Forget Me Not
The exile considers running away from the academy at the age of ten. Can a good friend bring (him or her) back?
Rated G
Disclaimer: Well, now we have a G-rated thing. Inspired from a sudden rainstorm.
Forget Me Not
"The sky seemed cloudy, hugging close to the wilting Dantooine plains, stirring up the faint, pure, earthy smell that always came before it rained. I peered uncertainly out the window, feeling the foggy buildup on the inside of the pane, wondering if the threat of a storm would be put through. The academy didn't believe in heating, so I stood with a quilt wrapped tightly around my shoulders, and still I shivered. I knew everyone would be tucked safe in their rooms for the coming downpour – now would be my best chance if I wanted to run. But I would get wet. And I just hated getting wet.
"I sighed, watching with satisfaction as my breath condenses on the window. I wrote my name in fancy, loopy cursive, and then turned to gather up my things. I rolled them up in my quilt and tied my quilt to my lightsaber hilt, which I rested on my shoulder. I wobbled for a moment, unused to the weight, before I righted myself. A datapad, a datapen, a holocron, some food, and an assortment of crystals I had been collecting since I had first arrived.
"I glanced at my roommate, a sweet-faced boy named Kavar. He slept soundly, wrapped up in his blankets, his arms splayed, his face rouged and his little round lips parted as he breathed. I smiled at him uncertainly before I gently pushed open the door and slipped out without a sound.
"A distant warning rumble of thunder rolled over the plains. The last of the creatures – the kinraths, the kath hounds – returned to their dens, and the first droplets of rain fall. The morning glories folded up on themselves, bending their stems to protect themselves from the downpour, but I turned my face upwards, squinting, even though almost no rain is falling.
"The sun winked at me once before it was gone.
"Standing upright, I started into the distance, comforted by the firm, grassy earth beneath me. Patches of wildflowers provided the occasional change in scenery, and I bent to pick a few turquoise ones with wide petals and sunset innards. I tucked one behind my ear and continued onwards, my gaze determinedly set on the horizon, which was awkward and oddly-shaped with the hills and enormous trees beyond. A kath hound cub rumbled by and vanished into a hole in the grass.
"After what felt like it should be two hours, my feet began to tire, and my stomach let out a faint cry of distress. The raindrops were coming down a little more heavily, but it was still nothing more than a drizzle. The grass was still safe to sit in, so I found a nearby tree and sat under its shade, taking a sandwich from my sack.
"I looked up, and I could not see the enclave.
"I smiled. Good work, I told myself. Good work.
"But even as I grinned and patted myself on the back, a fierce loneliness settled in my gut. I had lived my entire life among people – and now I was alone. Not even my roommate had come with me. That was the horrible reality of running away. I slumped and lost my face in my hands, gritting my teeth in anger. I could not even remember why I had run away – I was certain it must have been something very stupid. Something someone had said, maybe, or perhaps I had simply gotten sick of the Jedi teachings.
"It didn't matter.
"Now, I was alone.
"I furiously wiped my tears, refusing to let myself cry. I violently chomped on my sandwich, glaring at the ground, shrugging my shoulders with silent sobs. That is the nature of a child – to become so lonely so quickly. The turquoise flower behind my ear drooped and fell to the ground silently, laying there pathetically yet sadly, a beautiful thing so quiet, so motionless and limp.
"I stomped on it and jerked to my feet, hoisting my pack over my shoulder. Narrowing my eyes, I started off with a new fire, ignoring a particularly wet drop of rain that landed with a plop on my head. I walked until my legs were numb and the rain turned the world grey, and still I went on. When my stomach was so empty it made my head reel with hunger, I finally surrendered, tucking myself under another tree, staring dismally at a patch of violet flowers… my favorite flowers, forget-me-nots.
"I ate my fill and curled up under the tree, though it provided no protection, letting my black hair fell into my eyes and blind me. I lay there listening to the harmonious patter of the rain, until it lulled me into sleep, and then I could still hear it, a dull roar in the background of my dreams.
"I was awoken by a gentle hand on my shoulder, a child's palm, so soft it might have been a small bird landing. I heard a quiet voice, a sweet voice, so young that it belonged to neither sex, murmuring my name to me.
"I stirred, scowling in my sleep, and I rolled over, turning my back on whoever it was. The hand withdrew slowly, and then a cool finger touched my cheek.
"'Wake up,' the voice said. 'You have been sleeping through the storm.'
"I knew the voice was right then. I felt soaked through and absolutely freezing. I immediately sobbed helplessly. Oh, why had I run away, in a storm, of all things? I turned to face the child now, eyes wide and helpless, and saw to my astonishment Mical.
"'You!' I gasped. I reached out for him and he jerked back as if I intended to scald him, though a small smile played on those cherub lips.
"'I have been following you ever since you left,' he said. He looked it; so soaked was he that his hair still hung damp around his round cheeks and his clothing clung to him like a second skin. 'I was worried that you were going to leave me.'
"'You shouldn't have followed me,' I said, sitting up and wincing at the strain it put on my body. I gazed into his precious eyes, the color of my favorite flower. I puffed out my chest and thumped my breast. 'I was running away.'
"His eyes grew wide. 'Running away!' he gasped. 'Why?'
"I shrugged. I truly did not remember. 'But it doesn't matter!' I said loudly, so bravely that he curled up and gazed at me in adoration. 'I'm never going back! They can't keep me there, no matter what!'
"'It's dawn,' he said, tilting his head endearingly and smiling at me. He was younger me, by how much I didn't know, but I saw him as both a younger sibling and an equal. 'You could get back to the academy by lunch if you wanted.'
"'No way!' I cried. 'I came too far!'
"He frowned at me. 'You came two miles out. You're lucky kath hounds didn't find you.'
"I gaped wordlessly. All that progress? It seemed impossible. 'No,' I said, shaking my head. 'No. I don't believe you.'
"'I followed you!' he gasped, mouth opening in disbelief. 'I counted the steps!'
"'Prove it!' And I refused to hear another word.
"He grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently, and stood with me. I watched him warily as he smiled at me, swinging our hands together for a moment, before he started up a nearby hill. We slipped over the grass, slick and moist with raindrops, until we lost our balance completely and rolled all the way back down, laughing together. After we found our breath again we started back up, this time being more careful, and, soon enough, we reached the top, huffing and puffing.
"Mical pointed towards the horizon, one arm entwined with mine. 'See?'
"I stared, unable to believe it. A horrible, cold lump formed in my stomach. There was the enclave roof, poking up behind two or three hills, within easy walking distance… two miles.
"He looked at me and smiled. 'I told you,' he said. 'We should go back now. We're cold and wet and I'm starving.'"
"'No,' I said, mortified, stumbling backwards. 'I can't!'
"He studied me oddly, as if he thought I was joking but wasn't quite sure. He said my name then, reaching out to me, but I lurched away, slipping on the grass and hitting the ground with enough force to make me hiccup. Stunned, I sat there for a second, before I began to cry, the frustration of my running away, the pain of finding out how far I had actually gotten, my uneasy sleep, my rumbling stomach, and my general discomfort adding up into a crescendo of tears.
"Panicked by my distress, he gathered me up in his arms. 'Don't cry!' he pleaded, holding onto me even as I tried to push him away. 'It'll be okay! We'll just get you back to the Masters, right now! Come on! They'll take care of you!'
"I could feel his sweet, tasteless breath on my lips, child's breath, could feel his tender fingers in my hair. I gazed into his eyes and continued to cry, though I stood with him and let him lead me to the foot of the hill.
"He picked up my traveling sack and held it up to my eye level. 'See?' he said, almost desperately. 'It's all here. We're okay, aren't we? Come on. It'll be okay.' He took my hand again and gently led me to the patch of forget-me-nots.
"'Mical,' I murmured weakly.
"He glanced up at me and flashed me a friendly grin, kneeling in the flowers, spreading his hands over them. He could see me staring in wonder, so he picked a handful and got to his feet again before he, almost gingerly, set them into my open palms. 'Let's take some for the road,' he said. And then, with an almost coy manner a child should not possess, he turned his face downward and smiled sheepishly, looking up at me through his lashes with a slight tilt of the head. 'After all, I do love forget-me-nots.'"
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Author's Notes: One of those evenings where I'm reading Interview with a Vampire during a rainstorm. OF COURSE I'm going to come up with something like this. At least I got another one-shot up, considering that I've been lacking. Please tell me how you like it. I'm rather fond of it, myself. I like to write children, and also Mical's just cute.
I like how I had it in quotes, like the exile is talking. And yes, this was specifically written so that the exile may have either gender.