"Seize her!" Mayor Mare shouted towards several royal guard.

The four guardsman either side of the stage all turned their weapons on the Sith and opened fire, their weapons set to stun.

Darth Efiáltis simply and nimbly dodged all four shots before an electrical charge graced her fingertips, but a moment later terrifying lightning erupted towards all four guards and sent them flying across the room into unconsciousness, all of them hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash shouted in anger, her jetpack roaring to life as she took to the air, aiming both her pistols at  Darth Efiáltis.

Efiáltis only smirked as Rainbow fired off several volleys of blaster fire from both weapons, neither set to stun. With a red flash the Sith grabbed and ignited her weapon and deflected all of the shots right back at Rainbow, one of which struck the Mandalorian in the shoulder knocking her out of the sky and into the ground below.

It was then the civilians began to scream, all of them quickly and violently trying to exit the hall as quickly as possible.  Darth Efiáltis began scanning for Celestia's apprentice within the chaotic crowd, but was distracted when a gunship blasted a hole in the roof and several Equestrian soldiers grappled in on ropes along with a few of Dash's mandalorian guns-for-hire flying in of jetpacks of their own. Efiáltis deflected several more blaster bolts, all of them meant to kill. Growling threateningly the Sith sliced the first soldiers to reach her before calling on the force, she jumped to one wall and the pushed off high into the air and out of the hole in the roof. The pilot of the gunship saw her and quickly turned to train his weapons on her, only for Darth Efiáltis to jump once more, this time landing on the cockpit and driving her lightsaber down into the helpless pilot. Using the force to pry both the cockpits covering and the deceased pilot out she jumped inside and assumed the controls, her gaze turning to the nearby forest.

The apprentice could wait, there was other business to take care of first.

"Twilight!" Spike shouted pointing up at the gunship making a beeline for the Everfree Forest, "Where is she going?"

Twilight looked between the gunship and the forest, knowing all too well why the Sith Lord might have an interest with the dark, monster filled locale.

"The elements," Twilight whispered.

"Twilight?"

"Spike stay here" Twilight all but shouted as she jumped onto a nearby speeder bike and started it up.

"What are you doing!? Are you nuts?" Spike protested.

"It's too dangerous for you Spike, I'm sorry, but I must do this alone."

Not giving him the chance to inevitably protest further Twilight pushed down on the throttle and sped off, quickly putting distance between her and her hapless number one assistant. What Twilight didn't notice was five others watching her, and after speeding off they too jumped onto the other parked bikes and quickly set off in pursuit of the force-sensitive student.

Twilight came to a dead stop at the entrance of the mysterious and very dangerous Everfree Forest, darkness seemed to be reaching from the treeline seemingly attempting to swallow the outside world into it's terrifying darkness. A treeline that was far too thick for the speeder to go any farther, running into a tree and exploding was not on Twilight's things-to-do checklist.

As Twilight approached the Everfree forest she didn't hear the rumbling of an approaching engine until it was almost right on top of her, a blue armored individual jumped off, slamming into the side of Twilight sending her tumbling to the ground.

"Where do you think you are going? Are you a spy?!" Rainbow Dash accused.

Applejack came up behind Rainbow and dragged her off of Twilight, "Now simmer down there sugarcube"

Rarity pulled up alongside Applejack and was followed by Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, "Yes darling she is Princess Celestia's own apprentice, I highly doubt she has such malicious intent."

Twilight quickly managed to scramble to her feet, fighting off the confusion to what in the wide world of Equus just happened.

"Rainbow Dash, your arm?"

Rainbow turned to Twilight and just shrugged, "Meh, my armor took most of the damage, it actually protects me unlike the paper-like junk your guys use," she tapped the charred shoulder piece, "But you have yet to answer my question."

"The elements of harmony," Twilight said simply

"The elements of what now?" Applejack asked in confusion

"As Celestia's apprentice she let me in on a few.. secrets. Within the Everfree forest lies a castle, in this castle lays six artifacts powerful in the light side of the force, artifacts that could be used to defeat Darth Efiáltis!"

"Couldn't you just, you know, use that?" Rainbow pointed at Twilight's own lightsaber still hanging on her waist.

"I... would rather not. Taking on a Sith master is something I really have no desire to do if I can help it. No, the elements are our best option."

"Well then we're coming with ya, all of us!" Applejack proclaimed

Fluttershy seemed unsure, "Well I could come, maybe... if you wanted me too, but the forest is just so scary..."

"Don't worry darling we'll make sure nothing bad happens to you!" Rarity comforted her friend.

"And then we can have a 'we saved the world from an evil Sith person' party!" Pinkie Pie butted in with excitement.

"All due respect I think it would be best if-"

"Sugarcube, we ain't letting you go in all alone, end of story," Applejack said with unbreakable conviction.

"Well OK, fine. But please try not to fall behind," Twilight reluctantly agreed turning back towards the forest.

The others quickly went to follow, with Rainbow giving Rarity one of her blaster to protect herself with, with Fluttershy quickly falling into step behind her.

And like that the six entered the dark and dingy forest, towards the dark mistress of the sith awaiting them within.

The journey through the forest didn't exactly go smoothly and proved to be highly dangerous, as Twilight had suspected it might. However it did give them all a chance to unknowingly showcase their individual elements. Applejack was honest the whole way, especially as Twilight hung over a long drop that, if she fell with nothing to stop her, would have resulted in her death. Luckily Rainbow was there with her jet pack primed to full capacity. Fluttershy showed kindness to a young, injured Rancor, and much to the surprise of the others actually managed to befriend the beast! Rarity was generous to a rather fabulous individual named Steven Magnet, an eccentric individual trying to traverse the forest. Pinkie Pie had hilariously sung her way through a scary situation created from illusions conjured from Darth Efiáltis's usage of the dark side. And finally Rainbow Dash had chosen her friends over the 'Shadow Bolts', a knockoff of an elite squad in the Equestrian military whom Rainbow idolizes, who were yet another of Efiáltis' illusions.

Finally they arrived at the crumbling dark ruins of an old castle. A building so old it was made simply of stone rather than the metals most buildings in this day and age were created from. The only other building like it was Canterlot castle, which Celestia had designed specifically for it's older, more 'classic' look. Despite this however remnants of technology could be seen scattered about, the rusted hulls of several ancient defence droids, ray shield generators once used to seal up doors and hallways along with various other odds and ends. One door the six saw however seemed to still have power, or even had recently been re-powered.

Approaching the console Twilight stepped up to examine it.

Door status: Unlocked

Damage Detected: 68% - Warning

Scanner indicates elements chamber has sustained severe structural damage, request immediate repair teams to seal any potential security breaches.

Request for repair teams logged - 1000 years since request was logged - request for assistance still withstanding.

Warning: power levels at 9%

"This is it!" Twilight exclaimed to the others, while activating the console and opening the doors, lowering the power levels down to a mere two percent.

With the doors opening the group rushed inside, three of them drawing their blaster in preparation for whatever lay within.

And within lay the very Sith they dreaded.

Darth Efiáltis turned to look at the new arrivals, five petrified elements grasped with the force, darkness began to swirl around the sith en-mass.

"What is she doing?" Fluttershy squeaked.

Applejack and Rainbow immediately fired on the sinister figure before them, their blaster bolts however seemed to simply evaporate as they contacted the darkness around Efiáltis.

"Oh no you don't!" Twilight shouted, running into the vortex just as it fully formed and consumed Efiáltis, when it cleared both she and Twilight had simply vanished into thin air.

In the nearby throne room the dark shadows reappeared and spat both Twilight and Darth Efiáltis out violently, both landing on the floor at opposite ends of the room in a heap, the elements rolled about in the middle of the room before coming to a stop.

"You fool, your interruption could have killed us both!"

"Using the force to teleport from one location to another, that's a new one."

Both force-sensitives got to their feet and stared the other down.

"The dark side of the force can lead to many abilities, some which many deem to be unnatural."

"Yeah, I can see why, though we are only in the throne room, so it must be very short range."

"Indeed, but your following me may be fortuitous, I had so wanted to meet you face-to-face. You see I-"

While Darth Efiáltis was talking Twilight quickly outstretched a hand and grabbed the elements, dragging them to her.

"No!" The Sith shouted as she realised what had just happened.

Closing her eyes and calling on the light side of the force, Twilight poured all her strength into the five artifacts, which began to glow, before fizzling out just as quickly.

Twilight's eyes shot open in panic as she realised something, "There's only five? Where's the sixth!?"

Darth Efiáltis began to laugh at Twilight's failure before snatching the elements away from the young apprentice, igniting her lightsaber and slicing it down through all five objects, destroying all of them in one swoop.

"Catching me mid-monologue and capitalising on it to get the upper hand? Oh aren't you a cunning one, and yet you still fail," Efiáltis mocked, "What can you do now without your precious Elements of Harmony?"

Twilight locked eyes with Efiáltis, a determined expression filling her face. Slowly she reached down to her belt and clung onto the weapon the had hung inert all this time. Holding it tightly in her right hand Twilight brought it to her side, and ignited it. A blue blade sprung forth with a flash and that ever so iconic fwoosh sound. Swinging it up she pointed the blade at the Sith before her, a soft buzzing sound filling the otherwise silent room.

"You're kidding. You're kidding right?"

Twilight just stood there with the same determined expression.

"Oh why does Celestia and her apprentices always have to be so... Jedi-like? Well... you will see how we Sith deal with Jedi."

Raising up her free hand Darth Efiáltis shot sith lightning straight towards the young apprentice in front of her. Twilight brought her blade up to intercept the lightning, bracing as all that power was blocked by the blue blade, Twilight holding the hilt with both hands as she struggled against the oncoming force. After a few moments Twilight let go with her left hand and swung it to the side, using the force to grab a large nearby piece of rubble and fling it towards the Sith Lord.

Darth Efiáltis called off the lightning to dodge the piece of rubble, only to spot another larger piece sailing in the air. Jumping upwards Efiáltis encountered the debris mid-air, using the force to violently smash right through it, as she emerged on the other side she descended quickly down right on top of Twilight.

Twilight took a step back as the Sith landed and their blades struck one another for the first time, followed by another, and then another. Red and blue clashed as both combatant traded bows. Darth Efiáltis raised her lightsaber and brought down a heavy blow onto Twilight, who blocked it but while her lightsaber was raised Darth Efiáltis kicked out her legs sending her crashing to the floor. Before the Sith could capitalise however Twilight quickly called on the force and pushed Efiáltis back across the room, the Sith in question tumbled across the floor but recovered quickly. Twilight jumped to her feet and chucked her lightsaber in Darth Efiáltis's direction, who batted it aside and Twilight directed it back like a boomerang. Twilight ran forwards towards the Sith Lord and jumped slightly as she performed a stabbing motion down onto Darth Efiáltis, who stepped to one side, but yet not quite in time as the blue blade scrapped along her arm leaving behind a heated gash. The Sith Lord snarled as she registered the wound, and unleashed a barrage of lightning onto Twilight, who caught the attack with her blade, pushed forwards right up to Darth Efiáltis and with a spin heavily brought her saber down onto Darth Efiáltis's own.

Both sabers remained locked against one another as both of their wielders fought for dominance, red and blue sparks flying off and singeing the floor below as neither combatant showed any signs of giving in... at first.

Slowly but surely Darth Efiáltis began to gain ground, Twilight tried to regain her position but quickly found it a futile effort. In order to avoid defeat Twilight shoved her lighsaber to one side, sending Darth Efiáltis's with it. With the lightsaber's no longer locked Twilight was able to take a step backwards, before lifting her weapon up for the next attack. However Efiáltis used the force to grab onto a piece of debris and fling it at Twilight. Seeing it flying towards her from her left Twilight jumped high into the air and flipped over Darth Efiáltis as the chunk of stone came flying past, crashing into the wall. Sticking the landing Twilight brought up her blade in her right hand, only to find Darth Efiáltis already spun around and swinging her own lightsaber towards her, the red blade slicing into the hilt of Twilight's lightsaber and cutting it in half.

Before Twilight could recover Darth Efiáltis grabbed her in a force choke, before slamming her into a wall, and then another, and then right into the floor at the centre of the room.

The battle was over.

Twilight lay injured and sputtering in the centre of the room while Darth Efiáltis stared her down.

"Celestia taught you well, but you could never have beaten a lord of the Sith."

She barely heard the sounds of the other five approaching.

The defeated Twilight looked back at the door to the throne room as five other people ran in shouting her name. Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow saw saw Darth Efiáltis and took aim, wanting to protect their friend. Twilight raised a hand to get their attention and stop them from firing before getting up, looking Darth Efiáltis in the eye and speaking up again, her voice defiant and determined. She finally understood.

“You think you can destroy the elements of harmony just like that?  Well you’re wrong!  Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!”

The elements activated.

The Sith Lord could only stare in shock as the elements that were surely destroyed began faintly glowing with the power of the light.

“What?!”

So bewildered by this turn of events, she barely heard what Twilight said next, Darth Efiáltis was trying to figure out why the gems had suddenly come to life, no longer were they inert but ready and waiting for their power to be unleashed.

“Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt represents the spirit of honesty!   Fluttershy, who tamed the Rancor with her compassion, represents the spirit of kindness!  Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of laughter!  Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful man with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of generosity!  And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart’s desire, represents the spirit of loyalty!  The spirits of these five got us through every challenge you threw at us!”

With each utterance from the apprentices mouth, the elements each sprung up around one of the five each and formed a necklace bearing the gems, now transformed. Applejack's was in the shape of an apple, Pinkie's a balloon, Fluttershy's a butterfly, Rarity's a diamond and Rainbow's a lightning bolt.

“You still don’t have the sixth element!  The spark didn’t work!”

Darth Efiáltis was beginning to hate how defiant and insolent Celestia's apprentice was, but the pure light side energy that now permeated the air was destabilizing her own force powers and destabilised her lightsabers power matrix, preventing her from acting in any form or fashion.

“But it did, a different kind of spark!  I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was hear you girls, to see you, how much I cared about you, the spark ignited inside me, when I realized that you all, are my friends!”

With a light as bright as the sun, the Element of Magic appeared above Twilight, its power radiating so intensely that Darth Efiáltis had to look away and shield her sensitive yellow eyes.

The crown descended onto Twilight's head, a lavender star at it's centre.

“You see sith, when those elements are ignited by the…the spark that resides in the heart of us all.  It creates the sixth element, the element of magic!”

Darth Efiáltis could only watch in complete horror, terror gripping her, as the six element bearers began glowing and the elements themselves began connecting together, gathering their awesome power as the life forces of all six converged within Twilight. Eyes glowing with pure power, Twilight lifted a single hand towards Darth Efiáltis and fired a force blast so powerful it splintered and shattered the ground in it's wake.

"Nooooo!" Darth Efiáltis as the blast hit her, and instead of being torn apart a rainbow coloured vortex swarmed around and consumed the Sith.

And then it was over.

"Twilight?" A voice echoed as Twilight's senses slowly returned.

Opening her eyes Twilight as met with the set of two magenta eyes staring down at her, the person kneeling over her had a warm motherly smile with long rainbow coloured hair that seemed almost ethereal in appearance.

"Princess?"

"There you are my student, how do you feel?"

"Okay but... where are my friends?"

Celestia pointed to her right, showing five others groggily coming back to consciousness. Twilight saw the first rays of dawn were seeping into the decrepit throne room.

"Did... we win?"

"You did Twilight, you let friendship into your heart and in doing so your connection to the light side was strengthened immeasurably. Now if only another can do the same..."

Helping Twilight up Celestia looked over at an eighth person inhabiting the room. On the floor in charred blue and black armor Darth Efiáltis was starting to wake up, her eyes no longer yellow but rather a brilliant sparkling blue. Her ligthsaber dangled on Celestia's belt right next to the princesses own.

"Princess Luna, sister."

"Sister!?" The other six shouted in surprise and shock.

"It has been too long since I have seen you like this."

Luna began to tremble as she tried to shuffle away from Celestia, despite it's futility. As Celestia reached Luna and stood over her she stopped trying to retreat and instead hid herself in her arms, fearful of what happened next.

"For you know what has to happen now," Celestia said with little emotion.

Luna braced herself.

Only to be surprised when Celestia knelt down and hugged her tight, so tight it was if she feared she would disappear should she let go.

"I forgive you."

"You... what?"

"Please sister, we were meant to rule together, come home with me Luna. I miss you."

Tears began to well up in Luna's eyes before she quickly jumped and returned Celestia's embrace, "Yes sister I missed you so much! I'm so sorry, so so sorry!"

"Shh Lulu, it's OK. I forgive you, I love you."

The city of Canterlot went about it's usual routine of daily life. Twilight Sparkle stared down at the vast mountainside metropolis from a high up balcony in Canterlot Castle.

"Nice view?" Celestia said walking up to Twilight, taking her place next to Twilight looking over the balcony.

"Princess" Twilight greeted, "How's Luna?"

"Better. It will take a while but I'm sure she will adjust."

"She was lost to the darkness for so long, it's a testament that's she's recovering as quickly as she is. It can't be easy for her."

Celestia nodded in agreement, "Anyway enough of that, how did it go?"

Twilight stepped back from the balcony and took a lightsaber from her belt, "It took a while to find a new crystal, but I'm happy with the result.

Twilight ignited the lightsaber, a purple blade erupted to life. Twilight swung the saber from side to side experimentally before turning off and lowering the new weapon.

"Finding one crystal calling to you among an entire cavern of them isn't easy."

The crystal caves beneath Canterlot was a closely kept secret only known to a few, Twilight and the princesses being among them. It was one of the largest known sources of kyber crystals in the galaxy, with a large variety of colours, some extremely rare.

"A fine weapon, but please try not to destroy it this time." Celestia jabbed in a non-serious manner.

"You're never going to let that go are you?"

Celestia chuckled.

...

"Princess, with your permission I would like to move to Ponyville."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, to study how friendship empowers the light side of the force. And I can only do that among my own friends, who all live in Ponyville as you know."

"Hmm, a wise course of action. Permission granted. I assume you will be comfortable living in Golden Oaks?"

"You know I will! Thank you princess."

"Anytime Twilight. I can sense that you will go on to do great things."

"I promise not to let you down!"

"I know you won't."

Soon Twilight would move to Ponyville, and Luna would settle down and resume her role as princess. But this was only the beginning.

Now the forces of friendship had been awakened.

Elsewhere, deep space

"Yes my master?" A lone figure knelt as he presented himself to a holographic transmission.

"Lord Tyranus, I have sensed a great disturbance in the force."

"I have felt it."

"A small world in the outer rim, Equus. Great powers have been awakened, powers that can not be allowed to fall into the republics hands."

"I will ensure this world is brought under separatist control."

"Do not underestimate them my apprentice, it's rulers are powerful in the force."

"Yes, my master."

With that the transmission cut off, one of the battle droids present addressed Count Dooku.

"Orders sir?"

"Contact the Neimodians Flim and Flam, tell them to have their droids at the ready. Also contact the Changeling Queen Chrysalis on Equus, tell her that Tyranus is finally ready to collect, and they should not defy me if they want their hive to have a foreseeable future. By the end Equus will either join us, or we will burn it."

Next Chapter: 4 - "Begun, the Clone Wars have..." Estimated time remaining: 9 Minutes