I do not own SW or the Greek mythology.
Ascend from Time
"Thanatos!" his voice rose on the stifling hot air as he looked out across the smoking, burning landscape sprawled before him.
Something had come, attacked his home, slaughtered his sisters, and he had yet to find his twin. Stumbling forward, he approached a large slab of rock, and started to lift it with his godly strength. Over turning it, his heart crumbled within his chest as he fell to his knees beside the one he had been searching for.
His twin lay before him, broken, bleeding, and barely alive. Thanatos's face was burned, and blood covered, what was left of his long black hair lay in bloody strands. His legs were crushed, and his wings were torn from his back, and now lay beside him. A wound bleed freely in his chest, a dagger buried within it, the hilt shattered, and only a small part of it remained outside the wound.
A cry of horror and grief bleed out of him at the sight of his brother, and echoed across the broken landscape as he knelt there, taking his dying brother's hand. One of his hands went to his brother's bloody brow, and gentle stroked it, as he cried for what had happened.
Thanatos's eyes opened to reveal delicate, pained, dark blue/green eyes, that though glazed from the pain, were still able to find his grieving brother.
*Such strange eyes for death to have,* he thought sadly, continuing to stroke his brother's brow.
*Yet, they are mine,* Thanatos sent through their bond, his pain bleeding even into his thought voice.
"Oh, brother," he sighed sorrowful aloud.
"It ca..can n..not be...e hel....ped, Hypnos," Thanatos gasped weakly.
"But you cannot die, you cannot leave me," Hypnos protested softly.
"E...ven dea...th ca...can conqu..e..r Imm..Immor..Immortals," Thanatos whispered brokenly.
"No, something else has brought us down, not death. Was it Nemis?" Hypnos asked.
"Noooo," Thanatos moaned, then jerked as his muscles reacted to the poison that coursed through his system from the blade buried in his chest.
Thanatos tried to withhold his screams as the poison ignited his muscles, but could not as the poison struck deeper within him. His screams rattled across the landscape, signaling the end was near.
Hypnos removed his hand from his brother's brow, as tears slipped faster from his eyes. His brother's screams tore into his very soul, leaving him trembling and in great pain for his brother. Fumbling at his belt, his hand came upon the flask at his side, and he knew what he had to do.
"Thanatos, do not speak. I only wish to know, do you wish relief?" he asked, trying to work passed the block forming in his throat.
Thanatos nodded quickly, groaning quietly as the poison began to work at his heart, tearing him apart inside. Hypnos pulled the flask from his belt, and pulled the top off, then lifted his brother's head gently from the ground.
"Focus on my eyes, brother, try to focus," Hypnos whispered.
"I feel... li..like a co...ward, to ru..run from pain," Thanatos said softly.
"You, who saved me from Zeus's wrath, who went up against Apollo himself? You, beloved brother, a coward? No, you deserve the death you gave, for you are silent, painless death, and I have walked in thy footsteps for a long time. You do not deserve to suffer like this," Hypnos said.
"Then let it be," Thanatos whispered, the pain nearly too great for him to refuse, his eyes glazing in delirium from the pain.
"Focus, and drink," Hypnos said, putting the flask to his brother's lips.
The clear liquid ran smoothly down Thanatos's throat, and his consciousness faded as the pain faded into the dream like haze that surrounded him. 'I love you, brother,' was the last thing he heard before he let go completely.
Hypnos watched as his brother's breathing grew slow and shallow, and he knew that it would not be long.
"It shall be over soon, but I refuse to allow you to go to death's door without me," Hypnos whispered, and gently pulled the dagger from his brother's chest. Thanatos whimpered ever so slightly as the blade was pulled from him, but did not wake. Hypnos quieted him again, and then looked to the blade, seeing through the blade that stained it, that the blade was indeed still covered in the poison that was killing his twin. Laying the tip of the blade to the flesh where his heart lay within. Looking once more to his twin, he then let his weight drop upon the blade. It cut eagerly into him, burying itself into his chest, cleaving his heart in two, and his blood spilt from him in a red flood. He fell dead beside his brother, just as Thanatos took his last breath.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Xanatos snapped awake, repressing a scream as he looked around. Relief flooded him as he noted he was back in his own room, though he knew that once again, he would find no solace in his sleep. Frowning, he rose from his bed and padded to his balcony. This was the fourth night the dream had come to him, and each night it grew in detail, and awoke him from the sleep he needed. Knowing he would eventually have to tell his master, Xanatos decided that tonight he would again handle it alone, but he knew that the lack of sleep would soon affect his abilities.
Opening the door, he slipped out and shut it behind him. The chill night wind creased his bare skin as gently as a lover as he came to stand at the edge of his balcony, and looked out at Coruscant. The city lights glittered like jewels before him, for Coruscant never slept, even in the dead of night. Sighing, he tore his gaze from it, and turned away.
Slowly, he began his fighting stances, moving into each intricate pattern gracefully. His muscles moved like quicksilver as his skin glistened in the moonlight. His mind concentrated upon the moves, forgetting his dream, his weariness, everything.
"Xanatos, Xanatos!"a rough hand grabbed his shoulder.
Xanatos's eyes slowly focused as his movements slowed, and stopped. He turned his head towards the voice, and smiled wanly up at his Master.
"Xanatos, are you alright?" Qui-gon asked, his eyes filled with worry.
"Yes, Master, I'm just fine," Xanatos said, though he felt slightly weak and weary, but he dismissed it, knowing that he must learn to discipline himself to become a great Jedi.
"No, you are not, Padawan, this is the second night that I have felt your restlessness over our bond. What is wrong?" Qui-gon asked, placing a hand on Xanatos's shoulder.
[i]I should have been working on my shielding,[/i] Xanatos sighed inside, then out loud, "Its nothing, Master, I've just been having strange dreams lately. But it is nothing to concern yourself with."
"Xanatos, what ever concerns you, concerns me. Now, what is this dream?" Qui-gon asked.
"It was nothing, Master. As you have said, dreams pass in time," Xanatos said, and was about to move towards the open door to his room, when Qui-gon's grip on his shoulder tightened slightly.
"Not if this dream has kept you up, for how long has it been, Xanatos? I know it has been more then two days," Qui-gon said.
"Four days, Master" Xanatos sighed, and turned his weary gaze back upon his Master.
He knew he wouldn't get away with it this time, and silently, he was glad his Master was finding out what was plaguing him, for the lack of sleep had begun to wear upon him. But he would never admit his relief.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Qui-gon asked gently, for he could not be truly angry with the boy, especially seeing how tired he was.
"I thought it would go away eventually, but it has come back, every time more clear then the last," Xanatos said, finally confessing.
"What is this dream about?" Qui-gon asked.
"I am not sure, Master, mostly it's about two brothers, one dying of wounds, the other taking his own life. But it was strange, everything was so different, I don't even think it was from this time, let alone this galaxy," Xanatos said softly.
"Perhaps we should talk to Master Yoda on this, as he may be able to interrupt it. Would you agree to that, Xanatos?" Qui-gon asked.
"Yes, Master, I think that may be best. But this shall not go past Master Yoda, will it?" Xanatos asked.
He didn't want his friends, or even worse, his enemies, to find out what had been going on. About his strange dreams, or his lack of sleep. His enemies would strike out more to see if they could take him down now when he was weakened, and his friends, well, no one could tell about them.
"I promise, it won't. Neither Yoda nor I will say anything of this to anyone, unless you wish us to. Now, what do you have to do today?" Qui-gon asked, gently releasing his grasp on Xanatos's shoulder.
"I have crèche duty with Eno, plus, it's been three weeks, so..." Xanatos trailed off with a shrug, knowing that his Master knew what he meant.
"I know, and as much as I hate for him to do that to you, it's for the best. When will you be done?" Qui-gon asked, trying to hide the disgust that came over his face as the thought of the three-week mark, but Xanatos could see it in his eyes.
"I know you hate this, Master, but as you say, it's for the best. Neither Eno nor I could live without this, you know that. We'll probably do it while the kids are asleep, then we'll be relieved by the next team at two," Xanatos said, heading back towards his room.
"Then I shall make arrangements with Yoda, and come for you then," Qui-gon said.
"Do I need an escort?" Xanatos asked jokingly, winking at his Master as he ducked inside.
"No, Xanatos, I just want to make sure you're alright after," Qui-gon said, and rolled his eyes at the childish behavior of his Padawan.
"Eno has never over done it, and I'm sure that no matter how bad the kids are, they won't kill me. Stop worrying, Master," Xanatos sighed.
"But it is my job to worry," Qui-gon said, following his Padawan.
"So it is, and I'm lucky to have a Master that cares as much as you do," Xanatos said, turning slightly to smile at his Master as he headed towards his fresher.
"Just as I am lucky to have a Padawan like you," Qui-gon said softly, as the door closed behind his Padawan.
Ascend from Time
"Thanatos!" his voice rose on the stifling hot air as he looked out across the smoking, burning landscape sprawled before him.
Something had come, attacked his home, slaughtered his sisters, and he had yet to find his twin. Stumbling forward, he approached a large slab of rock, and started to lift it with his godly strength. Over turning it, his heart crumbled within his chest as he fell to his knees beside the one he had been searching for.
His twin lay before him, broken, bleeding, and barely alive. Thanatos's face was burned, and blood covered, what was left of his long black hair lay in bloody strands. His legs were crushed, and his wings were torn from his back, and now lay beside him. A wound bleed freely in his chest, a dagger buried within it, the hilt shattered, and only a small part of it remained outside the wound.
A cry of horror and grief bleed out of him at the sight of his brother, and echoed across the broken landscape as he knelt there, taking his dying brother's hand. One of his hands went to his brother's bloody brow, and gentle stroked it, as he cried for what had happened.
Thanatos's eyes opened to reveal delicate, pained, dark blue/green eyes, that though glazed from the pain, were still able to find his grieving brother.
*Such strange eyes for death to have,* he thought sadly, continuing to stroke his brother's brow.
*Yet, they are mine,* Thanatos sent through their bond, his pain bleeding even into his thought voice.
"Oh, brother," he sighed sorrowful aloud.
"It ca..can n..not be...e hel....ped, Hypnos," Thanatos gasped weakly.
"But you cannot die, you cannot leave me," Hypnos protested softly.
"E...ven dea...th ca...can conqu..e..r Imm..Immor..Immortals," Thanatos whispered brokenly.
"No, something else has brought us down, not death. Was it Nemis?" Hypnos asked.
"Noooo," Thanatos moaned, then jerked as his muscles reacted to the poison that coursed through his system from the blade buried in his chest.
Thanatos tried to withhold his screams as the poison ignited his muscles, but could not as the poison struck deeper within him. His screams rattled across the landscape, signaling the end was near.
Hypnos removed his hand from his brother's brow, as tears slipped faster from his eyes. His brother's screams tore into his very soul, leaving him trembling and in great pain for his brother. Fumbling at his belt, his hand came upon the flask at his side, and he knew what he had to do.
"Thanatos, do not speak. I only wish to know, do you wish relief?" he asked, trying to work passed the block forming in his throat.
Thanatos nodded quickly, groaning quietly as the poison began to work at his heart, tearing him apart inside. Hypnos pulled the flask from his belt, and pulled the top off, then lifted his brother's head gently from the ground.
"Focus on my eyes, brother, try to focus," Hypnos whispered.
"I feel... li..like a co...ward, to ru..run from pain," Thanatos said softly.
"You, who saved me from Zeus's wrath, who went up against Apollo himself? You, beloved brother, a coward? No, you deserve the death you gave, for you are silent, painless death, and I have walked in thy footsteps for a long time. You do not deserve to suffer like this," Hypnos said.
"Then let it be," Thanatos whispered, the pain nearly too great for him to refuse, his eyes glazing in delirium from the pain.
"Focus, and drink," Hypnos said, putting the flask to his brother's lips.
The clear liquid ran smoothly down Thanatos's throat, and his consciousness faded as the pain faded into the dream like haze that surrounded him. 'I love you, brother,' was the last thing he heard before he let go completely.
Hypnos watched as his brother's breathing grew slow and shallow, and he knew that it would not be long.
"It shall be over soon, but I refuse to allow you to go to death's door without me," Hypnos whispered, and gently pulled the dagger from his brother's chest. Thanatos whimpered ever so slightly as the blade was pulled from him, but did not wake. Hypnos quieted him again, and then looked to the blade, seeing through the blade that stained it, that the blade was indeed still covered in the poison that was killing his twin. Laying the tip of the blade to the flesh where his heart lay within. Looking once more to his twin, he then let his weight drop upon the blade. It cut eagerly into him, burying itself into his chest, cleaving his heart in two, and his blood spilt from him in a red flood. He fell dead beside his brother, just as Thanatos took his last breath.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Xanatos snapped awake, repressing a scream as he looked around. Relief flooded him as he noted he was back in his own room, though he knew that once again, he would find no solace in his sleep. Frowning, he rose from his bed and padded to his balcony. This was the fourth night the dream had come to him, and each night it grew in detail, and awoke him from the sleep he needed. Knowing he would eventually have to tell his master, Xanatos decided that tonight he would again handle it alone, but he knew that the lack of sleep would soon affect his abilities.
Opening the door, he slipped out and shut it behind him. The chill night wind creased his bare skin as gently as a lover as he came to stand at the edge of his balcony, and looked out at Coruscant. The city lights glittered like jewels before him, for Coruscant never slept, even in the dead of night. Sighing, he tore his gaze from it, and turned away.
Slowly, he began his fighting stances, moving into each intricate pattern gracefully. His muscles moved like quicksilver as his skin glistened in the moonlight. His mind concentrated upon the moves, forgetting his dream, his weariness, everything.
"Xanatos, Xanatos!"a rough hand grabbed his shoulder.
Xanatos's eyes slowly focused as his movements slowed, and stopped. He turned his head towards the voice, and smiled wanly up at his Master.
"Xanatos, are you alright?" Qui-gon asked, his eyes filled with worry.
"Yes, Master, I'm just fine," Xanatos said, though he felt slightly weak and weary, but he dismissed it, knowing that he must learn to discipline himself to become a great Jedi.
"No, you are not, Padawan, this is the second night that I have felt your restlessness over our bond. What is wrong?" Qui-gon asked, placing a hand on Xanatos's shoulder.
[i]I should have been working on my shielding,[/i] Xanatos sighed inside, then out loud, "Its nothing, Master, I've just been having strange dreams lately. But it is nothing to concern yourself with."
"Xanatos, what ever concerns you, concerns me. Now, what is this dream?" Qui-gon asked.
"It was nothing, Master. As you have said, dreams pass in time," Xanatos said, and was about to move towards the open door to his room, when Qui-gon's grip on his shoulder tightened slightly.
"Not if this dream has kept you up, for how long has it been, Xanatos? I know it has been more then two days," Qui-gon said.
"Four days, Master" Xanatos sighed, and turned his weary gaze back upon his Master.
He knew he wouldn't get away with it this time, and silently, he was glad his Master was finding out what was plaguing him, for the lack of sleep had begun to wear upon him. But he would never admit his relief.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Qui-gon asked gently, for he could not be truly angry with the boy, especially seeing how tired he was.
"I thought it would go away eventually, but it has come back, every time more clear then the last," Xanatos said, finally confessing.
"What is this dream about?" Qui-gon asked.
"I am not sure, Master, mostly it's about two brothers, one dying of wounds, the other taking his own life. But it was strange, everything was so different, I don't even think it was from this time, let alone this galaxy," Xanatos said softly.
"Perhaps we should talk to Master Yoda on this, as he may be able to interrupt it. Would you agree to that, Xanatos?" Qui-gon asked.
"Yes, Master, I think that may be best. But this shall not go past Master Yoda, will it?" Xanatos asked.
He didn't want his friends, or even worse, his enemies, to find out what had been going on. About his strange dreams, or his lack of sleep. His enemies would strike out more to see if they could take him down now when he was weakened, and his friends, well, no one could tell about them.
"I promise, it won't. Neither Yoda nor I will say anything of this to anyone, unless you wish us to. Now, what do you have to do today?" Qui-gon asked, gently releasing his grasp on Xanatos's shoulder.
"I have crèche duty with Eno, plus, it's been three weeks, so..." Xanatos trailed off with a shrug, knowing that his Master knew what he meant.
"I know, and as much as I hate for him to do that to you, it's for the best. When will you be done?" Qui-gon asked, trying to hide the disgust that came over his face as the thought of the three-week mark, but Xanatos could see it in his eyes.
"I know you hate this, Master, but as you say, it's for the best. Neither Eno nor I could live without this, you know that. We'll probably do it while the kids are asleep, then we'll be relieved by the next team at two," Xanatos said, heading back towards his room.
"Then I shall make arrangements with Yoda, and come for you then," Qui-gon said.
"Do I need an escort?" Xanatos asked jokingly, winking at his Master as he ducked inside.
"No, Xanatos, I just want to make sure you're alright after," Qui-gon said, and rolled his eyes at the childish behavior of his Padawan.
"Eno has never over done it, and I'm sure that no matter how bad the kids are, they won't kill me. Stop worrying, Master," Xanatos sighed.
"But it is my job to worry," Qui-gon said, following his Padawan.
"So it is, and I'm lucky to have a Master that cares as much as you do," Xanatos said, turning slightly to smile at his Master as he headed towards his fresher.
"Just as I am lucky to have a Padawan like you," Qui-gon said softly, as the door closed behind his Padawan.