Sun Dec 20, 2009 6:33 am by William Reign
*He awakens.
He is standing in a long valley of rock and stone seemingly devoid of any life. He looks down the valley. There is a shimmer in the distance, though he knows not what it is. He turns to look backwards and he sees a great stone door. He knows not where it leads. When he turns once more, there is a beautiful older woman standing there not ten feet away. Small streaks of grey line her otherwise rich auburn hair. She smiles at him and she seems familiar, but he doesn't recognize her. How could he, when he doesn't even recognize himself?*
Where am I?
<< Nowhere├óÔé¼┬ªand everywhere. Names have little meaning here but you would know it best as the Valley of Death >>
Who am I?
<< Only you can truly answer that. If you do not know thyself, then no-one else can >>
Why am I here?
*Her smile becomes a sad one.*
<< Many reasons. Your head, heart and soul were not in harmony. You were asked to make a choice. You failed >>
*He frowns. He remembers something├óÔé¼┬ªa reason.*
I needed to know the truth.
<< All truths are clouded by personal perception and prejudice >>
*He is not sure he agrees but he doesn't reply. Somehow he knows he is running out of time. Time for what? Was it something he needed to know or something he needed to do? He looks at her and she smiles at him again.*
<< Both >>
*He blinks. She had read his mind. Interesting.*
What happens now?
*Her expression turns grim and sad. No trace of the smile remains.*
<< No matter what happens now, this will not end well >>
*She turns as if to leave.*
Wait!
*She stops.*
What am I supposed to do?
*With an enigmatic expression, she replies*
<< You wait >>
*She fades away.*
--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--
*Time passes, and he waits. The bright sky grows slightly darker.
After what could have been a day or a year, he hears a strong baritone voice from behind him.*
<< Hello little brother >>
*He turns. Standing not far away is a tall, handsome, square-jawed man with short black hair and a well-trimmed black beard. He wears black silk robes with a golden dragon embroidered down each sleeve. The grin that graces the man's features is familiar, and he somehow knew that it matched his own.*
You are my brother?
<< One of them >>
Why are you here?
<< Because it is the only place I can be. Because it is where you are >>
I don├óÔé¼Ôäót understand.
<< You will in time. You were always the smart one >>
What am I supposed to do until then?
<< When your head, heart and soul are in alignment, you will know. Doubt is absolved by knowledge >>
*He frowns in concentration. He knew these words; they echoed inside of him like the vibrations after the striking of a gong. But he had forgotten so much. It was hard to remember.*
Those words. They mean something important, don├óÔé¼Ôäót they?
*The man nods and smiles approvingly at him*
<< The Code. When in doubt, look to the Code >>
But there's more to it than that. Tell me the rest.
<< I don├óÔé¼Ôäót need to. It's inside you. It always has been >>
*The man turns as if to leave.*
Wait!
*He stops.*
Will I see you again?
*With a brotherly smile, the man replies*
<< You won't need to. I am with you little brother; always. Look after my daughter >>
*He fades away.*
--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--
*Time passes, and he waits.
Words echo in his head, each evoking fragments of shattered memories. It is as if he is re-learning his life all over again, and yet so much of it was missing. He still doesn't know his own name. He looks to the sky, and his sense of urgency increases. It was growing darker. He knew intuitively that if the shadow of evening swept over him, he would be gone. But there was still so much he needed to know. He calls out to the heavens.*
Help me narrator! I am getting bored and want to see the punch line sometime soon!
<< As you wish >>
*He spins around quickly to face the man standing behind him, idly wondering as he does so why these people always insisted on appearing behind him. Did they think it was more dramatic? That Sithspit only worked on TV.*
Who are you?
<< Xendor >>
Aren't you supposed to be all cryptic?
<< I can be if you wish me to >>
No, no. Direct is good. So how do I get out of here?
*Xendor turns to point at the sealed stone door nearby.*
<< Wait for that door to open and then walk through it >>
What if it doesn't open?
<< Then you won't get out of here. You put your life in the hands of others. Your fate is up to them now >>
Then why all the riddles?
<< Because you strayed from the Path, and that is something you will have to atone for, in this life or the next >>
What path?
<< You still don├óÔé¼Ôäót remember? You are The Sage; the Keeper of Knowledge. If you don├óÔé¼Ôäót remember, then the way is lost >>
*He struggles to remember. Bits and pieces come back to him. And faces. Faces of the faithful.*
There are others.
*Xendor shakes his head*
<< It is not enough. They still need you Sage. And you still need to understand your mistakes. The Vision faded and you let it happen. Others share the blame, but it is you now hanging in the balance. If fate turns in your favour and that door opens, it will be up to you to restore it and set the galaxy on a better path >>
*His mind boggles at the concept. One man changing the galaxy was as likely as one man keeping Villa's mum satisfied ├óÔé¼ÔÇ£ it was impossible.*
I can't do it alone.
<< You won't have to >>
*Xendor raises his arm and gestures. On a ridge in the distance, six figures appear ├óÔé¼ÔÇ£ shadowy and indistinct ├óÔé¼ÔÇ£ and yet with auras as clear as day. After a moment, they fade away. Xendor lowers his arm.*
<< These six. Only them may you trust with the task entrusted to you. You will know them, and they will help you. Without them, you will fail >>
*Suddenly he remembers something new. Something from history. The man standing in front of him was a legend who had died thousands of years before ├óÔé¼ÔÇ£ the first of the Dark Jedi.*
You were once a Jedi, right?
<< Just as you were once a Sith >>
Did you ever achieve true harmony with the Path?
*Xendor smiles and shakes his head*
<< No Sage, I did not. And neither will you. You and I are merely steps in the journey. But this journey must be taken, and when the time comes, another will take over from where you left off >>
*Xendor pauses and looks off to one side. There is nothing there and yet he sees something nonetheless. He nods.*
<< I must go. Another like you approaches. A spirit-brother >>
*Xendor gives him a nod as he fades away*