Well...(crickets chirping, then Star Wars Fanfare starts) here is the last chapter! (streamers and hurrahs sound) There is an epilogue to kinda round out somethings, but...the attack on the Force Tumor begins! Hope you guys enjoy and thanks for sticking through with me on all this. Epilogue to be out soon. Enjoy!
Miss Elizabeth
Chapter 29: Clarification and confusion
Colors. That was all that Qui-Gon saw. No shapes, not even outlines of the colors. Just…colors. Some were soft blues and greens, floating peaceably through the darkness surrounding them. Most, however, were deep reds or dark blue...and occasionally black. While the blues and greens seemed to swirl around the tall Jedi as if greeting an old friend, the dark colors stayed well away from him, though he felt they were watchful, as if mistrust had helped color them so. As he went on, he also noticed the darker colors moved slower then the brighter colors, as if they had not the energy…or as if they were in pain. Worry blossomed in his heart as he noticed fewer bright colors, while the darker colors seemed to be multiplying astronomically. One light blue…strand of color wrapped itself around his hand and almost seemed to pull him in a certain direction. As the Jedi Knight had no clue whether he was standing on ground or air or even if he was right side up, he decided to follow the advice of this color, which certainly seemed to know where it was going.
"Found my apprentice, we have."
"Master! Where are you?"
"Right here, am I." The taller Jedi whirled to his right, the color bracelet curling tighter around him while it's color darkened slightly as if it were miffed at the sudden movement. The apology came out before the man had a chance to think of the implications. He stood their shaking his head. He had just apologized to…a color. "More then what they appear, are they. Helpful, this little one has been." The diminutive master raised a clawed hand to the taller figure so that he could make out a similar blue color around the older master's arm.
"What are these?" Eyes closed, the ancient troll puzzled for a moment.
"Know, I do not. Frightened this one was. Afraid of the direction it was going. Pain, I believe it sensed there. Helped me find you, it did. Part of Obi-Wan, these must be."
"Memories?"
"Emotions, feelings, I think they are. Recognize us, they do. Because care for us, Obi-Wan does." To this, there was no answer.
"How much time do we have?"
"Not enough, I fear. Move quickly, we must."
"To where? There are no landmarks; there is nothing to tell us were to go."
"Help us, these can." A small hand waved to the two colors still perched around the two wrists, the top part of them cocked to one side as if listening. At his statement, the two colors nodded before untwining enough to scamper up to their shoulders. Qui-Gon's strand used it's, could you call it a tail?, to point in a particular direction. Quickly, the two masters made off in that direction.
After an indeterminable time, Qui-Gon was alerted to their stopping by a quick jab in the knee. "Ow! Yes, what is it?"
"To our little friends, you must look." Muttering under his breath about riddle speaking trolls, the younger master did as he was told. Looking at his shoulder, he noticed his little companion was not there. Before he could panic, his gaze turned back to his wrist. The color had wound itself so tightly around it that all you could see was blue. Movement on his wrist, faint and yet substantial enough to feel just slightly, alerted him to the fact that it was shivering.
"Are you scared, little one?" One part, the head if you will, lifted up and nodded before huddling back into its shapeless mass. "We are trying to help you. We need you to help us find the Force bubble." Again, the head came up, but this time it's focus was not on him but rather at something right in front of him. At first, Qui-Gon saw nothing except more simmering color. It took him several minutes to figure out what he was seeing.
"Sith!" There in front of them was a huge Force wall. It was one of the best Qui-Gon had ever seen; which did not bode well for them. The color bracelet shivered and tried to pull as far away from the wall as it could without moving from its safe position. "How can we get in?"
"Unsure, I am. Stronger then I believed it could be, it is. Strengthening it unconsciously, he must have been. Trapped himself, he has." Qui-Gon, in this murky, strange world, could see his master send a Force tendril out to test the wall. They buckled and wavered before solidifying and sending out a pulse to shove back the intruder.
"Are you alright, Master!?"
"Fine, I am. Good defense, the boy has. Cautious, we must be." A slight movement caused the younger master to glance down at his wrist to his little tag-a-long. It seemed to be writhing, though it was hard to tell with them.
"Are we hurting you?" A weary piece rose up and nodded slightly, before collapsing back down. "I'm sorry. We don't mean to. We are trying to help you; you know that, don't you?" Another small nod. "Let us know if it becomes too much."
For several minutes, the two Jedi masters used tendrils to test various parts of the wall, hoping to find a weakness that would allow them to dismantle this Force bubble. While it might have saved his apprentice's memories, this Force bubble was out of control and was now only proving detrimental to his young charge. Nothing they did even phased the wall; instead, its attacks grew worse as it sought to fight off the intruders. Qui-Gon could feel Adi's worry as time moved steadily on; it was running out for them and for Obi-Wan. Finally, the Jedi Knight could not take it. They were making no headway at all and all he could do was watch his apprentice die.
"Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan, listen to me! You're safe now. We're back at the temple. Yoda and I are trying to help you! Please, please, let us help you. It's over, young one. Phindar is safe. Everything's ok; except that you're not here! We need you to come back, young one! Obi-Wan! Please listen to me!"
At first, there was nothing. The wall still pulsated in front of him, dark colors mutating the lighter colors around them. Then, the master began to hear something, as if from far away. He did not even notice it at first, it was so faint; but soon his ears picked up a faint cry for help.
"Master! Master, where are you? Is it you? Please, don't let this be another trick."
"Young one! Is that you?"
"Master! It is you! How did you get here? Can you help me? I can't get out! I don't know what to do!"
"Obi-Wan! Master Yoda and I are inside you're mind. You lost control of your force walls when you went unconscious from the mindwipe droid. We're here to help you gain control again over them. If we don't, you could die, young one."
"I've been trying! It won't let me. I'm so tired, Master. I don't think it will work."
"It will work. You're safe now. There is nothing that can harm you. Let us in, Obi-Wan. Please, Padawan. I-I don't think I can go through losing you again." At this, there was a pause, as the young Jedi was shocked by his normally severe master's emotion-filled voice. Finally, an answer came.
"I'll try, master."
"Do or do not; there is no try."
"Master Yoda!"
"Yes, Obi-Wan. Here to help you, I am. Listen to Qui-Gon, you must. Work on the walls, I will."
The two Jedi masters worked in tandem; Jinn trying to ease his apprentice's fear and uncertainty while Yoda worked at gaining a hold over the force walls. Several times he was rebuffed and Qui-Gon had to work hard to keep his student's failing spirits up. Finally, however, the walls gave their last half-hearted attack of their attempts and fell. Quickly, the younger master ran to his smaller charge and scooped him up, hugging him tightly to his chest.
"Master…" Looking down, he found the blue eyes glazed, staring at nothing.
"Master Yoda…Obi-Wan!"
"Fine he is, Qui-Gon. Assimilating all the memories from before this, he is. Time, this may take. Take him out of here, we must. Too far in his mind, he is." Both masters began hurrying back to their anchors and the real world, one carrying his young charge tightly in his arms. They came all too quickly to their parting. Gently, both masters unwound their two helpers, allowing them to float off into the young boy's mind. They watched as the two pieces of color paused and waved a bit of themselves goodbye at them before darting off. A quick glance around found most of the colors returning to their original hues, and the ones that weren't promised to be healed soon. All seemed finally right. Tenderly, the master set his apprentice's mind self down, making him comfortable before starting to leave. He paused, looking back at the peaceful figure, loathed to leave his apprentice now that he was finally back. A small, clawed hand rested on his arm.
"Fine now, he is. See him soon, you shall. Go, we must. Worry no longer, you can." Deep blue eyes begrudgingly turned their gaze from the still form as a smile lit up his face.
"It's finally over."
Two very tired masters sat up, stretching slowly as muscles cramped from holding the same positions for much too long. Two other masters plus a healer buzzed around them, asking frantically about the boy and what had happened. At first, none were given an answer, but finally, it could be put off no longer.
Just as Qui-Gon readied himself to answer Saasha's questions, movement from the last prone figure on the beds brought the whole rooms' attention onto itself. Bleary eyes blinked a few times while muscles tensed and relaxed. At last, clear blue eyes gazed on each member of the room before landing on their master's dark blue orbs. A smile slowly grew on the young boy's face, matching ones popping up all over the room. Suddenly, a look of horror came onto his face.
Qui-Gon's gaze immediately grew concerned and he quickly rested a palm on sweat-soaked hair. "What is it, Padawan?" The boy's mouth opened a few times and closed just as many, looking like a Calmarian fish out of water. "Obi-Wan?" Worry grew. Finally, the young Jedi found his voice.
"I splashed Master Yoda?!"
