#Ataru still the most stressed

[ikemengoessbrrrrr]

The slight re-design of class representative from class 2-4

Honestly idk if I can call it re-design, but anyway

Remember this au? Or just long haired Ataru? Forget about me back then say its not an au (even the name always has au in it) I decided to make this story as au

So instead of everything is same but Ataru is stressed... Now everything is same but everyone is stressed

[blanketorghost]

Weeping Wisteria

-Yuu Fujisaki after his debut performance of Fuji Musume, 10 y.o

I've been slowly working on Yuu lore and how it'd affect the current twst story + his relationships and manerisms.

One of the things I've focused the most on is his childhood as an Onnagata trainee.

I think that to follow up on Yuu's literal " a genius that's god's punching bag" trope, I'd do a couple of retconning to his backstory. Most of these are minor changes, but methinks it will impact how he interacts with people— esp a couple NRC students.

(Base info pre-retcon about the Fujisaki clan can be found here)

To start off, Ataru (Yuu's father) would be laid off right before Yuu was born, meaning Yuu wouldn't have known a life before Kabuki training.

This would serve the purpose of reinforcing Yuu's belief that he himself is a bad omen or a bad luck magnet for people, as his family probably wouldn't have struggled so much if Yuu was not born.

Also, though it's common for women in JPN to be housewives after marrying, Yuu's mom, Kanna (環花), would probably also need to resume working if they're struggling. I think Kotonoha would also start tutoring underclassmen for some extra cash to help her parents out + save for college education. His family adores him and each other, of course. And would try to spend as much time together as possible, but sometimes it just can't be done.

This would change Yuu's upbringing in two major factors:

1. He would have spent a lot more time with both his grandfather and great-uncle, which would mean he'd be inducted in two very different sides of Kabuki + also very different, contrasting expectations of what he should be like.

2. He'd have to learn to be independent fairly quickly.

Hiroshi and Nagisa are complete opposites of each other. Whilst Hiroshi gives indiscriminately no matter how little he has, Nagisa is overzealous of the family's wealth─ both knowledge and resources.

Nagisa may have accepted his grandson back into the family, but he only accepted his grandson. He would pay for his education and help with Yuu's needs with a monthly allowance, but that would be it. The rest of the family would still be left to fend by themselves.

Yuu's not dumb, he would notice the difference. After all, why was he given expensive brand-name clothes and attended a prestigious academy that he had to be taken to and from with a private driver, whilst his sister shopped in thrift stores and went to their local public school by foot? Why did his dad never come pick him up from practice and was picked up by his uncle instead? Why were his parents so stressed about pinching pennies to pay next month's rent when grandpa's manor was full of empty rooms?

He would've caught on quick to his position as a very real bargaining chip to maintain his family's finantial stability.

So, I think that Yuu, even though he would grow to hate performing as an onnagata, would not quit Kabuki as soon as possible. In fact, I think he'd continue until high school, were he'd enter an indefinite hiatus just so he could have a normal teenage experience + focus on university before returning to perfom.

Also, I think with how close he is to his cousin Nagihiko, he would not want him to suffer under the stress of becoming the Fujisaki heir— at least not while their grandfather is alive and imposing such standards. He wants Nagihiko to have the carefree childhood Yuu was robbed of because of family politics.

Because of this fact, I think Yuu would be much more prone to sacrifice his happiness if it brought out a greater good. I don't think it's out of pure selflessness, though. He's very pragmatic about the pros and cons of things— and ifthe suffering of one ensures the happiness of many, he does not see any problem with it. I think he would also see his self value in what he is useful for, hence why he would eventually hone his abilities to the point of polymathy.

Then, there's uncle Hiroshi. God bless his man because he actually tried to give Yuu a normal childhood. Whenever he wasn't at his grandpa's slaving away at different subjects, he would be at his uncle's theater office or exploring the backrooms of the place. Hiroshi was a busy man, of course— he had his own business to run, but he did his best to keep him entrtained with what he could. He also was the one to notice Yuu's academic potential as the little bugger would rather read his uncles dusty finance and politic books than the fairytales and picture books he bought especially for him. Hiroshi would have been Yuu's biggest advocate, and since Ataru didn't have the money or leverage to fight back against Nagisa, I think Hiroshi would take that place instead. Hiroshi is described to be extremely generous to a fault, so, as a result, I think Yuu would've witnessed the various times his uncle was backstabbed and taken advantage of, yet still managed to rise back and continue working on his passion.

That's what Yuu's goal was before he got interloped; he wants to bide his time and keep his head down, so once he has enough strength and leverage himself, he can finally stand up for his family... or at least the side that genuinely cares about him.

Yuu loves and admires his uncle, but he does not want to be hurt as many as he was. So Yuu would end up being much more closed off and stand-offish than his own personal hero. He would be reluctant to have close friends and confidantes, effectively making most his relationships superficial except for maybe 3 or 4 close friends he holds very dear to him. None of which are from TWST. I think he's the type of friend that listens to all your problems and knows so much about you, but when you look back— Yuu's NRC friends would realize they don't know anything about him other than the very rare nuggets of trivia he allows them to have.

Yuu is also observant and patient. Let's be real for a second— Yuu is at an infinite disadvantage. He has no magic, no money, no family name, and his smarts can only get him so far in a world he knows nothing about. He knows he needs to play things safe if he wants to survive NRC and its students— at least until he finds something he can fight back with. Humans are endurance predators, after all. (He's still a piece of shit with a big mouth, though)

There's so much more I want to elaborate on, but much like Galatea, it'll take me a while organize all my word vomit. Either way, Yuu's backstory and family dynamics are something I have so much fun of thinking about, because his life was so rich before twst! He had friends, a family and responsibilities to take care of. It's both tragic and freeing that he got taken just at such a pivetal point in his life, where he would have to make the choice to continue living for others or start living for himself.

[cyanwings]

4. least favorite character from your favorite anime / best ending of an anime you’ve watched?? 22. any endings that you would rewrite?

@fusiera

ANIME QUESTIONS MEME- ACCEPTING;

Thanks so much for sending me more asks!! I really appreciate it a lot!!

4. least favorite character from your favorite anime

Since all the characters in “Kino’s Journey” are mostly one off characters, I’m gonna talk about another favorite series I love, “Princess Tutu.” And the least character I enjoyed was… Mytho.

Now, maybe it isn’t fair of me to choose him. After all, his whole character existence is for Princess Tutu / Ahiru to try to achieve his heart shards back to him in order to feel his emotions again that the Raven shattered and sealed away. I can understand that he’s emotionless and probably has some memory loss in the process of it and that’s fine. What I’m not fine with is making him not suitable in his every day life. He’s met Fakir and Rue since they were little kids so I’m sure they would’ve taught him the facts of life in order to live in their society. But, once we get to their teen years, Mytho is so dependable on them it’s ridiculous.

It just seems like he also lost shards of his mind to gain information in order to learn new things from people. He couldn’t even put on his pants in a few scenes when he was next to his window. Even his common sense of being careful of the dangers around him weren’t making him aware of his surroundings either. It just felt like Fakir and Rue were taking care of a child than someone their own age. Maybe I wasn’t aware on the side effects of the curse on him but it just irritating on how he was acting in the series. I also wasn’t too pleased on how Mytho is probably much older than Rue since she was a child when they first met and he apparently doesn’t “age”  but it still makes it creepy age gap. Or any of the pairings involving with him. And it’s a shame cause the focus is on him getting his heart back and he’s the most boring and forgettable character in the show.

Not to say I HATE Mytho. It’s not like that all. In fact, the way he grows towards the end is really quite fascinating. We see him change over time, especially in the second act of the series, and get his emotions back so he could return to being the valiant prince he was. Just because he’s the least character I enjoyed doesn’t mean I despise him. If anyone enjoys him, that’s cool! Keep enjoying his character cause this is my silly opinion and I still want people to enjoy the series for what it is.

4. best ending of an anime you’ve watched

I know I haven’t mentioned this series in my previous posts but it is one of my favorite animes ever. In fact, it was actually the first series Rumiko Takahashi ( creator of the famous series “Ranma ½” & “Inuyasha” ) had created at the age of 21 and that series is called “Urusei Yatsura.” And I choose it’s amazing series end for my choice as the best ending and also known as the fifth film,“Urusei Yatsura: The Final Chapter!”

I’m not sure if the finale includes in it’s films series but I’m counting it anyways! This ending had me over joyed of how well done it was! If you don’t know the main storyline it goes like this:

An alien race known as the Oni arrive on Earth to invade the planet. Instead of taking over the planet by force, the Oni give humans a chance to fight for the rights to the planet by taking part in a competition. The competition is a variant of the game of tag (literally “the game of the Oni” in Japanese), in which the human player must touch the horns on the head of the Oni player within one week. The computer-selected human player is Ataru Moroboshi, a lecherous, unlucky and stupid high school student from the Japanese city of Tomobiki, and the Oni player is Princess Lum, daughter of the leader of the Invasion force.

Despite his initial reluctance to take part in the competition, Ataru becomes interested in the game when he meets Lum. When the competition begins, Lum surprises everyone by flying away and Ataru finds himself unable to catch her. Before the last day of the competition, Ataru’s girlfriend Shinobu Miyake encourages Ataru by pledging to marry him if he wins. On the final day of the competition, Ataru wins the game by stealing Lum’s bikini top, which prevents her from protecting her horns in favor of protecting her modesty. In celebrating his victory, Ataru expresses his joy at being able to get married; however, Lum misinterprets this as a proposal from Ataru and accepts on live television. Despite the misunderstanding, Lum falls in love with Ataru and moves into his house.

It’s one insane series but it’s why I love it. There isn’t a main plot other than Lum and Ataru’s relationship from time to time but it’s such a fun series that I couldn’t possibly spoil any of the enjoyment. With that being said, the fifth film aka “THE FINAL CHAPTER” is completely adapted from the manga and it’s animated so well!

* SPOILERS*

Lupa, yet another one of Lum’s fiancés, arrives on the scene, and Lum and Ataru must repeat the game of tag played out from the first episode of the television series, or the Earth will be infested with mushrooms larger than buildings.

Further, should Ataru lose, Lum will leave forever and everyone’s memories will be changed so that they don’t remember she, or her friends, were ever there. Finally, Lum refuses to allow Ataru to win unless he says to her those three words, “I love you”, that he has steadfastly refused to say over the entire series.

In the beginning, Ataru’s cold-hearted towards Lum and sees her as a nuisance preventing him from girl hunting. Thought he may not seem to really care for her, it’s crystal clear Lum is the only one he truly shows sincere feelings for. And when faced with the prospect of losing Lum, Ataru goes all-out to try to prevent it from happening, even at the expense of his own health.

Near the end of the series, in the story introducing Inaba and from the OVA “Inaba the Dreammaker,” he decides to protect the future where he and Lum get married after he sees how happy she is in this future. In Ataru’s own ideal future, he had a harem containing every female in the cast but he decided to abandon it after he learned Lum would not be with him, further signifying the love he has for her.  The fact that he sacrifices to rescue Lum is enough to prove he truly cares. Also, when she leaves for an extended period of time, he becomes very depressed and lonely in her absences.

In the “Final Chapter”, when he’s faced of the prospective of losing Lum and all of his memories of her, he refuses to give in to her request of a proper love declaration, only because he wants to say it properly without being forced into it so there’s more sincerity to how he feels about her. But, the fact that * SPOILERS * Ataru saved her former horns in his hand before time runs out, proves to Lum his love for her without words.

This film is just fantastic in every way possible. Mostly if you become a big fan of the series and just the great out come this will bring out. I honestly didn’t expect such a well made movie for this type of series but it blew my expectations!! As I recommended you many other series, I highly recommend you watch the series “Urusei Yatsura.” I know it has such a long run of episodes, OVAs. and films but the pay off is very much worth it!

22. any endings that you would rewrite:

There’s one ending that I would rewrite and that is “Fruits Basket.”

If you don’t know what “Fruits Basket” is, let me explain the plot:

After the accident in which she lost her mother, Tohru decides to live with her grandfather. Renovations on the house and uncooperative and unkind family members cause her to move out of her grandfather’s house and becomes homeless. Tohru begins living in a tent and starts supporting herself. That is, until she finds a home inhabited by her popular classmate Yuki Sohma and his cousin Shigure. After being invited to stay with them, Tohru discovers something big about the Sohmas.

The Sohmas live with a curse. Twelve members of the family are possessed by spirits of the Chinese zodiac and turn into their zodiac animal when they are weak, under stress, embarrassed, or when hugged by someone of the opposite sex.

When Tohru discovers the Sohmas’ secret, she promises to keep it a secret and is allowed to continue on living with them. Although the Sohmas’ curse is deeper and darker than Tohru realized, her presence and her acceptance of them soon becomes a large, positive influence on those possessed by the zodiac. She sets out to break the curse and, on the way, meets and discovers each member of the Sohma family. Each has a different personality, just like the animals in the Chinese zodiac. One by one, Tohru’s existence changes the Sohma clan’s lives forever.

Onto to the ending, and I’m gonna put a spoiler warning in case no one’s seen this anime:

*SPOILERS:*

After Tohru asks Shigure permission to speak with Akito, the head of the family, he talks to her privately, mentioning that Akito bears the core of the curse and does not have very long to live. Yuki, Shigure, and Hatori accompany Tohru to the Sohma main residence to see Akito. After an initially tame exchange, Akito attacks her as he grabs her hair in a rage after Tohru is unable to say why she came, but Yuki and Shigure restrain him from hurting her further. However, she begins to feel sympathetic, explaining that he still has a life to live. Releasing his grip on her, Akito eventually realizes that Tohru accepts the Sohma family curse. The series ends on a bright future with Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo back at the residence where they live.

Now the reason why I would change this, or possibly more aspects of the series, is to match up what the creator had intended.  The anime adaptation was produced while Takaya (creator) injured her wrist, since she was heavily involved in the adaptation. But, she would clash with director Akitaro Daichi over every little detail. Studio Deen decided to reject Takaya’s feedback, and in turn, she has blocked all attempts at a second season or a remake.

It’s a shame that we never got a second season cause this is such a heartwarming series that I cherish greatly. And while looking back on it now that I’ve read the manga, it did stray away from it’s manga counterparts. Several changes were made such as Tohru’s first meeting with Momiji and all references to Tohru’s baseball cap, never happen. The anime makes no mention that Yuki or Kyo have met Tohru’s mother or that Kyo blames himself for her death.

While the anime faithfully adapts most of the characters from the manga series, it does make some changes. In the manga, Momiji is half-German and half-Japanese and regularly speaks German, particularly when he first meets Tohru. In the anime, no German is spoken at all towards her. Shigure’s darker side is toned down in the anime as he makes in the manga that hint at a hidden agenda are left out, along with most of his early scenes with Akito.

In the anime, Akito is biologically male and will die at a young age because of the curse, while in the manga, *SPOILERS*  Akito is biologically female but brought up as male and is not dying. This served as a shocking plot twist in the manga, since almost everybody thought that Akito was male.  Additionally, Isuzu “Rin” Sohma, the Horse, and Kureno Sohma, the Rooster, are never mentioned or shown in the anime. Finally, the curse is not lifted in the anime because it only covers the first third of the manga, at the most, and the happy ending does not occur until the series is finished.

If it could be rewritten, I would have it connect more towards the main source material than a “Anime only ending” that most studios did at the time or even now as well. Again, it’s unfortunate that it didn’t end on good terms with the creator cause I LOVE this series and I hope maybe in the future we’ll get that second season or a possible reboot. It’s just too amazing not to adapt into anime.

I also highly recommend you check out this series as well. Especially with the English dub cause it’s just OUTSTANDING! It was one of the first series when I got into anime and I’m so glad it influenced me the way I look at life and people around me. It’s very sincere and compassionate. Not to mention it can be funny as heck as well. But, give it a shot if it’s your type of show! You won’t be disappointed!!

[sorosoroso]

Christianity in Japan: Part I

I got another chance to write an article for Connect! This time, I decided to write about Christianity in Japan, and its influence. This was a particularly long article, so I’ve split it into two parts. The first part revolves mostly around my perception of Japanese Christians, and my interview with a Japanese Christian. The second half focuses on the history of the religion of Japan. I found this so fascinating to research, and even though I still have very complicated feelings regarding Christianity, I do have a profound respect for people who still practice it, especially in those who endured through difficult times. 

In Jesus’ Name, (R)Amen: A Peek Into Christianity and the Christian Identity in Japan

Growing up in a Christian home, my favorite thing to learn about wasn’t bible verses,  Jesus’ parables, or the Psalms. Nah. Despite a fairly sheltered childhood, at the very appropriate age of twelve, I was fascinated by the gory, violent deaths of Christian martyrs throughout history. Somehow, I was able to get my hands on a book all about this child-friendly subject, and I remember spending hours flipping through the pages with rapt, undivided attention.

 The book did not skimp on the gruesome demises of these Christians, early and contemporary, detailing (and maybe dramatizing) their torture. What began as morbid curiosity gave way to genuine interest, especially when it came to martyrs in Japan, of which there were surprisingly many. The most famous incident was the 26 Martyrs of Japan, where a group of Christians were killed at Nagasaki in 1597. Aside from the brutality of the execution method (being crucified and pierced with spears; a cruel parody of Jesus’ own death), their deaths piqued my tweeny curiosity because, up to that point, I hadn’t realized that Christianity was a minority religion in other countries. 

As a Korean-American, Christianity played an important role in both cultures I was part of: in the United States, vacations were centered around Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter, and I used to attend one of the many Korean-American churches sprinkled across California. Although I don’t practice it anymore, Christianity still influences what I consider “normal” (it still feels strange we don’t get Christmas off in Japan!). 

After a deep dive into Japan’s relationship with Christianity, I soon discovered that the 26 Martyrs wasn’t some random act of violence; it was both the culmination of years of complex economic, political, and cultural factors and represented the beginning of Japan’s dark history regarding religious freedom. As an island nation, Japan had very little contact with Western countries. In fact, the first ever documented Europeans to step foot in Japan arrived by complete accident when, in 1543,  two Portuguese traders were blown off-course during a trade expedition to China. Within six years of this encounter, the first Christian missionaries from Portugal set out to Japan, beginning with Kagoshima. These initial efforts had… mixed success on the Japanese, and it took time to really take off.

Nowadays, though, Christianity permeates many aspects of modern Japanese culture. Some of the countries’ top ranking universities, like Sophia University and International Christian University (ICU), were established by Christians and openly advocate the religion. Western style weddings are popular in Japan, with many couples forgoing formal kimonos in favor of dresses and suits, and ditching Shinto shrines for Western chapels, complete with a white foreigner playing as a minister, whether or not they’re ordained. Even mainstream anime incorporates Christian iconography or themes; one of Japan’s most successful franchises, the Evangelion series, appropriates Christian mythos and angelology (the study of angels) despite staff members admitting it was purely for aesthetic reasons. 

And we haven’t even touched on the wide array of Christian literature in Japan, including Shusaku Endo’s Silence, which was adapted into an Academy award nominated film directed by Martin Scorsese in 2016!

With such a conspicuous presence, it’s hard to believe that Christianity is still very much a minority religion in Japan, and, despite its prevalence and general acceptance, is still considered very foreign to Japanese people. Many seem fascinated by the aesthetics of the religion, but less by the actual practice of it. In fact, the entire time I lived in Japan, I’d only ever met one person who openly told me she was Christian. Still, I wanted to better understand what Christianity was like currently. I knew that there were other Japanese Christians, and it was clear research would only do so much: I would need to talk to someone who actually practiced Christianity.

Luckily for me, I knew exactly one person who did. 

I was delighted to find out that she was willing to speak about her personal experience in her faith. During our conversation together, I finally found answers to my questions about being Christian in Japan, as well as further insight into why Christianity is still a minority religion despite over 100 years of religious freedom in Japan. I hope you will enjoy our discussion as well. 

The following interview was conducted almost entirely in English. At the interviewee’s request, she will not be referred to by her real name nor will certain details about her personal life be revealed. In addition, parts of the interview have been edited for clarification or grammatical reasons. 

Can you please introduce yourself and your background?

I am a Japanese woman, and I began to believe in Jesus Christ as a high schooler. On Christmas, I went to a bookstore and found a book by a Christian author.

My family, however, was Buddhist.

Do you remember the author’s name?

Her name was Ayako Miura. She has since passed away. She wrote many novels, essays, and songs. 

The book I found was titled “Michi Ariki”, and was about how she became Christian. I was so impressed with it. I read the book, and I felt that Jesus Christ is the real God. The Christian God is full of love, and knowing that Jesus Christ loves me, that he saved me from my sins and gave me a new life, made me so happy.

Did it comfort you to know that Jesus and God was with you?

Yeah, that’s right. I was so happy. 

Really? But with Buddhism, you didn’t feel that same love?

Yeah, because when I was a child, I thought if I did bad things, I had to be punished. In Japanese, we say “bacchiga-ataru”. If I do bad things, bad things will happen to me. It’s like Heaven is going to punish you.

Oh, I think I understand. Is it like karma?

Yes, Kind of like that. I was afraid of what I might do. But, Jesus Christ is the opposite. Even though I was so sinful, Jesus Christ died for me, because he wanted to save me from sin. I was so happy to hear that he would do that so that I could live in heaven.

Were you the only Christian in your family?

Yes, exactly!

How did your family react to you being Christian?

My family was so shocked, and they had difficulty accepting that I was a Christian. I had to wait until I was 20 years old to be baptized. I told my family that 20 years old is considered a legal adult age. 

How do other people react when you tell them “I’m Christian”?

Hmm. Well, when I was a university student, I told people I was Christian, but most weren’t surprised. I think it’s because there are some schools in Japan founded by Christian missionaries. Even though most students don’t believe in Jesus Christ, they know about Christianity, and their image of it isn’t so bad.

What do you think non-Christian Japanese people’s image of Christianity are in general?

In general? I think Japanese people, basically, have no religion. Things like keeping graves clean and songs, those are more like customs, now.  I think their image of Christians is so… katai (hard), or serious?

Really?

Well, some people think Christians are majime (strict), or too rigid. Have you heard this phrase before: “Japan is the grave of missionaries”?

No I haven’t. Does this phrase mean many missionaries died in Japan? Or is it because people give up being missionaries in Japan?

The second one. It is so difficult for people to become Christians in Japan. The Christian population is less than 1 percent here.

Is your family Christian?

Yes, they are Christian. 

Was your husband Christian when you met him? Or did he decide to convert later?

After marriage, he became a Christian. He wanted to know me better and to understand me, but he had to understand Christianity first. So, he went to church, attended Sunday service, and read the bible. 

Wow! He was a very good student.

(laughs) Well, I think it wasn’t his attitude, but God’s love that helped him..

Did you have a Japanese style or Western style wedding?

I thought the wedding would be a very good chance for my husband and others to learn about Christianity, so I asked for a Western style wedding. The pastor of my church came and gave a sermon. Many people came to my wedding and were able to listen to a bible message.

How do you think Christianity’s image has changed since you were in high school?

I think it’s difficult to change the image of Christians, but I want to live my life honestly. I don’t have a lot of power, but I want to try to help other people in need. I want to be kind to other people through Jesus Christ.

So, I guess not many changes?

This is my personal opinion, but I think Japanese people are actually afraid of being different from other people. For example, many years ago, there was a bad accident that happened in the name of religion. A cult was responsible for the accident.

I think Japanese people still keep looking for God, because people are weak. In Japanese society, we work so hard, and our country is unstable. We have so many things to stress about, and I think they want a God to look after them.

But it’s difficult for them to be Christian because we are the minority in Japan, and Japanese people want to be the same as each other.

What do you think Christianity is like in other countries?

Some Korean missionaries came to my church, and I had a chance to speak with them. They were so kind. My image of Christians in foreign countries is of these missionaries. Even though I have never been to a Korean church, I think it would be similar to this experience.

How about America?

My image of American church is pretty good. If they believe in Jesus Christ, they are my brothers and sisters.

What do you think American churches are like?

I had a chance to talk with some American Christians. Some of them were missionaries, but everyone was so nice.I think church in the United States would be really fun and welcoming. But, maybe this is because I saw movies like The Blues Brothers… 

(laughs) Oh I see!

The church atmosphere seems so cheerful in movies.

Are there many young Christian people in your church?

Good question! In my church, there are many different generations, from babies to the elderly. 

Do young people come with their families or by themselves?

Young people, especially little kids, come with their parents. My pastor believes that children are extremely important. He thinks if children are familiar with Jesus while young, they will lead better lives because He will always be with them. 

The average age of Christians in Japan is very high, so we are afraid that churches will disappear in the future. If too many people leave, our churches cannot exist here.

What do you think the future of Christianity is in Japan?

Sh: If the number of young people in Japan decreases, I think many churches will close because it will become difficult to find Christians in Japan. I hope God sends many young people to our churches one day.

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For the next part of the article, please click here.

[inkognito97]

Xanatos II

Sequel to Xanatos

Summary:  “Who does he think he is?” Xanatos hissed. “I know,” Feemor replied. “I can’t believe he just… threw him away like this, after all they have been through.” The raven haired boy hummed and gently closed the eyes of the Jedi who was pressed between them. Sometimes Obi-Wan would forget to close them, especially during sleep. “And for a boy who MIGHT be Chosen One,” he added heatedly. “Even if that boy is the Chosen One, it does not give him the right.” The blonde Knight sighed, “No wonder poor Obi is so rattled.” Xanatos hummed, “Do you think he will be alright?” Feemor shrugged, “I don’t know.”

When Xanatos had heard that his Padawan brother was back on Coruscant, he was eager to see him again. When said Padawan knocked on his door in the middle of the night however – Obi-Wan had never really been bothered with the concept of night and day, his world was always dark after all – he was not so happy and eager anymore. Unseeing blue-green eyes were red and there were tear stains on his cheeks. Looks were also something the ginger haired male could not be overly bothered with, most of the time it were his Padawan brothers or Qui-Gon himself, who told him what to wear to which occasion or how to look. But looks greatly bothered Xanatos, especially when his usually happy and energetic little Padawan brother looked as if he had been through hell and back.

He had ushered the distraught Padawan into his small quarter as soon as the first shock had gone. He then told his young visitor to hang his robe on the rack and then go into the bedroom. Obi-Wan had often been here and he would find his way even without the use of the Force and his other senses, so Xanatos was not worried about it. Instead he was able to locate his comlink and he contacted Feemor, Obi-Wan would undoubtedly need all the love and care he could get. Thankfully the blonde Knight picked up after the second ring and even though he was still groggy from sleep, he immediately agreed to come as fast as possible when Xanatos told him about Obi-Wan. Only a few minutes later, Fee arrived and the two Knights walked into Xanatos’ bedroom, where Obi-Wan was already waiting.

The ginger haired man lay curled on his side and he was hugging one of the pillows close to his chest. His eyes were open and silent tears ran down his cheeks. The two Knights wasted not another moment and joined the younger male on the bed, Xanatos in front of him and Feemor behind. Gratefully the Padawan cuddled into his brother’s chest and hid his face there while Feemor held the two younger males in his arms. The three Jedi just stayed there, while the one in the middle sobbed silently. Only once he had calmed down, did the raven haired man take the initiative.

“Hey there,” with his thumb he wiped away the tear stains from the other’s cheek.

“Do you want to talk about it?” the blonde Knight asked. It hurt him to see his youngest brother like this, especially since he only remembered Obi-Wan happy, unless he was injured that is. The ginger haired Padawan had even been happy when they had first met during a shared mission. Needless to say, they immediately had taken a liking to each other, especially since the Padawan could easily rival the other’s intellect.

“I don’t know,” was mumbled into a strong chest.

Feemor and Xanatos exchanged a worried glance. “Did… did something happen during your last mission?” Xanatos probed.

The younger male shrugged. “Master picked up a few strays again…”

“Well, that’s nothing new,” Feemor replied sarcastically. All three were very much aware of their Master’s odd quirks, especially when it came to ‘pathetic and helpless’ life forms. It only became bad when those life forms turned out to be very dangerous. “Did his latest stray hurt you?”

Obi-Wan shook his head. He shifted a bit and grabbed the front of Xanatos’ dark robes just a little tighter. “No.” There was a pause and the two older Jedi waited patiently. They knew that their distressed companion was thinking on how to rephrase his thoughts so that they would understand. “One of his strays…” he cleared his throat, “it’s a boy, about nine or ten years old. Master believes him to be the Chosen One.”

Xanatos’ brows furrowed and Feemor tightened his grip on his brothers. They had both noticed the way Obi-Wan refused to say Qui-Gon’s name and they had both heard the undertone in the Padawan’s voice.

“Is he?” the eldest eventually asked.

“I don’t know… no one does. But – and the Council agrees with me – I think he is dangerous. Master brought him here to be tested… the Council does not want him to be trained.”

“Well, he is too old, isn’t he?”

“That and Qui-Gon brought him here,” Feemor added.

The ginger haired male nodded and sniffed, “Master was not pleased.”

“I wonder why…” Xanatos remarked sarcastically, he had a bad premonition where this was heading.

“He… he said… in front of the Council,” talking was obviously getting harder and the tears had started to flow again, “that he would take Anakin as his Padawan learner and… and when they said that he already had one… he said that… that I should undergo my trials.” The sobbing had started again, not that either of the two older males blamed it. They now understood what was going on with their little brother and a very unjedi like emotion ran through them, anger.

“Shh, it’s alright brother, we are here.” Xanatos tried to soothe his distressed guest as good as possible, knowing full well that it would do not much good.

“Just stay… please,” the ginger haired male managed to wheeze out between his sobbing.

“Of course we will,” Feemor promised and the raven haired Jedi nodded. They cuddled closer on the large bed, as close as physical possible. Xanatos was not at all bothered by the wet spot on his clothes, as long as his brother would know that they would not let go of him. Little Obi-Wan was part of their family, despite his quirks and despite his handicap.

If Xanatos was completely honest with himself, then he had to admit that Obi-Wan was actually the best of the three of them, needless to say he was better than Qui-Gon, especially when the man pulled a stunt like this. Obi-Wan was wiser than the four of them, highly intelligent and he had a unique grasp of the Force that could not easily be disrupted. He also was very talented with a lightsaber, even though Fee and he sometimes thought that Ataru was not the ideal fighting style for him.

With combined powers, the two Knights sent their brother into the lands of dreams, with the younger male’s consent of course. He needed his sleep, especially after such a stressful day. That and it gave the two older males an opportunity to talk without disturbing their ginger haired brother even more.

“Who does he think he is?” Xanatos hissed.

“I know,” Feemor replied. “I can’t believe he just… threw him away like this, after all they have been through.”

The raven haired boy hummed and gently closed the eyes of the Jedi who was pressed between them. Sometimes Obi-Wan would forget to close them, especially during sleep.

“And for a boy who MIGHT be Chosen One,” he added heatedly.

“Even if that boy is the Chosen One, it does not give him the right.” The blonde Knight sighed, “No wonder poor Obi is so rattled.”

Xanatos hummed, “Do you think he will be alright?”

Feemor shrugged, “I don’t know.”

A moment of silence passed between the two Jedi. “Will you stay tonight Fee?”

“Yes… if you don’t mind of course.”

The younger Knight slightly shook his head, “No, quite the opposite actually. I always enjoyed the nights just the three of us spent together.”

A small smile appeared on the older one’s features. “I did too Xani. I did too.”

“Besides, Obi needs BOTH of us now,” the other male could only nod in agreement.

When morning arrived, the two Knights did everything in their power to make their little brother feel better than the previous night. It actually worked, the ginger haired male laughed and joked almost carefree with his older companions, but when Qui-Gon Jinn rang the door chime around midday, all the previous joy and serenity had vanished into oblivion.

One single glance at the Padawan told Xanatos everything he needed to know. If things could go his way, then the raven haired boy would have given the stubborn gundark a part of his mind, but he knew that Obi-Wan would not want that, besides, it would probably only make matters a lot worse than they already were. He didn’t want that for Obi-Wan, which is why he opened the door in the first place.

“Xanatos,” Qui-Gon greeted friendly, completely ignoring the other’s foul mood, when he engulfed the raven haired Knight in a tight hug.

“Master,” Xanatos retorted automatically.

“Tell me, are you in possession of a Padawan learner? I seem to have misplaced mine,” the older male joked.

“Did you,” the Knight could not believe how someone could be so dense.

Apparently the Master had finally figured out that something was not right. There was worry in his eyes, when he asked, “Is something amiss?”

“No,” he replied sarcastically, “everything is fine.” He did not wait for another reply, but walked back into his living room, where his two most favorite people in the galaxy were sitting. Or rather, Fee was sitting on the red couch – a present Xanatos had gotten from one of the damsels in distress he had saved – and Obi was lying on it, with his head resting in the blonde Knight’s lap. The picture immediately softened Xanatos’ foul mood, even though he could feel Qui-Gon coming up right behind him. At least the Master had remembered to close the front door.

“There you are,” the tall male exclaimed happily and he walked forwards, until he was standing near the other end of the couch.

“Master,” Obi-Wan’s voice was rid of all emotions and Feemor did say nothing at all.

The Master’s brow furrowed, “What is the matter with all of you?” He looked his previous students deep in the eyes. He would have done the same with Obi-Wan, hadn’t he known that it would do him no good at all.

Xanatos outright refused to answer, Feemor just shrugged and Obi-Wan mentally sighed, before he replied with a quiet, “Nothing.”

“This is not ‘nothing’,” he was not pleased and he was on the verge of ordering his obedient Padawan to speak up.

“No it isn’t, but it is none of your business,” snapped Xanatos.

Midnight blue eyes closed for a moment and the three younger occupants of the room could feel how the bearded male released his frustration and irritation into the Force. “Very well, I can accept that there are certain things that a Master is not supposed to know,” he turned solemnly to Obi-Wan, “We have another mission, Padawan.”

The ginger haired male could not stop himself from flinching at the title, but only Feemor noticed, because of their close proximity and contact. The blonde did not point it out aloud, but he sent Xanatos a meaningful glare and let his hand slide down Obi-Wan’s arm in a soothing manner.

“Now?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Yes, we are to return to Naboo with the Queen in order to protect her.”

Obi-Wan nodded, he had feared as much. “I see…”

It was Qui-Gon’s turn to nod, “You have an hour to prepare, then I want you to bring Anakin to the hanger bay.” “He will accompany us?” the ginger haired male had sat up and realized too late that his voice was not emotionless anymore.

Qui-Gon’s eyes narrowed dangerously, not that Obi-Wan could see it. But he could feel the minimal change in the man’s Force presence that told him that he had hit a sore point and the man was none too happy about it. “Obi-Wan,” there was a warning edge to his tone and all present knew what it meant, “I will not discuss this again. Keep your jealously to yourself or there will be consequences. I will hear no more complaints about Anakin, have I made myself clear?”

The ginger haired male was glad that he couldn’t see the obvious anger and disappointment on the man’s face. He was not sure he could have endured it. He bowed his head, “Yes Master.”

“Good. Don’t be late,” Qui-Gon left without another word.

“Obi,” Feemor began, but the younger male shook his head. He was biting his lip and his form was slumped. His eyes were also closed shut, as if he wanted to stop fresh tears from falling.

“It’s okay,” Xanatos sat himself in front of his Padawan brother and he pulled him closer. Feemor also moved closer and the blind male instinctively held onto the two older males, searching for much needed comfort.

For the first time since meeting Obi-Wan, Xanatos and Feemor were glad that their little brother could not see the conversation they were holding just by looking into each other’s eyes.

Obi-Wan was trembling, partly because of the adrenaline that was running through his veins and partly because of fear. Just barely had he stopped in front of the shutting energy field. Hadn’t it been for years of training alongside Qui-Gon, who had come up with all kind of dangerous and ridiculous situations and training methods so that his Padawan would truly be ready to face the galaxy without his eye sight, he would have run right into it and probably sustained serious injuries. This was thankfully not the case however. If the alternative was so much better, would remain to be seen.

The Padawan let his senses wander around the room. He felt Qui-Gon’s calm Force presence in front of him, not that far away, but with a handful of laser shields separating them. In front of Qui-Gon, the dark being was pacing. Obi-Wan could feel in his presence that he was frustrated and angry at the male in front of him. Apparently he thought that he was being mocked. Which he probably was… Obi-Wan silently cursed his Master. Why did the man always have to be so stubborn and so damn proud all the time?

A shift in the Force alarmed the Padawan of the opening of the shields. The first that opened, was the one between Qui-Gon and the dark creature. The Force had whispered Darth Maul, so Obi-Wan guessed that this must have been the being’s name. But he pushed that thought aside for the moment. He had to focus on the actual battle. He knew that something terrible was about to happen and that he would not be able to prevent it. Actually, he knew EXACTLY what was going to happen. The Force had shown him a detailed vision in the Force during the trip to Naboo. The vision had left him so rattled and unbalanced, that he had not even been able to confront Qui-Gon before the actual start of their mission. They had not talked, there was still that last argument between them and Obi-Wan knew what was about to happen.

This was also the reason, why he did NOT scream when his Master was impaled by the red blade of the Zabrak. Only a shaky breathe escaped him and clenched his weapon tighter. He knew what to do, he had seen it. He knew the Sith’s moves from this point on, he could do it, even without falling into that pit. He could, no, he WOULD kill that monster so that it would not hurt another being ever again. And he WOULD save Qui-Gon so that they may have that talk.

The shields went down again and as before the Sith – as the Force had whispered to him – did not hesitate to attack. Left, right, from above. He knew the moves, he knew their feeling in the Force. He could almost see the hideous creature before him. The picture of the red and black Zabrak was burned in his mind and combined with his ability to sense movements way before they actually happened, he ‘saw’ what was happening and what he had to do.

Sooner than expected, but still not soon enough for the young man’s liking, had the Sith been defeated. He was cut in half, but not cut at the waist like in his vision, but from shoulder to groin. The Force had shown him a future with the Zabrak returning, mad with rage and with robotic legs, and thankfully THAT future could be prevented quite easily.

Just in case, did the ginger haired male throw the other’s lightsaber into the pit, far out of anyone’s reach. Only then did he run to his fallen Master’s side.

The man was panting harshly, fighting for every breath. He was also in a lot of pain and his whole body trembled without control. With much care did Obi-Wan lift the other’s head up and steadied it with his leg.

“Obi…” he coughed.

“It’s going to be alright Master, help is already on the way.” He tried to bring the male to calm down.

“No… too late,” dark blue eyes closed for a brief moment, “Promise… promise me you will train the boy…” he rasped out and it cost him a lot of energy.

“Yes Master,” he agreed, even if only for the taller male’s sake.

A shaky hand reached up and caressed the Padawan’s cheek, who was desperately searching with his Force sense for something he could do. He knew the older male would not survive until the medics arrived, he had to do something, ANYTHING.

“He is the… Chosen One, he will… bring balance,” Qui-Gon continued. It was very important for him that his student got the message, but Obi-Wan was not really listening anymore. He had found what he had been looking for, an opening the Force had provided him. The Sith’s life energy was still there and of course there was his own. If he could just transport one into Qui-Gon’s body…

“Train him,” he was slipping away, but as the stubborn Padawan that Obi-Wan was, he forced his presence to prevent Qui-Gon’s from vanishing. He heard the older male gasp, but he ignored it and turned his focus to the Sith’s lingering life energy.

Obi-Wan had always found his blindness more of a gift than a curse. Of course he could not see the beauty of things, like other people did and of course he did not really know what colors were. He only knew a few of them through his visions. He would also never be able to really look somebody in the eyes. No, his world has always been dark, but all that had never truly mattered to him, because if gave him opportunities he would have missed otherwise.

He used the Force and his other senses to cover up his blindness. His advanced hearing allowed him to hear people’s heart beats and therefore guess what they were feeling and if they were lying. His nose was even sharper than Qui-Gon’s and even though it was sometimes highly unpleasant, it had saved their lives more often than not; when he had smelled out wild animals or if he had detected certain herbs or plants for example. But the most useful skill was his altered ability to use the Force. He could see other beings in a strange way. He had thought it normal, until he had allowed Qui-Gon to see the world through his eyes. The Master had been excited to discover that Obi-Wan saw a web like system – a little bit like a Code – that allowed him to know about his opponent’s motives, moves and sometimes even thoughts.

With a lot of effort, he extracted the darkness out of the dead Sith’s life energy. He allowed the darkness to pass through him – and therefore through the fine strands of his own net – and into the Force, where it vanished into nothingness. The energy that was warm and pulsing came next. But he did not allow it to pass through his net. He captured it, in the palm of his hand and let it travel along the strands, along the bond, into Qui-Gon’s body. Again the Jedi Master gasped in a mixture of shock and pain. He lifted from the ground a bit, but the Padawan held him down. Slowly, very slowly the two energies began to stick together, to shift and then to stabilize, but Obi-Wan’s mind was beginning to get foggy. He did not see how his Master fell into a healing trance after the combined energies reentered his system, firmly docking there. He did not see it, because he fell into a darkness much stronger than the one he was used to.

Obi-Wan had been more than a little disorientated when he awoke the next time. His connection with the Force was foggy, leaving him without his most reliable aid for a few brief moments. Thankfully the steady and familiar presences of Feemor and Xanatos had been there to calm him down. Anakin had been in the room as well, but he was quickly ushered out, when the healers arrived.

Afterwards, Obi-Wan had asked his Padawan brothers about what had happened and they told him in a very detailed fashion on how he and Qui-Gon were found and thought dead. How he had saved their Master’s life and almost lost his own and they told him that the Council had decided to Knight him, for he had defeated a Sith and overcome the darkness, like only a true Jedi Knight could. He could feel the pride radiating off of them and for a moment he just basked in the glow, but then he had remembered something else. The good mood was dampened, when he had been told that Qui-Gon had not yet woken and probably would not for quite some time.

This is why he was now kneeling before the Council, with Feemor and Xanatos performing the traditional ritual that Qui-Gon Jinn should have done.

All Council members stood around them in the sparely lit room. The light conditions in the room was something that Obi-Wan did not notice. They were standing straight and had their lightsabers raised and near the door stood little Anakin Skywalker. He had shyly asked if he could watch the ceremony and Obi-Wan had invited him. It was a good way to bring him a step closer into the Order.

Xanatos was standing one or two feet before Obi-Wan, holding the ginger haired male’s lightsaber in his hand, also activated.

Feemor was meanwhile running circles around his two younger Padawan brothers. His job was it, to quote the ancient words of the Knighting Ritual. “We are all Jedi. The Force speaks through us. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. Today we are here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed.”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi,” this time it was the raven haired Knight’s voice that cut through the silence. Obi-Wan felt his own lightsaber first warm his right shoulder, then his left. His head was bowed and he was struggling to stay completely calm while Feemor spoke the next words.

“By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee Jedi, Knight of the Republic.”

A quick movement, a hissing sound and Obi-Wan’s braid was separated from his head. With nimble finger did he reach up and took the braid into his hand, holding it close to his chest. Xanatos deactivated the blue blade and held it out for the new Knight to take. Obi-Wan stood up slowly and wordlessly took the offered weapon. He knew that the dark haired man in front of him was smiling fondly.

“Is there anything you want to say now that you are knighted?” Mace Windu’s deep voice cut through room. This was usually the part where the Padawan decided if his Master was worthy of the braid or if there was something he had always wanted to say to his Master. There was nothing Obi-Wan could say and they all knew that, for the man in question was still lying in the medical wing, oblivious to the outside world.

Instead, Obi-Wan took the opportunity of the moment, “Yes, I will take Anakin Skywalker as my Padawan learner.”

He heard Feemor utter a surprised gasp. The blonde had planned on taking Anakin as his own Padawan, Obi-Wan had heard him say so to Xanatos. But the new Knight had made a promise, not only to Qui-Gon Jinn, but to the Force as well. The Force had said that the young Skywalker boy needed special training far away from the temple and Obi-Wan knew that Feemor would not want to leave for the duration of a whole apprenticeship. Neither would Xanatos, but he himself, had not much too lose. He could still be in contact with his two brothers after all.

Xanatos and Feemor’s shock quickly turned into pleasure. They apparently were content with becoming uncles instead of Masters and fathers themselves. Otherwise they would both have already chosen a Padawan learner.

Somebody cleared his throat loudly. Obi-Wan immediately identified the person as a stern and old Council member, who stuck too much to old and ancient rules. “Impossible, you are way too young to train a Padawan.”

Obi-Wan felt the blonde boy in question fidget nervously with the tunics he had been handed. “With all due respect Master,” he stood just a little straighter and his tone was defiant, “It’s not written ANYWHERE, how old a Padawan has to be, to be knighted and there is also NO entry, on how old a Knight has to be, to take on a Padawan.” Feemor and Xanatos exchanged amused glances, while Anakin ever so slowly crept towards the ginger haired Knight, who had always been rather nice to him.

The humanoid Master’s eyebrows twitched. “You are not experienced enough.”

“And perhaps you have too much experience. Besides, I will take him, whether the Council approves or not,” Obi-Wan shrugged and looked in the general direction of the male. He remembered Qui-Gon always arguing with this one and perhaps that was now SUPPOSED to be the revenge, not that Obi-Wan would tolerate it, not at all.

Meanwhile Anakin Skywalker was standing to the new Knight’s right. Obi-Wan did not look at him, not even when Anakin gently tugged at his sleeve, he just took the boy’s smaller hand in his own.

Yoda was sending the new Knight a warm look and with a single hit of his walking stick on the stone floor, he silenced the arguing Master, before the man could even form a reply. “Approve of this partnership, I do.” He nodded.

“I do as well,” Mace Windu agreed. His and Yoda’s opinions were always very important, but when they actually agreed on the same matter, then their combined words were unwritten law. No other Council member was foolish enough to continue arguing.

Back in his old quarters, Obi-Wan was packing all the things he would need for the following ten years or longer. After the Council had – some of them reluctantly – agreed that Anakin Skywalker was to be his Padawan learner, he had stayed behind with the said boy, as well as Master Yoda and Mace Windu. The two Masters had first congratulated him on both the knighting, as well as the apprenticeship. He had humbly accepted both. Then he had reported them about the things the Force had revealed to him, as well as the special training Anakin needed. The two Masters had asked a lot of questions, mostly about his knowledge about his journey, the places he wanted to visit and so on and so forth. In the end they had agreed, of course they did. Both Yoda and Mace had always had a soft spot for him. Still Obi-Wan felt a lot better about his plans and everything else, with the blessings of the two Jedi.

“Master?” the blonde boy had sat on Obi-Wan’s old bed, silent up until now, “why have you taken me as your student?” It was still strange for the Knight to be called Master.

“Well,” Obi-Wan decided to be absolutely honest and open now, “I made a promise to Qui-Gon to train you, but I wouldn’t have made that promise, hadn’t it been the will of the Force. Or in other words, I simply wanted you as my apprentice.” He quickly added the last part, when he felt the young Padawan’s confusion in the air.

“Really?” there was so much hope in the young one’s words that it almost hurt. But there was also something else that deeply bothered the older of the two males.

“Really,” he agreed, “but why do you ask?”

Anakin was fidgeting again, a habit that Obi-Wan would break some of these days, because it was making him extremely nervous. “I eh… you,” he took a deep breath, “because you keep avoiding looking at me…” the blonde finally admitted.

Obi-Wan paused in his tasks, completely frozen in place. Had nobody told the boy? Surely he must have noticed. Slowly he turned around and looked at where he knew the other’s face to be. The Knight was aware that his eyes were wide in surprise and that his mouth was open in shock, but he was not bothered by it, not now.

“Anakin,” the Padawan did not react and Obi-Wan abandoned his halfway packed bag in favor of kneeling right in front of his young charge. He gently took the boy’s smaller hands, which had been playing with the hem of his shirt, in his own. He tugged invitingly at them and eventually, the young Skywalker looked up. “Anakin,” he began gently, “I am terrible sorry for stirring such feelings in you, it was not my intention to make you feel unwanted. But… but I thought you knew.”

“Knew? Knew what?” his curiosity was clearly spiked and Obi-Wan had to smirk at that.

“I’m blind Padawan,” there was no other way to say it, he had learned that from Qui-Gon.

It took a few moments until Anakin replied, “You are joking… right?” his voice sounded uncertain.

The ginger haired Knight sighed and pulled slightly back to properly sit down on the ground in front of his Padawan. These conversations were always the worst parts. People tended to believe that he was lying, just because his eyes were not milky white in color, like it was often the case. People also tended to not believe him, because Qui-Gon had trained him to always ‘look’ – or at least appear to be looking – at peoples’ faces.

“I am not joking, I am truly blind. The Force and my other senses just help me ‘see’ in a different way. For example, I can feel your movements in the Force, it is like a vibration and if I concentrate a little more, you appear as a part of a large net. Every time a string moves, something happens and I learned to remember what string causes what action. Do you understand?”

Anakin nodded, before he quickly replied, “Yes Master. But what about colors and how do you know how people look, how you look?”

“Well, I was always more connected to the Unifying Force, which means that I tend to have visions every now and then. Those visions are full of colors. You see, my brain is not damaged. My optic nerves are the problem, they never really worked, perhaps a mutation during my development.”

“And then you asked people what color the tree trunks have and you would know how the color brown looked,” the boy summarized.

“Very good,” the Knight praised, “you learn quick.”

“What about your own looks though?”

“I HAD Qui-Gon and sometimes even Xani and Fee for that… but I guess they won’t be helping me any time soon, not after we left the temple to begin your training.”

The young Skywalker thought for a moment. His brows were furrowed and his eyes slightly narrowed, the gears in his mind turning on full speed. It couldn’t be much longer until smoke started to come out of his ear. Obi-Wan decided to wait this one out. The Padawan clearly was trying his hardest to come up with something, one of his ‘brilliant’ plans or perhaps another crazy idea.

“Maybe,” the blonde eventually began, “maybe I can help you from now on. Don’t worry, I helped Mom a lot with her hair and you can tell me about your Jedi robes.” He seemed eager and ready for action.

Obi-Wan laughed softly, “I would like that very much.” The grin he received, could have rivaled the twin suns of Tatooine.

“Are you sure about this?” Feemor asked what felt like the thousands time already.

Obi-Wan just sent him an amused look, but didn’t say anything. He had been sure as soon as the Force had thrown Anakin Skywalker literally at him. This was his destiny, THEIR destiny. There wouldn’t be a ‘him’ anymore. Anakin and he were a team now and only as a team they would survive the next years, Obi-Wan was sure of it.

“Fee,” Xanatos cut in, “little Obi has grown up. I mean, look at him. He is a full Knight now, he has a Padawan and he killed a damn Sith… I don’t think there is anything out there that can stop him.” He draped a comforting arm around the older Knight’s shoulder.

“He is right Fee, I CAN watch after me and if you crack a joke or give me a stupid comment now, I swear that I’ll hit you.” Xanatos, who had truly wanted to say that he couldn’t be watching himself since he didn’t watch anything at all, wisely shut his mouth. Obi-Wan nodded ones in satisfaction. “Besides, I have my new Padawan at my back, he will keep me save.”

He sent a warm smile towards the younger boy at his side, who grinned up at him as if Obi-Wan was his greatest hero, which he probably was. “Don’t worry Master, I make sure that nothing bad will happen.”

The three Knights laughed in unison and Feemor bent down to ruffle through blonde locks that had recently been cut into the traditional Padawan hair style. “I’m sure you will. May the Force be with you,” he glimpsed at the ginger haired Knight.

“Yes and if trouble arises, you know how to contact us. Fee and I will be faster with you than Master Yoda can swing that stick of his.” Xanatos added and he made a gesture as if he was hitting imaginary beetles with an oversized bat.

Anakin laughed at the comically sight and he was not the only one. Obi-Wan just rolled his eyes, while Feemor shook his head, but a few other Knights and Masters chuckled openly and fondly at the most popular gang in the Jedi Order.

“I guess that’s it then,” Obi-Wan said when his transport landed. His two older brothers just nodded, before both of them first hugged him tight and then ruffled Anakin’s spiky hair affectionately. Not much words were exchanged then, just a last promise from Xanatos. “We’ll contact you, when Qui-Gon’s situation changes,” he yelled after his little brother, who had become a tall and big brother during the last twelve years. Perhaps it was just the new title, or perhaps it was the young and energetic boy running after him, Xanatos was not sure, but his little brother had grown into a fine man indeed.

[caeconut]

Flaytern - First Contact

Flaytern paced down the ramp of the landing pad, his body language clearly uneasy. The dark side is strong here He thought to himself, pulling down the brown hood covering his head. His youthful chestnut hair looking freshly washed as it moved with the breeze, his face and robes quickly becoming showered with black soot carried by the winds. Underneath his stereotypical Jedi robe he wore a set of segmented durasteel alloy armor, which remained metallic silver in its colour, on his waist a utility belt complimented by a water skin, a credit purse and his holocommunicator, which continuously flashed, silent and left ignored as he carried on with his slow, anxious walk down onto the dirt at the bottom of the ramp. He could barely see fifty yards ahead of him, black soot filled the air of the volcanic planet. He used his knowledge of barriers to cover his face and create some breathable air in a sphere around his head before carrying on, the Defender class starfighter he landed on quickly disappearing into the storm behind him.

He pushed on, after many hours sat in his ship contemplating to even take a step outside he decided to brace the weather. The storms on Iperon III only subsiding for a few days per cycle, he hardly saw the point on trying to wait it out. The sun barely pierced the ashen clouds in the sky, the planet wasn’t exactly inhabitable, the cold reminded him of Hoth, not as hypothermia inducing as the ice laden world, though freezing weather coupled with the annoyance of the soot possibly made it even worse.

He walked for what must’ve been about a mile before his holocommunicator began beeping loudly, the flashing faster and brighter than it was when he descended from his ship. He was following a trail, of sorts. He unclipped the communicator before looking at it, turning left and right on the spot for a moment before coming to a complete standstill. The signal points to this location exactly He thought, his face turning to a frown as he takes a few steps backwards to survey what’s in front of him, looking for absolutely anything out of the ordinary.  He pushes a foot forward, sifting through the ash with his boot before it makes contact with something metallic. Kneeling down he swipes a hand across the ash to reveal a tracking device. It still flashed the same faint red it did when he first planted it on his targets ship. He exhaled, standing up and kicking the device away. Worthless. He turned back the way he came and began to walk, his head still encased in the barrier he erected to protect himself from the planet’s ecosystem. His legs carried him about halfway back to his ship before he noticed something strange. A red glow, just a little too far out of his field of view to get a clear picture of it, it moved side to side, further back, but never towards him.

He picked up his speed, beginning a light jog towards its location, though it was gone by the time he’d arrived. Am I going mad? He thought to himself. I can’t be taken off track, I’ll never find my way back to my ship. He shook it off, attempting to instill himself with some sense. He carried on his walk regardless, another few minutes past before he saw the same red glow, faint once again, just far away enough to be indistinguishable. He tried to ignore it this time, shrugging off the taunting vision as delusions caused by his stress. The trek back to his ship seemed more difficult than the one to the tracking beacon, his legs felt heavier as if they were being weighed down by his plating, the storm only increasing in its potency as time passed.

Though still young, Flaytern was by no means weak. The countless hours of lightsaber drills, meditation and training which lead to his knighthood made sure that his walk through this volcanic storm felt as effortless as a stroll around the Nar Shaddaa promenade for the average human. It was the mind games which affected him the most, the constant taunting of the red glow in the corner of his eye, he ignored it as best he could, but one eye always ended up fixed on it. He swore he could hear laughter all around him, stopping every once in a while to compose himself and rid his mind of paranoid thoughts, making the journey back to his ship far longer than the journey to his beacon.

The laughter suddenly grew louder, and now from one direction. He snapped his head back immediately towards the direction of it and saw nothing, exhaling and turning his head back on track he saw the red glow again, closer now, and the colour much more intense. It got closer and closer before it clicked, he couldn’t quite make it out at first but now all was clear. The taunting red glow had been a lightsaber all this time, and now it was hurling itself towards him, he barely had enough time to unclip his own, igniting his adegan blue crystal before knocking the foreign saber off into the distance as if it were a huttball. It went out of view once again, the crimson red becoming fainter until it disappeared completely.  

“I can sense it in you” a voice echoed inside of Flaytern’s head. “Perhaps there is hope for you” it rambled before the young Jedi forced the voice out, pushing it from his mind. Saber still in hand he slowly ascended into his Djem-so stance, circling on one foot, unsure of himself and his opponent. Another flash hurled towards him, this time not a lightsaber, but a bolt of lightning. With a quick sweep of his blade, Flaytern dissipated the shot quickly. Numerous more cheapshots flew his way, all easily handled. He was in the zone now, no longer doubting his own sanity, he’d been correct in his suspicions all along.

He finally got a glimpse of the figure that had been probing his defenses, moving quickly left to right as it approached him at an alarming speed, the face still obscured by the volcanic storm raging around him. His saber raised, he struck down as the figure reached him. His strong-armed Djem-so killed nothing but dust particles as the image moved so quickly past him, like striking out at a ghost.

A burning sensation pierced his mind, an attack which his saber was unable to defend against. He turned, again and again as he fought the pain. The voice simply laughed again, just out of his field of view the figure stood, channeling an incantation which paid no heed to the storm separating the two, the attack was meant for Flaytern, and it was accurate in its casting. An image appeared next to the struggling Jedi, an older, graying man who looked to be in his fifties. His hair almost in the exact same style as Flay’s, the parting simply on the other side on the right rather than the left. It was the image of his father, as best he could remember him anyway. Flaytern was the spitting image of him, minus the beard, corruption and age. Crimson eyes shon, the same which once sat a dull green during their time on Corellia.

Flaytern paused for a second in shock to observe the figure before simply lashing out, swinging his saber with a single hand towards it. Once again, it passed through thin air, the image disappearing completely as the lightsaber cut through it. “Sore spot?” the attacker taunted, the voice that of a woman, purposefully shrill. He kept a firm single handed grip on his saber, not uttering a word, merely hissing as the incantation invaded his mind. Another image appeared, this time behind him and once again he swung, before the saber could even reach the nonexistent image he noticed this time it was a woman. His mother now, he flinched. Her hair still blonde, wrinkles in all the places he remembered them to be. All seemed well until he noticed the glaring hole in her chest, able to peer through it to the other side he finally got a glimpse of the female figure in her entirety. He composed himself after seeing his mother, simply stepping forward, through the apparition which stood before him and it faded to the wind like the last two.

He pointed his saber towards her, his demeanor much calmer than it had been thus far. “Who are you?” He demanded. His voice was stern now, the incantation having less, and less effect on him the closer he got to his target. The woman's face became clear, it was pale, very pale, blue veins running across the her creased forehead, with crimson red eyes in the foreground, burning with a maniacal rage. She hadn’t even tried to hide the dark side corruption, embracing it in its entirety. She began to move, slowly, akin to a snake circling its prey before shooting forward, fangs bared. She closed the distance in the blink of an eye, sending a wild slash upwards from her waist towards Flay’s chest, hoping to cripple the Jedi early on. Though Flaytern, a fully fledged Jedi knight was not to be underestimated. His blade met her own within an instant, pushing it down and locking hers to the ground. He met her malicious gaze with his own confident stare, unmoving. She hissed at him, exposing her animalistic teeth, pointed, as if they’d been sharpened.

She pushed her left hand out, sending Flaytern stumbling backwards before she pounced once again, her Juyo meeting Flayterns Djem-so, his defenses proving to be more of an issue to probe than she had thought. He didn’t radiate a natural affinity for the force like she or many others did, but what he had was well honed, and relentlessly trained. This only angered her, the two clashed for minutes, Flayterns heavy-handed, precise movements versus a ruthless hurricane of dark side energy. The onslaught of lightsaber strikes pressuring even him, a well trained, measured user of Djem-so.

Something came he could not predict, suddenly the woman leapt into the air, an acrobatic style normally associated with Ataru. It caught him off guard completely, he looked up as she jumped over him, guard raised before he felt his saber jump out of his hands completely, flying into the dirt below and extinguishing upon impact. She landed behind him, and in doing so, sent a flurry of rapid cuts into the Jedi’s back. If it weren’t for his armor he’d have been dead right there, though the saber tip still found its mark, melting through the armor and piercing skin, the sound of sizzling and bubbling echo throughout his ears as she acted like the painter to his canvas, and before he knew it, he hit the floor face first. His force defenses were completely broken, he tried pulling himself up for a moment, completely forgetting about the looming threat, cackling as he struggled.

His back burned, the cuts weren’t deep but he definitely felt them. He lay for a moment, spitting out the black ash that had covered his face on impact. He lifted his chest off of the ground, quickly turning his head to see the Sith had something else in mind for him, her hand surged with lightning for a few seconds before she chucked it directly at him. He dived forward into a roll, the ground in which he lay almost exploding with electricity as the lightning made its impact. He flung his arm forward, concentrating for a minute, from the ashes, his lightsaber flew back to him. Igniting as soon as he gripped it once more, he turned to face his opponent who was nowhere to be found. Another screech pierced his ears, then the sound of her crimson blade igniting once more. She moved as quickly as she did, but it didn’t matter, leaping into the air in an attempt to finish Flaytern off, he predicted it this time. Now with a genuine anger burning in his eyes he reached out, gripping her by the throat with the force. She stopped in midair, the sound of of gurgling and gagging as her windpipe was slowly pinched closed. Flaytern’s fury burned, he held her there until she went purple, then used the force to slam her into the ground below, a disgusting crack followed the landing.

He walked over to her, she was lay down on her back, retching in a similar manner to he was, black ash covering her face. One of her legs was broken, the bone piercing straight through the skin, a disgusting sight even for a seasoned Jedi. The same visions appeared as they did earlier, in conjuction this time. His mother to his left, his father to his right. Their lips moved, but no sound was heard, he simply ignored them, kneeling down and retrieving the lightsaber of the female Sith. The dark side corruption faded from her skin, leaving behind a rather beautiful woman. She had perfect, pale moonlit skin, blue eyes and her raven hair was tied back in a ponytail. She looked up at him, wide eyed and lip trembling. “P… please master Jedi. Let me go!”.

Still knelt down, he stared at her completely with a stern stoneface, listening to her pleas for as long as she spoke. The pain in his back still blistering, but he ignored it, pushing it out of his mind. He clipped his saber to his belt, offering a hand to her. She took it eagerly. Exhaling through his nose he shook his head, leaning in to speak to her. “No”. Before she even knew it, her own crimson saber had ignited into her heart, she died with a hiss, her body slumping back into the ash, laying still until it was completely covered by the storm.