The Funny Little Day

[Asbjorn Olafsson]

Jasmine smiled and put her hand in the hand of Thurion. Together, they walked a bit away from the bench, to a beautiful little area in the park. It was a good place for training. There were other people near them, but it wasn't really disturbing or anything. After all, they just had their little picnics; ate, talked with each other, played... Nothing serious. At that moment, none of them looked at Jasmine and Thurion. It was about to change, because lightsaber combat wouldn't be ignored, especially if it happened so near normal people. This time it was just training of a Jedi and a former Jedi, so they had nothing to worry about.

"Now then, have you ever had a lecture in lightsaber combat before, Jasmine? Do you know about the basics of Shii-Cho, the first of the Lightsaber Forms?"

"I... haven't heard anything about them..." Jasmine said, a bit embarrassed, but she comforted himself with the fact, that not a single Force-user is born with lightsaber skills. She took her lightsaber from the belt which had been placed under her robes. It was a typical, simple Jedi lightsaber. Its main colours were gray and black and it had a little red button. As Jasmine pushed the button, a blue, laser-like blade came out. People noticed them now, especially because the blade didn't come out silently. It made strange noise which normal, non-Force-sensitive people didn't hear very much.

"Look, daddy, they're going to kill us!" a boy shouted from the crowd which had gathered around them.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion paid no attention to the people slowly gathering around the two of them. He pondered for a bit as he watched her closely. As she ignited her saber, he noticed her flinching slighty at the sudden beam of light appeared, adding to the fact that she had never been instructed on how to use one before. "Easy, now. Here, let me..." Walking towards her, he positioned himself close behind her, gently placing his hands on her hips. "First off, legs further apart, or you're going to get thrown off balance first thing that happens. Extend your arms, keep both hands on the hilt and hold it a bit away from you." He let go of her hips and reached to grab hold around her wrists, helping her position the lightsaber correctly. "You want to keep your dominant foot away from the attacker, so that you can quickly step towards him through the use of a counterattack. This is called the Jedi Ready stance, and it is the most common opening sparring stance." Once she did as he asked of her, he let go of her and stepped back. He circled around her, watchful for any flaws in her stance. There were some minor ones, brought on by her inexperience, obviously, so they were excusable. "Now, how does it feel? Make sure your footing is steady upon the ground." Glancing around him at the onlookers, he stepped close towards Jasmine and placed a reassuring hand upon her shoulder. "Do not mind the others. There is only you and me at this very moment", he whispered into her ear.

@[member="Jasmine Lancaster"]

 

[Asbjorn Olafsson]

"First off, legs further apart, or you're going to get thrown off balance first thing that happens. Extend your arms, keep both hands on the hilt and hold it a bit away from you."

Jasmine moved her legs a bit away from each other, like the man told her to. She looked at her legs while she did so, trying to save it into her brain. It was an easy thing, even a normal person should've known it. It made her feel a bit uncomfortable and stupid, but like previously, she comforted herself with the fact, that nobody knows how to do this when they start. Then she turned to the lightsaber and, with the help of Thurion, managed to hold it like a person is supposed to.

Then she moved her dominant foot, which was the right one, back. The Jedi Ready Stance was achieved, though with many hopefully minor mistakes. She felt like she just has to train it every day to become as good as other Jedi were.

"It feels... good..." Jasmine answered to the man's question while smiling. Checking her balance by rocking back and forth only a bit, she assured the stance holds a person in balance. She felt accomplished.

"Daddy, I'm scared!" the boy shouted, about to cry. But Jasmine didn't listen to him, like the man told her to.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"Just remember, everybody eventually develop and personalise their own style without sometimes realising it, but every single one of them started off as you do now." He smiled at her quick grasp of the instructions given to her - a good trait in an apprentice, he imagined, this being his first real lesson given since his knighthood - and slowly circled her as she remained standing in the Jedi Ready stance, examining her from every angle as he spoke. "There are six zones on which to focus on when duelling. The First is the head; easy thing to remember, no real surprises there. Second; right arm and torso. Third; left arm and torso. Fourth and Fifth; right leg, left leg. The Sixth zone is the backside of an opponent." With every zone mentioned, he gestured to his own body as an example. As he passed the little boy watching them, fearing for his life, Thurion raised his hand to have one of the apples fly through the air to land in the palm of the boy's hand. Sending the child a quick wink along with a smile, he had circled Jasmine fully and was again standing in front of her, hands clasped behind his back in a relaxed fashion.

"I am now going to say a number. You are to make a move against me aimed for the correct area associated with that number." He looked deep into her eyes, his blue eyes sparkling like jewels in the sun. "Do not be frightened, Jasmine. I trust you completely", he said within her mind using telepathy. Whether or not the girl had any experience with such powers he did not know, so therefore he watched for any signs of discomfort while speaking into her mind. "Just let the Force guide your hands. Don't think, just act on instinct. Worst thing that happens is you mix up the numbers." With that, he remained stood completely still, feet apart for steady footing and hands still clasped behind his back. He offered a reassuring wink along with a smile, before calmly speaking. "Three."

@[member="Jasmine Lancaster"]

 

[Asbjorn Olafsson]

"There are six zones on which to focus on when dueling. The First is the head; easy thing to remember, no real surprises there. Second; right arm and torso. Third; left arm and torso. Fourth and Fifth; right leg, left leg. The Sixth zone is the backside of an opponent."

Jasmine nodded. She feared one thing... that she'll mess up the numbers and accidentally attack a wrong part. One - head; two - right arm, torso; three - left arm; fourth - right leg; fifth - left leg; sixth - back... she read in her thoughts, but she knew she is stupid enough to mess all of them up while in combat. Even the first one, which was head. She just knew it.

The sudden voice she heard in her head frightened her a bit. As much as she remembered, she had never experienced telepathy before. She knew what it is and how difficult it is, but she had never actually used it or seen anyone using it. Knowing, that it was hard to have telepathic discussions, she didn't even try to talk with Thurion telepathically, but she just nodded and whispered: "I'm ready..." She tried to focus on the task, trying to remember every number.

One - head; five -... right arm?; two - no that was right arm... she thought. Having already messed all numbers up, she started feeling kind of unsure.

"Three."

What was three... Back? she thought. Maybe she stood there for some moments, trying to remember what it was, but finally she decided to just try hitting Thurion somewhere. Moving towards Thurion, she focused. Not on thinking, but on her instincts. When she reached the man, she swiped with the lightsaber, moving it towards his right arm. It was a mistake, but not like... she had tried hitting his back or anything.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Jasmine's move was a clumsy one, understandably so, and Thurion had no problem dodging her attack. He merely had to duck under her mistaken aim for his right arm, and once back up he stepped towards her, correcting her stance as it had disintegrated the moment she made the move. "It's alright, my dear; nobody makes it on their first try. You have a strong swordarm, but strength has nothing to do with it. The body needs to be strong and fit to withstand the physical aspects of combat, yes, but for the fighting itself..." he said, gently touching her forehead with two fingers. "...there is only the mind." Deciding to go for the more practical route, Thurion took a step to the side so that he'd stand beside her. He then brandished his own lightsaber, adorned with the piece of cloth from Asha's robes, and ignited it. A blue beam of light much like Jasmine's own took shape as he assumed the Jedi Ready stance beside her. "Try to follow my lead. I want you to let the Force guide your movements as we both move in unison, like a river flowing in a quiet part of a forest. Peaceful, harmonious, melodic..." He began to swing his weapon in big, slow movements. "No mind, only feeling." His blade slowly arced through the air in various figures, as if in slow-motion.

@[member="Jasmine Lancaster"]

 

[Asbjorn Olafsson]

Jasmine took a deep breath and nodded then. The next task seemed hard. Of course she had been taught Sense powers, but it looked like Padawans really had to strive to manage their lives. Not like her previous Master had asked her to perform Sense powers, but... As Thurion started swinging his saber, Jasmine tried to look at him at first, trying to match his moves. But she soon understood it takes too much time and it's really difficult to synchronize the moves. So she just did like the man wanted her to; she turned her head to look exactly in front of her, closed her eyes and tried to sense the movements by using the Force. She didn't control it, because she knew it's the Sith way... trying to make Force their slave. It was something Jasmine would've never done.

She didn't know how well she moved, but she felt the man next to her moving, and she tried to make the movement as identical as possible. Meanwhile in her mind, she or the Force portrayed a peaceful river running through not only forest, but in fields, in a village, in towns... She moved with the current, feeling the power of the Force controlling her. Like she had heard, the river was one of the most important Jedi philosophies. She had also learned, that unlike Sith who try to bend the river, making it flow like they want, Jedi let the river move them, enjoying it.

"There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force,"

Jasmine whispered. She just felt like doing that.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

After a while, Thurion stopped and stepped further away from her, allowing her to take all the space and time she wanted. He disignited his lightsaber and put it away, for he had no need of it. Unlike many of the youths he was surrounded by when on Coruscant who ached to get their hands on a real lightsaber, he'd always regarded it as a terrible privilege; it had the power to destroy almost all lifeforms, start wars as well as ending them. It could be used for good and just causes as easily as it could for evil and dark desires. No, he did not seek the death of anyone; he'd seen too much of it already. Instead, he respected it for what it was - a weapon of peacemaking. With the hilt hanging from his belt, he subconciously placed a hand on it just to caress the piece of cloth tied around it, forming a sad smile upon his face as memories of holding Asha's hand appeared just like they always would. The girl, Jasmine, was deep within her own world of peace and harmony as she continuously let the Force guide her soft movements. Thurion walked over to his pile of robes he'd tossed on the ground and sat down in the grass in front of her, legs crossed in a meditative stance, patiently watching her every movement. He could tell, she had found her peace.

"Jasmine, you may stop whenever you feel like doing so. You've done well, especially for your first time", he said softly so as to not disturb her focus.

@[member="Jasmine Lancaster"]

 

[Asbjorn Olafsson]

Jasmine barely heard Thurion's voice. The river which had until now just existed in Jasmine's mind now seemed to flow around her. It was everywhere, at least that's what the girl felt. She just had to move, go with the flow. Still holding her eyes closed, she didn't even know where she is, but she moved around the place. She felt her legs moving, but they never lost balance. Well, maybe a little, but not too much. She moved her hands like the Force wanted her to, not like she wanted.

In her minds, the river had turned into a beautiful meadow. The river's water fell down as a waterfall, into a lake. It was peaceful. She was enjoying the beauty for a moment or a few, but then she started feeling like her mind controls the imagination. She didn't feel the Force guiding her anymore. It was she who controlled her movements.

As she opened her eyes violently, standing against the will of the Force, she noticed how many people there actually were. She understood, that Thurion had left her side and now sat where his robe had fallen.

"I... felt like I control the Force."

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

A smile warm enough to equal that of the sun formed as he watched her return to the present, as if having awoken from a beautiful dream. He knew it well, for he had experienced it just as she had, albeit at a much younger age. Once she had fully realised what just happened, Thurion gestured for her to sit down with him, patting the ground before him. Once she did so, he reached for both her hands, gently so. He brought the pair together as if in prayer, her hands resting within his own. "You did very well, my dear", he said softly for her ears only, even though most onlookers had begun to resume their frolicking through the park. The wind came up behind her and made her raven hair blow into her own face, and this time he was the first to pluck strands of hair from her face. "Tell me, what did you see upon witnessing the Force guiding your movements?" he asked while unearthing her pretty face from behind the strands of hair.

@[member="Jasmine Lancaster"]

 

[Asbjorn Olafsson]

It was strange, how Jasmine trusted this man. She felt safe near him. She felt like he wouldn't do anything bad to her. Walking to Thurion, she smiled, and when she reached him, she sat down next to him. She let the former Jedi take her hands. Smiling as he praised her, she felt tired, yet accomplished. "Well, at first... I saw, that I am in a river. It was comfortable, warm... The current was really fast, but I liked it. It guided me from a forest... to plains... to a village, through cities. Then it finally ended with a waterfall, falling down into a lake. But then it all changed. The river started flowing backwards, it started turning reddish. I thought, that maybe it's a sign of the Dark Side."

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"There are no right or wrong ways to interpret the Force. There is only what your heart and mind tell you to do, just as what they tell you not to do. What you have to decide is whether to trust them or not. Most of the time they will disagree with eachother. Which one do you choose - your heart, or your mind?" He then leaned back, stretching out his legs from under him, and proceeded to fall backwards onto the soft grass. Lying on the ground, he invited Jasmine to do the same. "Bitter old men like to think everything happens because of the Force telling people to do what they do. But the Force does not tell people to wage war, to slaughter others in the name of this or that - other people do, or they tell themselves to." He shook his head, eyes closed. He believed he had said too much. "Jasmine, I am not a Jedi. Perhaps you shouldn't listen to what I have to say. Maybe I am just rambling - who knows? What I do know is that I don't know anything for certain, I can only do as my heart or mind commands me to. We're all soldiers, fighting for what we ourselves believe in, one way or another."

Staring up at the infinitely blue sky, he put his hands behind the back of his head for support as he lay in the grass. "When I first experienced what you did just now, I was eight years old. I saw my brother, and by his stood a copy of me... or maybe it was me... We played together, chased eachother around, and he'd always let me win. But then, suddenly, there was a large chasm appearing before us, and we found ourselves standing at the cliff looking down. Down below there was fire and brimstone, as if we were gazing into the centre of the world. I then watched myself grab hold of my brother and push him down the hole, and from it arose a... demon, for lack of a better term. A being of fire and ashes. He swallowed my brother whole, and I just stood there and watched." Throughout his tale, Thurion's voice grew colder and colder, until it ended with him taking a deep sigh. "He died because of me, because I was too weak to save us both. Now I have to make up for his sacrifice", he said after having turned his head and shifted his gaze to Jasmine lying beside him in the grass.

@[member="Jasmine Lancaster"]

 

[Asbjorn Olafsson]

Jasmine lied down next to Thurion and listened to his speech. When he talked about the Force, she disagreed with some points. She believed strictly in the Jedi ways. She really believed in them. But the man's story about him and his brother was indeed really sad. She understood what he had been through. The tragedy of Lancasters was something Jasmine could never forget. She didn't remember much about it besides the fact that she had gone through a lot of pain. Her sister knew more about it.

"Thurion... I understand your experience and it's sad to hear your story. I know, that I was on the edge of losing my sister too... Well, if you'd ask me, I'd say, that she doesn't exist anymore, actually. She became corrupted, fell to the Dark Side. Getting back is almost impossible, considering, that she would never replace destruction with discipline. And I also believe, that it's all my fault. But everything is not exactly like we see it. The Force guides our lives as it flows through everybody. The task you gave me before made me realize everything even more. Everything that happens to us is destined to happen.

I personally think... I believe, that if we'd let the Force flow through like it wants to, we'd all live in harmony. "Water" in this river is supposed to flow like the river's shape demands it to, meaning, that we shouldn't change anything and we must accept it. But Darksiders, especially Dark healers or... necromancers... don't want to let the current go like it's supposed to. They want their lives to be exactly like they want them to be, bending the river like they want to." Jasmine sighed.

"A river has ups and downs; life has ups and downs. But Darksiders want it to be straight. They want their lives to be extremely good, successful. It's not possible... Jedi want to be controlled by the Force, accepting everything. Sith want to control the Force, denying everything. I don't know what is going on between them, in the neutral side, but I know one thing: we shouldn't change our lives.

I think, that if somebody uses the Dark Side, they will be mutated by its effects. Darksiders think they control the Force, and maybe they do for a short time, but they can never make it their slave. The Force exists everywhere, it is a supreme power. They can't control the whole galaxy, can they? After some time of controlling the Force, tides turn, making the Darksiders weak... slaves of the Force." She had never told anybody so much about what she thinks of life, of the Force.

"My aunt used to tell me some stories. One of them was about the Force. She believed, that if somebody does anything by using the Dark Side, another Darksider is affected by it, even if they are in the different sides of the Galaxy. She also believed, that families, especially with two children, are really close to each other by the will of the Force. If the two children lose their parents or... don't get enough love, the love that has been given to their family by the unifying power, the love, that was formerly divided into four, becomes two, meaning, that the two siblings start loving each other like they were their soulmates... loving each other like they could never let go of each other. She believed, that this love, however, has darker effects." Her sight went blurry because of the water that started covering her eyes.

"She said, that if one of these two siblings dies, the other one follows... almost instantly, even if they are as far away from each other as possible. I really believed in her stories... And I'd be really sad if it turns out, that she was right..."

She wiped the tears away with her robe's sleeve. "But, well, it's what I believe and what my aunt believed..."

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion's eyes met Jasmine's, and the two stared into eachother's souls, it seemed. So much had been said between the two none of them believed they would tell anyone, at least not on such a beautiful day. He watched as her eyes were filled with tears, and as she wiped them away using the sleeve of her robe, he reached for her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. He then brought it to his lips and gave it a loving kiss for comfort. It was not a romantic kiss, but one an older brother would give his younger sister. His gaze never left her own. "It seems we both are children of fate, Jasmine, and we have both lost people dear to us - you your sister, and me my brother. But I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my brother, nor would I've been given the chance to meet you, something I am greatly appreciative for." He gently tugged at her to move closer, and made it so that she could rest her head against his shoulder should she wish to.

@[member="Jasmine Lancaster"]

 

[Asbjorn Olafsson]

While holding Thurion's hand, Jasmine felt something she hadn't felt for a long time. She felt like she was appreciated, loved... Only Lilith had given her that feeling before. This situation brought back memories of a night... The Lancaster parents were not home yet, but it was already long past bedtime. Jasmine was in her bed, trying to fall asleep. Lilith, who was only some years older than her, sat next to her, next to the bed, holding her hand. She had looked into Lilith's eyes. But now she looked into Thurion's. "I'm really glad that I met you. Especially because of both of our histories, both of our sad childhoods." Seeing, how he came closer, it gave her an opportunity to rest for a moment. She leaned her head against the man's shoulder and once again, she understood, that this day had to be one of the best ones she had ever had. And that by the will of the Force.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

With one hand intertwined with Jasmine's, his other began to caress her raven hair, letting his fingers flow through the silky smooth strands. "I could take you away from here, you know..." he said, without really meaning to say it aloud in the first place. "I have a ship, Jasmine. You could come with us, me and little Nina." He did not mean to sound pushy, he only wanted her to know he cared for her. "I can't, and I won't tell you to do so if you don't want to, but I want you to know that I would really miss your company when I leave. I'm not allowed to train you, Jasmine. I'm not a member of the Jedi Order. But now that I've come to know you, I couldn't bear losing you. Not you too."

@[member="Jasmine Lancaster"]

 

[Asbjorn Olafsson]

"I would love to come, but... I am not sure, if I want to leave the Jedi Order. It's like my home. Their philosophy is the only one I understand; the only one I think is true. And it would be strange if I just left the Order..." Jasmine said, her eyes closed. "But it all depends on one thing: do you live on the ship or on a planet?" She smiled. Feeling the warmth of the sun and the comfort and safe feeling Thurion gave her, she felt really good. It was a good decision to come to the park on this day. Thinking about the suggestion, she felt a bit unsure. This planet had been her home for all of her life. She couldn't imagine living somewhere else. Yet it seemed like a perfect option. She could see other planets, maybe even fulfill her dreams...

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"For now I we live on the ship; I only picked Nina up a few days ago on Umbara. We have supplies to last us several weeks, months even, and one more person would do little to change that. We could go wherever we want to, see anything we wish. I'd take care of you, both of you." Granted, the prospect of Jasmine joining him had gotten him somewhat excited, and so he composed himself before continuing. "At least think about it. I won't tell you to come with me, I want you to choose for yourself. It's a standing offer, in either case." Relishing her scent mixed with the grass and earthly scent, he put both arms around her, hugging her. "We leave tomorrow. Whether or not you come with us is up to you, Jasmine", he whispered into her ear during their embrace.

@[member="Jasmine Lancaster"]

 

[Asbjorn Olafsson]

Jasmine had to decide. She had the remaining they and night to do it, but coming up with the right one seemed already so impossible. Maybe she could come back to Coruscant some times in a while to continue her training or something... She had to hope the High Council is willing to find a compromise. Otherwise, leaving the planet with Thurion would've been impossible. Letting go of her Jedi life seemed impossible. "I will have to think about it... But how could I contact you when I have decided? Where is your ship, what time are you planning to leave?"

She opened her eyes, now looking behind the man who was hugging her. "I'll have to talk about it in the Jedi High Council tonight. Maybe they can help me... Choosing the right-most option seems rather difficult, if not impossible, without a compromise with them." Then she closed her eyes again, enjoying the moment as she hugged Thurion back as comfortingly as possible.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Once the hug reached its climax, Thurion lay back onto the ground, smiling as he closed his eyes and relished the rays of the sun drenching his face. He kept an arm around Jasmine who remained at his side, caressing her for comfort, his other hand resting upon his stomach. He could lie there forever, but it would not last; Nina'd get worried should she wake up without him being there for her. "You'll find us should you look for us, don't worry. I'll wait for you at the Space Port tomorrow evening. We'll leave at midnight." The hour was getting late, and as much as he did not wish to, it was time to go. Carefully he sat up in the grass, looking down on the girl next to him, smiling. Slowly rising to his feet, he stood up and held out his hand for her to grab hold of. Once she did so, Thurion effortlessly pulled her up onto her feet. The two stood before eachother, and just as he had done when they first met, he brought her hand up his lips and gave it a kiss. "Should you choose not to come with me, Jasmine, then please - take care of yourself, and know that I will pray for your safety and well-being every day." Before leaving, he felt compelled to lean in to kiss her cheek, his golden beard brushing against her soft skin. "Well, I should be off. I'd very much like to be by Nina's side when she wakes up, even though she may very well handle herself." He smiled as he bowed towards Jasmine. "Farewell for now, my dear. I hope we will meet again, sooner rather than later." He reached out and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning and walking away, heading for the archway leading out onto the streets of Coruscant. Before stepping out of view for Jasmine, Thurion waved his hand to make another red apple appear before her, hovering in place for her to take.

@[member="Jasmine Lancaster"]