Star Wars: Apprentice Displacedby Fullmetal_PonyChaptersIntroChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3IntroWatch video for oping crawl or read below. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. STAR WARS APPRENTICE DISPLACED It is a time of turmoil and conflict. The Republic and The Sith Empire though technically at pace, still vie for control over the galaxy, while The Jedi and Sith continue their struggle to purge the galaxy of the other. Santhal apprentice to Darth Malgus and his companion Salk have been sent on a mission to explore an uncharted region of space to seek out new conquests for The Empire. Unbeknownst to Santhal, what seems like a simple mission may prove to be more life altering then he ever could have imagined…. Chapter 1Santhal was piloting his Fury-class Imperial Interceptor with his co-pilot Salk traveling through hyperspace toward the unknown. “We’re almost there, coming out of hyperspace in a few moments,” said Santhal. “What do you think we might find?” “Could be anything. This system could contain nothing but wasteland worlds or highly advanced civilizations…we’re here coming out of hyperspace in three, two, one.” His ship came out of hyperspace and was heading straight toward a large, “Asteroid!” “I see it taking evasive maneuvers!” They managed to dodge it but then they found themselves entering an asteroid field. They navigated through the asteroid field having a few close calls along the way. Just before they cleared it they were struck by one of the asteroids. The lights and sirens in the cockpit were set off. “Damage report!” “Unknown, the controls are going haywire so I’d say pretty bad!” “Damn, that’s just great! We’re lightyears away from a civilized system!” “Look, are only hope is to head for that nearby planet!” “Doesn’t look like we much choice, let’s just hope it’s habitable.” Santhal did his best to steer the ship in the direction of the planet. Moments later they entered the atmosphere. It was a warm sunny day in Ponyville. Princess Twilight sat on her castle’s balcony reading a book. She looked up momentarily to take in her surroundings. She saw there wasn’t a cloud in the sky but she did see something. She looked through her telescope to get a closer look and saw something she had never seen before. It looked like some kind of metal contraption falling out of the sky. Then she realized it was heading straight for her. “SPIKE!” Twilight ran inside to find Spike and hopefully get them both out of harm’s way before whatever it was impacted. As it got closer the residents of Ponyville took notice of it too and panic began to spread through the streets. “We’re coming in too hot! Extend the flaps and drag fins!” “The controls aren’t responding!” Then a town came into view and it looked like they were heading straight for some kind of crystalline structure. “Brace for impact!” Santhal tried to pull up as much as he could and just managed to clear the castle before impacting on the ground skidding a few yards and coming to rest a little ways away from the castle. (Moments earlier) Twilight franticly searched the castle for Spike teleporting from room to room. She checked the throne room, the library, the kitchen, and finally (the first palace she should have looked) her bedroom. Sure enough she found him napping. “Spike! Wake up!” she said while shaking him. “Who, what, where. Twilight what’s going on?” “No time to explain, we have to get out of here before-” *BOOM* Just then a shockwave shook the castle. “Twilight what was that?” “We have to get outside.” She then teleported them in front of the castle and they saw the wrecked spacecraft off to the right. A crowd of ponies where staring to make their way over to it. “Spike go back inside and send a letter to Celestia. Tell her that she needs to come to ponyville immediately.” “Right.” The crowd stopped a short ways away from the wreck, too afraid to get any closer. Twilight flew to the front of the crowd and wondered what to do next. Santhal briefly blacked out but then began to stir. He was in a great amount of pain with some bumps and bruises, and he figured there had to be some internal injuries as well. He took out a medpac and injected himself to start the healing process. Santhal then did his best to get up and checked on Salk. No pulse. Santhal didn’t have time to worry about that right now. He had to get off his ship and hopefully find help. It hurt just to move as he made his way through the ship. He reached the exit and tried to open the hatch but nothing happened. He then hit the controls with his fist, the hatch opened and the ramp lowered. He stumbled off the ship and fell forward to the ground. Looking up his vision was starting to blur but he could make out what he believed to be lifeforms all around him, then he blacked out. Santhal awoke with a start and took a few deep breaths. He then took in his surroundings and noticed the walls and ceiling were made of some kind of crystal, then noticed he was almost completely naked with bandages on various parts of his body, and that he wasn’t alone. “Where am I? And who and what are you?” “Hello, my name is Dr. Hooves. I am a pony and this is Princess Twilight’s Castle in the town of Ponyville. We didn’t know the extent of your injuries so we thought it best not to move you very far and the hospital is on the other side of town. You’ve been out for almost a day.” “And where are my robes and belongings?” The doctor pointed to the corner of the room and indeed there were his robes, armor, and other effects. Santhal began to get up but he was still a bit sore. “You shouldn’t be moving in your condition.” “I’m fine and I’ll be even better in a moment.” Santhal went over to his belongings and injected himself with another medpac. “There I should be good as new in no time.” He then dressed himself and gathered his things. “The princess wanted to meet with you once you were up and about.” “I take it they are the rulers of this world.” “They are the rulers of the nation of Equestria.” Interesting, this world has more than one governing body. This must be a primitive world indeed. This is not good. “Very well I will meet them.” “They’re waiting for you in the dining hall. Right this way.” They made their way through the halls of the castle. Santhal was amazed at the crystal architecture all around him. It looked like it was made out of a solid piece of crystal. He couldn’t imagine how they pulled off such a feat. When they arrived there were two guards at the doors to the dining hall. Dr. Hooves took his leave and the guards let Santhal pass. He pushed the doors open and the guards followed behind him. He saw some more of these pony creatures and some other creature sitting at a long table in the center of the room. They were a variety of colors. Some had horns, some had wings, some had none, and some had both. All eyes turned to him and he approached the end of the table and introduced himself. “Greetings, my name is Santhal and I am human.” “Hello Santhal, my name is Princess Celestia and I am a pony. This is my sister Princess Luna. My niece Princess Cadence and her husband Shining Armor. My former student Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Spike the dragon.” “Now that introductions are out of the way we can get down to business. I take it I’m the first being you’ve encountered from beyond this world.” “That is correct and we have a great many questions for you.” “As do I and I’ll be happy to answer them so long as you are willing to answer mine.” “Sounds fair.” Twilight levitated a scroll out of the bag next to her seat. “I took the liberty of writing up a few questions ahead of time.” She then looked over and saw Santhal staring at her. “You alright?” He blinked a few times and everted his eyes. “Forgive me I don’t mean to stare it’s just I’ve never seen the Force manifest itself in such a way.” “The Force, you mean my magic.” “What you call magic I call the Force.” “What is this Force you speak of?” “The Force is everywhere. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It’s what binds all living things in the galaxy together. Those who are Force sensitive can wield its power and bend it to their will. Allow me to demonstrate.” Santhal closed his eyes and concentrated. Then the two guards and the long table began to rise into the air. There was no aura, no nothing. After a moment he lowered them back to the ground. “Impressive.” “That was nothing compared to the true power I can wield. Now you may be ponies but do you have different classifications for those that have horns, wings, etc.” “Yes, I am an alicorn. Rarity is a unicorn, Rainbow Dash is a pegasus, and Applejack is an earth pony,” said Celestia. “Good to know.” “I’ve been wondering, what are those?” said Twilight while pointing at his waist. “You mean my lightsabers. They are my weapons.” “They don’t look like weapons.” Santhal drew one of his sabers and activated it. “A lightsaber projects a beam of energy that can cut through just about anything.” He then spun around and cut the tops off the guard’s spears leaving nothing but smoldering tips behind, then put it away leaving everypony surprised at just how effortlessly it cut through them. “It is the weapon of choice among Sith and Jedi alike.” “What are Sith and Jedi.” “It’s apparent that we’re going to be here a while so I might as well have a seat.” He then sat at the end of the table. “To begin with the galaxy is divided into two entities, The Republic and The Sith Empire.” “The whole galaxy!” “Well most of it anyway. The Jedi serve The Republic and The Sith the Empire. I am Sith, a Sith Warrior to be exact. We Sith draw our power from our passions, our emotions. Emotions such as fear, anger, and hatred.” “That’s dark magic.” “Well it is called the Dark Side of the Force. I take it you know of such a power.” “Yes but the practice is forbidden.” said Celestia. Rainbow Dash decided to get up and hoover in front of him. “So I take it you’re some kind bad guy then.” “What makes you say that?” “Only evil dudes use dark powers.” “Is that so.” “Yeah and we’ve dealt with plenty of them in the past so don’t think we can’t beat you too.” Santhal crossed his arms and stared her down. “Are you threating me? Be careful Rainbow Dash, you know not the true power the dark side offers. I can strike you down with a single blow.” “Try it,” she said inches away from his face. “Rainbow!” said Twilight while gripping Rainbow in her magic. Twilight then pulled Rainbow over to her. “The last thing we need right now is you stirring up trouble, now take your seat.” “Fine.” She then sat back down in her seat. “I apologize for my friend’s behavior, please continue.” “As I was saying the galaxy is divided in two at the moment, I’ll start with The Republic. The Republic was born over 20,000 years ago and has continued to expand and stretch its influence until it become the dominate power in the galaxy. It has stayed that way for millennia. The Jedi have been around even longer and have been the so-called peacekeepers of The Republic almost since its founding. Then a few thousand years ago (7003 BBY) a group of fallen Jedi were banished by their order from known space. But these fallen Jedi discovered Korriban home world of the Sith people who were unusually Force sensitive. Eventually Sith become the term or anyone who used the Dark Side of the Force and The Sith Empire was born. The Empire developed and expanded in complete isolation for two millennia until it rediscovered the Republic and sparked The Great Hyperspace War (5,000 BBY). The war ended with The Sith Empire defeated and what remained fled to the unknown regions. There a new Sith Empire was established on Dromund Kaas the new capital of The Empire. After over a thousand years The Empire was ready to invade The Republic staring with the retaking of Korriban. It came to be known as The Great Galactic War (3681-3653 BBY). It lasted twenty eight years until a treaty was signed which made The Republic recognize The Empire as the legitimate ruler of half the galaxy. The Empire is at an uneasy pace with The Republic now but it’s only a matter of time in my opinion before war sparks again and when that happens The Republic will be crushed once and for all and The Empire will rule the whole galaxy.” “That’s incredible!” said Cadence. “I know. I never imagined that such large scale conflicts were even possible. How do you manage to travel through the galaxy?” said Twilight. “Most ships are equipped with hyperdrives which allow them to travel at the speed of light.” “The speed of…that’s impossible.” “Oh it’s possible alright.” “So tell us more about these Jedi,” said Luna. “As I said they claim to be the guardians of peace and justice but they are nothing more than dogs of The Republic. At the beck and call of a corrupt institution to do their dirty work. We Sith are the bringers of order to a galaxy gripped in chaos. Those that do not join us are conquered, destroyed, or enslaved.” “So I take it your people use fear and intimidation to get their way,” said Celestia with a disapproving look. “More often than I care to emit, but I personally prefer to take a more diplomatic approach first.” “And you have slavery where you come from.” “Yes we do but I never fully agreed with it. To be honest I never fully embraced the Sith’s philosophy either. I was always more interested in tinkering with technology then becoming a better Sith.” “So why join them in the first place?” said Applejack. “I never had a choice in the matter. When someone is determined to be Force sensitive they are taken at a very young age away from their family and trained to be a Sith or Jedi.” “That’s not very nice,” said Fluttershy. “No it’s not. But at least we are better than our Jedi counterparts. For we embrace our passions and emotions where they try to devoid themselves of such things. They believe that even positive emotions such as love can lead them down a darker path. Romance and attachments are forbidden for a Jedi less they be expelled from their order.” “Hmmm so Santhal what brings you to Equestria?” said Celestia. “I was sent on a mission to explore this uncharted region of space. When I arrived I flew into an asteroid field. My ship was hit and I was forced to make a crash landing on this planet. Wait my ship, damn I completely forgot about it. I need to assess the damage and see if it’s salvageable, and also see to my companion.” “Your companion?” said Twilight. “Yes, my friend died in the crash. I will see to it he receives a proper funeral. Has no one been inside my ship?” “We thought it best to not let anypony go near it for their own safety,” said Celestia. “Very good.” Santhal then got up and started to leave. “Anything we can do to help?” “If you really want to help you can start gathering wood. I shall build a funeral pyre.” Chapter 2Santhal made his way through his ship. He had more time to look around and there was damage ranging from burst pipes to sparking wires on the walls and ceiling. But he could do a proper inspection later, right now he had to retrieve Salk. He made it to the cockpit, picked up Salk’s body, and carried him out. Once outside Santhal laid him on the ground then took Salk’s pistol and a few other things he was going to need. A few minutes later the others returned with the wood and he built the pyre. Once it was done he put Salk on it and lit the fire. “Goodbye my friend.” “You two were real close weren’t you?” said Twilight. “Yes we were and have been on many adventures together,” he said in a soft voice. “How did you meet him?” “He was a gift from my master. Technically he was my slave though I never treated him like one. He was my friend first.” “You mentioned a master.” “Yes, I am the apprentice to The Sith Lord Darth Malgus. A fierce warrior and talented dualist, he is a powerful Sith. I feel lucky to be his student. Although he solves most of his problems with brute force he is a man of principle and has a sense of honor, something that’s becoming more of a rarity among my fellow Sith these days.” “What is that?” she said while again pointing to his waist. “This was Salk’s blaster pistol. It shoots a lethal energy projectile at a high rate of speed.” “Oh, ok.” Santhal and the others stayed silent for some time as the pyre burned. He decided to inspect his ship in the meantime and discovered that the hyperdrive was shot. He was going nowhere anytime soon. But he did find his speeder had survived the crash, he might need that later. Santhal exited the ship and noticed it was getting late. “Maybe we should head inside and have dinner,” said Cadence. “That sounds fine. I haven’t eaten anything since before I got here. Besides I still have questions for you all which we can discuss during.” The fire was dyeing down and mostly ashes remained. The group headed back inside and retook their seats in the dining hall. Celestia had summoned the Canterlot Castle chefs the other day and they prepared their meal. The food was brought out which consisted of a veggie salad and a plate of assorted flower. The dragon got an assortment of gems. Santhal looked at his meal with a questioning eye. “Guess I should have asked what was on the menu. I take it you ponies are herbivores.” “Yes we are. What about you?” said Celestia. “I am an omnivore, so I can eat both veggies and meat but these flowers I’m going to have to pass on. I’ll just stick with the salad for now. I did a quick inspection of my ship and it seems my hyperdrive is damaged beyond repair so it looks like I’m stuck here for a while. But now I’d like to hear more about you all and your roles in this land. I take it Celestia that you and your sister are the primary monarchs of this nation.” “That is correct. I raise and lower the sun while Luna handles the moon.” Santhal just stared for a few seconds and then started to chuckle. “That’s impossible. I’ve been from one end of the galaxy to the other and no being has that kind of power. You honestly expect me to believe you two can move the celestial bodies.” “Yes.” “That I’d have to see to believe.” “Very well, look out the window and tell me what you see.” “I see the sun in a setting position.” “Good, now keep looking.” Celestia lit her horn and the sun slowly moved up instead of down. “That’s not poss…incredible.” He didn’t know if she was actually moving the sun or merely rotating the planet but either way it was impressive. “You alicorns must be the most powerful Force users in the galaxy. Tell me more.” The princesses told him about their immortality, the element bearers, the history of Equestria, the various villains they’ve encountered, and their magic among other things. “That’s quite a history and you can use the force in ways we never thought possible, though I’m surprised that only those with horns can tap into its power. Also this land sounds entirely too peaceful to me, I’m used to conflict, war, and death.” “So I take it you’ve had to take life before,” said Luna. “I’ve killed my fair share of Jedi and Republic troops throughout my career.” There was a short awkward silence for a moment. “Sooo Santhal are you stuck here permanently?” said Twilight. “I hope not. I can’t send a distress beacon which means I’ll have to wait until I’m declared over due to report in and have them send a party to investigate what happened to me, but that could take mouths. One lost apprentice isn’t very high on The Empire’s list of priorities so I’m going to need a place to stay.” “You’re welcome to stay here in the castle.” “Thank you Twilight, that’s very hospitable of you. I shouldn’t be too far away from my ship anyway.” “So what’s going to happen when your people come for you?” said Celestia. “Hmm you’re worried about the fate of your people. So long as we stay on good terms you should have nothing to worry about.” Celestia wasn’t completely satisfied with that answer but decided to let it slide, for now anyways. Done with his meal Santhal got up and took a seat against the wall crossing his legs in. “Darling what are you doing?” “I’m going to meditate for a while, to clear my mind and become one with the force. But by all means continue to converse among yourselves.” Santhal sat there for a while not moving an inch. Then he got a pained expression on his face, moments later his eyes shot open and took several deep breaths. The others took notice. “You ok there partner?” “I had a vision, a glimpse into the future. It happens sometimes when one has a strong connection with the Force, though I’m not quite sure what I saw means.” “What did you see?” said Twilight. “I saw what looked like a heart made of some kind of crystal, it was smooth and pristine.” “The Crystal Heart!” said Cadence. “That must be it. Maybe you’ll understand what I saw then. The heart then turned rough and black as if it was being poisoned and those eyes, those red and green eyes with purple mist emanating from them. That’s all I saw.” “Sombra! He’s back and going to make a move on The Crystal Empire. Do you know when this could come to pass?” said Celestia. “No, but visions usually pertain to the immediate future.” “Then we have to get to The Crystal Empire immediately and prepare our defenses!” said Shining. “I’m coming too. From what you told me this Sombra fellow is the only practitioner of the dark side around. I would like to meet and test my mettle against him.” “Very well you can come,” said Celestia. The group made their way to the train and it left the station bound for The Crystal Empire. Chapter 3The train ride to The Crystal Empire for the most part was uneventful. Santhal meditated mostly while the others talked strategy and what to do once they arrived. After they came up with a plan of action Twilight decided to use the extra time they had to get to know Santhal better. “Umm Santhal.” “Yes.” “I was wondering, could you tell us more about your master?” Santhal broke his meditation and got into a normal sitting position. “I suppose I should start from the beginning. He was born under the name Veradun and was raised by an adoptive father on Dromund Kaas. Sometime in his youth, a female Twi’lek servant on his father’s estate committed a minor offense.” “What’s a Twi’lek?” “It’s the name of a species just like I call myself human and you call yourselves ponies. But getting back to what I was saying, although the offense itself was meaningless to him he killed the woman to prove that he was capable of doing so and showed a strong sensitivity to the Force. His father was impressed and thought he would make a great asset to The Empire so he was sent to the Sith Academy to begin his training.” “Your master sounds like a savage brute,” said Rarity. “If you think that is bad then you’re not going to like what comes later. After he graduated he became selected as an apprentice by the pureblood Sith Master Vindican. After becoming an apprentice he changed his name to Malgus. On a trip to the Outer Rim world of Geonosis, Malgus discovered a young Twi’lek slave girl by the name of Eleena Daru. Upon seeing that Daru was abused and physically beaten by her owner, he killed her master and took her as his own. Although she remained his slave, the two became lovers and eventually came to treat each other as husband and wife, despite some of The Empire’s anti-alien policies. They fought in many battles together.” “Perhaps he does have some redeeming qualities,” said Cadence. “Yes well anyway, then the Great Galactic War started with the invasion of Korriban. Malgus and his master Vindican lead the attack and landed in a Republic space station, confronting two Jedi by the names of Kao Cen Darach and his padawan Satele Shan trying to escape. The battle was fierce but Satele managed to make a break for it while her master held them off so she could escape. Even though he was out numbered Darach managed to deliver a fatal blow to Vindican, but Malgus struck back and killed the Jedi. Afterwards he found his master still clinging to life but ultimately finished him off for failing to stop the other Jedi from escaping.” “He killed his mentor, just like that,” said Luna. “My master does not tolerate failure. After that he was given the title of Sith Lord and became Darth Malgus. The war raged for many years as I have already told you. I became his apprentice during the final years of the war and have served him faithfully even though we tend to disagree on certain matters from time to time. It was during the final days of the war during the sacking of Coruscant the capital world of The Republic that something happened that had a profound impact on my master. After the battle a Jedi knight by the name of Aryn Leneer learned that Malgus killed her master and wanted to avenge him. She learned of Malgus’s relationship with Daru and tried to kill her but couldn’t go through with it. Malgus arrived and defeated Aryn, he then spared her live for showing Daru mercy and allowed her to flee. Unfortunately he realized that Daru was a point of weakness in his live. So long as she was around others could exploit that weakness and use her against him. He could not allow that.” “So what happened to her?” said Fluttershy. Santhal looked down knowing they wouldn’t like the answer. “…He killed her.” The others gasped. “But-but they loved each other, didn’t they?” said Rarity. “They did. I felt my master’s pain for a while after that and he was in terrible pain. But in the end he claims that by freeing himself of her he became stronger for it. Me personally, I don’t think that I could bring myself to kill that which I love most no matter what the gain could be.” Celestia heard the sincerity in his words. Perhaps Santhal is not as bad I first thought. “That just makes you a better person then him in the end,” said Twilight. “Perhaps. After that the Treaty of Coruscant was sighed, ending the war. Malgus then led and organized expeditions into the unknown regions to expand The Empire’s influence. That how I came to be here.” “By influence do you mean conquest?” said Celestia. “Not necessarily, as I said before so long as we stay on good terms you should have nothing to worry about.” The more Celetia heard his reassurances the less she believed them. “So why don’t you tell us about your life,” said Twilight. Just then the train wheels screeched as it pulled into the station. “That is a conversation for another time. Let’s disembark.” They exited the train and the others were shocked, Sombra had beaten them there. The city’s buildings had turned black and jagged, while the Crystal Palace was like a black spire piecing the sky. Snow fell with piercing winds to complement the scene before them. “It appears we’re a little late.” Just then a group of border patrol guards can into view and they rush towards Santhal and the others. The guards stopped a few feet away from them. “In the name of King Sombra you’re all under arrest. Come quietly or we will use lethal force.” From the looks of them diplomacy was off the table. Santhal began to reach for his lightsabers when Twilight stopped him. “They’re probably under King Sombra’s control and not acting of their own free will. They don’t deserve to die because of that.” “Very well, I’ll handle this.” Santhal then extended his hand towards them. They began acting timid and some started to cry and/or shake uncontrollably while others backed away slowly. Then they dropped their weapons and fled screaming, some had even pissed themselves. “What did you do?” said Celestia. “I used the Force to instill fear into their minds until they were so terrified they fled without a fight. But mind tricks like that only affect the weak minded so the rest of you should have nothing to worry about.” Celestia gave a disapproving look. “Don’t worry they’ll be back to normal in no time. Would you rather I had used lethal force and cut them down?” “…No,” she said grudgingly. “But that doesn’t justify your actions.” “Look we can discuss this later. We’re here to save The Crystal Empire are we not?” “Yeah so let’s go kick King Sombra’s flank,” said Dash as she flew toward the city, only to bounce off a barrier surrounding it. “What the hay!?” “There appears to be a shield around the city,” said Twilight. “Really, what was your first clue?” said Dash. Twilight gave Dash a little look. “So, how we gittin inside?” The princesses started thinking on that and so did Santhal. Then he got an idea. “I have a theory.” He then closed his eyes and concentrated while clenching his fists. “What are you doing?” said Twilight. “Focusing, summoning my anger, my hatred.” Then his eyes opened and the others noticed the change in color. His iris had turned yellow with red around the rim. He then sprinted towards the barrier and managed to pass through much to everyponies surprise. He stopped once inside and a couple moments later his eyes turned back to normal. “How did you get in?” said Luna. “I thought back to my vision and the information you gave me about the heart. From what you told me the Crystal Heart is powered from positive emotions to keep out the bad. If that’s true then should Sombra manage to corrupt the heart like in my vision it would be powered by negative emotions to keep out the good. So all I had to do was call upon the dark side to aid me and I passed through. All you need to do to get through is call upon it as well.” “We will not!” said Celestia. “Then it appears that I am on my own for the time being. I’ll try to lower the shield and not have all the fun.” He said with a smile. “Remember the guards are probably under Sombra’s control so try not to hurt them if at all possible,” said Cadence. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.” Santhal then started to leave. “Wait!” said Twilight. Santhal turned around and looked at her with an eyebrow raised. “I’m coming with.” “Twilight no you can’t. Dark magic is not to be toyed with,” said Celestia. “Celestia there’s something I need to tell you. When I first arrived to The Crystal Empire and went looking for the Crystal Heart there came a point where I had to use a little dark magic in order to continue my search. I actually got the idea from the demonstration you gave in the throne room. So I think it’s justifiable in this situation. Besides somepony should accompany him.” “I am capable of taking care of myself.” “And I know the layout of the city.” “Hmm very well, but as long as it’s only you. We have a better chance of staying unnoticed the fewer of us there are.” “What do you say Celestia?” *sigh* “Very well, I can allow it just this once.” Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated, a moment later she opened them and they were red and green with purple mist. Santhal was intrigued to learn that pony eyes change too when tapping into the dark side, although theirs looked different then his. Twilight moved forward and with some resistance managed to pass through. Her eyes changed back. “Alright let’s get going, I didn’t exactly come prepared for this kind of weather, so the sooner we get this over with the better.” And with that the two began to make their way into the city.
IntroWatch video for oping crawl or read below. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. STAR WARS APPRENTICE DISPLACED It is a time of turmoil and conflict. The Republic and The Sith Empire though technically at pace, still vie for control over the galaxy, while The Jedi and Sith continue their struggle to purge the galaxy of the other. Santhal apprentice to Darth Malgus and his companion Salk have been sent on a mission to explore an uncharted region of space to seek out new conquests for The Empire. Unbeknownst to Santhal, what seems like a simple mission may prove to be more life altering then he ever could have imagined….
Chapter 1Santhal was piloting his Fury-class Imperial Interceptor with his co-pilot Salk traveling through hyperspace toward the unknown. “We’re almost there, coming out of hyperspace in a few moments,” said Santhal. “What do you think we might find?” “Could be anything. This system could contain nothing but wasteland worlds or highly advanced civilizations…we’re here coming out of hyperspace in three, two, one.” His ship came out of hyperspace and was heading straight toward a large, “Asteroid!” “I see it taking evasive maneuvers!” They managed to dodge it but then they found themselves entering an asteroid field. They navigated through the asteroid field having a few close calls along the way. Just before they cleared it they were struck by one of the asteroids. The lights and sirens in the cockpit were set off. “Damage report!” “Unknown, the controls are going haywire so I’d say pretty bad!” “Damn, that’s just great! We’re lightyears away from a civilized system!” “Look, are only hope is to head for that nearby planet!” “Doesn’t look like we much choice, let’s just hope it’s habitable.” Santhal did his best to steer the ship in the direction of the planet. Moments later they entered the atmosphere. It was a warm sunny day in Ponyville. Princess Twilight sat on her castle’s balcony reading a book. She looked up momentarily to take in her surroundings. She saw there wasn’t a cloud in the sky but she did see something. She looked through her telescope to get a closer look and saw something she had never seen before. It looked like some kind of metal contraption falling out of the sky. Then she realized it was heading straight for her. “SPIKE!” Twilight ran inside to find Spike and hopefully get them both out of harm’s way before whatever it was impacted. As it got closer the residents of Ponyville took notice of it too and panic began to spread through the streets. “We’re coming in too hot! Extend the flaps and drag fins!” “The controls aren’t responding!” Then a town came into view and it looked like they were heading straight for some kind of crystalline structure. “Brace for impact!” Santhal tried to pull up as much as he could and just managed to clear the castle before impacting on the ground skidding a few yards and coming to rest a little ways away from the castle. (Moments earlier) Twilight franticly searched the castle for Spike teleporting from room to room. She checked the throne room, the library, the kitchen, and finally (the first palace she should have looked) her bedroom. Sure enough she found him napping. “Spike! Wake up!” she said while shaking him. “Who, what, where. Twilight what’s going on?” “No time to explain, we have to get out of here before-” *BOOM* Just then a shockwave shook the castle. “Twilight what was that?” “We have to get outside.” She then teleported them in front of the castle and they saw the wrecked spacecraft off to the right. A crowd of ponies where staring to make their way over to it. “Spike go back inside and send a letter to Celestia. Tell her that she needs to come to ponyville immediately.” “Right.” The crowd stopped a short ways away from the wreck, too afraid to get any closer. Twilight flew to the front of the crowd and wondered what to do next. Santhal briefly blacked out but then began to stir. He was in a great amount of pain with some bumps and bruises, and he figured there had to be some internal injuries as well. He took out a medpac and injected himself to start the healing process. Santhal then did his best to get up and checked on Salk. No pulse. Santhal didn’t have time to worry about that right now. He had to get off his ship and hopefully find help. It hurt just to move as he made his way through the ship. He reached the exit and tried to open the hatch but nothing happened. He then hit the controls with his fist, the hatch opened and the ramp lowered. He stumbled off the ship and fell forward to the ground. Looking up his vision was starting to blur but he could make out what he believed to be lifeforms all around him, then he blacked out. Santhal awoke with a start and took a few deep breaths. He then took in his surroundings and noticed the walls and ceiling were made of some kind of crystal, then noticed he was almost completely naked with bandages on various parts of his body, and that he wasn’t alone. “Where am I? And who and what are you?” “Hello, my name is Dr. Hooves. I am a pony and this is Princess Twilight’s Castle in the town of Ponyville. We didn’t know the extent of your injuries so we thought it best not to move you very far and the hospital is on the other side of town. You’ve been out for almost a day.” “And where are my robes and belongings?” The doctor pointed to the corner of the room and indeed there were his robes, armor, and other effects. Santhal began to get up but he was still a bit sore. “You shouldn’t be moving in your condition.” “I’m fine and I’ll be even better in a moment.” Santhal went over to his belongings and injected himself with another medpac. “There I should be good as new in no time.” He then dressed himself and gathered his things. “The princess wanted to meet with you once you were up and about.” “I take it they are the rulers of this world.” “They are the rulers of the nation of Equestria.” Interesting, this world has more than one governing body. This must be a primitive world indeed. This is not good. “Very well I will meet them.” “They’re waiting for you in the dining hall. Right this way.” They made their way through the halls of the castle. Santhal was amazed at the crystal architecture all around him. It looked like it was made out of a solid piece of crystal. He couldn’t imagine how they pulled off such a feat. When they arrived there were two guards at the doors to the dining hall. Dr. Hooves took his leave and the guards let Santhal pass. He pushed the doors open and the guards followed behind him. He saw some more of these pony creatures and some other creature sitting at a long table in the center of the room. They were a variety of colors. Some had horns, some had wings, some had none, and some had both. All eyes turned to him and he approached the end of the table and introduced himself. “Greetings, my name is Santhal and I am human.” “Hello Santhal, my name is Princess Celestia and I am a pony. This is my sister Princess Luna. My niece Princess Cadence and her husband Shining Armor. My former student Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Spike the dragon.” “Now that introductions are out of the way we can get down to business. I take it I’m the first being you’ve encountered from beyond this world.” “That is correct and we have a great many questions for you.” “As do I and I’ll be happy to answer them so long as you are willing to answer mine.” “Sounds fair.” Twilight levitated a scroll out of the bag next to her seat. “I took the liberty of writing up a few questions ahead of time.” She then looked over and saw Santhal staring at her. “You alright?” He blinked a few times and everted his eyes. “Forgive me I don’t mean to stare it’s just I’ve never seen the Force manifest itself in such a way.” “The Force, you mean my magic.” “What you call magic I call the Force.” “What is this Force you speak of?” “The Force is everywhere. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It’s what binds all living things in the galaxy together. Those who are Force sensitive can wield its power and bend it to their will. Allow me to demonstrate.” Santhal closed his eyes and concentrated. Then the two guards and the long table began to rise into the air. There was no aura, no nothing. After a moment he lowered them back to the ground. “Impressive.” “That was nothing compared to the true power I can wield. Now you may be ponies but do you have different classifications for those that have horns, wings, etc.” “Yes, I am an alicorn. Rarity is a unicorn, Rainbow Dash is a pegasus, and Applejack is an earth pony,” said Celestia. “Good to know.” “I’ve been wondering, what are those?” said Twilight while pointing at his waist. “You mean my lightsabers. They are my weapons.” “They don’t look like weapons.” Santhal drew one of his sabers and activated it. “A lightsaber projects a beam of energy that can cut through just about anything.” He then spun around and cut the tops off the guard’s spears leaving nothing but smoldering tips behind, then put it away leaving everypony surprised at just how effortlessly it cut through them. “It is the weapon of choice among Sith and Jedi alike.” “What are Sith and Jedi.” “It’s apparent that we’re going to be here a while so I might as well have a seat.” He then sat at the end of the table. “To begin with the galaxy is divided into two entities, The Republic and The Sith Empire.” “The whole galaxy!” “Well most of it anyway. The Jedi serve The Republic and The Sith the Empire. I am Sith, a Sith Warrior to be exact. We Sith draw our power from our passions, our emotions. Emotions such as fear, anger, and hatred.” “That’s dark magic.” “Well it is called the Dark Side of the Force. I take it you know of such a power.” “Yes but the practice is forbidden.” said Celestia. Rainbow Dash decided to get up and hoover in front of him. “So I take it you’re some kind bad guy then.” “What makes you say that?” “Only evil dudes use dark powers.” “Is that so.” “Yeah and we’ve dealt with plenty of them in the past so don’t think we can’t beat you too.” Santhal crossed his arms and stared her down. “Are you threating me? Be careful Rainbow Dash, you know not the true power the dark side offers. I can strike you down with a single blow.” “Try it,” she said inches away from his face. “Rainbow!” said Twilight while gripping Rainbow in her magic. Twilight then pulled Rainbow over to her. “The last thing we need right now is you stirring up trouble, now take your seat.” “Fine.” She then sat back down in her seat. “I apologize for my friend’s behavior, please continue.” “As I was saying the galaxy is divided in two at the moment, I’ll start with The Republic. The Republic was born over 20,000 years ago and has continued to expand and stretch its influence until it become the dominate power in the galaxy. It has stayed that way for millennia. The Jedi have been around even longer and have been the so-called peacekeepers of The Republic almost since its founding. Then a few thousand years ago (7003 BBY) a group of fallen Jedi were banished by their order from known space. But these fallen Jedi discovered Korriban home world of the Sith people who were unusually Force sensitive. Eventually Sith become the term or anyone who used the Dark Side of the Force and The Sith Empire was born. The Empire developed and expanded in complete isolation for two millennia until it rediscovered the Republic and sparked The Great Hyperspace War (5,000 BBY). The war ended with The Sith Empire defeated and what remained fled to the unknown regions. There a new Sith Empire was established on Dromund Kaas the new capital of The Empire. After over a thousand years The Empire was ready to invade The Republic staring with the retaking of Korriban. It came to be known as The Great Galactic War (3681-3653 BBY). It lasted twenty eight years until a treaty was signed which made The Republic recognize The Empire as the legitimate ruler of half the galaxy. The Empire is at an uneasy pace with The Republic now but it’s only a matter of time in my opinion before war sparks again and when that happens The Republic will be crushed once and for all and The Empire will rule the whole galaxy.” “That’s incredible!” said Cadence. “I know. I never imagined that such large scale conflicts were even possible. How do you manage to travel through the galaxy?” said Twilight. “Most ships are equipped with hyperdrives which allow them to travel at the speed of light.” “The speed of…that’s impossible.” “Oh it’s possible alright.” “So tell us more about these Jedi,” said Luna. “As I said they claim to be the guardians of peace and justice but they are nothing more than dogs of The Republic. At the beck and call of a corrupt institution to do their dirty work. We Sith are the bringers of order to a galaxy gripped in chaos. Those that do not join us are conquered, destroyed, or enslaved.” “So I take it your people use fear and intimidation to get their way,” said Celestia with a disapproving look. “More often than I care to emit, but I personally prefer to take a more diplomatic approach first.” “And you have slavery where you come from.” “Yes we do but I never fully agreed with it. To be honest I never fully embraced the Sith’s philosophy either. I was always more interested in tinkering with technology then becoming a better Sith.” “So why join them in the first place?” said Applejack. “I never had a choice in the matter. When someone is determined to be Force sensitive they are taken at a very young age away from their family and trained to be a Sith or Jedi.” “That’s not very nice,” said Fluttershy. “No it’s not. But at least we are better than our Jedi counterparts. For we embrace our passions and emotions where they try to devoid themselves of such things. They believe that even positive emotions such as love can lead them down a darker path. Romance and attachments are forbidden for a Jedi less they be expelled from their order.” “Hmmm so Santhal what brings you to Equestria?” said Celestia. “I was sent on a mission to explore this uncharted region of space. When I arrived I flew into an asteroid field. My ship was hit and I was forced to make a crash landing on this planet. Wait my ship, damn I completely forgot about it. I need to assess the damage and see if it’s salvageable, and also see to my companion.” “Your companion?” said Twilight. “Yes, my friend died in the crash. I will see to it he receives a proper funeral. Has no one been inside my ship?” “We thought it best to not let anypony go near it for their own safety,” said Celestia. “Very good.” Santhal then got up and started to leave. “Anything we can do to help?” “If you really want to help you can start gathering wood. I shall build a funeral pyre.”
Chapter 2Santhal made his way through his ship. He had more time to look around and there was damage ranging from burst pipes to sparking wires on the walls and ceiling. But he could do a proper inspection later, right now he had to retrieve Salk. He made it to the cockpit, picked up Salk’s body, and carried him out. Once outside Santhal laid him on the ground then took Salk’s pistol and a few other things he was going to need. A few minutes later the others returned with the wood and he built the pyre. Once it was done he put Salk on it and lit the fire. “Goodbye my friend.” “You two were real close weren’t you?” said Twilight. “Yes we were and have been on many adventures together,” he said in a soft voice. “How did you meet him?” “He was a gift from my master. Technically he was my slave though I never treated him like one. He was my friend first.” “You mentioned a master.” “Yes, I am the apprentice to The Sith Lord Darth Malgus. A fierce warrior and talented dualist, he is a powerful Sith. I feel lucky to be his student. Although he solves most of his problems with brute force he is a man of principle and has a sense of honor, something that’s becoming more of a rarity among my fellow Sith these days.” “What is that?” she said while again pointing to his waist. “This was Salk’s blaster pistol. It shoots a lethal energy projectile at a high rate of speed.” “Oh, ok.” Santhal and the others stayed silent for some time as the pyre burned. He decided to inspect his ship in the meantime and discovered that the hyperdrive was shot. He was going nowhere anytime soon. But he did find his speeder had survived the crash, he might need that later. Santhal exited the ship and noticed it was getting late. “Maybe we should head inside and have dinner,” said Cadence. “That sounds fine. I haven’t eaten anything since before I got here. Besides I still have questions for you all which we can discuss during.” The fire was dyeing down and mostly ashes remained. The group headed back inside and retook their seats in the dining hall. Celestia had summoned the Canterlot Castle chefs the other day and they prepared their meal. The food was brought out which consisted of a veggie salad and a plate of assorted flower. The dragon got an assortment of gems. Santhal looked at his meal with a questioning eye. “Guess I should have asked what was on the menu. I take it you ponies are herbivores.” “Yes we are. What about you?” said Celestia. “I am an omnivore, so I can eat both veggies and meat but these flowers I’m going to have to pass on. I’ll just stick with the salad for now. I did a quick inspection of my ship and it seems my hyperdrive is damaged beyond repair so it looks like I’m stuck here for a while. But now I’d like to hear more about you all and your roles in this land. I take it Celestia that you and your sister are the primary monarchs of this nation.” “That is correct. I raise and lower the sun while Luna handles the moon.” Santhal just stared for a few seconds and then started to chuckle. “That’s impossible. I’ve been from one end of the galaxy to the other and no being has that kind of power. You honestly expect me to believe you two can move the celestial bodies.” “Yes.” “That I’d have to see to believe.” “Very well, look out the window and tell me what you see.” “I see the sun in a setting position.” “Good, now keep looking.” Celestia lit her horn and the sun slowly moved up instead of down. “That’s not poss…incredible.” He didn’t know if she was actually moving the sun or merely rotating the planet but either way it was impressive. “You alicorns must be the most powerful Force users in the galaxy. Tell me more.” The princesses told him about their immortality, the element bearers, the history of Equestria, the various villains they’ve encountered, and their magic among other things. “That’s quite a history and you can use the force in ways we never thought possible, though I’m surprised that only those with horns can tap into its power. Also this land sounds entirely too peaceful to me, I’m used to conflict, war, and death.” “So I take it you’ve had to take life before,” said Luna. “I’ve killed my fair share of Jedi and Republic troops throughout my career.” There was a short awkward silence for a moment. “Sooo Santhal are you stuck here permanently?” said Twilight. “I hope not. I can’t send a distress beacon which means I’ll have to wait until I’m declared over due to report in and have them send a party to investigate what happened to me, but that could take mouths. One lost apprentice isn’t very high on The Empire’s list of priorities so I’m going to need a place to stay.” “You’re welcome to stay here in the castle.” “Thank you Twilight, that’s very hospitable of you. I shouldn’t be too far away from my ship anyway.” “So what’s going to happen when your people come for you?” said Celestia. “Hmm you’re worried about the fate of your people. So long as we stay on good terms you should have nothing to worry about.” Celestia wasn’t completely satisfied with that answer but decided to let it slide, for now anyways. Done with his meal Santhal got up and took a seat against the wall crossing his legs in. “Darling what are you doing?” “I’m going to meditate for a while, to clear my mind and become one with the force. But by all means continue to converse among yourselves.” Santhal sat there for a while not moving an inch. Then he got a pained expression on his face, moments later his eyes shot open and took several deep breaths. The others took notice. “You ok there partner?” “I had a vision, a glimpse into the future. It happens sometimes when one has a strong connection with the Force, though I’m not quite sure what I saw means.” “What did you see?” said Twilight. “I saw what looked like a heart made of some kind of crystal, it was smooth and pristine.” “The Crystal Heart!” said Cadence. “That must be it. Maybe you’ll understand what I saw then. The heart then turned rough and black as if it was being poisoned and those eyes, those red and green eyes with purple mist emanating from them. That’s all I saw.” “Sombra! He’s back and going to make a move on The Crystal Empire. Do you know when this could come to pass?” said Celestia. “No, but visions usually pertain to the immediate future.” “Then we have to get to The Crystal Empire immediately and prepare our defenses!” said Shining. “I’m coming too. From what you told me this Sombra fellow is the only practitioner of the dark side around. I would like to meet and test my mettle against him.” “Very well you can come,” said Celestia. The group made their way to the train and it left the station bound for The Crystal Empire.
Chapter 3The train ride to The Crystal Empire for the most part was uneventful. Santhal meditated mostly while the others talked strategy and what to do once they arrived. After they came up with a plan of action Twilight decided to use the extra time they had to get to know Santhal better. “Umm Santhal.” “Yes.” “I was wondering, could you tell us more about your master?” Santhal broke his meditation and got into a normal sitting position. “I suppose I should start from the beginning. He was born under the name Veradun and was raised by an adoptive father on Dromund Kaas. Sometime in his youth, a female Twi’lek servant on his father’s estate committed a minor offense.” “What’s a Twi’lek?” “It’s the name of a species just like I call myself human and you call yourselves ponies. But getting back to what I was saying, although the offense itself was meaningless to him he killed the woman to prove that he was capable of doing so and showed a strong sensitivity to the Force. His father was impressed and thought he would make a great asset to The Empire so he was sent to the Sith Academy to begin his training.” “Your master sounds like a savage brute,” said Rarity. “If you think that is bad then you’re not going to like what comes later. After he graduated he became selected as an apprentice by the pureblood Sith Master Vindican. After becoming an apprentice he changed his name to Malgus. On a trip to the Outer Rim world of Geonosis, Malgus discovered a young Twi’lek slave girl by the name of Eleena Daru. Upon seeing that Daru was abused and physically beaten by her owner, he killed her master and took her as his own. Although she remained his slave, the two became lovers and eventually came to treat each other as husband and wife, despite some of The Empire’s anti-alien policies. They fought in many battles together.” “Perhaps he does have some redeeming qualities,” said Cadence. “Yes well anyway, then the Great Galactic War started with the invasion of Korriban. Malgus and his master Vindican lead the attack and landed in a Republic space station, confronting two Jedi by the names of Kao Cen Darach and his padawan Satele Shan trying to escape. The battle was fierce but Satele managed to make a break for it while her master held them off so she could escape. Even though he was out numbered Darach managed to deliver a fatal blow to Vindican, but Malgus struck back and killed the Jedi. Afterwards he found his master still clinging to life but ultimately finished him off for failing to stop the other Jedi from escaping.” “He killed his mentor, just like that,” said Luna. “My master does not tolerate failure. After that he was given the title of Sith Lord and became Darth Malgus. The war raged for many years as I have already told you. I became his apprentice during the final years of the war and have served him faithfully even though we tend to disagree on certain matters from time to time. It was during the final days of the war during the sacking of Coruscant the capital world of The Republic that something happened that had a profound impact on my master. After the battle a Jedi knight by the name of Aryn Leneer learned that Malgus killed her master and wanted to avenge him. She learned of Malgus’s relationship with Daru and tried to kill her but couldn’t go through with it. Malgus arrived and defeated Aryn, he then spared her live for showing Daru mercy and allowed her to flee. Unfortunately he realized that Daru was a point of weakness in his live. So long as she was around others could exploit that weakness and use her against him. He could not allow that.” “So what happened to her?” said Fluttershy. Santhal looked down knowing they wouldn’t like the answer. “…He killed her.” The others gasped. “But-but they loved each other, didn’t they?” said Rarity. “They did. I felt my master’s pain for a while after that and he was in terrible pain. But in the end he claims that by freeing himself of her he became stronger for it. Me personally, I don’t think that I could bring myself to kill that which I love most no matter what the gain could be.” Celestia heard the sincerity in his words. Perhaps Santhal is not as bad I first thought. “That just makes you a better person then him in the end,” said Twilight. “Perhaps. After that the Treaty of Coruscant was sighed, ending the war. Malgus then led and organized expeditions into the unknown regions to expand The Empire’s influence. That how I came to be here.” “By influence do you mean conquest?” said Celestia. “Not necessarily, as I said before so long as we stay on good terms you should have nothing to worry about.” The more Celetia heard his reassurances the less she believed them. “So why don’t you tell us about your life,” said Twilight. Just then the train wheels screeched as it pulled into the station. “That is a conversation for another time. Let’s disembark.” They exited the train and the others were shocked, Sombra had beaten them there. The city’s buildings had turned black and jagged, while the Crystal Palace was like a black spire piecing the sky. Snow fell with piercing winds to complement the scene before them. “It appears we’re a little late.” Just then a group of border patrol guards can into view and they rush towards Santhal and the others. The guards stopped a few feet away from them. “In the name of King Sombra you’re all under arrest. Come quietly or we will use lethal force.” From the looks of them diplomacy was off the table. Santhal began to reach for his lightsabers when Twilight stopped him. “They’re probably under King Sombra’s control and not acting of their own free will. They don’t deserve to die because of that.” “Very well, I’ll handle this.” Santhal then extended his hand towards them. They began acting timid and some started to cry and/or shake uncontrollably while others backed away slowly. Then they dropped their weapons and fled screaming, some had even pissed themselves. “What did you do?” said Celestia. “I used the Force to instill fear into their minds until they were so terrified they fled without a fight. But mind tricks like that only affect the weak minded so the rest of you should have nothing to worry about.” Celestia gave a disapproving look. “Don’t worry they’ll be back to normal in no time. Would you rather I had used lethal force and cut them down?” “…No,” she said grudgingly. “But that doesn’t justify your actions.” “Look we can discuss this later. We’re here to save The Crystal Empire are we not?” “Yeah so let’s go kick King Sombra’s flank,” said Dash as she flew toward the city, only to bounce off a barrier surrounding it. “What the hay!?” “There appears to be a shield around the city,” said Twilight. “Really, what was your first clue?” said Dash. Twilight gave Dash a little look. “So, how we gittin inside?” The princesses started thinking on that and so did Santhal. Then he got an idea. “I have a theory.” He then closed his eyes and concentrated while clenching his fists. “What are you doing?” said Twilight. “Focusing, summoning my anger, my hatred.” Then his eyes opened and the others noticed the change in color. His iris had turned yellow with red around the rim. He then sprinted towards the barrier and managed to pass through much to everyponies surprise. He stopped once inside and a couple moments later his eyes turned back to normal. “How did you get in?” said Luna. “I thought back to my vision and the information you gave me about the heart. From what you told me the Crystal Heart is powered from positive emotions to keep out the bad. If that’s true then should Sombra manage to corrupt the heart like in my vision it would be powered by negative emotions to keep out the good. So all I had to do was call upon the dark side to aid me and I passed through. All you need to do to get through is call upon it as well.” “We will not!” said Celestia. “Then it appears that I am on my own for the time being. I’ll try to lower the shield and not have all the fun.” He said with a smile. “Remember the guards are probably under Sombra’s control so try not to hurt them if at all possible,” said Cadence. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.” Santhal then started to leave. “Wait!” said Twilight. Santhal turned around and looked at her with an eyebrow raised. “I’m coming with.” “Twilight no you can’t. Dark magic is not to be toyed with,” said Celestia. “Celestia there’s something I need to tell you. When I first arrived to The Crystal Empire and went looking for the Crystal Heart there came a point where I had to use a little dark magic in order to continue my search. I actually got the idea from the demonstration you gave in the throne room. So I think it’s justifiable in this situation. Besides somepony should accompany him.” “I am capable of taking care of myself.” “And I know the layout of the city.” “Hmm very well, but as long as it’s only you. We have a better chance of staying unnoticed the fewer of us there are.” “What do you say Celestia?” *sigh* “Very well, I can allow it just this once.” Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated, a moment later she opened them and they were red and green with purple mist. Santhal was intrigued to learn that pony eyes change too when tapping into the dark side, although theirs looked different then his. Twilight moved forward and with some resistance managed to pass through. Her eyes changed back. “Alright let’s get going, I didn’t exactly come prepared for this kind of weather, so the sooner we get this over with the better.” And with that the two began to make their way into the city.
