Star Wars: A Second Chance

by Dorath


Ch. 7; Dealing With The Aftermath

Revan kept her eye closed as wakefulness returned to her, ‘Let’s see, I’m in a bed, in my underwear, I feel like crap, and it smells like a hospital. I must have blacked out again, which is happening too often for comfort, lately. What was I … Sweetie Belle!’ her eye snapped open as she lunged upright, ignoring the agony in her head as she tore at the sheets tangled around her legs. Final freeing herself, Revan headed for the door, while a distant corner of her mind noticed that her clothes and kit had been laid out over a couch in the corner.

Bursting through the door, she almost ran over a familiar looking white earth pony wearing a cap on her pink mane, “Miss Revan! You should still be in bed!”

Pulling herself up to loom over the pony, ‘Redheart? Yes, that was it,’ Revan snarled, “The youngling Sweetie Belle’s location and condition!” in her best “answer or bleed” tone.

Undaunted, the mare met the Jedi glare for glare, “She’s resting in her room, just like you should be doing! Now stop making a disturbance and go lie down!”

“Resting? She’s okay?” Revan swayed slightly on her feet as she sagged in relief.

Redheart’s face softened as she gently herded Revan back into her room, “Sweetie Belle will be just fine, she’s going home the day after tomorrow, and you won’t even be able to see most of the scars once her coat grows back in.”

Revan’s brow furrowed with confusion, “She’s going home so soon?”

“You and the Crusaders were brought in four days ago,” Redheart explained softly, as she stuck out a hoof to keep Revan in bed when the Jedi sat up in alarm, “Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are fine, we treated them for exhaustion and muscle strain, and they were right as rain after a day’s rest. It was you and Sweetie Belle that had us worried,” the nurse reached up to pat Revan’s arm, “Now try and get some rest, alright? The Doctor will be in to check on you later.”

________________________________________

Revan tossed in her bed, unable to sleep and consumed with boredom, ‘Not even a datareader or a, what did Twi’ call it? A book? Yeah, not even one of those to pass the time with,’ giving up on sleep, she sat up in her bed and crossed her legs as she tried to clear her mind and meditate.

A knock at the door soon distracted her from the calm she sought, and brought a snarl to Revan’s lips as she glared at the light amber colored unicorn that had stepped into the room, ‘Glasses and a medical coat. Probably that doctor Redheart said would be by.’

“Ah, Miss Revan, you’re awake. Excellent. I’m Doctor Horse,” the stallion said, his attention partly on the medical file held in his cyan aura.

“… Seriously?”

“Yes,” Horse cocked an eyebrow at his patient, “You have recovered sufficiently that we can discharge you in the morning. The only lingering aftereffects from your … incident, should be some fatigue, which will fade in a day or two, the scars on your cranial tendril, and your arm requiring an additional week to recover from the stress you put upon it.”

Revan pouted as she reached up to touch the bandages on her lek, “Damn, I was proud of my lekku.”

“Hmmm …” Horse murmured as he jotted down a note on the file, “I am more concerned with what brought on your condition in the first place. Neither your injuries nor the Crusaders’ accounts explain why you were so far beyond exhaustion that your heart was barely beating. Even the worst cases of magic exhaustion do not directly endanger the patient’s life,” he looked expectantly at the Jedi.

Revan stiffened her spine as she felt herself begin to wilt under the doctor’s scrutiny, ‘How can these ridiculously cute, infuriatingly naïve, ponies get past my defenses so easily? I’m harder than this!’ “I don’t have a disease or physiological disorder, if that is what you’re trying to ask. My ‘condition’ was self-inflicted, but I doubt that particular situation is liable to be a repeat occurrence.”

“‘Self-inflicted’?” Horse queried, adding more notes to his records as he frowned in thought, “Your exhaustion had something to do with young Sweetie Belle’s injuries, didn’t it?” he continued to scrutinize Revan, but she remained mulishly silent. After a few more moments of reflection, Horse stamped his rear hoof sharply as his eyes widened, “You used necromancy to stabilize Sweetie Belle!”

‘Nerco-whatsis now?’

“That was very noble of you,” the stallion commended, “but it was also tremendously risky, as you’ve learned for yourself. I would ask that you exercise caution in the use of your talents in the future, however,” Horse waved aside Revan’s angry scowl, “Your actions were wholly justified given the extent Sweetie Belle’s injuries, but necromancy can take a terrible toll on its wielder, and many ponies have trouble differentiating between it and true dark magic.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to your rest,” Horse said, closing his file, “But do think on what I said, and try not to exert yourself for the next few days.”

________________________________________

Revan stared at the very round, very fancy building in front of her, ‘Was Big Mac pulling my leg?’

With a shrug, she walked up to the door, “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique,” a soprano voice called out in response to her hesitant knock, as the door opened to reveal a familiar white unicorn, “Oh! Revan, darling! Come in, come in! What brings you by?”

“Hello, Rarity, I just stopped by to check up on Sweetie Belle, if I may.”

“Of course, darling!” Rarity graciously waved Revan inside before she raised her voice slightly to call to the little group huddled across the room, “Sweetie! You have another caller!”

“Miss Revan!” the little unicorn called out happily as Revan made her way past the pony-shaped mannequins ‘Ponyequins?’ that dotted the room over to where Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Spike were seated amongst scattered books and papers.

“Hello, Sweetie Belle,” Revan smiled at the youngling, nodding in greeting to the other two ponies and the dragon, as she dropped down to one knee, “How are you feeling?”

“Tired, sore, and bored,” Sweetie grumbled, “I want to go outside!”

“Now, now, Sweetie,” chided her sister, “You’re still recuperating. Doctor Horse said you could go back to school next week, but you’ll just have to be patient until you get your wind back, dear.”

“Get her wind back?” Revan twisted around to frown at Rarity, while Sweetie sighed discontentedly, “I wasn’t told of any permanent injures other than the scars.”

“It’s nothing bad,” Sweetie assured the twi’lek, “I can still run and sing and everything, I just need to take a break a little more often, is all.” The youngling was quick to recover her earlier cheery demeanor, “Thank you for coming to see me, Miss Revan! I like your eyepatch!”

‘Damn it, I screw up and Sweetie is the one who pays for it.’ “Well, I thought it was time for a change,” Revan forced herself to joke, as she reached up to touch the medical patch the hospital had given her to replace the, admittedly ragged, bandage she had been using to cover her empty eye socket, “So what are you younglings doing, anyway?”

“Homework,” answered Apple Bloom, “We don’t want Sweetie gettin’ behind tha class, an’ Spike came by ta help keep Sweetie from catchin’ cabin fever.”

“I’ve always hated being laid up, myself,” Revan nodded in understanding, “Used to drive the MedCorps nuts with me constantly trying to leave before the medics thought I was ready,” she gave a crooked smile as the ponies and dragon snickered at her confession.

Still chuckling, Spike joined in the conversation, “Would you come by the library for dinner later this week?”

Revan raised a puzzled brow at the little dragon’s request, “Dinner? Why?”

“Because you kept my friends safe, and I know you hurt yourself really bad making sure Sweetie got to the hospital,” Spike explained, his tone slightly exasperated at having to point out something so obvious, “I can’t ever thank you properly for what you did, but at least I can feed you a good meal. What do you say to pasta and wheatballs?”

‘This is important to him …’ “I don’t know, what do you say to pasta and wheatballs?”

The four ponies and the dragon stared at Revan for a moment, before a chorus of groans filled the air. “Okay, that was bad,” she admitted, “But not completely unwarranted, since I have no idea what pasta is,” seeing the concern on the dragon’s face, Revan smiled at him while slapping the hard muscles of her abdomen, “Not to worry, Spike, twi’lek’s have three stomachs, if a pony can eat it, so can I.”

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Revan waved to Rarity and the younglings as she left the boutique, her intended visit having expanded into a couple of hours of tea and mostly pleasant conversation, along with an extracted promise that she would come back to be measured for an outfit once her arm was healed. ‘They sure seem insistent on rewarding me, given that I frelling failed to protect Sweetie,’ she grumbled to herself as she wandered through Ponyville, ‘And they all were so confused when I objected that I didn’t deserve all that they were doing, even Sweetie didn’t seem to understand.’

Despite herself, Revan soon felt a half-smile tugging at her lips, the memories of her visit with Spike and the ponies, coupled with the pleasant day as she closed upon Ponyville Lake, had made short work of her troubled thoughts.

The sound of voices raised in song made it apparent that she was not the only one who had been drawn to the lakeside this mid-autumn day, curious, Revan slipped through a small copse of trees to find Cloud Kicker laying on the lakeshore alongside a pale violet unicorn youngling and a pegasus youngling with a yellow-white coat. The three ponies where still singing, although it was clear that the little unicorn was not as familiar with the song as the two pegasi. Amused by the rather domestic scene, the Jedi leaned back against a tree to listen.

Here's forty bits on the drum
For those who'll volunteer to come
To 'list and fight the foe today.
Over the hills and far away.

O'er the hills and o'er the main.
Through Prance, Zebrica and Germane.
Princess Celestia commands and we obey.
Over the hills and far away.

When duty calls me I must go
To stand and face another foe.
But part of me will always stray
Over the hills and far away.

O'er the hills and o'er the main.
Through Prance, Zebrica and Germane.
Princess Celestia commands and we obey.
Over the hills and far away.

Then fall in ponies behind the drum,
With colours blazing like the sun.
Along the road to come-what may.
Over the hills and far away.

O'er the hills and o'er the main.
Through Prance, Zebrica and Germane.
Princess Celestia commands and we obey.
Over the hills and far away.

When evil stalks upon the land,
I’ll nyther hold nor stay me’ hand.
But fight to win a better day,
Over the hills and far away.

O'er the hills and o'er the main.
Through Prance, Zebrica and Germane.
Princess Celestia commands and we obey.
Over the hills and far away.

If I should fall to rise no more,
As many comrades did before,
Then ask the fifes and drums to play.
Over the hills and far away.

The three ponies looked up as Revan slapped her thigh to applaud their performance, “Hey, Revan, what brings you out here?”

“I was walking the shore when I heard you three,” Revan explained as she grinned down at the reclining ponies, “Nice bit of singing, that, even if it was different than the soldier’s songs I know.”

“It’s an old Kicker Clan tune,” Cloud replied, “Ah, manners, this here is my little sis, Alula,” the weatherpony gave a quick neck-hug to the little pegasus, “and this is Ditzy’s youngest, Dinky,” she reached out a wing to ruffle the giggling unicorn’s mane, “Fillies, this is Revan Vao, she moved in out past Sweet Apple Acres not long ago.”

“Hello, Miss Revan,” the two younglings hailed the Jedi, as they looked up at her with wide-eyed interest.

“Oh, oh! You’re the mare Bloom, Scoots and Sweetie did their report on!” Dinky exclaimed as she launched herself across the grass to latch onto the surprised Jedi’s leg, “Thank you for protecting my friends!” Dinky beamed up at Revan, not catching her flinch, “I’m glad you’re living in Ponyville now, rather than that horrible Ord Barris place.”

“Dinks, ‘Lula, Revan and I need to talk about grown-up things for a few minutes, okay?” Cloud rose up from the grass and walked over to Revan, “Don’t wander off, and stay out of the water, alright?”

“Alright, Cloudy!” the lakeshore was soon sounding with the giggles and shouts of the two little ponies as they frolicked and chased each other about.

“So,” Cloud said as she turned a scrutinizing eye on Revan, though her ears were constantly swiveling to keep track of the younglings, “What’s got you so troubled that Dinky’s thanks has you wincing like you’re expecting somepony to hit you?”

“Saw that, did you?” Revan pulled her uninjured lek over her shoulder and began stroking it, “It’s not just little Dinky, its Rarity, the other younglings, Spike, and even Sweetie Belle herself. Chaos, half the people I pass on the street want to thank me for guarding the younglings, and Spike and Rarity actually want to reward me for getting Sweetie to the medics in time.”

Cloud raised a puzzled brow at Revan, “And there’s something wrong with that?”

“Yes!” Revan snapped, “If I had done my job and defended the younglings properly, Sweetie would be fine now! Instead, she damn near died, and now she has to spend the rest of her life with scars and a damaged lung because I frelled up! I don’t like getting accolades that I damn well don’t deserve!”

“Whoa, easy now,” Cloud Kicker put her wing on Revan’s shoulder in an attempt to calm the agitated Jedi, “You didn’t buck up. Maybe, maybe, you could have handled things differently, but taking on a rogue timberwolf Alpha is no easy thing, especially when you’re already injured yourself. And playing ‘might have done’ will make you crazy if you let it,” Cloud bumped the twi'lek with her shoulder, “You think you should have done better? Fine, do better next time, however, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and all those other ponies think you did a pretty amazing job. And so do I.”

Cloud looked into Revan’s eye to see if her words were reaching the Jedi, “You don’t think you deserve any thanks, that’s your call, other ponies are going to think otherwise, and you’re going to have to try and respect that. As far as Rarity and Spike wanting to give you tokens of their thanks goes, if you can’t accept them for yourself, than accept their gifts for their sakes.”

Revan ran her good hand over her head and sighed, “I hear you, I don’t really understand, but I hear you. And I’ll try, for Rarity’s, Sweetie’s, and Spike’s sake.”

“Try our best is all anypony can really do,” Cloud replied, as she give Revan a quick wing-hug that turned into a slow caress down the Jedi’s back, “Personally, I think you’re being too hard on yourself and letting all your second guessing and doubts rile you up, and that's my job.”

Revan gave an amused snort as she returned Cloud’s impudent grin and leaned comfortably into the pegasus as the Jedi and the weatherpony turned to watch the younglings play.