Return to Oz

[Loki Ahmrah]

There was a time when, with each new day, came a brand new adventure: the dawning of a new day meant the chance to experience new things; new sights; new tastes; new smells; new feelings. Loki was a boy back in those days and now he was young man who, at eighteen years old, felt he had seen too much.

Changes were taking place all around him, both great and small. The galaxy was in a state of dramatic flux; the Jedi were in danger and quickly becoming labelled as a political and public threat. All Force Sensitives had to go about their daily lives in secret and shame. Today, his Jedi robes had been left at the temple.

While the maelstrom of shoppers and businessmen raged on all around, he cast his mind back several years to when he was a boy, a young padawan learner; he remembered his adventures. He remembered Giger and the park, the imaginary monsters and helpless damsels in distress. He remembered the witch, she was beautiful and she changed all the colours: the sky had cracked open before them. It was like a fairytale but it was true. And in that dream, he recalled her silken voice...

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: The two of them sit in a glade together. The day was warm and faerie dragons fly about, darting down into the water to catch small fish. Sorsha laughs as she plays a game with Loki, teaching him how to create shapes from the clouds above ::

[Loki Ahmrah]

"Hey, that one looks like one of those hobgoblins we saw earlier. Nice!"

Loki was lying down on the grass, staring at Sorsha's finger as she ran it through the air, disturbing the liquescent clouds hanging overhead. He still hadn't quite worked out how to do it. She had told him it was easy and to trust her.

"Let me have another go." He perked up suddenly, sitting upright.

His finger pointed skyward and steadily he began to trace lines in the clouds. It read 'Sorsha'. He beamed and looked at the witch.

"What do you think?"

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"I think you've gotten the knack of it."

:: she whistles softly, calling to the faerie dragons as they zip about in a show of aerobatics ::

"It seems Giger is still afraid of me."

:: her mouth formed a pout, but it quickly faded as a faerie dragon hovered in front of her ::

[Loki Ahmrah]

"Nah! Giger is afraid of everything."

Loki laughed. Looking around to see where his bald-headed friend had got to: he was nowhere to be seen.

"He just doesn't understand you like I do. When he gets to know you, he'll be fine."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"Somehow I doubt that. He's also not as smart as you are."

:: She smiles at Loki, and wiggles her nose at him ::

[Loki Ahmrah]

Loki smiles, a tinge of pink in his cheeks. He looks at the faerie dragons and wonders why he'd never seen or heard of them before; he can't be that smart.

"Kids back home, on Chandrila, called me a geek for being smart. You don't. I appreciate that."

He looked back at Sorsha.

"I guess some people just can't help but judge a book by it's cover."

His eyes narrowed with curiosity.

"You're not like the other Force Sensitives."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"Do I really appear so dark?"

[Loki Ahmrah]

"Not dark. Different."

Loki snapped a twig in two and threw it in a nearby pond, piece by piece.

"You see, Giger is a regular scaredy cat. That's his excuse. I was dubious about you at first because you have powers but are different to a Jedi. And in the past, in my experience, that was never a good thing. Ever."

He sighed. "So it's refreshing to find someone who goes against that rule."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"To the Jedi, I am Sith. To the Sith, I am Dark Jedi. None of them understand Law and Chaos as I have told it to you. They only see the galaxy in terms of Light and Dark."

[Loki Ahmrah]

"When I grow up... will we have to fight?"

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: She touches his hand, lacing her fingers with his as she looks into his eyes ::

"I've grown very fond of you, Loki. When you are older, I hope we'll be more than just friends."

[Loki Ahmrah]

"Mo- more- more than just friends?" Loki blurted, pulling away from Sorsha. His nose wrinkled as his face took on a look of disgust.

"I don't want a girlfriend! Ergh!"

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: A look of deep hurt washed over her face, and she turned away from him as she stood, then began to walk away ::

[Loki Ahmrah]

He heard Sorsha stand and didn't look as she walked away. The frown that was once fixed on his face began to fade and he huddled his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around them. For a moment, Loki sat in silence, staring at the ground then before the crunching of grass became to distant, jumped up.

"Sorsha! Sorsha, wait! Please wait!" He cried as he ran. He came to a stop in front of her and took her hand.

"Sorsha, I'm sorry. I didn't- well, you see I- what I meant to say-"

He heaved a weighty sigh and calmed himself.

"Look, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to because I like you a lot."

He felt the red return to his cheeks and swallowed.

"I was just... afraid."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"Soon you will become a man, and visions that I've forseen may come to pass."


:: She touches his face as a tear runs down her cheek ::

[Loki Ahmrah]

"Hey hey, don't you worry."

Loki knew the proper thing to do was give her a hug. He nervously stood his ground. The talk of visions worried him; he remembered what happened to his master when he had spoken of visions.

"Take no heed in those visions, Sorsha. They only lead to bad places."

He rubbed her arms gently.

"Everything will be fine."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"This is not like other visions, Loki. This body I live in, I may be forced to leave it, and if that happens, I'll die."

[Loki Ahmrah]

"No, you won't die."

He wrapped his arms around her and squeazed gently.

"I promise."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"I need you Loki, because only you can save me. But you have to trust me. Can you do that?"

[Loki Ahmrah]

"I can do that." He said immediatly.

He paused in thought and shook his head, then added:

"I do trust you."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: She pets his hair and kisses him on top of the head ::

"I wish to merge with you, transfer myself into your mind. It will not hurt you, nor shall you lose who you are."

[Loki Ahmrah]

"Wow! That sounds..."

The beaming grin from having been kissed dissapeared and Loki struggled for his words.

"Can you do that?"

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: she stroked the nape of his neck absentmindedly and smiled again ::

"Yes, but only you will be able to see me, and hear me, and within the dreamscape, all of this will be just as real as the rest of the galaxy. And I'll be with you always."

[Loki Ahmrah]

At her touch, Loki felt something tingle from his neck to his feet. He felt weak and soft and giddy. He smiled stupidly.

"That sounds... nice."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha leans in, kissing Loki upon the lips as he wakes from his daydream ::