Chapter 133: Brothers

In Dooku's lair, the Sith Lord was in his office. He was facing the window behind him was Grievous as the cyborg stood with his arms behind his back. Sunset was also present as the girl leaned against a wall off to the side. Dooku had called both as it seemed something was bothering him.

"So, why the hell did you call me to show up in the same room as this dumbass over here?" asked Sunset as Grievous growled at the girl for making such her usual comments.

"I can sense him," responded Dooku.

"Sense who?" asked the girl.

"That creature. Savage Opress is growing stronger and stronger as each day passes."

"That brute? Please... I whipped his ass so much that I made him my bitch when he was training to be your apprentice," said Sunset as she recalled how much better she was than the larger individual when he was looking to become Dooku's learner. "Besides, he's not the only one who's gotten stronger since last time."

Grievous let out a cough as he cut Sunset off from speaking.

"You consider him a threat?" asked the cyborg to the Sith Lord.

"He is a threat to all of us, even the Jedi," stated Dooku to his two allies. "With the Nightsisters eradicated, there is no one left to control him. Something is rising. Something... Sinister."

Dooku kept looking at the window as the other two kept a straight look. Wondering what it was that the Sith Lord was sensing.

The Kingdom of Equis was shown as the town citizens were walking about. Enjoying their day and waving at their fellow neighbors. Mr. And Mrs. Cake were getting the store ready as Pumpkin and Pound Cake crawled along the floor. The two babies stopped at a wall and looked up as they saw a picture of Storm. The Cakes had decided to put a picture of the boy on a wall to thank him for what he'd done for them, from both an employer and a Jedi.

Pumpkin and Pound Cake raised their arms as if reaching for the image of Storm. They were then picked up by Mrs. Cake as she nuzzled her babies.

"I know, you miss him too. But Storm has things to do and responsibilities to upload."

The woman could tell that since she and her husband had asked Storm to babysit their kids when they had to make a delivery, the twins had become attached to the older boy. The way he interacted with them and how he spoke to the babies, they seemed to enjoy it. So they were sad knowing he wasn't around because he had to leave.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be back soon. He always does," smiled Mrs. Cake to her kids as she walked back to the counter.

In the palace, a gathering was currently being held. Night Light, Velvet, Shining Armor, and Cadance sat in the throne room while attending to some royal business. Spike was being watched by Moondancer in his room as the matter didn't need to concern the small prince. With the final delegate who arrived having finished his speech, he bowed before the royal family and exited.

"Announcing the arrival of The Duke and Duchess of Maretonia!" shouted the guard by the door as trumpets blared.

The doors opened as the next set of delegates came to discuss some matters with the rulers of Equis.

After the day court session, Night Light spoke with someone from one of the noble houses.

"Your Majesty, it is an honor to speak with you," said the man on the transmission.

"The honor is all mine, Duke Riegan," stated Night Light. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"I am here to offer a proposition. My son would like to meet with the princess to discuss potential... Matrimony," said Duke Riegan.

"Ah, I see. Well, that is a proposition I would like to discuss; however... My daughter is currently unavailable. She's... Currently away dealing with some duties of her own." said Night Light to the duke.

"Then we should schedule a meeting for when she returns. I'm sure the princess would be delighted to meet my son. Do keep me posted."

"Of course," said Night Light.

The transmission ended with the crystal ball in front of him shutting down its magic. Night Light took a deep breath as that was the nineteenth call he'd received, all about Twilight and asking to meet with her to discuss potential nuptials. The King did his best to tell that Twilight was away while not disclosing that she had been called back by the Jedi Council to continue fighting on the war's frontlines.

"Why? Why did she have to get these powers? Why couldn't she remain a princess and focus on finding a partner to take the throne?" wondered Night Light as he exited the room and walked along the halls of his castle.

The King recalled a moment as he walked.

(Flashback)

"I will not allow my child to leave!" shouted Night Light as he slammed his hands on the table, staring down Celestia, who sat on the other side calmly.

"You must understand the Force is something you cannot comprehend," responded Celestia to the royal parents.

"But that's impossible!" stated Velvet.

"No one in our entire bloodline has ever been a Jedi! So what kind of magic are you pulling on us, Jedi!" demanded Night Light.

"I have nothing to do with it. As I've told you, the Force works in mysterious ways. Even if we do not fully understand it. But one thing I can be certain of is that your daughter is a Jedi."

"Stop playing with me!" yelled Night Light as he had half a mind to throw the woman before him in prison for speaking such blasphemy. "Our daughter has but one duty, and that's to be a wife! She's to be married and take over the throne! That's her sole duty and nothing else!"

"Do you not believe your daughter to be so much more?" asked Celestia.

"She's but a child; she doesn't know what's for her own good!" stated Night Light.

"Mommy..." called out a voice.

All the adults turned to the door, and a small Twilight stood, the girl in her PJs as she awoke from all the yelling. Night Light and Velvet gasped when they saw their daughter.

"Mom, I'm scared," said Twilight as she started crying.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetie. Momma's here," said Velvet as she immediately rushed to her little girl and picked her up.

The Queen hugged her daughter as Twilight held onto her blanket and Smarty Pants doll.

"I know this may be hard for you and your wife to understand, but Twilight is a Jedi," said Celestia as she stood up.

"Impossible..." muttered Night Light as he stared at his child being held by Velvet.

Night Light's mind raced with several thoughts. To think that this small girl before him would be a warrior. No... That couldn't be true... Twilight had one duty, and that was to be married. To take the throne and be a wife. But why... Why did something like this have to happen? Did the universe have something out for them and decided to screw them over?

"Get the hell out of my castle! NOW!" yelled Night Light as several classes of guards appeared and surrounded Celestia.

Celestia merely stood there as she closed her eyes and remained calm. She felt that the royal family wouldn't take too kindly to the news she informed them of... But... It was one that they needed to know.

"No need. I will leave as you requested," said Celestia as she began to walk. "However, if Twilight remains here, she will be a danger to you and your kingdom. There will be forces of evil that will stop at nothing to get their hands on her. Are you willing to sacrifice the lives of so many innocents to ensure your daughter fulfills her duty?"

"I said: Get the hell out of my castle!" growled Night Light.

Celestia didn't speak anymore as she left the building. The doors closing were heard as Night Light was hunched over the table. The man had anger built up inside him as he growled and grabbed one of the chairs to throw against the wall. The sound frightened Twilight as she cried into her mother's shoulder as Velvet rubbed her daughter's back and bounced her in her arms to calm her down.

"It's okay, sweetie. It's okay," spoke Velvet.

"Mom... I'm scared," cried Twilight.

"I will not let you take my daughter!" yelled Night Light as he directed that message to Celestia. "You hear me! I will not let you take my daughter, Jedi!"

(End of Flashback)

Night Light was looking out of a balcony as he viewed his kingdom. The King saw that all he had worked for and the part he contributed to his family legacy would soon be handed to Twilight. Night Light and Velvet already had plans; they would retire to a small speck of land and enjoy the peace and quiet. But still be available for their daughter whenever she needed advice.

Night Light approached a lab as he entered, with some of the royal scholars and engineers doing some tests.

"Your Majesty," bowed the lead researcher as everyone else did the same.

"What have you discovered?" asked Night Light.

"It's as you have deduced, your highness, the six known Elements of Harmony react to the seventh one," stated the scholar. "Their energy levels are directly affected by this new one. But that can be written off as it being new. It's a like a group of friends and someone new joins; they are hesitant at first, but eventually, they start feeding off the other, and soon they click. The same can be said for these Elements."

"Then why now?" asked Night Light. "Why would suddenly a new Element appear? It hasn't been that long since the Element of Magic was born. A merely 150 years ago. Suddenly, a new one appears, tied to the Jedi of all people."

"Well, if I may, sir. I have a theory," said one of the scholars.

"Proceed," granted Night Light.

The scholar approached the console as a digital screen came up, and he approached it as he began to touch it with his finger.

"Okay, so the Elements of Harmony are magical artifacts that we still have yet to fully understand. Even the many records we have for reference only tell us some things. We all know they're some of the most powerful forms of magic to exist and can do incredible things."

"Yes, and your point is..." asked Night Light.

"While we don't know much, there has been one constant thing about the Elements: whoever they choose to be their wielders have some aspect of the Element they represent. For example, here we have Ms. Applejack." the scholar pulled up an image of Aj as he tossed it onto the hologram draw board and her element appeared under her.

"Ms. Applejack comes from a long line of relatives. The Apples have always had a good relationship with the royal family. And Ms. Applejack is a girl who upholds what it means to be honest. It's a family trait that the Apples possess, but Ms. Applejack is the living embodiment of it."

"Applejack, I recall the very young days when she and Twilight were crawling around in their diapers on the castle floor. And I knew her parents very well. Pear Butter, Bright Macintosh, rest your souls." said Night Light as he paid his respects.

"Yes, we miss them very much. Moving on is Ms. Rarity. And she's currently a fashion designer to the Senator of Naboo of the Republic. However, she also loves fashion and is considered one of the most generous. As evidenced by Ms. Sapphire Shores, Hoity Toity, and of course, the Queen."

Night Light recalled the outfit Rarity made for Velvet when she first visited as she made a beautiful attire and assisted Coco whenever she could.

"Up next is Ms. Fluttershy. A representative for the Republic, despite being young, she is mostly just there to represent any wildlife involving issues. She has a kind heart and, if you couldn't tell, loves animals. Finds them easier to talk than other humans."

Night Light noticed how almost all the animals in Equis were immediately drawn to the girl, as if she had this aura about her.

"Ms. Pinkie Pie. Keep it short and sweet; she's zany. Loves to throw parties and is a barrel full of laughs. Considers it to be life's purpose."

"Yes," was all Night Light said as he recalled how Gustave often was close to blowing a gasket whenever Pinkie was in the kitchen.

"Ms. Rainbow Dash. Cocky, brash, and arrogant, a fierce pilot, yet under all that, she displays the most loyalty to her friends and to the things she cares about the most."

Night Light didn't need to look further than what occurred at Silver Shoals involving the chromatic-haired girl. How she was competitive with Applejack that it involved him and Velvet getting involved in a game.

"And lastly, is your daughter, Princess Twilight Sparkle. This doesn't need any explanation. Your daughter is the living embodiment of magic."

"She's a prodigy, just her old man. In the short time that magic was again brought back when she and her friends restored the elements, she mastered tons of spells in such a short time." smiled Night Light at how he was for his daughter to be a powerful spell user. "But... What of the boy? Why him? What info have our spies collected on the Jedi?"

The scholar pushed a touchpad as the video info, and screenshots of Storm appeared. Night Light saw the images and the videos playing while examining the Jedi. His movements, how he fought, how he used his weapon and Force powers. The King saw how each class member of his army faired against the teen.

"Thanks to the data we collected from your son, Prince Shining Armor, we now know how to fight a Jedi. We know how they think, how they act, what their strengths and weaknesses are, we know what makes them tick. And we combat them should they raise their lightsabers against us." said the scholar.

"In all our history, we've never had a Jedi set on Equis. Nor have we had the opportunity to face in combat. But with these data, we can train our soldiers to deal with such a threat. However, facing a Jedi isn't something we'll have to worry about."

"Equis is known for learning how to adapt. Every foe we've ever faced throughout our history, we've studied them, adapted to their tactics and methods, and evolved into such an advanced society." stated the scholar to the King.

"But what I want to know is why... Why is he an Element Bearer? What traits does he have that make him worthy of being one? What info do you have on my daughter's partner?" asked Night Light.

"The Jedi is a unique individual. No traces of his parents, as it seems. From what it seems, he's been raised by his master. Only set foot out of Coruscant for missions. But Equis has been the first planet he's visited that hasn't involved any missions for his Republic. A powerful warrior, as evidenced by these visuals."

"And his element, the Element of Sacrifice," questioned Night Light.

The scholar began to pull up footage of Storm's missions that he had gone on in the past year or so during the Clone Wars. The King was watching all of them with a close eye as he was a bit impressed that someone as young as him was a general in a massive army. Not to mention being in the line of fire and up at the front fighting with soldiers, despite knowing that his life could end so very young. But that was the whole point of a Jedi, to know how to survive. Night Light noticed the boy command soldiers and face threats and criminals trying to kill him.

"It seems he's been through much in his young life," said the scholar.

"So he has," said Night Light with his hand on his chin.

While her husband was dealing with his thing, Velvet was in her room as she was talking with Cadance. The pair were talking and catching up; she was even asking her new daughter-in-law for the juicy details of her honeymoon. And she wanted... every detail.

"My son is lucky to have a girl like you, Cadance," said Velvet, taking a sip of her tea.

"I should be the lucky one, Ms. Velvet. Shining is... Perfect," sighed Cadance as she thought of her husband.

"So... When can I expect some grandchildren?" asked Velvet with an eager smile.

"Well, if we keep doing it every day, you might not need to wait long," Cadance said as both women laughed.

"If I want one thing before I leave my children, it's to be a grandmother. And I already have one who's grown up and married. And maybe... Soon, I might have another."

"You're talking about Twilight, hmm? And let me guess... Storm?" smiled Cadance.

"Oh, you've noticed as well," smiled Velvet, the two women seeming interested in romance.

"He's... Perfect for Twilight. The way her eyes sparkle when she's with him. The way he makes her laugh, gets on her nerves, and how touching he is, it's everything Twilight has dreamed of. They would make a cute couple." said Cadance.

"I'd never thought I'd see the day when Twilight would take an interest in a boy; I figured she'd probably marry a book. So glad that's not the case. Storm is a catch, indeed. He's the person I trust the most to take care of my baby." said Velvet.

"He knows he loves Twilight. His Jedi Code forbids him from falling in love," stated Cadance.

"I understand his honor as a Jedi, but... Is it so bad to want a bit of love in your life? He's a teenager, a kid. Yet he has the responsibilities of an adult that have been ingrained into him since he could first speak. He should enjoy what it means to be a kid and have that first love everyone goes through." said Velvet.

"I've tried to tell him that several times. But... It seems he doesn't want to admit it. But I can see it in his eyes. He would do anything to make Twilight happy." responded Velvet.

"Maybe there's something we can do to get them together. I mean... The Hearts and Hooves festival is coming up soon. And if Twilight manages to come back in time for the, and coincidentally if Storm happens to tag along." said Cadance as she traced her teacup with her finger.

"I knew I liked you for a reason, Cadance. You're a devious woman. So... What's the plan?" asked Velvet, all on board with her daughter-in-law about sparking a bit of romance for her child and her personal guard.

On the planet Stobar, a local diner was shown. Several police ships landed as it seemed just a few moments ago, some altercation happened. Another speeder parked outside, and inside were Anakin and Ahsoka. The Jedi Knight had stopped at the local diner to get some food.

"Uh, shouldn't we be getting back to the cruiser?" asked Ahsoka, as they had just finished their latest mission.

"Nah, I'm hungry, tired of those government rations," said the Jedi Knight to his Padawan. "Hey, looks like trouble. Come on."

The pair walked as they entered the diner like normal customers as they saw some people crowding around a fallen individual on the fallen floor. They bent down to check on the person.

"Hey, what are you doing?" shouted the diner's owner as he had a frying pan in his hand and approached the pair.

"We don't want any trouble," spoke Anakin with his hand out. "We're only trying to help."

At that moment, a police droid stepped forward.

"Lou, are you crazy, pointing that thing at a Jedi?" said the police officer, knowing that the Jedi were good people and that a frying pan wouldn't do anything against them. "Put it down now!"

"I'm sorry, sir," said the owner as he put the frying pan on the counter and apologized to the Jedi. "I'm all just shaken up," he said as he helped the customer get up from the floor.

"I understand," said Anakin, "You want to tell me what happened here?"

"We have it under control, sir," said the police droid to the Jedi, "It looks like only a simple altercation. Happens here all the time."

"He's telling the truth. We get some rough characters in here. Things like this happen too often to count." said the owner to the pair as he began to lead them to a table, "Eh, why don't you and your friend take a load off? I'll get you some food. Meal's on the house."

The pair soon sat at a table, waiting for a hostess to take their order. However, at that moment, Anakin closed his eyes as he seemed to have sensed something. He couldn't tell what it was as the look on his face showed he was in deep concentration.

"Master! Anakin!" called out Ahsoka to her teacher. A moment later, Anakin opened his eyes and sighed.

"I sense a disturbance, something sinister."

"All the way out here?" questioned Ahsoka, having a serious expression.

"Yes," answered the Jedi Knight to his student.

"Do you know what or who it is?" asked the girl.

"No," sighed Anakin, "But whatever it is, it feels familiar."

The pair turned to look at the window as they gazed out of it.

On a distant planet, clones were shown marching about their base. Machinery and walkers were also walking about. Clones were positioned along the outer perimeter, keeping an eye out for any enemies. In the command center, Storm was with some clones as they had a hologram in front of them. The boy was currently on a mission to destroy a Separatist base as they were a few miles away from their target.

"What's the status of the terrain?" asked Storm.

"It's a heavily fortified hill, General. The droids had guns placed here, here, and along the southern path. A full frontal assault will result in many casualties." said the clone in charge.

"Any other routes we can use to sneak in?" asked the boy.

"Negative, sir. The only tunnels into the base are guarded with ray shields."

"There's gotta be a way to figure this out," muttered Storm as he tried to find the best attack plan. "Thank you, men. Get some rest. We'll discuss the plan in the morning."

"Yes, General!" said the clone as he left with his squad.

"How to get out of this one?" spoke Storm, looking at the hologram map and studying it as if his life depended on it, running every strategy in his mind.

"Meeting over?" spoke Twilight.

The girl appeared as she tagged along with her partner for this mission. She entered, having two mugs in her hands.

"Figured you'd need it," said the girl as she offered the cup to her partner.

"Thanks, Sparky," smiled Storm as he took the cup.

The girl hopped onto the table, her legs dangling off the edge. She looked at the hologram the boy was eyeing as she looked at the map.

"Any plan we're going to try to use?" questioned Twilight.

"Still working on that, princess," chuckled Storm as he took a sip of his mug and leaned back on the table next to the girl.

"Well, based on the terrain, the enemy has the advantage due to their high ground. And seeing that they have the tunnels all blocked up, sneaking around is out of the question. Perhaps, an overhead air strike to soften their defenses." suggested Twilight.

"We tried to relay for some help to the fleet, but they're jamming our transmissions," said Storm.

"Well, when taking a hill or a mounted position, it basically boils down to the three A's."

"Three A's?" said Storm as he put his cup down.

"It's what I refer to when Celestia first told me. Avoid, engage the enemy from Afar, and Assault. Number one: Avoid contact and go around the enemy's position if taking the hill is not essential."

"But taking the hill is essential, Sparky," said Storm as he got up and stood in front of Twilight with a playful smile.

"Number two: Pull back out of engagement range and call for artillery or air support on the enemy's position," said Twilight, giving her partner a flirty expression.

"But, as I said, our transmissions are jammed. And we only have a few cannons to engage them with," said Storm getting closer to the girl and placing his hands on her waist as he stared into her eyes.

Well, Number three," said Twilight, wrapping her legs around the boy in front of her and placing her arms around his neck. "If you must assault the position, first recon the extent of fortifications and identify enemy strong points, assets, and what is known as their "disposition," where are the assets located and where are they facing, or intend to engage. Second, plan your assault, hopefully bypassing strong points and not coming in from a direction the enemy expects. The seconds/minutes you earn as they traverse their guns to orient on your assault are seconds/minutes you and your men are not dying to stuff you cannot do anything about. Third, attack at a time more advantageous to you, typically the early morning hours when the defenders are least ready, and darkness can disguise your approach. Fourth, attack with vigor and move smoothly. Not haste. The worst thing that can happen is for your assault elements to get confused in their rush to do things fast."

"God... You're such a nerd," said Storm softly, his hot breathing on Twilight as he stared at the girl he held.

"And you're an idiot at times," chuckled Twilight, gazing into her partner's brown eyes.

The two teens laughed as they kept looking at each other. The Jedi took a moment to enjoy the other's presence and not focus on the task. It was nice.

"Best to get some sleep. We got a big day tomorrow," said Twilight as nighttime was about to fall upon them.

"Go on, I'll be up taking the first watch with the men."

"Don't stay up too late," said Twilight.

"No promises, princess,"

Twilight smiled as she removed her legs from the boy. She then proceeded to leave as she made her way to her tent. Storm left the command center as he was going to begin the first watch. Nighttime had come as the moon was high in the sky; the night patrol marched about, keeping an eye out while the rest of their comrades got some sleep. It had been hours since Storm began his watch as he was also trying to devise a plan for the men to take their target.

Eventually, the next group of clones came to relieve the men as they informed the boy that they would inform him if anything came up. With a nod, Storm headed off to his tent to get some rest. The boy arrived at his tent and got in bed. It had been a while since Storm fell asleep when he felt something. A shift in his bed as he turned to see that Twilight was now lying next to him.

"Mind if I sleep with you?" asked Twilight.

Storm smiled as he turned to look at the girl.

"Hold me," stated the princess.

The boy immediately grabbed the girl and pulled her in as she pressed against him. Storm's hands were wrapped around her waist, as did what the princess asked. Twilight was smiling as the pair brought their foreheads in, and they closed their eyes. They began to drift off as, sometime later, Twilight snuggled into Storm and had her head under his chin. She awoke as she pulled back to see the boy still holding her.

"Storm... Storm..." spoke Twilight softly.

The boy was fast asleep and couldn't hear the girl's response. Twilight smiled as she leaned into his ear.

"Storm. You can't hear me, can you?"

The response she got was silence.

"... Okay," said the girl as she took a deep breath and prepared to speak. "I just want to say I feel safe when you're with me. When you're by my side, it makes me relaxed. I... I want to stay by your side forever. I want to stand next to you. Even after this war is over. I want to stay close to you even after that... And that's because... I-I... Love you."

"... ZZZ..."

"... Storm. I love you. I really do."

The girl rested her head on the boy's shoulder as she nuzzled her cheek against Storm's.

The boy was fast asleep when suddenly what he was dreaming of started to change. The Jedi grunted in his sleep as the sound of a lightsaber igniting was heard, and he opened his eyes. Storm lifted his head to look around his tent but saw nothing. The teen was breathing hard as he panted as he'd just done a marathon. He looked down, and he saw Twilight cuddling him.

The boy sighed as he was thankful for the girl in his arms; he knew she was protected. He brought a hand down to move some of her hair away from her face as he stroked her cheek. Twilight leaned into his touch, enjoying the dream she had. Storm, on the other hand, was concerned as he pulled the girl closer, not paying attention to her chest pressing against him as his mind was occupied with what he sensed. The boy brought his lips and planted a quick kiss on Twilight's forehead as if he feared something bad would happen to the girl.

I feel something... Cold, malicious, evil... Something is coming...

Back on Coruscant, it was raining hard. Master Yoda was in his room as he faced the window. The raindrops hitting against the glass could be heard as each gave off a thunderous sound. Lighting flashed before thunder booming followed. The small Jedi Master was shown meditating as his eyes were closed; he was concentrating as he seemed to also sense something.

The door to his room opened as in came Obi-wan.

"Master Yoda?"

"Feel the disturbance in the Force, do you?" asked the small Jedi Master to Kenobi.

"Yes, Master."

"Fear you are in danger, I do," spoke Yoda, opening his eyes. "From the dead, an old enemy has awakened, seeking vengeance."

"An old enemy?" questioned Obi-wan as he looked at Yoda.

"Killed your master many moons ago, he did," answered the Grand Jedi Master.

At that instant second, Obi-wan gasped. Both in fear and in shock.

"How can this be? I killed him myself," said the Jedi.

"It is so, I fear," said Yoda.

Obi-wan took a moment to process this before speaking.

"Darth Maul, alive?" said Obi-wan, stroking his beard and looking out the window.

It seemed the dead was truly rising from the grave and was looking to haunt the Jedi Master once again.

Author's Note: So, a bit different than the actual episode given that it doesn't focus on any of the main characters, but instead Savage finding his brother. So, for this chapter, I decided to set the stage for the next one chapter. Also the episode before this features Ventress starting her new life as a bounty hunter, but I couldn't find a way to cover that so I just skipped it entirely. Now, as for this chapter, snippets of the original episode itself with Anakin and Ashoka, and the scene with Yoda and Obi-wan, as well as the beginning with Dooku, Grievous, and Sunset. The bottom line is... an old foe is coming back from the dead.

In addition, getting to see stuff that also happening on Equis as this is going on. Especially a flashback to when Celestia informed Night Light and Velvet that Twilight is a Jedi. Safe to say, they did not take that well as they even threatened her life for saying that. One call only assume what it was that convincedTwilight's parents to let their daughter go with Celestia to become a Jedi. As always, leave a review expressing your thoughts and comments.