Ending 2: The Path of Sacrifice (Force Ghost Anon)

>A single, deep breath is taken as you make your choice.
>It is a daunting thing, this train of thought you are following.
>Considering it is one thing, but what has spurned you into actually seriously considering it?
>There is risk here of being cast into oblivion.
>But then again, that’s the same with all of the other choices, right?
>But this one, the choice to actively refuse, to do nothing at all, this seems like less of a risk and more of a certainty.
>You are about to die.
>Everything you are, were or will be can be taken away at the press of a button, and likely will.
>What is it you feel at this very moment?
>Is it fear?
>Yet it cannot be, for your heart is still and your mind clear.
>What does this clarity signify?
>An acceptance of your fate?
>Why would you accept so willingly, so almost casually, your obliteration?
>Then again, as this is your choice, perhaps you accept it for that same reason: because you choose to.
>He may think he has the power here, as he stands upon the platform with the detonator, but he is merely the means to an end if you choose to die.
>Of course, it seems a little bit hollow to think about having power in a situation like this, as you stand upon the brink of annihilation and contemplate doing nothing to stop it.
>Are you suicidal, then?
>Do you simply want all of this to end?
>All of the pain, the grief, the torture you have endured---you would face no such thing in the afterlife.
>That, of course, brings you to another important point: what will happen should you perish?
>In your life, you have seen wondrous things, things that sometimes deny explanation.
>You witnessed Celestia return from the grave to speak to you personally.
>You know, from that alone and your belief in the Force, that there is more beyond this mortal shell, this crude matter you are comprised of.
>The Jedi Code speaks of there being no such thing as death, for there is the Force, and in it all things are preserved.
>Is this, then, why you are making the choice you are making?
>The more oyu think about it, the more you think about what you are about to lose.
>Not only your life, but the sensations and feelings that come with it.
>Doing this means you will never see your friends again, or your master.
>Or Sunset.
>Perhaps you will see them, but not in a physical sense.
>You will not touch them, hold them or feel them.
>Furthermore, what if you are unable to transcend in such a way so as to maintain your personality?
>Grandmaster Celestia did, but Master Roseluck did not.
>If you die now, who is to say that everything you are will remain, and you will become a Force Ghost?
>You have never studied the means to do so; you have only read the theories surrounding it.
>It is written that only a great master of the Force can will themselves into existence beyond death, and though you have grown strong, can you truly say that you are ready to defy death?
>But perhaps that is not the right way to look at it.
>It may not be about defying death, but accepting it.
>All things must die; this is the way of existence.
>Souls and stars alike are born, live and eventually die.
>But just as the energy from a star never truly goes away, merely transforming into a new form, so too must the soul never truly perish.
'There is no death.'
'The Force shall free me.'
'There is no death...'
>You open your eyes and look up at Scorpan, who stands with his thumb hovering over the button that will end your life.
>Of course, you are still mortal and it does irk you that he will be the one to end your life.
>At this point, you’d prefer just about anyone else to do it.
>But he is the one in the position to do so.
‘Well, hell with it,’ you think with a smile. ‘Let’s just get this over with.’
>At least you’ll get to see the look on his face.
>You hold up your lightsaber, keeping it right in front of you.
>At first, Scorpan is unsure of what you are doing,
>Then, his lips part and curl in confusion as you drop it.
>The hilt hits the ground and bounces once, then rolls along the stone floor, ending up right in front of Flash.
>The blue-haired hapan looks up at you, similarly confused, and Noteworthy stops his humming to do the same.
>Scorpan’s eyes follow the lightsaber only briefly then swiftly move back upwards to you, focusing solely upon you.
>He realizes what you are doing almost immediately and his face slowly contorts into a twisted vision of pure rage.
>”Pick that up,” he orders, pointing with the remote.
>You do nothing.
>This only serves to infuriate him more.
>”I said… Pick. That. Lightsaber. Up!”
>You can see the rage in his eyes; the all-consuming infuriating sensation you hoped he would feel.
>It comes from your simple disobeying of his commands.
>Scorpan is greedy, vain and power-hungry.
>Though he has acted with supreme confidence and self-assuredness up until this point, he cannot comprehend why you are doing this, and it is driving him mad.
>For a being so selfish as he, one who would never sacrifice or even consider sacrificing himself, he truly cannot understand it.
>And given how much time, energy and attention he put into you, it’s not that you simply refuse, but that you are an extension of his will---at least to him.
>Your refusal is an act of defiance, of independence, that he doesn’t know how to deal with.
>After all, he holds your life in his hands, and for someone like him---where life and power are all too important---so how could you possibly disobey?
>”What do you think you are doing?” He is positively fuming. “Are you not aware of the situation you are in?”
>Your response is as it has been, and it is all the more confounding for him.
>”I will destroy you! I will use the detonator! Now do as I say or else I will! Do you not think I will?”
>Beneath your mask, you smile.
“I’m counting on it.”
>At first he looks down to the remote, as if wondering if it has been tampered with somehow.
>You can practically see the gears turning in his head---it couldn’t have been tampered with, the remote was with him all along.
>And there is no chance that the bomb has been removed, he went to such lengths to ensure it.
>So what, then, could possibly compel you to do what you are doing?
>Finally, he asks for himself. “What game are you playing? What do you think you’re doing?”
>You’re rather enjoying this state he’s in.
>If these are to be your final moments, you might as well enjoy spiting him.
>Instead of replying to him, you hold your arms up, as if challenging him---defying him to press it.
>He is driven to threaten you again, as if it would change your mind.
>”I will destroy you, Nito! You think I will not? I will! I will press it, right now! Pick up your lightsaber and do as I have ordered you! I WILL DESTROY YOU!”
>A calm, warm serenity begins to fill you and it compels you to speak.
“My name is Anon, and you have no power over me.”
>”I HAVE ALL OF THE POWER! YOU ARE NOTHING! YOU THINK THIS MEANS ANYTHING!? YOUR DEATH WILL BE WORTHLESS---JUST LIKE YOU!”
“Then push it, so I can be done with you,” you smugly reply. “Follow through with your threat for once in your miserable existence, you pathetic excuse of a Sith Lord. Do it.”
>He is nearly foaming at the mouth now.
>Twice he has failed---he failed to instill obedience in Sunset, and now with you.
>His hand shakes as his failure is made ultimately apparent, and then he shouts in impotent rage as he presses the button.
>You close your eyes and let it happen.
>In this final moment, your thoughts are many and varied.
>You think of home, of family.
>Your friends among the Jedi, and all the time you spent with them.
>Everything you learned under Master Luna and the rest of the Jedi Council.
>All the lessons, their teachings of the Force and beyond, could not have prepared you for this, but here you are.
>All of your friends and enemies, each obstacle on the road you have faced up until now, each trial and tribulation is laid out before you.
>You cannot say you are not without fear.
>After all, this is the end, and any rational being fears it.
>But is it the end, or merely a new beginning?
>You think of Coco, and of Maud, and all of the other wonderful people you have met, fought or fought alongside.
>Flash, your enemy and then your brother, hated and then befriended, united in apprenticeship beneath Master Luna.
>You remember studying with Twilight, massaging her lekku, and being so concerned when she was injured.
>Sparring with Rarity, practicing and honing your skills with a trusted friend and a shining gem of a person.
>Being there for Rainbow Dash when she had doubts, supporting her and never giving up on her---even after you had given up on yourself.
>Drinking with Pinkie Pie and making a fool of yourself; what a time that was!
>Working with Applejack to help her overcome her difficulties in connecting with the Force; she had doubts, but you always knew she eventually would.
>Trixie, misguided but well-meaning, led astray by the Dark Side like you were, but there is perhaps hope for her yet.
>And Fluttershy…
>Sweet, dear Shy, all those moments spent together, but never progressing further than friends, even though she wanted to.
>Your heart belonged to someone else.
>You think of Sunset one last time and envision her face, her smile, her warmth.
>You and she are on Yavin 4, in your special hidden place.
>Her arms are reaching out to you in an embrace, and you open up to receive it.
>The nearer she grows, the brighter she gets, until she is like a light at the end of a long corridor.
>You step towards it freely and without regret.
>The signal reaches your head, and there is a small explosion----but there is no flesh to destroy.
>The moment it activates, the moment it kills you---there is nothing.
>Nothing but your clothes, your mask and your arm.
>All physical remains drop to the floor in a clump as the bomb shreds part of your cloak with a poof of smoke and fire.
>Your mask hits the ground and rolls to the side; two mechanical eyes roll out of it and across the floor like marbles.
>One of them ends up in front of a bewildered Scorpan, who does not understand what just happened.
>He looks up and sees your mechanical arm on the ground, the only remnant of your body that resembles the human form, lying amongst your empty clothes.
>As for you, the true you, there is nothing left.
>Nothing physical.
>But your soul, your essence, your consciousness---you are everywhere at once.
>You are behind Scorpan, and in front of Flash, and the air within Noteworthy’s lungs.
>The ship outside carrying Master Luna and Sunset, you are there, too.
>You can feel far-flung places and people, happenings all over the galaxy, each of them like the splash of a pebble in a vast ocean of shared experiences.
>The web and flow of this knowledge, these happenings and souls, is all held together in an ever-moving current, a grand scheme greater than anything you could ever have imagined.
>And you are one with it.
>This is the Force, and it surrounds all things---it binds them, penetrates them, encompasses them.
>The light and the dark and all in between, everything in its place.
>Time, space, physical reality---all of these things seem almost fluid, changing in importance and significance in accordance to the will of the Force.
>And for you, as a part of it now, you feel everything at once, but are somehow not overwhelmed.
>Were you confined to your mortal shell, you would be utterly lost and swept up in it all.
>How did you ever think you knew anything about the Force compared to this?
>Nothing, throughout all of your training, could have prepared you for this.
>And what are you now, exactly?
>You are not entirely whole---others are here with you, and you are with them.
>Memories, thoughts, feelings, emotions, serenity---all of these things and more are known to you now in ways you couldn’t have ever dreamt.
>There are others here who are speaking---or are they thinking, or feeling?
>You feel them as much as you hear them, for they are one with the Force and the Force is one with you.
>Celestia, Maud, Roseluck, Soarin, so many others, and you experience them all at once.
>Is there individuality here?
>There is, and there isn’t.
>Then what are you now?
>What manner of existence do you now face?
>In a way, you do not care, for your perception of reality has now changed.
>You can still see the real world, but you can perceive so much more than ever before.
>The smallest of changes, even on a subatomic level, are known to you.
>From the most minute to the grandest of scale, an insect being consumed by a predator to a super cruiser traveling through hyperspace, all of these things are known to you all at once.
>But you can focus on events, and you do.
>The moment of your death---no, your transcendence---in the grand hall of the Sith Academy.
>You see Scorpan shouting in rage, distracted by his failure.
>The eyes of his acolytes are upon him, waiting awkwardly for further instruction---and thus none can see Flash.
>You can feel him use the Force, manipulating the weave that you are now apart of to levitate your lightsaber towards him.
>And you help him, for you are a part of the Force and thus you guide the saber to his hands behind his back.
>Now you fully understand what you understood so little in life; the Force truly is everything.
>It guided you to drop the lightsaber in front of Flash, and now you work with him to make his will a reality through the Force---you and he are both changing the world.
>For you are the Force, and the Force is with him, and thus you are with him as well.
>His fingers close around the hilt and you can feel his body awakening.
>Kept in isolation for so long, his body has fatigued, but his spirit has not.
>And your sacrifice has only emboldened him.
>He feels something building within him, a rush of energy and power; raw determination is flowing through his veins.
>You can feel his strength growing, his connection to the Force deepening, his senses heightening.
>He is thinking about the Jedi.
>He is thinking about Master Luna.
>He is thinking about Noteworthy’s safety.
>And he is thinking about you.
>You gave your life for him, you refused to kill him.
>You are his friend, his fellow apprentice, his fellow Jedi, his brother.
>He has never felt closer to you than he does now, and it pains him that you are gone.
>But you are not truly gone, for his connection with you is now strengthened through his connection to the Force, for you are the Force.
>You are his power.
>Your lightsaber ignites as he angles the blade to cut through his manacles.
>Before anyone else can react, he rises and attacks the two acolytes behind him using speed drawn from energy you are giving him.
>They fall back, their bodies cut in half---two dark chords of the Dark Side severed.
>With another smooth motion, Flash turns and cuts down at Noteworthy, freeing him from his own binds.
>He then turns and points the lightsaber up at Scorpan, who has finally stopped screaming in frustration.
>”Scorpan! You just made a very big mistake.”
>You see the dark bothan hunch over, sweat running down his red skin as his bloodshot eyes stare at Flash.
>”Oh… did I?”
>He takes out his lightsaber and turns it on, a flaring blade of crimson emerging from the hilt.
>The Sith Lord leaps upon Flash, descending with his lightsaber in a fierce downward strike, which the young Padawan parries.
>Now they do battle, and from your fluid perspective you see flashes of light surrounding two conduits of the Force, figures immersed in light and darkness.
>Both call upon their training and power to aid them in battle, and so the Force swirls about them both, within and without, guiding and obeying all at once.
>Their battle carries them across the room as they move in a beautiful dance of desperation.
>From this perspective, you truly see what a duel between a Jedi and a Sith looks like as both the Dark Side and the light attempt to overcome one another.
>It's almost as if you can see the Force battling itself through the two of them, but they are not alone.
>There is another.
>Noteworthy.
>He watches the battle, overcome with fear, his breathing quick and his heart pounding rapidly.
>He is still as he sits upon the ground; nearby, Flash and Scorpan clash against each other with strong, confident strikes and parries.
>You focus on Noteworthy, on his mind.
>He strayed from both the Jedi and Sith, but his connection to the Force is still stronger than he knows.
>And through it, you begin to calm him down.
>Your sacrifice, much like it did for Flash, has had an immense effect upon him.
>Though he was hurt by your betrayal, he always looked up to you.
>You saved his life on Ilum, and now you have spared him.
>As you calm him down, you begin to guide his actions.
>Slowly, with a shaking hand, he looks over and reaches for a lightsaber from one of the dead acolytes.
>He picks it up and holds it in his hand.
>His doubt and his fear hold him back, but you know better.
>You know what he will do, and so you continue to guide him.
>You are his courage, his willingness to do what is right, his call to resist the Dark Side.
>For some, a fighting chance is all they need.
>For him, you are his inspiration; you gave him a second chance at life and he is going to take it.
>Nearby, Scorpan is so distracted in battling Flash that he doesn't even notice Noteworthy standing up.
>Flash, however, does, for you cue him into the fact.
>The hapan does everything he can to keep Scorpan's eyes on him and his back to the chagrian.
>So single-minded, so blinded by hate, so utterly delusional and livid is Scorpan that he doesn't even think to look behind him.
>Again he strikes with fury and malice, and again Flash blocks with calm and determination.
>Their emotions shine in the Force for you to see; they are all beacons of different shades of light.
>You watch Noteworthy approach, you feel his every step, and you hear the heart beating in his chest.
>But Scorpan does not.
>Flash knows what he must do; the Force is guiding him as much as he is guiding it, and so is Noteworthy whether he knows it or not.
>Noteworthy closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
>His blue hands are steady as he activates the lightsaber.
>Flash parries a blow and deflects Scorpan's arms out wide, giving his ally the one chance he needs.
>You are the current that guides his hand as his eyes snap open; he steps forward and swings once, only once.
>Severing both of Scorpan's arms.
>The limbs fall to the ground, still tightly gripping his lightsaber, as he cries out in pain.
>Flash then turns his weapon forward, pointing it right at the bothan's heart, and thrusts.
>The orange blade of the Vehement emerges from his back.
>Two simple moves have ended the duel.
>You watch as Scorpan's eyes twitch in disbelief.
>His mouth opens as if to speak, but he cannot.
>Flash stares into his eyes with a furrowed brow before he withdraws the blade.
>You feel the life of Scorpan end; the darkness contained within his being diminishes and leaves his body.
>All power he thought he had, all the strength and will, flee from him in this final moment.
>Everything he was, every hate-filled thought and feeling, dies with him.
>For when he passes, there is nothing of him that is retained.
>The Dark Side consumes him, taking back what it gave to him and leaving nothing behind.
>He is gone, and the Force is made brighter for it.
>You watch him bleed away into the Force, stripped of everything that he is, then shift your focus back to the present.
>Flash deactivates your lightsaber and approaches Noteworthy, throwing him into a hug.
>At the entrance, Sunset and Luna arrive, as you knew they would.
>Luna had detected the Shatterpoint and came here as quickly as possible, but she had also detected your demise.
>It is only when they both lay their eyes upon your physical remains, your clothing, arm and mask, does the reality of the situation truly set in.
>Luna approaches Flash and hugs him as he explains what happened while Sunset kneels down next to your mask.
>You watch as she picks it up and holds it in her hands.
>You can feel every emotion she is feeling right now; you are the tear that slides down her cheek and lands upon the mask.
>Is it your pain, or hers that you are feeling right now?
>In your current state, you do not experience emotions and pain in the same way that you used to.
>But as you focus on her, as you feel her heartbeat and listen to her thoughts, you feel a profound sadness unlike any you have ever known.
>It is not a sadness that you are without her, for you have never been closer to her than you are right now; it is a sadness that she does not yet know just how close you truly are.
>Confined to her mortal self, she cannot know the extent that you are right next to her, all around her, within her.
>It is a depressing thing to know that she will live like this for some time, carrying such pain and hurt in her heart.
>In her pain, she does not know the beauty of what she will one day become a part of.
>But perhaps you can help her.
>As Luna and Flash speak with Noteworthy about Braeburn and freeing him, Sunset takes your mask and the rest of your things before joining them.
>She is stoically quiet, but the tears on her cheeks speak volumes.
>Master Luna holds her close, comforting her and telling her that the time to grieve will be soon; for now, escape from Korriban is the top priority.
>With their ship destroyed by the planet's defenses, Braeburn and his vessel seem the best way to go.
>The four of them work together to free him from the cells below the academy.
>Noteworthy, himself now very teary, hugs his love as they travel to the hanger.
>This is where you make your move.
>You focus, becoming a beacon in the Force, and speak to Sunset.
>You cannot yet communicate words to her, but intent.
>She stops as the group approaches his freighter, pausing as she hears your thoughts in the Force.
>You know she can hear you and feel your presence; her deep connection with you, built over all the time you spent together, allows her to do so where others could not, not even Flash or Luna.
>Sunset looks around her, as if trying to see you.
>"Anon?"
>Her voice echoes, and you respond by helping her to focus on your ship.
>It is important that she takes it; the future depends upon it.
>She seems to understand your intent, and walks towards it.
>Luna sees this, and calls out to her apprentice.
>Sunset turns and says that she can feel the Force pulling her towards this ship.
>"It's... It's Anon," she says. "I know it is!"
>Luna reacts curiously, watching as Sunset moves towards your ship.
>At first, Flash is about to go and intercept her, but Luna holds up an arm and stops him.
>As a Jedi Master with much more experience, she can sense what is happening.
>She can feel your presence as well.
>Sunset boards the ship and proceeds to the cockpit.
>There, you guide her and help her take off.
>Braeburn pilots his ship and follows her, taking off right behind her.
>Together, they make the jump to hyperspace, travelling to Yavin 4.
>For you, time holds little meaning, and so the journey passes by very quickly.
>Upon the jungle moon, you watch as Luna, Flash, Sunset and Noteworthy are reunited with the Jedi Order.
>Braeburn is similarly reunited with Applejack and the cousins embrace.
>The news of your death is both shocking and sad, affecting all of them on a deep emotional level.
>That night, a funeral pyre is held, and all of the order is gathered.
>Everyone has words to speak of you and your impact on them.
>Fond memories and not-so-fond memories alike, but all are welcome memories now that you are gone.
>When this is done, Sunset walks up to the wooden construct and places your things upon it; your mask is last, and facing upwards towards the sky.
>Master Luna holds a torch and approaches it, pausing briefly to allow Sunset to have the honors.
>She insists that they both do it.
>Together, with their hands on the torch, they light the wood on fire.
>It does not take long for the pyre to build to full strength, and your remains upon it to burn.
>It is a symbolic funeral, but one that is important to everyone gathered.
>Some of them cry, others remain silent, but all feel and share the pain of your loss.
>You saved the Jedi Order from the Force Hunters.
>Even in your darkest hour, you did not abandon your friends.
>And when the time came to face your greatest trial, you let go your mortal self and became something greater: an idea.
>A thought, a whisper, a memory kept close to heart.
>Through your sacrifice, the Jedi will be made stronger as they remember your example.
>You made mistakes, you stumbled, but in the end your death held more meaning than most.
>And because of it, you have brought together and strengthened the Jedi as a whole.
>Throughout the entire funeral, your presence is felt by all.
>They know that although you are dead, you are not truly gone.
>Master Luna is the one to step forward to lead the Jedi; she is unanimously agreed upon to be the new Grandmaster of the Jedi Order.
>That evening, Sunset Shimmer sits alone in a secluded area, a place that was once known only to herself and to you.
>This place place was special to you both, and so she attempts to find some measure of solace here.
>As she meditates, you speak to her again.
>Before, in the stiffling setting of Korriban and with so little time, you could not speak with her.
>Now, however, you can.
>She opens her eyes to behold a spectral form appearing in front of her.
>It is grey, wispy and shrouded as though in fog, but it is you.
>She cannot see your face; only a scarred visage beneath a dark hood.
>"Anon?"
"Sunset... You must hear me."
>"I'm here," she whispers. "I knew you would come to me here. In our place... Our special place..."
"Sunset, you must go to the Mestare system. You are the only one left who can. You have walked in the light and the darkness; you are the only one left who can find the key."
>"What? Where is that? I don't know the way."
"My ship will take you there. It has the way."
>"What will I find there?" She sits up, moving closer. "Will you be there, Anon?"
"I will always be with you, Sunset. Just as the Force will always be with you. Upon Mestare, you will find what I sought... balance."
>"I don't care about that. I want to be with you."
"Go to Mestare. There you will learn how."
>Your spectral form vanishes and your consciousness once more disperses, spreading out through the Force.
>Sunset reaches out for you, but cannot grasp what is not there.
>At first, she is sad that you are gone again.
>But your appearance has filled her with a new resolve.
>That night, she boards your ship and checks the navcomputer.
>She decides to entrust the coordinates to Mestare with Master Luna alone.
>After parting with her with a hug, Sunset departs from Yavin 4, making the long journey to Mestare.
>There, she lands upon the planet and steps out to behold an amazing landscape.
>In life, you could not see what is here, but now that you are a part of the Force, you know this place for what it truly is.
>Sunset sees it now as well, for she has been deemed worthy.
>Temples and ancient structures, resonating with the Force, are revealed to her.
>Towers rise from the forests, oceans and mountains.
>In each of them, secrets are waiting to be learned.
>You stand alongside Sunset now, and you will be with her for every step of the way.
>She will be the one to find balance.
>And through her, the galaxy will find salvation.
>This will be your legacy; this is the legacy of the Force.

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no fear; there is power.
I am the heart of the Force.
I am the revealing fire of light.
I am the mystery of darkness
In balance with chaos and harmony,
Immortal in the Force.

THE END