Star Wars: Power of the Dark Side

Star Wars: Power of the Darkside
Chapter X: Paths of Darkness

The rain had come quickly and it had come hard. Twilight felt the harsh droplets cascade off of her hood, deep controlled breaths leaving her muzzle as she focused on one thing and one thing only. She needed to find a safe place to put the holocron so she could learn what Venator had to say.

While she agreed to learn, she was slow to trust. This very harsh and very skeptical pony was making a lot of claims and backed up none of it with cold hard facts. He had claimed that this holocron chose her to find it. He claimed that she had this secret power beneath her. And he claimed that it alone could aid in the protection of Equestria. Somehow, these things never really brought much comfort to Twilight. Even after she pondered what he had said. Then again, his degrading and deep tone echoed in her mind as he stood there and said that she was nothing special and he could find another with equal power to take her place.

She swallowed hard at what he had said, never before had somepony issued such harsh feelings towards her. Twilight supposed that it did not even morally affect him. He merely stated that she was insignificant and moved on. The comment had struck her harder than it should have. Usually those of ponies who saw potential in her supported her and guided her. While he was right, it did not feel right.

Twilight sighed at the memory and said to herself, "Well I guess that somepony who has slept for over a thousand years is not exactly going to accept me with open hooves."

The streets were cleared quickly before the storm had rushed in. Nothing that caught Ponyville off guard, it was just a late shower that should have occurred hours ago. The street market that usually set up shop at this time of day was left barren and empty, which was a shame. The empty booths sat ominously in the cold rain.

The autumn air mixed with the cold droplets and shivered her down to the bone. The fully body shiver reminding her of the holocron that was pressed against her body underneath her wing. It was not cold and it was not scalding hot. It merely lied dormant. It hummed with no power and nor did it pulsate. It simply, existed underneath her wing. For this she was glad, the last time she encountered one of her friends in the streets it was not much of a conversation. It was more of a one sided conversation as the only thing that was on her mind was to get the holocron home.

Her mind wandered back to the conversation she had beforehoof with her new master,

"To begin the first lesson we must first find a more secure place to continue. I fear that their eyes are everywhere."

While she bought well into his paranoia, she could not help but feel eyes on her as well. She glanced over her shoulder at the slightest sound and scanned the rest of her surroundings just to see if there was anypony there.

Nothing. Every time there was nothing, nothing but barren damp streets. She knew that likely nopony was going to jump out and immediately question why she had the holocron and what she intended to do with it. She pulled her robe closer and tighter around her, bringing a small measure of comfort to her. At this point, she was willing to get all the comfort she could get.

Twilight walked past the vacant street market and stopped in her tracks as she saw something rather peculiar. There on the end of the square she saw Carousel Boutique, though it was not as it should have been. The doors were closed and the lights were out. She had to squint her eyes but she could just barely make out the sign that was flipped over to closed. Twilight raised an eyebrow, "That's odd. It's only three o'clock she doesn't close up until six or seven."

It was very odd for her to do, as she is paid little as it is, she could use every bit she could scrounge up. It always gladdened Twilight to know that her friend never asked for money but would not hesitate if one of her friends asked. Twilight continued on, wandering down the road to her destination.

Twilight left Spike to look after the castle, telling him that the artifact would require a re-evaluation of the point of its origins. Twilight kept it a secret of where she had gotten the holocron and after a discussion of why he needs to stay, she decided that she would need to head back to the castle. If there was one place that held any form of answers it was that place. It would as well bring some measure of solace to her, a crumbling fortress of solitude where she can learn the ways of the Sith in peace.

"Hey Twi! Look out!" She turned and saw a streak of rainbow falling faster than sound itself hurdling towards her. In a blink of an eye she teleported out of existence and back into existence a few feet away and quickly planted her hooves hard on the damp mud road. She nearly keeled over and lost the grip she had on the holocron. She clenched her wings tight and the holocron remained unmoved. She blew out a sigh of measured relief.

With a crash, some mud kicked up and small debris landed on Twilight's robe, closing en eye to prevent any from entering it. She saw Rainbow Dash lying in a tired heap on the ground. She was damp both from the rain and from some sweat that found its way to her brow. The cyan pegasus shook her head and flicked water in all directions around her, standing up. For a normal pony that would have been fatal. Perhaps few broken ribs or a sprained wing, but Rainbow Dash was made of sterner stuff and had done something like this many times before, rendering her invulnerable to most of such accidents.

She flexed her wings clearing them of splatters of mud, and dusted off her hooves as she looked to her studious friend and greeted, "Hey Twi! Haven't seen you in a while."

Twilight smiled, "All of about an entire night."

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Yeah well it feels like a long time."

There was a small amount of silence between them, a little bit of unease rose within Twilight. Rainbow Dash eyed her like she was going to reveal something within Twilight, or notice what she was carrying under her wing. She prayed to the stars that she didn't. Twilight commented, breaking the silence, "Quite the downpour?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged, a normal sly look on her face, "Yeah well, it's the first rain of the season, so that's expected. We are a little early this year however."

Twilight was about to say something when Rainbow Dash spoke again, "That reminds me, have you seen Pinkie Pie or Rarity?"

Twilight answered truthfully, "Well...I ran into Rarity on my way back to my home but other than that...no, I have not seen them since the party."

She crooked an eyebrow, "Why?"

Rainbow Dash moved her gaze away and answered, "I don't know...I just feel like something's wrong...they both left kind of suddenly. Did Rarity seem odd when you saw her last?"

Twilight thought back to her encounter with the white unicorn, she noticed something slightly off but it was nothing stark. Twilight answered with a shrug, "No."

Rainbow pondered for a second before she shrugged and her normal look returning about her, her gaze going back over to Twilight, "Well, anyways, where are you headed off to?"

Twilight swallowed hard, her gaze unmoving from her friend. She could tell her the truth, she was her friend. She had a right to know as one of her best friends. But her mind told her not to, her master's voice reminding her,

"You will be hunted for what you are. From this moment on, I am the only one that you trust. There exists on both sides of the force, fanatics who will lead you astray."

Twilight's deep paranoia began to settle in. What if Rainbow Dash was a repressed Sith? What if she was an agent of this Light Side? What if all of her friends were? She could not be too careful, in order for her to continue she needed to tread lightly. She had to tell Rainbow Dash a well fabricated lie, something that would imply that she needed to be alone. After she thought of what she would say, she repeated it out loud, "I am heading over to Zecora's for a lesson about Zebra history and language."

Rainbow Dash groaned, as if she wanted to tag along, "Ugh! That sounds so boring. Well...I have to get back to my-"

"Recruit Rainbow Dash!" A voice rang out above the rain. Rainbow Dash turned and faced the source of the powerful voice, he was dressed in the uniform of the Wonderbolts. He was large and his mane buzzed out to a flat top.

Rainbow Dash turned and waved, "I'll see you later Twi!"

Twilight simply waved back and scampered off, a brisk pace to her steps. Her ears perked as she listened in closely before she left earshot, she only made out this sentence before she reached too far away, "You have been issued an order as a stand in for Spitfire while she is currently-" The rest was cut off as she got too far away to hear anymore of the conversation.

She occasionally glanced back, her eyes unwavering from the path before her. The wild evergreen trees not too far from where she is now, a mere few feet before she would be engulfed by the forest itself. Her ears perked up, however at a strange sound. Thunder crashing against each other and cries of battle. Against the endless beating of rain and crashing thunder.

She looked over and saw a sight that caused her mouth to drop. There, about a mile away was a pony but was covered in a dark ebony robe. And five others. They held in their hooves glowing weapons that clashed together, making the horrifying and deafening crash. The others were dressed in long white robes with gold. Twilight could not make out their faces but this was not why her mouth was agape in horror. Her mouth was agape with horror because this was not a fight, this was a massacre.

The black robed figure was taking on all five of them and was winning. The strikes of the black robed one was brutal and large wide arcs. She watched in horror as the single figure brought down one and then another both in rapid succession. She watched in horror and heard in her mind the voice of her master, "Yes...I can feel the dark side prominently in that one. She is a wielder of the dark side."

She felt a swell of emotions rise within her, she felt anxiety and heartache as she saw ponies fight each other. But morbid curiosity found its way stronger than all the other emotions. This, this was what she would do. This is what she had to do if she was to learn the ways of the dark side. She felt emptiness as she gazed on at the massacre. She watched as the last were beat down and given no mercy or any sliver of fellow recognition. There was hate. There was anger. And there was blood. Washed away quickly by the storm, but it was there.

Her stomach jerked as she lowered her head, she could smell the wafting scent of burning pony flesh. The contents of her stomach attempted to come out but Twilight beat down the feeling and swallowed her breakfast and lunch from coming back up. A full body shiver ran through her, she looked back up and saw only the black robed figure. Twilight could tell, from this distance that figure could have done away with the other figures quickly and silently. But that figure savored the screams and the cries of fear.

Twilight backpedaled and muttered, "No...this...this isn't what I-"

The figure jerked its head in her direction, and faster than when the figure turned she let go of her hooves and she fell to the ground. She did not want to be seen, out of fear of what the figure would do. Her mind raced with the sick twisted possibilities. Causing her stomach to churn and gargle painfully.

As if he was reading her thoughts and feelings, her master barked at her,"Silence you fool! Do not speak or feel any manner of emotion! She can sense your fear and your anxiety."

If she had talked out right she would have held a shaky tone as she responded to her master in her head, "Practitioners of the dark side can do that?"

Venator answered swiftly, "All wielders of the Force can sense other users. But the Sith are exceptionally good at sensing emotions of all creatures. You need not worry about her sensing you as a Force User, you have not converted over yet. But you still feel emotions. Calm yourself, and you will not have a confrontation with this powerful wielder of the dark side."

Twilight closed her eyes and thought of warm memories and thoughts, her breathing starting so slow and became less ragged. She thought of her friends and being within their company, she thought of a warm picnic. On the hill just outside of Ponyville, everypony in light hearted spirits-

"That includes love and remembrance. Clear your mind, blank it out and think of nothing but the cold void."

"Okay, I will." Taking a deep breath all of her thoughts cleared, controlling her breathing. She envisioned nothing, she thought of herself as being invisible in a cold blanket of darkness. She heard a gentle rustle of grass against hooves not far from her, a few feet if she was correct. She remained still, laying down in the dirt. The cold earth bringing no measure of comfort towards her, the rapid rustle of grass against her. She focused on the cold heart of the void. Her breathing slowing almost to a complete and utter stop. Where her mind should have rushed with spells of all kinds, it was filled with nothing. She knew the situation did not call for magic. She knew the properties of magic would merely repel from this wielder of the dark side.

She could hear the breathing of the pony, merely a few feet away. She beat down the feeling of fear and anxiety, she beat it down deep inside of her. She clenched her eyes closer, her body feeling a cold wave move over the hairs all over her. At the moment nothing mattered but one thing: Her survival.

A grovel voice rang out in the cold rain, "Where did you go, Sith'ari?"

It sounded familiar, but before Twilight could think about it, another voice joined and this one she knew with distinctness, "Darth Mortis, what is it?"

To her solemn disbelief it was...Fluttershy. But it sounded more confident than she normally was. The long known shy and secluded Fluttershy was replaced with an almost jovial tone. What was Fluttershy doing?

The grave tone answered, "I thought...never mind. I trust that you took care of the others?"

A shiver ran up Twilight's spine as Fluttershy answered, "Turned out to be a very good day for Edun. He had two dinners."

Twilight held her emotions as her hearing became incoherent. The innocent and lighthearted Fluttershy, how could she say such a thing as taking a life? And with such boastfulness? Something was horribly wrong.

Before she rose in a state of confusion, she waited until she heard the pair of hooves walk off from where they once stood. No more than a few feet. Twilight stood up and watched the back of their heads as they wandered off. Twilight shook her head, fixating on Fluttershy. She shook her head and opened her wings, the holocron fell out and she swiftly caught it with her hoof and stared at the red artifact.

Her mind was never more clear. She replaced paranoia with a fixated acceptance of the truth. This revelation sang volumes within her. Truly, who else is she capable of trusting? How long was Fluttershy lying to her? And when would she have found out? If she ever found out. Her heart was struck by something, something cold and she let it weave around her heart. What was the truth was what she held in her hoof. Venator was truly the only one she could trust now.

She burst into the sky and sailed towards the castle that lied within the heart of the Everfree Forest. Her destination in sight. A tear escaped her eye as she raced through the rain, her anger and saddened teardrop joining the rain. To be forever forgotten.

Solinara never felt more clear in all of her life, she never felt more herself in ages. The memories of her forgotten conquests ever present in her mind. Both with joy and cold hearted bitterness. The old Solinara died a thousand years ago. She was nothing but a warmonger back then, now she needed to remember her place as an immortal and as the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order.

She blew out a calmed and controlled breath through her mouth. Meditating on everything that has transpired thus far. Peace calming her mind and the only thing stark within her blank brain were the words,

"There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force."

Her meditation was interrupted by the familiar sarcastic tone of her sister, Lunara said, "Now here is a sight I thought I never would see."

Solinara opened her eyes and calmly she unfolded her hooves and stood tall in the room. There was a significant lack of light, enough that the edges of the room were incoherent to anypony but she knew what lied behind the veil of darkness. Solinara turned and her sister continued, "There is just something that I could not understand."

Solinara knit an eyebrow and Lunara asked, "If you knew about Darth Mortis, then how did the Elements of Harmony work?"

Solinara smirked as she gave her explanation, "You forget that the Force and Magic are two completely different things. With magic you can just manipulate it, shape it into what you want it to be. With the Force, it manipulates you and molds you into what it wants. Two completely different things. The Elements of Harmony are no different, while I knew the facade that was in place the Elements of Harmony detected no dissonance within Master Adamas or Darth Mortis."

Eying her lightsabers, Lunara nodded quizzically, "Then why did you not be rid of the Sith Lord?"

Solinara pondered the question before she answered, it was quite simple and something that she knew even before she put up the wall between Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Solinara answered, squaring her shoulders, "Because, she is pivotal in the Sith'ari's training. To learn that even the bonds of friendship can shake and crack. And in very rare cases, it can fall apart."