The boy sat in a small shadowed corner, his knees drawn up to his chin and his face down between his legs. Soft wisps of blonde hair spread out over his knees. The boy's shoulders shook slightly as he attempted to quench the sobs that threatened to escape.
"On behalf of the Bear Clan, I'd like to say welcome—" "Darksider!" Laughter.
The voices haunted him, taunting him as they echoed mercilessly in his head. He wanted to run away from them but he didn't know how. He didn't belong here, in this grand temple that he had been taught to hate with all the cruelty and fullness of a true young Sith. That is what he was after all. A Sith trainee. Not a Jedi youngling!
They didn't want him here. He was tainted. Talented but tainted. He saw the way they looked at him, he heard their jeering whispers. The way the masters eyed him with pity, and the knights with caution. He was aware that the padawans feared the threat they thought he posed and that was the reason why they spoke in soft voices around him. He knew this was why the younger padawans didn't come to the initiate's wing anymore and the older padawans were ordered not to. And while the padawans kept things to corners and whispers, his age mates, still profoundly innocent and sheltered, stood up and ridiculed him outright.
Nothing he ever did was enough. He wanted to run away. But he didn't know where he'd go.
I want to go home.
The problem was: where was home? Back with the Sith? Back in the darkness where hate and anger were the means for survival? There were flashes, Force memories most likely, of a large lakeside house, a middle aged couple smiling at him fondly – his parents? But the boy didn't know where that was or if that was even real. Sometimes it was hard to tell imagination from truth, dream from reality. After his capture and during his "rehab" by the Jedi hallucination had come and gone so that the world blurred with a dream until his past was simply a black, shapeless, cold memory flash that his mind shied away from. Maybe that was what the Jedi had wanted. They thought they were helping, all they did was ripped away from him the only thing that he ever knew. Now he was here -- cold, alone, hopeless…
'Adam?"
The boy looked up, his grey eyes scanning the area for the speaker. A brown haired boy stepped forward from the deep shadows of the room and peered at him with soft concerned eyes.
Charly
Adam recognized him easily. Maybe because of his midnight-blue eyes and maybe because it was the expression on his face. Concern was not something he saw much of in this place. Not genuine concern for him anyways. "How long have you been here?" Adam asked. It came out sharper then intended and he winced a little as he saw Charly take a step back.
"Not long," the other boy pressed on bravely. "I brought you some blue milk and cookies. You want any? I didn't see you at dinner so I though you might be hungry…" Charly trailed off into silence, nervously fidgeting with his tunic sleeve while balancing the tray with food and drink in one hand.
Adam nodded slightly, trying to smile though he wasn't sure it came out quite right. "Thanks, I am kind of hungry."
Charly moved toward him and set the tray in front of him before retreating a few steps back. Even Charly was jumpy, Adam noted glumly. Charly, who had tried to welcome him, was now moving away from him slowly, as though Adam was a beast that might jump at him if he made any sudden movements. Why didn't anyone even try to give him a chance? The look of controlled fear in the retreating boy's eyes made something in Adam snap. The wall that had kept out his Sith training crumbled in various places and he lashed out angrily at the boy who was now stealing his last chance of a friend away from him. "What? What are you so afraid of Conray? Afraid that I will use my dark powers on you? That's it! You're scared! I thought Jedi knew no fear and were suppose to be compassionate! Some Jedi you are!"
"I was just trying to help!" Charly cried defensively, thrusting his arms in the air in a defensive gesture. "I was just trying to be nice—" he cut himself off and turned to run down the hall.
Adam, shocked by the hurt look on Charly's face, called him back. "Charly, wait! Please, wait!"
Charly turned around, shivering a little, his forehead scrunched up in concentration as he tried to steel hia shields and control his wild emotions. Adam's outburst had startled him, but the blonde's next words found him speechless for over a minute.
"Why do you wanna help me?"
"Because you look like you could use a friend," Charly said finally. He tried to smile and it came out sheepish.
"But…I'm just a Darksider…" Adam reasoned.
"Don't listed to Jesce, He's full of it."
"But Jesce isn't the only one who thinks that. I was a Sith trainee after all."
Charly shrugged. "People talk," he said to the floor.
"And you don't listen?" Adam challenged.
"Master Bonray believes in you. The council must too if they put you in here. So why shouldn't I?" Charly shrugged uncomfortably.
"I don't want to hurt anyone," Adam admitted softly. "I never had friends in the Sith Clan. I have no reason to betray you. I don't wan to ether, if you'd just give me a chance."
"You never had friends?"
"Sith aren't exactly sentimental. I don't belong here, Charly. I want a reason to stay but I can't find it."
There was a long pregnant silence. Finally, Charly shuffled over to Adam's side and sat down next to him. "Well, we do have good food," he pointed out.
Adam smiled. It was a small smile but it was genuine. He couldn't remember the last time he truly smiled. "How about a good reason?" Adam challenged.
Charly looked down for a few moments before looking up to meet Adam's eyes. "What if I offered to be your friend?"
Adam considered for a moment before nodding with a smile. "Alright, I'll give things a chance." He picked up a cookie from the tray and held it out to Charly. "Cookie?"