Star Wars: Power of the Dark Side
Chapter I: Secrets and Artifacts

"Ah! What a gorgeous day!" Twilight breathed in a jovial tone.

Taking in a deep breath of the fresh spring air, a deep waft bringing a resurgence of all manner of emotions and memories that she has gained and remembered over the years. All of them harboring the same nonchalant reaction as the last, memories passing by with quick abandon and stored right back into her near perfect photographic memory.

Normally, she would not be as happy as she was today. Today marked the fifth year of her being with her friends and the first year of her being coronated as Equestria's forth royal princess. A matter of great importance and celebration for her, and one that Pinkie could not resist. She made sure to celebrate and plan a party all by herself.

Twilight held a suspended smile as she thought back to the party she had participated in. The cake, the atmosphere, the livelihood of everypony there, it was a sight to see and an even greater one to experience. While Twilight was not a big fan of the music her friend chose, the guests seemed to not mind. Matter of fact, Vinyl even DJ'd a bit and offered for free. Which in and of itself made Twilight feel bad considering she was not paid much and could barely make end's meet. Twilight had to admit she was a genius behind the records and music, but in reality she was a constant partier. Every earning she made she spent on booze and a good time at a local club. Therefore, Twilight gave a small sack of bits to her lover and wife, Octavia. She thanked her and Twilight quickly had joined back to the crowd and mingled.

The new warm memories made her muscles more relaxed and more focused. Every detail more vivid and surreal than it really was. In all her years of constant study and constant state of stress and barely ever a moment to rest and relax like a normal pony. It brought instant relief every time she did this, ever since she had came to Ponyville all those years ago she has seen life in a whole new light.

At first she had thought that she could make it in life with no friends whatsoever. Nothing but her knowledge and her smarts to take her forward. All she needed was her big brother, her parents, and her teacher. All the necessities made and met for her to have a completely bland and stale life. When she arrived at Ponyville she was stunned and, honestly, shocked that she learned more about social cues and implications in the few hours she was with her now best friends than she ever did reading a book. She understood the concept that the experience and knowledge cannot be gained unless witnessed by the theorist, or scientist, or magician etc.

Now she understands that nothing compares to the bond shared between great friends. A bond that can be tested and sometimes weakened, but never truly broken. She has learned to lead, she has learned humility, she has learned a plethora of many other feelings and emotions previously not expressed by her in her lifetime. A fact that seems like the pony she once was, was another being entirely.

She lingered on this hanging thought as she strolled quietly through the dense canopy cover of the Everfree forest. The shadows cast from the setting sun bleeding through the cracks of the cover filled her with a certain euphoric feeling not commonly embraced by her. The dying rays of Celestia's sun was enough to tell her that her teacher was ever watchful and anxious to hear back from her noble and faithful stu...counterpart. She was no longer a student under Celestia, she was every bit her equal which still astonished her.

The calming evening air wrapped around her in a cooling embrace, with the light touch of the breeze marking this night to be colder than previous nights. While it neared summer, it was still very much the temperate spring of which cool evenings were everything but hot is expected of the light kiss of a breeze.

Twilight thought ahead and dressed warmly for her stroll through Everfree. She wore a dark brown cloak about her head to guard herself from the nipping cold air that would find its way to her eventually, she was well wrapped a scarf around her neck.

The foliage was starting to get thicker and become unruly, as it does every summer. Its vines becoming more large and increasingly more dangerous as it makes way into the summer season. Making it increasingly more difficult to navigate in and out of it. Considering two things, one, Zecora lives within the limits of the Everfree she rarely leaves the confines of her hut to visit Ponyville. The second, the eastern colonies only way making it to both Ponyville and Canterlot is if their supply caravans make it through. Where it should take about three days, would then take a week maybe a week and a half depending on the demand and the upkeep of the caravan.

The Everfree, at this time of year, has come to be known as "The Tomb of All Ponies." A forest of great infamy. But despite its rugged and overall unpleasant atmosphere it emanates, she feels rather numb to those feelings. Merely a means to an end, those feelings, just there to remind her that she is a pony. But as of her fight with Tirek she has found nothing and no one more intimidating. A deep calm breath escaped her as she walked along the ground. Her hoof falls were loud as the crunch of leaves leapt up to her ears. The eerie and ominous sounds of the forest rising up from the deep dark forest.

Twilight wondered if she would see Zecora wandering around, she did not doubt it. For all tense and purposes she is the owner and the only pony who can really navigate the forest to its full extent. Even Twilight had trouble getting her bearings within the thick confines of the Everfree.

Nevertheless, she knew of the paths and knew them very well. Taking the dirt roads she knew and the roads that lead to Celestia's old castle. It was a shame that such a beautiful piece of architecture is destined to rot and crumble in an old forest, forgotten for no reason. Twilight read Beginnings of Canterlot, she knew the reason was because it was a constant cruel reminder of her sister so she had masons come in and lay the stones for a new city, Canterlot.

While she was lost in thought she did not notice that she wound herself to the castle, the ominous and shadowy building casting eerie shadows upon the ground. Its rough cut architecture always surprised Twilight, it looked too rugged and too dark that Celestia would live in such a place. It was something not uncommon for diplomatic buildings and castles to be made in this style at the time, a time where every one kept raised curtains and walls to prevent any sort of diplomatic difference.

She stood in the grand opened entrance of the castle. The dark castle doors shut, yet a slight crack to allow air to flow. A cold draft billowed through the a jared door. He hooves now clicking on stone she pushed the door further open. The decrepit entrance sent her into a scrambling of finding some sort of comfort. Albeit, she was already used to the shadows and nooks of the castle. Her mind calmed and yet at slightly unease by the fact she was alone. Spike usually accompanied her or one of her friends, it put a whole new perspective on the castle itself.

Ironically, she felt more at home at this castle than the crystal one in Ponyville. Her hooves resounded on the floor as she guided her way through the entrance hall and made her way up the grand staircase, turning right at the top heading towards one of her favorite rooms. The library.

She was still giddy as she still has not studied the library to its full extent yet. Eager to change that soon.

Her hoof depressed further into the floor, a brief screech crying out as she thought the floor was collapsing beneath her. Her vision blurry for a mere moment, she teleported away forsaking her new wings. She turned and saw a slight depression under the stained red rug. One of the cobblestone slabs, diamond shaped, sunk into the floor. Not like it was slipping out of place but like a mechanism. Such a thing should not have escaped Twilight's eye for detail.

A deep click and rumbling of gears resounded in the hallway, her eyes scanning the walls or anything that this mechanism was activating. She watched, to astonishment and amazement as a part of the slid away. Not as usual like a rectangle, but as a triangle. The door way slightly taller than that of her. The room pitched black beyond her field of vision. Mist and dust crawled out like a long awaited prisoner had been released, seeping out like a wound. Twilight caught her breath as she muttered, "Come on Twi what have you found this time."

Her mind raced as she stared at the empty doorway. Could it be a secret meeting room? An archivist room? A room holding other secrets? Secrets long forgotten, knowledge long since left alone. All these questions and so much more that briefly flashed by, erupted within Twilight's head. Taking an eerie step forward she dared to see what secrets lied within. This however, stark above all others, begged the question of why was it secreted off? Was this something that Equestria was never supposed to know? Was this something that threatened the ponies of Equestria?

Twilight mused silently to herself, tapping her hoof on her mouth, "Hmm...well...only one way to find out I suppose..."

Her voice trailed off once more as she stepped closer to the doorway. Cleared of dust and mist, she penetrated the darkness with her head first and finally allowing the darkness to wrap around her and allow her entry into this secret room.

It was pitched dark, not even the dim light from the halls could brighten the room. Twilight activated her magic and using a spell, the room illuminated a bright lavender glow. With barely a flinch or twitch the light illuminated the otherwise stubborn darkness. Barely using a fraction of the power she would wield. Where she stood astounded her.

The architecture was not like the old imperialistic style, it seemed ancient and yet also far beyond the architectural style of her modern age. It was strange. While standing the test of Celestia knows how many years, it still remained smooth to the touch. The style itself was archaic and rose some emotions she otherwise would not normally feel. She was in a small room that rose as if it was a dome, a few feet in diameter. Standing in the center of the circular room was a pedestal.

But it was strange, as it was shaped like a pyramid. Average normal building stone all the way around and up, until, it reaches the tip. The tip was a smaller pyramid, dark metallic outlines and red and orange glass. It pulsated as if it was alive, but there was nothing alive about it.

She swallowed hard as she sensed to see if this was an artifact of darkness, this was obviously an idol of great dark powers. From Twilight's knowledge.

Nothing.

She sensed nothing, no magic was within this idol, it was vacant of all magic. One of Twilight's eyebrows crooked, "That is strange...nothing pulsates like that unless it has some magical property behind it."

Normally she would have left this be and would have forgotten about it, but the runes and markings on it matched nothing of ancient Equestrian language or any language she knew of. And now that she noticed, similar runes were inscribed on the walls.

She needed to study and investigate this. But the most pivotal question was, would she inform Celestia of this? She was her compatriot and her fellow princess. Taking and studying an artifact found in her old castle, could she really do something like this and go behind her back like this? But if it was secreted away, then there must be nothing wrong with studying it. This was forgotten knowledge.

She looked back at the idol and using her magic she levitated it over to her. As it came closer a deep sense of suppressed dread and fear washed over her. Something told her that this was something to investigate and something with great and powerful meaning. At closer inspection the glyphs as well seem to glow and pulsate with the inside light. There was a dark line within the edge of the pyramid, outlining one of the faces. Swallowing hard, something deep inside remained and whether it was good or bad remained to be seen. It appeared to be no larger than her hoof.

She tucked the idol underneath her wing and walked swiftly away from the room. It was unnaturally cold in there after she took the idol. There was something about this idol, and Twilight would be damned if she let this simply slip on past her. She made her way immediately back to Ponyville. Her studying of ancient tomes can wait until another day, this little idol could not.