Hahaha, hohoho and a couple of tra la las, thats how we laugh the
day away in the merry old land of oz...
Yay! Its done! In the words of a very wise Dummi Bear: Sing a happy,
happy, happy, happy, happy, happy song! Ack. This took forever. I think
I started it like in june or something. Anywho, here we are now and
this is my very last chapter. Bwahahahahaha! I hope that despite the
very long time it took to finish, this story was at least okay. I thank
everyone who responded, you are wonderfully wonderful people
Chapter Nine: Coda
The green man nodded in recognition. "Master Obi-wan. Turned to the
darkside, you have."
"What's the matter," Obi-wan answered, "afraid of a little
competition?"
"Here to bring you back, I am. Return to us, you should."
"Make me, old man. And stop trying to hide your companions."
From the other side of the wall, Anakin Skywalker emerged, his single,
skinny lock of hair longer than it had ever been before. His eyes were
wide at the sight of the two masters arguing, and his mouth hung a few
centimeters open. "Master?" he asked, "We want to help you."
The words of a child fell on deaf ears. The fallen Jedi regarded them
both with a snort, as he glanced at Amidala.
The cracking voice suggested, this time much
louder.
"I told you I don't want your words in my head. If I do decide to kill
them now, it will start a rampage that will end with my saber through
your chest."
"Ignore the Sith, you must." Called Yoda, feeling another's presence
nearby."
"Shut up! All of you!"
The ringing echoed through his eyes before
silence took over. "I'm here, Obi-wan. My child." Yet another Jedi
emerged from the hall, this one shrouded in a black cloak. Instantly, a
cold, harsh air blew through the room. One dried, shriveled up hand
reached out to touch Obi-wan, and he recoiled in disgust.
"Stay away from me!"
"Evil, he is. Listen to the darkside, you must not, Obi-wan."
"The Age of the Jedi is passing, but together we can proclaim a new
age, the age of the Sith, where a black curtains envelopes the entire
galaxy."
"Away you must turn!" Yoda shouted.
"Obi-wan!" Both demanded an allegiance from him, and his head ached
from the thoughts and emotions that tumbled back and forth through his
mind. Amidala watched on, knowing that their methods were failing
miserably.
"ENOUGH!" His saber, rekindled, slashed through the air. "I serve no
order but my own. He gestured towards the Sith, who produced a red
weapon. They fought, but the old man was slower and less agile. In
frustration, he cast down his sword and let the electricity build up in
the palm of his hand.
"I am the strongest Jedi alive! A fool like can do nothing to stop me.
All you've done is through away the biggest chance of a lifetime. But
no matter, we'll find someone more appropriate for the job."
The blue energy exploded and shot towards Obi-wan. He hit the wall with
a thud, and collasped on the floor.
But as the Sith moved, Yoda shot a blast of his own, and it knocked the
him off balance. The black cape fell back part ways, exposing the face
of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, whose eyes went wide with shock. He
fled the scene so fast he never heard Amidala cry out.
Obi-wan raised himself, seething with anger. His eyes were wild with
rage. "That's it. This ends here, and now! First the green goblin, then
I am going to find our dear chancellor and pull his organs out through
an orfice that has not yet been made!"
He tried to bring the saber down on a passive Yoda, but was caught,
midair, by something purple and equally strong.
"How many of you are there?" Obi-wan cried out, as Jedi Master Mace
Windu met him blow for blow. "Are you just leaking out of the cracks in
the wall, or what?"
The somber face of his foe ignored his words.
"You know what, Windu? You should really lighten up. Here, let me help
you." With an unexpected blast and a coordinated attack, Mace Windu was
sent flying through the open space in the wall.
The master was revived by Yoda, who sighed. "Come here, you have not.
Fight now more, you will."
"But we can't-"
"There is hope left, even now."
"He's alone with those kids! Will you leave him to terrorize the
helpless?"
Yoda patted him on the shoulder. "More effecive at times, the helpless
are, than we could ever hope to be."
*****************
When it finally seemed as though the Jedi masters weren't coming back,
Obi-wan laughed. "Some great leaders." His gaze traveled around the
room, surveying the damage and then falling on Anakin, backed into the
wall.
"Looks like they forgot you, little one. Do they seem so strong now?"
"They are stronger than you!" His lips trembled as he spoke.
"Big words coming from someone so small."
"I may be small, but at least I'm big enough to stand up against a
bully like you!"
"Oh really," Obi-wan shook his head. "You should have stuck with the
silent act. Now I know you're just a miniature copy of them.
"No, I'm like Obi-wan Kenobi, a Jedi knight who was brave and strong
and fought off the bad buys no matter what pain he felt!"
The blue energy hurdled him against a desk, where he flinched as his
head knocked the side. Obi-wan advanced, raising his saber.
"Too bad. You did have potential."
The saber lifted up, and came crashing down...and then a blur of
movement changed it all.
Amidala, horrified by the whole scene and momentarily forgotten, came
to life when she saw Anakin in trouble. She had rushed to his side and
blocked his body with her own.
Obi-wan's face showed the shock of betrayal. His words came hard and
unbelieving. "You! I loved you! I would have given you everything! A
galaxy was ours for the taking! And you repay me by turning to the
enemy?! I can't tolerate that sort of dissention. Not even from you
Ami."
The blade had stopped only centimeters away from her skin, and she
could feel its heat. One blow and she'd be dead. "Obi-wan! I was
protecting a little boy!"
"An enemey is an enemy no matter what face it has."
Amidala dropped down to her knees, arms open towards her attacker.
"Obi-wan, that's not you. You aren't this evil, power hungry monster.
You're a good man, a generous soul who knows cares enough about other
people to cast your own emotions aside and watch over them. You're a
Jedi knight, sworn to uphold the balance of the Force. Whatever
Palpatine did to you, or told you, don't give in!"
"Are you truly this selfless? You must know that this is the only way
we could ever be together. The old Obi-wan you rant so much about would
never have told you that he loved you. He'd have supressed it until he
couldn't feel it anymore. He didn't know how to feel."
Anakin rushed up again to the center of the battle and, though bleeding
slightly on the side of the head, stood up to Obi-wan. "That's not
true! You cared about Qui-gon, and he cared about you and you guys were
the best Jedis I've ever known. You loved Qui-gon like a father, didn't
you? Didn't you!"
The mention of his beloved former mention caused the Jedi to cringe,
one hand touching his temple.
"What would Qui-gon say if he saw you now? Is this the Jedi he taught
you to be, because then he did a pretty messed up job."
A wave of the hand sent Anakin flying back, into the wall. The boy
crumpled, but shouted one last comment. "I don't care what you do to
me. You're not the Obi-wan that Qui-gon told me to. I don't even want
to you train me anymore!"
'Promise me, his master had said. 'Promise me you'll train the boy.'
And he had promised. No matter what, Obi-wan had been ready to teach
Anakin everything, to pass on the line of Jedis. What *would* his
master say, and how could he have let himself become the very same kind
of person that had killed Qui-gon in the first place?
'He is the chosen one.' And Obi-wan was chosen to teach him.
And he had turned his back on the task.
"You're twisting my mind!" Obi-wan cried out suddenly, looking back and
forth from the boy and Amidala. He spun and focused his attention back
on the girl next to him. "You, you've had Jedi powers all along,
manipulating my thoughts, tainting my memories. You led them here, you
held me back, you turned on me!" The glowing saber came ever closer.
"Obi-wan," she cried, "please don't do this. You are a good man, don't let him twist you into something evil and awful. You have a force inside of you, greater than even the Force. You have love Obi-wan. Use that to guide your thoughts."
The saber remained inches away from her forehead, trembling slightly from his tight hands. Anger, frustration, and fear burned deeply in his eyes, a smoldering flame that nearly blinded her. But Amidala never looked away. Instead she stared back and prayed the hope in her eyes was enough to defeat his soul-penetrating gaze.
And then the saber clicked off, and his head dropped.
He fell to his knees and she broke his fall. For a long time they kneeled together like that, knowing only each other. Eventually his ragged breaths grew steady and strong and his eyes opened up and saw things in whole new light.
***********
Amidala lay stiff in her bed, listening to the sounds of shuffling
outside her door. There had to be at least twenty guards there, armed
and ready for anything. Her people were taking no more chances.
And yet, when darkness had just about blackened her entire room, and a
soft snore could be heard from just outside, the window pane creaked
open and a figure slipped inside. Her hand flittered to find light
switch and she sat up with a start.
"Who's there?"
The patter of footsteps preceded the sinking of her bed's corner. Her
fingers found the light and a soft glow revealed Obi-wan's thoughtful
face. Comfort lightened her heart.
"Were you sleeping?" he asked, looking at the bed, and the covers still
perfectly folded beneath her.
"No." She watched him, and realized how much she'd missed that serene
look on his face. "How did you get past the guards. Don't tell me they
just forgot about the window."
"They didn't. But I think the guards assigned wanted a midnight snack.
On the other side of the building."
Amidala laughed. "Always resourceful, aren't you."
"Maybe." A slight regret creased his brow and Obi-wan sighed. "I'm
sorry, Majesty, about everything I put you through. You shouldn't have
had to deal with my insecurities."
"No," she answered, "but I had to deal with my own. I told you once I
had made a vow that I had to keep at all costs. It was to protect my
people and serve them the best I could for as long as I could. But Obi,
after the war I was so tired, I just wanted to let someone else handle
things. You helped me understand that I too had to make sacrifices for
my cause. And you gave me the strength to keep going. Plus, you gave me
back my mom. We discovered the only making her ill is teh Tive Leaves."
Instead of accepting her words, he said something else entirely. "It
wasn't your words that got to me, you know. Or that heartbreaking
stare."
"Then what was it?"
"I could feel you...in the Force. I could follow that connection, as
I'd always relied on my connection with Qui-gon. And when I reached the
end, I was back where I belong."
"Oh?"
"I wondered why it was that you were never discovered and trained as a
Jedi, m'lady. I know now. It wasn't because someone didn't notice you,
but because your fate was already tied up with Naboo and the Republic."
"Where does the thread of your fate go?" There was a question in that
question, the last shinning glimmer of hope for them.
He smiled and glanced away. "Training Anakin. We've talked and he's
very forgiving. I still don't know if he's the Chosen One, but I do
know that he's more than just an ordinary boy. Maybe Qui-gon was right
after all."
"When are you leaving?"
He got up and walked towards the window. "Tomorrow. And Amidala..." He
came back and pecked her on the side of the cheek. "You filled me with
the greatest Force of all."
The Queen of Naboo slept soundly that night, for the first time in
ages.
**********
The wind blew hard the day that Obi-wan last saw Amidala.
He emerged from the building and walked towards the speeder, his face
hidden in the brown folds of his hood. He glanced up, almost
reluctantly, to see the Queen waiting for him. Her hair and
chocolate-colored dress were both billowed out in the wind, so that
they seemed to bleed together, a perfect, rich brown glow outlining her
tiny figure.
Obi-wan paused as Anakin ran up to him. He smiled down at the boy, and
ruffled his hair. And then he nodded and Anakin ran past him, reaching
out for Amdala with open arms. She embraced the boy, giving his hand a
quick sqeeze, and then the young apprentice ran away, jumping into the
craft with two feet.
Amidala looked back at Obi-wan and the renewed Jedi walked up to her.
From their places, a few guards clutched their weapons tighter, but
released them when a wave of something, some kind of assurance, flew
through their minds.
I won't hurt her a strong voice told them. The
head guard breathed heavily before turning to his men. "He won't hurt
her, don't worry. And try to relax." They nodded, all worries strangely
appeased.
Meanwhile, Obi-wan Kenobi and Queen Amidala of Naboo stared at each
other in silence. Finally, his lips turned up in a half smile.
"On behalf of the Council, I apologize for everything that's happened.
I assure you, you will never have a similar experience."
How true. She would never find another man to love and be loved by, not
in the way that Obi-wan had loved her. Whatever they had, it was a
special sort of feeling, the kind that can't be tainted by bad moments
and fading hope. It lived on, in the blue, crystal skies of her heart.
"You're apology is accepted. And I hope, Master Kenobi, that we may
work together again."
But never under the same conditions. The affection was put away, locked
in some glass and stored far from reach. It was a treasure to be
cherished from afar. "Perhaps. One may never truly tell what the future
will bring. Not even a Jedi."
It looked to be a bright future though. Senator Naberrie was back from
her drug-induced holidays, and the Naboo gov't was back on track.
Palpatine was still in power, for they had no proof to convince the
Senate, but they'd be watching him closely now, and any false move
would bring about a Vote of No Confidence.
The sands were still shifting, but now, they were better prepared.
She was Queen of Naboo. It may not always be the easiest job in the
world, and there were times she wanted to run and hide, but deep down,
Amidala knew this was where she belonged. Somewhere where she could
make a difference, a change for the better.
He was a Jedi Knight, Master Obi-wan Kenobi. Not promoted out of pity
or misplaced, but earned through hard work and dedication. The Force,
as they said, was strong in that one.
Obi-wan reached out and squeezed her hand for a brief second. And then
his entire face was gone, covered again by the cloak. He walked away,
towards the speeder and jumped on.
And they were flying away. She saw Anakin grinning like a madman and
wondered what the future really would bring.
But then again, it didn't matter. She was ready for it.
FIN
yes, that's right the end! Hahahahaha! I'm done! Hurrah! I can finally
stop watching the movies (er, not that I or anyone I know has
downloaded ATOC off the internet), drinking tons of punch, and stealing
scenes from other shows in my desperate search for inspiration!
Also note I again met self imposed deadline, and this time there was a
good four hours before it ended.
You know, I really wanted it to have a happy ending but this was the
best i could manage. But soon, I will write a happy ending fic...
Again, thank you for your patience and interest.
Also, I think someone mentioned that Ami was only fourteen. I dunno if
its because I put her in situations that seemed inappropriate for a
fourteen year old, or because her reactions weren't like a fourteen
year old, and you're probably right, either way. But I come from the
Sailor Moon part of town, and its a very different world there. (Please
don't roll your eyes) Serena deals with all sorts of complicated
issues, involving everything from suicide to saving the world...and she
is just a regular teen. Ami may not have super powers, but she's has to
grow up a whole lot faster than most of the freshman at a local high
school. In the middle ages, a fourteen year old girl was considered a
woman old enough to marry. I try to not judge everyone by our
standards. Anyways, was that a lot of drabble or what. Nothing *that*
serious happened to her anyway, except, you know, for the whole near
death experience... Thank you, for the review BTW, and for giving me a
reason to explain my opinions. I'm glad you read the story. ^_^
PS. Guess what? When I come back to the star wars realm, in a month or
two, I will have a new beta reader! Hurrah! And she's the nicest person
for agreeing to help me! Just thought I'd share the joy!
(also, I lowered my cholesterol today...j/k)
day away in the merry old land of oz...
Yay! Its done! In the words of a very wise Dummi Bear: Sing a happy,
happy, happy, happy, happy, happy song! Ack. This took forever. I think
I started it like in june or something. Anywho, here we are now and
this is my very last chapter. Bwahahahahaha! I hope that despite the
very long time it took to finish, this story was at least okay. I thank
everyone who responded, you are wonderfully wonderful people
Chapter Nine: Coda
The green man nodded in recognition. "Master Obi-wan. Turned to the
darkside, you have."
"What's the matter," Obi-wan answered, "afraid of a little
competition?"
"Here to bring you back, I am. Return to us, you should."
"Make me, old man. And stop trying to hide your companions."
From the other side of the wall, Anakin Skywalker emerged, his single,
skinny lock of hair longer than it had ever been before. His eyes were
wide at the sight of the two masters arguing, and his mouth hung a few
centimeters open. "Master?" he asked, "We want to help you."
The words of a child fell on deaf ears. The fallen Jedi regarded them
both with a snort, as he glanced at Amidala.
The cracking voice suggested, this time much
louder.
"I told you I don't want your words in my head. If I do decide to kill
them now, it will start a rampage that will end with my saber through
your chest."
"Ignore the Sith, you must." Called Yoda, feeling another's presence
nearby."
"Shut up! All of you!"
The ringing echoed through his eyes before
silence took over. "I'm here, Obi-wan. My child." Yet another Jedi
emerged from the hall, this one shrouded in a black cloak. Instantly, a
cold, harsh air blew through the room. One dried, shriveled up hand
reached out to touch Obi-wan, and he recoiled in disgust.
"Stay away from me!"
"Evil, he is. Listen to the darkside, you must not, Obi-wan."
"The Age of the Jedi is passing, but together we can proclaim a new
age, the age of the Sith, where a black curtains envelopes the entire
galaxy."
"Away you must turn!" Yoda shouted.
"Obi-wan!" Both demanded an allegiance from him, and his head ached
from the thoughts and emotions that tumbled back and forth through his
mind. Amidala watched on, knowing that their methods were failing
miserably.
"ENOUGH!" His saber, rekindled, slashed through the air. "I serve no
order but my own. He gestured towards the Sith, who produced a red
weapon. They fought, but the old man was slower and less agile. In
frustration, he cast down his sword and let the electricity build up in
the palm of his hand.
"I am the strongest Jedi alive! A fool like can do nothing to stop me.
All you've done is through away the biggest chance of a lifetime. But
no matter, we'll find someone more appropriate for the job."
The blue energy exploded and shot towards Obi-wan. He hit the wall with
a thud, and collasped on the floor.
But as the Sith moved, Yoda shot a blast of his own, and it knocked the
him off balance. The black cape fell back part ways, exposing the face
of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, whose eyes went wide with shock. He
fled the scene so fast he never heard Amidala cry out.
Obi-wan raised himself, seething with anger. His eyes were wild with
rage. "That's it. This ends here, and now! First the green goblin, then
I am going to find our dear chancellor and pull his organs out through
an orfice that has not yet been made!"
He tried to bring the saber down on a passive Yoda, but was caught,
midair, by something purple and equally strong.
"How many of you are there?" Obi-wan cried out, as Jedi Master Mace
Windu met him blow for blow. "Are you just leaking out of the cracks in
the wall, or what?"
The somber face of his foe ignored his words.
"You know what, Windu? You should really lighten up. Here, let me help
you." With an unexpected blast and a coordinated attack, Mace Windu was
sent flying through the open space in the wall.
The master was revived by Yoda, who sighed. "Come here, you have not.
Fight now more, you will."
"But we can't-"
"There is hope left, even now."
"He's alone with those kids! Will you leave him to terrorize the
helpless?"
Yoda patted him on the shoulder. "More effecive at times, the helpless
are, than we could ever hope to be."
*****************
When it finally seemed as though the Jedi masters weren't coming back,
Obi-wan laughed. "Some great leaders." His gaze traveled around the
room, surveying the damage and then falling on Anakin, backed into the
wall.
"Looks like they forgot you, little one. Do they seem so strong now?"
"They are stronger than you!" His lips trembled as he spoke.
"Big words coming from someone so small."
"I may be small, but at least I'm big enough to stand up against a
bully like you!"
"Oh really," Obi-wan shook his head. "You should have stuck with the
silent act. Now I know you're just a miniature copy of them.
"No, I'm like Obi-wan Kenobi, a Jedi knight who was brave and strong
and fought off the bad buys no matter what pain he felt!"
The blue energy hurdled him against a desk, where he flinched as his
head knocked the side. Obi-wan advanced, raising his saber.
"Too bad. You did have potential."
The saber lifted up, and came crashing down...and then a blur of
movement changed it all.
Amidala, horrified by the whole scene and momentarily forgotten, came
to life when she saw Anakin in trouble. She had rushed to his side and
blocked his body with her own.
Obi-wan's face showed the shock of betrayal. His words came hard and
unbelieving. "You! I loved you! I would have given you everything! A
galaxy was ours for the taking! And you repay me by turning to the
enemy?! I can't tolerate that sort of dissention. Not even from you
Ami."
The blade had stopped only centimeters away from her skin, and she
could feel its heat. One blow and she'd be dead. "Obi-wan! I was
protecting a little boy!"
"An enemey is an enemy no matter what face it has."
Amidala dropped down to her knees, arms open towards her attacker.
"Obi-wan, that's not you. You aren't this evil, power hungry monster.
You're a good man, a generous soul who knows cares enough about other
people to cast your own emotions aside and watch over them. You're a
Jedi knight, sworn to uphold the balance of the Force. Whatever
Palpatine did to you, or told you, don't give in!"
"Are you truly this selfless? You must know that this is the only way
we could ever be together. The old Obi-wan you rant so much about would
never have told you that he loved you. He'd have supressed it until he
couldn't feel it anymore. He didn't know how to feel."
Anakin rushed up again to the center of the battle and, though bleeding
slightly on the side of the head, stood up to Obi-wan. "That's not
true! You cared about Qui-gon, and he cared about you and you guys were
the best Jedis I've ever known. You loved Qui-gon like a father, didn't
you? Didn't you!"
The mention of his beloved former mention caused the Jedi to cringe,
one hand touching his temple.
"What would Qui-gon say if he saw you now? Is this the Jedi he taught
you to be, because then he did a pretty messed up job."
A wave of the hand sent Anakin flying back, into the wall. The boy
crumpled, but shouted one last comment. "I don't care what you do to
me. You're not the Obi-wan that Qui-gon told me to. I don't even want
to you train me anymore!"
'Promise me, his master had said. 'Promise me you'll train the boy.'
And he had promised. No matter what, Obi-wan had been ready to teach
Anakin everything, to pass on the line of Jedis. What *would* his
master say, and how could he have let himself become the very same kind
of person that had killed Qui-gon in the first place?
'He is the chosen one.' And Obi-wan was chosen to teach him.
And he had turned his back on the task.
"You're twisting my mind!" Obi-wan cried out suddenly, looking back and
forth from the boy and Amidala. He spun and focused his attention back
on the girl next to him. "You, you've had Jedi powers all along,
manipulating my thoughts, tainting my memories. You led them here, you
held me back, you turned on me!" The glowing saber came ever closer.
"Obi-wan," she cried, "please don't do this. You are a good man, don't let him twist you into something evil and awful. You have a force inside of you, greater than even the Force. You have love Obi-wan. Use that to guide your thoughts."
The saber remained inches away from her forehead, trembling slightly from his tight hands. Anger, frustration, and fear burned deeply in his eyes, a smoldering flame that nearly blinded her. But Amidala never looked away. Instead she stared back and prayed the hope in her eyes was enough to defeat his soul-penetrating gaze.
And then the saber clicked off, and his head dropped.
He fell to his knees and she broke his fall. For a long time they kneeled together like that, knowing only each other. Eventually his ragged breaths grew steady and strong and his eyes opened up and saw things in whole new light.
***********
Amidala lay stiff in her bed, listening to the sounds of shuffling
outside her door. There had to be at least twenty guards there, armed
and ready for anything. Her people were taking no more chances.
And yet, when darkness had just about blackened her entire room, and a
soft snore could be heard from just outside, the window pane creaked
open and a figure slipped inside. Her hand flittered to find light
switch and she sat up with a start.
"Who's there?"
The patter of footsteps preceded the sinking of her bed's corner. Her
fingers found the light and a soft glow revealed Obi-wan's thoughtful
face. Comfort lightened her heart.
"Were you sleeping?" he asked, looking at the bed, and the covers still
perfectly folded beneath her.
"No." She watched him, and realized how much she'd missed that serene
look on his face. "How did you get past the guards. Don't tell me they
just forgot about the window."
"They didn't. But I think the guards assigned wanted a midnight snack.
On the other side of the building."
Amidala laughed. "Always resourceful, aren't you."
"Maybe." A slight regret creased his brow and Obi-wan sighed. "I'm
sorry, Majesty, about everything I put you through. You shouldn't have
had to deal with my insecurities."
"No," she answered, "but I had to deal with my own. I told you once I
had made a vow that I had to keep at all costs. It was to protect my
people and serve them the best I could for as long as I could. But Obi,
after the war I was so tired, I just wanted to let someone else handle
things. You helped me understand that I too had to make sacrifices for
my cause. And you gave me the strength to keep going. Plus, you gave me
back my mom. We discovered the only making her ill is teh Tive Leaves."
Instead of accepting her words, he said something else entirely. "It
wasn't your words that got to me, you know. Or that heartbreaking
stare."
"Then what was it?"
"I could feel you...in the Force. I could follow that connection, as
I'd always relied on my connection with Qui-gon. And when I reached the
end, I was back where I belong."
"Oh?"
"I wondered why it was that you were never discovered and trained as a
Jedi, m'lady. I know now. It wasn't because someone didn't notice you,
but because your fate was already tied up with Naboo and the Republic."
"Where does the thread of your fate go?" There was a question in that
question, the last shinning glimmer of hope for them.
He smiled and glanced away. "Training Anakin. We've talked and he's
very forgiving. I still don't know if he's the Chosen One, but I do
know that he's more than just an ordinary boy. Maybe Qui-gon was right
after all."
"When are you leaving?"
He got up and walked towards the window. "Tomorrow. And Amidala..." He
came back and pecked her on the side of the cheek. "You filled me with
the greatest Force of all."
The Queen of Naboo slept soundly that night, for the first time in
ages.
**********
The wind blew hard the day that Obi-wan last saw Amidala.
He emerged from the building and walked towards the speeder, his face
hidden in the brown folds of his hood. He glanced up, almost
reluctantly, to see the Queen waiting for him. Her hair and
chocolate-colored dress were both billowed out in the wind, so that
they seemed to bleed together, a perfect, rich brown glow outlining her
tiny figure.
Obi-wan paused as Anakin ran up to him. He smiled down at the boy, and
ruffled his hair. And then he nodded and Anakin ran past him, reaching
out for Amdala with open arms. She embraced the boy, giving his hand a
quick sqeeze, and then the young apprentice ran away, jumping into the
craft with two feet.
Amidala looked back at Obi-wan and the renewed Jedi walked up to her.
From their places, a few guards clutched their weapons tighter, but
released them when a wave of something, some kind of assurance, flew
through their minds.
I won't hurt her a strong voice told them. The
head guard breathed heavily before turning to his men. "He won't hurt
her, don't worry. And try to relax." They nodded, all worries strangely
appeased.
Meanwhile, Obi-wan Kenobi and Queen Amidala of Naboo stared at each
other in silence. Finally, his lips turned up in a half smile.
"On behalf of the Council, I apologize for everything that's happened.
I assure you, you will never have a similar experience."
How true. She would never find another man to love and be loved by, not
in the way that Obi-wan had loved her. Whatever they had, it was a
special sort of feeling, the kind that can't be tainted by bad moments
and fading hope. It lived on, in the blue, crystal skies of her heart.
"You're apology is accepted. And I hope, Master Kenobi, that we may
work together again."
But never under the same conditions. The affection was put away, locked
in some glass and stored far from reach. It was a treasure to be
cherished from afar. "Perhaps. One may never truly tell what the future
will bring. Not even a Jedi."
It looked to be a bright future though. Senator Naberrie was back from
her drug-induced holidays, and the Naboo gov't was back on track.
Palpatine was still in power, for they had no proof to convince the
Senate, but they'd be watching him closely now, and any false move
would bring about a Vote of No Confidence.
The sands were still shifting, but now, they were better prepared.
She was Queen of Naboo. It may not always be the easiest job in the
world, and there were times she wanted to run and hide, but deep down,
Amidala knew this was where she belonged. Somewhere where she could
make a difference, a change for the better.
He was a Jedi Knight, Master Obi-wan Kenobi. Not promoted out of pity
or misplaced, but earned through hard work and dedication. The Force,
as they said, was strong in that one.
Obi-wan reached out and squeezed her hand for a brief second. And then
his entire face was gone, covered again by the cloak. He walked away,
towards the speeder and jumped on.
And they were flying away. She saw Anakin grinning like a madman and
wondered what the future really would bring.
But then again, it didn't matter. She was ready for it.
FIN
yes, that's right the end! Hahahahaha! I'm done! Hurrah! I can finally
stop watching the movies (er, not that I or anyone I know has
downloaded ATOC off the internet), drinking tons of punch, and stealing
scenes from other shows in my desperate search for inspiration!
Also note I again met self imposed deadline, and this time there was a
good four hours before it ended.
You know, I really wanted it to have a happy ending but this was the
best i could manage. But soon, I will write a happy ending fic...
Again, thank you for your patience and interest.
Also, I think someone mentioned that Ami was only fourteen. I dunno if
its because I put her in situations that seemed inappropriate for a
fourteen year old, or because her reactions weren't like a fourteen
year old, and you're probably right, either way. But I come from the
Sailor Moon part of town, and its a very different world there. (Please
don't roll your eyes) Serena deals with all sorts of complicated
issues, involving everything from suicide to saving the world...and she
is just a regular teen. Ami may not have super powers, but she's has to
grow up a whole lot faster than most of the freshman at a local high
school. In the middle ages, a fourteen year old girl was considered a
woman old enough to marry. I try to not judge everyone by our
standards. Anyways, was that a lot of drabble or what. Nothing *that*
serious happened to her anyway, except, you know, for the whole near
death experience... Thank you, for the review BTW, and for giving me a
reason to explain my opinions. I'm glad you read the story. ^_^
PS. Guess what? When I come back to the star wars realm, in a month or
two, I will have a new beta reader! Hurrah! And she's the nicest person
for agreeing to help me! Just thought I'd share the joy!
(also, I lowered my cholesterol today...j/k)