- disclaimer - the characters and locations belong to George Lucas. I'm just messin' with them :D
***
Breaking Hearts, Forgotten Universes.
***
Twilight has settled in the skies above the magnificent and beautiful palace of Theed. Deep purples and strong reds light the scattered clouds, and as they slowly fade and pass, tiny pin-pricks of countless stars shine their way through. Lights from the sleepy inhabitants begin to break through the coming night, and seem to play with the deepening shadows.
One light, coming from an impossibly high window in the palace, spreads a soft and soothing glow onto the ornately carved balcony that it opens on to. Trails of winding, beautiful, and eerily life-like flowers are carved deeply and expertly into it's surface. Delicate curtains dance over the open window, dancing in the sweetly scented midnight breeze. Somewhere far below, and in the distance, night-time birds sing in perfect harmony.
But none of this matters to her - the slight figure leaning against the rails. Wrapped in a soft cloak of dark green, she allows her sore and swollen eyes to roam the stars above her, and she searches for a precious thing, hidden in the velvet sky.
Tears well in her eyes again, and she allows them to fall. She doesn't notice how beautiful even they look as they catch the light of Naboo's moon, just as it sparkles off the rushing waterfalls she had always loved. But even they don't matter anymore. They cast no sound in her mind. All she hears is the sound of her own heart. Is that the sound of it breaking? Yes - it must be, for nothing in the universe makes a stinging sound such as that.
A shadow falls upon her and she knows she is not alone. Someone else has come, and as she realizes it, she raises a hand to wipe away the tears now. If her heart must be broken, then she will be strong. She knows that even to look at him would bring her pain, more than she can bare. Doesn't he realise how painful it is for her? Can't he see how much she wishes he would stay? How much she would give up then, just to be enfolded in his arms one more time.
Still, she turns around. Still she has to be strong.
He stands just behind her, too close, too touchable. She drinks the sight of him in with her eyes, his golden spun hair, his wonderful ice coloured eyes.
She can see herself in them - his eyes. A crying, pitiful thing, no longer the strong, emotionless decoy people had though her to be, such a short time ago. She hasn't seen him cry, hasn't felt any emotion from him since he decided to leave her. Why must she be the one to feel this aching emptiness? Why could he take away her strength with a look, when he could see her like this and not feel a thing for her?
For a moment they stay apart, searching each others starlit eyes. She has to touch him, she has to feel his heart with her hand, touch his soft lips with hers, even though it might kill her. Would she feel his heart beating, aching, breaking in time with hers? Or will it be as she fears? Nothing but a duty bound thing, ready to leave her here alone to race among the stars once more?
A pale hand slowly reaches out to him, and suddenly she realizes it's hers. But before her fingertips can brush his cold skin, he takes her hands in his. She gasps. Another unsure moment passes, a moment when she feels a storm swelling inside her so strong she loses sight of the world.
Then he pulls her into him, pulls her arms around him, and gently, he cups his hands around her face. He kisses her, and they become one for a moment, too short, so short.
He breaks away, and buries his face against her neck, and she, putting her hand over his beating heart, knows that they are the same. He does beat with her. And that makes the pain grow deeper.
If she hadn't felt it, she knew now, it might have been easier. But she could see now, in her minds eye, how it could have been with him, and how it always would be now. And that denied future would haunt her forever, whenever she would see a blue eyed boy like him.
"I have something special for you, my beautiful angel," he whispers softly, his lips against her neck. And slowly he pulls her from the balcony, into the harsh light of the palace. Hand in hand they enter his room, and he leaves her standing, uncertainly by the door. As she listens to the distant and unreal sounds of the palace beyond he walks towards the middle of the darkened room. Carefully he places something on the floor.
She starts to ask him, but stops. She wants to speak but can't. So she watches him, the movement of his body as he breathes, and works.
"I will miss you," his voice is barely above a whisper, "don't ever think that I won't," he said, his eyes cast away from her. "Breaking you heart was the last thing I wanted to do, but I must leave."
"I know," she breathed, "we both have duties, duties that we cannot turn away from, and yes, it breaks my heart, and yours, I think, as well. But there is no force in the universe that can keep us together."
Silence again filled the space between them, until the gentle clicks of his work were finished.
"I know what you were seeking in the sky," he tells her suddenly, as he walks to stand with her. He brushes her flushed face with his thumbs, and closing her eyes gently, kissed her eyelids.
Then with a motion from his hand, the room is suddenly lighted with a map of glowing silver stars. She gasps, and looks in wonder as it seems as if they are floating in the vast, and only they existed. He moves with her, over great distances, through far-away and long lost places, and he stops her suddenly.
He points.
"This is where I'll always be," he says, and then they stand together in silence, their breath becoming one sound filling the universe in which they stand, their eyes intent upon the spot, the rest of the universe forgotten.
"I'll always be here, and I swear, I'll always come back to you, my Sabé."
With one last long kiss, and tears spilling between them, Obi-Wan leaves finally. Sabé stands alone now in between the many stars, and hears the sound of her heart, once more alone. Is that the sound of it becoming whole again? It must be - for the everlasting touch of promised love can heal her broken heart, and give her the strength to face the terrible day ahead.
- The Observer -
***
Breaking Hearts, Forgotten Universes.
***
Twilight has settled in the skies above the magnificent and beautiful palace of Theed. Deep purples and strong reds light the scattered clouds, and as they slowly fade and pass, tiny pin-pricks of countless stars shine their way through. Lights from the sleepy inhabitants begin to break through the coming night, and seem to play with the deepening shadows.
One light, coming from an impossibly high window in the palace, spreads a soft and soothing glow onto the ornately carved balcony that it opens on to. Trails of winding, beautiful, and eerily life-like flowers are carved deeply and expertly into it's surface. Delicate curtains dance over the open window, dancing in the sweetly scented midnight breeze. Somewhere far below, and in the distance, night-time birds sing in perfect harmony.
But none of this matters to her - the slight figure leaning against the rails. Wrapped in a soft cloak of dark green, she allows her sore and swollen eyes to roam the stars above her, and she searches for a precious thing, hidden in the velvet sky.
Tears well in her eyes again, and she allows them to fall. She doesn't notice how beautiful even they look as they catch the light of Naboo's moon, just as it sparkles off the rushing waterfalls she had always loved. But even they don't matter anymore. They cast no sound in her mind. All she hears is the sound of her own heart. Is that the sound of it breaking? Yes - it must be, for nothing in the universe makes a stinging sound such as that.
A shadow falls upon her and she knows she is not alone. Someone else has come, and as she realizes it, she raises a hand to wipe away the tears now. If her heart must be broken, then she will be strong. She knows that even to look at him would bring her pain, more than she can bare. Doesn't he realise how painful it is for her? Can't he see how much she wishes he would stay? How much she would give up then, just to be enfolded in his arms one more time.
Still, she turns around. Still she has to be strong.
He stands just behind her, too close, too touchable. She drinks the sight of him in with her eyes, his golden spun hair, his wonderful ice coloured eyes.
She can see herself in them - his eyes. A crying, pitiful thing, no longer the strong, emotionless decoy people had though her to be, such a short time ago. She hasn't seen him cry, hasn't felt any emotion from him since he decided to leave her. Why must she be the one to feel this aching emptiness? Why could he take away her strength with a look, when he could see her like this and not feel a thing for her?
For a moment they stay apart, searching each others starlit eyes. She has to touch him, she has to feel his heart with her hand, touch his soft lips with hers, even though it might kill her. Would she feel his heart beating, aching, breaking in time with hers? Or will it be as she fears? Nothing but a duty bound thing, ready to leave her here alone to race among the stars once more?
A pale hand slowly reaches out to him, and suddenly she realizes it's hers. But before her fingertips can brush his cold skin, he takes her hands in his. She gasps. Another unsure moment passes, a moment when she feels a storm swelling inside her so strong she loses sight of the world.
Then he pulls her into him, pulls her arms around him, and gently, he cups his hands around her face. He kisses her, and they become one for a moment, too short, so short.
He breaks away, and buries his face against her neck, and she, putting her hand over his beating heart, knows that they are the same. He does beat with her. And that makes the pain grow deeper.
If she hadn't felt it, she knew now, it might have been easier. But she could see now, in her minds eye, how it could have been with him, and how it always would be now. And that denied future would haunt her forever, whenever she would see a blue eyed boy like him.
"I have something special for you, my beautiful angel," he whispers softly, his lips against her neck. And slowly he pulls her from the balcony, into the harsh light of the palace. Hand in hand they enter his room, and he leaves her standing, uncertainly by the door. As she listens to the distant and unreal sounds of the palace beyond he walks towards the middle of the darkened room. Carefully he places something on the floor.
She starts to ask him, but stops. She wants to speak but can't. So she watches him, the movement of his body as he breathes, and works.
"I will miss you," his voice is barely above a whisper, "don't ever think that I won't," he said, his eyes cast away from her. "Breaking you heart was the last thing I wanted to do, but I must leave."
"I know," she breathed, "we both have duties, duties that we cannot turn away from, and yes, it breaks my heart, and yours, I think, as well. But there is no force in the universe that can keep us together."
Silence again filled the space between them, until the gentle clicks of his work were finished.
"I know what you were seeking in the sky," he tells her suddenly, as he walks to stand with her. He brushes her flushed face with his thumbs, and closing her eyes gently, kissed her eyelids.
Then with a motion from his hand, the room is suddenly lighted with a map of glowing silver stars. She gasps, and looks in wonder as it seems as if they are floating in the vast, and only they existed. He moves with her, over great distances, through far-away and long lost places, and he stops her suddenly.
He points.
"This is where I'll always be," he says, and then they stand together in silence, their breath becoming one sound filling the universe in which they stand, their eyes intent upon the spot, the rest of the universe forgotten.
"I'll always be here, and I swear, I'll always come back to you, my Sabé."
With one last long kiss, and tears spilling between them, Obi-Wan leaves finally. Sabé stands alone now in between the many stars, and hears the sound of her heart, once more alone. Is that the sound of it becoming whole again? It must be - for the everlasting touch of promised love can heal her broken heart, and give her the strength to face the terrible day ahead.
- The Observer -