Somnium

It was an odd day in the Room Behind the Waterfall. Very few of the Senshi were there at the time. In fact, only one was there.

Xarae was curled up on one of the couches that Nom and Boshi had dragged in. They were far more easier to use and abuse, since they were secondhand. It didn't matter if Priire lost her temper and blasted it, Mika cause a Force storm, or Nom threw lightning at it. It would survive. (In fact, all three persons had done that to the couches, and the only marks were a few holes and some singe marks.)

The other Senshi had left, presumably for some festival. Xarae didn't care. She wanted to grieve.

She clutched the bag with Maul's belongings tightly, tears streaming down her face unnoticed. It had been five years since he had died, and she still missed him, and would always miss him. She had slowly understood why Obi-Wan had killed him, but that knowledge didn't help the hurt. She mourned, oblivious of the door opening.

Nom came in. She had forgotten her utility belt and needed it for the spare power packs for her BlasTech EE-3 blast rifle that Oola and Numako had given her as a joke. They had noticed that despite the fact that Nom used the Force, she somehow did not get the respect from the denizens of the lower levels of Coruscant.

Nom headed towards her belt, which was hanging on the back on the green and red plaid chair. It was a very deep chair and was one of the few original pieces of furniture left.

"Ah... there it is." Nom was completely aware of the fact that she was talking to herself. It was considered one of the first signs of insanity, but she had wanted to let Xarae know that she was there.

Xarae didn't respond.

Hmm... she is... Ah. Xarae misses Maul. It is good to grieve, but it can lead to much danger.

Nom thought a moment, clearly trying to decide something. She sighed and turned towards the door, and turned back towards the couch. "Oh well." She crossed the room and sat down beside Xarae.

The small couch sank considerably, but Xarae still did not notice.

Nom considered this logically, thinking. Point One: Xarae misses Maul. That made sense, and Nom could understand that. Point Two: She is ignoring, or is too deep in grief to notice anything. Nom could remember, years ago, having that feeling. That made sense too, but just because it made sense did not mean that Nom was going to allow Xarae to follow the same path that she herself had so foolishly chosen.

Nom decided. Ah well. Stoicism is not all they say it is..... She moved closer and wrapped her arms around the grieving Xarae. Xarae kept sobbing, so Nom rocked her gently back and forth, pulling her towards her, clumsily trying to comfort her.

Deep inside of Xarae's grief-stricken mind, she started to notice that she wasn't alone. Mentally she was alone, but she was noticing clumsy attempts to comfort her. She could almost sense who it was, but she was confused..... She opened her eyes.

What she saw shocked her. NOM was trying to comfort her. That made no sense. But then, she thought, LIFE didn't make sense very often.

Nom noticed that Xarae was looking at her with a little bit of both shock and confusion.

"You require something?"

Xarae blinked. She would have never expected this. "You think I am weak, don't you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Nom thought for a moment. She was trying to translate what she wanted to say into Basic from Dathomirian. "Let me see if I can get this into Basic correctly. Grief can be good, but only if you do not allow yourself to follow the path of madness, as I did."

Xarae thought for a moment. "Oh."

"Go ahead, cry, beat something, remember the good times; but do not stick me with the saber again. That hurts."

Xarae leaned her head against Nom's rough leather tunic and cried. As she cried, she remembered the times with Maul.... his face when they first met, their kiss, and then her memories skipped ahead to the birth of her son, and how pleased Maul had been.... she could remember all of it, with crystal clear precision.

After two hours of Xarae leaning on Nom, she had nearly cried herself to sleep. Nom noticed this, and carefully stood up, carrying her. Xarae was a little surprised; Nom had picked her up as if she was nothing more than a child. Then she remembered - Dathomir was a tough world, and you had to be strong to live the way they did.

"Shh... I am taking you to a bed. You are about to sleep."

Sleep... that sounded good to her right then... but how would Nom get into her quarters? She got her answer.

Nom took her to her and Chakra's quarters. She carried Xarae in and tucked her in. Xarae looked around. There was only one bed ...where did Nom sleep?

"I've taken your bed..."

"No. You have Chakra's bed. I sleep on the pallet."

"Oh." Xarae was getting drowsy, and within minutes, fell asleep. Nom pulled her ottoman closer to the bed and kept an eye on her. She wanted to make sure that Xarae would not lose her slight contact with the conscious realm.

Xarae slipped into the ease of deep sleep and dreamt.

"Nightingale?"

She started. Maul?

His voice sounded muffled, speaking though her hair. "For the time we have, let us enjoy it...."