Chapters Authors note:
First off, all other authors notes will be in the comments. I think these destroy the flow of a piece. In any case, I wrote this fic because I enjoy HiE stories and what better way to make one than using Jedi? This story takes place an unknown (undecided) years after the the New Jedi Order has started (post episode 6). Also, being MY fic, the alternate universe tag applies to both MLP and to Star Wars. I reserve creative freedom to twist Star Wars cannon into whatever shape I want. This is to keep anybody from calling me out on how XYZ is different in the Star Wars universe. Please feel free to leave any criticism in the comments as it will help me shape future chapters. Also, any ideas will be appreciated (I will try to give credit where credit is due). In any case, I hope you enjoy the story as much as I do!
This is bad.
When I was observing the town from what I thought was a safe distance, a purple unicorn discovered me while attempting to jump from one tree to another. To give the unicorn credit, it was Sensitive enough to pick up on my manipulation of the Force. It then proceded to try and make contact with me.
It was not that I feared for my life, as I have been in more dicey situations in the past, but it was the things constant attempts at Contacting me. And I mean Contact with a capital C. The big leagues: First Contact. While there is no real rule about contacting a non-developed race, but I wanted these creatures a fair impression of the galactic civilizations. I may not be a Jedi anymore, but I can be nice when the time comes.
The ony other option I was left with was to flee. And by flee I mean book it as fast as possible. It was not a particularly strong desire for me to end up as some lab rat. With any luck, I will pass into some sort of rumor or be mistaken by one of the local creatures.
"Wait! Stop!" The purple unicorn yelled, "I havent had a chance to properly catalouge you!"
Catalouge me? How long has she been watching?
I took this as my cue to sprint my hardest away from this sneaky catalouger. Within the first week of arival on this planet, I noticed that the civilized inhabitants are wary of entering the forest. It appeared that they were lacking in the natural defenses required to thrive in a location such as this. Using that to my advantage I shot into the underbrush and attempted to put as much distance between me and that unicorn as possible.
"I just want to know what kind of creature you are!"
Not a creature easily caught I thought.
"I wont bite! I just want to know what you are!"
Its not me im worried about .
"I can feel the magic you use! How do you do it without a horn?"
This thing sure knows how to ask questions.
Try as I might, I could not shake the unicorn. It must know the terrain I thought to myself. No sooner had the thought formed and swam a circle in my head when I came upon a cliff just adjacent to a waterfall. I am running out of options FAST .
The Purple unicorn approached me while panting. "Now then, please turn around so that I may see what you look like."
I frantically looked at my surroundings and turned around slowly. Well its better than nothing . I gave a smile and a wave to the unicorn and leaned back until I was plummeting towards the pool of water below.
Man I love it when I look cool.
Twilight Sparkle did not know what to make of the creature she had followed. It seemed intellegent enough while trying to run away. She even got a glimpse of a little bit of magic too! However, the last interaction with it unnerved her greatly. It seemed to smile and wave its arm at her before falling over the cliff, stiff as a board.
Why would somepony do that? it just decided to fall off of a cliff! And did it WINK at me?
After a solid five minutes, Twilight collected herself and decided to head out of the forest. It was not a strong desire for her to be caught in the maze of trees after dark. Resisting the urge to seek the bipedal creature out, Twilight turned around and headed in the direction she came in.
"That was close!" I sighed to nobody in particular while climbing out of the river several hundred yards from the waterfall. I needed to be more careful in what I do around that small village.
I returned to my ship that I had "landed" on the bank of the river close to the waterfall. well, "landed" was a generous term I used for my arrival on this planet. The engines were shot shortly before my jump to Hyperspace causing some manual adjustments to the trajectory. needless to say that gravity, being the heartless dame she is, made me improvise my approach.
I arrived at my ship and added a log onto the fire to assure that i could dry my robes. The nights sure are peaceful here. I checked my fishing lines and other traps I had set only to find them empty. "guess im going hungry tonight."
As the evening went on, Twilight Sparkle became more and more concerned with how dark the forest had gotten. She was so caught up in following the creature that she forgot to keep track of how to get back. Feeling a sense of hoplessness caused Twilight to react to every sound she heard.
CRACK
Twilight snapped her head around to see where the noise came from. Only the darkness of the forest met her eyes which only served to unnerve her more. Without a second thought, Twilight rushed forward hoping to find a way out of the forest if she kept running.
Ten minutes and an exhausted Twilight later, she came upon a river. Deciding it was as good of a place to be away from monsters as any, she decided to take a break and drink. When her heart finally calmed down, she took time to take in her environment. The night was a pleasent one. Luna's moon was high over the forest giving the riverbank a soft, silvery glow.
Deciding that she was safe enough for the time being, she stopped by the river to drink some water out of the river. As she drank, she heard a melodic sound coming from just around the river bend.
The melody was a simple one. It seemed to rise and fall much like the river did. Twilight could not tell if the song was sad or happy, but it felt... optimistic.
"Well, anything that can make music like that cant be harmful..."
With that Twilight walked around the bush to see if whatever was sining could help her. Nothing could prepare Twilight for what she saw.
Sitting atop the strangest black rock she had ever seen, sat the creature she had been chasing throughout the Everfree. It had made a small fire which its clothes were near and it had a stick attached to a string that was in the water. Twilight wanted to get a closer look at the creature, but it was silhouetted by the moon.
Seeing this as the opportunity she had been waiting for, she approached the fire, hoping to not startle the creature. If the past day was any indication, it was a skittish creature that probably feared her. To rectify this, Twilight decided to wait by it's fire until it noticed her.
That is one persistent unicorn.
The unicorn laid beside my fire and awaited for me to notice her. Perhaps she thinks that I haven't noticed it. I turned around and Looked at it. That is Look with a capital L. The main difference is that I employ the Force when I see things. I find it useful divining the nature of what I am looking at.
It seemed startled at my gaze, perhaps it did not track me down, but got lost on it's way back to the village.
"Are you lost Curious One?" The unicorn shuddered at the unfamiliar Title.
It appeared that the last thing it expected was to hear me speak and understand my words. Once again I used the Force to communicate. There are many creatures in the galaxy that use the Force to speak. One of my old Masters used this method to instruct. I used it so I did not need to learn another language. That and the fact that I am fairly lazy.
"Y-y-you can talk?"
"Yes." I need to reveal as little of myself as possible to this unicorn. No need to frighten it.
The unicorn appeared to be thinking "What are you?" The unicorn blurted more than asked.
"That isn't important."
That response seemed to hit the unicorn the wrong way. It didn't quite know how to respond.
"Let's start over. My name is Twilight Sparkle. What is your name?"
"Call me Warden. It is as close to a name as you will get. Why have you come here Dusk-Shimmer?" I knew that was not it's name, but all work and no play makes a Ex-Jedi a dull boy.
"Twilight Sparkle." It said with a cough.
"Right."
Twilight looked unconvinced "Anyway, I got lost on my way back to Ponyville because somepony decided to run away from me."
"It was necessary."
"For what?" Twilight didn't hesitate to ask. Sharp wit, this one .
"I am hiding. The less people who knows my whereabouts the better."
"What are you hiding from?" This one is full of questions.
"My kin"
"Why are you hiding?"
*Sigh* "Look Evening Twinkle-"
"Twilight Sparkle "
"Sure." I said dismissively before continuing, "I came here to do my own thing and hide from those who are looking for me. For now, I need rest. We will discuss the future in the morning."
With that the unicorn named Twilight curled near the fire and fell promptly asleep. I, on the other hand, fell into deep contemplation. There were three options ahead of me: One, I could follow this Twilight into the nearby town and attempt a new life. Two, I could remain in the forest, be on friendly terms with the natives, and maybe learn a thing or two from them. And last but not least, I could...dispose of Twilight and move far away from here.
I would rather not take more life than I already have. Also, I have sacrificed far too much in my search for Truth in the Force to start a new life. Door number two it is.
First Contact went decently well, I'll have to wait to speak to the leader of the land in order to make it official. On the bright side: this unicorn did not fear me, so that is a successful first contact experience if ever there was one.
With a grunt I jumped off of my ship and put more wood on the fire before retiring for the night.
Morning arrived in the Everfree Forest with a dim, pale sky. Twilight had not slept soundly due to a particularly stubborn rock digging into her side. Her sleep filled reverie was broken by a cackling growl and low rumble. Twilight jump onto her hooves and frantically search for the noise. She was in the midst of channeling a spell when she discovered that the noise was not a predator, but the sound of... snoring? She looked down at the creature named Warden sprawled on the ground in a fashion that couldn't possibly be comfortable.
Seeing this as her chance to get a good look at Warden. Twilight noted that he had a short brown mane with a pale, fur-less skin. The garments he was wearing were a silly looking tan shirt that criss-crossed his torso into a pattern that even Rarity might even consider fashionable. It's arms and legs had a similar pattern of criss-crossed cloth, tapering towards the extremities. Over all of this, he wore a simple ash-grey hooded robe that seemed to be several sizes too big for him.
His face struck Twilight as strange: It had many of the same features as a pony, but in slightly different places. The most notable change, Twilight thought, was the eyes. The eyes are so small! How can he even see with those? In all of Twilight's experience, all of the creatures expressed much of their emotion with their eyes. With this in mind, Twilight began to wonder how his species expressed emotion without speaking. Perhaps is is merely more subtle . The other notable difference was the absence of any sort of snout. The face seemed to almost be flat with the exception of the nose which protruded sharply from the face.
Beside Warden, lay two metal tubes no larger than a hoof and a half each. Twilight noted it was about the length of his hoof. Both tubes were cylindrical with one end flat and black, while the other end tapered to a point, much like her horn. They appeared to be reflections of each other in the way they were constructed. Each tube was made with thick metal bands that looked like they had been woven together into some sort of braid. The bands themselves were not cylindrical, but a more geometric shape similar to the cut of a diamond with the edges rounded. The bands themselves were made of two different materials. The thicker, upper part of the band was made of a frosted steel-grey metal. Conversely, the thinner part that made most of the grooves were made of a silvery-white material that gave reflections an ethereal color.
The only difference between each of the tubes was the color of the gemstone set a few inches from the top. One gemstone had a deep crimson hue while the other had was blue. Various runes were etched down each band in a language that escaped Twilight's understanding. The marks were etched into each band with obvious precision and care. The twin tubes enraptured her and tickled her curiosity.
Twilight picked up the blue tube and was astonished at what she sensed. Se felt like her levitation spell was being attracted to, and flowing through the cylinder.
This feels like a unicorn's horn!
"Those are not toys to be played with." Twilight broke the spell and shuffled backwards. She had been so distracted with the tubes she forgot about Warden, who was staring at her intently.
"I am sorry. They are beautiful. What are they?"
"The tools of my trade. It is a right of passage for every Jedi to create their own. They are also my sole possessions." Warden said after an undignified stretch. "Well, and that hunk of metal I suppose. I doubt it's owners will want it back..."
Warden then used the Force to grab the lightsabers off of the ground and turned them on. Each blade came to life with the sound of tearing, followed by a distinct hum. Each blade was a distinct silver color fading into a white core. Twilight stood motionless transfixed on the twin pillars of light that was conjured from the tubes.
"They are called lightsabers. They are as dangerous as they are useful. I would elaborate, but we should get moving before too long."
Twilight and I headed through the forest after a bit of complaining (mostly from me). Deciding this was as good a time as any, I decided to ask a few burning questions.
"I meant to ask earlier: male or female?"
Twilight appeared to be taken aback by this question. "W-what?"
I gave Twilight as flat a look as I could muster. "Gotta ask. I've seen some messed up genders in my time" I shuddered as the thought of a Hutt passed through my mind.
"I-I'm female. We call ourselves mares, while the males call themselves colts. ...and you are..." Twilight shrunk at the question, afraid to offend.
"Male. Or colt I guess. I apologize for the question, but I have this thing for making people uncomfortable."
"Apology acce-HEY!" I gave out a hearty laugh as she jabbed me with her horn. Perhaps this Twilight isn't so bad . "And we are ponies."
"Excuse me?"
"We are ponies. Not persons."
"Of course you are a person. everybody is a per-"
"Everypony " Twilight corrected.
"Tell me, do you have a body?"
"...Yes"
"Therefore everybody" Quod Erat Demonstrandum. I gave as smug a look as I could give. I have had a lot of practice giving one so I pulled it off perfectly. "You say potato and I say potato." Twilight's face scrunched in confusion.
"But you said those both the same way!" I suddenly found my fingernails to be very interesting.
Twilight fumed for a while before calming down.
"I have a few questions on your culture. I am going to be stuck here a while and would like to know what I am getting myself into." Twilight perked up at this.
"Sure! I have plenty of books for you to read!"
"...uhhh, I can't read your language."
"But you are speaking Equish!"
"Well yes and no." How am I going to explain this?
"How can it be both? I can understand you so you obviously are."
"Hmm... let me see...." I stroked my chin for luck. "You mentioned magic a wile back?"
"Yeah. I saw you do some a while ago."
"It is magic then. I when I speak, I am also putting magic into my words so that the meaning behind the word is embodied by the word itself. It is the same as what people call 'incantations'. But back to my questions. My first question is this: What kind of government do you have?"
"We are ruled by two princesses, Celestia and Luna."
"Princesses? Why not queens? Whatever. So you have a Matriarchal Diarchy. What is this place called?"
"Equestria."
"Hmm...fitting."
My questioning went on for some time with topics ranging from "Why wasn't a caste system developed between the three pony species?" to Twilight's friends. She had five of them. Their names escaped me shortly after Twilight said them. The way I see it, they aren't THAT important.
As we approached the edge of the Everfree, Twilight turned to me and asked the question that burned in the back of her mind.
"When we get to Ponyville, what will you do?"
I had been wondering that same question for most of the journey through the forest. I am unsure if Twilight was aware of this or not, but my questions were an attempt to determine if I could continue my search on this planet, and if their culture would be drastically changed with my influence. The answer was, and glory be to it, maybe . I could deal with maybe. Hell, the Galactic Republic was founded in maybe. Species have become great off the back of maybe . Maybe is the place where life happens. And the Force is where life happens.
"I think I would like to talk to your Sovereigns about buying a fair amount of land out in these woods." Twilight seemed both excited and confused at this.
"Why in Celestia's name would you want land in the Everfree?"
I had been warned by Twilight that the townspeople of Ponyville were not a people that trusted strangers. She mentioned a zebra named Zecora and an incident where the "Ponyvillans", as I began to call them, hid from her. I was prepared for this eventuality as I had encountered some reclusive tribes on a few strange moons in my travels. Twilight also told me that she would call a town meeting and something about a "mayormare". I had all but tuned her out by this point.
By the time I snapped out of my reverie, we were on the outskirts of town and a peculiar thing happened. The townspeople didn't run in fear. In fact, many of them ignored me. Well, most of them anyways. There were a few of the children who thought i looked funny and started to run around me. I stooped down and patted one of the young things on the head and told them to go back to their parents like any responsible person would do.
However, doing this caught the curiosity of the other ponies that were about the town. I could not tell what they were curious about. It seemed that they were as curious at my words with the children as they were at my appearance. There were some ponies that kept their distance from me and others who pushed closer to get a good look. Thankfully, they thought I was nice due to my proximity to Twilight.
Twilight seemed to be relieved to be back in her home town. We ignored the curious townspeople and stepped in front of a large tree-house. In my time , I have been to quite a few planets and have seen many tree houses. However, Ewoks and Wookies never made a tree -house. The irony was not lost on me.
"You know, it is rude to start laughing at one's home"
"I'm sorry it's a tree -house! Get it? The tree is the house!" I blurted, clenching my stomach with one hand and pounding on the ground with the other. I was joined by a pink pony who was just as enthused as I. The curious thing about it was that when she noticed me, she made an exasperated gasp and ran through the door of the tree-house.
After a few well-deserved minutes of collecting myself, I motioned to Twilight that I was finished.
"Your joke wasn't that funny." Perhaps Twilight was self concious of her tree-house?
"Whatever. At least a Wookie has a sense of humor."
I pushed open the door to find a dark room. I knew it was occupied through the dents in the Force. My mind raced as I prepared for another attempt on my life.
"SURPRISE!!! "
The room lit up with confetti and colorful pony shapes. I was still in ambush-mode and had jumped to the side of the doorframe in order to survive the "attack". I was confronted with the pink pony who had bolted into the tree-house.
"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! This was supposed to be a surprise party but then you said that joke and I was like "Oh my goodness that is a really funny joke" and then the door just opened and I fell out and saw you so I thought that this required a party so I used my party-cannon to spruce up the library so we could party with you and now I have a very very super intensely important question to ask: do you like parties?"
It took all of my concentration to catch all of what Pinkie Pie said. I say catch and not understand because no creature I have heretofore met can understand a brick of language. However, the clever ones respond to the questions at the end.
"...Yes?"
"Oh goodie! you must be a super fantabulific space-alien to ever crash-land in all of equestria!" Her sentence crescendoed into her standing while motioning at the sky with an exasperated arm flailing. A pegasus with rainbow colored hair flew close to Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie! How many times do I have to tell you that there are no such things as aliens?"
"Of course aliens exist you silly willy! This alien crash-landed his space ship in the Everfree last week and you were all "Look out Pinkie! It might be an alien space ship." and I thought "Yeah! it is an alien space ship!" then a few days later this alien showed up on the edge of town being all sneaky like so I told Twilight that the alien was on a super secret mission and that she should say "hi" to it so it can have a cupcake!"
All eyes in the library turned to Twilight.
"Well there was a hunk of charred metal that he called a ship"
The eyes shifted slowly to me.
"Well it looks like the cat is out of the bag..."
"I would hope so! because Opal is right over there!" She pointed to a cat that appeared to have been "pampered" to an alarming degree.
"Wrong cat, but yes. I did crash here a about seven to eight days ago. It is tough to tell sometimes." I put on my best Jedi face and posture. "It is a pleasure to meet you all, you may call me Warden. I come now as a representative of my people and my Order. Please, take me to your ruler." I finished my first contact greeting with a graceful bow.
My bow was met with silence. The first one to talk was a white unicorn with spiraling purple hair. "It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Warden." She added her own bow to reciprocate. The rainbow one just stared at me with wide eyes. The yellow one, however, was attempting to occupy the smallest amount of space as possible.
"You never mentioned you were a diplomat !" Twilight's eyes started darting around the room. "The decoration is not befitting an alien representative !"
Twilight was interrupted by an orange pony who appeared to be unconvinced of something. "What might ah ask is th' name of yer order?"
"Well, I may have been kicked out of that particular Order." Shoot! I gotta keep a lid on this! "However, I still live by it's tenants."
The orange pony leaned close and inspected me before giving in. "Humph! Fine. But ah got mah eye on you."
"I wouldn't have it any other way"
The party lasted the greater part of the evening. The first while was awkward due to the careful watch of "Applejack". However, after a rather entertaining prank involving a bowl of punch, several books, and the last foot or so of "Rainbow Dash's" tail. "Fluttershy" actually gathered up the stones to introduce herself, even if I had to Listen to learn her name. At some point in my hi-jinx, "Rarity" had slipped out to "freshen up" for the "dignitary". When she came back, she literally shined. She struck up a conversation that seemed to be about nothing other than my robes. I dodged the questions as any man would do.
The party wound down and the other ponies trickled out of the library-tree (of which the irony still wasn't lost). Twilight had sent off a letter to her Princess via her small dragon "companion" as she put it. not sister, lover, nor mother. When darkness finally came, Twilight offered the guest bed across from hers. I refused on the grounds of "tradition" and found a nice little corner to make my bed in. No sooner had I settled in between two bookcases that I fell into my average dreamscape.
I was standing at the door to the High Council's chamber. Sarah was leading me by the hand, gripping a little harder than she should have.
"You don't have to go through with this!"
"Barthandelus, You know as well as I that this must happen."
"But it doesn't have to be you! It could be anybody!"
"We can't risk it. Others might get it wrong." Sarah said with a soft smile.
Sarah handed me her only possession. I looked at the deep blue gem and understood its finality.
"You are a good man Barthandelus. Be brave." Sarah turned around, damp eyes lingering as long as they could. "Be brave."
Sarah opened the doors to the Council Chambers before I could stop her. Her wavy brown hair swayed with her steps.
"SARAH!!"
Twilight rushed downstairs to find Warden showing a terrifying display of magic. He had thrown two of the bookcases across the room, causing them to crash and break with the others nearby.
He crouched low, spreading his legs wide with his arms pulled into his sides. He then leaned forward and made an exaggerated kick with his leg that formed a wide arc. His magic had knocked the wooden bust of a horse off of the table and high into the air. Taking his Lightsabers off of his belt, he turned them on and threw them at the bust, slicing it into four pieces.
By the time the busts hit the floor, Warden was visibly trembling. His breathing was ragged and his legs weak. He slumped to the floor and attempted to gather himself.
"W-what did you do to my library?" Twilight asked after she noticed Warden's breathing return to normal.
"I am sorry. My emotions got away from me. My masters always said that would be my undoing. As for your library, I will have it fixed by morning." Warden was still looking at the ground.
"By morning? how?" Twilight didn't want to stir Wardens anger again.
"I am good with my hands. You may go to back to bed now." Warden slowly got up and started to clear the floor of books.
"If I may ask, who is Sarah?" Twilight asked, halfway up the stairs.
"Someone close to me." said warden in a 'do not ask any more questions' tone.
She didn't and entered her room with a worried glance behind her.
Spike on the other hand shouted "That was AWESOME! "
Warden chuckled.
By the time the sun rose, the library was more or less in order. I say "more or less" because scorched wood is significantly harder to fix than, say, an overturned bookcase. I'm sure Twilight wont notice.
"...What is that?" Twilight asked, trotting down the stairs.
"Its your sculpture! He is the great General "Ironsides" Basket-Britches!"
"That's just a bucket with crude sketch and a lame pun!"
"Well the previous horse thingie was...burned, so I made a new one! I could go into the intricacies of feng shui, but that conversation would bore you." Twilight gave up and sauntered into the kitchen to make breakfast.
"What would you like for breakfast?"
"I have no idea. Anything is fine. do your worst!"
After I ate a quick breakfast consisting of pancakes and eggs, I felt a strong urge to go outside. This is not one of those urges you get when you are trying to get to sleep and feel the need to roll over. It felt more akin to that feeling you get when somebody hovers their finger between your eyebrows and you can feel a tingly sensation. Only one thing can make me have that feeling (besides the finger thing). The Winds of the force are blowing.
Without a word, I rose up from the table and headed for the door. Twilight seemed confused at my sudden departure from the room. She had the form of a question on her lips, but must have decided against it. I made my way through the door and into the bright Equestrian sun.
As I went outside, I Felt the Force carry me down a maze of alleyways and busy streets. I do not pretend to know why I had such a strong urge to follow this feeling. Truth be told, the only reason I went this far was from past experience. If the past few years have taught me anything, it was to go with the flow. I based a lot of my decisions on going with the flow, but I digress.
I walked for about ten minutes before I came upon the source of the Feeling. I stepped silently into the shadows at the enterance of a narrow alley. A few yards from me were 5 young ponies. Three of them were jeering loudly at the other two. The two who were being berated were noticably younger than the others. One was a pegasus boy entering puberty, while the other was a young girl who was small enough to be held in one arm. The three older ones appeared to be threatening the others.
I did not get a chance to listen to the older ones before they attacked. The one going into puberty did not react to any of their movements. He just stood there glaring just to the side of the assailants. The largest of the three reached him first and gave him a hard buck to his side, causing him to double over.
"Icarus!" the young filly shouted.
Icarus slowly got on his feet, a look of defiance in his unfocused eyes.
"Stay away from her!" He ordered to the general vicinity.
This was when I decided to intervene. "Is there a problem?" The three attackers stopped in their tracks and regarded me.
"AHHHH! A monster!" The three scrambled out of the alley as fast as they could.
"Stay away from my sister!" Icarus snarled. I knelt down ans looked into his eyes. They were a steely grey and had the quality of frosted glass.
"You can See me can't you?"
"What are you talking about? I can't see anything!" Indignation in his voice. I picked up a rock with the Force and slowly lobbed it just to the side of him. He flinched as it passed his face.
"Why did you do that?"
"You threw a rock at me!"
"Yes, but it hasn't made a noise." I asked, channeling my best "Jedi Master" cryptic babble.
"You still threw a rock at me!"
"Would you like to see again?" Icarus stopped fuming and stared near me, skeptical. "I have a proposal for you: I will show you how to See and defend yourself and others in return for your service." Icarus' face scrunched in thought. "Do not answer now. Where do you live? This should involve them too."
Icarus, the young one and I arrived at a modest house near the edge of Ponyville. The young ones were greeted by their parents.
"Icarus! what in Celestia's name happened?" The mother ran up to Icarus and started to inspect his bruised from the buck.
"Don't worry about it mom!"
"What did I tell you about getting into fights?"
"But I never hit them!"
I stepped forward "In his defense, he didn't lift a finger to hurt them."
The mom looked confused "I don't know what that means but it is no excuse for getting in a fight!"
"He was defending the little one from some others. He took the fall so she didn't have to."
The mother took a step back. "Is this true?" Icarus slowly nodded.
"Ah! where are my manners? I am Warden. I am pleased to meet you miss..."
"Feather Wing. But please, call me Feather. You must be that thing everypony is talking about."
"They are saying good things I hope. In any case, I would like to ask you and your family something important. May we step inside?"
Feather nodded in agreement and we all filed indoors. The rest of the family introduced themselves to me. The father, an inventor, was named Daedalus, and their daughter Breeze.
We sat in the living room. It was spacious and gave the air a homely feel. Pictures of family adorned the tan walls that matched the slightly darker brown rung. The couch was old and soft, with a blanket on the backrest. There were 2 other single chairs encircling a low coffee table that held several magazines and the tea Feather was serving. We chatted about this and that, mostly about several projects Daedalus was working on. There was a long pause.
After taking a sip, Daedalus spoke up. "So what is it you would like to ask?"
"I have a proposal for your son. One that should not be taken lightly." I took another sip, letting my words sink in. "I wish to take your son as my apprentice." I received confused looks. Regardless, I continued. "This is what I offer your son: I will teach him to see again-" The entire family except Icarus gasped.
"You can do that!?" Feather blurted, clearly elated.
"I can. But it will come at a steep price." The family shifted uncomfortably. "I will teach him to see again as well as how to defend himself and others, but he will serve me as my apprentice. He will spend his time with me training, and have little free time to see you or his friends."
Daedalus perked up. "That doesn't sound so bad!" I gave him a stern look.
"This means he will have to obey my commands. My rules are different from yours. He may be asked to do things he isn't comfortable with."
This time Icarus looked at me square in the eye "Like what?"
"Fight another man. And, if necessary, kill them."
The family looked appalled. "How could you think about doing something like that?!" Icarus shouted.
"To save the lives of others."
"There is always another solution!"
"I don't ask you to like it. I simply suggest that there may be a time where it is necessary to take another's life in exchange for the lives of countless others. Each of us are different, if you truly wish to not take another's life, all other deeds he commits are on your shoulders."
The one who spoke next took me by surprise. It was the youngest member of the family, and the only one to still look at me. "Have you ever killed anyone?"
"Yes." All of the ponies in the room shuddered. I pulled out my Lightsabers and laid them on the table. "See these markings on these?" Breeze nodded. "They are the names of every person I killed, No matter how good or evil. This is so I do not forget what sins I have done so others may be spared. I do not kill because I like to. I kill so nobody else has to."
I turned to Icarus. "You were struck so your sister didn't have to. You shield her from the misfortune that would befall her, even if that means physical pain." Icarus slowly nodded. "I ask you to do the same on a larger scale. You can protect those you care about and achieve the greater good." Icarus looked down and said nothing.
"The line I ask you to walk is a tin one that isn't always clear. You do not have to answer me now, but if you wish to be the shield for those around you, follow the Wind."
"GET. OUT." Feather stood up and glared at me. Without saying another word I stand up, bow, and walk out of the door.
The sun was low in the sky and I decided to walk to the hills that boarder Ponyville. after an hour of walking, I sit down on the grass that is looking over Ponyville and watch the sun set. News of my deeds will no doubt reach the rest of the village by sunrise. Taking advantage of the still night, I meditate.
Much time passed as I concentrated on my Lightsabers. I had been working on various techniques to fight with them without touching them. It is sloppy, but it may well save my life. My reverie was broken by the sound of hoofsteps. The pony walked up near me and sat down.
Several minutes passed without either of us saying a word. Eventually I spoke up "how did you find me?"
"I followed the Wind like you told me."
"Did you See it?"
"I'm blind, remember?"
"That's not what i'm asking, kid. Did you See it. Capital S. Did you feel it in your bones. Did you know not only where it was, but it's color, it's taste, it's smell?"
"I don't know what you mean..."
"That is what I am going to teach you. There Is a race of people born without eyes, that see things just like how you found me." Icarus nodded. "Meditate, then. Focus on Feeling everything around you just like you felt the Wind"
Icarus scrunched his face in concentration. I decided to give him a little help and focused my Force on a Lightsaber. Once I did this, Icarus reeled back.
"I See that! Its like a bright light!" Icarus was clearly elated. I gave out a small chuckle.
"Good, my young Padawan."
"Pada-what?"
"Padawan. It means...err... something. Just roll with it."
Icarus yawned. "You aren't a very good teacher are you?"
"No I suppose not." Icarus' eyes started drooping and he fell asleep curled up to my side. I went back to my meditative trance. Tomorrow was going to be a doozy. After all, my whole body was a-twitching.
Author's note: I apologize for the wait. Ive been going through some tough times and focused on school a lot. needless to say that existential breakdowns are hard on the brain. Plus writers block. That sucks. I hope this chapter makes up for the super long break. In any case, I hope you all enjoy this! As a reminder: Capitalized words involve the Force.
As the sun rose, I broke my meditation. It was not quite like sleep, but it allowed me to rest and remain vigilant in case I was to be apprehended during the night. It was a precautionary measure I learned early in one of my formal trainings with some less than savory masters. I shuddered as I recalled the way many of the other acolyte's were treated. It was moments like these that I wish I had remained under Jedi tutelage.
Something small and warm stirred at my side. Icarus, the small pegasus twitched in his dreams, clearly sensing the Winds of Fate. There is something to be said about the dreams of the Sensitives. To some, The dreams are a direct reflection of the state of whatever part of the galaxy they currently are in. To others, the dreams are glimpses of things that were, glances of what are, and peeks at what has not yet come to pass.
Quietly, I stood up and faced the sleepy town of Ponyville. It was early in the morning, but there seemed to be an energy about Ponyville. The residents were stirred from their sleep and seemed to be gathering. As Fate would have it, I was to go there as well. I carefully woke Icarus up.
"Wh-what time is it?" Icarus mumbled.
"Time to get up Padawan. I am going to be leaving for a few days. But first, however, how would you like a demonstration of a few things I will be teaching you?" Icarus stared at me with eyes muddled with sleep.
"A demonstration? Of what?"
"Follow me and you will see the world!" I declared with a spring in my step.
The walk into town was a short one. I kept an eye to the sky and my ears to the shadows in case there might be something of less than friendly intentions. When we reached the town square, I could sense that we were going to be in a bit of a sticky situation. I told Icarus to stay close to me and if anything happened, that he should run and hide.
The sense I had was not as much through the Force than observation. While I was on the hill, the townspeople were out and about, but now it was a ghost town.
"If their flour mill is as efficient as their rumor mill, they could feed Coruscant for a day. Stick close kid, something tastes fishy." Icarus stood a little closer to me as I heard the sound of wings flapping and metal clanking.
Around me stood four white stallions in a semi-circle, One unicorn and Three pegasi. All but the unicorn wore polished gilded armor and were armed with spears hanging at their sides. The unicorn wore silver lined with gold. Possibly signifying rank. The material itself was unnoteworthy, however, the Force seemed to bend in the presence of the armor.
The center unicorn stallion "Halt! By order of the Royal Guard, you are under arrest for the admission of murder! Come quietly or we will resort to using force!"
I felt my blood boil at the accusation. Not that it was untrue, the situation was simply...complicated. I was going to have none of it. "And what crime did I commit on your soil?" I waited for a response
"You admitted to murder!"
"What do you know of my crimes!?" I was losing control of my anger. I took a deep breath, trying to control it. "I assure you that what I did is none of your concern." Icarus started to shake a bit in fear. He was trying to hide it.
The unicorn shook his head "Then i guess we will have to do this the hard way, Men!" The 6 other guards struck offensive poses. The gloves are off I thought quietly.
"Go run home Icarus" I whispered, kneeling down to Icarus. "I will be back soon."
"I-I-I can feel- I don't know. You're scaring me." He whimpered.
"The first thing you should know about me, Icarus, is that I am not the good guy." He shrunk back. "I am not the bad guy either. Remember this. Now run." Icarus ran as fast as his hooves could take him, narrowly missing buildings in the process.
I did not get a moments reverie as a pegasus descended upon me. A twang of fear shot through my gut as I used the emotion to roll to the side. I was not fast enough as a pair of hooves collided with the side of my ribs and thus drawing first blood. The pegasus landed on the ground before leaping at me again. This time I ran straight towards him. Just before we collided, I jumped as horizontally as I could while doing a front flip. While over him, I grabbed his head. The stallion was not expecting this as I flipped him, smashing his head into the ground, rendering him unconscious.
The rest of the guards stood in silence, shocked that one of their members had fallen. The unicorn didn't like this and started flinging spells at my back. I felt the itch in the back of my mind and instinctively turned on my lightsabers. I spun and weaved through the balls of magic while my lightsabers absorbed a few of the shots. His eyes widened as I approached him.
Before I could take care of him, on of the pegasi tried to get the drop on me. The itch in the back of my mind started again as I grabbed the unicorn's horn and pointed it at the oncoming pegasus. The flier was hit in the chest with a bolt of magic, instantly making him lose consciousness. With the momentum being too much, he collided with the unicorn I was holding and knocked him out as well.
The sound of wings filled my ears as another pegasi lifted off of the ground. I could See and Feel the wings flapping. With a yell, the pegasus charged me, brandishing a spear in the crook of his foreleg. I stood steadfast against the speeding stallion. A grin appeared on his face as he approached, certain of his victory.
I took a wide stance, bending my knees into a stable stance. Through my stillness, I reached out to take hold of the thrumming Force permeating his wing. I could Feel the twisting Strands, Ropes tying the universe. Reaching out with my hands, I grabbed the Reigns on the pegasi's wings. Using the Fire in my gut, I pulled on the wings, Popping them out of their sockets, rendering them useless.
With the sudden loss of wings, the pegasus fell to the ground thrashing. I stared him in the eyes as he attempted to stand. Reinforcements came in the matter of seconds. I was surrounded with the tips of spears and the glowing of horns.
"Y-y-yellow e-eyed m-monster!"
Monster? Maybe. "I am the Necessary Evil. No more, no less. You will find your guardsmen alive. I offer no more resistance. I have indulged in the Dark Side enough." I could Feel the tendrils of the Dark Side pulling at me, giving me strength, but taking from me my Will. I could have fought some more, however, I would need to sacrifice a lot more Restraint for Power.
A unicorn in purple armor and a scowl on his face approached, conjuring manacles on my wrists, neck, and ankles.
"You are charged with assault on Her Majesty's Royal Guard and the confession of multiple murders. You will be escorted to Canterlot to await trial."
"As long as these fetters bind you from harming me, I will follow."
The guards looked physically relieved with my hands in chains. They even put rings on my fingers to keep me from usin the Force. I have been lead to believe that they were originally designed to be used to restrain unicorns. I could still use the Force of course, but hey, whatever makes you feel safe
By the time I was seated in an armored chariot, a small crowd had gathered around the incident. There were some ponies who were tending to the wounded guardsmen, while most were gawking at the... mess I made. There will be hell to pay, and I just hope I can be in my happy place when it comes for me.
I spent the evening in my pleasant little cell in my meditative state. This wasn't so much for me to react to unseen threats, but to mask my presence a bit. I do not give off much of an indentation in the Force, but enough to be brought into the Academy for training. I spent my time there coming to grasps with my limitations. The other Padawans were lifting objects far larger than the ones I could control. I was reprimanded more than once for using my frustrations to give me the oomph I needed. Usually to destructive ends.
Due to my unstable emotions and lack of power, I began to seek my power elsewhere. I delved into using what little Force I had to the most I could. It was around this time that I learned of a method one of the blind races used to Observe the fabric of the Force. I began to notice little "Gravity Wells" around people proportional to the raw Power they had in the Force. As well as how little mine was.
I began exploring ways to manipulate my own "Well" how to perform more primal manipulations of the Force through pulses and wave functions. The most important thing I learned was how to mask my presence by, for lack of a better term, "Flattening" my Well. It was more like pulling the edges of the cloth to remove a crease. The only down side to this was that I had to concentrate a little bit on it and I couldn't really move fast. It was mostly useful for sneaking into the Holocron and to practice more...forbidden talents.
My reverie was broken by a feeling of a Well. The kind of Well I have not felt since my incarceration on Korriban. By incarceration, I mean my capture and subsequent fall from sanity. I would have Fallen if it hadn't been for the prisoner in the adjacent... cell. Who had the same We--
Two. Thats new.
I know They tend to travel in pairs, but they tend to be at each others throats. I'll never understand why opposites attract. I suppose it is in their Nature.
"Is the prisoner awake?" The voice was muffled due to being just outside the cell block.
"It has just been sitting there all night. I'm getting the willies from it." I couldn't help but smirk. I spent a week learning that particular Mind Trick.
I assume the first speaker made a gesture because not another word was spoken before the outer door opened and two impressive ponies came in.
I would have considered them adorable if it hadn't been for the Weight the pulled. The Force seemed to Bend and Quake at every hoof-fall. That was impressive.
I was glad I had been making my presence through meditation by this point. I wouldn't want to start an incident by having an unknown Force Sensitive running amok. Especially with these Beings. They have enough in them to raise the sun each morning if they so wished.
I opened my eyes.
"You do me honor, Old Ones." I said, using a True Name. It wasn't theirs specifically, but the label I used rang with Truth that only the Force can provide.
The blue one seemed taken aback by this. The white one, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes at me.
"How did you come across this knowledge?" The white one said curtly.
"You don't pull around that much of the Force without being a few millennia old." I flash a sleazy smile at the blue one. "And the years have been kind to you. You don't look a day over three thousand."
The blue one scoffed. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Out-Worlder."
Damn. She Labeled me. It always sends a chill down your spine. It only happens when you Label someone with the Truth. There can be no falseness in your speech or your words will fall upon their ears like water on rock. I tend to do it to screw with people. But in this case, It was so I couldn't ignore her seriousness. It is a lost skill that I discovered while rooting around in the less savory parts of the Jedi Holocron. I certainly spent a lot of time there.
In any case, I gave a hearty laugh. "On the contrary! Flattery will get you everywhere!" I focused on the other one. "Ah, but where are my manners? I am Warden, Grey Jedi in Exile. It is a pleasure to an Old One, let alone an Old one and their Antithesis."
The white one raised an eyebrow. "I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister Princess Luna. Together we rule the nation of Equestria. The important question is, however, how you know what we are."
I leaned back causally (if a bit irreverently). "Nobody makes that big a dent in the Force without going around the block a few thousand times."
Celestia seemed to stifle a giggle for the briefest of moments. "Quite. However, your Labeling betrays you."
I could tell that this one isn't going to let this go. "I ran into another Old One on a planet called Korriban. Nasty fellow. Fancied himself as the Lord of Lies."
If this got a reaction out of them, I didn't notice.
"And what connection to Lies did you have?" Luna asked with a hint of worry.
"Not a pleasant one." I said rather curtly. "He was the one thing that kept me sane in the dungeon I was in. It turns out that his deception is as advertised. He convinced me to kill all of the acolytes that captured me to avenge my master." I hung my head, ashamed at how pleasant the memory was. "I ran into his Antithesis in an ancient tomb while hiding from Lies. This time, I only heard the Truth." I looked at Celestia's eyes. "I think I prefer the other guys lies."
"Truth gave me some basic information on what Old Ones are and...other things that I didn't want to hear. He said that Old Ones are artifacts of the races to which they belong. They all tend to gravitate towards ideas over time and are Fated to be in conflict with their Antithesis. Which begs the question: what aspect are you?"
Before either could answer, I turned my head towards Luna. "I see that you represent the night while your sister represents the day." I got up for the first time and stalked over to her. The sisters stiffened at my approach. I looked at her with a critical Eye. "I can smell Taint on you. It is not current, but I feel that you were at one time an Antithesis to your sister. Sometime recently."
Slinking over to her sister, I study her features closely. "However, the way you move the Force is too symmetric. Each one of you is incomplete without the other. You are the Yin to her Yang. Just as the shadows prove the sunshine, so do you complete your sister. Now, Who are you?"
"Harmony" They both said in unison.
"And what of Disharmony?"
"Trapped in a prison and locked away." Luna said proudly.
"Your knowledge is commendable. But to the matter at hand. It is to my understanding that you have taken the lives of several ponies." Celestia gave me a withering glare.
"I assure you that I have not murdered anyone on your planet. If anything, I seek a place to make up for the lives I have ended. I do not wish to bring the destruction nor the stagnation my kind is plagued with."
"Swear it."
Celestia quickly faced her sister. "Luna, why-"
"Celestia, I have wronged many during my time as Nightmare Moon. I have seeked nothing but a way to make up for my past. You have done the same after what you did to me, Sister ." The last word remained pregnant in the air.
After several seconds, Celestia turned to me. "Very well. Swear upon your True Name that you will protect my little ponies."
That was saying something. Another thing about Names is that saying your own held Power. By swearing upon your True Name, you wager your Power that you will keep your promise. This is fine for most people, but Force sensitives like myself are in real danger.
I did not like the deal very well. However, it is my only option for gaining the trust of the rulers. A pissed off Old One is not fun to deal with. I have a first hand account on that one.
"I, Barthantelus Androminasus, Grey Warden and Jedi Exile, Swear to protect the Ponies of Equestria until I leave this planet or the sword take me."
Authors Note: I have been finding it very difficult to write this story. Part of it is that there is no strong sense of action or adventure going on. I have struggled to nut up the motivation to even start this chapter. Every time I do, I worry about how my portrayal of the Princesses is coming across and if the characters I do put in have motivations that are reasonable. Most of my ideas on where I want this story to go are in direct conflict with each other.
However, this is a labor of love. I would want nothing more than to have someone else write a slice of life story focusing on a grey Jedi, but lets face it, its not going to happen. Therefore I have to write it. It is one thing to seriously want a story to exist, and quite another to actually write it.
Please let me know what you think of my story (especially the reactions of the princesses). I read all of my comments and try to reply to all of them. You guys are seriously the reason I still make chapters.
The Princesses kindly began "accompanying" me from the jail cells shortly after my Oath (as well as the returning of my Lightsabers). They knew the weight of my words and how I was honor bound to follow them. They were not a widely practiced form of swearing oaths, but the expectation of a Jedi to follow through on their promises were rooted in Oaths. Toward the beginning of the Force Wars, a little known conflict at the origin of the Jedi Order, The followers of the Light believed that all promises that a Jedi should make would be Binding.
Needless to say that I found that nugget in the depths of the Jedi Holocron.
But I digress. And there is some Princess trying to talk to me.
"You want land in the Everfree for what again?"
"An academy of sorts. Away from prying eyes."
"And what is it that you will be teaching at this academy?"
"Protection"
Celestia's eyes bore into mine as we walked along the long passageways of her impressive, if frou-frou, castle.
"Teach them how to kill?"
"Yes" I said deliberately "To protect the many, I must sacrifice the few."
"So you will create monsters?" I regarded Celestia.
"Come now Celestia, we both know Light and Dark are extensions of each other." I gave an irreverent grin. "You above all should know that."
"Sister that is enough." Luna admonished, and speaking up for the first time. "Warden, we cannot tear families apart. That is an order."
Loop-hole loop-hole I need a loop-hole... what about, "Orphans?"
"Those are quite rare. Most ponies would never give up their child, and there are many same sex couples vying for what few orphans there are." Luna countered.
"But you're saying they are there?"
"Yes I suppose--"
"Huzzah!" Luna skipped a step in her canter. "That is some! And some is better than none!" I turned down my drollery a bit. "What about volunteers?"
"You think ponies will volunteer to learn how to kill?" Celestia must really not like the idea.
"I think they will volunteer to learn how to protect. To sacrifice themselves for the greatest good. There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for another."
Celestia stopped. The Abacus, as quaint as they are, flitted away in her head.
"What will you do with all of these apprentices?"
"They will be the second edge of the sword. The rod that keeps the child from spoiling. They will serve Harmony." I put an emphasis on Harmony. "They will not serve the Royal Sisters or Equestria, but will do what is necessary to maintain Harmony, at the price of their own.This mantle of responsibility will not be worn lightly." I give my most crooked and conniving of smiles. "Besides, removing me or my followers would be a walk in the park for you."
What went on in that head of Celestia was a complete mystery to me. I may as well have tried to get a Jedi Master to tell me exactly what a vision meant. I know this. I've tried It involved a-
"Very well, you can have the castle of the Royal Pony Sisters in the Everfree. There should be little trouble there from the local wildlife. You may only have apprentices that we have selected and approved."
This is as good as I'm gonna get. "I'll accept, However, Isn't that castle a ruin? Twilight said something about that place being a ruin."
Celestia stopped and regarded me. "It'll buff out." She said simply and trotted away.
Was that...Humor?
I spent the rest of the day speaking with the guards at the barracks. More specifically, the guards I had fought. They were more than a little peeved about our little tussle. However, dear sweet Celestia found it important for me to mend whatever bridges I had burned.
They only seemed to simmer down after a promise of a rematch. And poker. By the Force am I bad at poker. A few even took an interest in what I was going to be doing in the Everfree. They went as far as to suggest that a "contingent" of guards be sent to "overlook" the academy. You know. For "security reasons".
And they will probably get away with it too, knowing Celestia.
I ended my day in a much better room than I expected. It seems, however, the length of their beds are far too small. I think it was on purpose too... In any case, Luna promised me that I would be able to take a representative from Celestia's school and that the applicants would be ready in the morning. Something about them being the best in unicorn foals that the country had to offer.
I had made myself quite quite clear to Luna that they be applicants. Not that couldn't do with an older Youngling, but I preferred a student that didn't have some misguided opinion that the Force was Magic. I mean, that's just silly.
I woke up when the sun rose. I could almost swear that the sun was a tad bit brighter on my eyes than my chest. One of the mysteries of the Force no doubt. But I digress.
The important part of the day was going to good ol' Sunny Flank's School for Gifted Unicorns.
When I arrived, there were various Younglings worthy of any academy.
There were 5 in all, with another blonde Youngling nervously sulking in the corner, hidden from view. I was curious about the Lost Youngling, but Celestia made no moves to bar her entry.
The Younglings stood nervous, not only was their sovereign and teacher in attendance, but so was some alien. A dashing and rouge-ish alien.
"Each of these 5 colts fit the requirements and have volunteered." Each colt in turn puffed their chests out with a smug look to match. "They have all just completed their application test per your request."
I gave a hearty smile, "And what specimens they are! Truly this is a school for the most gifted of unicorns!" I plopped down in front of the students. "My name is Warden, I have a simple test for you all. One which you are all more than capable of."
I pulled my Lightsaber out and flipped the little known safety switch so that none of the Younglings would get hurt.
"The test is simple: I want each of you to lift this Doo-Hickey." They all giggled at the name.
Their faces changed from one of amusement to confusion. They all had just taken a comprehensive arcane examination where their skills and abilities were taken to their limits. Now they were asked to lift a simple cylinder. And their faces were priceless .
"You on the right, please go first."
Each one of the Younglings, with a wary expression, levitated the Saber in their differently colored telekinetic grasps.
"So what will it be? Will you need some time to consider?"
I cocked my head. "What do you mean? There is still another Youngling in the room." I pointed to a filly by the door.
"I-I-I'm sorry, I g-got l-lost."
I couldn't help but give a warm chuckle worthy of any old man in a red suit and a white beard. "I think you are less lost than you think." I patted the ground. "Come, at least give it a shot. You have nothing to lose and nothing to prove."
The Youngling came up to the Lightsaber and scrunched her face, lifting her head as if to try and make her horn longer. She grunted with effort and ground her teeth. but to no avail.
She hung her head in defeat.
"Come, Child there is no time limit. Lift the object, please." I can see why Jedi masters like to be so mysterious. Being cryptic is so much fun!
She looked at me square in the eye. "Lift it?" She had a gleam in her eyes. A most devious gleam. I nodded.
The filly's eyes lingered on mine, then the Saber, and back to me.
With slow rumination, she bent down and put the Saber in her mouth and lifted her head.
She sat there a second before cocking her head. And I'll be damned if that was the cutest thing I have ever seen.
It was also the most absurd thing I have come across in the Galaxy.
I started laughing. I couldn't control it. That was the most simple and glorious thing in the entire Galaxy. I LOVED it! It was perfect!
The Younglings thought less so.
"Can you believe it? She doesn't even know magic!"
"And she applied to this school?"
"This is a school for gifted unicorns!"
"Enough! " I put a little Force into that one. For the kick. "Tell me Youngling, what is your name?"
"D-Dinky Doo, sir."
"Well Ms. Doo, why did you lift the object with your mouth?"
"I-I can't do magic, sir."
"And why should you? Isn't the point of this school to teach magic?" The other Younglings shrank back a bit and Celestia, who at some point slunk back into the background before the test, gave a soft smile.
"So tell me, what is the point of attending magic lessons if you already know magic?" Dinky had the rumor of a smile dance across her face. "Let me ask you again: why did you use your mouth to lift the object?"
"You never said how to lift it, sir."
"Clever Girl. are your parents around? I have an important question for them."
Author's Note:
In any case, please comment. I do read them all and try to respond to all of them. If you find an issue, point it out to me and I'll probably fix it. Or argue as to why I'm right. Cuz the author is always right. Nor is he ever late. My chapters arrive precicley when I mean to.
I feel that it is time to hang up my Lightsabers and not string anyone along with this story any longer. I could, out of sheer ego, or misplaced sense of pride, continue to write this story simply because it is popular. Well, more popular than most. For quite a while this story was one of the best Star Wars crossovers out there. Boy I padded my ego with that one. I want to, instead, talk a bit about the meta of FimFiction (at least my take on it) and dissect why this story is as popular as it became. It may come across as deleterious towards my own story, but I am doing it because I honestly like my story and want to see more like it in the future.
Allow me to tell you the most important reason why my story did so well: I didn't do anything. That is to say, I didn't f**k it up. This story had potential and that was it. There was a void and I filled it. There was enough mystery to give the promise of an interesting plot. The character was flawed enough to bring about interesting situations. I made a story for fans of Star Wars and My Little Pony without changing either to a large extent. THAT is the key to a good crossover.
Too many times I see a crossover where there is some galactic threat and Equestria is the battleground. From the beginning of this Crossover, I had the choice to bring Star Wars to MLP, or bring MLP to Star Wars. Merging the two and describing how the Jedi Council merge with the Equestrian Diarchy and magic powered pony-battle droids is a great way to destroy each part of the crossover. Instead I tried to use the One Big Lie to just add Star Wars as an accent to MLP.
As to why I decided to stop, I can honestly say that I had no Idea what I was going to do. The story would have devolved into a Jedi Academy in the Everfree and maybe a few Jedi from the Order coming to hunt Warden down. I had a plan to have one of those Jedi be an old friend (childhood friend...I've read too much manga...) and have her stay in the academy to be the kind of foil to the moral ambiguity to Warden. However, I started introducing children into the story. That was a mistake. They bring responsibility and personalities that I am simply horrible at creating. There would have been exploration into the moral ambiguity of Warden as expressed in these children (I would have brought in a griffon next by the way) but I had no arcs to be my backdrop.
I may be a bit mean to my story, but I believe that this story was only going to get worse. I have changed the scope of the story so many times that I am unsure I could continue to give the story the attention it deserves. I know a lot of people are fans of this story, and I know a lot of people do not want this to end this way, but it is better to have a story thought of as crappy than to type it and prove it.
All In all, this has been a great experience, and I am regrettably starting to move in a different direction than writing fics. I have many ideas on a few other stories, but I will not be writing any more. All things go in their time, and it is time for me to put away my pen.
Thank you all for reading.
