A Prince of Dathomir (Darth Maul x OC)

Reconnect - Part 2

WARNING (Yes its one of these chapters) : Violence, bodily harm and torture.

With a gasp, he sat forward, she was still there, but no longer at his lap, but at his side, on her knees and looking up at him, worried. His eyes widened slightly.

"Zaiya..." he breathed, reaching out to cup her cheek. He knew this face-- not just as his apprentice but... "I remember." He managed, his hearts racing. He remembered his mother... the Sisters, his brothers and-- and the girl that had been by his side from the beginning. His best friend. Despite the cruelty of the Nightsisters. Despite being torn apart. She came to him then... as she did now. The two versions of her melded in his mind, the Sith teachings undermined by these memories. She had shown him kindness, affection, trust and...

Her face lit up as she looked at him, reaching out with the soft hands that had tended his wounds, the ones that had picked him up after training... The girl she was once and the woman she had become merged and he grasped her hands, pulling her closer, still in shock from the invasion of his memories. She wrapped him in her arms and held him so tightly he could barely breathe. But he didn't care. He held her just as tight.

After a few long moments he returned to his seat, his head still spinning. When he finally looked back at her, she looked like she was about to cry.

"What's this? The mighty Nightsister would weep over a Nightbrother?" He asked with a weak chuckle, it had been so long since he had laughed. Or felt anything other than fury.

Her laugh was one of utter elation. "You do remember..." A tear rolled down her cheek, the relief in her was palpable. She dropped to her knees again, looking exhausted.

"I do... but it... it's strange... my master taught me that I was abandoned... that I was forgotten--"

"Never!" She jerked forward, a hand on his shoulder, the look in her eyes desperate. She was telling the truth the whole time... she had looked for him, she had searched for him for years, he could sense it somehow. Her loyalty indeed went deep, and he knew he would never doubt her again. There was one person in this galaxy that was his alone.

"I know it now... but I cannot ignore my master, he is the most powerful being in the Galaxy, I must learn all I can from him." From Sidious, he would learn that great power. As he promised to himself long ago. He promised. He could not give up on that, could he? He had to gain this power to protect her, to protect his brothers.

"You don't have to do this... you remember now, you don't need to follow him anymore!" She was almost begging him. By the Sith how had he forgotten this face? He let out a groan, his head was pounding. So many memories flooded his mind, and they fought against what he knew of the Sith. He needed to fuel his hate, remain strong in the way of the Dark Side... He was in turmoil... Yet there was still a seed of joy in him to see his friend again.

"I cannot run, even if I wanted to, he would find me..." He hissed, looking down. She reached up to touch his face once more, he leaned in to her touch instinctively, no longer feeling the need to put a barrier between them... at least for the moment. Though the Sith side of him demanded he push her back and remember her place, he forced himself to ignore it for now, even if it was difficult.

"Then let me help you, please, master, I would do anything to get you away from that monster..." She looked around, like she was searching for some answer written in the air.

"What would you do? Take my place? Kill him?" He scoffed.

"Yes!" She looked at him with a desperate expression that froze him to the core. She meant it... stupid sweet Nightsister. He embraced her, not knowing what else to do, he couldn't look at her face in pain like that.