Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars…etc.
Song by John Mellencamp "Yours Forever"
Sacrifice
Shayariel was lying on the sandy ground, breathing heavily. The gaping wound in her chest was bleeding like rivers and it was hard for her to keep her tired eyes open. Obi-Wan and Padmé were kneeling next to her and while Padmé was holding her hand, Obi-Wan tried to supply her injuries.
"Why did you do that ? Why ? You risked your life…" Padmé whimpered sorrowfully.
"I'd rather… say… I sacrificed… it… And I did it… because you… are the future. You've got lots of stuff to do… here… For cryin' out loud... Killed by a bounty hunter... Never thought it would end that way..." she moaned coughing a gush of blood.
"Don't speak, Shayariel. Save your energy." Padmé whispered sadly.
"I maybe... young, Padmé. But I'm not stupid... I'm dying and there's nothing... you can do..." the young Jedi said hoarsely. Padmé shook her head energetically.
"You won't die ! Don't say things like that ! Ben will fix you !" she returned, not realizing the tears that were covering her pale face. As she looked at Obi-Wan, he shook his head, trying to suppress his tears.
"Don't gimme any crap... And stop crying for me for the Force's sake ! Remember, when you're so terribly sad, I am sad, too. And I always wanted to die with a damn smile on my face. I'll become one with the Force... just like my Master. I won't be alone. And we will meet again. Promised." Shayariel said weakly. Padmé knew that she was right. She would die. Still she tried to put on a smile. A faked one but at least she tried.
"And now you two have to promise me something..." she whispered. Obi-Wan and Padmé looked at her and listened closely.
"Don't waste your time on mourning about Anakin or me or anyone else. Look... life is way too short to wait for better times. I know it, because I'm lying here dying and I never had the chance to experience the kind of love and affection you two share with each other. Don't take it for granted. Such things only happen once in your life. I'm begging you... Leave the past behind and start finally living... and loving again. It's my last will so you actually have no choice on this..." Shayariel gasped breathing heavily.
"You know that's got nothing to do with my feelings for Ben. But I just cannot shut out my memories and my past." Padmé said sadly glancing at Obi-Wan.
"No, it's got something to do with you two being afraid of what could be… There's a life waiting out there, a life… you never… dared to dream of. You just have to reach out for it. Remember, every day you keep mourning about him, it's one lost day together. That is all… I can tell you… You're my friends… I want you to be happy…" she returned quietly.
"You've made us see things a lot clearer, Shayariel. We will always be grateful for that and for your honest friendship… You know wha I believe ? I believe you have been sent to show us the value of life… and love…" Obi-Wan whispered into her ear.
"The Force… will… be… with you…" she breathed. And then, with a slight but certainly happy smile on her face, she faded to black.
Here we are in the greys of winter
Here we are – just me and you
Hold my hand, let's face tomorrow
Tomorrow still holds out its hands to you
This precious time
We've only borrowed
The autumn winds have blown on through
A quiet thought will tell our story
Tomorrow still holds out its hands to you
So here's some wings
They're yours forever
And here's some dreams
That will come true
Take those tears
To wash away your sorrow
Tomorrow still holds out its hands to you
Tomorrow still holds out its hands to you…
Her eyes closed, she suddenly felt so light and peaceful, that she thought she was dreaming. Surrounded by a warm brightness she found herself standing in the desert mountains, not so far away from Padmé's and Obi-Wan's cabin. Next to her stood Qui-Gon Jinn, her Master, who had been waiting for her. She knew that some time had passed through since she had died in front of Padmé's and Obi-Wan's eyes. And she knew that the warmth that covered her from head to toe was the Force itself. Qui-Gon was smiling at her and glanced to the cabin. Shayariel looked over to where she had met her friends for the first time and smiled. She saw the two of them sitting on the wooden bench that once had used to stand in the living room. Obi-Wan had put an arm around Padmé while she was leaning her head against his shoulder. And through the Force, the words he told Padmé were carried to her mind.
I love you, Padmé… I'm ready to love you now…
"She was like an angel, wasn't she ?" Padmé murmured.
"She was… Well, a very sarcastic, sometimes bad-mannered angel who liked to curse… But yes, she was an angel, and I believe she still is in the Force."
"Shayariel taught us how to let go of everything. She made me see that time is too precious to waste. I'll never forget that." She said quietly.
There was now so much beauty in her life that she did not have to hold on to the past anymore. She was free now. Free to live. Free to love. She got up and looked at the desert that was dived into a magnificent mixture of colours. Finally she had found what she had been searching for so long. Peace. In their own little world somewhere in the desert mountains of Tattooine both of them had found release, peace and their personal little piece of happiness. That was all they could ask for. And that was all they had ever wanted. Padmé's thoughts drifted over to Luke and Leia. In front of her inner eye she could see her daughter being hold by her adoptive mother, smiling. She felt that it was all good and there was nothing to worry about. She also saw Luke lying in his bed, Beru sitting next to him and singing a nice lullaby for him. No, there was definitely nothing to worry about. Her thoughts wandered through the Force and covered her children with all of her love and the warmth she was feeling whenever she thought of them.
Obi-Wan found himself standing next to the woman he loved like nothing else in the galaxy. But until Shayariel's death, he had never dared to dream of being with her. Too painful the thought of his former padawan, brother and best friend… and her husband had been. He just had not known how to deal with the new situation. He also had been afraid that someday, Padmé would blame him for Anakin's turn to the dark side and moreover for her husband's monstrous appearance. But he should have known that Padmé was smarter than that. She had always called Obi-Wan a friend, probably the closest friend she had ever had. Once she had told him that he would be the last to blame for Anakin's misery. He had loved her for such a long time. He had loved her secretly in his dreams and no one had ever known, not even Anakin. He had always been able to keep it to himself, hidden in his soul, where no one would ever find his thoughts an dreams. And when she had confessed her own feelings to him, he had not known how to react. He had begged for time. And time had told him by now that there was nothing wrong with his feelings. They were alright now.
Padmé looked at him with all her love and could not keep her eyes from him. He had given her so much, and he would give her even more in the future. His deep blue eyes told her from his innermost that made her almost cry. She did not remember Anakin looking at her this way. Not once he had ever let her look into his soul like Obi-Wan did right in this moment.
The warm wind blew gently through their joyful faces and let Padmé's long dark hair sway to its regular rhythm. She was the most beautiful creature in the universe to him. Right now he only wanted to bathe in the depth of her heart, wanted to embrace her, kiss her tenderly and never let her go again. And because there were no more walls between them, no more rivers to cross, he just leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her lips.
"Well that was about time, don't ya think, Master ?" Shayariel mentioned, her ghostly apparition standing next to Qui-Gon's, watching the two lovers on the edge of the mountain. He just nodded smiling contentedly.
"I am proud of you, padawan. You sacrificed your life for theirs. You searched your feelings and made a very wise decision. I couldn't have done it any better." He said friendly.
"Ah… not at all, Master. I'm sure you wouldn't have done it any differently if you had been in my place, would ya ?" she replied, turning her look to Qui-Gon.
"Maybe. But I'm gad that you've finally realized what it means to be a Jedi. You're not my apprentice anymore. You're a Jedi now." Qui-Gon answered.
"You mean I can now stop calling you 'Master' ?" she inquired, sarcasm dripping off her voice.
"Yes." Qui-Gon laughed putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Too stupid that I had to die first…" she joked as they were turning away from Obi-Wan and Padmé.
"Better now than never."
"You're right. And what are we gonna do now ?" she wanted to know.
"Well… we can do anything. We're immortal, invisible and we can go whereever we want to go." He replied.
"Oh yeah, right. Hmmm… eternal life in the Force. Great. We'll have a lot of fun Mast… uhm… Qui-Gon…"
"I was afraid you're gonna say that…"
To Be Continued