//------------------------------// // A Jedi’s Got to Do What a Jedi’s Got to Do // Story: The Twi'lek // by Gallants //------------------------------// "So Fleur, this is your home? I was expecting something larger," I asked while nibbling on some of the hay she had provided for us, "and you cook?" she swallowed the mouthful of food she had and answered. "Oui et oui, I didn't come to Canterlot wealthy I had just enough for a down payment on my house and to keep myself fed for a week, I had no intention of becoming a model when I got here," that statement surprised me she was perfect for a model she was beautiful, "my special talent actually is cuisine not modeling, my family worked for a noble in Prance and one day I decided to cook him a meal, that is when I earned my cutie mark," she had a content look on her face, as she told us, "Mais enough about me," she said looking at mom, "so why did you adopt Sasha, madame?" her question trailed off a bit as she realized she never got moms name. "My name's Cereus and I adopted Sasha because she's endearing and I just felt a connection when I met her," I felt a bit warm when mom said that, looking at her I crossed my lekku over twice, "you too sweetie," Fleur looked between us before a smile crossed her face. "I'll get dessert and Sasha you have to teach me some of that sign language," Fleur pranced back to the kitchen after I nodded. I was about to ask mom something when a cup filled with sugar was placed in front of me and flame-filled my vision yelping I fell to the ground just to see Fleur looking at me giggling with a torch in her aura, "Excuses, Sasha I should have warned you what we were having; Crème Brûlée a custard topped with caramelized sugar," she turned her torch to moms desert before shortly moving to her own, "I meant to ask earlier why are you two dressed up?" sighing I looked at mom who blushed. "I thought this was going to be more formal than it turned out to be," Mom then just began to eat her desert quietly. I decided to ask my earlier question as dinner shifted into a quieter ordeal. "Mom I just found out Fleur is fifteen how old are you?" Mom looked at me before giggling. "I suppose I never did tell you I just turned seventeen a month ago," I sat there looking at my food, mom was Fleur's age when she adopted me, Fleur, on the other hand, looked at my mom with a horrified look in her eyes. "Mademoiselle, you look far too stressed for how young you are we are all going to the spa Saturday, my treat," mom looked at me before shrugging her shoulders, it seemed she wouldn't pass a free spa trip. Saturday came sooner than I would've liked, the spa we went to was surprisingly welcoming of me there weren't any side glares just welcoming smiles and gentle touches as they worked out the knots in mine and moms back. "You are tensing up what is the matter with you, relax," the mare with a Catharese accent said pushing harder onto my back I've never felt more exposed my clothes were folded on the table in front of me with my saber sitting off to the side. Looking at mom who seemed to be cooing as the mare over her worked at her wing joints I began to relax a bit more. The rest of the spa was far more relaxing, a warm mud bath, and a sweat in the sauna as I taught Fleur some special lekku signs. She gave me the next two weeks off, I spent the first catching up on the school work I was lagging behind in and proving my superior gaming skills to Blueblood. The second week was more interesting. "So as flambe has shown us," the Princess said over the gagging and coughing of the class, "when improperly cast, Star Swirls ghost sound spell causes quite the stench," I'd have been laughing at my bully if not for the horrid smell that invaded the classroom. Opening windows the Princess cast a spell that helped filter out the smell. Giving another quick once over of the class she continued her lesson, "The ghost sound spell was the product of Star Swirls research into moments of harmony, based on the looks you are giving me none of you have experienced one yet," straightening herself and letting a serene smile take over her features, "A moment of harmony is in theory when the latent mana in the air becomes charged with emotion from a single or group of creatures, the magic then proceeds to create music and cause the creatures to then break into a song and/or dance typically drawing surrounding onlookers into the routine," finishing a sketch on the blackboard the Princess looked back at us, "Star Swirl theorized that the moments of harmony were caused by chaos magic that became forced into a harmonic string," Blueblood raised his hoof. "So these moments of harmony are a mind hex has anypony ever been hurt during one?" Chuckling the Princess picked up a quill. "It is very similar to a mind hex and I don't know of anypony who has been injured in one of these routines, the mana discharge seems, for the most part, to ignore injured or sick creatures, moments of harmony are also rarely seen outside of Equestria, the two most prominent theories are that Equestria simply has more latent mana than other countries, or that the most creatures aren't as open as Equestrians are with their emotions," as the Princess finished her lesson the bell rang, "Okay everypony have a good day and remember next week you are to turn in a twelve hundred word essay on Star Swirls mana theory of non-unicorn uses," Confused as to why the Princess used everypony instead of everyone like she normally does, I stayed in my seat. She looked back up from the homework she was grading and smiled, "Perceptive as always Sasha, please come here I have a gift for you," I got up from my desk and slung my bag over my shoulder, and took a seat at the Princess' desk, "I was thinking about you not being able to cast spells and decided to craft you a focus," she presented a small wand elegant and made of dark wood, "go ahead cast a spell," gripping the wand in my hand I held it up closed my eyes and formed the equation. "Lumos," the word came out clearly opening my eyes I saw a stick held in my hand, the Princess looked at me and shrugged. "Perhaps you are incapable of casting spells," grading the last paper on her desk she looked back up to me, "a shame really you would have been a great mage, judging by your grades that is, you are second only to Twilight, so in real grades, you are my best student," she stood up and walked to the door, "Well have a good day Sahsa," she said stepping out of the classroom. Leaving the school with my head down I made the walk back to my house. When I got home I went straight upstairs and sat on my bed and let the tears flow, I'd never truly fit in. "not a mage, not a pony, just a Jedi. Temptation surrounds me everyday. I just want to be accepted, I just want to be judged for who I am" I stood up and twirled to my mirror and placed my hand on the reflection. "The force flows through me but magic does not. Trapped in a place not my own, welcomed by a few hated by the lot" I quickly moved to the window and shouted my problems. "Please just see me for who I am and not for how I look" falling back to my bed I wept till I fell asleep. The next few days were a blur I was much more interested in the moment of harmony I experienced even using the moment as the basis of my essay. I did my work at home quietly, mom however was excited when she heard I had a moment, I didn't need to tell her why. We even celebrated the next night by going out to dinner. Then came my first day of work from vacation the first bits of the summer collection were being released and Fleur was the first one booked for the runway, I stood to the side and adjusted the headset I was given as Fluer made her turn on the ramp I started filling a glass with cold water when she finished making her way to the back of the stage I handed her the glass, with a thankful nod she gulped some down before being stripped and placed in a new dress. The whole show was a wonder watching the mares with their practiced motions even chatting with a few, none were very interested in chatting with me though. After the show Fleur and I were exiting the building with cameras flashing I saw a stallion in between two photographers, horn glowing to the average observer he was simply holding something but I saw a pulse a telltale sign of an offensive spell being cast. Twisting my lekku Fleurs' eyes widened and she stepped behind me. The stallion noticed this and let loose a beam of mana I drew my saber hoping it would deflect the attack. The sharp sound told me it worked and the stallion turned and began to run, "Get inside Fleur you'll be safe there!" I yelled back taking pursuit after the stallion. The attacker tried to use the alleys to his advantage but soon he noticed he wasn't going to lose me, turning around he cast another mana beam at me I deflected the attack into a nearby wall and continued the chase. Soon he stopped throwing beams of mana at me and just ran, it wasn't long before his horn started to glow again he stopped and turned around raising my saber I prepared for his attack; flame then sprouted from his horn barreling towards me. I jumped to the right to avoid the fire and yelped when my arm got caught I pushed the force in front of me when the wall of fire closed in on me. I stood there putting everything I had into holding the fire back when the wall disappeared, "STAY ON THE GROUND, DON'T YOU DARE IGNITE THAT HORN!" I heard a mare yelling looking towards the source I saw a mare on top of the unicorn pressing down on his withers as a stallion struggled to place something around his horn. As I lay there trying not to touch the burn on my arm, another mare approached me looking at her I recognized her uniform, "Hi I'm Officer Mint Kick with the Canterlot Metropolitan Police are you okay?" looking at her I motioned to my arm, "By harmony, I'll help you to the hospital," she lifted me up and escorted me to get help. The doctors were quick to see me but told me nothing was wrong it was a minor burn, they rubbed an ointment on the area that helped with the pain and they wrapped it in a bit of gauze. I stepped out of the E.R reattaching my saber to my hip when it felt the two sets of hooves grab onto me. "What were you thinking young lady running after a pony that just attacked you," Mom's voice cut through the quiet prayer I heard from Fleur. "What can I say, mom, a Jedi's got to do what a Jedi's got to do," I heard her laugh before Fleur joined in. "Sasha I shouldn't have let you run after him I was so scared though, I'll get you a new shirt, non a whole new outfit," I just nodded and leaned further into the embrace.