Eli Vanto opened his eyes and gasped. The first thing he saw was... a blue sky and bamboo trees?.
Am I...am I dreaming? He thought. In the distance, he heard birds calling. Vanto's mouth felt a little dry and his head pounded. As he laid on the ground, not sure if he should move, he heard rustling near him.
He quickly turned his head to see a brown-furred dog with some white fur on it's chest. What...what is going on?. The dog ran past him. Vanto groaned as he slowly stood up. Where's the ship?.
Vanto felt like he was going to puke. He looked around, still only seeing bamboo. He then heard a noise. It wasn't a bird, it wasn't a dog but it sounded like...screaming. He shook his head and ran towards the source of the noise. He pushed leaves and branches out of the way.
He finally ran out of the bamboo grove and saw a beach and an ocean. Eli then heard the screaming again. He ran down the beach and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw
Oh, Krayt Spit.
He was looking at a crashed Arquitens-class command cruiser...well, most of it anyway. He also saw bodies of Imperial Officers and Stormtroopers laying on the sand. Fire burned on metal parts while people and ponies ran, screaming.
Wait...ponies?.
Eli then noticed an engine that still worked. Next to the engine was someone with aqua-colored armor. Vanto was unfamiliar with the armor."Church?!" the man with the armor yelled."Church?! Where the hell are you?!"
"Derpy!" Yelled a voice. Vanto saw a pony with a brown mane and blue eyes. The stallion also had a green tie around his neck.
"Applebloom!" Yelled another pony. This pony was orange and had a blonde mane. She also wore a hat and Vanto saw a picture apples on her flank."Applebloom!"
Vanto turned around to see a woman with, red clothing, blonde hair, and green eyes standing still. She was also screaming and crying."AAAAAAHHHH!"
Vanto finally saw a huge, long part of the Imperial light cruiser. It looked like it would fall at any moment.
"Help!" Yelled a woman who was on the ground. Eli saw the woman."Please! Help me!" He quickly ran over to her. The woman was pregnant but what really surprised him was the fact that she was wearing a black TIE fighter uniform.
"I'm having contractions." The pregnant human woman said once Vanto ran over to her.
"How many months pregnant are you?" He asked.
"I-I'm eight m-months." She stuttered, afraid. She had blonde hair with a ponytail and blue eyes.
Suddenly, the engine behind them exploded. Vanto and the pregnant woman quickly ducked. Fire hit the sand and even a few people. Finally, it stopped. Vanto looked at her."Listen to me. You're gonna be okay. I need you to stay absolutely still." The woman nodded before groaning.
"Richtofen!" Yelled a voice next to them. Vanto saw a male human wearing glasses, a green vest, and shorts."Richtofen! Where am I?! Why the hell aren't you talking to me?! Richtofen!" The man wasn't even looking at anybody.
"Hey!" Vanto yelled at him, catching his attention."If your done talking to your imaginary friend, could you get this woman away from the fumes?"
"Holy shit!" He said in shock when he saw them."Is she...is she pregnant?!"
Vanto nodded."Yeah. Take her over there." He pointed to a safe spot. He looked at the woman."I'll be right back."
"Wait! What's your name!" The man with the green vest asked.
Eli looked at him."I'm Eli Vanto!"
He then ran through the wreckage.
Nurse Redheart looked at everything and everyone confused. She then saw a familiar mare."Holiday!" She yelled, seeing the aunt of Scootaloo. Holiday laid on the sand, her eyes closed. Next to Holiday was a creature she didn't recognize. The creature looked like a Diamond Dog only it had no fur except for its head. He also wore red armor and had a golden right hand.
"I...I..." The creature stuttered.
"What happened?!" Nurse Redheart asked it. The creature's eyes widened in shock.
"By the Gods! You...you can talk?!" He yelled.
Nurse Redheart then ignored him and gave Holiday mouth to mouth. Finally, after nearly a minute, Holiday's eyes widened. She coughed and wheezed a little bit before she talked."Lofty...where are she?" She asked the nurse.
Redheart sighed."I...I don't know..."
As Eli helped pull a man out of the wreckage, he turned his head to see the huge part of the ship loom over the pregnant woman and the man with the green vest. Vanto ran over to them as the metal snapped."Move! Get her up!"
"Uh...right!" The man said, noticing the huge part above them. He pulled up the woman and Vanto helped move them faster. Once it fell, loud explosions happened behind them as Vanto, the pregnant woman, and the man fell on the sand.
When it was all over, Vanto looked at the woman."Are you okay?" The woman gulped but nodded. He looked at the man who had sand all over his face."You?" The man nodded slowly."Okay...stay with her."
"Sure, I'll stay with her...unless Richtofen teleports me somewhere." He said.
Who the hell is Richtofen? Vanto wondered.
Vanto winced in pain as he took off his black suit. He had walked away from the wreckage and everyone else. He was now alone, sitting on a rock. He could barely see the gash on his lower back.
He then heard footsteps. He looked to see another pony, this one taller. This pony had a dark coat. She also had wings on both sides of her body and a horn on top of her head."E-excuse me."
The pony turned to him and looked at him surprised."Do you understand me?" The pony slowly nodded. She looked afraid."Did you ever use a needle?"
"What?" She asked.
"Did you ever patch a pair of pants?" Vanto asked. The pony was wearing a tiara and he had seen another pony with a hat. They had to have had some kind of clothing on their world.
The pony was silent for a moment."My friend Rarity showed me how to make a dress once-"
"That's fantastic. Listen, do you have a second? I could use a little help here." The pony seemed reluctant but she slowly walked over to him.
"Help with what?"
Vanto showed her the gash. She looked away, disgusted."Look, I'd do it myself. I learned these things in the Empire. But I just can't reach-"
"You want me to sew that up?" The pony asked.
"It'd be just like the dress-"
"It was a sewing machine." She corrected.
"No, you can do this. I'm telling you." He said."If you wouldn't mind."
The pony sighed."Of course, I will."
Vanto nodded."Thank you."
Billy Handsome lit a cigarette and smoked it. He turned to Albert Arlington, also known as the "Weasel". Handsome and Arlington were just sitting next to some of the metal objects.
"You think Finn and Sal made it out of Alcatraz okay?" Arlington asked him.
Handsome shrugged."Who knows?"
"Hey, you." Lieutenant Zuud of the Imperial Intelligence said to the aqua-colored armored man who was just sitting. Zuud wore a standard Imperial uniform. She had brown hair and blue eyes. She and the others had started making fires with wood. The sun was starting to set."What's your name?"
"Me? Oh, my name's Lavernius Tucker." He said, standing up.
"Tucker. We need help with the fire." She handed him some wood."No one will see it if it isn't big."
Tucker quickly nodded."Right, right...hey, have you seen this dumb guy named Caboose?"
Zuud shook her head."No."
He sighed before he went to help the others.
"I think I might puke." The pony said.
"You're doing fine," Vanto assured her. He was also amazed when the pony used her horn to levitate the thread to stitch him up. She said she was using her magic to levitate it.
"Well, it's hard to do this. My magic is a little weak right now."
They were silent for a moment before Vanto looked at her."Who are you? What's your name?"
"My name is Luna. Princess Luna. I raise the moon in my land, Equestria." She explained.
Vanto raised an eyebrow, confused."Raise the moon...what do you mean?"
"I suppose it's hard to explain to someone who does not know anything about where I come from." Luna said."But, what is your name?"
"My name's Eli Vanto." He said.
Both said nothing again for a few moments."Empire?" Luna asked.
"Huh?"
"You mentioned you learned these things in the Empire. Are you with them?"
Not anymore."It...It doesn't matter. What does matter is how we got here. Do you know how?"
Luna shook her head."No. I was in Canterlot." She said to him."But then, this bright light came out of nowhere and I felt like my head was going to pop. And then, I saw nothing. I don't know long I was out. I think I woke up when that...that thing crashed on the island. Where were you when you got here?"
"I...I was doing some family business." He said. Luna nodded, deciding not to pry.
"Well, do not worry. I'm sure my sister or Twilight will find us."
"Twilight?" Vanto asked.
"She is the apprentice of my sister, Celestia. But...I do not know where this island is."
Vanto sighed."Me too."
They talked a little more. Vanto explained to Luna that his species was called human while Luna told him she was called an alicorn. Finally, she was done stitching him.
Jaime Lannister walked to his sister, Cersei Lannister. Cersei wore red robes and had blonde hair and green eyes. She had been the woman who was screaming and crying while standing.
He sat next to her. Jaime was thinking about the pony, whose name was Holiday or something, that had been unconscious. He also remembered the other white pony that had helped her."By the Gods!" He had yelled in shock.
They were silent when Cersei finally said something."I think Tyrion is the reason we're here."
The Kingslayer looked at her as if she was crazy."Our brother? Cersei, Tyrion is not capable of sending us here-"
"He was capable of killing our father." She looked at him."He was also capable of poisoning Joffrey. That little Imp sent us here to die."
Jaime shook his head. He stood up and left his paranoid sister alone.
Jeela Brebtin, an Imperial TIE pilot, was sitting on some metal, looking at the fire crackled. She turned around when the metal creaked. She saw the man with the green vest and glasses holding a box of wrapped food.
"Hungry?" He asked her.
She nodded. Jeela took one."Hey, thanks for saving me." She smiled."What's your name?"
"Samuel J. Stuhlinger." The man introduced himself."Your's?"
"Jeela Brebtin." She said her name.
Stuhlinger nodded.
"Thank you for the food." She said, grateful.
He smiled. Stuhlinger then stood up and was about to walk away when Jeela stopped him with one more question.
"Whose Richtofen? You were screaming his name. Is Richtofen a friend?" She asked.
Stuhlinger just stood there."I thought he was."
Applejack looked at her sister, Applebloom. Applebloom was just staring at the fire."How long are we gonna be here?" The filly asked.
The element of honesty sighed."Hopefully not too long."
"Are you okay, Derpy?" Dr. Whooves, a male earth pony, asked her.
The grey mare nodded."Yeah, I'm alright. But who are these people? I know a few ponies from Ponyville but everyone else looks weird." She noted.
"I'm sure we'll be alright." Whooves said."I'll protect you."
"Do you think he's gonna live?" Princess Luna asked Nurse Redheart. The nurse was checking on a male human with brown, short hair. Vanto noted that man was wearing military clothing. The male human had a huge metal shrapnel in his stomach.
"Do you know him?" Vanto asked.
Luna shook her head."No. I have never seen your species before until now. Do you know him?" Vanto also shook his head.
"I'm sorry, princess. I don't know if he will live." Redheart said.
"I was on a ship, heading to my home planet." Eli told Luna once they were alone again."Then, like you said, I saw a bright light. And then, nothing."
"You were not on...this?" Luna pointed to the wreckage of the Arquitens-class commander cruiser.
"No, I was on a different ship. I must have...teleported here...and so did you and everyone else." Vanto said slowly, not believing himself. He looked around and realized something."The bridge..."
"Pardon?" Luna said, confused.
"I don't see the bridge of the ship. If we find it, we'll find a transceiver and someone might pick us up." He explained.
"How do you know this?" The alicorn asked.
"This is a common ship in the Imperial Navy. They taught us this stuff at the academy." He said. He smiled as it brought him a memory of him and Thrawn.
"Academy? For the Empire, you mean?"
Vanto nodded."Yeah. For the Empire."
"I saw some smoke earlier." Luna said."Just through the valley." Luna looked at Vanto as he still stayed silent."If your thinking about going, I'm coming with you. I would fly over there but something is wrong with my wings, I fear."
Vanto only nodded.
Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling in the distance. Everybody looked at the jungle hear a mechanical noise.
"Is that Winona?" Asked Applebloom.
"It's not Winona." Applejack shook her head.
They all heard a roaring echo before some trees fell in the jungle.
"Terrific." Tucker said sarcastically.
Flashback.
The Star Commuter 2000 went through hyperspace. Eli Vanto stared out the window, see the blue and black of hyperspace swirl around the ship. He was heading to his home planet, Lysatra in Wild Space.
He groaned a little. His head was in pain. It had been ever since he had gotten on the ship."Are you all right, sir?" Asked someone sitting next to him.
Eli nodded when he suddenly saw a bright light."AAAAAHHHH!" He yelled. He heard a noise."What's going on?!"
"What do you mean?" The person next to him asked, confused.
"The-The light!"
"What light?"
Before Vanto could say anything, he saw nothing but a bright light.
On the Island.
Vanto was remembering the bright light as everyone else argued about what the creature in the forest was.
"You ready?" Princess Luna asked as he stared at the ocean.
He looked at her."Luna, you showed me where the smoke was. I can get there myself."
"I'm coming." Luna said."Some of my little ponies are on this island. If there is something that could get us out of here, I want to help."
Vanto nodded in understanding. He had helped Thrawn by going to the Chiss Ascendancy."Okay."
"I want to ask you something first." Luna looked over to someone."Who is that old man? All he has been doing is just sitting there in the sand."
He looked at the man she was looking at and Vanto's eyes widened."That...that's impossible..."
"What?" Luna questioned."What's impossible?"
"That man you're looking at...that's Grand Moff Tarkin."
Wilhuff Tarkin noticed the two and he smiled at them.
"Hey, does anyone...or pony or whatever have any sunblock?" Lavernius Tucker asked some of the others.
"Sunblock? Aren't you wearing armor?" Applejack asked.
"What in the Seven Hell's is sunblock?" Cersei Lannister wondered aloud.
"Excuse me," Samuel J. Stuhlinger Interrupted their conversation."I was looking around and I saw that there were a bunch of dead bodies in this one part of..." Stuhlinger looked at the broken Starship, having no idea what it was."Whatever the hell this is. I just wanted to ask...what are we going to do about those corpses?"
"W-wait..." Applebloom said sadly."They're...they're dead..."
"Yeah, all those guys in grey uniforms and white armor are pretty fucked up." Stuhlinger said casually.
"That's terrible!" Said Applejack, horrified."Well, we should do the right thing and bury them."
Vanto then walked over to them."Me and Princess Luna are gonna go out and look for the bridge of the ship." He said."We'll see if we can find a transceiver to send a distress signal so the Empire or someone else could find us."
"I'll come with." Tucker offered."I want to help."
Vanto shook his head."I don't need any more help."
"No, it's cool. I'm not doing anything else. I wish I had my sword though..." Tucker said.
He nodded, letting Tucker come with him and Luna.
"So, what is your world like?" Luna asked Tucker as the three walked to where the smoke had been.
"Well, we don't have talking ponies there. How can you even talk though?" Tucker questioned.
Before she could say anything, the alicorn then nearly tripped over something.
Vanto quickly turned around to look at her."Are you okay?"
Luna nodded."Yes. I..." She stopped talking. Luna's eyes widened in shock and horror. She moved back, afraid.
"What?" Vanto asked. He noticed that she was staring at something on the ground in the tall grass.
Vanto then saw it. A skeleton.
"Holy shit!" Tucker exclaimed, looking at the skeleton."What is that thing?"
"These bones aren't human..." Vanto noted. He crouched down to get a closer look. It had been a four-legged creature that had a horn on its skull.
"I know those bones," Luna said."This skeleton...this creature was a Changeling."
...
"A what?" Tucker asked after a moment of silence. Vanto stood up and looked at her, curious as to how she knew this creature.
"A Changeling," Luna started."Changelings are creatures from my land. They have the ability to change into anything or anyone they want. They were ruled by an evil queen named Chrysalis. But Starlight Glimmer and Thorax overthrew her and now the Changelings are allies of Equestria."
"Yeah, I still have no idea what you're talking about," Tucker said, confused.
Vanto was also trying to process this."Wait...are there any other Changeling's on this island?"
"I do not know. As I said, I have never been to this island before." Luna said.
"Well, why is this one here?" The former Imperial Officer asked.
The alicorn sighed."I have no clue."
"Maybe the Changeling's lived here?" Tucker theorized.
"Possibly. The Changeling's history is unknown to Equestria. Not even the Changelings themselves know their past." Luna said.
"Wait," Vanto stopped the princess."Changelings are from your world, right?" Luna nodded."Well, maybe we're in your world. Is your planet in Wild Space?"
"Uh...I don't know what Wild Space is." Luna said.
The former Imperial sighed. He was afraid that the Empire could not find them on this planet. Maybe, if they were in the Unknown Regions, the Chiss Ascendancy could find them.
"Let's just keep moving," Vanto suggested.
"Wait, shouldn't we bury this Changeling?" Luna asked.
"Why?" Said Tucker."It's been dead for years. Plus, we don't have any shovels."
Luna looked at Vanto, hoping he would side with her. But Vanto shook his head before he and Tucker kept going. Luna took one last look at the skeleton before she followed them.
They were walking through the jungle when it suddenly started to rain."Interesting," Said Luna."The weather on this island seems to work by itself."
"What do you mean?" Tucker asked."That's usually how weather works."
She shook her head."Not in my world. In my world, the pegasus work on the clouds to make it rain for Earth ponies crops and that."
"On Coruscant, we have something that helps make it rain on there," Vanto said.
"Man, your guy's worlds sound cool. I can't remember the last time it ever rained in Blood Gulch." Tucker said.
Everyone at the wreckage was running around, trying to find some cover from the sudden rain.
Stuhlinger was dragging a dead Imperial Officer near the edge of the jungle where nobody would see him. He wasn't familiar with the uniform the dead body was wearing, but it did remind him of the uniforms of the nazi zombies he had killed in Siberia. He licked his lips as he stared at the corpse.
It's not zombie meat...but it'll do... He thought. He grabbed the dead man's arm and was about to take a bit out of it when he heard something.
"Uh..." Stuhlinger heard a voice. He looked to see two ponies staring at him. The two ponies were standing under a tree that kept them dry from the rain."What are doing?" Asked one of them.
"I was...I was just...I was cleaning his body!" He quickly came up with an excuse."This is what my people do all the time." He then licked the corpse's arm.
The two ponies looked at him confused."Okay...well, you want to stay under this tree with us until the rain's gone?"
Stuhlinger sighed. He couldn't eat the corpse now since they were looking at him. He went under the tree with them."So...you guys are horses that can talk?" He asked. He had seen a few other horses that could somehow speak.
"Actually, were ponies. My name is Shimmy Shake." The mare with an orange mane said.
"And my name is Lighthoof." Said the mare with a blue mane.
"And were cheerleaders!" They said happily in unison.
"So, what's your name?" Lighthoof asked.
"Stuhlinger." He answered, annoyed. He hated how these two ponies were so happy. Richtofen...please get me off this island.
They all turned when they saw trees fall down in the distance.
"Amazing..." Luna said, staring at the bridge of the Arquitens-class command cruiser. The bridge was leaning against a tree."This technology...I can only imagine Twilight Sparkle's face if she saw this."
Tucker looked at her."Twilight Sparkle? That's a dumb name."
"Let's just find the transceiver," Vanto said. Luna looked at Tucker angrily before she followed Vanto.
Luna was disgusted and horrified as she saw the dead bodies of Imperial Officers all around the bridge. Vanto noted there was at least one dead Stormtrooper in there as well."Man, that guy's armor looks terrible." Tucker commented, looking at the Stormtrooper.
Suddenly, one of the officers gasped. The Imperial Officer coughed as Vanto went over to him."Can you hear me?" He asked. The officer slowly nodded, still coughing. Luna used her magic to hand Vanto a bottle of water. Vanto gave some to the officer slowly.
The officer looked at the Luna, confused."What the hell...?"
Vanto asked."What's your name?" Vanto asked.
"My name is Captain Temet of the Imperial Navy. How long has it been since my ship crashed here?"
"16 hours," Vanto answered.
Temet stared at him. He looked a little dizzy."16...has anybody come?"
Vanto shook his head."Not yet."
"Damn." Temet said."We were on our way to Coruscant when this bright light suddenly appeared. Then our ship crashed on this island. But we have a transceiver." The Imperial captain said. He pointed to it and Vanto grabbed it.
After he gave the transceiver to the captain, Vanto looked around."Where's Tucker?" Luna looked around and went to find him.
"It's not working," Temet sighed.
Luna stopped moving when she heard something creak."Tucker?" She said, hoping it was him.
A door to a closet then opened behind Luna. The alicorn quickly turned around to see Tucker."What were you doing in the closet?" She asked.
"What?" Tucker said. They then heard the same roar from last night.
"What was that?" Asked Temet. The bridge then rumbled a little. Vanto tried to look out of a window but the rain made it too blurry. Temet put down the transceiver and poked his head out of a broken window."I don't see anythin-"
Temet's body was then quickly pulled out by the monster. They heard him shriek in terror outside.
Luna screamed as blood splattered all over the window.
"Wha-what the fuck just happened?!" Tucker yelled, shocked. Vanto panted.
The monster outside then hit the bridge."We have to leave!" Luna yelled. Vanto grabbed the transceiver and the three of them ran out into the rain. They ran as fast as they could, pushing leaves and branches out of the way.
Tucker tripped over a rock and his leg got stuck in some vines."Hey!" He yelled as the monster growled. Vanto turned around to see that Tucker was stuck. As Luna kept running, he went back for him.
Luna ran when she noticed that Vanto and Tucker were not behind her. She stopped and slowly sobbed. Someone had just been killed. Not even Nightmare Moon would do something that evil.
"Luna!" Said Tucker right behind her. Luna screamed in fear but quickly calmed down.
"Where's Vanto?" She asked.
"I don't know! I tripped and he came back for me." Tucker said. It then stopped raining. Luna ran off to find Vanto."Luna! Wait!" Tucker yelled, reluctantly following her.
Luna and Tucker walked through mud, trying to find him. Luna looked at the muddy water and saw in a reflection that was something in the tree above them. Luna looked up and gasped, terrified that she was looking at the bloodied corpse of Captain Temet.
"It's the captain." Said a familiar voice before Luna could look up. They turned to see Vanto walking to them.
"Did you see the monster?" Luna asked him.
"No. It was right behind me, but I dove into the bushes."
"Guy's," Said Tucker."How does something like this happen?" They looked at the captain's corpse.