Memories 1-4

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Jaina and Anakin stopped in front of a grocery store. Anakin looked up at the sign, and then back down at Jaina, as she said, "I've got to pick up a couple things so we can make dinner tonight."

He glanced over his shoulder, and saw a set of benches behind him. "I think I'll stay out here."

She turned to look at him, a frown etched onto her face. "Why?"

"I'd worry that I'd get lost in there."

She barked a short, sharp laugh, before replying. "But you'd be with me."

A mischievous light came to his eyes. "I know. That's why I'm worried."

She glared at him for a moment, before walking towards the door. She paused there, looking over her shoulder at him. "You'll wait here for me?"

He nodded, and gave her a cheerful smile. "I'll be waiting right here."

She watched him for a moment more and then turned towards the store and went in. Anakin settled onto the bench, and watched the storefront for a few minutes. Sighing, he stood up and began to pace back and forth. Finally, he grew tired of pacing and stopped. Lifting his head, he stood there, watching as the clouds rolled across the sky and occasionally brushed against the sun.

Suddenly he heard someone screaming from behind him. "Hey! You there!"

He started to turn around, and the heavy sound of running feet reached his ears. "Eh?"

Finishing his turn, he saw a short girl with a mass of blond curls atop her head, running straight towards him. As she ran, she was shouting, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

Startled, Anakin froze in place. His eyes locked on the girl's bright green ones.

"Get out of the way!"

Within seconds, she had closed the distance between them. Unable to stop, she slammed head first into his chest. Anakin grunted from the force of the impact, and fell backwards. Pain flared across his butt and then the back of his head as each connected with the cobblestone of the street. Then the air exploded from him, as the girl's head landed solidly on his stomach.

After what felt like an eternity, he was able to catch his breath. A few moments later, she lifted her head, one hand rubbing at her nose as a scowl creased her brow. "That hurt."

Anakin watched her for a moment, confusion flooding his heart. Gingerly, he rubbed at the back of his head, feeling the small knot that had begun to form. "Ah... sorry about that. But you were running too fast for me to get out of the way."

The girl settled back on her haunches, watching him. "But... but, I wasn't even going that fast."

He grinned at her. "No need to be modest."

She chewed on her lip for a second, and then her head snapped around, as she stared off down the street. After a second, she bolted to her feet.

"No time for that now!" She exclaimed as she grabbed his hand and hauled him to a standing position. "Come on, let's go!"

Then she started running, and refused to release his hand.

"Hey, wait!" Anakin begged as the short girl dragged him away from the front of the grocery store.

She continued to pull him along, until she neared a small cafe. With another quick twist of her head, she scanned the people around them, and then darted into the small restaurant. Choosing a table near the wide, front windows she dropped into her seat, and let out a small sigh of relief.

As Anakin sat down, she looked up at him, with wide, fear-filled eyes, and said, "I think it'll be safe enough if we hide here."

Anakin noticed that she intently watched the people on the street. Grinning slightly, he said, "So, they're after you? What did you do?"

Outrage flashed on her face as she turned towards him. "I didn't do anything!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "How am I supposed to know that? I don't know what's going on."

The scowl returned to her face. "They're after me. And if they see us together, then they'll be after you too."

She turned back to look out the window, and then she sharply inhaled her breath and wrapping her arms around her head, she dropped it to the table. Frowning, Anakin turned and looked out the window. After a few seconds of looking, he saw a furred Bimm, dressed in bright yellow pants and shirt, with a paler yellow apron tied around his waist. A yellow cap, pulled tight against the creature's long, floppy ears completed the outfit. The Bimm wrung his hands slightly, as he looked around the area.

Anakin turned back to the girl. "He's after you?"

She nodded her head, and her voice was muffled by her arms and the table. "Yeah."

"Would it have anything to do with that bag?"

She quickly began to shake her head in a negative motion. "N-n-no."

Anakin turned to look out the window again, and noticed the Bimm tugging at one of his long ears. He returned his attention to the girl. "He looks nice. Bimm's are a peaceful species after all."

"Not everyone is like the species norm, you know."

Anakin doesn't respond to that, instead he asks, "I wonder why he's wearing an apron."

From the corner of his eye, he noticed that she slightly raised her head to answer. "Maybe it's because he makes Vagnerian canapés."

"Canapés? Why is a baker chasing you?"

She sighed, and looked down at the table. "Well... there's this baker, and he makes these wonderful Vagnerian canapés, and I ordered some from him. Which is good. But when I went to pick them up, I discovered that I had misplaced my credit chit and couldn't pay. But before I could say something to the baker, this white, furry creature jumped up onto the counter, and went to bite one of the canapés. The baker made a face to scare the thing away." She paused for a moment, her head sunk slightly lower and a blush cropped up on her cheeks. "I got scared, and before I realized what was happening, I was running away."

Anakin nodded his head. "So, it was all your fault."

Her head snapped up again. "No! It wasn't my fault."

"Tell me why."

She frowned and dropped her head back into her arms. "If I explained, it would take a while."

"I have time."

"It's a long story."

He chuckled. "I'm waiting."

She lifted her face slightly, staring at him with her large green eyes. "I was hungry."

Anakin could not help himself, he laughed.

She scowled at him, which made him laugh harder.

Finally, he got control of himself, and looked at her again. "You need to go pay."

She looked around the restaurant, a scared expression on her face. "I... I'll pay tomorrow."

"Tomorrow will be too late." As Anakin said that, he stood up and took her by the hand, and pulled her to her feet. "Now come on, I'll pay for you, but you have to apologize."

He dragged her from the restaurant and down the street to the small open-air shop that the baker ran. Anakin quickly explained what had happened and then paid for her canapés, as the girl apologized repeatedly.

A few minutes later, they were walking together down the street. The girl looked up at him, happiness shining in her eyes as she bit into one of the canapés. "I'm glad he forgave me."

Anakin just grunted in reply.

She continued talking as if had answered. "You know, these Vagnerian canapés really are the best when they've just been baked. They're nice and crispy and warm."

Anakin cut into her stream of dialog. "You'll get fat."

She scowled at him, and twisted her face away. "I don't worry about things like that."

Slightly amused, Anakin continued walking down the street. Another few minutes past. Finally he looked down and noticed that she wasn't wearing shoes.

"Why don't you have shoes on?" He asked.

"I don't wear them ever. They're evil things designed to torture our poor helpless toes."

Anakin stopped walking and turned to face her. "I had a feeling..."

"About?"

"You're really weird."

Outrage flashed in her eyes again. "I'm not!"

He laughed, and she turned and continued down the street. Still chuckling, he rushed to catch up to her, and settled into the new, faster pace that she walked. Suddenly she stopped and looked around.

"Well, it's time for me to say good-bye."

"Ah. Well make sure you pay me back."

"By the way, my name's Tahiri. Tahiri Veila. What's yours?"

"Anakin Solo." He replied.

A confused expression crosses her face, and she chewed at her lower lip for a minute. In a voice that was barely audible, she whispered, "Anakin?"

Anakin frowned. "What's wrong?"

She quickly shook her head. "N-nothing. It's nothing. I hope I can meet you here again."

Anakin smiled at her. "I think I'd like that."

She returned his smile, and he felt his heart skip a beat. "It's a promise then!"

Then she turned away and ran down a side street; disappearing into the crowd. Anakin watched where she had disappeared for a moment, and then shook his head. There's something I'm forgetting, he thought to himself. Then he slapped his hand against the side of his head. Jaina.

He took off at a run, heading back to the grocery store. A few minutes later, he arrived, and stopped in front of the benches, his chest heaving from the exertion of running. Jaina sat on the bench, a bag of groceries by her side. Mixed emotions of anger and sadness warred on her face as she looked up at him.

She said a single word, "Liar."

Then she stood up, and began to walk home. Anakin stared at her back for a moment, and then fell into step a few paces behind her.

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I laid my head down, and closed my eyes. All I could see was a girl, running away, into a bright light. The sun maybe. I didn't know who she was, or what she was doing, but I knew it was important.

Sleep claimed me then, my consciousness flowing away onto that river of dreams.

I found myself pushing open a heavy set of ornate doors. A glance into the polished metal inset in the doors showed me a young face. I was ten, maybe even eleven years old. I stepped into a massive room, and looked around. Smooth tan stones made up the walls, and an electric blue shrub grew up out of the many cracks. The plant's flowers cast a spicy perfume onto the air—a scent of longing and expectation.

Walking carefully to one side of the room, I looked out the window and could see a massive forest. One made from huge purple-brown trees and a scattering of more of the blue flowering plant. A thin twisting river snaked off to the side, heading towards an even wider one in the distance. It was probably the most beautiful sight I had ever seen.

Then from behind me, I heard a voice. Light, musical. Her words seem to be a song. "Who are you?"

I whirled around to find myself looking at a young girl with hair such a pale yellow that it almost appeared white. Intelligent, inquisitive green eyes stared out at me, and I almost got lost in the whirlpools of their depths. Looking down, I noticed that she had no shoes one. She caught my gaze and wiggled her toes slightly.

"Bantha got your tongue?" She asked with a giggle to her voice. Then she stepped up beside me and looked out the window. I decided that she couldn't be much older than ten.

She pulled her gaze away from the river, and I feared that I would once more be lost in the deep pools of her eyes.

She spoke again, her voice still held that musical lilt, but I decided then that it was more like the song of a babbling stream than any instrument, "My name is Tahiri, and I'm nine years old."

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