Chapter 14
I was flipping my pen along my fingertips as Emilia was going over my papers. Ram was busy today with something (most likely she wanted to just skip out on me and just head to sleep early.)
Though Emilia decided to step up and help me study tonight. It was nice having her around, nicer than before…I still don't know why.
Ever since she held me close, I just changed…
It seems vague but that was the only way that I could describe it. Like I was drawn to her now, or something along those lines.
We were the same age, and she was my friend. But there was something else there, a feeling deep within my heart for something else.
The way she ran her fingers through my hair, the way she caressed my cheek. I could still feel the warmth right now, she was so close…so warm.
"Hey, you did really good!" she cheered as her hand went to my right shoulder.
I could feel my face getting red at the feeling of her touch. She was so warm, it made me feel embarrassed that I could allow a simple touch to get me like this.
I turned my head to the side to see her face. The light of the candles danced along her intricate features, briefly showing her beautiful and angelic traits.
Her warm violet eyes scanned the paper thoroughly as I looked at her with the corner of my eye. There was a small smile that she had over her face, that was able to warm my heart up.
I caught myself looking at her more and more frequently after our encounter on the roof. The way I collapsed onto her as she welcomed herself to me.
It's been a while…ever since someone held me like that, maybe Desaryna was the last one that ever did that.
Lately I have been feeling like a fool…for not realizing how beautiful she was. So now every chance I get I try to talk to her, to look at her.
Maybe she has noticed, but we were friends…so there was nothing wrong with that.
Before
"So, your whole village and your parents?" I responded as I turned to her
We were both staring into the stars as we laid onto our backs. The cold stone floor being our bed as we stared onto the everlasting darkness.
Though it was different from coruscant or Nar Shaddaa. You could see the stars and constellations here without the blazing lights coming from the skyscrapers and numerous ships that littered the sky.
Traveling by ship in deep space you see many things. Stars, massive star cruisers, and beautiful planets…but this was something else.
Just being able to lay your back down on the coldness of a planet and just take the scent of the clean air, feeling the force and staring into the bright twilight…
"I lost everybody that I cared about. I still don't understand how or why it even happened." Emilia exclaimed
I could hear the quivering of her voice as she tried to keep her cool. She was good at that, even when I first met her, I realized how her mind was difficult to read.
Maybe she taught herself techniques to harness those abilities. So, others would not be able to break her down.
"It was so suddenly. I still don't know how it happened, and after it was all done, and I woke up it was…it was…"
She went silent, the quick and shocking silence made me turn to look at her to make sure she was okay. She was not crying. No, she had a look in her eyes that shook me to my very core.
Her mouth was closed. But her eyes were wild as they scanned the night sky, like she was searching for the truth of what happened, and maybe in the galaxy those answers were held for her there.
"Hey…relax it's fine, sometimes I get like that too."
I got up as I lightly shook Emilia. She quickly shook her head erratically to get back to normal and went back to looking at me.
"I understand that. When I fought…in the war, I wonder why it all had to happen."
It was truly a beautiful night, and for a while I began to truly understand how fragile Emilia really was. The real Emilia I saw…was the one that lost it on that roof. It lasted only a couple of seconds, but I could see it, how the façade began to break apart.
"Is that how you got your scars?" she asked
She began to rub her shoulder, possibly wondering if it was a good topic to bring up. I sighed as I nodded my head.
"Not all of them, I was very careful in battle. Most of them I got during my time training, I always got involved doing dumb stuff."
A brief memory of falling off that tree when I was eleven circulated through my head, enough to cause me to smile.
"Get up Isaac…don't be a wuss!" Ran's voice boomed
I remember how my back was bleeding because I got hit from a rock, climbing that dumb tree around the center of the academy on Dantooine.
"Shut up Ran, you have the hair of a girl!"
That was one of the insults that I spouted out, I was young and could not think of anything better to say.
The laughing began to get out of control as I remembered the fist fight that me and Ran had after that. "What are you smirking about?" Emilia asked
I turned to her. "You wouldn't…get the joke." I said as I struggled to stiffen my laughter
She pouted as she turned away from me. It was the kind of face someone would make when you wouldn't tell them something that they so desperately wanted to know.
It was…kind of cute. "Fine…me and my friend Ran were climbing this tree around our old academy. I wanted to climb to the middle of the tree, it was pretty high…but Ran that crazy bastard, he wanted to see the fields."
I could still see him. His long flowing black hair as he grabbed onto that last branch and hoisted himself up, how I could see him gazing at the long pastures of wheat and other grain that were blooming during the summer months.
"I'm in the middle of the tree just waiting for him, so I decide that I am bored, and I want to head down now. He follows me and I end up slipping on a branch…"
She gasped as she looked at me. Half astonished that I found this story funny, but she was also half excited to see how the story would turn out.
"Don't worry I'm fine." I said sarcastically
She did not seem amused as she once again pouted. "So, blood was coming down my back, I landed on a rock or some branch and I'm cursing out Ran."
"That doesn't seem very nice Isaac. It wasn't his fault that you slipped on that branch." She interrupted
I tilted my head to her as I stiffened another laugh. "He pressured me to climb with him, I was completely against the idea."
She groaned as she looked at me. "It was your fault for going along with him. Your choices lead to certain consequences, some that may not appear relevant right now…could lead to disastrous effects in the future."
God she was now sounding like Master Vrook right now.
"We ended up getting into a really bad fist fight and were both punished for it."
She was oddly quiet after that last bit, like she was wondering if she was going to say the right thing or to avoid the question all together.
"Emilia if there is something on your mind, you can tell me."
She tilted her head up to me, I realized that when she was anxious that she would run her fingers through her hair.
Always her right hand through the left middle part of her hair. It was such a simple act, but it complexed me and seized my attention.
"Thank you, Isaac…it makes me really happy that you trust me like that. Were you and the boy still friends after that?"
That was what she was so worried to ask?
That had me feeling kind of worried, about prior events that Emilia had that made her have to not speak her mind for such a simple question.
"Of course! Ran is my best friend I would never stop being friends with him…"
"But you guys fought…it seemed pretty bad, he even pressured you too…"
"Emilia." I cut her off from quickly rambling.
"Ran didn't do this to bully me. He wanted me to see it with him, to see those bright yellow fields outside of the academy…because there was more to life than the Jedi. Even though he was so young, he understood that."
There was a silence that was very welcomed. Me and her just enjoyed having someone to talk to, someone that could understand the other.
Emilia lost her family, and her village…maybe even herself.
My family gave me up to the Jedi, and the wars took everything from me. My best friend, my first love…my innocence.
We were two broken people, but Emilia was able to easily hide it more than me. And there was a loneliness in that, a loneliness that no one in the whole world…no human could understand that pain.
Though there she was, so beautiful and close this whole time. And we barely spoke about the others experience but we both understood that we at least were not alone anymore.
I think that was the moment I fell in love with her, but it wasn't that kind of love. It was the kind of love where you are willing to give up everything for someone you hardly know.
I smiled at the thought as I looked at her. She was beautiful in the ways that forest fires are beautiful and chaotic. Something to be admired from afar…but never to close.
Just sitting there on her knees as joy tugged at the corners of her lips, she was beauty. Like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that is best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes.
Though she was not doing anything except sitting down on that ceiling on this cold night. Like she was holding the universe together.
"What happened to Ran?" she asked with the same smile
My eyes turned to my shoelaces.
"He died…during one of the battles." I said
My voice did not feel like my own. It felt robotic and cold like a machine, or a weapon. The sharpness of it caught me off guard, as the memories of Ran began to circulate through my head.
The sizzling of flesh, his broken body, and his bloodshot eyes…that landed on me.
"He was so young, so talented…he could of have been one of the greatest knights of all time."
I chocked on a sob but my eye couldn't produce tears. I already exhausted them earlier with Emilia, but I was still messed up.
"He was set on fire…and he died slowly. He didn't even get a chance to hold a woman in his arms, to know what it was like to have another's love!"
The words began pouring out of me in an erratic frenzy that I couldn't control. My own eye opening wildly as I searched the floor for any answers.
"It was unfair, so unfair…IT SHOULD OF HAVE BEEN ME. I should have died on Malachor all those years ago!"
I was about to slam my fist into the floor, but Emilia collapsed on top of me. She broke the trance as I was clouded by her bright purple eyes as locks of her silver hair collapsed onto my mouth.
"Don't say that!"
The fierceness of her command caused me to break from the daze as I stared into her eyes. "Without you I would have never found my insignia, without you me and that girl would of have walked into that trap, without you that surprise attack could of have wounded Reinhart!"
She was saying those words so quickly that I could feel her spit cling to my face.
"So, don't you dare say that you should of have died years ago. Cause without you I would of have died…your my hero Isaac!"
She wrapped her arms around me, her head clinging into my chest as she held onto me.
Hero?
Hero?
Hero?
Did I deserve to be called that?
For all the horrible things that I did. With or without my control did I deserve to be called a hero for just doing the right thing…
"Thank you, Emilia for calling me that…but I'm not a hero."
She moved her eyes from my chest as she stared up at me. Both of our heads were inches apart…I didn't mind the distance though.
"Puck mentioned before…that you used to be a knight. But I suppose something changed and you are not one anymore…"
She was still there, not moving away from me as her hair tickled my hand. "I served a man that was good before, and we fought side by side…at the time we were doing the right thing."
She listened to me intently as she stared up at me. Her bright violet eyes soaking up my very image as I continued.
"We won many battles, my skills with the blade and my power only improved after each enemy slain. Until I eventually lost sight of who I once was…"
She couldn't know who I once was, if she knew of all the horrible things that I did…and who I once called master. She would hate me, and that would break me.
"I lost the last person that I loved as my world died all around me. But still after all this time I still cannot feel whole, ever since Malachor…I feel an echo deep within."
She stared at me, still not uttering a word as she listened to me. Not offering any intrusion or questions I continued.
"My master didn't give me no other choice. I had no other option, all I had was all this anger and guilt and I did not have anyplace left to go…"
"Isaac…I know that this must be hard…"
"Emilia it's fine. I feel like you can understand this, maybe I'm wrong or just confused…but when I talk to you, it makes me feel less alone."
She looked hesitant at first, but she nodded her head for me to continue.
"So, I became his weapon, and killed for him. Once I was willing to do just that, just to fight…and let anyone else find a reason for me."
"Isaac…"
A strong brief wind swept through us. Her grip on me tightened as she placed her head into my chest, my body stiffened as I wrapped my arms around her to shield her from the cold.
"Though something terrible happened…and I saw something that changed my view, and I realized that I won't serve him anymore. So, I left it all behind in hope of finding a place where I could be forgotten."
I closed my mouth as I looked down at Emilia.
"But now since I met you, maybe I can help you…or at least bide you time when disaster comes."
I tried to laugh it off but Emilia wasn't amused
"Let me become your knight…Emilia."
Present
That was how I ended up becoming Emilia's knight, and now her protector. Whatever comes her way I will protect her from.
Though right now it doesn't matter. I could feel my face get red as my mind began to circulate into overdrive as I turned to face her.
"Emilia…would you like to hang out?"
The words came out of me without any control. There should of have been a better buildup or something better!
She looked at me, her face getting visibly red as our eyes interlocked. "I might have…studying, the meeting for the election is coming up."
Yeah, she does, wait she always studies…maybe I could convince her to take a break, just this once.
"Hey, did Rem tell you about how I healed that dog a while ago?"
She nodded her head as she suspiciously eyed me.
"It's this beautiful puppy, the poor thing had a wound on its leg. But now it is all good, I wish that you could meet him…"
I strained the last part of the sentence out to see Emilia's reaction. Emilia liked to act all mature, but I knew that there had to be something that could breach her shell.
"But I got…"
"It's so cute, and when we are done then we can pick up ice cream!" I quickly interrupted
Her eyes opened wide with excitement with ice cream, I could feel the urge from her to just scream it out but she contained herself.
She tilted her head away from me and began rubbing her shoulder. "Well…if it's only for the morning. I guess I could take a break."
VICTORY!
I was nearly about to explode from my seat from excitement, but I had to keep it restrained. She stood by my side for a little while longer until she got tired and went to my door.
I was not really paying much attention. Mostly of the head high of Emilia wanting to hangout and me vigorously studying I didn't hear the bang at first.
She groaned in pain as I turned to the sound. Emilia tripped over one of my things that I misplaced during the whole room levitating thing.
I got up from the chair and began walking towards her. More hesitant now due to the obvious issues in the room.
"I'm sorry, I really should have cleaned up better." I quickly apologized as I tiptoed around the displaced area
I stuck both of my hands out to her. Her face was red and pale, but I still offered her both of my hands to help her stand up with.
"It's fine." She softly said
Her fingers interlocked with my own fingers as I lifted her up. For a second, I was worried that maybe I was holding too long.
Though a pained gasp came from her as I had to grasp her waist to keep her up. "Emilia!" I quickly shouted
"I'm fine…my knee just hurts." She tried to say
But I did not believe that she was fine as she was basically limping and there was a pretty big bruise beginning to form over her leg.
"Are you sure?"
She looked up at me. Maybe she was so used to keep up a calm façade that she never wanted to admit that she needed help, so she wouldn't look weak.
"Emilia…you can tell me if you need help."
She averted my gaze. "I doubt it's anything, but I would really appreciate it if you could help me get to my room."
"Done." I quickly said as I grabbed her legs
I twisted her around in my arms until I was comfortable enough to carry her. "Are you okay, comfortable I mean?"
Her gaze was still away from mine. But I could see the bright red blush forming across her face.
I pushed the door open with my foot as we both began to walk the hallways. It was dark but the moon provided natural light that was able to shine in through the mansions many windows.
She was so close, so warm. "A…princess…carry." She stuttered
She was very petite, so she was not heavy. Her figure really matched the way you would imagine a princess to look…well nearly everything Emilia did reminded me of a princess.
Her walk…the way she strode through the streets in such confidence.
"Isaac…your heart."
She got closer to me. Her head slightly moving closer to my chest as her arm dangled over my right shoulder.
Her silky skin and her scent tickled my nose. We were friends…there was nothing wrong with this, right?
The way I felt about Emilia was the way a friend would feel. Sure, I looked at her a lot when she entered a room, wanted her by my side, and used any opportunity to talk to her.
But…we were friends.
Though these were the thoughts that I was having. I yearned for something deeper within, a feeling…a emotion that I haven't felt for a very long time.
"Isaac…" she called out as she turned her eyes towards me
I nodded my head. Trying too not show my face as I was obviously getting more flustered and was trying to not sweat.
"…I want to know more about you."
The question. No, rather the statement hung in the air…
What could I tell her about myself? How I liked to cook, how I liked to exercise and meditate in nature, or how I am fascinated with plants?
Though I could feel that Emilia was not searching for those answers. Rather questions regarding myself and who I was before coming here.
I tried to find an excuse; I really did. But a torrent of words cascaded out of my mouth like a tsunami, without warning and control.
"Well don't get too attached to me…I don't like it."
My words rang deeply within the air. Even with all this progress with Emilia I was still unable to trust her with anything revolving my past, it would take a while for me to do it…maybe even forever.
"Why…if you want to know about me. I will tell you."
She stared at me, her silky fingers gracing my shoulder.
"It's because I am a deserter. It's what I do."
Her mouth began to open but we were already outside of her room. She released her hand from my shoulder and used it to twist the knob.
I carried her inside as I looked around the room. It was not much different from my room…well there were some subtle differences.
It was way bigger. Abstract paintings decorated the whole wall, a massive bookshelf held textbooks which I could not read the names of, and a bed.
I laid her down on the end of the bed. I was trying to be quick to escape this conversation, but as I began to walk away, I felt a pull of tension.
"Not so fast."
Emilia's soft-spoken voice caught me off guard as her two fingers held onto the edge of my shirt.
"We are friends, so if you want to talk about it, I am here." She told
She released my shirt as I turned around to look at her. My eyes went to her knee which was now purplish and looked very swollen.
Maybe in the morning it would be better but for right now it did not seem to matter as much.
She looked so pretty with her purple night gown on. The moonlight perfectly hit her unique eyes and perfect features.
She smiled at me. Not the type of smile that you would see someone with when they were happy. But it felt like a warm invitation to talk, for two people to just speak and listen to the other.
Her left hand lightly patted the area next to her bed. I sighed as I took the seat next to her, it was a comfortable bed.
Kind of like a couch cushion, not that rock that I sleep on every day. But it is better to have a bed, than no bed.
"Emilia, last night I was very closed off about my past. I was a student when the war broke out, nobody was doing anything, so we fought…I fought."
The words came from me, but it was like I had no control of my voice. The moment my mouth opened the words just gushed right out of me.
Though I was speaking Emilia did not say anything or utter a word. Just silently listening.
"I killed so many…I embraced the darkness around me, and I followed orders. Good soldiers always follow orders."
My fingers were clenched into fist as I tried to maintain my cool, but I just couldn't.
My breathing was ragged as I fought to utter the words receding deep within. "THEY ALL DIED…all around me, in places where we should have never been." I spoke with gritted teeth; the words came out gnashed like a dog
"Unfairly like bugs. So, I kept on killing and killing until there was nothing left. I followed my new master as he built a new empire, an empire which we were led to believe would protect us…a comradery that would stick with us until we die, an order that wouldn't abandon us or the republic."
Emilia's left hand went to my shoulder as she held me.
"But it was all a lie…"
My hands were shaking now. I felt so cold, why was I doing this…why was I telling Emilia any of this. What did I expect…to feel better after talking about my feelings?
Talking won't bring any of them back or forgive anything that I did during the wars!
"In the end I trusted him. Followed him, believed in what he was telling me…"
Those words were the last that I spoke, my head hurt as my whole body felt unfamiliar to me. In the span of five years that was the most I ever told anyone about the war.
Emilia was the only one...and it all came out in gibberish or rather nonsense.
She must of have thought that I was insane or something.
"What happened then?"
I looked up to her. Seeing her pained and confused face as her arm were still around me, I could feel the sweat that had accumulated on me.
I must of have looked so fragile. Wasn't I the one that should of have been protecting her, not the other way around?
She still wanted to talk about it, I sighed as I once again opened my mouth. "One day I decided not to do it anymore. So, I left and chose to become someone else."
We were silent now. The only thing that could be heard was our breathing as we took the company of the other with us. Should I have asked her about what happened with her family and her village, or maybe she wasn't ready to talk about it.
Hell…I am still not able to talk about it with Emilia. But maybe I should try, she did listen to me rant on about my problems…
"Emilia…you mentioned your village last night. What happened?"
I turned to her. We locked eyes as she stared into my single eye, I must of have looked like a freak to her about now.
"I lost them all, now all I have is Puck." She spat out
The words cut through the air like a knife. I wanted to ask more but I did not know what else to say, she looked so hesitant to say anything.
Her fingers were now interlocked together on her lap, clutched to one another. And I could see the sweat beginning to form on her brow, her eyes locked onto the floor now.
They were wide open, the purple devoid of them as she stared at the floor. I could feel it through the force…the pain that she carried with her.
It was a heavy weight, that was nearly suffocating to her. I felt pain like that similar during the wars…many Jedi carried things with them.
Though Emilia was not involved in any wars that I knew of. Rather she always got like this when her village was brought up.
I did not know what to do…is this the way Emilia feels when she sees me when we talk about the wars?
I was not going to abandon her. I got up from the bed as I walked around the room, she did not even notice my presence as I walked to the area that she was staring.
Just those wide-open purple eyes. I made my way to her desk as I saw numerous open textbooks and an idea began to dawn on me.
"Emilia…you and the royal election. I have been meaning to ask you what that is like?"
Her neck craned towards me as I saw the light begin to come back to her eyes. Thank god she is coming back; I was hoping that if I got her mind onto something else. Maybe a better topic, than she would be normal once again.
"Of course, you wouldn't Isaac, this thing hasn't happened for a very long time." She said as she tried to stiffen her laugh
Oh yeah, I remember now…Revan and his disciples killed the whole royal bloodline. Something like this must not have happened for hundreds of years, who knows maybe thousands.
I began to slowly realize how important Emilia was. If she were to succeed and become queen, we would not have moments like this anymore.
"Isaac…you there?"
Her voice snapped me back to reality as I went back to looking at her direction. "You looked sad…"
Crap…I must think of something quick to say. "Emilia do you enjoy running for royalty?"
I began walking back to her, as I perched myself on the bed once again. Luckily, I snapped her back to reality, that was kind of scary…that blank look in her eyes.
Like a dark shadow was casted over her. It kind of reminded me of those dreams, the ones where the lady was telling me to "build a new lightsaber."
Looking back on it now. The dream was hazy but that white hair and those dark purplish eyes still resonated within me, they strangely reminded me of Emilia.
No…I was not dreaming of Emilia. That was impossible, and why am I still thinking about those dreams…they were just dreams nothing more.
Now I must get back to the conversation to hopefully make her feel better.
"Running for royalty?" she repeated as she ran her fingers through her hair
"Yeah, do you enjoy it?"
She began to run her fingers along her bruised knee. She winced at the touch as she stared up at me.
"Roswell is great help, the books that he provides me with are really expensive. Rem and Ram are also helpful too, also you with your food. And don't forget…"
The words came from her mouth in a haze that was hard for me to comprehend.
"Wow Emilia slow down…I was asking if you enjoyed running."
She stopped looking at me once more as her eyes went back to the floor. What was she thinking, in that head of hers?
"They need me to run so I will do it. If I succeed, then everyone will be happy."
Her words came in a whisper that I could hardly hear, as silent as a mouse.
"Emilia I'm not asking for everybody, are you okay with running for the election?" I questioned
She tilted her head quizzically as she looked up at me. Her purple eyes squinting as she formed a glare. I could feel her…anger, there was something else there too.
I couldn't detect it but there was another emotion there too.
"Why you don't think I could handle it."
I was startled by her tone. All the times I have talked to Emilia she was always soft spoken and warm, but now there was something else.
"I'm not saying that, I'm just wondering if you are okay with running. All the reasons that you gave me just sounds like you are doing it for other people." I surrendered
Both my hands were up in the air as her glare softened. "I'm sorry Isaac, just talking about this stuff just gets me stressed…sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it."
She tucked her legs into her chest as she wrapped her arms around herself.
"Who would vote for a white-haired half elf anyway."
Self-loathing, resentment, and anger. Emilia felt all those things, I did not realize it before but now I can see it for what it is.
Most Jedi awareness doesn't cruse beyond the surface feelings, to see what is deeper.
"…I would." I said
I felt my lips curl into a smile as we both looked at each other.
"You're just saying that, because you live here." She spoke as her head was still aimed at the floor
"No…I'm not. You would make an excellent leader."
I gripped her hand with a shocking confidence which I never knew I had.
"Your amazing Emilia…your kind, smart, and when we first met. You stopped finding your insignia that you so desperately needed to make sure that I was ok."
"Isaac…"
"I wouldn't be able to get through any of those books, but you do it with such ease. Also, your beautiful, so you have that going for you too."
A sudden gasp came from her as her face reddened. She hid herself behind her legs, but her fingers were still interlocked with my own.
"Emilia you are truly amazing, and I can't wait to see how much of a wonderful leader you can become…"
And for the first time in many years, this girl that I held…made me naturally smile. It has been years, but this girl was able to do it for me.
"You think I'm beautiful…" she murmured
That was when I began to slowly realize the words that I have chosen. Though now there was something else, a strange feeling within me…
To protect her
To save her
To help her
And through the force I could feel the same feelings stem from within her but directed towards me. Though strangely I had no clue where these thoughts and emotions came from.
It was like when Emilia was worried, I could feel it, or rather I could feel it through the force but even so it was hard to ignore.
Maybe that was what she felt when I was trying to tell her about my experience during the war. Maybe that was why she understood me.
Though there was something familiar there. It felt like something that was developed over time through the understanding of each other.
"You know that a lot of people are afraid of me…" she said
Her voice hung through the air.
"Im not afraid of you, well you do intimidate me sometimes."
We both chuckled at this. Her voice was charming, like the sound of a violin playing in one of the musical halls of the galaxy.
"…will you stay with me Isaac?"
The tone of the conversation changed as I saw the seriousness expression on her face.
"As long as you will have me…we're survivors, and we stick together." I grinned
She smirked as she remembered the conversation from the night before. "well if you put it that way…"
She touched her bad knee as she howled in pain.
"Emilia!" I shouted as I released her hand
"I'm fine, don't worry about it…"
I got up from the bed as I fell.
"Isaac are you okay?"
I nodded my head though this was a lie. Now there was a blistering pain in my knee.
"What?" I murmured to myself in surprise
The words escaped my mouth without warning. I hardly did anything today that would require any strenuous activities, the only thing I did was run around the estate and take a quick detour to the town for some needed ingredients.
So why is my knee hurting, strangely the same knee that Emilia got hurt with. I had to pull a muscle or something, or maybe my knee fell asleep.
But the pain was still there. Like I could feel Emilia's pain transferred onto my own.
No…that is impossible.
"Emilia mind if you put your bad leg down. I may know a way to heal you."
"Isaac it doesn't hurt that much, really." She said
My knee was still hurt. But before it was a minor pain, but now it was blistering into something else.
"Okay…well I guess I will leave you to it." I surrendered, my knee still hurting
I knew that Emilia did not like to show weakness. Maybe it was pride or something else, but a sudden sigh of relief came out from her.
"Only if you could walk back and forth from the room."
She looked at me, then at the edges of her room.
She groaned as she lowered her bad leg over to me.
I closed my eyes as I pressed my fingers against her numb knee.
"Emilia it feels pretty bad and swollen. You should of have asked for help."
She did not respond as she turned her face away from mine. Maybe out of embarrassment or out of shame for showing weakness.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I traced along the current.
Feel the Current
The power and ripple a single act can cause
Feel the pain and stem it to its source
"Are you almost done yet?" Emilia piped up
I quickly raised my hand for her to be silent as I continued working and trying to follow the connection.
Just like a stream…
All that recedes here is an…
eChO
My eye opened widely as the faint blue light vanished from my hands.
"Isaac…it worked." Her fingers delicately ran over her once bruised knee
It is gone, now all that remains is Emalia's winter white skin. Even the pain from my own knee disappeared like it was never even there.
"Isaac, what type of magic was that. You didn't need to make a contract with a sprit, and your gate is destroyed…how were you able to do that?"
I began to scratch my head as I began to think up an excuse. "I think I could produce little spells so something like this was pretty easy."
I tried to laugh it off. But I feel that Emilia did not believe me…
Though there was something else that was bothering me more. The Echo.
It felt exactly like the way my echo felt. It was nearly identical; I know that my connection to the force is different than before, but I could feel the echo.
When I first met Emilia, I could tell that she was not a force sensitive. This was proof enough that when we met Felt I could feel the difference between the two.
It has been a while ever since I met Emilia, but her developing a connection to the force should be impossible. Even harder now that she was older, though there was another thing weighing down on my mind.
Emilia's echo…or rather my echo, it was giving her strength. It was not strength from before, it was like I was adding onto her powers or something.
It was a hard thing to explain and I was already confused of how something like this could ever possibly happen. I must of have been going crazy, that had to be the reason.
There is no way for Emilia to one day appear with a connection to the force, a connection that perfectly mirrored my own. Now she seemed unaware of the fact that she was able to control the force, or whatever that echo was called.
Calling it the force would be wrong…it wasn't the force, rather an imitation of it. But that pain that I felt from her.
I only felt that pain before…
A Force Bond…the bond between two force users that have grown with one another, to the point where the actions mirror the other.
Though once again that had to be impossible. Forming bonds like that were rare, even rarer if the pair has known each other for a short time.
Sure, me and Emilia have connected on a level due to our past. Even my feelings for her have been more…complicated, but that was not nearly enough time for us to develop such a bond.
Such a thing could never happen, such a thing would be impossible…
Though I still felt it. The urge to protect, to help, to save Emilia when she was hurt…and even her wound spread to my very own body.
Such a bond was strong, the force would be more easily able to transfer through us. But feeling one's pain through the force should be impossible.
It seemed more like a hinderance, a way to get distracted in battle…
It had to be a trick, some of that strange magic that the locals spoke about. There was no way in hell for something like that to happen…
"Hey Emilia, I'm feeling really tired."
She looked up at me
"Well it is pretty late, so I guess we do have…"
I was already out of the door without saying goodnight. I knew that I must of have sounded suspicious, but I had all these things on my mind.
This echo that was all that remained of my connection to the force. Why with Emilia I can feel it within?
This bond that we share…the nature of it eludes me, of what it could possibly represent. That was all I was thinking about until the very edges of nighttime.
Our bond, but now…
I feel less alone…