Memories Chapter 3-3

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Anakin leaned back against the wall, thumping his head solidly against it a few times. Finally he stopped and looked over at the two girls who were amicably chatting.

"Well," he began. "If you're going to be staying with us, we have to be able to call you something."

The girl dropped her head, a perplexed expression coming to her face.

"Yeah, what are we going to call you?" Jaina asked.

"My name?" She lifted her head, her eyes staring hard at the ceiling. Then she dropped her head again, covering it with her hands. "Why can't I remember?"

"Then I'll decide a name for you!" Anakin happily said.

"Hmm..." Anakin hummed as he carefully thought. Then he grinned, and said, "I got it! We'll call you Petchuk Osk'y!"

"That's not nice, Anakin." Jaina said a frown on her face and her arms crossed over her chest.

Anakin looked at her, a grin on his face. "I think it fits."

"What's it mean?" The girl asked; the frown on her face matching Jaina's.

"It's Old Corellian. Literally translated," Jaina replied. "It means bad blooded rival, probably a better translation would be brutal enemy."

She growled and darted forward, slamming her small fist onto the top of his head. "I don't want that as a name!"

Anakin laughed. "Like I said, it fits."

"I'm not brutal!"

She stood over him, and Anakin looked up at her, mischief shining in his eyes. "Look at you, standing there, gritted teeth, balled fists; you're the very definition of brutal."

"Well," Jaina cut in. "She'll probably remember her name eventually."

How did things end up like this? Anakin asked himself.

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Anakin sat in the class, listening as Master Horn discussed some arcane bit of Force lore.

"So she's a girl without memories," Raynar whispered from the seat behind him. "And she dislikes you. Was she an ex-girlfriend?"

Anakin shook his head. "No, I was like 11 years old when I last came here. But I don't remember anything from back then."

Did I do something to her all those years ago?

Pushing those thoughts away, he turned towards Jaina. Seeing his movement, she turned to face him as well.

"I feel so lost," he told her. "I have to wonder why Uncle Luke stuck me in this advanced course."

Jaina leaned closer, her voice low as she replied, "I'll let you see my notes later."

"Thanks," Anakin said, grinning at her.

Jaina smiled at him and tossed him a wink, before turning her attention back to the front of the class.

Raynar tapped him on the shoulder. Anakin glanced towards him, as he nodded his head out the window. Anakin looked out the window, seeing the meditation garden outside. Standing in the middle of the garden was a young girl with black hair and a shawl wrapped around her shoulders, and he recognized her as the girl he met the other day with Tahiri.

"She's been out there the entire class," Raynar whispered

Anakin glanced at Raynar for a second and then returned his attention to the girl in the yard. "You know who she is?"

"No."

The girl lifted her head and appeared to be staring into their window. After a moment, she dropped her head and started following the small path that twined through the garden. Anakin continued to watch her for a moment, and then turned his attention back to the front and Master Horn's lecture.

Fifteen or twenty minutes later, Master Horn dismissed the class for lunch. Anakin jumped up and dashed out of the room, moving at just shy of a run.

"Anakin!" Jaina called out after him. "Weren't we going to have lunch together?"

"Sorry, I've got to do something, I'll be back soon." Then he darted around the corner. He came to a set of stairs, and flipped himself over the railing, landing with a thud on the lower floor. He glanced to the left and the right, getting his bearings. After a moment, he turned left and continued down the hallway until he came to a door that led outside of the Temple. He pushed open the door, and ran out into the bright light of the noon-time sun. He covered his eyes with one hand, looking around, trying to find the girl.

He took a few more steps, walking deeper into the meditation garden.

"Did she leave?" He asked aloud.

Then he heard the shuffle of the stones from behind him, and he turned around to find the girl standing by one of the trees. Her hand rested lightly against the dark purple bark, amusement flashed in her eyes as she watched him.

"Hello," she said with a shy smile. "Why are you out here?"

Anakin grinned at her. "I heard that there was some strange girl wandering around the Temple grounds, so I came to see her. People who are where they don't belong interest me."

She giggled, and he noticed how the laughter seemed to flash in her eyes. "It's almost right. But unfortunately for your interest, I do belong here." She started walking around him, one hand lightly tracing along the trunks of the trees which she walked past. Softly, she continued talking, "I'm actually here for Jedi training."

"Oh?" Anakin was taken aback slightly. He watched her as she continued to walk around him, her blue eyes shining. After a moment, he said, "Then why are you standing here during classes?"

"I was absent today."

Anakin laughed slightly. "Don't you mean you were skipping?"

She continued her circuit around him. Amusement made her voice light and musical. "It's not skipping. I got kind of sick, so I'm taking some time off." She stopped her walking, looking down at the ground for a moment. Finally she looked at Anakin again, and continued, "I wasn't exactly... healthy even before coming here. And it's gotten worse lately. Not even Master Cilghal is quite certain what's happening."

Anakin turned to fully face her once again, concern and worry coloring his expression. "What's wrong?"

"A cold." She nodded her head a few times. "I caught a cold and it just... stayed with me."

Anakin frowned for a moment, and tilted his head to one side. "I thought it would be something more... serious."

She giggled, a light, chiming noise. "Oh, then we'll call it influenza."

"It's the same thing."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I snuck out of the house and came over here to meet someone. If the Masters find out I'm out here while on sick leave, I'd probably get yelled at."

"Who are you waiting for?"

She grinned mischievously, and raised a finger to her lips. "It's a secret."

She dropped her hand, and started walking down the path again. Anakin fell into step beside her, quietly enjoying the simple act of walking.

After a few minutes, he glanced at her, and then asked, "So, you caught a cold?"

"That's right."

"Then shouldn't you be home sleeping?"

"No," she replied. "I've been resting a lot recently. So I was feeling great today. So I came to meet that person."

"And you went shopping yesterday?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah."

She quickly took two steps out in front of Anakin and then stopped and turned to face him. "I'm going home now."

"Weren't you waiting for someone?"

"It's all right," she said. "I'm sorry that I made you stay out here with me."

Anakin smiled at her. "It was nothing. I just missed lunch."

She frowned at him. "You shouldn't say mean things like that." Then her countenance brightened with a smile. "I'll be going now."

She turned away from him and started walking towards the main gate of the Temple. Anakin watched her leave, frowning as he did so.

"Hey! Wait!" He called out.

She turned towards him, and tilted her head slightly.

"I'm Anakin Solo."

She grinned at him. "I'm Nelani."

"Do you have a last name?"

By way of answer, she waved at him, and then turned back around and continued on towards the gate.

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