Author's NOTES: Thanks again everyone for the wonderful reviews!!! This
chapter may be a bit on the boring side, but I assure you that the next one
will be better. I know you may be curious as to where Obi is and if he
will head over to the dark side. All I can say is.read and you'll find
out.
Read. Enjoy. And Review. May the Force Be With You.
Chapter 3:
Qui-Gon turned around with a flash, half expecting, half praying that the voice belonged to Obi-Wan.
But to his greatest disappointment, it was not.
Instead of the youthful features of a ginger hair boy with blue-grey eyes, there was a boy, twelve years of age, gaping at him in shock.
Qui-Gon knew him well. The young boy was Mikae, one of the many initiates in the Jedi Temple. There was only one thing he didn't know. He didn't know how the boy got here, or even why he was up at such early hours.
"Mikae, what are you doing here?" Qui-Gon asked as he slipped himself behind the safety of the balcony's railings.
Mikae began to fidget with his feet, unable to give eye contact to Qui-Gon.
"I...I.."
"Well?"
"I was...uh...no...I"
He didn't have time for this.
"Out with it!" Qui-Gon shouted out of annoyance.
Immediately after he had said it, Qui-Gon realized just how harsh it came out, but it was too late. He could see Mikae's lips quiver and felt the boy emanated waves of fear. Obviously, that was to be expected considering the wide contrast between their heights.
With a sigh, Qui-Gon walked up to the boy and bent down on his knee. He extended his arm out, but Mikae immediately stepped back.
"I'm sorry Mikae. I didn't mean what I said." Qui-Gon tried to reassure.
Mikae didn't answer, but kept his gaze at Qui-Gon.
Their eyes locked, but neither one was going to make a move.
After a long period of intense silence, Qui-Gon stood up to leave. This was getting no where.
"Well Mikae, I think it's best that you get back to your dorm. Classes will start soon. You don't want to be late."
Qui-Gon began to walk past the boy, but he could still feel the boy's gaze behind him, burning with intense curiosity.
"What were you doing just now?"
Qui-Gon stopped short. He was expecting this. He began to answer, but realized that he didn't even know what he had planned on doing. Jump? Commit suicide? Perhaps, but was that what he really wanted?
He turned to face Mikae. "Honestly Mikae, I really don't know." A small smile creased his leonine features. For the first time, he felt at ease.
"Well, I hope you weren't planning to fly Master Jinn. We humans don't have wings you know." Mikae said matter-of-factly with a mischievous smile. "Though I wish we do." He added with a wink.
Qui-Gon chuckled at the remark. "No, no flying lessons for me this morning. Now tell me Mikae, what are you doing up so early?"
The smile that was on Mikae's face quickly faded. His gaze fell towards the ground beneath his feet.
"I wanted to get up early to go to 'The Fountain of Souls'."
"Why do you want to go there?"
"It was Obi-Wan's favorite place and I...I just wanted to go there. It being his birthday and all" Mikae trailed off.
Qui-Gon could sense waves of pain from the boy. It never occurred to him that there would be someone else who still felt the void that Obi-Wan had left, even after so long. The thought made Qui-Gon felt rather foolish to wallow in self-pity all these years.
He placed his hands on Mikae's shoulders. "I understand how you must feel."
"He was like a big brother to me." Mikae responded tearfully.
"I know."
Both of them remained silent. They didn't need to say anything for their eyes had said it all. Yet, even so, their facial expressions could not embody the wealth of emotions they felt inside. They had both lost someone close to them, and now, the only thing they had left was an invisible bond of grief.
Qui-Gon turned away. Looking at the dawning sun, he wondered just how things would have been like if he had come sooner. Just a split second sooner and perhaps he would have been able to save Obi-Wan.
"There was nothing you could have done." Mikae interjected as if reading Qui-Gon's train of thoughts.
Qui-Gon turned to face the young boy. "That's the point Mikae, I didn't act."
"You didn't know Master Jinn. You didn't know it was going to happen."
"But I should have!" A silent pause. "Obi-Wan counted on me and I let him down."
Qui-Gon let a tired sigh glazed with sadness and desperation escape from him. He was tired, too tired from the burden of guilt he had carried over the last three years. Pain etched on his haggard face as time marked its days, one by one. He looked many years older than his age and his eyes always wore a veil of sadness.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" He said, barely above a whisper, and turned to leave.
Mikae's gaze followed the venerable Jedi Master as he rounded a corner and disappeared. Mikae knew fully well to whom the words of regret and pleads for forgiveness referred to.
Obi-Wan.
Read. Enjoy. And Review. May the Force Be With You.
Chapter 3:
Qui-Gon turned around with a flash, half expecting, half praying that the voice belonged to Obi-Wan.
But to his greatest disappointment, it was not.
Instead of the youthful features of a ginger hair boy with blue-grey eyes, there was a boy, twelve years of age, gaping at him in shock.
Qui-Gon knew him well. The young boy was Mikae, one of the many initiates in the Jedi Temple. There was only one thing he didn't know. He didn't know how the boy got here, or even why he was up at such early hours.
"Mikae, what are you doing here?" Qui-Gon asked as he slipped himself behind the safety of the balcony's railings.
Mikae began to fidget with his feet, unable to give eye contact to Qui-Gon.
"I...I.."
"Well?"
"I was...uh...no...I"
He didn't have time for this.
"Out with it!" Qui-Gon shouted out of annoyance.
Immediately after he had said it, Qui-Gon realized just how harsh it came out, but it was too late. He could see Mikae's lips quiver and felt the boy emanated waves of fear. Obviously, that was to be expected considering the wide contrast between their heights.
With a sigh, Qui-Gon walked up to the boy and bent down on his knee. He extended his arm out, but Mikae immediately stepped back.
"I'm sorry Mikae. I didn't mean what I said." Qui-Gon tried to reassure.
Mikae didn't answer, but kept his gaze at Qui-Gon.
Their eyes locked, but neither one was going to make a move.
After a long period of intense silence, Qui-Gon stood up to leave. This was getting no where.
"Well Mikae, I think it's best that you get back to your dorm. Classes will start soon. You don't want to be late."
Qui-Gon began to walk past the boy, but he could still feel the boy's gaze behind him, burning with intense curiosity.
"What were you doing just now?"
Qui-Gon stopped short. He was expecting this. He began to answer, but realized that he didn't even know what he had planned on doing. Jump? Commit suicide? Perhaps, but was that what he really wanted?
He turned to face Mikae. "Honestly Mikae, I really don't know." A small smile creased his leonine features. For the first time, he felt at ease.
"Well, I hope you weren't planning to fly Master Jinn. We humans don't have wings you know." Mikae said matter-of-factly with a mischievous smile. "Though I wish we do." He added with a wink.
Qui-Gon chuckled at the remark. "No, no flying lessons for me this morning. Now tell me Mikae, what are you doing up so early?"
The smile that was on Mikae's face quickly faded. His gaze fell towards the ground beneath his feet.
"I wanted to get up early to go to 'The Fountain of Souls'."
"Why do you want to go there?"
"It was Obi-Wan's favorite place and I...I just wanted to go there. It being his birthday and all" Mikae trailed off.
Qui-Gon could sense waves of pain from the boy. It never occurred to him that there would be someone else who still felt the void that Obi-Wan had left, even after so long. The thought made Qui-Gon felt rather foolish to wallow in self-pity all these years.
He placed his hands on Mikae's shoulders. "I understand how you must feel."
"He was like a big brother to me." Mikae responded tearfully.
"I know."
Both of them remained silent. They didn't need to say anything for their eyes had said it all. Yet, even so, their facial expressions could not embody the wealth of emotions they felt inside. They had both lost someone close to them, and now, the only thing they had left was an invisible bond of grief.
Qui-Gon turned away. Looking at the dawning sun, he wondered just how things would have been like if he had come sooner. Just a split second sooner and perhaps he would have been able to save Obi-Wan.
"There was nothing you could have done." Mikae interjected as if reading Qui-Gon's train of thoughts.
Qui-Gon turned to face the young boy. "That's the point Mikae, I didn't act."
"You didn't know Master Jinn. You didn't know it was going to happen."
"But I should have!" A silent pause. "Obi-Wan counted on me and I let him down."
Qui-Gon let a tired sigh glazed with sadness and desperation escape from him. He was tired, too tired from the burden of guilt he had carried over the last three years. Pain etched on his haggard face as time marked its days, one by one. He looked many years older than his age and his eyes always wore a veil of sadness.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" He said, barely above a whisper, and turned to leave.
Mikae's gaze followed the venerable Jedi Master as he rounded a corner and disappeared. Mikae knew fully well to whom the words of regret and pleads for forgiveness referred to.
Obi-Wan.
