Star Wars: Power of the Dark Side
Chapter XXIV: The Unforgiven

"Twilight...are you...okay?" Spike asked, his words held considerable apprehension to them. A slight hint of fear in his voice. While it was understandable, it was ill placed.

Twilight answered, "I am...better than when you last had seen me. I am more."

Spike stepped closer slightly out of fear but also curiosity, "More? More of what?"

Twilight raised one of her forehooves and inspected the light blue bracer of steel on it, "More of everything. My real destiny had revealed itself in the last month that I have been gone."

Spike harped, "Twilight, that's just it. You were gone for a month, maybe more. You left me alone, and your excuse is that your true destiny revealed itself? What does that even mean?"

Twilight sighed, a level of benevolence took over her voice and caused a tonal change, "I am sorry. You are young, I cannot expect you to understand what destiny is and how much control it has over a pony. I am different now, and much to my dismay and likely yours I will be spending a little more time away."

"Doing what!?" Spike snapped, "What is more important than staying here?"

Twilight offered no physical response and connected eyes to the young dragonling. His eyes shimmered, like a a layer of dew was in his bright green eyes. Spike stood defiant in front of Vesper. Now Dark Lord of the Sith, stood taller. Not that she had gained a few more inches but held herself taller. Her cloak rested easily on her shoulders. Her hooves folded behind her back and she answered her number one assistant, "Equestria is hanging on the edge of a knife. I never knew this until now. Look around next time and look into the eyes of the ponies that pass you by. They will look at you with either disdain or pity, pity fornot choosing a side. They will wear colours close to their own side. It did not take long for the loyalists and the separatists to divide the country. But needless to say, there is now an inward conflict between the subjects of the princesses."

She knelt in front of him and continued, "I need you to remain here. Keep track of the place while I am gone. And never choose a side. Remain neutral as long as you can and until I return for you."

Spike sniffled, barely able to hold back the tears, "But...I...I want you here."

She pulled him in close and muttered, "I'm sorry I can't. Not while Equestria is still in danger from itself. If what I think is true, we will soon need to look past idle hatreds and fight a much greater threat. I'll be as swift as I can, I promise."

Hot tears streamed from his eyes as he clutched her cloak and stuttered, "Come back soon."

Vesper answered, "I will. Be safe."

They stopped their hug and Vesper ordered, "I need you to wait upstairs and do not come down under any circumstances."

He wanted to offer a rebuttal but she issued a look that silenced any attempt at starting an argument. He retreated upstairs and Vesper breathed calmly, for now. She could sense her, even now, on her way. How, she had no idea. She just knew that she was on her way. Her patience was ready and she stood and was waiting for her teacher. Not in fear, but in anticipation.

She was here, and as she opened the door to the library, Vesper growled, "Are you here to tell me that what I am doing is wrong? To scorn me like you would when I was a filly?"

Celestia swallowed hard and said, "Twilight, you-"

"Because I am not your student anymore," Twilight interrupted, "I am not the same eager bookworm that you took in at a young age."

"Then where is my student?" Celestia barked.

Twilight turned, hovering the holocron in her hoof, "She is standing before you. It's just your perspective that has changed."

Her gaze narrowed and Celestia felt her iron gaze. She shrunk very slightly, but she remained standing. Adamant in her short sighted ways. Twilight knew that her teacher would react like this, Twilight knew her too well. Now, whether or not Celestia would do anything to stop her was another thing. Celestia shook her head idly, "You don't know the power that you hold."

Twilight looked at her lightsaber and said, "What I hold in my hoof is the power to bring unity to all of Equestria. You think that just because you have friendship, that you can make change and keep the whole land peaceful. Let me tell you something, when the land settles the Gods throw a stone at it. And they are winding up."

Celestia stepped with defiance, "So your solution is total annihilation?"

Twilight stared at her former teacher and said, "No. Using a power to protect Equestria, not secret it away and wait for our end to come. If you do that you risk more Equestrian lives."

"I've gone down the path of total control and it was paved with piles upon piles of bodies," Celestia stepped closer, "Especially if you follow the path you are leading."

"Your arbitrary views cannot sway me," Twilight backpedaled and snapped, "You think that just because I wield the dark side that I am branded evil and a traitor of the country?"

"Put the crystal down Twilight." A new voice joined and it was Luna's. She was dressed in the garb of heretics as well. With a dressed apprentice. All of them dressed in robes and Jedi garb. Anger welled within Twilight and the Kaiburr crystal felt this, it bonded with her rage and she felt a greater connection to the dark side.

Twilight shook her head and breathed, her voice at an increased volume, "Have you all come to stop me as well? If you look past your narrow minded ways then you will see that we are on the same side. This was the exact reason why the Dark Blessing was created. For unity amongst both sides of the force."

Celestia grabbed one of her lightsabers and ignited the blade, Luna raised her hoof and said, "Lower your weapon, we did not come here for conflict. We merely came to talk."

Twilight narrowed her gaze on her once respected fellow princess, "Then why have you brought your lightsaber? You preach that you are a peacekeeper and no peacemaker but you must realize that there is no no difference. You are only an instrument of war."

The dark side grew within her as they fed from one another. Crackling across her hoof she felt the dark side give her powers the likes of which have never been comprehended before. But she knew that she could not feed from it forever. From the drained energy of the devoid holocron and raised her hoof above her head, "You will all see, that there is no difference between good or evil, we are both practitioners of evil."

She made the final connection, allowing the crystal fully to immerse her mind in its forgotten and ancient knowledge.

Her knowledge increased a thousandfold of the Force and its capabilities as it touched her force powers and absorbed into her. Both dark and light. A cruel smile rose on her face as she recited, her eyes changing to a harsh red orange tint, "Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Throught strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, My chains are broken..."

The last line was held back as her entire forehoof crackled with force lightning. Before flicking it towards the Jedi she finished with a smile, "...the Force shall set me free."

Exploding from her outstretched hoof a blast of force lightning burst from her hoof and shot towards the Jedi. Most dodged out of the way, the wave crashing and tongues of lightning leaping out and tried to attack the unsuspecting Jedi.

Celestia fell to the left and raised all two of her lightsabers, the blue and purple sabers absorbing the blow. The unnamed apprentice flourished her doublebladed lightsaber and a force shield threw up and guarded both her and Luna behind her. She dug her hooves into the ground as she almost faltered under the sheer force of the explosion.

The crystal thrummed with power and Twilight spoke her final words as she opened her wings and lifted off, wind briefly rustling her Sith robes, "The die is cast, and I now know my enemies."

Her gaze fell to the stunned Jedi as she looked at each of them, most carrying a pleading face. Twilight remained adamant and said, "Do not expect me to be as merciful as I was today. Follow me or stop me and I will kill you."

She burst into the sky and smashed through the roof. She left behind everything as she burst through the ceiling and soared through the air the Twilight they knew died. She was Twilight no longer, she was now and forever Darth Vesper. She will prepare Equestria for what is coming. She does not care who will stand in her way or who tries to stop her, all who do will feel the power of the dark side.

However, she could not do this alone. She needed allies if she is to continue. This meant siding with the heretics that garner the mantle of Dark Lords of the Sith. But she as well had the help of her best friend, Rarity. She lowered as she knew that she was miles away from Ponyville. A splitting headache rippled across her head and she clenched at the pain, it rose and culminated as she felt her mind being split apart. She started picking up speed as she flew faster towards the north and she felt her muscles seize at a sudden gripping power. Her wings stopped beating and she began to plummet towards the earth.

Closer and closer she fell, she reached out with her magic and the quick switch allowed her magic to take hold but her muscles were still immobile and paralyzed. She activated a shield around her as she crashed into the ground. Skidding across the earth, the bombardment she was feeling on her shield became too much and in the final skid she was buried by kicked up snow and her muscles began to feel once more.

She looked up into the sky through narrow eyes and the dark grey sky drifted snowflakes. They fell down softly and every muscle and bone in her body ached and burned in pain. She used all of the strength she had left to keep herself awake and after a few seconds of being defiant against the pain she felt her eyes drift shut. Unconsciousness taking hold of her. Before she let the darkness take hold of her in its cold embrace she heard in the back of her mind,

You are not permitted to cease yet, Sith'ari...

Author's Note

This was a great ride you guys. And I hope that you guys enjoyed this while it lasted, I have plans for a sequel so keep an eye out for that, as Vesper starts her quest to find the remaining two Kaiburr Crystals. Thank you all so much