Pony Power Battles

After a refreshing shower, Moonlight Scroll strolled into the main hallway, then over to the main computer room, checking the doors of his companions on the way. Their doors were still shut, but he’d wait for them. He brought out a table that was sitting in one corner of the main room, and moved it to center stage, setting up a hologram device he’d brought with him from the capitol. The light from the device flickered on, showing only their present compound in a green, wiry three dimensional format. Then the trees around the compound took shape in the image as it grew smaller, the tiny device recording their surroundings. The map of the jungle grew in size until it barely touched the ruins of the old temple, unexpectedly stopping.

“Hmm?” Moonlight said, paying careful attention. The map did not move. Trixie emerged from her room with a sigh just as he was about to flick the switch for it to restart. Moonlight blushed at just the sight of her beautiful form.

“What’s the matter?” she called out, concerned about the map as she situated her saber on her side.

“The map won’t record any more. And the life detector isn’t functioning at all. I was going to try to reset it,” Moon said, recovering himself.

“Did you consider it might be the jungle?” Trixie asked, rubbing her drying mane with her hoof as she walked towards him.

“I thought of that, but no, there’s something else in the atmosphere…an irregularity that’s stopping it,” he flicked the switch, the device starting over in its intent. Still the map only reached the base of the temple then stopped. He didn’t know what to do. If the map wasn’t functioning… “I think I might have to go back to the spaceship to get another device that’s actually working, or the droid,” Moonlight said, bouncing the idea off of her.

“B-back to the spaceship? Are you sure there’s nothing we can do with it here?” Trixie asked, obviously opposed to the idea.

“I’m sure,” Moonlight affirmed. He needed time to think as well…Trixie was just too important to him right now. It tore the heart out of his chest but… “I’ll be back in a day or two. If I’m not back by the third, go back to the ship, both you and Archie and get off of this planet. Don’t look for me,” Moonlight said, the rush of the mission hitting him once again. This is what he lived for, this kind of work.

“But Moonie, please, don’t go. Why not send Archimedes? Isn’t he better at combat anyway?” Trixie pleaded, putting a hoof on Moonlight's shoulder.

He thought deeply for a moment. Even if what she said was true, especially if what she said was true, he wanted Archimedes here to protect her. He just needed time to breathe, and think. “I have to go, Trixie,” Moon said, trotting to the door of the compound. Trixie hung her head low, and he thought he could see tears welling up in her eyes. It hurt him to see that, but he knew she was strong. “I promise I’ll be back!” Moonlight called back, a smile in his eyes as she looked up, hopeful.

The door whirred shut behind him as he left the compound. He sighed audibly. Looking into the jungle towards the direction the ship was in, he trotted off, resolute. He wouldn’t let this keep him down! He would fight through the monsters of the jungle and arrive safely at the ship, then do the same thing, coming back with the droid. He didn’t think his Jedi training would fail him, not now anyway. But, terentateks were a force of dark power that existed for a thousand years. How could three new Jedi hope to defeat one? He didn’t dwell on that as he walked through branches and leaves.

After about an hour, Moon came into a clearing dominated by a singular, ominous tree that stretched twice as tall as the trees around it, and three times as wide. Moonlight felt a strong deep humming in the force as he gazed at the giant. Its roots took up the entire clearing, and Moon could tell they’d make the way difficult. He felt agitated by the tree, put-off, and sad in his deepest parts.

He had to stop for a moment as the humming seemed to cloud everything. He put a hoof to his head. It was swimming with thoughts of love for Trixie, anger at the beastly dragon, and self-loathing for leaving her alone with *him*. He almost couldn’t contain the rage and shame at everything he’d screwed up on over Trixie. He was confused. The Jedi…code? He couldn’t remember it, or why the Jedi were important. Pain shot through him, and he had to close his eyes as the humming turned to screeching. He held his hooves to his ears to shut out the noise.

Then it ended, as suddenly as it came. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. He felt blood on his hooves as he removed them from his ears. He wiped his nose, finding more blood. He felt himself internally, but nothing was wrong or damaged. It was then he noticed that everything around him was crushed or broken. Limbs were bent, and leaves were crumpled into heaps around the small crater he now found himself in. He was afraid, now. Nothing the Jedi taught him prepared him for this.

He also noticed something even more frightening, about an hour had passed in the day and he was on the side of the clearing closest to his spaceship. He looked up at the tree thoughtfully, suspiciously, as he questioned the power that took hold of him. He almost didn’t want to leave, and just take scans of the tree itself, to find out what kind of hidden power lay dormant within.

A feeling caught hold of him, and he just couldn’t shake it, that he had to leave. It was then he felt something else, a dark presence on the other side of clearing. He knew hiding wouldn’t work, and that he wouldn’t be able to fight it. He bolted into full gallop into the jungle. He knew the ship was still a ways off, but he wouldn’t let himself die…he had to get back to Trixie. He had to tell her he was sorry, and that he loved her!

He sped on faster, faster than he ever thought he could. The force was guiding him as he didn’t even come close to tripping, moving smoothly through the jungle at top speed. The presence behind him was growing before, but now fell ominously silent, and then lost interest as it turned back. He started to slow at this revelation, wiping his forehead with a hoof and continuing at a slow trot. He heaved and heaved, still calming down from the run.

He smiled, laughing to himself. It was the laugh of a survivor. He had won, had survived on that feeling, that love for Trixie. The good chemicals of his body flooded him with exhilaration as he laid down briefly, still heaving and laughing. He dreamed of sweet Trixie as he laid there, sweat pouring from every gland.

After a few moments he rose to his hooves, brushing the dirt and leaves from his side. He knew what he had to do, now. He trotted in the direction of the spaceship, and, brushing aside a branch in his way, found the ship right where he left it. He had covered the whole distance in maybe an hour…what speed was he travelling at back there? He didn’t care. He knew how he got here, what power there was in the dark side, and he knew where his loyalties lay…