The waiting rooms were packed. Filled with mothers trying to find their children, sons waiting for their fathers to emerge from the operating room, wounded soldiers slumped against the walls and awaiting their turn. Obi-Wan had seen his fair share of what war could do but never had he visited a hospital this crowded at the end of a battle before. Never had he had to wait for news about someone he loved for he had often refused himself the luxury of caring.

"I hate this." Aidan sighed deeply, laying his head back against the wall as he fumbled with his blood-covered armour. He'd thrown off his crown to the middle of the hall, not even being spared a second glance by anyone. A single tear streamed down the king's cheek as his eyes focused yet again on the door to the operating room, as they had been for 6 hours.

He then looked to the side, seeing the older jedi master glance through the hallways, his eyes empty and devoid of any emotion. "We need to have patience, young king." Obi-Wan mumbled as he fidgeted with his beard. He had little hope. He'd seen the light go out in her eyes as he held her. It wasn't his first time, he remembered, and he could only think of the worst. After all, previous experience had taught him nothing more. In the end he started to believe that it was his fault, that he didn't deserve to be loved and that this was the way the universe tried to show him that.

"Your majesty?" The door suddenly opened, revealing a doctor who was still taking off his garments that were covered in blood. His face didn't betray any emotion, even when the jedi and king both turned to look at him immediately. "I have news of your sister."

"And? Is she alive? Is she okay?" Aidan stormed towards him without a second thought, taking him by the shoulders and shaking almost violently. "Tell me she's breathing, tell me there's good news."

"Could I speak to you somewhere privately?" He didn't seem faced, not in the slightest. He got rid of the garments by throwing it in a dispenser, pulling his white coat around himself. When Obi-Wan seemed to nod in agreement at the corner of his vision but the king remained frozen with fear he sighed, patting his shoulder, and guiding them to his office. As Obi-Wan seemed to follow he quickly turned around, trying to stop him from going any further.

"It's all right, he's with me." Aidan reassured him. At first the doctor seemed confused but when he saw the lost look in Obi-Wan's eyes he quickly realized the situation and agreed. He sat them down silently after leading them to his office and took his own position behind his desk, folding his hands before him as he decided on what to say. "Can you recall what happened, your majesty?"

"Well, I..." Aidan glanced at Obi-Wan, looking for reassurance. "She took another orb. It must've been too much, I think, and it wasn't hers to take. She collapsed." He reminisced, his voice becoming softer with each word he spoke. "Surely you can treat her for that, right? Surely there are ways to extract that power again."

"There are." The doctor sighed in defeat and cast his eyes down to his desk. "It was your sister that developed the technology. "He fell silent for a while before he continued. "By the time we got her here, her organs were already fatally damaged. The power had already destroyed many vital tissues, some of which we can't fix. We extracted the echo but the damage was already done and we couldn't wake her up." He continued to explain, looking at their faces at the end to see if the news had landed. "I'm afraid I don't bring you good news. We're looking at end-organ failure. I'm sorry, my king, but we can't save her."

"Then who can?" Aidan clenched his jaw, narrowing his eyes in determination.

"I'm afraid no one can, your majesty." The doctor concluded. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want your pity; I need your help!" Aidan suddenly stood up, slamming his fist down on the desk as electricity played around his eyes. Even with all that, the blood and dirt that was still covering his face, the doctor didn't seem faced in the slightest. "Your queen needs your help." Aidan continued, his voice breaking midsentence. He swallowed sadly as his fingers dug into his own skin, diverting his eyes when the doctor only nodded, looking back with sympathy.

"How long does she have?" Obi-Wan asked, breaking the silence that followed. He'd started nervously stroking his beard as his heart sunk deeper within his chest each minute.

"We're supporting her vital functions as much as we can." He explained calmly. "We're looking at 2 days, 3 days tops before her heart gives out. I'm afraid we won't be able to wake her up either." Obi-Wan nodded, turning his back towards the rest and facing the window, staring out over the city. Smoke was rising and the rubble was being cleared, the dead bodies removed from the streets. It was dead silent, as if the city was already mourning, as if it knew that its queen was dying.

"We are thinking about stopping the treatment. She could be hurting and we could be prolonging her suffering. With your permission we would like to, -"

"She's not hurting." Obi-Wan quickly cut in, making the other men turn to him in confusion. The tearing feeling at his chest had slowly diminished. Now it was like someone was only softly dragging his finger across it. "She doesn't feel any pain, not anymore." He concluded, sighing deeply before returning his gaze to the horizon.

Aidan sat himself back down as his mind raced. Whatever he tried, the message didn't seem to arrive. He couldn't get himself to understand that he would lose his sister soon, he couldn't grasp the fact that she was dying just a few doors down the hall. He bit his lip and looked down at his hands, still covered with the blood that had flowed down her face when he lifted her up.

"Would you like to see her?" The doctor then asked, his eyes darting between the two.

Obi-Wan scoffed sadly. Before the battle, the future was always uncertain. He hadn't dared to think about it, even dared to imagine that he'd be able to spend the rest of his life with Lyanna for he had never thought he'd have the luxury to even dare picture it. Now all he could do was think about what could've been, knowing that without her now he'd have no choice but go back to the war he'd been fighting for years. He had never thought otherwise but now it hurt, more than he could ever dare to admit.

"I'm afraid there is another war waiting for me."

~

2 days passed. Right after the battle Anakin had restored the communications with the republic, letting them know that they were still alive and that they'd resolved the conflict on the planet. He'd arranged for ships to come pick them up in a fortnight and bring them back to the war. He'd kept himself busy, distracting himself from the loss of a friend.

Anakin had tried to comfort Obi-Wan yet all his attempts were quickly denied. In a way Obi-Wan was still trying to hide the fact he'd grown close to the Valerian, even after everything Anakin had seen and felt. Maybe in some way Obi-Wan was also trying to convince himself that it had been just a dream, that night with her and all the moments they'd shared.

Yet the bond remained. Somehow he could feel her presence with every step he took, as if she was right beside him all along. He could feel the life that was still inside of her but felt it fading with each passing second, slipping from his grasp.

"Obi-Wan." Anakin had walked up to him after he'd returned from the hospital, seeing him stare out to the horizon once again and watching the sun go down. He shuffled on his feet awkwardly, not knowing how to address the obvious tension in the room. Anakin saw his shoulders tense when he heard his voice. "I'm sorry, master." He finally dared to continue.

"Sorry for what, Anakin?" Obi-Wan didn't turn around.

"You know what." Anakin frowned, feeling frustration building up already. He hated how Obi-Wan continuously tried to hide his emotions from him, especially because Anakin knew how he felt. They never conversed about their feelings, about their attachments, about their weaknesses and Anakin despised it. "It's obvious you had feelings for her." He continued, his frustration showing through his voice.

He saw the master's shoulders slump slightly as he sighed. "Queen Lyanna sacrificed her life for her kingdom, Anakin. I'm sure that wherever she's going, she will be at peace." Obi-Wan tried to convince himself too. After all, the way she'd looked up at him the moment she passed told him nothing otherwise. "There's no reason for us to mourn her passing."

Yet when the ships arrived and they were ready to leave he found himself in her room again. They had placed her back in her royal quarters with all the equipment that was keeping her alive, making sure that when she died it'd be in a place she knew to be home. Obi-Wan silently made his way across the room, sitting at her side and slowly taking her cold hand in his. He sat, staring at her pearly white face and her light lashes that graced her cheeks. Her beautiful red hair was neatly combed and curled around her, giving her face an even paler look.

"The ships arrived this morning." Obi-Wan spoke slowly as he examined her face, hoping as all the times before that she'd open her eyes at the sound of his voice. They remained closed, oblivious to the world around her. "Anakin and I are being sent to another planet caught in the war between the Republic and the Separatists. As I have gathered now, it won't be an easy mission."

Obi-Wan sighed deeply at the prospect. "I almost forgot about the war out there, in the galaxy. The countless droids, jedi and troopers that are still fighting every day over this feud. That war often seems so pointless. Hopeless. Empty. Sometimes I even wonder if we're still the good guys."

Obi-Wan scoffed softly, squeezing her hand. "Here it was always clear. Even when in the beginning Anakin thought you were our enemy, I never doubted you weren't. The first time I looked at you all I saw was a frightened warrior that was about to lose everything yet was determined to give everything for her people. Confident yet reluctant. There was more going on than we knew of and you proved it to everyone. Our enemy was right in front of us all this time. You can say what you want about Arthas and Derik, but they made good villains. Yet out there, I'm..."

His face fell as he sighed deeply, closing his eyes. "You taught me more than you realise, princess. You showed me the power of love, empathy, sacrifice, and hope. I'd lost sight of that after all these years, I lost all those values we jedi hold so dear fighting in a war I'm not sure we're supposed to be fighting. You showed me the importance of compassion."

Obi-Wan frowned as he allowed himself to truly think about everything, to go against his own judgement and see his order with an unbiased opinion. "I think... I think most jedi have lost sight of what really matters, clouded by the dark side. The council, dare I admit, has lost sight. Yet I know that we must keep on fighting but we need someone to show us the error in our ways. Someone that is powerful, strong, confident and able to speak out but knows the importance of empathy, hope."

"So please, Lyanna." He leaned forward, his hand softly stroking a strand of hair away from her face. "Wake up. Show us how to be better. Teach me again, surprise me in the way only you can. Show us where we're wrong and lighten our path." Obi-Wan felt his heart break when he realized the other intentions he had, the urges he felt deep inside of him that he'd supressed for so long. "Show me what it is like to be loved, truly loved. Now that I've had but a single taste, I can't imagine or bear a life without it. I... I can't, not by myself. Not without you."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at her desperately, waiting for a response, waiting for even the slightest movement in her composure. Yet she remained as still as ever, her chest slowly rising and falling. "I know you've already given so much." Obi-Wan's voice broke as he leaned closer. "But I need you to do just one more thing. Surprise me again. Show me that I'm wrong. Show me that you can fight this, show me that you'll survive because I don't believe anymore."

He had to take a moment to collect his voice. He sobbed and leaned against her hand, softly pressing a kiss to it as he closed his eyes. "One more miracle, princess." Whispering against her skin he pressed a kiss to it again, holding it close and trying to warm it up as if that'd somehow wake her up again.

"One more miracle." He didn't even dare open his eyes for he knew there would be no change, just like the past hundred times he'd tried. So instead he kept them closed, breathing in her scent, imagining her standing before him with one of her playful smiles plastered on her face and the fire that always sparked in her bright, green eyes. How alive she had always been.

When he heard the long beep of the monitor, the sound stretching on, he knew that life had gone. She was gone.

~

At first it was like I was surrounded by oceans. Floating, it seemed, in nothing. There was no sound, no movement, just slight currents that flowed against my skin and soothed every troubled thought there ever had been in my mind. It was this void, I guess, but it was also everything there ever was. Everything, yet nothing. When I opened my eyes it also looked like I was at the bottom of the ocean, surrounded by only darkness. As I looked up I saw only dark blue, the surface so far above that I couldn't possibly ever reach it. I saw that for what seemed like an eternity until a light suddenly appeared at the end of my vision. It grew bigger rapidly, as if the surface was coming down to me. It should've terrified me, yet all I felt was peace as it washed over me.

After it blinded my vision I felt my feet connect with a marble floor. The sound echoed loudly through what seemed like a hall. I had to blink a few times to adjust to the brightness until finally I discovered that I was in some kind of throne room, pillars reaching till far above me. It was covered entirely in a golden glow as if the sun was setting inside the castle. I couldn't even see the ceiling as the light shone down on me.

Looking around, I found the hall was entirely empty. At the end I saw a small platform with stairs leading to it. I would've presumed the throne would reside there, yet all there was was a tall, thick golden door of which I didn't see the top. It stood open slightly, clamour and laughter coming through the slight crack. It sounded like a feast with hundreds of people and I could already smell the sweet aromas of meat, bread and ale.

Valhalla? I frowned, my feet carrying me further down the hall. Was I dead? The thought occurred to me as I walked and flashes of images soon started to cover my vision. Slowly but surely I remembered what had passed with each step I took. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. I halted in my tracks, my eyes focussing on the doors that lead to the price most of my people fight for all their lives. Yet here I was, having earned the ultimate reward, and reluctant to take it.

"Having doubts?" A voice suddenly shook me to my core, making me turn to him swiftly. A man sat on the stairs, sword on his knee as he cleaned it with a rag. He was wearing simple clothes, dark brown work pants with simple boots, a white button-up shirt that was open at the top, giving view to his broad, muscled chest.

When I remained silent he stopped in his actions, slowly looking up at me and wiping away the red hairs that'd hung before his face. I met his blue eyes and immediately felt calm, somehow, as he smiled softly. "It's all right. Everyone is confused at first." He assured me and then patted the spot on the stairs next to him. "Come, sit down with me for a moment."

I felt his eyes on me the entire time as I sat down beside him, my eyes darting to where I came from and only seeing the same warm light as if there was only a sun at the end. My gaze diverted back to my hands as I folded them in my lap, fighting the urge to cry as I realized there was no going back.

"How did you die?" His comforting voice soon disrupted me. I felt his sympathetic gaze on the side of my face, looking at me curiously. With all the emotions running through my body he seemed utterly calm, as if he'd done this a thousand times before. He didn't even try to evade the subject for we both knew in what kind of situation we were. He talked about it as easily as talking about the weather.

"I... sacrificed myself, I guess. A powerful enemy came to my kingdom and he was about to destroy it all, had I not intervened when I did." I told him, fumbling with the white dress I had appeared in. There was a silence as I tried to gather my thoughts. "I didn't even mean to. All I tried to do was save the kingdom but... I tried to stay alive, even though I knew I shouldn't, even though I knew I had to die." I let out a shaky breath as tears gathered in my eyes. Shaking my head and sighing deeply I looked back at my pale hands. The weirdest part was that everything still felt so real.

"Somewhere deep down I still had this unrelenting urge to live. To fight, to feel, to love." I glanced at the man at my side, seeing him smile encouragingly back at me. "I guess I should just be thankful that everyone is safe. That was, after all, the purpose of it all. In the end all I regret is not being able to be with the one I love."

"Sounds like you've been through a great deal." He laid his hand on my arm and squeezed gently.

"I have." I diverted my gaze away from him again. There was this gnawing realization at the back of my head that I couldn't prolong this any further. I needed to move on. The thought of going through that door though was still a step too big for me to take right now. So, I decided to postpone it just a little bit longer. "What about you? How long have you been here?"

"Must have been what, 300, 400 years? I can't even remember coming here." He scoffed slightly at himself as he sat upright, taking in a deep breath. "I've seen countless warriors appear and go through that door as fast as possible, not wasting a single moment. I've met people that didn't even believe this was all real, that it was but a fragment of their imagination. I've spoken to many terrified people and convinced them to make the final step, to move on. As we all should. Yet here I linger, waiting."

"Waiting for what?" Curiosity spiked as I looked at him. He seemed like an ordinary man, not too old but also not too young. He seemed wizened by his years but also tired, as if he'd been in countless battles. Yet somewhere in his eyes there was a youthful spark, an energy so warming and welcoming that it could melt any heart.

"I'm not sure." He answered, biting his lip as he nodded and cocked his head slightly to the side. "Waiting for a long-lost friend for one, if he'll ever come. We had a lot of falling outs during our lifetime which we always got through but I'm afraid I went too far in the end. Made a mistake that I've been regretting every day since I came here. I need his forgiveness before I move on, I guess, I'm not sure."

"Most of all..." He scoffed and smiled at his own emotions. "There's this one girl, a woman now I suppose, I've been waiting on the past decades. She was the daughter of the woman I loved. The last of my kin. I'm not sure if she even was mine yet I can't help this thought, this certainty within me that she is. "

My eyes widened as I quickly glanced away from his face. My heart seemed to beat out of my chest.

"Even if she isn't, I can't help but care for her as deeply as I do. I don't even know her, didn't even see her once yet there is this part of her inside of me that I can't ignore. Like this light at the end of a tunnel that has always guided me. I need to... I need to at least see her before I go. Maybe go together, at last, as father and daughter." His eyes filled with hope as they darted back to the end of the hall. "Wouldn't that be phenomenal? Father and daughter reunited after all this time, only to pass into eternity together. I know that she would've made me proud. I am certain that whatever life she has lived, she lived it to the fullest and made our ancestors proud. And maybe, just maybe, she could forgive her old man for all his sins. Gods know hers is the only forgiveness I need."

"Anduin?" I whispered, barely above a gasp. I saw his eyes widening immediately as he stilled, trying to comprehend how I knew his name. As he slowly turned and truly started to look at me, the corner of his eyes slipped downwards as he fought back the tears that started to well up. When I smiled at him sadly, giving a nod as to reassure him it was me, this wide grin appeared on his face that would've brought even the evilest man to tears.

"Ly-Lyanna?" He stuttered, his hand rising to touch my cheek. As if afraid I'd disappear with the slightest touch he carefully placed his fingertip on the side of my face as if to test if I were real. Then he quickly grasped both sides of my face, laughing in glee when he truly realized I was finally there. "By the gods, look at you!"

"You're... You're gorgeous!" He continued and I could only smile, my vision blurring as tears started to cloud my vision. "Oh, you look exactly like her." Anduin focused on my eyes as he smiled again, sobbing loudly, not even trying to hold back his emotions anymore. "You may have been cursed with my hair but gods, you have her eyes." He chuckled and then pulled me into a tight hug, burying his face in the crook of my neck as he wrapped me into his strong embrace.

"I've been waiting so long for this, my dear, so long." His voice was muffled by my hair and I felt his tears wetting the dress. "I can't believe you're finally here." He drew back after a long moment, scanning my face and trying to take in every detail until his face fell. He saw the sadness in my own eyes and quickly realized I wasn't as used as him to being here. "I'm sorry." He quickly apologized, dropping his hands back to his own lap. "I'm going too fast for you, I'm-,"

"No, no, please. I'm glad to finally meet you, I'm more than happy, euphoric even, just as you are but..." A smile decorated his face once again as he watched me struggle to find the right words.

"You're not ready." He finished my sentence, inclining his head a bit so he could look me straight in the eyes.

"I'm not." I confirmed, swallowing loudly and glancing away from his eyes. "Most would suppose I would be after everything. I became the Valkyrie, fought the republic, discovered the traitor, became the phoenix and defeated Arthas yet I feel like I'm not done yet, like I have so much more that I need to do before I go." Desperation was laced through my voice as I then sighed in frustration. "All this time I've been fighting for others. I never even gave myself the chance to do anything for myself, not even once."

"There's someone, isn't there?" Anduin questioned as he watched me.

"A jedi." I tried to read his reaction. After all, he'd died in a war against the jedi and sith. He seemed blank at first until he scoffed softly, smiling again as he shrugged.

"You take more after your mother than I previously thought." He joked, squeezing my thigh slightly. Suddenly though a crease formed between his browse as he sunk into his thoughts. "Do you love him?"

Without a moment's hesitation I answered truthfully. "I do."

He seemed to think about for a couple more moments, running his hand through his hair and exhaling deeply. "There is... a way." Anduin whispered, glancing back up to read my expression. "Our family tends to leave things untidied when we pass. We phoenixes, we can start all over again. A second chance. "

"Rise from the ashes." I whispered as I listened closely.

"Exactly." Anduin smiled in response, putting his hand on my shoulder. "But there is a downside. Once you return, you lose a part of yourself. We were never meant to return from the dead, not without consequences. Little bits fade, like you lose a part of your soul. "

"Is that why... why you turned mad?" I frowned, looking at his now kind eyes, "I thought it was some kind of family sickness." I scooted closer to him and watched as he bit his lip and supressed a cough.

"The only sickness in our family is our tendency to look after everyone but ourselves." Anduin laughed humorously and drew his hand through his thick hair. "I returned for the second time. I died when I was about 12 because of some stupid accident, but this time I was killed by a jedi gone rogue. I knew something was amiss but I couldn't let my kingdom fight the sith alone. In the end Arthas tried to relieve me off my suffering but all he did was anger me even further. I... lost it. Ever since I came back I didn't feel like myself and then suddenly, it felt like I was something else entirely."

He seemed to reminisce on the occasion as I saw his expression drop. The event was still haunting him, I realized, after all these years. "So, I'll tell you this, daughter." He grasped my hands after he'd shaken the thoughts from his head. "You can go back. You can live again and be with the jedi you love so dear. It's a risk, I won't lie to you. There'll be a chance that you'll lose yourself as you return and you may not be able to protect anyone from the following consequences." Anduin looked at me intently, trying to get his words through.

"I know you desire to be with him, I understand. I truly, truly do." His eyes filled with concern. "But please, don't make the same mistake I did. You are a queen. We have a duty not only to ourselves, but also to the kingdom, our people. I know it is hard to be selfless sometimes but it's a burden that was forced upon us." Anduin sighed deeply, placing his hand on the side of my face as he smiled. "Yet I know you are everything I ever hoped to be. You will make a far better choice than I did, and I know you will weigh all the options. I'm proud of you, my daughter, and I wish I could give you everything you ever wanted. I want you to be happy. I want you to go back to him."

His thumb caressed my cheek softly before he dropped his hand. "It's your choice, yours only."

I stared back at him. Anduin Fireheart, the king I'd looked up to all this time till the moment I thought he'd gone mad. Yet, in the end, he was just like me. Only trying his best look out for everyone around him except for himself and by that losing himself in the process. It was like looking into a mirror. Seeing someone else hurt the same as I did, it opened a new door for me and I finally felt whole. He was possibly the only one that could ever understand the amount of effort I put into others and the pain it caused when I'd get nothing in return.

It soothed me and I was afraid that if I'd leave him now I would never find that again. Find him again, my father that'd be waiting for me all these years. Anduin saw the emotions running through me. He smiled sadly again, raising my hands to his mouth and planting a soft kiss on them before letting go and turning to the door to Valhalla. He grasped the handle and turned it down, opening the door and making the noises louder than ever before. The sounds of festivities and laughter soon flowed into the hall, almost seemingly inviting us inside.

"Are you coming, -" Anduin looked back expectantly as he nudged his head to the inside. "or will you go back?" He finished, letting out a deep breath as he looked at me fondly. The warmth that came from the crack, his inviting smile and his outstretched hand made me stand up almost immediately. It was a striking contrast to the world out there, the pain and the suffering that transpired there every day. There, in Valhalla, all there was was feasts, laughter, stories, peace and glory. Everything I'd ever dreamed off.

I went to take his hand, almost touching his palm until a soft, broken voice suddenly echoed through the halls.

"One more miracle, princess." I quickly covered my wide-open mouth as tears welled up almost instantly as I glanced back, recognizing his voice immediately. Obi. I retracted my hand away from Anduin and gazed into that light, that burning light that blinded me. Taking one step forward I longed to hear his voice, just once more, so that I could be convinced to fight another day. I needed that extra push, that extra initiative to drive me. But the halls remained silent as long as I waited.

"Well?" I glanced back at Anduin as he smiled at me warmly. Sighing deeply, I took another step towards him, giving up the fight I'd fought for so long. I would finally look after myself and take the break I had longed so long for. I felt the warmth of the halls of Valhalla overwhelm me as I walked closer and I grew surer with every step. Yet when his voice returned, I was left before the final decision once again.

"One more miracle."

No one, literally no one:
Me: writes enormous chapters full of deep, thought out conversations including immersive character development, self-reflection and thoughts/feelings and let's not forget about the multiple norse mythology references I sneaked in there

Oops. Guess I got carried away. 

Don't forget to leave a vote and comment! I'll upload the next chapter more quickly if you do and you'll finally find out is she lives or not ;P