Ahsoka woke up the following morning sore and exhausted from the previous day. She had been crying so much that her face hurt. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and bumped her head on the stairs above her. Dirt fell, and she groaned. Having no money and no place to go, she had been forced to make herself a fort out of discarded boxes and metal scraps in an alleyway on the surface. It was better than nothing, so she wasn't going to complain.
She crawled out and stood up, stretching her body. Careful to mask her presence using the force, she walked along the edges of the streets. There was no destination in particular that she was determined to go. As long as it wasn't back to the Temple, she was fine.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm. She whipped around to see a small orange creature beside her. "Dear child, you look lost."
"Lost? Oh no, I'm not lost." She pulled her arm back to her side from the creature's grasp.
"Oh, but I think you are. I know your eyes, and I know what you need." She smiled up at Ahsoka. "Come with Maz, dear, and I'll get you all fixed up."
Maz grabbed her wrist again and pulled her towards a small shop. The door slid open to reveal a single room filled with junk from all over the galaxy. At least she thought it was one room; the walls were buried underneath the merchandise on the walls.
"Sit, sit," Maz said, pulling up a chair and giving her a once-over. "Hmmmmmm, yes. You're the one."
"I'm sorry, the one what?" Ahsoka didn't know what was going on anymore. If she wasn't lost before, she sure was now.
Maz came back carrying a pile of clothes. "Go try these on. I think you'll find they're very comfortable. There's a room in the back corner to the left."
"This is very nice of you, but I don't have any credits. I should probably go."
She held up a and for silence. "They've already been paid for."
Okay... she thought, standing up. "By whom?"
"Doesn't matter. Go change!"
Ahsoka hurried to the back room. She slid out of her old combat suit and into the new outfit. The top was dark brown and sleeveless with a turtleneck, a gold buckle in the middle. She left the necklace from Lux on underneath. It meant too much to her to take off. The pants that went with it were tan leggings, brown pads over the knees for ground work. There was a holster on the side of her left leg for a blaster, though she wasn't sure it was going to serve that purpose. It just didn't feel right.
The boots were also brown, matching the top. A set of armbands was included, along with new gloves and a new headdress. It was probably about time she got a another one of those...
She walked back into the main store area, seeing Maz nodding at an empty jewelry case. "Well, how does it look?"
Maz glanced over at her. "Very nice. Much better than that old thing, and I think you'll find that it suits your needs better."
"Thank you. I appreciate your kindness."
Maz blinked. "Oh, and I almost forgot!" She ran behind the counter and grabbed a handful of credits. Handing them to Ahsoka, she smiled. "These should tie you over until he finds you."
"What? Until who finds me?"
"You'll see. Just promise me you'll come by my cantina on Takodana one of these days when you two meet up."
"Um, okay, I guess." She graciously accepted the credits. After a quick goodbye and thanks, she made her way to the door.
"Remember, my child, that love is an open door. Don't let your heart become frozen. Let go of the past," Maz called after her.
Ahsoka nodded, having no idea how Maz knew her or what she was talking about. She turned her head as the door slid open, and someone ran into her full force. Ahsoka fell backward to the ground.
Because I really like this song and it fits this little bit perfectly:
"I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going and I just kind of—oh." She looked up to see none other than Lux Bonteri staring down at her. He offered a hand to help her up. She immediately took it, and he pulled her out to the sidewalk. He held both of her hands firmly, staring into her eyes.
She looked up at him and down at their hands. "Lux, I'm sorry about what I said. I know you'll never forgive me, and that's okay. I wouldn't forgive me either. I was ignorant, and irresponsible, and small-minded." She tried to control her breathing to prevent herself from crying again, but it was no use. All of her negative emotions were brought to the front of her mind, and she completely lost all composure she had mustered. She could barely get words out between uncontrollable sobs. "You can hate me, and... and that'll be fine... because I was a horrible friend, and I hurt you... and you can walk away knowing that you were right all along..."
He pressed a finger to her lips, quieting her. She looked up at him, and their eyes met. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes.
"Oh, Lux..."
He leaned in and kissed her. Her heart raced wildly as he kissed her again and again, each more intense than the last. She didn't care who saw them, and guessing by his lack of discretion, he didn't either.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. His arms snaked around her waist as he hugged her tightly. He rested his head on her shoulder, crying softly. An asteroid could've hit the planet and wiped out all life, but neither of them would've cared as long as they were together.
"You're alive," he whispered. She nodded, looking away. "I regret everything I said that morning. Of course I forgive you, 'Soka. I was a jerk, and I am so sorry. It's like your master said at the ball—it takes two to tango." His hand cupped her face, and she relaxed into it. "I'm just happy you're alive. The posters were everywhere with your name on it. Then Senator Amidala told me about your trial and how there was a very slim chance you'd make it out without the death penalty."
"It was Anakin that saved me. He did some investigating and found the one really responsible. It's all behind us now."
Frowning, she turned away from him. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she was no longer a Jedi. Everything was different. The force would never leave her; it would be a constant reminder of the sting of betrayal by those who she used to call friends. What would she do with her life? There were so many opportunities available now that she wasn't bound by the Jedi Code. She wasn't sure she'd every fully leave her old life behind; the Jedi teachings had been engraved into her since she was a toddler. She'd seen a lot of horrifying things over the course of the war that she would never forget.
Her thoughts were interested by a small gasp. "You left," Lux said. "Oh my force, you've left the Jedi Order."
She turned around. "How did you—"
"You're beads are gone. And so are your lightsabers." An uncomfortable silence passed between them, neither one of them was sure what to say.
"Did they tell you about what they did to me?" She asked. He shook his head. "I was hunted down like an animal. They left me to face the wrath of the Jedi Council on my own. The person responsible for everything I'd been accused of and for framing me was my best friend. How would you feel if Saw did something like this to you? It's downright disturbing. The Council didn't believe me when I said that I was innocent, so how can I trust myself to make the right decision when lives are on the line? Besides, I've never been good with choices or trust to begin with." She felt her face heat up as tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away and sniffled.
He took her in his arms again and kissed her forehead. "Well, you made the right choice to trust me. I will never let anyone hurt you like that again, okay? Friends are for encouragement and support, so that's what I intend to give you." He smirked. "Maybe a few kisses here and there, too, but that's beside the point." He reached in his pocket and took out a small box. He opened it to reveal a simple silver ring with a small crimson ruby in the shape of a heart. "This ring represents that promise." He slid the promise ring on her finger and kissed the back of her hand.
She was astonished and didn't have the words to describe how she felt. "Thank you. It's absolutely beautiful." She softly kissed his lips.
"We'll work through this together. Never give up hope, 'Soka, even in the darkest times. It'll work out somehow. I love you, and with love, there's always away."
~
A/N: I have one thing to say: THAT WAS A HECK OF A LOT OF FLUFF!!!! And feels. You're welcome. Someday I'll grow tired of writing this sort of thing, but alas, today is not that day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either XD
THERE WERE A TON OF REFERENCES IN THIS CHAPTER! If you've read some of my other stuff (*cough* Park Benches), then you know how much I love throwing stuff in from all sorts of places that aren't necessarily star wars related. Good for you if you caught them all ;)
Remember how I said I was only going to write a few more chapters? That was a lie. I have since decided to write multiple parts, this chapter concluding part 1. I have 3 parts planned, but that number is subject to change. It'll increase, if anything. I'm not sure when I'll be able to post another chapter, but it more than likely will no be this week. I made the region's honor band in my state, which is Thursday through Saturday of this week, so I'm not going to have as much time to write.
Have a marvelous week, and may the force be with you.