Return to Coruscant

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The small Republic Light Cruiser, The Explorer, soared through hyperspace, intent on returning to Coruscant. It looked severely busted, and there were dents and blast marks all over the ship, it had definitely seen better days. Its occupants had suffered through a really tough mission, and they were looking forward to the comforts of home.

Within the ship, a Jedi Master by the name of Kelcian Gerrun gave the report to General Cin Drallig, a fellow Jedi within the rank of Master that helped secure secrets within the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

"Has Kamino been secured?" the holographic image of Cin asked. Kelcian nodded.

"Yes, the cloning factory has been cleared of any Separatist occupation. But the fleet suffered heavy casualties and our forces are all but depleted. My crew and I were the only survivors," Kelcian spoke with a hollow tune.

"Your men fought and died like heroes, may their deeds be remembered until the end of time. Is your apprentice alright?"

Kelcian smiled for the first time on this trip, "Yes, he is alive and well. He enjoyed this trip very much, despite the graveness of the situation. Says that he made a lot of friends with the clones, and he won't stop bragging about how he sliced through all those droids and destroyed that squad of Droidekas. He's driving whatever men I have left crazy."

Cin looked surprised, "He destroyed of group of Droidekas? This is most impressive for someone of his age. I know full aged Jedi who have trouble with just destroying one of them. You must be proud."

"Very much so, he will make a fine Jedi Master one day. He is such a precious little thing, I hope he never changes."

Cin nodded, "Yes, indeed. Such feelings of joy and laughter are scarce in these dreadful times. Back on topic, anything else to report?"

Kelcian hesitated. There was one more thing he had to report, but he was struggling to decide if it was anything of relevance. It was a small thing, really, nothing of any real importance. But at the same time, he felt a disturbance in the Force. Ever since his assignment to Kamino, his nights had been plagued by nightmares, visions that held no purpose, yet warned of great foreboding. He could sense a great sadness, a great anger, and an evil, dark presence that threatened to swallow the Jedi and the Republic whole. These dreams, they told him that something dreadful was coming, something malevolent and twisted. He could hear blasters, crying, screaming, the ignition of a lightsaber...

and a foreign but familiar mechanical breathing.

He pushed these thoughts away. Surely there was no importance of a silly little nightmare. That was all it was, wasn't it? He chose to focus on something else, "Well, while we were there, I began to notice the the cloning facility was working at a slower pace than usual. I asked the locals about this, they simply told me it was nothing of importance and turned me away. I feel something of great suspicion within these actions. I wish to speak with Master Windu about this."

"Mace Windu isn't currently at the Temple," Cin answered, "He and a few others left for the Senate Building not too long ago."

Now it was Kelcian's turn to be surprised, "He's not there? Could you patch me into his comm?"

Cin shook his head, "We have already made attempts to contact him, he will not answer his summons. You will have to wait until he returns. But I'm sure this is nothing of real importance. After all, the war is about to come to an end."

Kelcian looked confused, "Is it really over?"

Cin nodded, "Yes, I have just received word that General Grevious has been destroyed. There are rumors among the Senate that the war has come to an end."

Kelcian couldn't believe it! The war... over? He had been fighting in this conflict for so long that it seemed like it would never end. But at the same time, he was glad that it would be ending. He would have more time to do his studies, train his apprentice, and complete that project that he had been working on. It would be a nice change of pace from the sadness and destruction that he suffered through while fighting this war. He thanked Cin for the news.

Cin nodded, "Of course. Though I'm still not sure about the relevance of what happened on Kamino, I will report it to Master Windu as soon as he arrives. See you soon, my friend." And with that, the hologram fizzled out and disappeared.

Kelcian returned to his quarters for some peace and quiet. He would need it, for that important project of his. Using the force, he shut all of the windows in the room, shielding him from the starry space outside, blanketing him in darkness. He then walked to his meditation seat, sat crisscrossed, and pulled something from his pocket. It was a small Jedi holocron, ancient Jedi archives used to store Jedi information, secrets, and as Legend goes, preserve the spirits and teachings of Jedi Masters of the past. Kelcian closed his eyes, concentrating all of his focus onto that small, glowing, blue cube he held in his palm.

It floated out of his hand, and hovered a few feet in front of his face. All Kelcian could think about was opening that small box, uncovering its secrets, learning what it had to offer. Only then, could he unlock the secrets of the Force, and use it to preserve peace and harmony throughout the galaxy. Slowly, the holocron's glow began to burn brighter, and a small clicking noise could be heard within the small device. He was close, he felt it. The secret of the Ancient Masters was within his grasp. Just a little longer, almost there...

He opened his eyes, he had finally done it! The holocron had opened for him. All of its hidden knowledge was now open to him, and not just to him. He pulled his comm device from his pocket and called Commander Turner, "Commander, send Tylias to my quarters immediately. I wish to speak with my apprentice."

Turner saluted, "Yes, sir. May I ask why? Have you finally got a breakthrough?"

Kelcian nodded, "Let's just say, I wish to share what I have found with my son."

Turner saluted once more, and cut communications. This was it, Kelcian had finally completed it. The other Jedi spoke of it as nothing but rumors, and yet here it was, right at his fingertips. With this, he could learn the hidden powers of the Force, and use it for the protection and preservation of the Jedi. But first, before he showed the Council this, he wanted to show the person he was most close to the great discovery that he had made. Tylias was always fascinated with his work, and enjoyed his tales about the Old Republic. Learning about those ancient Jedi had always been a common dream shared with them, and it would be cruel of Kelcian to leave him out of this. This meant a great deal to both of them.

The doors opened to reveal Turner, clone commander of The Explorer, and Tylias Gerrun, Padawan learner at age of ten. He was currently discussing to Turner about his adventure with the droids.

"And then those Rolling Death Droids appeared out of nowhere, surrounding me from all sides! And using the Force, I crushed all of their shield generators, and then I whipped out my lightsaber and was like, swish, swoosh, slam!" Tylias bragged, pretending to swing a lightsaber and cut imaginary foes in half. Turner had a forced, but warm smile on his face. He loved the little one, but he could be a bit of a handful at times.

Turner faced Kelcian, "General, I have brought Master Tylias as you ordered. And my men thank you greatly for removing him from the bridge."

Kelcian smiled, "Well, tell them that I won't take long with him. Then he can rejoin you and the rest of the crew. I'm sure you'd love to hear more about the Rolling Death Droids." Turner gave a face of absolute terror, he couldn't take much more from this kid. Kelcian chuckled, "I'm teasing, Commander. Return to the ship and order the bridge to launch us out of hyperspace once we reach Coruscant."

Turner pulled himself together and saluted, "Yes, sir."

Once Turner had left the room, Kelcian motioned Tylias to sit down, and gave him the good news, "You opened it?! That's fantastic, Master! Tell me what you saw! Don't leave me in the dark! Tell me, tell me!"

Kelcian chuckled once more, "Patience little one, instead of telling you what I found, why don't I show you? Join me in meditation."

You know, Tylias was a very friendly, and hyper kid. But when the time called for it, he could be serious and calm, this was one of those times. As he meditated, Tylias let all emotion go, and focused on the opened holocron with his master. They called upon the Force, utilizing their skill of using it to unlock the secret of the blue box. With both of their efforts, they had managed to make a swirling picture appear in front of them. Tylias was confused, "Master, forgive me for asking, but what is so important about a image of a mess of nonsense?"

Kelcian dismissed this comment, "My young padawan, this is not simply a mess of nonsense. Look closer, what do you see?" Tylias focused once more on the picture. Suddenly, the picture didn't seem like nonsense anymore. He could see planets filled with life, stars that burned brighter than any lightsaber could, and he felt the Force, and its influence over all of these things. It became clear to what this was now.

"Master, this is a map of the galaxy!"

Kelcian nodded, "Correct, my son. What we see here is a complete recording of the galaxy and all planets and stars that dwell within it. It appears that this map is but a fraction of the information we seek. There must be a clue in this map somewhere. Let us look further."

Kelcian and Tylias continued to observe the map. There was something they were missing, they just knew it! And this map held the key to finding the next puzzle piece. This was a complete replica of the galaxy and its planets, it there was anything to be found, it was here. Wait a minute, something wasn't right...

"Hang on," Tylias realized, "Master, something is wrong with this map."

Kelcian turned to his apprentice, he was eager to hear what Tylias had to unveil, "Oh, how so?"

Tylias pointed to an out of place planet somewhere in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy, "This planet, right here. It doesn't exist, there's no record of this planet in the Jedi Archives. This map is faulty."

Kelcian looked at the planet, Tylias was right. There was no record in existence about that planet being there. Was all this for nothing? Had the Council been right, that this was all just a fairy-tale, and that it was childish to think it was more than that?

No, this map had to be correct. They didn't go to the Outer Rim and back to find a clue that led them on a wild goose chase, "Good catch, my apprentice. But remember, the one who created this holocron would not want his knowledge to be found so easily. He's counting on us thinking that this map is a fake. But just because there is no record about something doesn't mean it's not real. Remember when we thought Kamino was a non-existent planet?"

Tylias did remember. There was a time, before the Clone Wars, that they thought there was no such thing as a planet called Kamino. And yet now, Kamino was one of the most vital planets to the survival of the Republic, "Master, are you saying that the one who wrote this holocron, hid his secrets on a planet that no one had knowledge about?"

"Correct, my apprentice," Kelcian confirmed, "That means that after we report this to the Jedi Council, that planet will be our next destination."

After closing the holocron, he opened the windows, letting the stars back in. Kelcian got up from his seat and contacted the bridge, "Captain, when will reach Coruscant?"

"We're approaching the planet as we speak, General," the holographic image of the Captain reported.

Kelcian smiled, "Good, report to me when we reach the planet. I have a lot to discuss with the Council."

"Yes, sir!" the Captain saluted, as he fizzled out. Kelcian moved to exit his quarters, with Tylias close behind him. The two could not wait to share their discovery with the Council. It would be revolutionary to the Jedi, and would be recorded in the Jedi Archives for generations! Kelcian turned to address his apprentice, "Now, when we reach the Jedi Temple, I want you to behave yourself. We don't want to upset the Council. I still have memories of the last time you..."

Kelcian stopped talking, and stopped moving for that matter. It was almost as if he was a droid that had been shut off. Tylias spoke to him, a little scared, "Master, is something wrong?"

Kelcian didn't answer, but the answer was yes, something was indeed terribly wrong. Once more, he could feel that great disturbance in the Force. Almost as if thousands of Jedi throughout the galaxy screamed in pain and terror, and were suddenly silenced. He could hear the swing of lightsabers, the sounds of blasters, but the blasters weren't coming from Separatist droids. He could hear younglings screaming in confusion, in fear, and in pain. He could hear an old, but evil voice, uttering a simple sentence. He could sense the Dark Side overwhelming the Force. Something terrible was happening, and he had a good idea what it was.

"My dreams," was the only thing Kelcian uttered. There was a minute of silence, then he turned to Tylias in a serious face, "Tylias, stay behind me at all times. Stay behind me and keep your lightsaber out, do you understand me?"

Tylias did not understand. He was scared and confused, he had no idea what his master was telling him. But before he could ask, Kelcian teared down the halls, almost yelling into his comm device, "All personnel, prepare the ship for defensive actions! And shut down all communications with the Senate Building! I don't want a helmet, comm device, or transmission device online!"

Tylias finally managed to catch up with his master, this wasn't making any sense! He was telling his crew to cut all communications, he was preparing the ship to fight as if they were heading into enemy territory! His master was scaring him, "Master, what's going on?!"

Kelcian kept running, "There's not time to explain! We have to disable the hyperdrive before we reach-!"

His sentence was cut off as The Explorer jumped out of hyperspace. From a near by window, the two saw what had happened. Republic ships were circling Coruscant, all heading to one place: The Jedi Temple.

Kelcian could feel it, and now so could Tylias, the Jedi Temple was burning. They felt multiple clones charge into the temple, killing any Jedi in sight. They slaughtered them as if their years of service with each other meant nothing. Like the Jedi were enemies to the Republic. They could not feel a sense of remorse within the clones. They were killing the Jedi, and not showing any mercy or regret in the process of it. Tylias stared at the planet in horror, while Kelcian simply stood there, letting a single tear fall from his face.

The Purge of the Jedi had begun.

Planet Log: The Non-Existent Planet

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The planet that Kelcian and Tylias spoke of did indeed exist. It did not have an official name, since no knowledge of its existence lied within the Republic or the Separatists, granting it the nickname: The Non-Existent Planet, or NEP for short. Later, we would discover the locals called their planet, Equines. We would not know the planet's true name for years after its discovery.

The locals native to the planet are a somewhat primitive species, capable of human speech and intelligence, but have barely scratched the technological wonders the rest of the galaxy possessed. The species were indeed human, but what had made them so unique was that their skin was multi-colored, ranging from a variety of colors. After its discovery, scientists have tried to answer the question to why their skin is like this, but no one can quite tell to this day. Some would say it was the food they ate, for it had a strange but rich and healthy substance within it, others would say that it was an evolutionary thing, as the planet had many strange environments and climates. These theories, however, are just rumor and speculation. For if an outsider were to visit this planet for a long period of time, and eat their food, their skin color would remain the same as it was when the outsider was not on the planet.

If an explorer were to meet a local, they would think they were... strange. They valued the virtues of individuals, often naming them for what talents and virtues they possessed. But despite values in individual talents, the one thing they worshiped the most, was the value of Friendship. Unlike the rest of the galaxy, who thought of Friendship as a bond between individuals, and nothing more, the people of the NEP thought of Friendship as a being, a force of magic that affects all living things, and that if two people were to become friends, it was destiny.

There were some who believed that there were those who could wield the Magic of Friendship, to command it to do their bidding, for the good of them selves, and the ones they care for the most. These people had no knowledge of the Force, so this could be classified as their way of trying to explain the Force and the Jedi. This is unlikely, however, because future reports would say that the few who could use Friendship could make crystal appear from thin air, increase their physical strength making them capable of smashing boulders with one punch, and could sprout wings to soar into the sky.

There is no recorded Jedi or Sith in history proven capable of accomplishing such tasks, which brings us back to the planet's environments and climates. It is possible that the planet contains a mysterious energy within it, and can flow into certain individuals and grants them such powers. While this energy could be the work of the Force, it is classified as a separate power from the Force.

This planet's civilization was not aware of the Republic, the Separatists, or anything else outside their planet. They did not possess the technology to communicate or travel to other planets. The ships they did possess could not travel farther than the planet's moon. What little technology they were available to ranged from local communication, transportation, and decent plumbing. The notion of a spaceship that could go to other planets, or vehicles that did not require wheels, was nothing but a simple myth to them.

It was also rumored that Friendship Magic could transport you to a magical world where the Magic of Friendship ruled supreme, that everyone got along, and the most extraordinary of magical accomplishments were possible. This world was said to be ruled by two deities that could control the movement of their world's sun and moon. This could be their representation of the Cosmic Force and where we go after death. It is impossible to alter the course of a planet's sun or moon, even for the most Force-sensitive Jedi and Sith ever to live. And the one who would try to, would be a fool, for to move the sun and moon could cause disastrous effects on the planet.

This story will now focus on the city of Canterlot, where seven locals of the NEP live, one of them being a teenager by the name of Sunset Shimmer. Their story would begin like any other, on a beautiful day, spending time with the ones they care about. Little do they know, that their world will be turned upside down, and that their values, and the values of all the NEP, would all come crashing down.

Picnic Parties and Strange Feelings

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Eight Years Later...

Sunset Shimmer took a big swig of the soda she was drinking. She was enjoying watching Rainbow Dash and Applejack duking it out over who was better at arm wrestling, their little arguments never got old. On her other side, Twilight and Fluttershy were taking care of her animals that she brought with her. Rarity, however, found something a little irritating from all of the animals being there, so she decided to speak up, "Fluttershy, darling. I understand animals are your speciality, but did you really have to bring all of them?"

Fluttershy continued to pet Angel as she responded, "I'm really sorry, they just get really lonely when I'm not there. Besides, they don't get to go outside very often, and I thought that I'd give them a little treat."

Rarity sighed, "Oh, alright. But there is such a thing as restraint, darling. Maybe only bring a few animals at a time, then bring the others on the next visit." Noticing that her throat was a little dry, she turned to Pinkie, "Pinkie, could you be a dear and pass me some of that iced tea?"

Pinkie, who was seen stuffing her face with sweets nearby the picnic basket, quickly nodded and tossed her a can of iced tea. Rarity delicately opened up the can and began to drink, holding her pinkie out the entire time. And after that, Pinkie returned to her picnic basket, scarfing down every sweet that was within her range of sight. Sunset noticed this and gave a quiet laugh, it was like Pinkie to do that. Ever since she'd known that hyper party-teen, she could be found chomping away at any kind of candy there was to find, when she was not planning for the next party of course.

Shifting her attention back to the Arm wrestling match, Sunset had just managed to see Applejack bring her arm down on Rainbow Dash's, thus winning the match. Leaving Rainbow to gripe to herself about her crushing defeat, Applejack turned to address Sunset, "So Sunset, how ya'll feelin?" Sunset was confused with the answer, she hasn't been sick in the past few weeks, she also wasn't going through any negative mood swings or emotions. So what was Applejack getting at? Playing along for now, she simply said she was doing alright.

"Ah see. Well, ya know, it's just been a whole year since you changed from bein' that 'power hungry demon lady', no offense," Applejack quickly added. Sunset giggled and told her for what she thought was the hundredth time that she didn't take offense to what she said, "Whew, an' ah was just wonderin' how all that was processin' for ya."

Sunset didn't know how she felt about that, "Well, I guess I just lost track of time since that day. I guess today doesn't mean anything special to me, since I know that that Sunset is gone."

Applejack nodded, "Ah understand. But ya sure ya'll wanna tell that to Twilight? Seems ta' me like she went through a lot of effort to make this here speech for ya."

Sunset turned around to notice that Twilight was getting up, she was holding her soda as if to make a toast. Once she was sure she had everybody's attention, she took a deep breath and began, "My friends, today is a wondrous occasion for all of us. It is the 1-year anniversary of the day you all were shown the true power of the bonds of Friendship. I, unfortunately, can not enjoy this occasion as much as you all can, for I was unlucky enough to not be around during this momentous time, and to not be able to understand this powerful feeling. But even though I couldn't then, I can now, and I want to congratulate and thank all of you for opening up to me, and sharing that incredible magic that is Friendship." There was a pause for breath, and a round of applause from the audience. Sunset was impressed, that was a nice and meaningful speech that Twilight made.

Twilight gently waved the applause down and continued, "Yes, thank you. Thank you all. However, that's not the only reason why we're all here today. Today, we wish to show our appreciation to a special friend in the audience. A friend who, in the beginning, was not the best of people. A friend who has grown so much since that fateful day 1 year ago, who has taught me and everyone else time and time again, that no matter how strong the Darkness is, the Magic of Friendship will always find a way to prevail. I hold this toast, to Sunset Shimmer."

"Sunset Shimmer!", everyone said in union, before taking a sip from their drinks.

Sunset was honored, and surprised at the same time. She couldn't believe it had been only a year since Twilight and her friends put a stop to her plans and showed her the Magic of Friendship, it felt much longer than that, to be honest. Since then, she and her friends had been through many adventures, learning new things about Friendship and helping others see it along the way. The evil and cruel Sunset Shimmer that she used to be only seemed like a bad dream to her at this point. A part of her liked to believe that version of her never truly existed. But she knew better, knowing that at one point, that was the person she used to be, and the aftermath of what she did and who she hurt would never truly go away. But she also knew that she had lots of friends to help her through it, and that they would always be there for her when she needed it. And as long as they were there for her, as long as they stood by her side no matter what, it didn't matter who she was in the past, and who thought that way about her now. She loved her friends with all her heart, and she knew that they felt the same way. She wished they could stay like this forever.

They had spent the next half-hour talking about how to spend the rest of the day. Pinkie had offered that they throw a party to celebrate Sunset's anniversary, but Sunset politely declined, saying she wanted to spend this day low-key. Rarity had offered to get them all appointments to go to the local spa. Both Rainbow and Applejack groaned at this idea, the idea of the spa not boding well with the two tomboyish girls, and Sunset agreed that today would not be the day to get a back massage. Applejack wanted to go to her place and work around with the animals that helped with the labor, and that sounded kinda fun (especially for Fluttershy), but it was ultimately decided that they would all go over to Sunset's place and hang out. Order some pizza, play some video games, watch a movie, you know, normal stuff, and maybe practice that new song that she wrote while they were at it. Everyone agreed to this idea and made plans to come over to her house somewhere during the evening.

Fluttershy wasn't paying attention. After they had decided not to check out Applejack's farm animals, she kinda left the conversation. So she went back to caring for Angel Bunny. Angel Bunny was enjoying Fluttershy's homemade Carrot Cake for Bunnies, made with special ingredients that would make the cake suitable for animal consumption. It was one of his favorite dishes. Knowing that she had just made the little bunny happy, Fluttershy smiled with delight.

Angel was three quarters through his cake when suddenly, his ears perked up. Slowly rising from his carrot cake, he pointed his head in a certain direction. Fluttershy noticed this and started to look worried, "What's wrong, Angel?" But Angel paid no attention to her, as if she wasn't there. Then all of a sudden, Angel jumped out of her lap and took off as fast as his little bunny feet could take him.

"Angel?! Where are you going?! Come back, Angel! Come back!" Fluttershy cried towards the running bunny. But Angel payed no attention to her cries and continued to run. Fluttershy then quickly got up from her lap, and ran to pursue her best animal friend. Sunset and the others began to notice that Fluttershy was running away, and quickly ran after her.

Rainbow was the first to catch up, what with her mach speed abilities, and looked to get answers from her childhood friend, "Hey Flutters, what's goin' on? Why'd you take off like that?"

Fluttershy was now beginning to lose energy, and she was starting to slow down, "Angel! *huff* Ran away! *puff* Need to find him! *Whew*" And with those words, she completely broke down and began to take the plunge.

Rainbow, using her magically enhanced reflexes, managed to grab hold of the timid animal girl before her face ended up full of grass and dirt. While Rainbow was caring for Fluttershy, Angel disappeared behind a bend, and was seen no more. As Rainbow Dash continued to help her friend take deep breaths in and out, the others managed to meet up with them 20 yards or so from the picnic spot. All of them were exhausted, and they also wanted some answers.

Fluttershy, who looked like she had the wind knocked out of her, tried to speak, but was quickly silenced by Rainbow, "Save your breath, Fluttershy. Or else maybe you'll die of suffocation." Once she was sure that she was in a comfortable position, Rainbow Dash got herself up, and explained the situation to her friends.

"Oh my! Darling, that's horrible!" was Rarity's response.

"A'm really sorry that happened to ya, sugarcube." spoke AppleJack.

Pinkie was downright upset, "That's worse than having a real meanie pants named Vader chop your hand off and tell you that he's your daddy, when you were told that he was the one who killed your daddy!"

There was an audible screech, as everyone had stopped comforting Fluttershy and began to face Pinkie Pie. Their faces had a look of perplexity and confusion, as the environment had completely changed from spirit dampening to weird awkwardness.

Twilight was the first to speak up, "That's an... oddly specific scenario."

Rainbow Dash agreed, "Yeah, where the heck did you come up with that idea?!"

Pinkie just shrugged, "Nowhere. It's just a hunch." and with a little *squee*, she winked towards the audience.

Sunset regained her focus, and continued with the task at hand, "Regardless, Angel is still missing. We have to find him at all costs."

Fluttershy nodded, "Oh poor Angel. He might be lost, or scared, or trapped somewhere where he can't get out!" She started crying, with the her remaining animal friends being the one to calm her down this time.

Applejack stepped up, "Alright everybody, lets's all split up and look around the school. He can't have gone that far."

Everyone shouted in agreement. Angel was not the nicest of animals, but he was still Fluttershy's friend, and they were going to do everything within their power to ensure that he was brought back safely. Gathering around in a circle, every person and animal stuck in a hand or a paw in the middle. And all at once, they all shouted, "For Angel!", and swung their arms in the air. After that, they all went in separate directions and started to search for their carrot-loving friend.

The search had continued for about a half-hour or so, and still no one had found any trace of the missing white hare. Sunset peaked in the bushes, no dice. She had a look of disappointment as she found no sign of what she was looking for. Grabbing out a small checklist, she crossed off the gardens of Canterlot High School. Grabbing her walky-talky, she checked in with the others, "Sunset speaking. Repeat, Sunset speaking. Does anyone read me?"

There was a static sound for a second, she wondered whether or not they had gotten her message. However, the static began to clear, and one by one, the others sounded off, they could read her loud and clear. Sunset gave her report, "No sign of him in the school gardens. Any sign of him at your posts?"

Static once more, but soon after, the others tuned in and gave their reports:

"Applejack speakin'. He's not over at the sports area. Over an' Out!"

"Rainbow Dash speaking. No sign of him on the roof. Over and Out!"

"Fluttershy speaking. The animals haven't seen him at the school petting zoo anywhere. Over and Out."

"Rarity speaking. I don't see him anywhere at the theater. Over and Out, Darling!"

"Pinkie Pie speaking! He's not anywhere in the bathrooms! And why would he go there anyway? This place stinks like baby crocodile ate a bad cupcake! Euch!"

Sunset responded back, "Pinkie, I know that it's tough in there, but keep looking. We have to find him!"

Pinkie replied back, "Okie Dokie Lokie! Operation: Fallen Angel will continue! Over and Out!"

Sunset then tuned into the final member of the search, Twilight, do you read me? Have you found him?

Twilight didn't pick up. Sunset tried again, nothing. Strange, it wasn't like her to not answer like this. The Twilight she knew would pick up immediately. Then after a second or two, she sounded off and gave her report, Twilight speaking. I've found him! He was last seen heading towards the forest nearby the school!"

Sunset almost gave a small jump, "That's fantastic! Start heading over there, I'll inform the others and meet you there. Over and Out!" Signaling the others, she told them to meet up at Angel's last known position, at edge of that forest nearby the school Twilight was talking about. The others gave their recognition, and signed off. Slowly getting up from her kneeling position, she started to walk towards the patch of trees nearby.

They had to find Angel. It wasn't like him to just bolt like that for no reason. Okay, maybe it was. But he would make it obvious to why he ran away, like he was upset or angry. But not now, he just bolted for no reason. And for the first time for that evening, Sunset began to feel angry.

They were going to have the perfect day, and it got messed up with this. They were going to practice their newest song, maybe write to her friends back in Equestria, and then finish off the day with a sleepover with pizza, video games (Rainbow had to beat AJ's high score, after all), movies, and scary stories.

But then Angel decides to run off, and then they're spending the entire day looking for him. Sunset was honestly a little pissed off about this, and she was sure Fluttershy would want a long explanation from him about this. He was probably off looking for carrots again, and the forest was full of them. This was getting worse by the minute! Oh, well.

After a bit of a hike, Sunset reached the outskirts of the woods. The forest was thick, dark, and scary. Students would only go in there to dare each other to make it to the center of the forest and test their bravery. Every time someone got farther, they would take an arrow from the shooting range, and place it into a nearby tree. The current student to make it farthest was Rainbow Dash, who went in 30 yards into the forest, no one ever dared to go farther than that. But there was also a lot of wild fruits and vegetables that grew in there, especially carrots, so it would seem like the perfect spot for Angel to bolt off towards. Sunset silently prayed that he didn't go far in there. She looked around, the others were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they were late, or they were already in the forest looking for Angel. Well, there was only one way to find out. Breathing in and out, she walked into the cloak of trees.

All light had vanished from the place, save for a few beams poking through the trees. This forest was scary, and she didn't like it. The faster she found that stupid bunny and got out of here, the better. There were trees everywhere, so tall, that they almost looked like they reached the sky. She could hear the chirping of birds, the hooves of deer nearby, and the soothing sway of the trees. The farther she went in, the more that she felt more comfortable with her surroundings. At least the sound of animals was some form of comfort, as it indicated she was not alone in here.

After walking for a while, she stumbled upon a root of the tree. Trying to hold onto the tree for balance, her hand was pierced by something long, and sharp. She cringed at the blood oozing from her palm. Ripping off a piece her shirt, she wrapped the cut and stopped the bleeding. Turning around to see what had stabbed her, she saw that it was that arrow that marked how far students got. Had she really gone farther than any other student at CHS? She couldn't really believe it.

"Huh, well what do ya know? I might as well take it with me, give me something to brag about to Rainbow Dash." And with that, she yanked out the arrow, and continued forward.

After a while, she started calling out people's names. She called for her friends names, Angel's name, or the name of anyone else she knew, just in case she wasn't the only one brave enough to be in here. But so far, nothing. She tried to contact the others with her walky-talky, but all she was getting was static. She was either too far from them, or there was no signal in here, she guessed it didn't matter. For the time being, she was alone in here. That was okay with her, she was starting to enjoy the quiet. The silent greenery had become soothing and comfortable in its own way.

Snap! Rustle! Snap!

Sunset suddenly became alert. She quickly turned around, trying to find where the sound had come from. She found that the noise was coming from the bushes to her left. Something or Someone was in here with her after all. Now that quiet, calming feeling she once had was instinctively replaced with fear and paranoia. Her mind started to play tricks on her, making her believe that something with hostile intent was within those bushes. Sunset readied the arrow she had in her hand, it wouldn't do much against her supposed hunter, but at least it was something. The noise was getting louder, Sunset moved into an improvised fighting position, her mind desperately telling her legs to run away, pedal to the medal. But her nerves were shot and her legs refused to move. The noise was getting louder, the predator was almost here. The bushes suddenly burst open to reveal...

... Angel Bunny with a carrot in his mouth.

Sunset leaped backward, an audible scream breaking the silence of the forest. She then felt pain, as her behind landed on a rock half buried in the dirt. Rubbing the sore area, she slowly got up from her sitting position, preparing to chew out the bunny on his behavior, upon realizing that she had just found what she was looking for, "Angel, there you are! What the hell is wrong with you? You gave Fluttershy and everyone else a heart attack!"

Angel gave a look of urgency, and pointed to a certain direction. It was apparent that he wanted Sunset to follow him somewhere. But Sunset wasn't listening, she was done with this whole experience and wanted to go home as quickly as possible, "Well, whatever. You're safe and that's what matters. Just let me call the others and we can get out of this crazy place." She reached for her walky-talky, to give everybody else the good news. Only to find that...

Sunset shouted something that would make parents cover their children's ears, as she found out that the thing she landed on wasn't a rock. Her walky-talky was crushed, the antenna was bent badly, and the buttons were all but smashed. And to make things worse, she suddenly realized she was lost. She had gone farther into the woods that anyone else before, so nothing was familiar to her. Even the footprints that she made had managed to disappear. "Well, that's just great," Sunset thought to herself, "Not only am I lost, but I have no way to contact the others." This was starting to become one of the worst days of her life.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to yell at Angel, she wanted to cry, she wanted to do all three of these things at once. But she knew that she couldn't, griping about her predicament would not make it go away. After taking a deep breath, she turned to talk to Angel, "Okay, you screwy rabbit, let's just keep walking and hope that we find a way out." She then grabbed him by the chest, and attempted to put him in her pocket.

But Angel was still trying to fight back, he was now trying to wriggle his way out of her grip and get her to follow him to this place he wanted to go. But Sunset would have none of it, "Come on, Angel. We have to get home! Fluttershy has been worried sick about you all evening! Angel, enough is enough! It's time to go..."

She suddenly stopped, as she started to feel this weird feeling within her. She couldn't exactly describe the feeling, but whatever it was, it was strong. She checked her small amulet, the one that allowed her to tap into the Magic of Friendship. It wasn't glowing, which was strange, whenever she had a feeling like this, the amulet would glow. So why not now?

And yet, this feeling, it wasn't like the Magic of Friendship. It was something stronger, much stronger. She had never felt this kind of strength before, even when she and her friends were in their "Pony Forms". This kind of strength was completely different, almost as if there was a presence inside her, urging her to follow the rabbit.

She stared at Angel, who she had realized she had set back down on the dirt surface below them. That bunny was still urging her to follow him, pointing a small clearing a few miles into the forest. Could he feel this strange power as well? Well, regardless if he did or didn't, both he and this presence wanted her to go to that clearing. There was a second, more familiar voice in her head, telling her to ignore this feeling and walk away. Her better judgement had told her that strange, powerful feelings that didn't involve the Magic of Friendship, were always a bad sign, and that she should pretend that she never found it. But the strange presence was stronger, it easily dwarfed the second voice, telling her to follow it, and discover her destiny.

(Stop Music)

So, against her better judgement, she decided to follow Angel Bunny, "Alright Angel, you win. We'll take a quick peek at what you want to show me. But after that, we go straight home. Deal?" Angel gave a quick nod, holding his paw out for her to shake. Sunset took the hand, er-pawshake, and began to follow Angel deeper into the forest.

The Dark Side

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“Are we there yet?” an inpatient Sunset Shimmer asked Angel for what seemed like the thousandth time.

Angel turned around and gave her his usual annoyed look, he was no happier about her asking than she was. He then shrugged and shook his head, which earned a groan from Sunset.

About a half-hour passed on since she had found Angel, and Sunset still continued to follow Angel through the forest. Sunset was beginning to wonder if they were just going in circles at this point, and she was very tempted to just give up and look for the way home. But that strange feeling kept telling her to keep pushing forward, that in the end, it would all be worth it.

Would it all be worth it, though? Sunset still had no idea where Angel was taking her, besides that clearing in the forest that they never seemed to be able to get to, nor did she have any idea what she was looking for. Sure, Angel and that presence had wanted to show her something, but the question was what?

And what made her so sure she could trust this presence? She and her friends had dealt with things like this, forces that manipulated the mind, told you things that you wanted to hear so that it could make you do the things they wanted. Hell, even her friend Twilight had experienced this kind of thing, twice for that matter!

The former Head of Crystal Prep, Principal Cinch, had used Twilight’s desire to go to that extra-curricular program Everton to make her do things that she never would have done otherwise. And during camp, Twilight was locked in a traumatizing struggle of will, as an illusion of Midnight Sparkle created from her own fears, had tortured her constantly with the fears of her losing control again, and that she and her were no different from each other.

Everything that she and her friends had been through spoke volumes about how these types of feelings were never okay, and that they would lead you down a path of decisions that you would never truly be able to take back. And yet now, here Sunset was, throwing away everything she had learned, everything she believed in, in favor of a mysterious thing in her head that she had never felt before. She was making the same mistake that the Old Sunset Shimmer would have made, and all that did was make her more distrustful of this presence within her.

And as Sunset’s suspicions grew within her, the feeling within her became less comforting. The warmth of purpose and guidance she had felt were slowly disappearing, being replaced with new, more powerful feelings. Feelings that were strange to her, but familiar at the same time. Feelings of cruelty, manipulation, desire, passion, power, paranoia, fear, and loneliness. Feelings that she had once felt a life-time ago. Feelings that belonged to someone she once knew. Feelings that belonged to what can only be described as the... Darker Side of Sunset Shimmer.

BOOM!

Sunset woke up from her trance, jumping as there was a large noise. Then, she felt something land on her nose.

Then another....

Then another...

And soon, it became a full downpour. Sunset then gave a low growl as her hair lost its style and became flat, wet and shiny due to the rain. There was talk on the Weather Channel that there may be a storm today, Sunset silently swore as she had forgot to bring a raincoat. Well, there was no reason to beat herself up about it now, all there was to do was to keep going.

Sunset began to move forward, and as she did, a wave of cold whipped by her, returning those feelings of darkness within her. She could sense something, something close, it was coming right towards her! The feeling of fear became stronger, as the thing she sensed got closer and closer to her...

”You are right to mistrust me..."

Sunset then stopped, as she found her path being blocked by a figure in black. The person was tall, and lean, giving off a sense of strength and power. Its voice sounded old and wise, but was also cruel and evil. The Figure resembled the form of a man, but it wasn’t a man at the same time. He wasn’t from Equestria, she sensed no drop of pony blood or otherwise that would signify that he was. He wore a cloak as black as night, if night was devoid of the light of stars. On his belt, there was a small cylinder of iron, that held many buttons and exhaust vents on it. It gave off the presence similar to that of a sword, but Sunset could not see how that small cylinder could be used as a weapon. His face was shadowed by the large black hood that he wore, his burning yellow eyes being the only thing visible in the endless void the hood created. This dude really creeped Sunset out, even Angel, who was not afraid of most things, swiftly climbed up Sunset leg and hid inside her jacket pocket. Raising his head the Figure spoke again...

”You are right to fear me."

“Afraid, I-I’m not afraid,” Sunset lied, trying to look like she was keeping her cool. She was failing miserably.

The Figure chuckled, ”There is nothing that you can hide from me. I can sense your fear. It tastes delicious.”

Sunset, now more curious then afraid, tried to understand what he said, “Wait, you can actually sense my feelings? You can... taste them?” The Figure nodded,

”Oh, I can do so much more than that, little one. The Dark Side of the Force holds many powers and many secrets, I have knowledge on all of them."

Sunset sounded puzzled, “The Dark Side?”

”I sense the Dark Side within you as well, child. I can feel it within you. Your connection to your friends reveals this.

Sunset was now angry, how dare this person compare her bond with her friends to this dark power he talked about?! How dare he call the Magic of Friendship a thing of the Dark?! “No!” She said, “No, no you’re wrong!”

Sensing her thoughts, the Figure continued, ”You may deny these claims all you want. But such closed minded thoughts blind you from the truth. Your friends fall closer to the Dark Side, I have foreseen this. Who you now call your friends, will soon become your enemies. Your Magic of Friendship will not be enough to stop it. You must break your ties with your friends, you must embrace the power of the Dark Side."

Sunset’s feelings of anger became ten times stronger at these words. She was lost, she couldn’t contact her friends, she didn’t even know if her friends were in here with her or if they knew knew she was in here, there was this strange feeling that seemed to have a mind of its own, and now there was this creepy old man telling her that the Magic of Friendship was weak, and that her friends would soon turn on her!

Suddenly, her feelings of anger were replaced with the feeling of hatred, she hated this forest, she hated this man, she hated this thing in her head, and most noticeably, she hated herself! She hated that she fell for the dark trickery of this man! She hated that she had given in to the feelings she had desperately tried to leave behind! And she hated and feared the thought that Twilight and everyone else wouldn’t be her friend anymore. She just felt nothing but hate!

Small rocks and stones began to float around her, as she scrunched up her fists, her grip on her arrow becoming tighter! She wanted to kill him! She wanted to brutally murder him, make it slow and painful, enough for him to feel it! Tears poured through her eyes and mixed in with the rain as she screamed with all her might...

“I HATE YOU!!!”

The Figure laughed, a cold, wicked laugh that belonged to someone whose intentions were truly evil, ”Good! Use that hatred, let it flow through your mind! It makes you stronger, stronger than you would ever have been with the Magic of Friendship! Your friends never loved you, they never considered you one of them! They will betray you! They will kill you! Or better yet, YOU WILL KILL THEM!!!

”NOOOOOO!!!!”

Sunset then ran to him at top speed! Arrow raised high above her head, with the intention to kill! The figure then took out his metal cylinder and pressed a button. The sound of thunder erupted as a long, scorching blade of red light burst from its exhaust vent. Sunset began to wake up from her hate induced frenzy, realizing she was in real danger. She tried to turn around and run the other way, but it was too late. As her shoes skidded to the floor, the Figure brought his sword up high above his head, a wicked smile almost visible between his flaming eyes, and swung it down upon Sunset.

The last thing she heard before falling to darkness was another voice, equally old and wise, but more comforting and accompanying.

Fear leads to Anger,

Anger leads to Hate,

Hate leads to Suffering.

Paths to the Dark Side, these are.

Give in to the Dark Side, you must not.

But fear it either, you must not.

These are your first steps, Miss Shimmer.

Trust in the Force.

She woke up in a small, circular opening within the forest. The first thing she noticed was that the rain had stopped, and her hair had dried into a funky looking bed head, with mud and sticks protruding from it.

She then remembered the man she had faced, and how he had cut her in half! She checked her body for wounds, or any missing body parts. Strangely enough, there wasn’t any. And now that she mentioned it, she had not found anything signalizing that he had been there in the first place. Was it all a dream? No, it felt so life like. She was sure that her experience with him was real, even if she didn’t want it to be. Rubbing her head, she looked at her surroundings.

She was laying on a grass floor, seeing a few assorted flowers and thickets here and there. All around the opening was the vast expanse of trees, almost like guardians, protecting this sacred place. Sunset had never seen such beauty before, the entire place was warm and comforting.

She tried to get up and explore the place, but then noticed something prick her finger, which turned out to be the arrow that she brought with her. And as she stared at that arrow, it began to dawn on her that she had gone farther than any CHS student in the history of the school. She was the first one to make it to the center of the forest, and discover this amazing work of nature. The feeling of warmth returned to her, as she breathed in the fresh air and the calming sway of the trees. She felt it in her heart, it was here that she would be able to discover what that force in her head w-

That force in her head! She had almost forgot about it! Now that she had mentioned it, that presence within her had begun to feel much more powerful. Almost as if this place was strong with that same presence, and had made Sunset’s sensitivity to it 20% stronger!

But it was different. As her old feelings of hatred and fear had been replaced with the original feeling of light and guidance. Whatever magic that man had weaved, it had no power over this place.

Was this what the presence was trying to show her? Was this where Angel had wanted to take her? Speaking of which, where was that little bunny? She then got her answer, as Angel had just hopped out of her jacket pocket and landed into her line of sight, smiling warmly at her. Sunset now understood, “This place... This is what you wanted to show me, wasn’t it?”

Angel nodded, showing that he understood the question. Sunset then realized something, “Hey, you came out of my pocket, right? So does that mean, that man back there, he was real?”

Angel’s smile then faded, giving Sunset her answer. But it was not the answer she wanted. Her feeling of happiness was once again replaced, but this time, it was with sadness.

She then started crying, “H-he said so many awful things. He told me, m-my friends didn’t like me. T-that they would s-stab me in the back one day. A-A-AND I BELIEVED HIM! I’M A TERRIBLE FRIEND! I TRUSTED HIS WORDS INSTEAD OF MY BONDS WITH THEM!!! I DON’T DESERVE TO BE A WIELDER OF FRIENDSHIP!!!”

She then broke down entirely. Putting her hands to her face, bawling her eyes out. She had not cried this hard since Twilight and her friends defeated her and opened themselves up to her. She was really sad, and hurt. Angel saw this and started to begin crying himself, as it was because of him and his insistence to come here that she got into this mess. Then, he did something he rarely ever did, even in the company of Fluttershy. He came up to her, and gave her a hug.

Sunset and Angel just sat in that spot for 5 minutes, just sitting there and crying their sorrows away. That was all they knew how to do at the moment. For no one should’ve had to go through that kind of pain. After a while, they stopped crying. They had no more tears left to shed. Sunset was the first to break the silence as she wiped her tears away.

“Thank you, Angel. And listen, thank you for showing me this place. I know you didn’t mean for any of that to happen. You just wanted to share this wondrous place with me. Thank you so much!” It was now her turn to give a hug, as she wrapped Angel up tight, pouring all of her positive feelings into it. Angel, ignoring the fact that he was being crushed alive, accepted the hug, and gave the positive feeling back.

She then got up, both of them had had enough for one day, and decided that it was time to go home. Sunset promised Angel to tell Fluttershy about his intentions, maybe she would go easy on him. Angel wholeheartedly agreed, and hopped into her pocket, ready to return to his comfy pillow at the Animal Shelter.

*Beep* *Boop*

Sunset then froze, as she had now heard a new sound, like a machine.

*Boop* *Boop* *Beep*

She heard it again, louder this time. It sounded like some form of Morse Code, but unfortunately, she had fallen asleep as they were giving that lesson. She cursed to herself, vowing to learn how to speak Morse Code.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Sunset spoke in different directions. She heard another set of beeps. She turned herself to the direction it was coming from. It was coming from a bush to her left. Something was hiding in it.

*Beep* *Boop* *Boop* *Beep*

She slowly started to approach the bush, hoping to get a good look at what was making that noise, “Hello? Is anyone there? Please come out.” As she got closer to the bush, she then began to see small lights. There was definitely a machine in there. Slowly putting her hand to the bush, she tore it away to see what was in there.

What came next was a series a loud beeping that sounded like an animal that was in panic. The machine rolled around in circles and tried to get away. It then tripped on a branch lodged into the ground and fell onto its side. It continued to beep frantically, as it tried to get up. Sunset, the shock of the surprise now worn off, leaned in closer to get a good look at what the machine was.

It was a weird looking robot, not that tall, probably going up to the height of Sunset’s waist if it stood all the way up. It was cylindrical in size, with a red dome on the top, and it had two metal legs with wheels protruding out of it. It kinda looked like a miniature trash can on wheels. On it’s head, there was a bunch of different lights coming from different areas, and a small camera-like visor poking out of its head. On its body, there was a number of buttons and switches, and areas that looked like they could open up somehow. But what really intrigued Sunset was the fact that the robot seemed to be, with the lack of a better phrase... alive.

The robot wiggled frantically, trying to right itself back up again and run as far as its wheels would take it. Sunset was not entirely sure of how to approach this situation. Fluttershy probably would’ve been the better person to calm it down, or would Twilight have been? It was a machine, but it acted like a small animal. This was all very confusing. Well, neither of them were here right now, so Sunset would just have to do her best. She slowly got down on her knees, and tried to comfort this strange piece of machinery, “Shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Gently putting her hands on both sides of the robot, she began to lift it up. At the touch of her hands, the robot began to squirm, trying to escape from her grasp. Sunset tried to quiet it down, but to no avail. This thing most likely thought she was a predator trying to eat it. Putting her face close to the visor, she whispered, “It’s okay, I’m not gonna eat you. You need to calm down.”

Slowly, the robot began to stop struggling. Sunset relaxed, maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as she thought, “Now, I’m going to set you straight up now. But if I do, you need to promise that you’re not going to run away. Do you think you could do that?”

The robot considered this for a moment. But it didn’t look like it had much other choice. It wasn’t that fast, and she could catch up to him in a few minutes, even at top speed. Deciding that it was out of options, it beeped in approval. Sunset just shrugged, “I’m going to assume that’s a yes.” And with a small heave, she hoisted it upwards.

Sunset was intrigued by this robot, she had never seen anything like it. It looked like something from a 80’s sci-fi movie, but more realistic and better CG-I effects. She got a good look around it’s body, looking for a label, a sign, anything that would tell her where it came from. Nothing, nothing at all involving any companies she knew of. But she did find a serial number on it, which read: R5-D3

“R5-D3? That isn’t any serial number I’ve ever heard of. He must be a defective mislabel.” Sunset pondered aloud. This remark earned her a few beeps from the R5, sounding like it was annoyed at her.

Sunset didn’t understand what it was saying, but she knew it didn’t appreciate what she said, “Ok, Ok, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” R5 accepted the apology and began to calm down, but still threw a few beeps that sounded an awful lot like, Humpf.

Sunset chuckled a little bit, and so did Angel, who was watching the whole thing from Sunset’s pocket. She was beginning to like this robot, which was weird considering that it wasn’t supposed to be a living thing. And yet, here she was, talking to this machine that supposedly could understand and comprehend human emotions. She wanted to ask him more questions, when suddenly, voices began to creep in from outside the meadow.

"Angel?! Sunset?! Where are you?!"

"Over here, girls! I heard movement this way!"

"Ugh! These were my best boots! I hate mud!"

"Sunset Shimmer, we're right here! Shout if you can hear us!"

Sunset began to scream internally, she knew exactly who those voices belonged to. Her friends had finally showed up, after what was an hour of her wandering in the forest, they finally decided to reveal that they were in here searching as well. And yet, Sunset couldn't be mad at them. They probably didn't go that far into the forest at first, and only decided to go farther now. She was also happy that they were alright, she had sooo much to tell them. Getting off her knees, she began to jump up and down and waved her hands over her head.

"Twilight?! Applejack?! Girls, I'm over here! I'm over here!"

Hearing the sound of their missing friend, they ran towards the direction of the meadow. One by one, the other members of the Rainbooms broke through the trees and, at the sight of her, gave her a big, meaningful group hug. Sunset couldn't help but start crying, it was only an hour, but it felt like she hadn't seen them in years. "Wow, I've been crying a lot today," Sunset thought to herself.

When they finally let go of her, Fluttershy was the first to break the silence, "Wait, where's Angel?! Did you find him?! Is he alright?!"

"Calm down, Fluttershy. Angel's safe. He's right here with me." Sunset said reassuringly. And if by que, Angel peaked out of her pocket, and gave the gang a sheepish smile.

Fluttershy instantly grabbed him and hugged him as hard as she could. Angel silently gave Sunset a "Help Me" look, but Fluttershy didn't notice, "Oh, Angel! I was so worried! I'm so glad to see your okay!"

Applejack was next, but she didn't have anything nice to say, "Alright, you lil' varmint, you have a lotta explainin' to do! Why did y'all go out an' run away like that?! You scared Fluttershy an' the rest of us half to death!"

Sunset now felt the need to step in," Now now girls, go easy on him. He just wanted to show me this place, that's all."

It was at these words, that for the first time, the Rainbooms had a good look at their surroundings. The reaction was exactly the same as Sunset's. They gaped in awe at the wonderful work of nature that they stood upon. Alongside Sunset, they were the first people in ages to come to make it to the center of the forest. Fluttershy's eyes were wild with excitement, who knew what animals lived in this place. She turned to her bunny friend and patted him on the head, "Oh Angel, if you wanted to show us this place, why didn't you just tell us?"

Angel looked the other way, they weren't supposed to see anything. This place was supposed to be for Sunset alone. It was only by accident that they were here. But Fluttershy didn't know that, and he aimed to keep it that way.

Rainbow Dash's gaze wandered around the forest, until her eyes caught something gleaming in Sunset's hand, "Wait a second, is that my arrow?"

Sunset suddenly realized that she still had it clutched in her hand, he replied sheepishly, "Uhhh, maybe?"

Was it possible to be both annoyed and happy for some person at the same time? Because that was what Rainbow Dash was feeling. Although she was happy that her friend broke her high score, she was upset that she wasn't the one to make to the center of the forest first. Remembering why she kept it, Sunset waved it in her face and bragged, "Oh, I'm sorry Rainbow, for beating you to this place. Guess we finally found something I'm better at than you."

Rainbow Dash simply snarled, which made Sunset laugh. And even though she was still upset, Rainbow managed to let out a small laugh herself, as she knew Sunset was just messing with her. But as she was about to shake her hand, Rarity noticed something and let out one of her trademark screams.

"What?! What's wrong, Rarity?!" Sunset shouted. Rarity just ran up to her and examined her, almost a bit hesitant to touch her.

"It's.... well, for a lack of a better phrase, it's YOU!" Rarity screamed, "Your hair is a mess, darling! You look like you haven't had a shower in weeks! Oh, and don't ever get me started on your clothes, you look like a cave man! Your shirt is all but torn, your pants have been ripped up like no tomorrow, and your shoes are coated in mud! And worst of all, that bandage on your hand! Were you attacked, was it ferocious, do you have internal bleeding? This is the Worst! Possible! Thing!" Oh what's a girl to do?!"

She looked like she was about to faint, but then realized that her fainting chair was nowhere around, so she simply dusted herself off and stopped being melodramatic. Twilight put a hand over her shoulder, "Rarity, I'm sure that nothing happened out here. But in all seriousness Sunset, we should start to head home. It looks like it may rain again, and I don't think we're ever going to find that cave again."

Sunset was just about to ask what cave, she hadn't seen a cave anywhere in these woods, but decided it was probably nothing. Besides she was eager to get out of here too, "She's right, girls. We should probably start heading home anyway. But before we go there's someone I'd like you to meet."

She turned to address R5-D3, but was surprised to find that he wasn't there, "R5? Where are you? R5?"

She continued to go around in circles looking for R5, but he was nowhere to be seen. Pinkie whispered to her friends, "Are you sure that she hasn't gone off the deep end?"

Her friends simply looked at her, as if she was one to talk. But she did have a point, Sunset did seem to be a bit strange. But Sunset wouldn't have any of it, "No! I swear to you, he's real! He's just a little shy is all. He'll come out and say hello in just a minute!"

She continued to call out to R5, but enough was enough. Applejack calmly put her hand around her shoulder and gave her the hard truth, "Look Sunset, you've been out here for who knows how long. You're tired, stressed, an' could really use a bite to eat. Let's just head over to your place, an' try to enjoy the rest of the day. There's still time for that sleepover."

Sunset was about to argue, that she was perfectly fine and that they had to find R5. But the worried and concerned looks on her friends' faces stopped her. And the more she thought about it, she did sound crazy. But she knew that R5 was real. He had to be! Wasn't he?

Noticing the conflict in her friend, Applejack continued, "Look, if you say he's real, I believe ya. But there's no use in looking for him when it's about to get dark. Tomorrow's a weekend, we'll go back out here in the morning, an' spend as much time looking for him as you like. But until then, let's just get you cleaned up an' fed, okay?"

Sunset, feeling defeated, silently nodded in agreement. She was in no condition to spend another hour out here looking for him anyway. And besides, the only reason they came here was to look for Angel, right? Now that he was found, there was no real reason to be out here, was there?

Sensing the adventure was over, everybody prepared to head back. With the high powered GPS installed on Twilight's phone, they should be able to make it out of these woods in no time. But before they headed back, Rainbow Dash had one more thing left to say,

"Hey Sunset, before we leave, why don't you find a nice tree to stick that arrow into, okay? Everybody's gotta know you made it here before anyone else, right?"

Sunset simply nodded, "Yeah I guess so." And with that, She found a small tree close by, stuck her arrow in good, and prepared to go home with everyone else. Today's strange events were now behind her.

As soon as everyone left, R5 rolled out of the bushes. He scanned his surrounding, making sure they were alone, and gave the signal that the coast was clear.

From out of a clump of trees came out a figure in a brown robe. He wasn't as old or as wise as the Black Figure Sunset encountered, nor was he as powerful. He wasn't that tall, only about a few inches taller than Sunset would've been. His face was covered by a white mask with golden outlines leaving two slits to see through, and a few holes at the bottom to breathe out of. In his hand he carried a small metal sword, a Training Saber, salvaged from an old ship dating into the days of the Old Republic. Around his hip hung a simple blaster, it wasn't the most advanced weaponry out there, but it got the job done.

The Robed Figure inspected his surroundings, and pondered what just happened. He saw the entire thing, he was lucky they didn't stumble across what he was trying to find. But thankfully, they left before things had to get messy. He guessed that he had R5 to thank for that. True, he almost gave away their position, but he created a big enough distraction to where they didn't go searching further. Not that they would've understood what they found.

He turned to face his droid friend, "Good work, Red. It's a shame we didn't find what we were looking for, but at least you stopped them from finding it before we did. However, I think we may have found something just as important."

Those other six carried a strange power to them, but he wasn't concerned about them. The power they wielded was just a fraction, compared to the power of the Force. What he was really interested in, was her. She wasn't like the others, she was just like him. Her connection to the Force was extremely powerful, maybe just as powerful as his. He hadn't met anyone with Force sensitivity since the day that... well, he didn't want to think about it.

For the first time in a long time, he felt... hope.

The Figure brought himself to eye level with Red, "Okay, new plan. Red, I want you to tail her. I want you to get to know her, make it so that she trusts you. She's in grave danger, and she won't be able to save herself without our help."

Red beeped in disapproval, reminding him of one of their most sacred rules. The Figure simply laughed it off, "Hey, I know we're supposed to keep a low profile. Look, just introduce yourself to her, follow her around, enter her circle of friends. And then, I introduce myself, explain the situation, and we leave. If we do this right, the Empire will never have to know about it. Easy as jumping from The Enigma, right?"

Red groaned, but agreed to do it nonetheless, "Great, if you hack into the purple one's transmission device, you should be able to follow them to their base. I'll stay here and continue to solve the puzzle. Good Luck, Red. This could change our lives for the better, I just know it."

And then, with one last electrified grumble, he made himself into the direction those girls were heading in. When he was sure Red was gone, he spoke into the comm device on his wrist, "Turner, come in. Change of plans, we're gonna have to stay here a bit longer."

Turner, who was slightly garbled from the low signal, responded back, "Understood, sir. Have you finally cracked the clue?"

"No, but I may have found something just as valuable. Tell the crew to hold on tight. When I give the signal, we prepare to leave the planet, Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" and with that, the connection broke off. The Figure walked up to the tree with the arrow and yanked it out as hard as he could. Examining it, he asked himself,

"Sunset Shimmer, just who are you?"

The Monster

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"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.

Through passion, I gain strength.

Through strength, I gain power.

Through power, I gain victory.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

The Force shall set me free."

This ancient creed of the Sith Order was recited over and over again in the mind of a certain Nero Sylum, Dark Assassin for the Empire. While not a full fledged Inquisitor, his job was similar. Find any surviving Jedi or Force-Sensitives and exterminate them.

Ironically, he was not even supposed to know about the code. None except the Emperor and his faithful apprentice, Darth Vader were allowed to study the aspects of the Dark Side, and how to bend it to one's will. But Nero was tricky, and his master was crafty, to the point where they both studied the Sith Code in secret whenever they were alone.

Like Nero, his master was a Dark Assassin for the Empire, one of the oldest to ever serve the Emperor, save for Darth Vader, obviously. It was through his master that Nero knew the true nature of the ones he was sworn to serve, to know that the Emperor and his subordinate were Dark Lords of the Sith. This knowledge was both an honor and a curse, for only the most trusted of the Emperor's inner circle were allowed to know. As assassins for him, they knew the truth of course, but they were sworn to absolute secrecy. If word got out that two measly assassins told everybody the truth... well, the consequences would be dire.

But once again, they were smart. They knew how to hide their knowledge from the creeping eyes of the soldiers around them. Such is the way of the Sith, for one must always be paranoid and on guard if he is to survive. Besides, they had no intention of revealing this little secret to anyone... yet.

For now, they must wait. The time to strike will eventually come, and they will be ready when it does.

Nero walked through one of the many dimly lit halls of the Star Destroyer The Hopeless, reciting the code to himself while twirling a small little ring in the air using the Force. His master had summoned him to the bridge, most likely to receive his next assignment. He hoped it would be something worth his mettle this time, his latest assignments had been riot control and squashing small rebellions.

It was necessary work, he knew that, but he wished for something more challenging, something like hunting down surviving Jedi, or searching for Sith Artifacts that would benefit the Emperor, or themselves. Unfortunately, those assignments were often given to the Inquisitorius and the high ranking assassins. But perhaps this time, something in his gut told him that this one would be the one that earned him the praise he deserved, maybe even being able to lead the Inquisitors. But it did no one any good daydreaming about things that may not come to pass. For now, he must remain calm and controlled, being nothing but a tool to be used in service to the Empire.

As he approached the bridge, all other personnel on board became rigid and stiff, as if they were addressing a captain. Nero was not captain of this ship, that honor went to Admiral Frey. But even he gave Nero the fearful respect he deserved, knowing that he outranked him by a substantial amount, and could destroy him easily if he wanted to. Nero smiled devilishly at this devious thought.

Admiral Frey stammered a bit as he addressed his superior, "N-Nero Sylum, w-we weren't expecting you so s-soon."

"Which goes to show you how much faith you lack in a Dark Assassin to the Emperor. And that's Master Nero Sylum to you," Nero said in a calm but foreboding voice, he liked being able to toy with his inferiors.

Frey gulped in fright, "No, of course master, I-I didn't mean it like that! I-I-I..."

"Hold your breath," Nero spat, with more authority this time, "Where is my master? I was told he would meet me here!"

Admiral Frey came forward, ever so slightly, "Um, M-Master Morbus had diverted his course because of some personal matters that he needed to address. I was told to be the one to give you the assignment inst-"

Nero had tensed his fingers at these words, causing Frey to clench at his throat, trying to pull away invisible hands as they crushed his windpipe.

Nero was grateful to his master, it was because of him that he was alive. But the anger and hatred he felt towards him at the moment was unparalleled. How dare he simply brush his own apprentice off for some stupid unimportant matter?! How dare he undermine him and have some underling give him the assignment instead?!

With every thought that ran through his head, his hate became stronger, fueling his power in the Dark Side. It was a good 15 seconds before he realized he was choking poor Frey to death. Releasing his fingers, Frey fell to the ground, taking large breaths of the precious air that he had been denied, "Very well, what is the assignment?"

Once he had gotten a good deep breaths in, Frey straightened himself up and spoke, "Master Morbus wants you to go to a planet somewhere in the Unknown Regions. Something about feeling a disturbance that needed to be inspected."

Nero silently praised himself, he was finally doing something important, something worthy of his many talents! Clearing himself, he stated, "Very well, I shall leave immediately. What are the coordinates?"

Admiral Frey rubbed his collar awkwardly, "Unfortunately sir, he did not provide a clear set of coordinates. He just gave a map of an unexplored parsec in the area. He said to 'trust your feelings?'"

Nero brought his fist up, while Frey braced himself for more punishment. But it did not come, for Nero was deep in thought. It was unlike his master to be so mysterious about something. He was very cold and calculated about everything, especially when it was important, as this assignment must have been. Why was he being so informal about all this? Perhaps it had something to do with this "Disturbance" he talked about? Well, there was only one way to find out. Extending out his hand, he motioned Admiral Frey to hand him the holomap of the sector, to which he complied.

Suddenly, the wailing of sirens burst through every corridor on The Hopeless. They were under attack!

Nero rushed forward to the visors giving them view of the space around them. What stood in front of The Hopeless was a small fleet of star fighters coming out of hyperspace! A resistance group was on its way!

The weak and pathetic man that had stood before Nero was suddenly replaced with someone filled with determination and who knew what was going on. Frey was now in his element, and he knew exactly what to do,

"All units, prepare the ship for defensive actions! Resistance fighters inbound! All pilots to their TIE Fighters, now!"

Nero was surprised, and even a little panicked! They had dealt with small ships who thought they could go up against the Star Destroyers before, but this was different. This was a coordinated attack against the Empire, despite how small a fleet it was! He had thought no one had the bravery to stand against the might of the Empire! Something that he didn't even think was possible.

But that wasn't important right now, let Frey and his band of subordinates deal with the traitors. Right now, he had a job to do, and the quicker he was out of the battlefield, the better!

Tearing down the halls to the hangar, he ran past the many TIE Pilots who were scrambling to get into their pods and join the fight. But none of them mattered now, all that mattered was getting to his own ship and getting out of here!

Nero smiled as his ship was in sight, a modified Sentinel-class landing craft. Tinkered and altered to his liking, the shuttle supported twin blasters below the pilot area, making quick work of any foe that stood in his path. With an added hyperdrive, and refurbished metal alloy, it had the uncharacteristic ability of being able to withstand the pressure of hyperspace, something that most fighters in the Sentinel Series were incapable of. The wings were painted a deep red, with black rancor skulls on the side of the two lower wings. He wanted his subordinates to know who he was, and his enemies to be struck with fear at the sight of him. It wasn't as luxurious as the Lambda-class shuttles, but it served him well.

There was suddenly an explosion! His once proud ship becoming a big orange ball of gases that went up in flames as countless Stormtroopers were either enveloped in it, or jumped in a vain attempt to escape. Nero got lucky, the explosion only getting his cape, which he had to discard. He could hear the screaming of the flaming bodies surrounding him, and he could feel the searing pain that they felt, albeit on a smaller scale. But it wasn't just the anguish of his soldiers that gave him power. No, nothing could compare to watching his prized ship go up in flames. Revenge and hatred filled Nero's mind, it was enough to fuel his power in the Dark Side tenfold, making him stronger than his hatred for his master ever could. It felt really really good, having all this power. He longed for the foolish enemies who destroyed his ship to approach him and taste his undying wrath.

"Hold it right there!" a voice appeared from nowhere.

Nero then smiled, as he found himself surrounded by a small battalion of maybe twenty men. It seemed that the terrorists had found a way onto the ship. He looked around for any stormtroopers who would've spotted them. There were none, they were all either dead or had moved to the next hangar. That just left Nero and his prey alone together in the same room.

"Stop right there," shouted a burly looking man, obviously the leader of the squad, "Put your hands up and face towards me, Imperial Scum!"

Nero held on to the smile painted across his face. He could destroy them right here and now, if he wanted to. But why do it now? Why just snuff out his enemies when he could play with them a little bit? When he could savor their defeat as they were slowly crushed underneath him? So, playing along for now, he brought his hands up above his head, and made direct eye contact with his foe. This was going to be all too easy.

"You're under arrest for treason against the Republic!" the Squad Leader announced, "You, get some stun cuffs on him. We're talking him in for trial and execution!"

"Yes sir!" the soldier saluted, moving forward to place the cuffs on his wrists. Nero tried everything he could to keep himself from laughing, but it was harder than it looked. The soldier cuffing him noticed him and gave him a big slap in the face, "Silence, Imperial Scum! You're in the custody of..."

The soldier never got to finish his sentence. Like Admiral Frey before him, his hands were clenched around his neck, trying to pry away an unseen force. His comrades could only watch in fear as he slowly rose up in the air, trying so hard to breathe.

Nero chuckled, a hint of anger in his breath, "The ship that your men just destroyed was a one of a kind, modified Sentinel-class landing ship. Do you know how long it took me to put it together? How long I searched for the rare parts that unlocked its true potential?!" Nero started venting, each heavy breath he took was filled with his hatred for them, for destroying his proud vessel, "You, and your men, will now suffer for your foolish actions, starting with this one."

The choking soldier tried his best to call for help, to beg of them to somehow save them from what was happening to him. But no help came, from his comrades or anyone else. And with a resounding snap, his head limped in an awkward position as he fell dead to the floor. He was lucky, his death was quick and painless. His comrades would not be so lucky. Nero bellowed a sickly laughter, as if he was insane, putting his hands to his sides, summoning two metal cylinders into his hands.

"Now, you shall feel the undying wrath of the Dark Side!"

His lightsabers suddenly burst to life, the sound of thunder alongside the crimson red blades of light. With one circular motion, he cut down seven of the nineteen remaining soldiers. This was gonna be so much fun.

"Brothers, attack!" the leader commanded, trying to mask his fear. He was doing a poor job, and Nero knew it. Rushing forward, Nero swiped his lightsaber towards the enemy, cutting down another three soldiers, making the original twenty soldiers ten. Then came the blaster fire, the soldiers trying desperately to gain the upper hand. Quickly dodging the bolts of light, he ran towards the slaughter, using his blades to deflect any stray bolts that could've hit home.

"He's too fast!" one of the soldiers cried before being cut down. Five of his companions tried to surround him and open fire. This backfired on them tremendously as Nero quickly used the Force to levitate his twin lightsabers to cut them down in a whirlpool-like fashion.

The soldiers gave in to their fear, there was no way they could beat this monster. Abandoning their mission, they ran to escape in their ship. Nero laughed, such cowardice fueled his power. Nero lunged his hand upward, calling upon the Force to pull on the ceiling of the hangar. Slowly, a large piece of scrap wrestled itself free from the ceiling, landing on the ship of the soldiers who dared destroy his ship. The scrap came down on them just as they were entering the ship.

Nero laughed in his victory! In a normal bout, he would be disappointed in how little a challenge his enemies could give them. And yet, in this battle he was reminded of the importance of gnats like those soldiers. What was the point of being strong if not to crush the weak, bend them to your rule, and if necessary, break them! Nero felt such joy before! But the battle wasn't done yet...

The sound of blaster fire filled Nero's ears as a couple of bolts nearly missed his ears. He slowly turned around, to see who dared fire at him. The leader of that little gang of insignificant womp rats was still attempting to destroy him. But he was sloppy, unfocused, his fear of Nero still dominant in his mind. He was no threat, and Nero knew this. Slowly, step by step, Nero closed in on the last of his prey.

"No, stay back!" The captain shouted, shooting at him mid-sentence, "Get away from me!" Bolt after bolt he shot, trying his best to land a blow on the monster in front of him. But Nero simply weaved his way through, not even having to use the Force to dodge them. The man started screaming, screaming for anybody to save him from his opponent as he vainly tried to shoot the approaching abomination that was Nero Sylum. Then, when he was close enough, Nero took his lightsaber, and stuck it through the gut of his enemy.

The captain could feel his life slowly ebbing away as he stared at the monster in front of him. Using the last of his strength, he asked his foe, "What... are you?"

Nero smiled, giving him a simple but effective answer, "A monster."

Then, it was over. Violently pulling his crimson blade from the terrorist's chest, he used the Force to throw his body into the air. And then, with a Force augmented shriek, he sent the fools body through the hangar bay. Launching him into the black abyss that was space.

Nero's hate educed frenzy was starting to wear off. The adrenaline rush from the chaos around him ebbed away as he clenched victory in his hand. The Dark Side was a powerful tool, but like the engine of a starship, it required fuel. For now, Nero's fuel had been depleted. But that wasn't a problem for him. Now that he had had his fun, it was time to return to the mission. It was time to do what his master had ordered of him. He couldn't use his own ship, as it was destroyed. He would have to appropriate another one from the hangar. One that hadn't got crushed or blown up, at least.

"My lord.."

In an instant, Nero's Lightsabers were on again, aiming at the fool behind him. To his surprise, and embarrassment, the voice behind him was nothing more than a lowly stormtrooper, followed by a small squad of about fifteen men. Nero knew better than to attack an ally of the Empire. Deactivating his lightsabers, he addressed his inferiors as the stood at attention, "For what do I owe this report, trooper?"

Saluting, the leader of the squadron stepped forward, "Sir, we were tasked by Admiral Frey to inform you that the threat has been dealt with. All boarding parties have been destroyed, and that you have a clear voyage to your objective, sir!"

Nero sighed, upset that he only got to deal with one squadron while Frey and his goons got to take out the entire resistance fleet. Sighing, he acknowledged the troopers report, "Very well, soldier. You have done well to tell me this. Return to Admiral Frey and tell him I will speak on his behalf for a promotion."

Nero attempted to leave, to find a ship that wasn't destroyed. But the stormtrooper wasn't done yet, "Oh, one more thing, sir. We were tasked by Admiral Frey to accompany you during the mission, to provide aid and support whenever needed, sir."

Nero tensed, stopping dead in his tracks. Much like the terrorist captain before them, he slowly turned around to give them a look that struck the entire squad with terror. To Nero, this was an insult. A clever way of telling him that they didn't think that he was capable of completing the mission on his own. Daggers in his eyes, he approached the commanding officer, "What is your name, trooper?"

Gulping, the trooper replied, "M-my designation number is DH-7654..."

Nero halted him mid-sentence, "Your name, trooper!"

The trooper was terrified, "G-G-Gerald, sir. Gerald Frig."

Placing his hand on Gerald's shoulder, Nero continued, "Well, let me inform you and your squadron of something, Gerald Frig. I do not need the help of some lowly trooper and his band of washout cadets! You will return to Admiral Frey, announce to him this message, then resign your posts as soldiers and tell Frey any hope of being promoted to Grand Admiral will be denied! You will...!"

Nero then felt immense pain, pain that none had ever felt before, it was like his brain was trying to drill itself out of his skull. He fell to the ground, the pain forcing him on his knees. The stormtroopers stepped back, utterly confused at these current events.

"You will order no such thing, my foolish apprentice!"

"Master?" Nero gasped, fear filling his lungs. His master had somehow found a way to converse with him in his own head. How was this possible?!

As if he read his thoughts, Master Morbus continued, "You forget, the Dark Side is the path to make the impossible, very possible. I have to power to relay my desires directly into your head! You will not have these men or Admiral Frey court-martialed."

Nero begged, "But Master, they are lowly grunts! Surely I will not need them for such a..."

"SILENCE!"

Knowing not to anger his master, Nero slunk deeper to the ground, "Forgive me, master. Forgive me for my short-sightedness."

"Make sure it does not happen again," Morbus threatened, "Oh worthy apprentice, I have had a vision. A vision of great power, overwhelming power unlike anything we have ever seen. These men will have an important role to play in obtaining that power, the power that will ensure our revolt against the Emperor is successful."

"What power?" Nero asked his master, "What power did you see in your vision?"

"Details of the vision are flawed, and cannot be interpreted clearly. But I can sense the power, the delicious and unbeatable power! I see a girl. Human, yet at the same time, not. She holds the key to a weapon so powerful, that all who come before her are bent to her will. The weapon she contains must fall into our hands if we are to conquer the Empire!"

Nero was confused, "But where must I look?! Where must I go to find this girl, and her unbeatable weapon?! If she is as powerful as you say, how do we have any hope of defeating her?!"

Morbus laughed, "Patience! Patience, my apprentice. All will be revealed in time. For now, trust that the Force will guide you towards the planet she inhabits. Appropriate a shuttle and these men, and let your feelings show you the way. When you encounter this girl, you are to kill her and take her key. Through your strength in the Dark Side, you will prevail. Go, my apprentice, go and bring us glory!"

And just like that, he was gone. The overwhelming pain in Nero's head vanished as he no longer felt the presence of his master. As the pain subsided, he realized that he was groveling at Gerald's feet. They seemed confused, they had not heard a single word of the conversation. Had it all been inside Nero's head? Quickly pulling himself back up, he addressed his inferiors, "Gerald Frig, there has been a change in plans. You and your squadron will be accompanying me on my mission. We will appropriate a shuttle and set on our way immediately!"

The confused and scared looks on the troopers faces vanished, masked with the stern and cold looks of soldiers of the imperial army. It was not their job to ask questions, simply to follow orders. And they intended to do just that, "Sir, yes sir!"

Nero nodded, "Very good. Now, if one of you would contact Admiral Frey and report to him that we are in need of a new ship. Preferably a Lambda-class shuttle. On the double, men!"

And with lightning precision, they did just that. They quickly made Admiral Frey aware of the situation and were quickly led to a hangar bay that held the requested ship. Perhaps after the mission, Nero would be able to remodel it after his previous ship. As Nero stood aboard the ship, admiring his new crew, he thought to himself that maybe these soldiers weren't as incompetent as he first thought they were. Perhaps they did have a role to play in the grand scheme of Morbus's plan.

"Where to, sir?" the ship's captain asked. Nero hesitated, not knowing what coordinates to give the pilot. Then, he remembered what his master had told him, that his feelings would show him the way. Reaching within himself, Nero closed his eyes, trying to imagine the girl Morbus spoke of. What did she look like, what was she like, where did she live, and most importantly, what power did she possess that Morbus thought they could use?"

Suddenly, Nero spotted a shadow. A shadow of a figure, feminine in proportions, yet lacked any features. He couldn't see what she looked like, only that she was standing on the roof a large castle-like building. He also saw a necklace, standing out among her blank features. A bright orange necklace depicting a red and yellow sun. It was powerful, but not in the Force. No, this power felt different, could it be the power that he was looking for? Suddenly, it all became clear to him.

"I know where we must go," Nero declared, "Frey said the planet was in an unexplored section in the Unknown Regions, type in the following coordinates!"

After telling the captain of the ship the exact coordinates of where they needed to go, they prepared to make the jump to hyperspace, "Prepare to jump to hyperspace in three... two... one... punch it!"

All around them, the stars began to form bright long columns as they launched into hyperspace, the columns of stars being replaced with the familiar blue hue of hyperspace. As they sped towards the Unknown Regions, Nero braced himself for his greatest challenge yet.

The Masks We Wear

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Back on the Non-Existent Planet, dusk began to creep over the horizon, as the sun slinked behind the surrounding trees of the forest blanketing the city of Canterlot. In the center of the forest, the Masked Figure sat cross legged on a rock, waiting for his little droid friend to respond back to him.

Behind the mask, his face showed one of deep thought and concentration, focusing on the arrow he pulled from the tree. Through it, he tried to learn more about the girl named Sunset Shimmer, what she was like, where she came from, how powerful she was in the Force. But most of it was in vain; he was strong in the Force, but the ability of Psychometry eluded him. The only way he could truly learn anything about her, was talking to her face to face; which he hoped he could do when Red brought her to him.

"Hello Gerrun."

The boy was broken from his trance, recognizing the new voice that spoke to him. Looking over his shoulder, he could not believe his eyes. The being that spoke to him took the form of a person from his past, a past he had longed to forget, but didn't want to let go of. The boy was scared of the being, despite the warm and welcoming smile on his face.

"Master," the boy whispered, "How can this be, you are dead."

The being that looked like his master nodded, "This place is strong in the Force. Through your connection to it, as well as your memories of me, I was given shape. I am here, because you want me to be."

Gerrun slumped, "I see, so you are not my master. Just an illusion of him created by my memories."

"Whether I am real or not, you desired me to be here. So here I am," the Figure spoke, taking a seat on a stump adjacent to the rock Gerrun was sitting on, "Tell me, why have you come to this place?"

Gerrun was hesitant to speak, but also a little eager. Whether he was real or just in his head, he had wanted to talk to his master for a long time, "I.. I'm here because of you. Remember the holocron you opened, the planet you discovered? I found it, the map led me right to it. I'm certain that it is here that I might find the next piece I need to complete your work!"

"But why?" Gerrun's Master asked, "Why spend eight years trying to finish the work of a dead man?"

Gerrun could not believe what he was hearing, "How can you say that? This was your legacy! Your chance to grant the Jedi ultimate power! The power we could've used to defend ourselves from the Empire! I will not not rest until the power you sought is in my grasp!

His master had a look of sorrow on his face, sad that this is what his padawan had become, "So, is power all that you desire?"

"What? No, of course not," Gerrun tried to explain, "I'm trying to keep it from the Empire."

Despite these words, Gerrun's master just shook his head, "My boy, power is meaningless without purpose. What would you do with this power should you control it instead of the Empire?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Gerrun asked his master, "I'd use it to defeat the Empire! To overthrow the government that betrayed us, and put in a system where the Jedi can flourish once again! We'd put in something new, something better, where we can rule over the entire galaxy fairly and justly! We wouldn't make the same mistakes we did!

Again, Gerrun's old master shook his head. A Jedi did not seek power, nor did they seek to rule. The apparition had become afraid of what his padawan had become, "And what of the girl?"

Gerrun was taken aback by the question, "The girl?"

His master nodded, "The girl, Sunset Shimmer. The one you sent your little friend to go fetch for you. Why does she interest you so?"

Gerrun shook his head, "Surely you've felt it, if not you can read my thoughts at least. She's Force Sensitive. I haven't met someone like her in years."

His master raised his eyebrow, "It is true, you have not. But I know you better than that, Gerrun. You were an outgoing boy, but even you had moments when you meant more than what you said. You had your secrets, just as I had mine. Why are you interested in her, really? How does she fit into your grand plan of galaxy domination?"

Gerrun winced, his plan sounded better in his head then it did out loud. He was certain that should his master really have been here with him, he wouldn't have approved of his plan. But still, he believed he was right, that he could create something better where the Jedi had failed. His master could never truly understand his plan. But that mattered little, his Master had asked him a question, and he had to answer in a way that was sure to appeal to him and his teachings.

He chose to use knowledge as the base of the answer, "You once told me that there were places in the many planets of the galaxy, where the Force flowed strongly. However, there were instances where they were the most sensitive to people that originated from the planet it resided in. It has taken weeks for me to find this place, and I have yet to find the clue it guards. But that girl, this place opened up to her so quickly, allowed her to bathe in its power while I have had trouble doing so. Perhaps, she is the key to finding the temple that hides away here, and the secrets it contains."

His master sighed, saddened by the answer, "So that is all, she is nothing but a means to an end for you."

Gerrun winced once again. He had apparently said the wrong thing, failed to appease the illusion of his master. His master took the arrow from his lap, twirling it through his fingers, "You intend to use her affinity with this place to steal the next clue to my foolish crusade. Then, when you have it, you will cast her aside. I wonder, if she matters so little to you, why send your droid after her? If she is as expendable as you say, why not simply tell them, instead of lying and claiming that you are trying to protect her?"

"No, that's not true, I am trying to protect her," Gerrun claimed, "The Empire will find this place, eventually. They always do! Once I'm done with her, I'll take her with me. Drop her off on a planet in the Unknown Regions, where she can spend the rest of her life in safety."

There was a disapproving gaze in his Master's eyes, "So that is your plan? Rip her away from her friends and family, and leave her on a planet, unfamiliar to her, to rot away?"

Gerrun was becoming upset again, "No, it's not like that! I'm saving her life, I'm protecting her from the Empire!"

"You of all people know what it feels like to be ripped away from your home, from who you love, what something like that does to a person," his Master warned, "If you go through with this, you will prove yourself to be no better than the Empire."

"NO!" Gerrun shouted, his negative influence of the Force growing stronger. The weather began to change; the skies became darker, the rain become aggressive, and a flurry of lightning bolts shot through the sky.

Gerrun stared at this image of his master, angry at him for not seeing things his way, "You know nothing of how cruel the Empire is, what they've done to me, what they've turned me into! You're not even real, you're just a semblance of my master! Well, my real master is gone; he has been gone for years, and the Empire took him from me! Every day I continue to live, they take something from me! My father, my home, my whole life! But no more, I will not allow them to take another single thing from me! I will destroy the Empire, make them pay for what they did to me, what they did to you! They will all grovel before me, beg me for mercy! Then, I will show them the same mercy they showed us!"

Then, as quickly as it came, the brief surge in Gerrun subsided. The storm became smaller again as his power faded away. Then, he began to cry, his tears spilling out of the bottom of his mask and mixing with the rain. He had known the cruelty of the Empire... better than most people. To hear that he was just as bad as they were, from his own master no less, scared Gerrun beyond belief.

"I miss you," Gerrun whimpered, his body pathetically slumped in front of the ghost, "You were everything to me, I wanted to be like you. To become the Jedi Master you thought I could be. But the Empire took you away from me, and suddenly I had nothing. This crusade is all I have left of you. To abandon it now would be to abandon what I have left of you, dishonor the memories I have of you. I have to continue, to find the power you sought, and use it to protect others like Sunset, like I know you would have. If I do that, perhaps I can be whole again. Perhaps, I will finally find my redemption."

His Master just watched over him, a look of sympathy remaining steadfast on his face. It pained him to see his padawan in this state. He understood that Gerrun's motivations were not ones of cruel and selfish nature, but the path he was leading could allow for them to become that way. But there was not much that he could do to help him anymore. Only sit and listen. Observe.

"Gerrun," the phantom began, "Obtaining this power will not bring me back. Neither will it erase the past, or bring you the resolution you seek. Many who have fallen prey to the Dark Side have done so out of desire for power, some of them for reasons much similar to yours. If you continue down this path, you will see yourself become something far worse than the Empire you try so hard to run from."

"Then tell me what I must do," Gerrun begged, "What must I do to save myself from this future?! Tell me, master! Please!"

The ghost said nothing. Then, after a moment, he uttered a single phrase, "Take off your mask."

At these words, Gerrun had become silent. He had been asked to do the thing that he dreaded the most, "Master?"

The illusion of his master did not flinch, as his pupil had, "You have heard me quite clearly, take off your mask."

Gerrun's eyes shivered with fear as he ran his fingers alongside the edges of the mask. This mask, alongside the Training Saber and his Master's old Holocron, were the only keepsakes he had left of his old life as a Jedi. To lose any of these things, would be to lose a part of himself.

No, that wasn't it. There was a deeper meaning to the mask than the lie he told himself. A deeper and darker meaning. The mask did not hold onto a part of himself. Instead, it concealed it.

"So you understand," the illusion spoke, "The mask you wear does nothing but offer you false safety from a truth you cannot escape. If you are to become the protector you say you wish to become, you must cast aside this barrier you have built, and embrace the truth. Only then, can you free yourself from your past. Only then, can you begin to heal."

Gerrun's hands trembled as they reached for the sides of his mask, stalling the moment as long as he could. In his heart, he knew what his master had said was true. That he could never be what he claimed to be, as long as he hid away from himself. Still, the situation frightened him beyond measure, coming to terms with his past, and facing the part of him that lingered, that changed. His conjoined love and fear of his mask overpowered every other emotion he had felt before, even his hatred for the Empire.

There was a small hiss, as the mask depressurized, and Gerrun slowly removed it from his head. The mask was not two inches away from his face, when he caught his own reflection in one of the visors. His vision became shaky as his hands struggled to firmly grip onto the edges of the mask. Then, he began to hyperventilate, to panic. He could not bear to look at himself anymore. With a quick motion of the wrist, Gerrun pulled the mask back over his face, the silent hiss returning as the mask was pressurized once again.

The phantom gave Gerrun a look of indifference, as his old pupil fell from his rock onto his knees and hands, repeating a simple phrase over and over, "I cant'. I can't. I can't."

The vision sighed, "How disappointing. You would rather prolong your inner suffering, than to face what you have become. Perhaps you are not worthy of this place's secrets, after all."

The master then got up from his stump, towering over his padawan at full height. The young boy could only cower in fear of his presence, "Be warned, Gerrun, your mask grants you a false safety, one you cannot hide in forever. There will come a time where you will have to tear off your mask, and embrace what is underneath it, if you are to save someone you care about. If you do not, someone else will, and the consequences will be irremediable."
Then, the ghost of his past began to fade away.

"Master?" Gerrun spoke, realizing what was happening, "No, please! There must be another way! You can't leave me!"

Yet, despite his pleas, the illusion continued to disappear. Just before he did, he said one last thing, "Perhaps, your new padawan will help you succeed, where you have failed alone."

"Please, don't leave!" Gerrun cried, "I need you, Master! Don't leave me! Father! No!"

The Masked Figure had awoken with a start, his sleep-like meditation cut short by the sound of rustling paws and snickering snouts. From his small mattress, the boy could see a couple of small furry creatures with huge furry tails, break into his food supply and stuff themselves silly.

"Hey, that's my breakfast!" the boy called out, unconsciously thrusting his hands out towards the creatures. The Force responded to his call, and pushed the creatures away from his food box. Unfortunately, due to the lack of focus from just waking up, the push sent the food box flying as well, spilling its contents all over the dusty floor. The creatures instinctively went over to the mess, and grabbed as much as they could before scurrying off into the trees.

"Ah kriff," the boy sweared, as he lumbered over to the mess he had made. Bending over, he tried to salvage as much food as he could, but much of it had either been stolen by the critters, or was too dirty to safely consume. After a while, the boy just abandoned the mess, and went back to his sleeping mat, eating what little he scrounged up for breakfast.

As the Masked Figure silently hungered, he got a better look at his surroundings. It was no longer raining, the early morning sun had dried up all the dew, and bathed the small clearing in a familiar warmth. He was no longer where the clue was hidden, he had set up camp in a smaller clearing just outside where the temple was concealed. Here was most of his equipment, his mat, his food and supply storage, his clunky short distance holoprojector. He had put a lot of credits into that old hunk of junk. And of course, his pack, where he kept his most precious belongings. His Training Saber, his Blaster, his old Master's holocron, and the newest to his collection, the stone arrow that girl Sunset Shimmer had with her when she found this place.

As he stared at the primitive weapon, the boy remembered a part of his... dream? Was it a dream? It felt so lifelike. No, it had to be a dream, his master was dead, and no one had known him by Gerrun in a long time. Anyway, back to the arrow.

"What did he mean by, 'My new Padawan?'" the boy asked himself, as he twirled the arrow between his fingers. He never thought about taking on an apprentice. His own training was limited to what his master had taught him, and even showing off his powers was incredibly dangerous, let alone teaching someone else to use them. A padawan would be a bad idea, wouldn't it?

Unfortunately, the Masked Figure did not have time to dwindle on this topic, for there was a rhythmic beeping coming from the communicator on his belt. Jumping slightly at the sound, he dropped the arrow before fumbling around his pants for the communicator, "Red? Red, that you?"

The boy gave a sigh of satisfaction as the familiar beeps of his astromech buddy greeted him from his communicator, "Good to hear your voice too, buddy. So, did you find her yet?"

In response, Red beeped and bopped in confirmation, telling the boy that he had found his quarry without unnecessary struggle. The boy gave a small "hurrah" to himself. Now that he had her help, he couldn't possibly fail to find the temple, "Great work, Red. Start leading her back, we've got a lot of work to do."

Red began to beep in response, but he was suddenly interrupted by another voice from the channel, "Red, who are you talking to? Who is this?"

The Masked Figure was confused, Red couldn't speak Basic, and he was certain that wasn't Sunset Shimmer's voice. This voice sounded different, curious and determined, yet a hint of naivety. It reminded him of the Republic scientists, "Red, is there someone else with you? Red, come in?"

"Oooh, hiya mysterious voice!" called another, more hyper and playful voice, "Nice to meet ya! What's your name, where are you from, are you a part of Red's robot mind that he unwillingly shares with you?"

The boy was overwhelmed by this... child's questions. It appears that getting Sunset over here was gonna be harder than he thought, "Red, the mission was to bring me Sunset, not start a party. And you tell me that I can't keep a low profile."

"A party? Ooooh, I love parties," called the child's voice again. Though, she was interrupted by another voice, one the boy was more familiar with, "Hello? Who is this? You said the name, 'Sunset Shimmer'. How do you know that name?"

The Masked Figure knew this voice to be the one he was looking for, "Sunset Shimmer? You're the one I've been looking for! Please, come back to the forest. We have much to talk about."

"Woah woah woah," came yet another voice, a bit more raspy and tomboyish than the others, "Sunset's not going anywhere until you tell us who you are. Are you another evil entity from Equestria? If so, then prepare to have your butt royally kicked!"

"Now now, Rainbow, no need to get jumpy," said a sophisticated voice, definitely sounded Coruscanti, "However, she does have a point. We don't know who you are, or what you want with our darling, Sunset."

It had become obvious to the boy just how close these people were to Sunset. It would not be easy to steer her away from them so that they could talk. But what could he do to show them that he was trustworthy? Then, as if Red could somehow read his mind from 50 miles away, he beeped and booped a suggestion.

"The holoprojector?" came that nerdy voice again.

"A holo-what now?" came a more simpler voice, like the moisture farmers on Tatooine.

The Masked Figure could not believe what Red was suggesting, "That old piece of garbage we got from that junk dealer? You know I can't get it going without your help. It barely works as is!"

Red then gave a set of sarcastic beeping. He reminded him that he was in no position to complain. Whether he liked it or not, this was the only way he was gonna convince these girls to give him the time of day. Unless, he had another bright idea?

The Figure sighed, "No, I don't. Fine, I'll see what I can do. But don't expect any miracles."

With that out of the way, the Masked Figure hauled the heavy piece of equipment to the center of the camp and got straight to work. Although, it was certainly tough. He had only received basic lessons on technological repairs from his master, and he had no reason to continue to practice it, as Red could get it done much faster than he could. But Red wasn't here, which meant he would have to revive this old thing by himself.

"Does it go here?" he asked himself, "No, that goes there. The receiver gets plugged in there, no over there. Ah, where's the transmitter? Oh, of course the holorecorder's busted, this is just perfect. Agh, kriff, my head!"

This went on for about five to ten minutes. He heard the chatter of the girls from his communicator, but he was too busy butchering the projection pod to really tune in. After that was done, he just needed to give it some power, and hope that the thing didn't blow up. Crossing his fingers, and praying to the Force, he connected the machine to the Ion Battery.

There was a loud sizzling crash, and the Masked Figure ducked for cover. To his surprise and delight, his camp was still intact, and the holoprojector was very much working. At the center of the camp, it projected what Red was seeing. The boy stared in awe as he was surrounded by the holographic images of seven girls, a bit younger than he was. He could see bits and spots of the room they were in, but not enough to really get a grasp of what kind of room it was.

And then, standing a few feet from him, he could see the blue sizzling figure of the girl he had been so anxious to meet. The Masked Figure quickly got up from his spot and regained his composure. Even from so far away, he could feel her connection to the Force. His mask hid it well, but his face was one of excitement, and delight. But he was also incredibly nervous, he had never talked to a girl his age before, let alone someone who was like him. I guess you could say he was... "nervouscited"?

Clearing his throat, he walked over to the image of Sunset Shimmer, and gave her a short bow, "Sunset Shimmer, we meet at last."

Sunset returned the bow, albeit a bit awkwardly. She then asked him, "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

The Masked Figure then realized, that he had not yet given them his name. He thought about his name for a minute. He had gone by so many now, it was hard to keep track of all of them. He could give her any one of those names, but a few of them were known by the criminal syndicates, which were arguably more dangerous than the Empire. No, this time, he'd go by the name he did when talking to Red, or when he was alone on The Enigma.

"Of course, sorry about that. You may call me... Kaan. Darovit Kaan."

Star Wars: The Fall of Friendship

by King Camelot

Opening Crawl Scene

Return to Coruscant

Planet Log: The Non-Existent Planet

Picnic Parties and Strange Feelings

The Dark Side

The Monster

The Masks We Wear