filly, she was friends with two unicorns named Glitter Drops and Spring Rain, who lost their ball in the cave of an ursa minor while playing one day. When young Tempest tried to retrieve the ball, the ursa broke her horn. The result of this caused her magic to become unstable and dangerous. In addition, it caused her very own friends to shun her out of fear. Tempest learnt from then on that friendship is a foolish notion. Twilight even secretly entered into Tempest's mind with the mind reading spell that Princess Luna uses in her dream duty, and to her silent shock, she found that what Tempest had told her about her past was true. It was there that Twilight began to feel great pity on the cold, broken mare before her that she looked at as an enemy.
Tempest went to one far side of the inside of the airship, and pulled a ship lever. Twilight's cage then began to lift off the ground towards an open hatch above that lead to the deck of the airship. The light of the sunlight shined brightly from outside, causing Twilight to shield her eyes for a moment. When she uncovered them, Twilight looked with shocked at what she saw. In the distance, she saw Canterlot. Dark clouds covered over the mountain of this once glorious Equestrian capital with more of Storm King's air fleet flying toward it. Twilight's shocked gaze were cut short moments later by the sound of Tempest's metal covered hooves walking on the deck next to her on her left side. Twilight once again had a sense of great pity on her.
"I'm so sorry you felt so alone," Twilight said.
Tempest stopped and stood near Twilight's cage. "I saw the truth. My "friends" abandoned me when times got tough. Looks like I'm not the only one. Face it, Princess. Friendship has failed you, too."
"Friendship didn't fail me," Twilight looked down sadly. "I failed friendship."
As they were close to making their final approach to Canterlot sometime later, there was a faint and low rumbling sound that came from the starboard side. Twilight and Tempest turned their head to the source of the sound. In the air, they saw the sight of a familiar obsidian black skiff approaching them.
Grubber, who was at the skiff's controls, points at the Executor. "Tempetht! Vader'th here!"
"Prepare to be boarded!" Tempest said.
Within a moment, the Executor once again came alongside Tempest's skiff, and the Storm guards did their usual routine preparations for boarding. Soon the boarding ramp connected the two ships together, and the familiar presence of Darth Vader appeared with his two personal Storm guards. Tempest and Grubber watched as the Sith lord and his guards walked along the ramp, and boarded their ship.
Tempest bowed her head in respect, and pointed Darth Vader's attention to Twilight in the cage. "Lord Vader. We have captured the last princess. We found her on the cliffs of the Basalt Beach near Mount Aris."
Darth Vader paced forward towards Twilight's cage to get a closer look at the captured alicorn princess of friendship. The mask of the Sith lord reflected in Twilight's eyes as Tempest continued to explain.
"She was alone without her friends, and we had no difficulty in capturing her," Tempest said.
"Good work, Commander." Darth Vader turned to his Storm guards. "Leave us. Proceed ahead to the capital, and prepare to transport the princess to the throne room when we arrive."
His Storm guards nodded and grunted in conformation at Darth Vader's command. They boarded back on the Executor, and it left towards Canterlot ahead of Tempest's ship. Grubber came over to Darth Vader.
"Uh...my Lord?" Grubber asked. "What about the other ponieth? You want uth to go back and get them too?"
Darth Vader turned to Grubber. "No. Never mind them. We have what we really need. Her friends are of no use to us."
"You're the boss," Grubber thought in his head as he went back to the ships controls. Too bad. I could've had that pink one to make me all the cake, and pieth I can eat. Oh, well.
After Grubber went back to the controls to steer the skiff, Darth Vader turned his attention back to Twilight. He paced around the cage like a hungry, staking lion as he began to speak to her.
"So, Princess Twilight," Darth Vader said. "I must say I'm impressed. You were not as easy to capture as the other princesses. You were even able to escape from me. But it seems even you are weak without your friends."
"Why are you doing this?" Twilight asked. "What did the Storm King promise you?"
Darth Vader pointed towards Twilight. "That is no concern of yours. I would be more concerned about yourself, or your friends." He stopped pacing, and stood in front of Twilight. "Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them, for your equestrian race is strong. Especially for...brother. So, you have a older brother. Your feelings have now betrayed him too. He, like your friends, was wise to hide from me. Now their failures are complete."
Tempest turned to Twilight, giving her a cold smile as she say, "And once we're finished here, your brother and his kingdom is next for us to conquer."
The cold words of Tempest and the dark lord hit Twilight inside. Although, she tried to not let them consume her, knowing that they both were trying to cause her fear, doubt, and even anger. After saying that, Darth Vader turned his back on Twilight, and began watching the skiff beginning to start its slow descent towards the captured Equestrian capital. Twilight looked on, thinking what the Sith lord's motives were. She suddenly remembered Princess Luna's mind reading spell, but was unsure whether she was in close enough range to use it, or if even the spell would work on the dark lord. Even though it previously worked on Tempest before hand. She decided to risk it, and began to concentrate her magic. The risk Twilight took paid off when she discovered that both she was in close enough range, and that she was able to enter into Darth Vader's mind.
It was there she found out everything about him. Where he was from, his past, and what happened to him. Twilight saw the handsome young man of what he used to be before he turned evil. She was shocked at seeing the things in his mind. Twilight could see visions of pain, suffering, and death. She then saw different people, some armed with lightsabers, lots as young as little children, being killed by him in battle. She then saw his old master, how he ended up in the suit and mask, and the pain and suffering he was in while being put in to it, and even still in because of it. Then she saw something else. A beautiful woman that haunted his mind. As she continued to search through, Twilight found out how the Sith lord came to Equestria, his true desire, and even found out the secret reason as to why he did not kill her back in Klugetown.
Twilight finished her spell, and was relieved to see that it she was able to do it without really being noticed. Darth Vader, Tempest, and Grubber had not moved from their previous positions, it was like time had slowed down from when she entered Darth Vader's mind. She began to feel a great deal of pity for the Sith lord, the same amount as she had for Tempest. It was like Darth Vader and Tempest shared many things in common with each other. Twilight soon summoned up the courage to finally speak to the Sith lord.
"I now understand why." Tempest glanced at Twilight as she talked to Darth Vader. "Your master was cruel, sadistic, and evil. He used you, bent you to his will. He was the reason you lost her. Your wife, Padmé."
The sound of his wife's name got Darth Vader's attention. He turned around to face Twilight but did not say a word to her.
Tempest raised an eyebrow. "What? How did you..."
Twilight turned to Tempest. "I used a mind reading spell, that's how I know."
"So you can use a mind reading spell," Tempest said. "It doesn't matter. It won't help you, Princess."
Darth Vader turned away again as Twilight continued to speak.
"You joined the Storm King because you want to bring back, not just your body, but Padmé too. Didn't you?" Seeing the Darth Vader still did not speak to her, Twilight decided to try something. She paused for a moment, before saying in a caring voice, "Anakin."
Twilight noticed that saying that it caused a slight reaction from Darth Vader. He slowly turned his head slightly in Twilight's direction. Tempest turned to Twilight.
"What did you call him?" Tempest asked.
"Anakin Skywalker," Twilight said to Tempest. "That was his name. A long time ago."
"Anakin?" Tempest turned to Darth Vader. "Lord Vader, is that true?"
Grubber, who was listening to everything the whole time, turned around to Darth Vader. "Anakin thkywalker? Really? No offence, my lord, but that name ith tho..."
Darth Vader immediately turned and pointed towards Grubber, interrupting him as he angrily retorted, "That name no longer has any meaning for me!"
"It is the name of your true self," Twilight glanced at Tempest, and spoke quietly to her. "Just like you... Fizzlepop."
Tempest angrily slammed against Twilight's cage threateningly with her magic from her broken horn surging on it, making Twilight jump. "Don't ever call me that! That is not who I am!"
Twilight eyed at both Tempest and Darth Vader after regaining her courage. "It is who you are. Who both of you are. The real you that you've only forgotten. I know there is good in you. What both of you went through hasn't driven it from you fully." She looked away as she said, "That was why you couldn't capture me with my friends. That's how I was able to use Princess Luna's mind reading spell, and penetrate your minds so easily."
There was a few quiet moment, until Darth Vader began to approach Twilight's cage. He stopped and stood a full metre away, as Twilight was beginning to look nervous. Then a moment later, he raised his hand towards Twilight, and used the force to probe her mind. Twilight grunted briefly, like if her head was being tightly held from the inside.
"I see you have the unique ability to mimic spells from others. Your skills are complete." Darth Vader released Twilight from his force probe and paced a few steps away from Twilight. "Indeed you are powerful, as Tempest had foretold."
Twilight looked ahead of her, and could see that they were just about to dock at the captured Canterlot, as she could see the Executor already docked. She turned to Darth Vader and Tempest, and put on a caring tone.
"Let me help you," Twilight said. "It doesn't have to be this way. I can help you. Both of you."
Darth Vader stood there with his back turned to Twilight as he watched the airship land at the docks. The sound of Twilight's plea had a unnoticed impact on his from the inside.
"Padmé once thought as you do. You remind me of her in almost every way, especially the look in your eyes." Darth Vader turned around to face Twilight as he said, "You don't know the power of the dark side! I must do whatever I can to bring her back."
"So that's it?" Twilight asked. "You're both willing to do all this, to steal magic from, enslave, and even kill us, just to get back what you've lost?"
"If that is what it takes," Darth Vader said.
Tempest turned to Twilight. "I've waited too long for this to let it slip away."
"This isn't right. Padmé wouldn't want this." Twilight eyed at both Tempest and Darth Vader pleadingly. "Please. This is not who you both are. You and Tempest are making all the wrong choices, but it's not too late to stop. Please. Let me help you?"
Darth Vader paused for a moment before talking. "...It is... too late for Tempest... and for me, Princess."
There was a sound of a boarding ramp coming onto Tempest's skiff that got everyone's attention. Then a moment later, two Storm guards appeared. Twilight was shocked to see that in between the Storm guards was flat cart being pulled by two enslaved earth pony stallions in chains and metal muzzles. The stallions looked up with the same shock at seeing Twilight captured in the cage. Darth Vader waved a hand gesture at the Storm guards, silently ordering them to come forward. The storm guards grunted, and smacked the cart forward to get the enslaved stallions to move. The stallions began to sadly move, until the Storm guards grunted at them to stop in a position. Then Darth Vader hand gestured at Tempest's two personal Storm guards, causing them to move on to both sides of Twilight's cage.
"The Storm King will have your powers to use for his bidding," Darth Vader said. "He is ruler now."
Twilight sadly resigned and dropped her head. "Then I have failed friendship... Just like you've failed Padmé."
The Storm guards took hold of Twilight's cage, lifted it up from where it hung, and loaded it on the cart. Darth Vader watched as the Storm guards escorted the cart with Twilight loaded on it being pulled off the ship and down the ramp towards the docks. He stood there processing what the princess of friendship had just said to him. He began to feel somewhat conflicted, for it had hit him hard inside. Tempest turned to Darth Vader, wondering what was going through his mind, as he stood there silently, with only the sound of his mechanical breathing filling the deck. In some way, Tempest too began to feel that very same sense of conflict.