Jsc
Disney's Princess
Ahch To
She stood at the top of the mountain. At the threshold of a wide and empty room. It's only decoration was the clear still water occupying the small pool at the center of the sloping floor. The symbol of the Jedi Order swimming silently in cold waters of it's the bottom. So still. So unmoving. The sound was of the waves crashing outside the island. Of the birds on the cliffs and the wooden handcarts tinkering slowly down the stone steps beyond. But mostly it was quiet. So quiet that you could hear the trickling of water down the wet and glossy mountain walls.
She stood in the center of the room. Her eyes looking out the far jagged doorway to the west. Watching the sun slowly setting against the far wide ocean, casting strong red fragments out against the cool burning sky. And there. Just beneath her gaze. Lay the small stone seat of meditation. A single stone to point the way. Jutting like a spire or a sword out from the grassy mountainside and cutting the windy breezeway air all asunder. A smooth seat of stone that lay atop a spire of jagged grey. With no candle but windy daylight to brighten the way.
Yes. This was it, they said. This was the first Jedi Temple. Huh. "And I can't help but be disappointed..." She mumbled.
Karen Roberts had journeyed half the galaxy over to find this place. It's not-so-secret presence these days reminding her of older times. Reminding that nothing good in this bitter galaxy ever seems to last. "But. To it's credit. This place has. Somehow?" She nodded. Stepping forward to caress it's damp bitter walls. Feeling the Force so strongly. Even in these old stones. By the entrance doorway a small reptile woman lingered. Her white gown so strange and so small. As if waiting for Karen to leave just so she could mop the floor clean again. Make the old, new.
But Karen didn't leave. Instead she pushed herself out that jagged doorway and let her feet fall right next to that old stone chair. Reaching out with her hand, she touched it too. Running her nails across it's creased and burdened surface. Wondering. Just how many great Jedi Masters had sat there? Just how much of the galaxy had they seen from this throne? She wondered. Then. She sat down.
The Force Sensitive woman that she was. She closed her eyes and stretched out with her feelings. Asking the Gods one last time to notice her. To give her a sign. To let her know that in this terrible galaxy of Sith and war, that something good could flourish too. That the Force was real? That the Force was awake? And. This time. Just like the last. Something bright and benevolent reached back, and touched her heart too.
...
She remained there. Just sitting. For the next three hours. Until one handmaiden at the doorway had slowly turned to three. Only then did she open her eyes and relax her posture. Smiling. Letting the warm setting sun do the rest.
"Magnificent." She nodded. Her eyes just taking in the view. "I suppose this place really is special. And now, I really know why."
Karen stood by her X-Wing in the torchlight of the brilliant summer stars of Ahch To. The rocky beach illuminated by a bright shining moon and local pilgrimage of warm torches that wound their way up from the dark shoreline. So quiet was the night air that you could hear the wind rushing through even the smallest of the tall mountain grasses. Here, in the shadows that flickered with fire, she stood just looking up at the stars. Slowly wrapping herself up in a long gray cloak and taking a seat on a fallen bitter log. Just smiling. With red cheeks and a full warm belly. She sat just smiling. Out into the chilly sea breeze air.
"It's all real." She nodded to herself. Looking around at the island legend. Then smiling again. "All of it."
She stood at the top of the mountain. At the threshold of a wide and empty room. It's only decoration was the clear still water occupying the small pool at the center of the sloping floor. The symbol of the Jedi Order swimming silently in cold waters of it's the bottom. So still. So unmoving. The sound was of the waves crashing outside the island. Of the birds on the cliffs and the wooden handcarts tinkering slowly down the stone steps beyond. But mostly it was quiet. So quiet that you could hear the trickling of water down the wet and glossy mountain walls.
She stood in the center of the room. Her eyes looking out the far jagged doorway to the west. Watching the sun slowly setting against the far wide ocean, casting strong red fragments out against the cool burning sky. And there. Just beneath her gaze. Lay the small stone seat of meditation. A single stone to point the way. Jutting like a spire or a sword out from the grassy mountainside and cutting the windy breezeway air all asunder. A smooth seat of stone that lay atop a spire of jagged grey. With no candle but windy daylight to brighten the way.
Yes. This was it, they said. This was the first Jedi Temple. Huh. "And I can't help but be disappointed..." She mumbled.
Karen Roberts had journeyed half the galaxy over to find this place. It's not-so-secret presence these days reminding her of older times. Reminding that nothing good in this bitter galaxy ever seems to last. "But. To it's credit. This place has. Somehow?" She nodded. Stepping forward to caress it's damp bitter walls. Feeling the Force so strongly. Even in these old stones. By the entrance doorway a small reptile woman lingered. Her white gown so strange and so small. As if waiting for Karen to leave just so she could mop the floor clean again. Make the old, new.
But Karen didn't leave. Instead she pushed herself out that jagged doorway and let her feet fall right next to that old stone chair. Reaching out with her hand, she touched it too. Running her nails across it's creased and burdened surface. Wondering. Just how many great Jedi Masters had sat there? Just how much of the galaxy had they seen from this throne? She wondered. Then. She sat down.
The Force Sensitive woman that she was. She closed her eyes and stretched out with her feelings. Asking the Gods one last time to notice her. To give her a sign. To let her know that in this terrible galaxy of Sith and war, that something good could flourish too. That the Force was real? That the Force was awake? And. This time. Just like the last. Something bright and benevolent reached back, and touched her heart too.
...
She remained there. Just sitting. For the next three hours. Until one handmaiden at the doorway had slowly turned to three. Only then did she open her eyes and relax her posture. Smiling. Letting the warm setting sun do the rest.
"Magnificent." She nodded. Her eyes just taking in the view. "I suppose this place really is special. And now, I really know why."
* * * * *
NightfallKaren stood by her X-Wing in the torchlight of the brilliant summer stars of Ahch To. The rocky beach illuminated by a bright shining moon and local pilgrimage of warm torches that wound their way up from the dark shoreline. So quiet was the night air that you could hear the wind rushing through even the smallest of the tall mountain grasses. Here, in the shadows that flickered with fire, she stood just looking up at the stars. Slowly wrapping herself up in a long gray cloak and taking a seat on a fallen bitter log. Just smiling. With red cheeks and a full warm belly. She sat just smiling. Out into the chilly sea breeze air.
"It's all real." She nodded to herself. Looking around at the island legend. Then smiling again. "All of it."
