Chapter 28 Revelations


WARNING: This chapter has very opinionated opinions so don't get offended or anything. It's just a story. :o


(Fanfir Note: Sorry for the late update, you can thank Talon for that. Talon isn't a permanent character in the story anyways... hehehehehe... In the next chapter or maybe the one after that we'll see a bit of Padme, just to let you know... hehehehehe... This chapter also takes place a couple hours after the last chapter...)


LUKE POV

"How did this happen."

They watched the sun lazily move together, sitting side by side on that same building.

"What Luke?" was the reply in soft tones.

"I don't know, everything I guess."

"Do you mean what happened at the LiMerge building?"

He stayed quiet, pulling his knees up to his chest, "Yeah, mostly."

He thought back to the scientists.

Was I blind? Right now I am sure I would have seen or felt something else. The mad scientist, as I call them, the way they felt was disgusting. It was repulsive. It was horrible. But that was not who they were, they were just humans as well, but why in that second, in that moment, in that time did it feel so ugh, just so - why was I so deluded in those moments?- "I just don't understand."

"But I do." He looked to Talon. "For a short period of time when you entered that room you called on the dark side; I felt it, and that was enough. Then you used it. "

"But why such an effect?"

"The dark side can cause some to become-" Talon paused.

He waited expectantly.

The terror bird turned to him, half face painted with shadows.

"-confused. Any good intentions can become warped the longer one immerses themselves in the dark side of the force."

Warped.

"So, is it not possible for the dark side of the force to be used for the greater good?"

The air around them grew chilled, red apple eyes staring off far away, and then he felt himself suddenly encompassed more tightly by Talon's presence for a moment.

"I'm sure you'll find the answer to that someday," was the soft reply.

For a second he thought if Talon was really implying such a thing. But he didn't believe it. That would never be possible. But who am I to know what the future holds. Who am I to judge what could come to be.

"But right now: let us both just bask in this light for a while longer before the sun is finally gone."

Glancing at the air around them he saw indeed that the sun was starting to sullenly set in on itself in the west. Sitting back he leaned against the terror bird's fluffy fuzzy chest, feeling the warmth that emanated from the area. But it wasn't the area; it was mostly Talon as a whole who emanated that light presence. Talon's body next to his own was warm, like a flame, not a fire, but a dancing flame. Looking up he met the terror bird's red apple eyes for a moment and held them in his own sky gaze. But his eyes aren't like a fire. For fire burns, it scorches, it hurts. His are like apples. He flashed Talon a smile. Careful, fruitful, precious, rotting; just to then decay away until all left is a bone. Apples begin to rot. Fire hurts. Fire burns.

The wind picked up and his nose caught the unfamiliar scent of peaches. He discreetly looked around. It was coming from Talon. How Unusual.

Sinking more deeply into the feathery fluff he recognized Talon's bright strengthening soothing presence shielding them both next to his own weakened unique effulgent light. The force was easier to connect to as the day went by. As he got more rested and relaxed, sated his stomach's hunger, and fulfilled his bodily needs, until he could feel it just fine. It wasn't nearly as strong as it was before all this, in the beginning. But it was there all the same. That's all that matters.

Together they were two stars in the force. They were the same: light. And he never imagined there was any way the two of them could be different.

The sun reached the edge; it began the descent, to be dragged down slowly and painfully. He watched it create a beautiful sunset. Beauty from pain.

"Talon, are you okay."

As he spoke light gray clouds rolled across in the far away skies, peaceful in their countenance and composure as ever a series of stratus clouds could be.

"Yes Luke. I'm fine," was the mental reply in those slight soft warm tones.

Just among the calm blanket of clouds that gathered rays of light managed to peek through occasionally, originating from the sun, sprouting up into the distant horizons, but only to be swallowed back up into the mass, never truly getting to express themselves.

The wind battered their figures. His sandy blond hair waved gently and shone gold.

"Are you sure? You're not hurt or anything."

"I'm fine Luke. Just a bit tired is all."

After a moment he asked, "How did it happen? How did you end up there?" It was vaguely alarming to him that one such as Talon, with such powers that were shown, could be captured by Sidous. "How did we end up here?"

The air grew a bit chilled once again, it definitely wasn't the wind that swept and brushed across the shiny surfaces of the superstructures, that were reflections of the rainbowed light from the sun and clouds, that was the cause of it.

Red apple eyes gazed away.

Then, quietly, Talon voiced out, "It was my fault. It was my fault that I ended up there, no one else's. It was just a series of bad decisions; that was all. We all make bad decisions occasionally, even those who strive to be flawless. Such careless negligent selfish decisions. Not even with my powers that gifted me could I have ever know that it would come to happen like that.-

Powers?

"-I never before thought to think like that until then in that instant. But it was far too late. I couldn't take it back."

Take what back?

Talon nuzzled his head. "But I've learned now. Accepted. Grasped that some things are supposed to happen. That has led me to you, hasn't it now?" the terror bird spoke staring deeply at him with those large red apple eyes.

A moment passed.

"Yeah, it has."

Cautiously he returned Talon's affections and tentatively stroked the large head that had bent down to tug at him.

The winds took a turn and grew turbulent. The clouds scattered and pushed forward running over each other and building up on top of one another to various heights. With it they darkened, but didn't rain. A large gust of wind plowed forward. The clouds didn't take up the whole sky. The sunset of ages was still visible.

"Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"I take it that you know already that I know you're from the future."

"Well-," he hesitantly thought back to the scavengers and what they had said. They had possibly known I was from the future and the only one who I can think of who told them of that would be Talon. He did meet them, didn't he? "-I did infer eventually that you knew of that. So I'm not very surprised. "

He unconsciously shivered, nails scratched away at his skin, attempting to alleviate the feeling of having something red dripping down his arms. Nothing was there. "But how is it that you know I'm from the future," he asked looking up at the terror bird. Talon casually nudged scratching hands away from skin while he spoke.

"Sorry Luke, you must be confused," Talon apologized, "There are some things that I must explain, especially to the one who is responsible for saving me in the first place. Lest if not I would have died there, alone for sure. That is what is certain. That is a fact. So I thank you."

He lightly scowled. "Okay, let's get one thing straight though. I didn't save you and you didn't save me. We saved each other. Doodu- I mean Dooku was going to kill me!" Behead me! Of all the ways to kill a person. That's the most nonsensical! I seem to have a problem with old men these days: Sidious, too bad he hasn't had a heart attack yet, Dooku, don't know what his problem is, and Darth Vader, no offense father, wherever you are now. "Now tell me: how is it that you exactly know that: that I'm from the future?"

In a way it was a bit creepy to have someone somehow magically know about his situation and know he was a time traveler. Actually it's way more than creepy, more like freaky he mused feeling a twinge of uneasiness as unknowingly to him all broken pieces began their descent of falling together; at the same time it was a relief to have someone finally there to understand him. Someone to talk to. Someone to lean on for a while. I'm not so alone anymore. And that thought alone pulled a quiet relieved sigh of relief from his lips.

"There are many things I know Luke. And there are a many of things that I desperately wish I could tell you! It will all become clear one day. For now I will share what I can."

"Okay. Explain away please."

Talon smiled to him as much as any bird possible could smile. "As you have already seen I have some unusual abilities."

"Uh huh."

"And some of those abilities consist of what most would consider as unusual powers. I have 5 ½ of these powers left."

Left?

Almost as if reading his mind Talon answered, "One of these powers that I have was, in a way, stolen from me."

"Stolen? What happened?"

Talon's chest rose and fell rapidly against his back as the terror bird heaved out a breath, "Palpatine happened."

"Sidious?" he asked, gritting his teeth. Just the name of that despicable thing was repulsive. It tasted like acid on his tongue. That monster. "What did he do?"

Talon's chest rumbled in chuckles. "I already told you what he did, didn't I. He stole one of my powers."

He rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant."

"I know; but listen here: he stole specifically the one power that gifted me with the ability of seeing the most possible futures. In doing so it enhanced his own considerable extensive force abilities of being able to see to the future. Now this power of mine is only half as strong as it once was."

So that's how you know I'm from the future.

There was one rather peculiar thing he had noticed throughout their conversation. Talon didn't seem angry nor mad that one of his powers was forcibly stolen. When the terror bird had spoken Sidious's name it had not been out of spite or disgust. If it had been him or anybody else he would have suspected they would've been pissed. He would have been pissed. If Talon's powers are a part of him wouldn't taking them be like taking a piece of someone's own soul. It's who they are. What defines a person. What they can do. What lengths they can go to.

Don't you hate him? Don't you loath him for what he did to you?

He didn't realize that he had projected that though so loudly into the force that Talon was able to hear it. The terror bird heard a lot of things anyways. It wouldn't have mattered much.

But if I hated Sidous there are surely… His eyes turned downcast before he stared out at a distant graying sky. Maybe this world is just an unending cycle of hatred. That's what it is, isn't it. Someone hates someone else and we all hate each other. What is good in this world? Why have I never thought to ask that until now? So caught up in pitiful personal problems. Talon suddenly interrupted his musings with a rather odd question of his own, "What do you think of the Sith Luke?"

His tongue swiped at his dry lips.

"Horrible, atrocious, heartless, cold, uncaring, immoral, selfish, and just bad in general I guess."

"You guess?"

He then thought of his father. "Well maybe some are just misunderstood." Only some… Why don't you think of yourself a voice in the back of his mind asked. Cause I'm not a sith, duh.

His attention snapped back to Talon's soft spoken voice.

"Misunderstood indeed. But we all, specifically the Jedi, have realized the severity of the damage that was caused by the Sith so long ago and to this day." Talon's tone changed, "Can you say that someone such as Sidious deserves to live? Can you tell me right now that Palpatine is worthy of living."

No! Anger burned up in his heart at the mention of that name. Sidous. He is the reason! The reason for so much! "If he never existed I can't deny that the galaxy would most likely be a better place" he spat out bitterly.

Talon's eyes narrowed, but not in anger, "Then that would make you a hypocrite. Sidous is not the exception. I heard you come to your own conclusions back at the LiMerge building about this subject on the worth of life and what you say now about Sidious contradicts that very statement that you yourself promised to uphold."

He was aghast, hands clenched, "Why. Why! Why are you not mad at Sidous! Why do you not hate him! Don't you realize what he was going to do to you?!"

What he did do to you!

"What he could've done to you?"

"I understand Luke, but being mad at him won't solve anything," was the calm reply. It was accompanied by Talon's warm presence that tried to wrap around him. He shoved it away.

"That's a lame excuse."

Talon's red eyes pierced him.

"What is good! What is good! I can hear you asking! How can there be anything! Who decided what was good?! Who decided what was normal?! How do we then know how to define what good is when there is no evil?! You must understand Luke," Talon stressed. "Everyone has a purpose. Whether we see it or not sometimes it is meant to stay unseeable. Every moment each of us live we influence something in these worlds and that influences others. A single occurrence, no matter how minute, can change the universe as we know it forever." Talon paused for a bit, and then asked, "Do murderers, r****ts, thieves, liars, adulterers, and fornicators all deserve to live?"

He didn't quite know what to say so Talon plowed on.

"Yes, they do and Sidous falls into his some of these categories. They, the same as us and other 'good people', rightly deserve to exist but I would never wish such a fate on others whether they be the victims of such acts or the offender themselves. Lives such as those who stray from the inner light each and every one of us inherently possess when we are born are influencing our society to try to be better than that which harms others, that which is deemed unfair or malevolent or mean. Most of us don't want to be like those types of persons and by experiencing the sight of seeing others commit such horrendous crimes and or acts it sets examples for us all to become better when someone realizes the full extent of the damage that has been done; cuts like that; scars like those; harms like that; screams like those; not always physical but emotional as well. Think: if Sidious never existed so many good wonderful things wouldn't have occurred even if there is evil to follow close as a result of his selfish actions. I choose to believe that there is a good in everyone. That there once was a good in everyone, but maybe I am just naïve. I have a theory that we recoil from being harmed or the thought of seeing others, innocents as deemed, harmed. It is not right; it is unfair; such as life is they say. Good people have a sense of moral righteousness that guides them. With that it helps create kind people."

To be a kind person.

But what is a kind person, and what is a good person? What is the difference between kind and good people?

He heard Talon sigh. "But do what you need to do, follow your heart, don't hesitate, just remember that. Don't forget it. Know that everyone deserves a second chance, no matter how vile, but don't give your life for it. Just be cautious about it-"

To be a kind person.

"-I don't want anything to happen to you.-"

We all have different points of views. Mine differ, and vice versa to everyone there ever was. Maybe Talon's right about some things. Now that I think more closely on it. Much more clearly on it. But Sidious doesn't deserve to live, doesn't he?

"-I'm sorry Luke."

To be a kind person.

His mind flashed unintentionally flashed to the Death Star, to the mad scientists, to the bounty hunters, to faceless stormtroopers.

"What's wrong? Why are you shaking?" Talon asked nestling gently around him.

"Huh?" He hadn't even realized that he had begun to tremble. Shakily he cleared his throat then said, "I-I've done horrible things for a while now. Does that make me a terrible person?"

"Oh Luke, we can all be terrible people."

"Well you seem pretty good to me."

"How can you say that when you barely know me."

"I don't know. I just do."

That was the statement that caused the air around them paused. The wind caressed gently around the world. On the colorless horizon behind them gray clouds began to emerge faster and gather. Dipped with the dark.

He gave Talon a small sad smile. "I'm not much of a good person now that I realize it ya know. Sure I've helped a lot of people before but I've done a lot of terrible things. And once I think on it, I've killed so many people without much thought or even realizing it until some days ago. I'm a murderer. It's not that it doesn't bother me. It actually has been a whole lot recently. I-I just used to pretend that it didn't. I didn't think on it. Too caught up in other insignificant things. But now I can't afford not to."

"But you aren't terrible or horrible when you have accepted what you've done may be bad, isn't that right. I too have committed shameful acts that do not deserve forgiveness. Now tell me: what else is wrong?"

"Promise not to tell anyone," he whispered.

Talon chest rumbled against his back. It took him a second to realize that talon was chuckling. "Who could I tell Luke?" The voice spoken wasn't sarcastic in any way; it was warm.

Warm flames.

Hmm, who could he tell? All of the sudden that thought made him realize something that he hadn't thought of before…

"Talon?" he asked urgently.

"Yes Luke?"

"Are you alone?"

If possible the atmosphere around the two of them grew warmer. And in Talon's comforting embrace he felt safer than he had in a long time.

"No."

"Really, then do you have someone waiting for you out there, somewhere?"

"No." "Not anymore" he thought he faintly heard, or was it just the wind? "Because I have you now don't I?" Talon grinned bumping his head against his bare arm. Oh. Pink dusted his cheeks.

"I guess you do," he answered quietly. We do. He smoothed down those ruffled feathers. They were soft under his fingertips. Softer than anything he had ever felt before. Well, beside Leia's lips a perverted place in his mind snickered. Wait what! Ew. Ew. Ew. Dirty mind; dirty mind; dirty mind. Don't think about it! That's so disgusting. I can't believe I kissed my own sister! That's so weird. And I liked it! What type of person am I?!

He was appalled but managed to calm down after he felt Talon's chest suspiciously begin to rumble in suppressed chuckles.

They sat there, sitting side by side on that same building.

"Do you ever feel lonely Luke?"

Lonely.

"Do you miss the friends that you had, whoever they are, that you can't have right here and now in this time beside you?"

"Of course I miss them, very dearly," he said quietly studying his stub of a hand. "It's been a bit difficult without them." Especially when I'm so used to their company to be with me. To rely on them and for them in turn to rely on me.

"Then I do not mind if you pour your heart out to me. If there is any way for me to relieve you of any pain you've felt, please tell me," Talon soothed.

"But what about you," he inquired. "We've all felt loneliness in our lives; surely we all have in our lives. I don't want to be selfish by burdening you with all my wacky messed up feelings. They'd surely drive you insane."

"I seriously doubt that. But I have an idea." Talon nuzzled his head. "Let's be friends."

Friends? He liked the sound of that. But he still wondered. "Who wouldn't want to be friends with you?"

"I don't know Luke," Talon voiced quietly, shaking his head with downcast eyes. "Someone out there. Someone not as accepting as you have been to me." The air around them grew chilly.

"Then whoever they are must be real douchebag as to not realize what a nice person you are!" he countered.

Talon's melodic laugh rang in his head. "Only you Luke." The terror bird's head turned to the west. "Ah, look at that. Don't you see? Such beautiful colors, don't you agree."

The sunset sunk on.

"This is the first true sunset I've seen in a while," Talon continued.

"It is very nice." If not for those clouds coming on the horizon, about to obscure the colors. It looks like rain he pondered silently. Gray clouds in the distance entered formation and started to spread out across the sky.

"Luke?"

"Yeah. What's up?" he flashed Talon a smile.

"Have you ever flown without a speeder or ship before?" Talon suddenly asked.

"Uh, no. I wouldn't think so. And when you helped me escape from the LiMerge Building doesn't count because I can barely remember it!"

"Then why don't we go for a little flight hmm? I have the feel for need to stretch these stiff wings of mine once more." Abruptly Talon stood in a fluff of white feathers causing him to nearly tumble face first into the ground from where he had been leaning on the terror bird. Instead he landed on his behind.

"Wait! Right now?" he inquired.

"Of course," Talon spoke preening his white feathers. "It's a lovely evening. Now would you really pass up a chance for a flight?"

He awkwardly sat there for a second.

The rather large terror bird crouched down, motioning with those red apple eyes for him to get on. "Shall we?"

It only took him a moment's deliberation more to decide, staring up at the dreadful sky.

"Hell yeah, let's go!" he jumped up from where he sat, hesitated, and shrugged. I so do love flying he giggled to himself. With as much care and gentility as he could he cautiously scrambled onto his larger feathery companion. It was difficult with one hand, but he managed. He positioned himself between where the wings sprouted from Talon's body and the start of the neck, as there was a dip in the area just suited for someone to ride, allowing him to sit comfortably on the bed of feathers.

"Are you sure you're well enough to fly?" Talon seemed a bit tired earlier. "Cause you were really tired yesterday and the day before that. Are you sure you can fly again right now?"

"Most definitely," was the response. "Whenever I use my powers it drains me, but I feel much better now after that much repose (rest)."

"Okay, that's good." Reassured, he experimentally gripped the stark downy white feathers with one hand and gave a tug. One purposely fell loose and was immediately whipped away by the wind. But he wasn't nervous. No, he was exited! Heart hammering. He wrapped his other arm tight around the terror bird's neck as much as he could, nearly lying on his stomach.

"What happens if I fly off?"

Talon's apple red eye rolled back to meet his, "I won't let that happen."

Under him he felt muscles tense. That was the only warning he got as Talon suddenly launched them over the edge. All his limbs clung to his friend for dear life. Shy white feathers tickled his nose and toes. Wind erupted around them in playful gales.

He had always been a fan of flying. It was freedom. It was liberation. In these minutes and seconds he allowed himself to squeal in joy. Last time he had flown with Talon, actually it wasn't really considered flying, he hadn't gotten to truly enjoy it with a brain that was muddled, confused, and riddled with pain, a rather uncomfortable experience. But now, here, eyes squeezed shut, muscles rippling under him, he flew as well.

With one huge beat of those whose wings as white as the light of the force itself Talon made the smooth transition, dipping up into the air, soaring over speeder, soaring with polished skyscraper.

"Talon!" he screamed giddily with a voice lost in the wind. "What if someone sees us?!"

Talon's voice in his head answered with a daring question of his own, "But can they catch us?"

"No!" he giggled.

Digging his fingers into Talon's fluffy neck plumage he cracked his eyes open against the blasts of sky. His clothes tugged and snapped back and forth wildly, sandy blond golden hair illuminated by the sunset, blown back by the clamoring voices of the wind that whispered untold secrets in his ears.

They swerved and ducked underway and turned corners, soaring above crevices and provinces. Casting lively shadows upon the ground and upon the land. Un-predatorily to be. No fear needed with this terror bird's company. Pearly white feathers swayed like the ludic seas, rustled underneath and in between. He could just make out every building and every person possible though wide squinting eyes.

Riding in and out of the sleeping shadows of building into light and into dark again and again. Clouds retreated. Glorious sun turned golden.

Blood pounded through his system. Exhilarating. Simply wonderful! Like a drug. He hugged Talon close, screaming and whooping in joy. Not even being able to suppress the happy giggles and laughs that escaped him and rang in both their ears, getting caught upin this storm.

"Talon! Go faster! Faster!" he squealed.

Talon slowed, and then with a grand sudden swiftness launched them away. From whence he could make out the landscape all became nothing. Strokes. Beats of wings becoming unseeable white. Spreading those large appendages out Talon flew faster and faster than ever in a long time.

"Go faster Talon! Go faster!" he urged.

Each swoosh and bang of each wing sent small storms around them, rising up the air from a sudden stillness, into a blasting storm that caressed everyone. Talon rumbled and moved underneath him.

Before his breath got caught away, with a last scream of joy he laughed out, "Faster! Go faster Talon!"

He choked on these feelings, these emotions. He flashed a radiant smile to the terror bird. Seeing this Talon did not once pause. Their light forces mixed together. Goosebumps prickling his arms that wrapped wide; he snuggled deep into the terror bird's fuzzy feathers. So soft.

Gazing sideways at the glassy surfaces of the structures, majestic structures, that passed a mile a minute, they were blurred. Blurred into uneven rays and rises of cool colors and lights and sounds and feelings and sights never before seen like this. Disoriented were the images before him that rested on beauty in feelings. Never could I imagine.

No, he did not fear here. Not here.

He rested his face down against Talon's neck, unintentionally breathing in that odd scent of peaches.

"Talon," he whispered, like a ghost, before the wind snatched his voice away again. "Thank you." But he was sure the terror bird heard everything. Maybe these thoughts as well. No one has ever done something like this to me. I won't be mean to you. I want to be there for you too you know. Not just you for me. For each other. Like friends that you said we could be.

"What a miracle, that our lives have intertwined like this, and not like others, for I'm afraid it's a bleak future," Talon voiced.

"I'm so happy," he smiled despite Talon's promising words. "I choose my own fate."

TALON POV

"I believe you." Do what I seem not to be able to.

LUKE POV

Joie de vivre.

He cried out in joyous laughter as Talon sped up. Going faster and faster and faster. So much so he feared he would fly off, but clinging tightly he never did.

Strong harmless winds in vast numbers flew forward with the lash of each wing. Talon slowed, then with one quick massive flap they shot upward. Soaring above buildings and structures to another way beyond. Overhead. Rising up to the same height as those dark clouds in the distance that gathered in formation, but nowhere near here. An observant thunderhead sluggishly moved at a distance.

The sight that he saw was- was- well, he didn't know how to describe it.

"This is so amazing!" he beamed brightly, giggling breathlessly.

"I know," whispered Talon. The terror bird was just as vibrant and lively in complexion as he was, but mostly on the inside, he could still feel it seeping through: the feelings of exhilaration, wonder, and euphoria. On the outside Talon was more calm and composed in manner. But those wide bright red apple eyes told it all.

Decelerating, they glided on the kind wind, allowing it to carry them where they needed to be.

Down below. He couldn't take his eyes off the spectacle down below and all around. He seemed to not be able to open his eyes wide enough to be able to take in the whole image. Sure he had seen so many pretty things in his life. But this- this is beautiful! The sunset cast yellow light on everything around it, reflecting awesome colors that bounced off every single glass and shiny and metallic building, setting the area alight with sparkles of gold.

"Like a disco," he breathed out.

Below lay the shimmering city. His eyes drank in the sight. And what a sight it was to behold. It amazed him that even at this height, in which he felt a bit lightheaded, they were not the tallest ones. Buildings, not few or sparse, in the distance and close by still reached grander heights than they. And in the distance he could make out the line where the horizon was seen. Where the world rounded. In vast distances on each and every side of them the crisp landscape went on and on and on, never ending.

Something possible like this can exist. Something so awe inspiring. So very different from Tatooine. So very different. It amazed him.

He slumped forward against the white cushiony feathers, sighing contentedly. Down below they passed way above what he could make out to be the senate building, in aerial view it reminded him of a big fat donut. Sidous living in a donut. What nonsense he snickered, shaking his head.

Sometime later Talon gently fluttered down to a structure overlooking the Jedi temple. Flapping his large white wings in quick light movements, up and down, up and down, flattening the long tail feather like a large white fan. Talon perched on a flat round roofed building, with just enough flattened space at the top to accommodate a human and his terror bird companion. He gently slid himself off Talon, who settled down already; with legs that felt like jelly he slumped dazedly against the terror bird's heaving side; Talon in question appeared out of breath, puffy feathered chest moving rapidly, beak cracked slightly open.

Worriedly he gently rubbed the creature's side. "Talon? Talon? Are you okay?" he asked, albeit a little guiltily.

Languidly Talon's eyes rolled to focus on him. "I'm fine. Just out of breath. It's been a while since I've flown like that. But I'm good. Better than I've actually felt in a long time so don't you worry about me," voiced the creature softly, enjoying the cool air and wind that caressed that mess of white feathers that stuck up in every which direction; it made the terror bird appear much more poofy than he really was and drastically less intimidating.

Rolling his eyes he sunk into Talon's side. Sitting in the yellow fading light that the sun cast kindly. Both rested, out of breath, Luke from the adrenaline that slowly exited from his veins and Talon from flying just after using his powers of teleportation and healing that had drained him the days before. They rested for nearly thirty minutes more.

Kind yellow light around them turned gold. Time passed.

The golden light felt ominous.

The golden light quickly faded on the Jedi temple. It faded on him; it faded on Talon bringing about a red hue to cover the cityscape. Red as blood. It painted them all red as blood. Red as fire, not a flame, a fire against stark white feathers. That too faded. The wind picked up unevenly.

An uneasiness that settled deep in his gut.

Then his eyes caught a movement. No, movements actually. Many movements.

"Look there. Up ahead!" What is that? Where are they going? "They seem to be leaving."

"So they are," responded Talon.

His blue eyes sought after all the ships that had suddenly launched from the Jedi temple, making their way up up and away to some unknown regions of space and all that lay beyond.

He scratched his messy nest of hair. "Where do you think they're headed?" That's a lot of Jedi.

"From what I can tell, and from what I've heard at the LiMerge building and all around, the Jedi have agreed some time ago to aid the Republic in the Clone Wars."

"So they're sending out more Jedi."

"Most likely for such a dire situation. War is not something to be toddled with."

"But doesn't that go against the very nature of a Jedi? Jedi are not fighters. They're peace keepers. Knights for the republic. Knights fighting for the good that they believe in. Jedi strive to preserve life. Not kill. Not murder. Not unless necessary. But never excessively." It baffled him. But it also made sense. It made sense as to how the Jedi went extinct. If they fought in the Clone Wars, tons of them were killed, excluding Father, Ben, and Yoda by the way. It was death. The cloak of death. So many many deaths there were to be. But what about the ones in the temple? How was it that that shitty old hag (Sidous) managed to extinguish such a vast number in so little time? What's missing?! There's something that's missing. He scratched his head again. It was on the tip of his tongue. Did I encounter them? What was it again? The answer escaped his grasp when he frantically grasped for it in his mind. It floated away and into darkness.

The line of ships and fighters bursting from the Jedi temple ended and disappeared.

I must do something. We must do something. But what?

It was a big army. He, Sidious, needed a big army. That's the only way, isn't it? A big army. His blue eyes widened. "That's it! A big army of cl-!"

An eruption that sounded as loud as the heaven's splitting apart sounded. It was like a riot of chariots on the whole planet. It was thunder.

The wind cried endlessly.

The sun was dragged under, its rays desperate to breath, but suppressed, and died.

The moon was suffocated.

It was just his imagination but it appeared as if faces shown in the humongous cumulous clouds that were upon them. Faces in pain and agony. Howling in the wind. Screaming my name. And oh how big they were! They were huge. Humongous! Bigger than life! Dark as a reaper. Tall as a reaper. The sky blackened and was torn to shreds.

Talon's regular soft eyes hardened. "We're exposed."

The wind erupted around them and came in cascades and torrents of violent streams.

"Wha-? A storm? Right now?!"

"This is unexpected. Get on!" Talon ushered, eyes narrowed in a glare sent out at the storm arising. In the belly of the black clouds flashed stinging white shocked light.

They took flight soon after.

Thunder blasted the sky, ringing in his ears, echoing and blaring over and over like hoards of maddening roars! Talon furiously beat his wings. He clutched tight to the warm body that was against his, wrapping his arms in an iron grip around the terror bird.

Another deafening thunder broke the sky again and again and again. He was almost sure when the sun rose up the next day the sky would have deep gouges, cracks in it.

The sky bellowed causing him to cry out. It hurt his ears, seemingly louder than a thousand explosions! With that the sky split. The cloudburst maddeningly came crashing down upon them both in harsh pelting.

Rain fell hard.

Rain fell heavy.

A vicious tempest pushed them back. He could feel Talon's muscles strain, suffering, wings shuddering. He himself was shivering excessively.

He had never seen this much rain falling from the sky in his life. It was shocking. It was wet and freezing and scary. It was terrifying.

Rain pelts the fur of my enemies.

Talon flapped helplessly in the tempest's intense hold.

His one hand tried to grip Talon's wet soggy feathers. But he couldn't get a right hold. He just couldn't! Not with his heart pounding like this! Not like this! Deafening deranged roars rang in his ears and around the city. The cityscape was dark. Everything was black, dipped in shadows. The air was confusion. He couldn't-

"Talon," he gasped. "I'm slipping!"

His fingers clutched at loose feather, his other arm useless without a hand.

"Luke, hold on!"

"Talon!" he whined desperately. But his cries were lost beneath the ocean of thunder that rolled overhead in a demented manner.

The sky was lighten ablaze by a huge white light that sent cracks lashing across the sky. In that moment when the white flare shocked the sky, blinded him, thunder sent the fearful quaking, wind ripped at him, tore at him. He fell.

Talon's warm body wasn't underneath him anymore. It was dark. So very dark. In the future, would there ever be a feeling like this again, but for eternal. Black as pitch. Black as a reaper's cloak. Black as a Sith's cloak. There was nothing. He fell. Plummeting down. Blue eyes still wide in shock. Droplets of bone chilling water still clinging to him and coming loose from his tainted sandy hair. The storm raved, delighted.

All too quickly he was hastily jerked, snatched up, and thrown over shoulder. "Talon!"

The wind shrieked insanely.

"I'm here Luke, it's okay now. You're okay now," he heard breathed softly. "You're okay."

Flares and forks of lightning blazed across the sky, striking lightning rods with a psychotic furry.

They were both drenched, soaked, Talon breath came out in heavy puffs of exertion. He was breathing rapidly, mind screaming, force howling in the storm, innate instincts urging him to take cover. To hide from these predatorily winds. Talon's large white wings looked like lead. They kept onward, the terror bird searching for something.

Clawing tightly to Talon his vision was impaired by mindless white flashes. The sky was illuminated purple and blue, again and again, lightning breaking and crawling maliciously across the sky. Chasing them. Then it was over. Everything went dark again except for the usual lights of the city which were strangely obscured this night.

Thunder rumbled quietly, sated. Pelting rain slowed to a mere frigid shower. The worst of the storm had faded. Passed into another life.

He was still shocked at what occurred. At what could've happened. This eternal gelid (cold) seeped into his bones, wracking him in quakes and quivers. Talon trembled silently. Red apple eyes wide in premonition.

They sailed past diluted sinister structures illuminated by pasty neon lights of red, orange, gold, purple, and rigid watery blues. Then Talon flew by a tower. A black mistrusted bleak looming tower. On this tower, jagged with sharp ridges in its appearance and glistening with black streams of fat raindrops, was an illuminated motion billboard attached to a side of it.

Talon passed right next to this illuminated blue billboard as rain showered down death.

Everything seemed to slow. Drops of water suspended in their fall.

Talon's shaded eyes were indescribable.

It was an advertisement for a product.

A white bottle, one used for holding pills, appeared on the blue screen, turning slowly to show all angles of the bottle.

A woman's sensual seductive voice imparted:

"Sleep is nigh.

Pass into the land of dreams.

Quietus of the heart tonight.

Not all is as it ever seems.

Sleep is eternal.

Sleep is nigh.

With NighCorp sleeping pills."

That happened all in a couple seconds. Then it was gone. Everything was strangely disturbed. Talon furiously beat his quavering wings, prevailing against the howling wind and rain, driving them onward. They careened passed.

Lightning sheered the night, casting long ugly shadows of everything there ever was.

Then it was quiet.

Talon flew onward carefully after that, and then swooped down into the alcove of a superstructure that appeared dark midnight blue, shielded from the storm and rain.

Immediately he tumbled off Talon's and onto the cold floor, lying on his back, shuddering, heart pounding, gasping. Talon's deep shaky breaths were the only sounds he heard besides the rumbling sated thunder and unending pitter patter of ghastly rain.

Alarms rang out in the distance, several, as this was the aftermath. They faded eventually. The storm faded eventually. Heavy labored choked breath faded eventually. Everything faded eventually into darkness. Lights of the city showed more clearly now, purely now, of every which color there was. Sparkling, twinkling, where the stars were not. Genuine, real now.

Heavy sad raindrops continued to fall down in a heavy shower, echoing their footsteps across the land.

"What was that?" he finally whispered, voice echoing. "I-It came so suddenly." I've never seen a storm like that.

Talon answer with a soft, "I know."

"I almost died."

"I know.

"I could've died. But you saved me!"

"I know."

"Do you know what it was?" What was that storm? What was such a storm?

"Yes Luke, I know. That storm was deliberate. You may not have felt the undertone of the winds but I did. There was a storm coming naturally of nature. It was only supposed to be a light shower from what I figured. Storms that bad don't happen here so suddenly on Coruscant like that. It would've been predicted. They would have predicted it. I would've predicted it. Unless…"

"But who could warp and twist a storm?"

With all seriousness Talon spoke, "Someone who is really pissed with us."

"But who could- ?"He paused. "Oh," he realized.

"Sidious," they voiced in unison.

"But how's that possible. He can't do that! Can he?" That's insane!

"From what I have observed, heard, and known over the years I believe he influenced the force to influence a normal average storm of pure nature. He warped and twisted it into something monstrous. An abomination of nature. From what I've seen I can gauge that in the future Sidious could actually be possible of creating true violent force storms. And not on the literal side as he did today. What I mean is storms of mass destruction that are actually made out of the body of the force itself."

"Stars! That's wicked!"

"Wicked indeed. It's disastrous," Talon voiced tiredly. "Such a hassle."

"Maybe," he yawned.

"We'll continue this tomorrow," spoke Talon between preening his soaking feathers. "Rest is essential for now."

"Mmm hmm," he mumbled, taking off his small shirt to wring it out, then slipping the damp piece of clothing back on. He did the same with his loose pants.

"Sleep is nigh," he added drowsily as an afterthought, remembering the harrowing billboard. He yawned tiredly with this sluggish mind.

Talon was silent.

One red apple eye twitched.

It was a disturbed silence.

He hardly noticed as he pressed himself into the terror bird's warm damp side, like a fire, no, a flame, and promptly passed out in that warmth exuded.

In this darkness he dreamt a dream of dreams.

There was a dismaying silence with a disquieted terror bird.

Talon stayed awake.

Talon stayed awake for much a while more.