Chapter 2: Awakening
The sun flowed through the windows, filling the infirmary with natural light. The slow and steady chirping of birds created a constant flow of sound. Kaleb stirred as the light hit his face, but his body seized as his eyes opened. As he breathed heavily, his eyes darted around to see the beds around him. A sense of uncertainty and panic washed over his mind as he tried to think.
“What…where am I? My ship…How am I still alive?”
Ignoring the pain in his aching body, Kaleb sat up and observed the room. He was alone in what appeared to be a medical center; it was small but unlike anything he had seen. The design lining the walls was simple yet elegant, feeling more in place in a palace than anywhere else. The doors at the far end were glass that appeared to lead to a balcony as opposed to the thick wood that made up the larger one with small carvings. Kaleb found himself relaxing but still wondering where he was and how he ended up here.
The doors quickly began to glow with a yellow light and they opened, the noise echoing throughout the chamber. Startled, Kaleb instinctively reached for his lightsaber, finding it was not there. The creature who walked in appeared to be an equine, but it was unlike any that Kaleb had seen. The short white fur shined in the sunlight, with being almost a mix between realistic and something out of a children’s HoloNet show. Its wings were like a bird except for the fur, and there was an image of the sun on the flank. Glowing, the tail and the mane were waving through the air, with shades of blue, green, purple, and pink shimmering unnaturally. Upon the head lay a large horn and a golden crown with a jewel of deep periwinkle. There was a look of relief and curiosity upon her face.
“Thank Faust, you’re awake. Can you understand me?”
Kaleb looked stunned, then quickly realized he was staring. “Yes. Sorry about that, it’s just, when you came through the door…it was glowing…wait, why it was glowing?”
“Magic.” The creature looked slightly amused seeing his reaction of shock followed by a string of questions. “It seems you have a lot of questions. Let me introduce myself; I’m Princess Celestia and right now you’re in the infirmary of Canterlot Castle.”
Kaleb eyes widened and he tried to bow. “Your Royal Highness, I’m sorry I had no idea...”
Celestia waved the air with her hoof. “No harm done, please call me Celestia. Tell me, what is your name?”
Kaleb thought for a moment then spoke. “I’m Kaleb Taymar. How did I get here? The last thing I remember, my ship was caught in this purple vortex that shut down the systems and I blacked out as it was falling through the sky.”
“My sister rescued you from the wreckage as it was falling and took you here. Your vehicle crashed into the Royal Gardens, but it looks intact. I had the medical team look you over, they said the swelling in your head had gone down by that time. How do you feel?” Celestia asked, looking concerned.
Kaleb’s hand moved to the head. “My head feels fine. I’ve endured far worse from Jedi training in the Republic.”
“What is a Jedi and this Republic that you speak of? I’ve never heard of it.” Celestia asked, sitting down in the chair next to Kaleb.
Looking confused, Kaleb responded. “Wait, you never heard of the Jedi or the Republic?”
Celestia nodded. “What about the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Sith, the Trade Federation, Chancellor Palpatine, the Force, the Hutts, Coruscant, Mandalore, Naboo?” Kaleb listed, confusion turning into panic.
Celestia was just as confused. “I’ve never heard of any of those things.”
His expression was one of disbelief and then sorrow. Celestia put a wing on his shoulder, easing his breathing. “I’m sorry Kaleb, I think that you must be from a different world, and this may be my fault that you’re here. I was researching an old spell created by my mentor Starswirl to travel between dimensions. Something must have gone wrong with the spell and created the portal, and I can’t try again because it destroyed the book.”
Kaleb’s face was expressionless as he took in the situation. After considerable thought, he sighed. “It’s okay, it is just going to take time to adjust. My master taught me that we must learn to adapt to new situations, even when things are difficult to understand.” He smiled as his eyes watered slightly before blinking. “The question remains now that I’m in this world, what am I going to do?”
Taking her wing off his shoulder, Celestia added. “You can start with having dinner tonight with Luna and myself if you want, only if Dr. Bluejay sees you fit. I just have one more question: What is a Jedi?”
After thinking about phrasing, Kaleb began to explain. “It’s difficult to explain, but I can give you a short explanation. The Jedi Order keep peace throughout the galaxy, giving aid to those who are in need and fighting only if there is no other option. Their set of rules, known as the Jedi Code, emphasize peace and harmony with knowledge. They worked with the Republic government, but are separate from them."
Celestia looked intrigued. “They sound very similar to groups of monks in Equestrian history. I would love to hear more about it at dinner.”
“I accept your invitation, and I can’t wait to meet your sister,” Kaleb said enthusiastically. As Celestia began to walk away Kaleb thought of something. “Wait, if you had no idea who I am, how did you know that I wouldn’t try to harm you?”
Celestia looked back. “I find that using kindness and friendship is the best way to welcome new creatures. They usually return the favor. Also, I would try to move your legs a little around here, it will help the flow of blood.”
“Thank you, I should start moving them”. The moment that Kaleb tried to stand, he legs forcefully pulled themselves together as if an invisible rope lassoed them, and his body became as rigid as a board. He fell, landing on his face softly.
“You knew that would happen, didn’t you?” Kaleb asked, sounding both amused and annoyed with his head tilted to the side.
Celestia looked at him with a smile. “Like I said, almost all of them return the favor. Also, I wanted to see what would happen.”
She lifted the spell, allowing Kaleb to get onto his feet before walking out of the infirmary.
Kaleb walked over to the window overlooking the gardens, squinting to see the world where he landed. The gardens were neatly organized, with rows of sunflowers neatly organized along the path, along with a hedge maze with sculptures nearby. The small wooded area had plenty of undergrowth various creatures and he could just make out a small nest with robins. The buildings that Canterlot held looked straight out of Naboo, with the designs being just as elegant as the castle, even the smaller houses and apartments that littered the castle grounds and the city had a sense of history to them. Kaleb had been so caught up with the view that he failed to notice the door opening as a blue Pegasus with a light brown mane and beard that were graying entered the vicinity, striding towards Kaleb.
"Enjoying the view? It's alright but nothing compared to Luminescent Gardens."
Kaleb turned around to look toward the pony. "It's nice. I'm assume you're Dr. Bluejay."
The doctor nodded, an intrigued look in his eyes. "And you must be the creature everyone's talking about. Kaleb right?"
"Yes, it's nice to meet you." Kaleb responded, walking towards his bed.
Bluejay indicated for Kaleb to sit on the bed, and he grabbed a bag from the corner table, taking out a stethoscope. Kaleb breathed as he moved the stethoscope around his chest and back. Putting it back, he pulled out a blood pressure monitor and put it around Kaleb's arm. He squeezed the bulb, causing the device to constrict and then loosen. Taking a flashlight from his coat pocket, Bluejay shined the light into Kaleb's eyes, watching them track the movements.
"Heart rate and blood pressure are good. You have no signs of a concussion which is my main concern. Any pain or swelling in the head or any other body parts?
Kaleb shook his head. "Other than some aches in the back and muscles, I'm fine. Noticing the patch on his jacket with a medical cross with a shield, Kaleb asked, "What is the patch on your jacket?"
Dr. Bluejay looked down at the patch and back at Kaleb with an intrigued look. "Before I was the head doctor of Canterlot Castle, I spent eight years as a field medic in the Equestrian Guard. I was nicknamed Snake by the other guards because of the scar on my wing and my ability to work fast under pressure." He opened his wings, showing Kaleb the scar that was shaped like a cobra. "Equestria isn't all sunshine and rainbows. There's still danger if you know where to look."
Kaleb nodded. "There always is." Turning his head quickly, he felt a sharp pain in his neck and swore under his breath.
Touching Kaleb's neck, Dr. Bluejay examined the area. "Looks like you have whiplash. I'm not surprised, it usually happens with crashes. When you hit your head, did your neck move forward rapidly?" Kaleb said yes. "I would try to lay down for the rest of the day. I can give you some cooling and heating wraps for the pain along with some basic pain medication with a low dosage. I'm not sure how much your species needs, but it's not addictive so don't worry about that. Luckily, it's minor so you should be okay to go to Celestia's dinner, just try to stretch and not put any strain on your neck." Pulling out a newspaper from his saddlebag, he handed it to Kaleb. "Speaking of Celestia, told me to give you this, she thought you'd like something to read."
Kaleb took the newspaper and set it down on the table. "Thanks for the advice. I'll try to keep that in mind." As Dr. Bluejay was packing up, Kaleb remembered something. "You mentioned there was a great view somewhere."
The doctor looked back and Kaleb saw him crack a small smile. "Ah, yes there is at the Luminescent Gardens. As you can guess, the flowers light up at night, switching colors depending on the season. It's in a smaller, quiet area of the city, and some say that you can see all of Equestria from the view on the cliff." Moving towards the entrance, he waved. "I'll see you around, Kaleb." Heading out, he closed the doors behind him.
Walking out of the infirmary, he followed the directions that Celestia had gave him with the newspaper. The castle was almost a labyrinth in some ways, with different wings and ponies walking in and out of rooms, but the layout was simple. Kaleb found the dining room and opened the door. It was smaller than he had expected, but elegant with light passing in through the windows highlighting the tapestries on the wall. There were two tables; one was a side table with a cake decorated with fruit, and the other was the dining table, which was rectangular, and Celestia was sitting at the head of it.
“Kaleb! Please have a seat.” Celestia welcomed, beckoning him to sit next to her. “How was your afternoon?”
Kaleb moved, sitting down and felt his mouth tingle with anticipation. “It was quiet. I mostly rested, but I did get to read a section of the newspaper.” His eyes wandered towards the tapestries. “So, what are we having for dinner?”
“We’ll be having an assortment of food. I didn’t know what your diet is, so please forgive me if you don’t like it,” Celestia spoke.
“It’s okay, I’m an omnivore, so I should be alright. Are many ponies herbivores?” Kaleb wondered.
Celestia thought for a moment then responded. “Most are herbivores, but there are other creatures in Equestria who are omnivores and carnivores. “
The door opened gracefully and a pony with dark blue fur and a moon cutie mark walked in. She was like Celestia, but her mane and tail had shades of blue and purple.
“Hello, sister. Kaleb, this is Princess Luna,” Celestia introduced, as Kaleb took a sip of water.
He stood up to greet the princess. “Thank you for saving my life, Your Majesty.”
Luna looked surprised and thoughtful. “It is no problem, Kaleb. Tia, I can set the meal.”
Using her magic, Luna summoned a medium sized cart that contained silverware, napkins, and plates with what appeared to be a fish with rice and fresh vegetables. All the while, a bowl had begun to toss salad by itself, evenly dividing the salad into three smaller bowls that were set to the sides of the plates.
“Are you familiar with salmon?” she asked. Kaleb responded by eagerly nodding.
As the three ate dinner, Kaleb learned more about Equestrian society, finding it odd that cutie marks determine your path in life. Although Celestia and Luna were royalty, they seemed in touch with their subjects and cared for their safety and well-being. However, he noticed that the two sisters seemed distant from each other, with Celestia being a welcoming presence and trying to include Luna and her feeling uncomfortable.
“You mentioned earlier today that the Jedi follow a code. May I ask what the code is?” Celestia inquired, finishing off her rice.
Kaleb took a sip of water and began. “As I said earlier, the code focuses on the idea of harmony and peace with all lives being prescious. At the center of the code is the Force, our guiding principle. It is an energy field that surrounds and connects all living things, allowing us to be a part of a larger universe. In a way, it’s a sixth sense. Either you are born with this sense or it comes later in life, but you need to train. It gives us abilities that can be used to keep peace.”
As soon as he had finished, Kaleb held his arm up, his hand outstretched. The tone of the room had changed. Celestia and Luna could sense something powerful, but they could not control it. The hand moved upwards, and the cake on the side table lifted into the air and floated. He set the cake down gracefully on the table.
The sisters looked stunned, and after a few moments came to their senses. Celestia started “I could not sense it, but something felt different and powerful. I can detect magic being used near me, but I felt nothing. What was your training like?”
Kaleb struggled to respond, remembering the events of the past three years in a whirlwind of sounds and voices. His heart began to race in his chest, and his eyes darted around. Luckily, Luna came to his rescue.
“Tia, I need to raise the moon and get to the night ahead. Perhaps Kaleb can come with me to get some fresh air.” Luna looked back at Kaleb, her eyes expressing concern.
Kaleb's panic quickly turned into surprise. "Wait, you can raise the moon? How is that possible?"
Celestia looked at Kaleb with an amused expression. "We use our magic to raise the moon and the sun. Surely you noticed our cutie marks?"
Kaleb had a moment of realization followed by awkwardness. "Oh, right. There are some things that I need to get from my ship."
Celestia looked confused, but nodded to her sister. “Alright, just be sure to meet me back in the infirmary afterwards.”
Luna got up from her seat and walked out the door with Kaleb following. As they walked through the hall and down a small flight of stairs into the gardens, Luna indicated to the right. “The ship is over this way, it’s not a long walk."
The two began to walk at a steady pace towards the garden in silence. Kaleb’s eyes were focused ahead, breathing deeply. After a few minutes had passed, he spoke. “I’m sorry. That question brought back memories that are painful to relive.”
“We all have stories that we would rather not tell, and those emotions can be overwhelming, from personal experience.” Kaleb looked confused. “I’m sure you have noticed the tension between the two of us. We may be sisters, but are different as day and night. I became bitter when I saw ponies enjoying the day but ignoring the night, and my emotions took over. One day, I refused to lower the moon and my dark magic took over, transforming me into Nightmare Moon. Celestia and I fought, and she was forced to use powerful magic to banish me to the moon forever.”
Kaleb looked in disbelief. “Wait, she banished you to the moon? But she’s your sister…”
“She had no other option. After one thousand years, I returned to take over Equestria and bring eternal night. However, I was stopped by six extraordinary ponies who defeated Nightmare Moon and brought me back. Celestia embraced me in open hooves to rule together. Even after we made up, there is still some distance between us. But she still tries hard to include me.”
They had finally arrived at the wreckage, which was still intact. Kaleb rushed to the cockpit, pulling out a backpack that he put on the ground and his lightsaber. Hooking it to his belt, he started making his way back with Luna.
“You’re very lucky to have a sister who cares for you that much. The Jedi Code forbids attachments to others and possessions. My master said that it clouds your judgement and mind. It’s just that almost everything I know is gone and I don’t know what is going to happen.”
Luna turned her head toward Kaleb as he saw her horn glow and the moon begin to climb into the sky. “Everyone needs friends, Kaleb. In the darkness, they can be a guiding light to find your way. Celestia may not understand I need space sometimes, but she listens and tries to help me. You can consider me and Celestia friends.”
Kaleb stopped walking for a moment and turned to Luna with a raised hand. “Friends.” As he shook her hooves he noticed that the lanterns in the garden began to glow. They continued walking, with Luna pointing out the highlights of the high towers as the moon illuminated their path. Walking through the castle quietly, they made it back to the infirmary, where Dr. Bluejay reexamined Kaleb to find that, other than the whiplash, he was healthy.
"Here are a list of exercises for the neck that I want you to do every morning for the next three weeks. Keep up the wraps and medication and you should be fine." As Dr. Bluejay left, Celestia and Luna came back in through the door, with Celestia wearing a pink bathrobe and slippers.
“Kaleb, I’m sorry if I pushed you too far. I know this has been a long and emotional day, and there are some subjects that I should not have asked,” Celestia apologized, her eyes filled with remorse.
“It’s okay, I can tell that I'm the first of my species to arrive and I understand you need to ask questions for security reasons." Kaleb sighed and looked at them with worry. "I just don’t know what's going to happen now.”
“Actually, Luna and I have a suggestion.” Celestia replied, turning to Luna before looking back at Kaleb. “My best student has recently moved down to Ponyville, where she became the town librarian and made friends with others. She is more than happy to give you a place to stay.”
Kaleb looked surprised. “Really? Where is Ponyville?”
“It’s a small town southeast of here, only a few hours away. I thought that you would want somewhere quieter than here.”
Kaleb thought about the new opportunity being presented. A quiet town could be refreshing and a good change of pace, and it would give him a chance to embrace a new experience. On the other hand, he had no idea how other ponies would react to him. Wrestling with his thoughts for a few minutes, he gave his final answer.
“Tell your student that I kindly accept her offer and looking forward to arriving in Ponyville. Would you be able to keep my ship in storage up here?”
Celestia smiled in excitement. “Excellent, I will let her know. I can store it in one of the storage units, where only you will be able to open it. Tomorrow there is an early train going to Ponyville at eight in the morning. There are methods to get to the train station so you won’t be mobbed. “
“Thank you, I don’t want to cause a fuss. I should probably get some sleep if I’m catching the train.”
Celestia nodded and turned to go out the door with Luna. “Goodnight, Kaleb. I’ll send someone to wake you up at six thirty, we’ll leave at seven.” The door closed, leaving Kaleb alone in the infirmary.
Sighing with relief, Kaleb collapsed on the bed and waited for his dreams to take over.
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Awesome!
I like Star wars
This is intriguing so far. Good concept and well executed. Keep it up
When is The next update?
8665841
It should be up within the next week.
8665855
Cool👍
Interesting concept, imo tad rushed, but still an interesting story.
Chapter one felt genuinely like a Star Wars novel written in the time period of the clone wars. This second chapter feels much more rushed and even forced. For example thier is no language barrier at all between kaleb and the ponies. Celestia and Luna seem to almost automatically trust this new stranger even though they know nothing about him. I feel you could have written several chapters of the ponies and him slowly learning about each other before leaping to kaleb having dinner with the princesses and being assigned to Ponyville.
9330084 I can attribute Kaleb being able to understand Celly and Luna due to a translation spell or Equiish sounding similar to one of the languages that he knows. I can say it sounds much different from Huttese, though.
The force is one of the few things in the multiverse Ian can barely interact with. Not only because it is physically difficult, but also because if he isn't careful enough, he could end up tearing apart the fabric of space and time in a way that ends a universe.
Good story, but it feels rushed pacing wise
At this point in history the jedi were no longer seperate from the republic expect in name or formality. The jedi had essentially become blind lapdogs for a corrupt senate and police state.