Perchance to Dream
Disclaimer: George Lucas owns Star Wars.
A/N: It's a bit shorter than I wanted, but hopefully you still enjoy it:) And thanks for the reviews once again!
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When he wakes up, it's to sunlight streaming through a window.
He just lies awake for a while, savoring the warmth that his body has lacked for so long.
He still doesn't know where he is, but that's okay, because he's with the woman and the man now and he's safe with them.
They'd carried him here and promised to explain everything in the morning.
He hadn't protested much; the recent ordeal had drained him.
He means to lie awake a bit longer, but the call of birds outside makes him frown.
Birds?
He'd assumed he was still somewhere on Coruscant.
Curiosity getting the better of him, and he walks over to the window, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
He's not prepared for the sight that greets him.
llllllllllllllllll
She hears him moving around upstairs, and she sighs.
It's soon time.
Qui Gon has left for now, and she's still a bit on edge.
She's agreed to help, even though she knows the stakes.
She must be crazy. Only a crazy person would do this.
She'll be fortunate if she gets out of this aituation alive.
Walking over to the kitchen, she starts slicing fruit, while trying not to worry about what she knows lies ahead.
She knows he likes fruit, he told her so himself, years ago.
"Excuse me?"
She jumps, accidentally slicing a finger.
"Force, child! Are you trying scare me half to death?"
The sincerely sheepish expression in his blue eyes is enough to calm her nerves.
"It's okay, Ani. I didn't mean to snap."
Slowly, the finger heals itself, and she watches his expression of concentration closely.
He's sharp, as sharp as he ever was.
His eyes meet hers in what appears to be embarrassment when he senses she's caught him staring.
"You're... a Jedi?"
She resists the urge to laugh ironically, toning it down to a brief smile.
"Why would you think that?"
He looks puzzled for a moment.
"You healed yourself."
"Mmmm."
"Master Obi Wan took me to see the Healers once. I don't remember seeing you."
She did laugh now, this time with genuine amusement.
"You've been to the Healers more times than you remember, young Skywalker. Seems you've got quite a penchant for getting into trouble."
More than any of them realised.
Something in her voice catches his attention and she waits patiently.
She wants to see what conclusions he'll reach on his own.
His eyes are sharp now, scanning the room.
"How did we get to Naboo? Where's Master Obi Wan?"
Taking a deep breath, she gestures to the table and levitates a bowl of fruit in his direction.
"We're not on Naboo, Anakin." she says gently.
He freezes.
She walks slowly towards towards him, floor length dark blue robes swishing as she moves.
She lays a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"You looked outside. What did you see?"
A moment of indecision crosses his face and she studies him.
He's not as young as he was when they first met, nor as old as he was when she last saw him. She puts his age at roughly fourteen standard.
He's getting some height on him, but she's still a few inches taller than he is, at least for now.
Who knows how long it'll be before he reaches where he once was?
He's answering her now, though, and she turns her attention to his words.
"I saw... I can't explain it. It's Naboo; it's Tatooine. There are pieces of Coruscant, and... alot of different places I've gone to with Master Obi Wan."
She nods at him, gently encouraging.
"Go on."
"There's a place far away... I had to squint to see it. It's all dark, and red... it looks like a volcano."
"Mustafar," she says uncomfortably,
This is going to be harder than I thought. Qui Gon, you owe me.
"Where am I? I don't even know your name."
Stalling, she runs a hand through the unruly auburn waves of her hair.
"I'm sorry Ani. You can call me Zen."
She sees his eyes narrow at her wording, but mercifully, he doesn't press it.
Looking outside, he seems to be considering.
"This place... it's artificial, isn't it?"
Her lips quirk upward briefly.
"Well, I guess that depends on how you look at it. It's real because it exists. You created it."
"How?" the intense scrutiny is back, but to her relief, he doesn't seem to be angry or frightened, just curious.
She decides to be forthright and hope for the best.
"In your mind."
Anakin turns away from her, seeming to think about what she's saying.
He tugs on his braid, completely lost in thought.
Then, "I don't remember creating this. The last thing I remember, I was with Master Obi Wan... he made a joke..."
Blue eyes search her face.
"Are you part of my mind too? All those places I remember... somehow... but you... I don't remember you."
"Your memories are fragmented, some are inaccessible for now. But no, you didn't conjure me up. I'm here, the same as you."
"Why? What could have happened to me that made this happen?"
She knows he's confused, and her sense of such things tells her that he's feeling weaker than he did a moment ago.
This worries her a great deal actually, but she doesn't let him see it.
The last thing she needs is for him to panic.
She nods to his bowl of fruit.
"Eat up. We'll take a walk when you're done and I'll explain more. But I warn you; you're not going to like it."
He doesn't budge.
She resists the urge to sigh.
"I know you have questions, Ani. But you're also tired and hungry. And doesn't Obi Wan keep telling you than you can think more clearly when you've had a little something?"
"How do you know..."
"I'm a friend. Now, eat your fruit, and we'll take that walk."
She leaves him alone with his thoughts, wanting to answer all his questions; wanting to make this easier for him.
Even though she knows she can't. Not yet.
But the time will come.
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I know things may seem to be moving a bit slow for now, and things are still a bit mysterious, but I have a pretty good idea where I'm going with this.:) As always, constructive reviews are always welcome.