Lost - Part 1
It had been harder than she had anticipated to get to Dathomir, not because of the flight, but because it had been so difficult to convince her passenger to let her leave the cargo hold. Eventually she had managed to convince him to rest with the aid of a sedative. She hated the things, and her hands had shaken to administer it. She detested the idea of being sedated… the memories of it were too painful. However she knew it was the only way to get him to sleep. Sleep that he so desperately needed.
She managed to contact Fett, as she'd promised, and let him know she was headed to Dathomir. She let him know she would keep in touch, and wanted to hear more about what he knew of Temuss. Of… her father. Should she tell her mother she knew? That her father's vod still lived? That she had other family? Or would it be better to keep it to herself for now, for the sake of… whatever it was that had her hiding the truth from her in the first place. Now she was bringing the Prince home. Once she was sure he was safe… then she could look into the matter of why Mother Talzin seemed to want to hide her father's identity from her.
There was a ping from the internal comms and she readied herself. Controlling her thoughts and emotions was far easier now, and it made dealing with others far easier. Especially the one that she knew was calling her. The Nightsister's back and shoulders straightened, and she looked up as the Holo came to life.
"Mother Talzin."
"Communicating so soon, child? I heard your message. Did you truly find him already?"
"Yes, great mother… he is wounded, and he has suffered a great strain on his mind. The former I may have found a way to remedy… but the latter…" She trailed off.
"Yes, child. I can help him, bring my son home…" Zaiya felt her brow twitch. Her son. Since when had she cared? What was she planning to do to him? But… was it wise to question this? Talzin had healed her eye… had given her training and support… so long as Zaiya did what she wanted. Up til now so much had been permitted. The last encounter had been tense… the suspicion growing… she seemed too similar to D'Sarr and his ilk all of a sudden and Zaiya couldn't stand it. It burned inside her like an unending storm of flame. But she could not act. She needed to heal the crimson zabrak… though she couldn't be sure Talzin would not… change him.
"Yes, Mother Talzin." She bowed her head. The moment the hologram vanished, Zaiya's fist slammed into the metal wall. The short cry of anger echoing through the ship. Suddenly she heard scrapes and metal on metal squeaking. Was he awake?
She ran from the cockpit, down the ladder and hallway. Luckily the ship was small and she reached the cargo hold swiftly. Some of the crates that had been strapped to the wall had come free, and now walled off a far section of the hold. Fear streamed through the Force and Zaiya had to draw in her own emotions as she descended the second ladder to the lower deck.
"Sire… it's alright…" She called, seeing only a glimpse of his wide eyes through a gap in the crates. Had he sensed her anger? The white haired zabrak approached slowly, reaching out a hand, trying to extend a calm presence toward him, though that in itself was difficult for her. "My lord…" She tried again, walking forward gradually. No response, just more whispers. "Master…?" She pressed a hand to one of the trembling crates, hearing him muttering to himself. She balled up her hand and squeezed her eyes shut, the word coming to her tongue with great effort. "Maul."
The trembling stopped and she lowered herself as the crates parted before her, wide bloodshot yellow eyes peered out at her from the space between them. She said his name. She never said it anymore. He had noticed it before as well but had not wanted to ask. The mad zabrak shuffled forward. He had felt a sharp spark of anger, jolting him from sleep, in the haze he had not been able to tell from where the anger came, and in a panic, he thought his master had come to destroy him finally.
But when she had spoken his name… there were no cruel undertones, no harsh growl. No disgust, none of it. He didn't even know his name could be spoken so sweetly. It was as if his name held no meaning until she had spoken it. The whispers of his mind chased away when she drew near. He didn't understand why she was angry, or what he had done… but he had to wonder… perhaps he had not done anything if his name was whispered so gently. Her eyes looked sad, even the one emitting a soft glow. A vortex of power he found himself both entranced and repulsed by. He shifted closer, mumbling, the words not even making sense to him… until he found his way into her lap again, arms curled around her waist.
"...say it again…" he managed, and he felt her tense beneath him. The zabrak just held tighter. "Please."
"Maul…" She breathed in a whisper. He felt like his chest might burst.
Mother Talzin was waiting for them when they landed. It had been hard to get him to let go so she could fly the ship, but she'd managed. Zaiya was glad to see that Mother Talzin was the only one waiting, the other sisters seeing him like this… he didn't need that scrutiny. She opened the cargo hold doors, descending the ramp with a sure step. She could not falter here, she could not let Talzin know of her hesitance. She felt suddenly that the roles were reversed from when they'd met on Coruscant. Now she was the one keeping secrets from her mentor.
He -no, Maul. Too long she had spent not even allowing herself to think his name and now… now she had to bring it back to the forefront of her mind, no longer hiding it. Especially if he were to ask her again. Maul was not willing to join her yet, lingering in the back of the dark hold, the cold night air seeping into the ship. He was probably the smarter one, wanting nothing to do with his own mother. Perhaps he could feel that she was a manipulative witch with her own agenda and little compassion for- Zaiya took a breath, calming her mind before approaching the Clan Matron.
"You have done well, child." Talzin bowed her head in the same slow and elegant manner in which she always moved, and reached out to lay a hand on the younger Nightsister's shoulder. Zaiya couldn't help herself, she tensed. "At ease child. Do the nightmares still haunt you?" The white-haired woman's eyes finally dropped.
"Yes. Though I have not had much time to sleep in the weeks I have been gone." She admitted.
"Not to worry child, they will fade… as will his." She gestured to the ship, yellow eyes peering at them from the dark. "Bring him, child, let him follow you to the temple, I will prepare for him."
"It won't hurt him… will it?" The question fell out of her mouth before she could stop it.
"It may be… uncomfortable… but at the very least he will be in control of his thoughts and have better use of his legs." The Great Mother explained.
"It cannot be done with magick alone." Zaiya stated, her eyes on the figure slowly creeping closer through the dark.
"You doubt my power, sister?" Talzin asked, the calm tone belied the threat in her words, Zaiya flinched ever so slightly and she noticed Maul coming closer.
"Never, Mother. I simply mean that not all of the healing ought to be done with magick, the more natural the healing process the stronger his mind and he in turn will become so." And the more protected he would be… she hoped. She didn't know what Talzin would do to him, but she didn't trust it. Sith hells, she wasn't sure whether Talzin had done something to her all those months ago after she stumbled off Adaji's ship looking half-dead. She'd felt half dead. Her gaze lowered to the ground at her feet as Talzin spoke again.
"We shall do what is best for my son." And with that she turned, walking back to the temple. Her son. Her son. As if Talzin had been so concerned to look for him. So impatient to hear of the news, she'd barely smiled and not even spoken to him! How could she say- A touch at her hand shocked her from her spiralling thoughts. Maul had reached out, now close enough for his fingers to brush her hand. Her gaze snapped to him and his hand shot back like he had been burned. Zaiya let out a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding and ginerly extended a hand.
"I seem to be letting my emotions escape me again…" She sighed. He just watched her as she grasped his hand once more. He was trembling and she remembered how good it had felt when Adaji had hugged her when she'd felt the same. That feeling of safety. She knew she shouldn't. Not here. Not now. But she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck, holding him in a tight embrace. He stiffened under her grasp for just a moment, then clung to her tightly, hands fisting in her cloak at her back, his face buried against her shoulder.
"It will be alright… Maul." She forced his name out. "Everything will be alright now. You're home. I will always protect you." She wasn't sure if he understood it all, but the words brought comfort to her either way. He held tight to her, his fingers digging in like he was frightened she might disappear. From everything that had happened… she wasn't surprised at all.
Mother Talzin lied.
As it seemed she often did. Uncomfortable she'd said. That was an outright fabrication. Maul was screaming. Worst of all, Zaiya was the one doing it to him. She stared in horror as the pain coursed through him, the magick swirling around her. She could feel it, the way he was being ripped apart and put back together with the scraps of broken parts of speeders and old droids. Mother Talzin instructed her, since he had been so adamant to heal him herself… but to see him like this was-
"Focus, child…!" The Great Mother hissed from right behind her. Zaiya grit her teeth, wanting the pain to be over for him as soon as possible. In truth it was painful for her too, she could feel the Force and the ichor flowing through her, stinging and burning her from the inside out. Was this how he felt? Was this the same pain he was in? Though from his agonised screams, she was sure it was worse. Far worse.
Her hands remained outstretched, on either side of his head, swirling green smoke covering his body, rebuilding his lower half in metal, two legs instead of six as he writhed and filled the temple with his cries of agony. Zaiya didn't even realise the voice that joined it was her own. Through pained gasps and grit teeth she held the power, making sure he was as whole as she could make him before collapsing to her knees with shaking hands and heavy breaths.
"Well done, Sister." Talzin drawled. "His mind… will take time." There seemed to be an edge to her tone, disapproval. Was the great Mother impatient?
"I have time." Zaiya panted as she forced herself to stand, her knees were weak and her hands shook but she had done it. He looked like himself again, shorter horns, less ragged features, and two legs. She would have to find him robes to wear, but for now, it was something. "I will let him rest in my quarters, I can better treat him there." She groaned, leaning on the table Maul lay upon with one hand.
Talzin just watched, but offered no assistance nor assurances. Zaiya knew she would not, the Nightsister had made her choice.
"As you wish, Sister." Was all she said, and though she'd left the room, Zaiya could feel eyes on her still. Perhaps Talzin was losing trust in her prized pupil as well? That was not good. It was a problem for later however, as Zaiya focused on her power. She called the Force to her, lifting Maul from his position on the stone table and using the power to bring him with her along the hallway and up the winding stairs to the upper chambers and the room she always used toward the back. It took almost all her strength to move him to the bed so that he might rest, before she finally collapsed herself, propped against the bed, her arms and head on it, by his knee, her legs sprawled under her on the cold stone floor.
There was a fog around him, everything was so hazy. The whispers… so quiet now. Still there, but less prominent. No longer biting into his mind. He felt… cold. That was different. The cave he had found, deep in the trash pits, was always hot and sticky. Mustafar too was always swelteringly hot. This was… different. His eyes creaked open, slowly, heavily. He felt as if he'd been asleep for a long time. Years? There was no way to tell. He ran a hand over his face. He felt different too. His horns were smaller, his hands- he looked at them to find they were as they had been, long ago. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. There was no creak of metal, no pull of the Force that held him together. With a gasp he looked down. Metal legs of twisted wire and metal plates lay there. Two legs, not six. These were not of his making- Then he spotted her.
A woman lay there, half on the bed, half on the floor. It looked uncomfortable. Hesitantly, he pushed the white hair aside, the few strands that had loosened from her braid. It hit him like a speeder at full force. The scarring across her left eye, the soft white locks, the tattoos across her face.
"Zaiya…" He gasped. He knew her name. He knew her. He shifted and immediately reached for her, her hand dropped to the bed and in an instant those eyes snapped open. She looked fearful for a moment, glancing around the room. There was no threat, but it was not until she looked him over that she visibly relaxed.
"Master, you're awake." She breathed. The swirling vortex of power that was her left eye had mesmerised him before, convincing him in his previous state that he needed to follow. Now he found himself gazing at the blue one, softly glowing in the dark. She moved to stand and winced, clutching the sheets with gritted teeth. This would not do. She needed rest, he could see it. He didn't know what she had done, but he felt stronger, better. Not… completely. But he could think a little clearer now.
"Are you alright? I'm sorry I could not make the spell less painful, my Lord… I tried to-" She stopped when he laid a hand on hers. Did she always hush when he touched her? He couldn't remember all of it clearly, so many memories blended together. He had to focus to recall them. She'd asked that before once. Waking from… from a crash, and the first thought had been to ask after him. He didn't touch much… and he was harsh to her when they'd last spoken, harsh like… like his master. His head lowered, feeling the whispers rise in the back of his mind. Failure. Pathetic.
"Breathe," She spoke again, having moved closer. He had not been aware he had been holding his breath. "Are you in pain?" She asked and his eyes shifted to look at her again. She looked… tired. Beautiful, like some sort of divine being that had pulled him from the dark… but so exhausted. He recalled other memories, watching her train, and fight from a distance. How she would never give up, never rest, always push on.
He shook his head to finally answer her, "No…" He whispered, she seemed relieved, and the smile that crossed her lips had him feeling a little better. "But you are." He watched her face change, a look of surprise crossed her features before she smiled, though it was still so sad.
"It is nothing, Sire." She shook her head. "Knowing you are well is enough." She looked like she was about to collapse. He didn't know what to do, the memories flitted in and out of his head, he remembered being so afraid, so angry. But right now all he felt was… safe. At least for now. In this place. With her. Something in him told him that this was alright. That she was safe. He could not explain it, nor understand it, but at least for now, in this sleepy state, he could allow this. She moved to stand and he snatched her wrist in his grip.
"Stay." He didn't want the feeling to leave yet. She was warm, comfortably so, and he knew if she left, he would no longer be safe.
Coward. No pride, you're nothing but a beast. Hissed a vicious voice in his head. Always Remember! I am Fi- the thought died as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed.
"I'll stay." She whispered. She moved to sit and lean up against the head of the bed, sitting up against it. He watched her with those glowing eyes for a while, before moving to lay in his favoured spot, his head in her lap, and arms wrapped around her to secure her in place. It didn't take long before he was drifting off again.
Notes:
He is no longer Spider-Maul! YAY! Still has a ways to go to heal properly... but! What do we think so far?
I hope you all liked the Q&A last week, that was fun to write. If you have more questions or wanna see more then let me know!
Apologies for the lateness of this chapter, the last week or so has been really difficult for me, so I am struggling a little bit, but hopefully it passes soon.
Next week we will get to see the start of the healing process, and we will have a look into his memories! What will we see? Come back next week to find out!
As always I love your comments and likes and all that, please please keep em coming. It really helps.
