//------------------------------// // Ch. 31; A Meeting Long Delayed // Story: Star Wars: A Second Chance // by Dorath //------------------------------// “So …” Twilight glanced at the woman walking beside her as they left WestHoof Academy behind and headed for her parent’s house on the edge of the Noble District, “How’s it going out at Shadowed Heart?” “Better than expected, but not as good as we had hoped,” replied Revan, “No reports of voices or figments lurking in the fog anymore, but we still have the fog, and the creatures of the Woods are still as bloodthirsty as ever. Still, given how big the damn forest is, all we’ve really achieved is to cull back the beast population in the areas closest to GreenWood and the other towns.” The Jedi gave a philosophical shrug, “The corruption will probably linger for generations, if not centuries, and it may never fade from some places, but things will get better.” “Will you have to be heading back to GreenWood soon?” “Not unless there’s an incident that the local troops can’t handle,” Revan reached over and began to scratch the alicorn’s ear, “It’s back to teaching for me.” “Good!” declared Twilight emphatically, “I know that you’re good at what you do, Revan, but my heart almost stopped when I saw you with that bloody bandage wrapped around your head and the Doctor told me that one of those creatures had ripped your face open.” She raised a wing to gently brush across the paler skin of the surgical graft on the twi’lek’s cheek, “I’m still a bit surprised at how good a job the doctors did.” “And now I’m finally meeting your parents … only three months after we got engaged,” the Jedi gave her head a rueful shake, “They must be thrilled.” “Oh, pony up,” laughed Twilight, almost purring as she leaned into Revan’s fingers, “We’ll get through this, and I’m sure my parents will love you, now come on, Mom and Dad are waiting for us.” ________________________________________ Night Light, Astronomer of the Royal Academy, Viscount of House Sparkle and currently concerned parent, was anxiously peeking through the living room curtains as he tried to spot his daughter and her suitor. His ear twitched as the sound of approaching hoofbeats presaged the arrival of his wife, “Really dear?” she asked as she gave him a small nuzzle, “Didn’t you get all of this ‘overprotective father’ thing out of your system with Shining?” “Bite your tongue, mare!” Night took the unlit pipe out of his mouth and returned his wife’s nuzzle, “I’m an unending font of Fatherly Protectiveness, and when Spike starts dating, you can bet your saddle I’ll be doing it again!” “Aww, I thought you liked my saddle,” Twilight Velvet pouted as she gave his ear a nip, causing the stallion to blush. “You always get frisky whenever you finish writing a book,” Night observed with a small smile, “And I suppose embarrassing Twily with our antics would be a measure of punishment for making us wait so long to even meet this fiancé of hers.” Velvet reached over and bopped him lightly on the shoulder, “Twilight has been busy with her new duties, not to mention all those escapades she and her friends get up to, and Revan has been either out on the borders working for the Princesses or in the hospital, it’s not like they were trying to avoid us.” “I know, darling, I know,” he sighed, “It’s just … I would have liked to meet this Revan filly before she and Twilight got engaged, is all,” Night gave a sudden snort of laughter, “And poor Spike! Shining marries a Princess, while Twilight is engaged to a space alien! I’m not sure if I should be curious or terrified about who he’ll be bringing home one day.” “Oh, Nighty,” giggled Velvet, “Weren’t you watching Spike during Shiny and Cadance’s wedding? He’s completely mane-over-hocks for Twilight’s friend Rarity.” “The fashion designer? Well good for him! Ah, here they come now …” Night’s words faded away as he and Velvet spied the two figures approaching through the waning autumn sunlight, “So that’s what an alien looks like, for some reason I was expecting a quadruped … oh, they’re almost here! Quick, act casual!” “You big goof,” grumbled Velvet fondly as she took a seat while her husband snatched up yesterday’s copy of the Canterlot Times and stuck his muzzle in it, pretending to read. There was a quick knock at the door before it opened, “Mom! Dad!” Twilight bounced in and descended upon her parents in a nuzzling, embracing mass of ponydom, eventually she pulled away and turned to face the figure grinning at them from the doorway, “Revan, these are my parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, Mom, Dad, this is my betrothed, Revan Vao.” “Hello, Sir, Ma’am,” Revan gave a small bow as she stepped forward, “I’m glad to finally be able to meet you.” ‘Well, she’s polite enough,’ Night thought, ‘Even if she does look rather like a villain from one of Velvet’s, or Yearling’s, novels.’ “Welcome to our home, Miss Revan,” he said with a smile, although there was a slight growl to his voice. “Although I must say most youngsters know enough to ask for the parent’s blessing before proposing–” the two mares shot Night Light a pair of truly venomous glares, “—which is of course happily given,” he continued without missing a beat or losing his grin. Revan looked faintly confused as Velvet ushered her into a seat, “I was supposed to ask for permission?” “It is rather traditional, dear,” the unicorn mare observed gently, “Now tell us, how did you and our little Twily first meet?” ________________________________________ “… and then Revan bursts through the door with her sword drawn, calling my name and swearing bloody vengeance on Trixie! She almost gave poor Spike a heart attack!” Twilight beamed at her fillyfriend as her parents laughed, “It was actually rather sweet,” she added reaching a hoof across the dinner table to grip Revan’s hand. “It was rather impulsive of me,” the twi’lek admitted wryly, “But my emotions can get the better of me sometimes, and when Pinkie said Twi’ had been banished I stopped thinking clearly.” Velvet shook her head with amusement as she sipped from her glass, “So, when are you planning to have the ceremony?” “Well, there’s the whole ‘Princess Summit’ thing next month,” said Revan, “And then Hearth’s Warming in December ….” “We’re making arrangements for a mid-February wedding,” Twilight added, “Even with the holidays that will give us a few months to prepare.” “So soon?” asked Night in surprise “Wouldn’t you like more time to organize everything, Twily?” “Yes!” the alicorn’s eye twitched slightly, “But the longer we wait, the more likely that politics will get involved, like what happened with Shiny and Caddy’s wedding, and I want our wedding to be our way, just our friends and family, not some big royal ceremony.” “Yeah, no royal ceremony, with a princess getting married and at least two more in attendance, that’s going to happen,” Revan said dryly, “Never mind having Rarity and Cadance putting their two credits in trying to make everything ‘perfect’.” “Considering how her own wedding went, you can’t really blame Cadance for wanting to see that yours’ goes right,” Night observed, “I hope your duties with the Princesses haven’t been interfering with the wedding preparations too much,” he added, turning to the twi’lek. “It’s been a bit of a juggling act,” she replied with a shrug, “But I’ve been backing Twi’s lead, so we’re holding our own.” Velvet frowned slightly, “Surely you have some ideas for your own wedding?” “I never thought about getting married before,” Revan confessed with a faint blush, “Chaos, for the longest time I didn’t think that I would live to see thirty, I know how important this is to Twi’, and I don’t want my ignorance to screw anything up.” “Not wanting to cause problems is all well and good, young lady,” Night chided her as he reached for the salad dressing, “But you and Twily are creating a partnership, and dealing with your wedding is the first major test, one of many, the two of you will face together as a couple. You should be embracing the experience, my dear.” ________________________________________ “So … what do you think?” “What do I think about what, dear?” Velvet glanced over at Twilight, her face a mask of false innocence, as she prepared some coffee and dessert. “Mom!” the alicorn whined, “This is important!” “Oh, I’m just teasing, Twilight,” Velvet giggled, “I’m delighted that you’ve found somepony, and so is your father, even if Revan is not what we might have expected,” she leaned over to give her daughter a quick nuzzle. Twilight bit her lip nervously, “So you and Dad really approve?” “Yes, Twily, we do,” Velvet assured her, “Now how about you and I have an extra slice of cheesecake in here while Nighty does his fatherly duty and terrorizes your bride?” “Dad terrorizing Revan?” the Princess of Friendship gave a giggle of her own as she took a seat, “I hope he won’t be too disappointed.” ________________________________________ “Eh, I give it a three out of five.” “What? You’re grading me on my paternal intimidation?” Night blinked at his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, “And I only got a three?” he added in a hurt tone. Revan smirked at the stallion, “I used to hunt people for a living, I know intimidation, and using words that I’m going to have to look up cost you some points, plus, I have to admit, Shining's effort was more creative, and Spike’s was more impressive.” “Spike’s? Really?” The Jedi grinned, “Oh yes, when I went to pick Twi’ up for our very first date, the little guy threatened to set me on fire if I ever hurt her.” “Good for him!” chortled Night, “Err, were you serious about not expecting to see thirty?” Revan gave Night a small smile as she nodded, “Freelance mercenaries don’t have the life expectancy of those that have a Company to support them, and Jedi and Sith are always high-value targets … and to be honest, there was a time where I wasn’t really trying to stay alive. Fortunately, old Jutzu, my Master at the Shadow Academy, managed to beat most of that out of me, and my psychologist here in Canterlot has been helping me deal with my other issues.” “Does Twilight know about this?” “What, that I’m a bag of crazy?” The stallion frowned at Revan’s flippant reply, “This is a serious matter, young lady.” “I know, I’m sorry,” the twi’lek replied apologetically, “I have a smart mouth sometimes. Yes, Twi’ knows about my past and that I’m under therapy,” a blissful smile spread across the Jedi’s face, “She’s seen me at some of my worst moments, but she still loves me anyway …” she added, her voice filled with wonder. Night couldn’t help but smile himself, the mare was clearly, unabashedly, in love with his little filly, “Alright then my filly, let’s dispense with all the rigmarole, so … welcome to the family.”