Following the Trail
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"Master!"
Time seemed to slow down. She ran- faster than she ever thought she could, faster than everything.
Yet it still wasn't enough.
The heavy thud of her Master's body seemed to ring everywhere. She stopped, terrified- her heavy breaths struggling- fighting their way out of her lungs as her mind screamed more than she ever could.
The assailant stood over her Master, smirking victoriously, looking like a predator over its prey. Her Master laid with his face towards her.
Alive. Barely.
A sword- hard metal with that evil glint that was decidedly not the reflecting metal, was embedded in him, close, perhaps in his spine. He was pinned to the floor by that cruel item.
Fighting her fear, her anger, her rage was a struggle. But as she did, she was overcome with hysteria.
'What should I do?'
She trembled, bringing her hands to clutch her head-tails.
'What should I do?'
Her Master had never trained her for a situation like this.
'What should I do?'
She was new at this- a rookie! She'd never done this.
'What should I do?'
She shook her head ferociously, her fingers brushing her face.
'What...?'
His eyes- always bright and happy, were dimming. They conveyed pride- why exactly, she didn't know because she knew there was no reason to feel pride when she'd let him die.
She saw the care, the love he held for her. A brother indeed, she realized, just like Katooni had teased her just two days ago when her Master had been well and happy and certainly not dying.
And then she sees that unbridled fear; something that makes her uncontrolled hysteria grow even more. Because he is never scared. Just cocky, arrogant, funny, always looking far more serious than he actually was. But never fear.
Her gaze tears away as the enemy chuckles. It is an evil sound. It makes her shudder. She sees the other blade; her Master's blade, in his hands. Knowing what is in his mind, she activates her lightsaber.
It doesn't cross her mind that she isn't thinking, just acting on her instincts. It never crosses her mind, when the man stabs the blade on her Master, that her fury escalates and suddenly she isn't using the light.
When she wakes up from her trance, she doesn't take a moment to gaze at the headless corpse under her, just stumbles to her Master's side. When she touches his neck, she knows the truth.
She was just too late; too weak.
Too much of a coward.
Her Master is dead.