The Empire Meets Equestria: Star Wars Esque

Visage's eyes opened. Sombra that vindictive Darragg tried to destroy everything in the Empire fortunately he failed. Visage thought Pressing on the right side of his mask twice so the metal covering his face retreated back into the small ear piece.

Getting on his feet was easy enough, but he was worrying about the ponies outside.  Hoping that they were O.K from Sombra's failed spell. Looking around the throne room that he was in realizing it had changed. The black crystals and throne were no longer there, the crystals had become softer shades of blues and pinks, the damage to the room during his fight with Sombra was somehow cleared up, and the doors to the room's entrance were both on their hinges and were now Royal Blue in color.

"Magic." Visage said smiling "I guess you lose again Sombra your spell to destroy failed, the Empire still stands, and I believe it has reverted back, to how it was before your rule."

With Sombra's dark presence gone Visage felt a the light of something close. It wasn't as powerful as the other two beings he felt when he arrived on the planet, but still he wanted to find it. Hoping to get answers from someone more benign, he set out to look for it.

Visage looked for the entrance to the stairway leading down to a much lower hall. During the fight Visage took the liberty of reading Sombra's mind, and most of what he saw he would like to forget. There were some secrets that Sombra had tried to lock away, but Visage was powerful and looking into peoples thoughts was relatively easy for him.

Finding the entrance was easy, how to open it was going to be hard. The information he needed wasn't divulged by Sombra. So Visage levitated in the air just above where the entrance to the tunnel should be, crossing his legs he started to meditate.

It was several Mironns before he thought of an answer that didn't involve explosions. Visage still in the air retrieved the black and red horn from his belt. Visage channeled lightning into it, the spark of energy danced about his hands and off the horn that had started to bubble. With that black and green color emanating from the horn the floor started to turn black and dark but as it did a spiraling stair case was revealed.

"I win again Sombra." Visage smiled again, putting his trophy away, he flew down the central hole ignoring the winding staircase.

Landing on the bottom the only thing to be seen was a door that was plain but had a strange eye glyph just above it. Producing the horn once again Visage opened the door with the same lightning technique.

A bright light poured through the opening. Visage shielded his eyes with his hand that held Sombra's horn. No wonder you sealed this place with dark magic this thing is your complete opposite. Visage wondered as he started his assent on the pure white staircase. Ironic that Sombra would use a dark staircase to lead down and a bright white one that spirals up. Peace is fleeting so I thirst for knowledge and this had better take me to it, because right now I need some. I don't know what kind of world I'm in but I need to get back home before I'm missed. Visage thought as he made his way up the steps.

"Frak, this!" Visage yelled as he took flight and speed up to the top.

The view was breathtaking the central tower of the castle had an open view. Visage could see that the Empire was no longer the cruel black it had just been but now a rainbow of colors. The citizens were milling about at the bottom of the castle.  Visage felt the great confusion coming from the crowd Visage also being one of them. How did we survive Sombra's spell of destruction? How did everything get all glittery and shiny? How did the Empire get back to how it was? With more questions than answers Visage pulled off his hood and rubbed the top of his head.

I did.

"Wait, what..Who said err thought that?" Visage asked aloud.

I saved My Empire it is why I was created, it is my purpose. Sombra sealed me because he didn't have enough power to destroy me.

Visage came back from his view point walking towards a spinning crystal heart. It's a sentient crystal. Someone with powerful magic must have forged it. Visage thought.

Yes, many ages ago when I was given purpose. Was the crystals response.

Visage walked toward the floating sentient object.

Wait, stop! Sombra left several more traps so that nopony can free me! The floating heart warned him.

It was too late the last step Visage took activated. Glowing glyphs appeared on the floor just beneath his feet, Visage was sent flying as a powerful spell was unleashed directly at him.

I didn't say I didn't warn him...Oh well he wasn't the one to save me anyway. The crystal Heart wasn't saved this day but now there was one less trap for a certain unicorn and her dragon assistant to worry about.

Visage landed on something soft for once.  The grass under him danced playfully in the wind.

"I swear this planet hates me. What God did I drath off this time?" Visage asked but received no answer from the light breeze.

Visage found himself close to where he had crashed. This is that forest that I flew over on my bike this morning. Or was it yesterday I never asked how time worked on this planet. As he was thinking  he made his way out of the clearing and onto the edge of the woods. The Trees were familiar enough, but he didn't want to come across one of those four headed creatures again. Two grenades one gut...next time use only one grenade. Visage thought making his way through the forest.

The clouds had started to gather and the wind was picking up. Just my luck a storm is brewing, Things just keep getting better and better. Walking around an unknown forest, on an unknown planet populated by sentient ponies, ugly four headed beasts, power mad unicorns, and Verse knows what else. Visage mussed as rain drops started falling making the leaves on the big trees surrounding him bend and dance as they were hit by small water drops. It wasn't long before the happy slaps of rain become a near torrent of water. The sky was also getting darker as Visage made his way along the path that he was fallowing, that he hoped would lead him to shelter. He felt there were beings in the direction he was going but the progress he was making was slow at best, the roots were slick and his boots weren't getting much traction on the wet forest floor.

The rain was coming down in buckets now. Although Visage's cloak and boots were waterproof the wet still bothered him. Slog, slog, slurp...were the only sounds he could hear besides the pounding rain, the sky was also darkening the cloud cover and the canopy of now waterlogged leaves made vision impossible and with all of the vegetation around he couldn't use his mask his infrared would have completely Fraked up and he was forced into not wearing it, at least he still had the earpiece. Visage's own breath came out in puffs of steam due to the temperature dropping.

"I swear this planet hates me." Visage said again swiping a wet branch he had nearly run into.

"I can see it now, Lord Visage found wet and frozen in a forest. Death caused by his own stupidity. Or, near death he was revived after being defrosted." Just as he was smiling at his own humor he saw a light in the distance.

"I don't know what lives out here but it's got to be better than trying to spend the night out in this Fraking Forest."  Visage said as he sighed making a fresh wisp of vapor appear, clouding his  vision for a moment before dissipating. He started out towards the source of the light.

Visage emerged from the forest's shadows getting closer to a hallowed out tree where light was escaping from make shift windows.  The cent of something cooking was in the air around the tree. The wet Lord walked over to the door and knocked, then waited. At first there was no answer, he knew someone lived here he saw the cauldron in the middle of the tree brewing something.

"I am sorry to say, but whoever you are, please go away." A female voice said to the Dark Lord standing in the pouring rain.

Visage was about to kick the door down but he didn't want to upset the woman inside, so he simply asked. "I'm sorry to bother you but I'm lost, my ship exploded, my escape pod sunk into a swamp, and some dark unicorn blasted me here with a spell. I just want a dry place to rest for a while. Will you please let me come in?"

Visage waited for a response from the woman inside.

"I have thought about it and say, you sound as though you've had a busy day." The woman said as the door swung open.

Visage noticed that it was a pony who answered the door. No, a Zebra more specifically he recognized the stripes, and she was looking at him wide eyed, even though her eyes were already quite large to begin with.

"I have been around the block or two, but I have never in my years seen some pony quite like you." The zebra said to him as he ducked through the open door that was a bit too small. At least the inside had enough room so he didn't have to hunch over.

"So I've been told. The ponies in the Crystal Empire said that too." Visage told the still staring Zebra. Sitting down by the fire pit that had a cauldron of stew or something hanging over it Visage threw back the hood of his wet cloak.

"So madam, to whom I must thank, you have saved me from a night out in this weather. The name's Visage I'm from the Empire and like I said I'm stuck here. Wherever here is." Visage said as the Zebra made her way over to him getting her face uncomfortably close to his.

"Your eyes? Why though so dark, I see no lies?" The Zebra said quizzically.

"Ya, I get that a lot too. Your eyes are creepy, your eyes are evil. Well some things are worth sacrificing, if you can save a single life. My eyes, although creepy now, when I change they go back to how they were, so they're um..temporary." Visage told his new benefactor.

The Zebra had finally backed off and walked to the back of the tree house to get something.

"I must say I am amazed, from the Crystal Empire? If this is true, then over a thousand years old are you." The zebra told her house guest.

"Wait, what? What do you mean a thousand years old I haven't even been here a Denonn and it's already been a thousand years?" Visage wondered at this information.

"Wait, what is your standard of time here?" Visage asked hoping that the time on this planet wasn't as bad as he thought.

"What a strange question you have asked, but we go by Years, Months and days that have passed." The Zebra told him.

"So twenty four hours is a day to you? I also assume you have minutes too?" Visage quipped back to the Zebra who was stirring the cauldron of stuff that had started bubbling.

"I see that with time, you also too can rhyme. Though late, I have to say, I am Zecora by the way." Zecora said with a smile as she stirred her brew.

Visage mulled this over in his head. O.K so if they have the same time frame as Earth, then that would mean, it's been a little over three hundred Onns since I got here?

"Three hundred Onns. The Emperor will kill me not to mention those girls. Wait, if this is a different dimension then time might not matter much. I hope that this is one of Chaos's jokes because, I'm not finding this funny." Visage was thinking out loud, getting the attention of a stirring zebra.

"You speak so free, who is this Chaos that plays joke's on thee?" Zecora asked.

"That is a long story Zecora, but I can tell you how I got here and what happened up till now if you'd like?" Visage told his host.

"I would not be sorry, to lend you my ear, for your story." Zecora seemingly eager to listen.

Visage told her everything from his Captain's Folly to the ship's explosion. The Hydra incident, (Zecora telling him what the beast was called) when he crashed and his triumph over Sombra, then finally his slog through the forest, to his meeting with his new friend.

"I can see, you've had the hardest time that can be. You've only been here one single day yet you've done more than most can say." Zecora said to her interesting house guest.

Visage leaned against the wall of the tree house stretching out his legs so his boots were near the fire. Pulling his hands out from under the folds of his cloak and reaching out towards the warm fire he pulled at one of the dancing flames catching it with his right hand it turned from a red flame to bright blue one. Visage played with his new small fireball tossing it from hand to hand, then he made it float in mid air just above his palm. He closed his fist tight around it, as it burst and died.

"I still think this planet has it out for me. No offense. I have got to be the worst undercover operative since the Zah was taken over by the Empire." He told the curious Zecora.

"So tell me Visage do you have any stories from the Zahraj?" She asked this strange being from the stars.

"Well it's Zaharaj actually, and no I don't have many stories from them, they record things on holocrons, but they also like the printed word too. I have been to quite a few planets though. I learned some wonderful stories during my apprentice Onns. Would you like to hear some? I think we have time. " If Zecora wanted to hear some stories he wasn't going to let her down.

Zecora went back to string the stuff in the cauldron that had started bubbling again. She added some powdery stuff, then taking out the spoon she put it in her mouth tasting some of the liquid and looking like she was judging it, finally looking at Visage she nodded.

"The hour is not so late, it is only between six and eight." Telling Visage the time.

"So, seven o'clock then, there is plenty of time for some stories I think." Visage was used to seventy two hour days so it was still really early for him, though he wasn't so sure about Zecora's bed time. But even two hours was quite a lot of time to fill. With the weather outside as it was he didn't really want to tell anything sad or gloomy the constant rain was gloomy enough, but now he was dry and relatively comfortable, and Zecora didn't even mind him playing with her fire so he thought of something appropriate.

"Here is something from the people on Vitio four, or was it three, well one of the two planets." Visage said. "I think that this might be right up your ally." He didn't think Zecora got the proverb because she raised a eyebrow at him and took another taste of her bubbling stuff. Visage was actually curious as to what it was she was making but he was afraid to ask.

"Fire breathes, fire gives, and the fire in the soul, is where eternal fire lives. They seem to say that a lot on that planet. It's still bugging me, I don't remember which planet it was." Visage trailed off trying to remember. Throwing both arms in the air in mock surrender he gave up.

Zecora watched him but still continued what she was doing.

"So this next one is from is from the planet Theros." Visage said as he started his new anecdote.

"In these times have miracles ceased? Not for those who still in God have belief. For there is a power so much greater in this dreaded hour. But you must watch and prepare like a blooming flour. For each flower has their time to shower. Effulgent light like a sun so bright, and give all who witness the spectacle of hope, even in the darkest of night. A single bloom, can light a room, and sweep away the darkest gloom. Now, what happens to darkness then? A radiant field on display, and evil will no longer have any sway. For it will be those flowers so free, that will calm the storms of calamity, and ignite the torch of liberty." Visage finished looking at a smiling Zecora it looked like she wanted to applaud but she was still stirring her stuff in the cauldron.

So the two unlikely friends shared stories and rhymes but mostly Visage did the talking and Zecora was more than willing to listen. With her melodic voice she asked. "By now it's done, so would you like some?" Pointing her hoof not holding the spoon at the cloaked man leaning against her wall. Visage unsure of what to do had to ask. "I'm not sure? What is it exactly?"

"So, it is true you have never had Zebra stew?" Zecora said spooning a bowl for her guest  reaching over to him holding it in her hoof and presenting it to a bewildered Visage.

"Um...Zebra stew I'm guessing it's not made of zebra cuz that would be completely fraked, and how do you hold things without fingers to grasp them?" Visage realizing he said the last part  aloud.

Zecora chuckled as Visage took the bowl from her. "It is not made of Zebra, I assure you. As far as holding with a hoof it's old to me, but new to you. It is just something, we learn to do." Zecora finished then resumed her chuckle.

Visage shrugged at this, not reading too deep into it was probably a good idea. Still eying the green tinted liquid in the bowl he held, still unsure of it's contents. Well at least it smells good and I don't think she'd put poison in it she's been trying it out herself sever times and I don't think it'll kill me so what the Frak. With that Visage tipped the bowl up and poured the contents down his mouth. It was warm at least, and kind of spicy but it wasn't the worst thing in the Galaxy.

"So, not afraid of my cooking I see, you poured all my soup, into your tummy." Zecora smirked as she spooned her own bowl blowing on it before each bite.

Visage wondered if he'd done something wrong. He wasn't going to press the issue but she didn't really give him any eating utensils. So he did what he thought was proper.

"I hope I didn't offend you Zecora you've been a fine host keeping a thousand year old Dark Lord in your home can't be easy." Visage apologizing for disturbing her routine.

Zecora chuckled again at this. "For a Dark Lord you seem to care, so how is it that you give every pony else a scare?"

Visage didn't know how to answer that one he is just who he is he never really thought about it. In his Galaxy The Shadow Knights were all well known and even the eye's didn't really bother most beings.

"I have no idea. I guess you could say that I am like how you are, with how you can carry objects with your hoof you can't explain it, it just is." Visage said.

Zecora lit up as she put down her now empty bowl. She walked over to one of the far walls where she put a hoof on a small crank, as she turned it the cauldron was lifted up away from the fire. The pulley system looked rudimentary to Visage, but it was functional enough. It was also most likely used to clean out the inside of it too. He noticed that there was a  swing arm attached to the pulley, so that way the cauldron could be lowered to the floor safely away from the fire to be replaced or cleaned.

Zecora looked over at her new friend after putting bowls and spoons away. She smiled again at him again while putting the last few spices on her shelf. At least now Visage had one real friend albeit a strange one, then again he was the outsider here. After a few moments and all of the major cleaning was done Zeroca told her new house guest.

"I should get to bed soon you see, for tomorrow I will show you out of the Everfree." With that she went to the back of the tree house into a separate room that was off from the main room that they were in.

Visage sat alone listening to the drumming rain thanking the Gods that he didn't have to sleep out in it. As the fire in the pit died leaving nothing but glowing embers Visage sat listening, feeling, something seemed off, at first he thought it was just his imagination but no, there was something wrong with this planet he could feel it, but couldn't quite put a finger on it. So the now dark room was quiet but it was betrayed by two glowing gold and purple eyes. Visage felt miserable and didn't know why. Perhaps questions will be answered once he gets back home where everything is normal. Though not very tired the two glowing orbs closed the Dark Lord was once again, asleep.