Chapter 180: Our Town Pt. 1

"And tilt!" said Shining Armor as he tilted his sword, to which Storm did the same to block his attack. "Remember, five by five count."

The Jedi and Prince did the exercise. The Jedi tilted, tilted, tilted, then jumped to avoid Shining Armor's attack and made a downward slash, which the Prince blocked.

"Then you can transition to a five by four count," said Shining Armor as he did a tilt, tilt, angled his sword down to block a lunge before bringing his other arm to deliver an elbow strike but stopped it just before making contact with Storm's head.

"So, put it all together," said the royal prince.

The two stepped back as they crossed blades and did tilt attacks while Storm took some steps back and then jumped to avoid Shining Armor's attack before going for a downward strike as he blocked it by aiming his sword horizontally. The Prince managed to turn the position of them as he spun his sword to get Storm to be behind him; the Jedi turned around and did two tilt attacks before angling his sword vertically to the ground to avoid the lunge as he saw Shining Armor's elbow coming to hit him as the Jedi Knight raised his other arm to block tha elbow strike as he managed to counter the prince's assault successfully.

Watching from her balcony room was Twilight. The princess leaned against the railing with her head on her hands as she saw her older brother and partner training together. The royal family had returned from their estate as Shining Armor and Cadance stayed in the Royal Castle before heading north to the Crystal Empire. Following their trip to Manehattan, Rarity discussed making arrangements for her family to move here with Twilight's parents. They were more than happy to help the girl's family relocate as they gave a decent-sized area they had owned to give her and her family to live on. The fashionista began work on making plans for her family to move and pack their stuff up, as Twilight was happy to know one of her friends was going to be living here. However, there was only one person she wished could stay here with her… forever.

The grunts from the training session below got the girl's attention, and she sighed heavily. Moondancer, who was attending and cleaning Twilight's room for daily tidiness, appeared with a small tray of sweets and tea. The handmaiden reached the balcony and placed the tray on the table before pouring a cup of tea.

"Sugar, Twilight?" asked the handmaiden.

Twilight just sighed.

"I'll take that as yes," said Moondancer, as she already knew how to interpret Twilight's sighs.

As Moondancer served her friend, Twilight kept her gaze on her partner as he got into a fierce training session with her older brother, who was being taught some new combat moves. The handmaiden gave the princess her cup as she looked out to see both warriors engaged in combat.

"You know, my lady, I don't mean to pry into your business, but perhaps…"

"No," said Twilight, knowing what Moondancer would say. I can't ask him to stay here just for me. It wouldn't work."

"Yes. That's true. But… well, there is a position that may help. You could upgrade him from your Royal Bodyguard to Royal Conso…"

"NO!" said Twilight as she cut off Moondancer before she could finish her sentence. "No. That would… only complicate things. I'm sure, Moondancer." The princess stood up and handed her teacup to her handmaiden, and she apologized for having her serve tea when she wasn't in the mood. She left her room as she needed time to clear her mind.


As she moved her arms about, Velvet was in one of the magic chambers. The Queen practiced magic by making an orange line appear out of energy. She twisted the string before making a shape and enacting symbols. The woman then opened a portal with a ring on her finger that responded to the portal. It allowed her to instantly transport to the desired location as she stood looking down at the top of the castle. She then fell as another portal opened, and she shifted her position to land on her feet as the other side had the floor of the magic chamber.

The Queen thrust her arms out as the entire room and reality around her shattered like a mirror. Bits of reality were cracked as she pulled them apart before piecing them back together as she found herself in a dimension between reality. Here, the Queen had full control to do whatever she wanted as she charged at the wall, and it burst into the courtyard. She landed on a castle wall that was floating by while everything else was rotating and manipulating to her will. She then jumped onto a nearby cart; it spun before jumping and now was upside down and running along the brick road that was also upside down. Velvet then heard something as a door appeared in her path. She casually strolled through it and found herself right side up after passing through.

The Queen stood before a mirror as she looked through to see Spike trying to sneak off with some snacks before lunchtime. She chuckled as she was going to talk with her youngest son. Before she moved, another mirror appeared, and she looked into it. It showed her husband as he was doing some paperwork for some citizens' requests. She hopped onto a moving train that came by and saw a mirror racing alongside her as it showed Cadance playing with Flurry Heart. Velvet then made the train fold in as several versions appeared to create a spiral loop effect as she casually strolled forward before entering a portal and found herself back in reality in her bedroom.

The Queen then heard a knock on her door as she approached it. To her surprise, it was Twilight.

"What happened this time, sweetie?" asked Velvet, as she already knew why her daughter came to her.


Storm was shown washing his hands before grabbing a handful and splashing it over his face. The Jedi grabbed a towel hanging on a mirror as he wiped his face and hair. He sighed before grabbing his shirt and pulling it down before exiting the bathroom. The Jedi approached the stables as he approached his horse before getting on and flicking the reigns. The boy was now trotting out of the castle gates into town as he headed to Sugarcube Corner. Outside, Mr. Cake had several boxes as he placed the latest treats into them.

"Morning, Mr. Cake!" said Storm as he appeared.

"Oh, good morning, Storm. We got a ton of deliveries today."

"Great, I'm all saddled up!" said the Jedi as he stuck his hand out and used the Force to put all the packages into the saddles on the side.

"Now hurry, we got customers expecting their daily delivery!" said Mr. Cake.

"Right," said Storm as he flicked the reigns of Spirit.

All the morning, Storm went to the homes of townsfolk as he delivered their treats. Back and forth, the Jedi raced across the kingdom as he made sure each delivery reached its respective person while earning himself some money for decent service. It was near the end of the morning when Storm was shown heading back to Sugarcube Corner as he finished the last of the orders.

"Alright, morning rush, all taken care of," said Storm as he entered the establishment.

The boy took off his satchel and presented the envelope of money that he collected to both bakers. Mrs. Cake took the envelope and counted the profits to ensure everything was there. Once it was all accounted for, she then grabbed Storm's hand and gave the Jedi his cut.

"You know, Mrs. Cake. You guys don't have to do this. I'm fine doing it for free." said Storm as he put the bits away.

"Oh, hush, sweetie. It's the least we can do for all you've done to help us," said the woman as she grabbed Pumpkin in her arms and reached out for the teen.

Storm took the toddler in his arms. He bounced her in his arms as she squealed in delight.

"The little ones certainly like having you around," said the woman.

"I'm sorry. But I don't think we can do that, miss," said Mr. Cake as he was heard in the back of the bakery.

"What's the matter, honey?" called out Mrs. Cake to her husband.

"Someone tried to place an order, but unfortunately, we don't deliver that far," said the bakery to his wife.

"If you want… I don't mind making the delivery, sir," said Storm as he approached the man with Pumpkin still bouncing in his arms.

"I don't want to be a burden on you, Storm. You already have enough…"

"Seriously, sir, I don't mind. What's one more?" said the Jedi Knight as he looked at Pumpkin. The small toddler put her hands on the teen's face and began to play with it.

"Sweetie, don't do that to Storm's face," said Mrs. Cake as she took her daughter from the boy.

"Are you sure?" said Mr. Cake.

"Positive," responded the teen.

"Alright. I'll let them know," responded the baker.

After contacting the person who proposed the delivery and getting the order details, the Cakes got to work on making it. Twilight was in the library back at the castle, sitting comfy on a couch and reading a book. A knock came on the door as she stood to peer over the couch to see Storm.

"Sparky!" shouted the boy.

"What do you want?" asked the girl as he looked where she was and walked toward her.

"I need a map, stat!"

"Um, sure," said the princess as she led her partner to a podium; she activated it with her handprint, and a hologram of her planet appeared.

"Enter these coordinates," asked Storm as Twilight looked at the piece of paper he had.

The girl looked at them before touching the hologram of the planet. It then began to zoom in on the place's exact location as it read unknown. The girl was surprised as she was sure nearly every spot in Equis was documented due to their family's records throughout the years. As she leaned forward to make some calculations, eventually, the place began to make more sense as it showed a particular place.

"Huh? That's weird…"

"What's the problem, Sparky?"

"Well, I found the place; it's just… there's no name, which is weird because my family has every single place in Equis labeled and documented. But this place isn't showing up in any of the archives for some reason."

"Well, I got what I needed. Just tell me what route to take."

"I'm going with you."

"Wha?"

"The fact that you're going somewhere my map can't identify is why I believe something might be wrong. Plus, it gives me a chance to add to the archives."

"Whatever, sure. You can do whatever, princess. Literally." said Storm as Twilight smiled.


In the morning, the pair began to prep for the delivery trip. Storm was saddling up his horse in the stables when Twilight appeared with her satchel across her waist. Once everything was prepared, the boy and princess got on the horse and began to trot into town. When she heard Storm's horse outside, Mrs. Cake was wrapping up the small delivery box. The woman came outside and saw the Jedi but was surprised to see Twilight riding behind the boy.

"Morning, Mrs. Cake!"

"Morning, Princess Twilight," said the woman as she quickly bowed to show her respect for the girl. "Did you come by to get some sweets? I'll ask my husband to whip you up some."

"No, it's okay. I'm actually here because I'm gonna accompany Storm for his delivery."

"Oh, well, all right then," said the woman as she handed the box to the boy. The delivery location is on there."

"Mmm…" said Storm as he looked at the tag on the box before safely putting it in one of the saddles on his steed.

"Do be careful, Storm."

"Don't worry; we will," said the boy as he flicked the reins and began to gallop away, Twilight waving at the married woman who had seen the teens off.

The Jedi Knights galloped until they exited the town and were on the dirt trail. Storm then made his horse pick up speed as they raced past some meadows.

"Ready, Sparky?" asked the boy.

The girl reached into her satchel and pulled out a small golden ring. Twilight held it in her hand and concentrated before she pictured where they needed to go and threw the ring forward. The small object flew and glowed before expanding and getting bigger before landing, causing a portal to appear, as on the other side was a barren land. Storm had his horse go faster as the pair raced into the portal that closed up and disappeared behind them. The Jedi quickly pulled the reigns of his steed back as he halted. The pair were on a cliff as they overlooked a dirt path.

"Where are we, Sparky?"

"We're as close as the teleportation ring can take us. The rings are tied to the archives. So since where we're going isn't recorded, the ring can only take us as close as the notable land." stated Twilight. "As soon as we make our way down this cliff, it's uncharted territory."

"Then let's get going," said Storm as he gestured his steed to descend down the mountain trail.

As they traveled across the unknown land, Twilight was making a record of everything around her as she planned to mark it down to update the royal archives. Eventually, the pair followed the trail from the cliff as they crossed a rope bridge; surprisingly, the bridge managed to hold their weight as they crossed it slowly on Spirit's back. Once they crossed, it was a bit more walking forward before they reached the top of a hill. Down below them was a small village containing a single street surrounded by identical houses and a single house at the right end of the street.

"That's it. That's the place," said Twilight.

"Indeed it is," said Storm in agreement.

Twilight got off and reached into her satchel. The girl pulled out something, clicked the button before it began to shake, and threw it on the ground. A magical transformation later, and a tent was shown. The princess approached the object as Storm got off his horse and gave him some carrots to munch on before heading toward the princess.

"We'll rest here. In the morning, we'll go down there," Twilight said as she bent over to look through her satchel. She then pulled out a bag of horse feed and approached Storm's steed.

The girl used her magic to transform some rocks into a feeding trough, with one side filled with water while she poured the food into the other half. The horse approached the girl, and it nudged her gently from behind, showing his appreciation for the girl, to which she giggled. She gently patted its face before leaving and allowing the creature to eat. Storm was bent down as he made a makeshift fire of some sticks and rocks. He managed to make a small fire. Twilight grabbed her satchel and sat beside her partner as she leaned against his arm.

She reached into her bag, pulled out some mini cakes she had packed for the trip, and offered one to Storm. The boy smiled as he grabbed one and took a bite; Twilight did the same as she reached into her satchel again to pull out a book she brought along and opened it to read with her partner. Nighttime soon fell on the teens as they leaned against Storm's horse lying on the ground. Twilight was in Storm's arms and seated before the boy as he clutched the princess tightly. The pair looked up at the stars as Twilight told her partner about some constellations.

"And that right there is called Sitri. In fact, that's how one of my ancestors got their name," the princess explained.

"No kidding," chuckled Storm, holding the girl in his arms.

The two teens were smiling and looking at the stars above as the night sky was full of them. It offered a certain serenity and peace, given how crazy their lives had been the past few years. The princess sighed while leaning into her partner's chest, relishing being in his arms.

"You know… these past few years have been quite a lot… for both of us," said Twilight.

"Yeah," responded Storm.

"Honestly… I never thought I'd have this many adventures in just a short time…. I met some great people and made new friends…"

"Yeah."

"And… I'd never thought… that I'd have a great partner."

The girl turned to look at the boy as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. She then closed her eyes with a smile on her face. For Storm, the Jedi Knight began to reflect on his time with the princess. From the very start of how they met, their initial friction between the pair and how different they were, and now here they were, acting like… best friends who'd known each other their whole lives. He didn't know how to feel or respond to this emotion.

"Well, it's time I turn in," said Twilight as she let out a yawn that Storm found adorable.

The princess got up and approached the tent, stopping to turn around and look at her partner.

"You coming?" asked the girl.

"Y-Yeah," said Storm as he felt a bit exhausted.

The boy entered the tent as Twilight already had their arrangements set up. The girl lay down as she pulled the blanket over her. Storm took his position as he lay down next to the girl, looking at her on his side. Twilight smiled as she turned to look at her friend; the princess leaned in to kiss his cheek as he put his hand into hers and closed it. The two teens looked into each other's eyes as they drifted off to sleep with their hands intertwined.


Morning came as the sun rose beyond the horizon. After getting ready, the Jedi looked down at the village below. As they were about to enter unknown territory, they figured walking on foot the rest of the way was best. And so the pair made their way down the hill; as they got closer, they kept notice of their surroundings for anything suspicious. Eventually, the pair came to the village's entrance and walked in. Upon first glance, they were shocked to see there were, in fact, people here. They passed some people who were talking and noticed the weird smiles on their faces.

"Something's not right," whispered Twilight as her Jedi senses went off.

"I see your point. They look a little… too happy," responded Storm.

As they walked deeper into the town, the people noticed the teens and turned to them, giving off rather large and ominous smiles.

"Welcome!"

"Welcome!"

"Welcome!"

"Welcome!"

"Welcome!"

"Welcome!"

"Welcome," said a kid.

Despite all the warm greetings, the Jedi Knights looked weary. Their Jedi senses seemed to be telling them something was off. The smiles of the many people who looked at them made him slightly uncomfortable as Twilight kept closer to her partner's side.

"Sparky?"

"Yeah."

"All these smiles remind me of that horror book you had me read a while back," said Storm.

"What book was that?" asked the princess.

"You know, the one where emotionless husks of themselves replace every one."

"Welcome!" said a person who approached the teens. "Pardon my forgiveness, but… are you two planning to stay?"

"No. We're just… delivering something," said Mario as he stared the smiling young man in his eyes.

"I see. Well, all are welcome here in our little village. My name is Double Diamond, and this is Party Favor."

"Hello," said Twilight with a small uneasy wave.

"If you could just direct us to whoever asked for this delivery, then we'll be on our way," stated Storm with a firm look.

"Certainly. Follow me," said the young man as he led the pair away.

Twilight clung to Storm's arms as they followed the person to the house at the end of the street. Diamond Dust knocked on the door twice as it opened up, and two more people exited with smiles. Diamond Dust led the two Jedi inside as they entered, with the door closing behind them.

"Be ready for anything," whispered Twilight, to which Storm nodded.

"Please say hello to our founder… Starlight Glimmer."

A door opened, and there before them was a pale lilac girl with purple hair with sky-blue highlights. She also had her bangs trimmed in a fashion similar to Twilight's bangs.

"Welcome!" said Starlight as she saw the two teens. "I'm pleased to have you here."

"I'm guessing you're the one who placed this delivery?" asked Storm discreetly as he held out the box he was holding out.

"Yes, I did. You have no idea how hard it is to get good cupcakes around here," said the girl as she eyed the two teens curiously before stepping forward. "Forgive my bluntness, but I'm assuming you're a Jedi, right?"

Mario raised an eyebrow after hearing Starlight call him a Jedi. He wondered how the girl knew that.

"I'm right, aren't I?" smiled Starlight as she saw that reaction from the boy to confirm her suspicions. "Nevertheless, thank you for delivering this."

"You're welcome. That's 18 bits!" said Storm as he crossed his arms.

"But of course," said Starlight as she made her coin punch appear and pulled out the exact amount to give to the boy.

Storm quickly counted to ensure everything was there before putting it in his pocket.

"Surely, you're not thinking of leaving just yet. You haven't seen the wonders our town has to offer," said Starlight as she opened her box of treats and began to munch on one of the cupcakes she ordered with her cheeks puffing out.

"Sorry, but we need to get back," said Storm, as he didn't want to spend any longer than they needed, given the vibe he got from the town.

"What is time but a tool used by society," said Starlight as she ate another cupcake. "Tools that bind humanity and restrict them. In our town, we're not bound by restrictions. We are free to do what we please without worrying about limitations."

"So… you don't worry about expectations?" asked Twilight.

"Precisely," said Starlight as she ate another cupcake.

"Right," said Storm cautiously, "Well, we need to…."

"We need to go so that we can explore the town. Thank you for your hospitality," stated Twilight as the princess covered her partner's mouth and smiled. Storm used his eyes to tell what he was thinking while glaring at the girl.

"Wonderful. We hope you enjoy our town," said Starlight as both Jedi exited the house.

"Well, this certainly provided a boost to our little community," said Starlight as she walked away. When the rest of Equis sees that the Jedi and the princess join us, they'll finally understand what we're trying to accomplish." A devious smile appeared on Starlight's face, but nobody saw it.

Meanwhile, Storm and Twilight continued to walk about town. Yet their visit was still awkward since no matter where they went; they were bombarded with people giving them over-the-top smiles at them.

"Why did you say that?" asked the boy as he managed to pull the girl aside. "I don't want to spend another minute in this place!"

"Did you get any weird vibes from that Starlight?" asked Twilight.

"Yeah, I did, which is why we need to leave. How do you think she knows I'm a Jedi?" asked Storm.

"That is curious. The same goes for this town. This is why we should at least look around and get some info. Remember, this place isn't recorded in the royal archives. So if I could just collect some data, I can figure out what's going on." said Twilight.

"I don't know about this."

"Look, if we see even the slightest danger, we bail. Promise?" asked Twilight as she held Storm's hand tightly.

The boy looked at his hand before gazing up at the princess. Seeing her expression, he knew it by heart from how long they'd spent together.

"Alright," said Storm.

"Thank you," said Twilight as she pulled her partner in to embrace him.

Storm wrapped his arms around Twilight, hoping things wouldn't go south. The pair soon broke apart as the princess grabbed his hand, and they began to walk down the street. The Jedi passed by a collection of ragged-looking cloaks hanging on a rolling coat rack.

"Welcome!" said the owner, Burlap, "Care to sample some local fashion? We've got cloaks this month!" He then flicked the side of his cloak and smiled widely.

"You call that fashion?" Storm remarked quietly to avoid being heard.

"Perhaps another time, good sir. Thank you," said Twilight as she smiled sheepishly while dragging Storm away to a nearby table. "Maybe don't say what's on your mind."

"Sorry, princess, but you gotta admit that shit is ugly. Be glad Rarity isn't here. She'd throw a fit if she saw that." said the boy to the girl. The Jedi looked at some people nearby as he got a disturbance in the Force from them. "I've got a bad feeling about this whole equality thing."

"Need something?" Double Diamond called out from a table on the other side of the street.

"Uh, no! We're good!" said Twilight with a nervous smile before speaking to her partner in a hushed tone, "We need to get to the bottom of what's happening here. Maybe these people can help." As Twilight spoke, a pale-skinned girl about their age with grayish hair tied up in a bun appeared at the table with an over-the-top smile and wearing one of the ragged cloaks around her neck.

"You know what I'm thinking. I think this is starting to be similar to that mission with Ryloth where we had to free the citizens from their dictator," stated Storm.

"I don't think Starlight is a dictator," Twilight responded, referring to her partner's assumption that the girl they met was evil.

"Come on. One look at her, and you don't get evil vibes. I mean, come on. Who has bangs like that?"

"I have bangs!" shouted Twilight so that only Storm and the girl beside them could hear.

"Yeah, but they look good on you," responded the boy.

"Um, excuse me," said the girl as she tried to get the pair's attention.

"You can't judge someone if they're good or evil based on appearance. I didn't judge Padme's Separatist friend, Mina, and her son, Lux, just because they were Separatists. They were good people, and we wanted to find a peaceful solution for both sides."

"Yeah, and how'd that work out, Sparky? We suffered a terrorist attack because of it!" said Storm.

"Oh, please, don't act all high and mighty. You chased down Ahsoka like she was a criminal and turned her in without even helping her!" countered Twilight.

"I had a job to do!" responded Storm, "Besides, Barriss was your friend! Why didn't you suspect her, huh?"

"Is this a bad time?" the girl finally asked.

"We shouldn't be bickering in front of these people!" said Twilight to her partner.

"And I'm just saying that we…"

"Is your friendship ending?" asked the girl.

"What?" said both Jedi as they looked at the girl.

"I was just…."

"No, we're good. After all, we've been through it as a pair; it takes more than just a simple argument to disrupt our friendship," said Twilight.

"O-kay, well, my name is Sugar Belle," said the girl as she held up her order pad, "What can I bring you? We have… muffins…" The pair waited, but it seemed like muffins were the only thing offered on the menu. The two Jedi Knights exchanged looks with each other.

"Then I'll guess we'll take two muffins!" said Twilight as Sugar Belle walked away.

"Okay, that was weird," said Storm as the princess glared at her partner.

"Come on, Storm. We've got to stick together. It doesn't matter what happened before; we're here now."

"The sooner we figure out why, the sooner we can go home," said Storm as a plate of plain-looking muffins appeared on the table.

"Forgive me for overhearing," said Sugar Belle, "but just a moment ago, you were disagreeing, and now it seems like you're… agreeing."

"How… observant…." Storm said slowly as Twilight gave a skeptical look.

"Well, you had such differing opinions," responded Sugar Belle.

"We have differing opinions all the time," said Storm.

"But you look like you're friends," pointed out the girl.

"We are friends," said Twilight, "Storm and I have been together for quite a while. A simple disagreement wouldn't change that." Twilight was unaware that Double Diamond, despite appearing to be reading, was listening to the conversation attentively. He and Sugar Belle exchanged glances with each other.

"I'm sorry. I'm just having a hard time understanding," said Sugar Belle sheepishly before saying bluntly, "Different talents lead to different opinions, which lead to bitterness and misery. So… why aren't you bitter and…"

"Bleh!" said Storm as he got glances from both girls. The Jedi had instinctively reached for a muffin to take a bite but immediately spat it out after almost choking on it. "That shit is nasty!"

"Storm!" yelled Twilight at her partner for saying that in front of Sugar Belle.

"It's alright," said Sugar Belle kindly, "I know I'm not a very good baker. At least I know I'm not better than anybody else in the village."

"But why?" asked Storm. "If you have a special talent, you should be able to showcase it to the world. You shouldn't hide it away in fear of being better than anybody else. If you're special, be proud of it. I'm a Jedi, and I'm proud of it."

Sugar Belle nervously bit her lip and noticed that Double Diamond gave her a dirty look. Storm noticed the exchange between the two.

"Well, I…." Sugar Belle stuttered. "I hope you enjoy our little village!" She quickly headed inside as Storm spat out some remaining crumbs before the girl reappeared and rushed between the two Jedi. "Come inside before you go!" said Sugar Belle. Meet me downstairs!" Sugar Belle gave Double Diamond a huge smile before zooming back inside. Storm hummed as he rubbed his chin with his hand.

"Alright, come on. You gotta admit that's weird," said Storm to Twilight.

"Let's just sit here and eat these muffins and act normal," stated the princess as she picked up a muffin, using her magic, "I think we're being watched." The pair discreetly turned to see several villagers giving them over-the-top smiles.

"You think?" said Storm.

"No, not like that," the princess quietly said, "I mean, someone doesn't want us talking to Sugar Belle." She tilted her head to the side, where Double Diamond was eating a muffin.

"It's clear as day that conversations with us might be limited out here," said Storm, "especially if they think we're a threat to their way of life."

"That's why Sugar Belle might be our best bet at finding out what's going on here," said Twilight as she tilted her head toward the bakery.

"Well, how are we going to do that with everyone watching?" said Storm quietly, as it was clear the many eyes on them weren't going away until they saw what the pair would do next.

Twilight shifted her eyes to see the many town folks eyeing them. "Follow my lead," said the girl to her partner.

Storm questioned what Twilight was planning as the girl exited her seat and approached her partner. The girl quickly sat in her partner's lap and kissed his cheek before resting her head under his chin and closing her eyes as she held the boy. The Jedi Knight instinctively wrapped his arms around the princess as he held the girl and closed his eyes. The pair pretended to be snuggled up with each other as it worked; the townfolks all went about their business as the girl opened her eyes and removed her head from Storm's chest.

"Nice thinking," said Storm, holding the girl in his lap. "Now, what?"

"We wait a few minutes before we head in. Till then… hold me tighter," whispered Twilight.

Storm smiled as he did what was asked of him. Eventually, the pair managed to find the perfect window as they quickly got up from their table and made their way inside Sugar Belle's house. The two Jedi Knights began to go downstairs, hoping the girl could give them some insight.

"Hello? Sugar Belle?" Twilight called out as they looked about the room.

"This could be a trap," said Storm nervously as he began to reach for his lightsaber.

"Thank you for coming," said Sugar Belle as she appeared with an over-the-top smile. "So nobody could see what's about to happen," said the girl with a borderline devious smirk. The two Jedi Knights flinched when they saw Party Favor, and another girl named Night Glider appeared with creepy-looking smiles, approaching them with Sugar Belle.

"I knew it! It's a trap!" said Storm, pulling out his lightsaber and turning it on. The yellow blade hummed and gave some light as the boy ensured Twilight was behind him in case he had to protect her.

"Are you really the princess of Equis?" Party Favor asked, getting in Twilight's face.

"Are you really a Jedi? That's sick!" said Night Glider as she got in Storm's face.

"How can you two be friends when you're so different? Don't you end up hating each other?" asked Sugar Belle.

"O-kay, not what I was expecting," said Storm as he retracted his blade and put his weapon to his side.

"I can't believe I'm actually speaking with the princess of Equis," said Sugar Belle, feeling it was a huge honor to be in Twilight's presence. Forgive me, Your Highness. I apologize for serving you those muffins. I just didn't want to be any more special than anybody else."

"It's okay," said Twilight as she got the girl to stand up, "But why are you so worried about being special than anybody else? Nobody should keep you from feeling special. Our talents represent an essential part of who we are. It's what makes us us. It's an identity."

"Oh, we could never go back. To remind us of the headache of a life with special talents. We're much happier living the same life as we don't have to worry about making others feel bad about themselves." said Night Glider.

"But who says you're making others feel bad?" said Storm. "I get it. Everyone has their own talents in which they excel. But that shouldn't be the reason to give it up?"

"Do you really want to live in misery?" asked Twilight.

"If it means not hurting anybody, then yes," said Party Favor.

The two Jedi Knights exchanged looks as if they couldn't believe what they heard. It seemed there was indeed something going on. Storm turned as he began to head up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" asked Twilight.

"I'm going to snoop around Starlight's house. See if I can find something up about that girl."

"Storm, don't. We need to figure out the situation here. Why do they choose to live their lives without wanting to accept their special talents? Plus, we still need to gather information about this place."

"Well, you can do that while I got scout her. Trust me, I'll return once I find what I'm looking for."

The boy made his way up as he left Sugar Belle's house.

"Be careful," said the princess, hoping her friend would be safe in his mission. She then turned to the three individuals as she approached them. "Okay. Can you tell me how this all started?"


Storm was currently scouting out Starlight's home. The Jedi, using his survival skills, was able to find himself on the roof without anybody seeing him. He looked for some entrance as he noticed the chimney at the top. Seeing that no smoke was coming out, it was safe for him to enter. The Jedi got closer to the bottom as he peeked his head upside down to scan the area. Seeing that nobody was around, he quickly touched down and stepped out of the firepit.

He looked about, trying to see if anything was around for him to look at when he noticed another door. Storm approached it and opened it as the door swung open. The door led to a flight of stairs, and the Jedi used his lightsaber to give some light. He carefully watched his steps as he descended before coming to the bottom. Storm looked about as he found several tables and junk. The Jedi Knight then saw another door as he approached it. There was a lock on it. He used the tip of his blade to cut it, and the door unlocked. He saw what looked to be tons of monitors and screens, with a few playing and showing live footage of some of the villagers' homes.

"Is she spying on them?" asked Storm as he worried Starlight might have spied on them when they talked with Sugar Belle. The boy approached a monitor as he touched the keypad.

The Jedi was able to remind the camera of where he and Twilight entered Sugar Belle's home, but it stopped there. The boy was relieved that it didn't seem she heard their conversation as he noticed something nearby. There was a pile of many envelopes. He grabbed the top one and opened it as a drive was inside. Storm injected the drive into a port and touched the keypads; an image came up as it showed a person.

"Is that… Clover the Clever?" wondered Storm as he saw the person's photo, and seemed to look like the character Twilight portrayed in the holiday play.

Another image then appeared, showing a female with the name under it.

"Ripley. She was born a markswoman. She could shoot from even the farthest of sights. She was an outlaw who ran Applelossa from bandits," said the Jedi as he noticed several files appeared and clicked on them.

One by one, several images of different people appeared. Despite the many photos, one thing was common among them. They were all connected to Twilight. These were Twilight's ancestors. The princess' image then came up in a family portrait as she was highlighted. The boy was curious why Starlight had all this data on the princess. As he exited the file, he noticed another one under it. He clicked on it as a video began to play.

"Greetings. My name is Firelight. And today, I plan to showcase something." said the man, wearing a scientist's coat, before approaching some tables with chemicals and flasks. "As history foretells, Equis is a thriving place full of technology and magic. In fact, we've evolved so much compared to the rest of the galaxy. And why, you may ask. Because of the ones who see themselves fit to be gods. The royal family. Even before the royal line was established, the Sparkly family bloodline has reigned over Equis for eons. And their heroics have been recorded for generations to come. But that my friends… is a lie! The royal family are nothing but dictators."

The video ended as Storm clicked on another file.

"The royal family feds on the innocents and preys on their exploits to make themselves look better. All the wealth they suck from people like us. We built everything they calm to have built on our backs while they watched. Their family bloodline is nothing short of false propaganda! We toll away in our rundown homes while they drink and eat the night away in their fancy golden castle. But it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, the royal family was never meant to be the ones!"

Storm's glare intensified as he clicked on another file.

"I'm nearly close to finishing my greatest project. If this succeeds, all of Equis will be free from the shackles of the royals that imprison us!"

The video shows a sound as the man turns, and the door to the study bursts open as some royal guards appear with what appears to be a Night Light.

"Mr. Firelight. You are under arrest!" said the lead guard.

"On what grounds?!" growled the man.

"For using unauthorized equipment to conduct your experiments, not to mention stealing funds from the company itself!"

"You don't understand. That man who wears the crown is nothing but a phony!" said Firelight, pointing a finger at Twilight's father. "It is because of his blood that Equis suffers. While everyone else may turn a blind eye to him and his family's actions, I see them for what they truly are. Leeches! False prophets! Gods among us mortals, making us wait at their beck and call, and when they have no use for us, they cast aside!"

"My word is the law," said Night Light.

"While you sit upon your golden throne with your family, the rest of us slave our lives to serve you. And for what?! Equis should be free from your family's tyrannical reign that started at the expense of my family!" shouted Firelight as his hands glowed with magic.

Night Light used his magic to counter Firelight's beam as both attacks met in the middle. It caused a massive light to blind the camera as the recording ended. Storm was confused as he clicked the next video, which showed Firelight on his bed with covers over him.

"Promise me… you will… carry out… my work," said Firelight as he was shown on his deathbed with someone bent by his side.

"Dad… please… don't leave me," said the teen girl.

"I will always be with you… Starlight. You are my daughter… and as my daughter, I have but one request for you… Can you do it for Daddy?" coughed the man as his illness caught up.

"Anything?" said a young Starlight.

"Inside this file… is the true history of Equis… make sure… you make our enemies pay for what they did to us… You must… be the one… to end the Sparkle curse…"

Starlight grabbed the drive as she looked at her dying father; she could see her father's genuine look. The girl nodded to her father, vowing to honor his dying request and complete her father's ultimate project. Firelight smiled as he touched his daughter's cheek.

"It is time you learned who you really are. Starlight… my little girl… you are the remedy to cure Equis from the cancer it suffers. You… are to be the greatest of our family members. And you will… be the one… to deliver us… to the promised land."

"Dad…"

"I'll see you again… my little… Star-li-..."

Starlight looked at her father as he began to drift away and close his eyes. His hand started to fall from her cheek as it lay by his side, lifeless. The girl looked at her deceased father as she placed his hand on his other.

"I promise, Dad…" said the girl as she began to cry at her father's bedside before the recording ended.

"My god," said Storm after watching that.

"Yes…" said a voice as the boy turned. Starlight was in the doorway as she spotted the Jedi. It would move me to tears if I still had any left to shed."

The girl then thrust her hand out and fired a stream of magic. It traveled toward the Jedi, and everything went black.

To be continued...

Author's Note: This has been a long time coming. But we have been introduced to a fan favorite, and it's none other than Starlight Glimmer herself. However, it seems she's not like any other villainthe pair had dealt with if she's already figured out that Storm is a Jedi just by seeing him. And then the video files that Storm found out about her father and the bigger question of why she has every single document of Twilight's ancestors on record?