The stream burbled happily, the sun shone brightly, and Natira
stood with a slightly bemused smile awaiting him. "You seem to have
misunderstood," she stated bluntly as Obi-Wan approached her.
"I didn't exactly intend to die," he retorted. "Plus I thought there'd be some
kind of insurance or something to prevent me from dying until I'd gotten the
chance to live out my life. Didn't you tell me that I would get to live the
consequences of my changes in some form of accelerated mode?"
Motioning for Obi-Wan to sit beside her, Natira made herself comfortable along
the bank of the stream. Something in the way she sat reminded him almost of
Master Yoda; not in age but rather somehow in wisdom and foreknowledge. "I did
not promise you anything, as it would be impossible to predict what all of the
consequences of your actions might be," she corrected, her deep indigo eyes
studying him. "I told you that you would have the chance to live out each of
your changed existences, but I had no way of knowing that you would choose to
throw yourself into the middle of an explosion on your very first attempt."
"Well, I couldn't exactly allow Anakin to die," Obi-Wan countered. "He is the
Chosen One, and I could never forgive myself if I allowed anything to happen to
him. I was his Master for too long to not harbor some affection for him even
now after all that has happened. Next time, I'll just have to make sure that
Anakin remains in the Temple when I face Sidious."
"Next time?" Natira asked, raising one perfectly styled eyebrow.
"Yes," he stated, leaning back on his elbows to watch as the puffy clouds
floated past overhead. "Now I know what to expect, it shouldn't be all that
difficult to repeat it, but to make it actually work this time."
"You cannot repeat the same day," Natira explained, expecting but not reacting
to his outrage as he suddenly turned to her. "You are only allowed to repeat
each day of your life once."
"What do you mean I cannot repeat the same day? You never told me that,"
Obi-Wan exclaimed, his eyes blazing with pent up emotion.
"You didn't ask," she replied simply.
Sighing and flopping down again on his back as he brought a hand up to cover
his eyes, Obi-Wan allowed himself to experience each of his emotions before
releasing them. The anger and shock were expected; the sense of betrayal,
however, was unexpected. "Why didn't you tell me?" he questioned, his voice
slightly muffled from where his arm still lay over his face.
"You were so eager to return," Natira sighed. "Had I known that you would risk
your life so foolishly, you can be assured that I would have further explained
it to you. I would have never expected such recklessness from you."
"It may have been a repeat of my life," Obi-Wan argued, "but that did not mean
that I could simply sacrifice other people's lives so that mine would go
better. Anakin had good in him, he proved that absolutely even after spending
decades as Darth Vader. I could not simply let him die anymore than I could
have killed him in my first life."
"Your selflessness makes this more difficult than it has to be," she commented
dryly as she idly scratched at the shale she sat upon. "I could never expect
you to be totally selfish, but this is your chance to have a better life, yet
you seem to refuse to embrace it."
Sitting up and resting his chin on his drawn up knees, Obi-Wan turned to regard
Natira. "I could never be happy if I knew that my joy had come at a cost to
someone else," he sighed. "I would never hurt another just to make my life
easier."
Turning from her contemplation of the shale, Natira smiled softly. "I guess
that is why the Force decided to give you this opportunity… you have definitely
earned it."
Smiling sheepishly, Obi-Wan silently watched the ebb and flow of the small
stream. After several moments had passed, he spoke. "Are there any other rules
I should know about?"
Offering an enigmatic look, Natira shook her head. "There are no "rules" per
say, just impossibilities, and unfortunately I don't know what those are until
you try them."
Sighing heavily, Obi-Wan nodded. "Well, since there's only one way to find out
what other "rules" I may wish to break, let's get to it."
"You have decided what other day you would like to revisit?" she asked, the
question apparent in her dark indigo eyes.
"Yes," he stated simply, rising to his feet and offering a hand to Natira.
Pulling her almost effortlessly to her feet, he offered his own enigmatic
smile. "I definitely know what other day I would like the chance to change."
