Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She watched.

She waited.

Centuries of conflict turned into centuries of peace. But her beloved ones did not understand. They couldn’t hear her anymore, and her heart broke. They could feel her, though, and she tried , oh how she tried to utilize it.To get them to simply listen!

But they were drunk on their traditions and on their power. Fearful, even as they disavowed fear.

How could they reject love? After all, she loved them . Oh she loved them. So pure, so gentle. But their pride and their arrogance made her heart sick.

She saw the dark one rise, and begin to corrupt everything he touched. She watched the Wise one teach her Blessed One. She always found great joy watching them, for they were the most pure, the least arrogant, of her beloved.

She heard Daughter talk to her, commune with her, but even she could not understand. All was bias, all was prejudice. For once, she desired that everyone would understand . Balance, it had been lost to her for so long. Her heart yearned for it.

Then she decided it was time. Time for her Chosen One. So she found a woman who would give him the right training to carry him through. A slave ... yes, a humble beginning. And so, the Chosen One was conceived.

Yet, darkness continued to spread, and her beloved grew ever more blind.

So she waited.

And she watched.

And finally, her baby was born.

____________________

Chapter Text

“Mom.” A small blonde boy looked up with wide blue eyes at the kindly woman above him.

“Yes, Anakin?”

“Do you ever hear a voice? Like, in your head?”

Shmi Skywalker turned away from her dishes to stare at her son, slightly disturbed.

“Well, not particularly, Ani. Why? Do you?”

The little one looked down at the table, troubled. “Mmmhmm. Is that … bad, Mom?”

She considered. She knew her little boy had powers she knew nothing about. She knew he was destined for greatness, but she didn’t know how to help him. She didn’t know if it was normal or not. She sighed, there was nothing she could do about her lack of knowledge, but at least her son would always have her support.

“I’m sure it’s nothing to be worried about, Ani.” She gave him a soft smile and turned back to her dishes, “What kind of voice do you hear?”

His face scrunched up as he thought, "Well, it's a she voice. She's really nice, and she's always giving me little tidbits. Like, remember when Watto had me fight that other boy?" Shmi heart grew heavy at the mention, but she nodded, "I was actually losing, but the voice told me what to do. She does it at races too. Even when I'm just in my room or working on 3PO." He picked at the table, "When I'm quieter, sometimes we talk for hours about all kinds of things."

“Oh?” Shmi turned, interested, to her nine year old son

“Mhmm. Like about Watto, and when Kister and I freed the ghostlings. Sometimes she just listens to me talk about my day.” He glanced up at his mother, before resting his head on his arms and gazing wistfully at the wall. “It’s nice. She’s even teaching me other languages besides Basic and Huttese!”

She gave her son a sad smile, “That’s wonderful, Ani. Be sure to convey my thanks. Now, get ready for work. Your shift starts soon.”

He hopped off his chair, “Ok, Mom.”

She watched her son go with a troubled gleam in her eye. The day was coming when she would have to let her son go. Go and be free from this awful life they'd lived. It would be for the best, but she knew her heart would break when her little Ani left. Still, if it was what he needed, that is what he would get. Until then she would wish and hope and dread for that day to come. Little did Shmi know, that day was drawing very near.

:SON:

Anakin Skywalker was a dreamer.

He wanted to be a Jedi, to travel the stars! Maybe even visit Iego! He and Mom could ride off and be free ! Of course, first he’d just have to deal with Watto, but that was easy! He’d just find a way to make Watto enough money that he’d let them both go! Or … he could always use his powers.

No, penneth. You must never use your powers so abusively. Remember, they are there so that you may serve others to the best of your ability. Not yourself.

He quickly switched his shirt, as he kept thinking, because he knew the voice could hear his thoughts. But, it would help both me and Mom! And we’d be able to get out of this trashpile.

This trashpile is your home. You must always learn to be content with your surroundings, penneth, so that you may experience as much peace as you can. Your soul will rest, and your mind will remain open.

He shrugged. I guess so.

He glanced at the chrono, and then swiftly ran out the door, and straight past his mother in his hurry. “Bye Mom! I’m late! Love you!”

He spent the next few hours slaving away in Watto’s shop. He snorted bitterly, “Nice pun.”

He didn’t really hate it here. After all, it was safe , he and Mom were cared for, and Watto wasn’t exactly a cruel master. But … he wanted to know what freedom felt like. Is that wrong?

No, penneth . But your life will take you many places. Sometimes, you must simply go along for the ride. Someday, you will be free. I promise you, my son.

His eyes watered at the feeling of love and devotion he felt alongside those words, and he hid a small smile.

I can live with that .

:SON:

She smiled.

He was so beautiful, so bright, and so free! He was perfect!

A galaxy away she watched as tensions rose, and the dark one began to spread his cloud, and her Blessed One began to be tainted by the blindness of her beloved ones. His freedom of spirit ever so slowly diminishing, even as the Wise One tried to keep it alive.

Her heart was heavy. It was almost time. Almost time for her Chosen to be thrust into the whirlwind. Yet, he wouldn’t be alone. She loved him oh so much, so she would be with him. Giving him whatever he needed. For he would surely need it in the days ahead.

But … for now. For now, she would continue to watch him grow and shine. For as long as it would last.

Chapter Text

Qui-Gon’s brows furrowed as he took in the sandy town in front of him. When he had arrived with the gungan, droid and the handmaiden, he hadn’t been expecting much. Tattoine was a backwater planet, devoid of any special brilliance in the force. A den of rotten slime when it came to the Hutt Empire.

So then why did he sense a blinding flare of the Force in this rundown town that stood before him? A brilliant and intricate weave of light that wove through every building and every patch of sand. It was bright and unbelievably beautiful, to those who could sense it.

The question still remained however. Why ? Why was it like this?

“Master Jedi?” A quiet mumble came from his right, distracting him from his thoughts. Ah, the handmaiden . “Are you alright?”

He nodded, before he shook his head as if to clear it, “Yes. Yes, I’m alright. Come, we must hurry.”

With a skeptical stare, she merely nodded and followed him through the streets of Mos Espa. Still marveling at the intricate details and connections of the weave of the Force through the city, Qui-Gon passed many junk dealing stores without a comment, prompting many a curious look from the girl at his side.

He, in fact, couldn’t explain why he was going this way, but he knew this feeling. He’d only felt this led by the Force once before, and it had led him to his padawan, a brilliant nova in the force that none had desired to train. He had ended up filling the hole left in Qui-Gon’s life after Xanatos, and Qui-Gon had never regretted his decision to train Obi-Wan. To feel that same feeling now, however, was a perplexity, especially when it was so strong . It felt as if his whole body was simply being pulled along, and he himself was simply along for the ride.

Qui-Gon had always believed that the Force was more than what the other masters said it was. There had been times when he could truly feel it, a warm, comforting pulse which he felt every time he meditated. To feel it swirl and feel as if it was a truly living being. Windu had laughed when he’d told him his thoughts, and Master Yoda had simply stared at him thoughtfully when he mentioned it, but it was clear that they both disagreed. So Qui-Gon had made it his secret personal mission, one even his padawan was unaware of, to truly find proof that the Force was truly alive, and not just a field of energy to be used at will. A mission that he had begun to believe was doomed to failure, but as the tugging stopped in front of a small looking junk shop, Qui-Gon felt the hope in him rekindle.

He put his hand on the doorframe and leaned in, spotting a small young boy sitting on a counter, normal to the eye, but blindingly bright in the force.

Yes, maybe there was hope.

:SON:

She smiled softly as she watched the Wise One meet her son.

The Wise One had always been a truth-seeker, finding answers in hidden places, asking questions far beyond anything he could comprehend. She loved him for it. But now, now she was in need of his persistent, wise nature. For it was time. Time for her son to be seen.

The pieces were moving, the places set. All she had to do now was wait and watch.

Chapter Text

Anakin looked up from the piece he was fixing, when several strangers walked into the shop. Well, one of them was a droid, but still. He’d never seen any of them in Mos Espa before, and his insatiable curiosity peaked. He tried to discreetly spy on them as Watto waylaid them, but he could feel the Voice’s amusement.

The man looked odd in the clothes he was wearing, like he didn’t really fit right, and a strange metal cylinder hung from his waist, though he had attempted to hide it with his coverings. The girl didn’t really look like she belonged to Tattoine, and the alien. Well, he was just funny.

He could feel a gentle hum at the back of his mind, Look deeper, penneth. As I showed you.

Well, it couldn’t hurt. He unfocused his eyes, even as he kept tinkering, and did that … thing where it felt like he was diving deeper into his soul. He really needed a word for that. He felt rather than heard her smile.

You are in light meditation, Anakin. That is your … “word”.

He tried to send her a cheeky grin, but he didn’t know if he managed it, before his … senses seemed to grow outward. He could feel the slight breeze coming from the open door that signaled that a sandstorm was coming. He felt Watto’s energy, but he moved on almost immediately. He’d gotten too used to it by now to pay any attention to his master’s … signature. That sounded like a good word for it. An approving touch seemed to filter from the voice, and he smiled and moved on to the others. The alien … it felt like, well … it felt like water . Which made absolutely no sense. Maybe he drank too much of it or something?

A chuckle sounded in his head, and he shook off the perplexing question, before he glimpsed the girl’s … signature. She felt … really smooth. Like a solid kind of sand. He grimaced. I need a better vocabulary .

Penneth, I have been busy trying to teach you how to say mother in Togruti. It has taken three months. He grinned.

Sorry.

If you do not mean it, do not say it.

Hey! I sort of mean it. Togruti’s hard!

It is one syllable, my son.

Chagrined, he went back to his … energy exploration, and moved from the girl to the man. The man who was now looking at him in fascination. Uh…

He froze as Watto turned to him, very irritated that he was distracting his customers.

“Nyee! Bolla tah doe bata room!”

He sighed, defeated. “Tagwa, watto.”

Jumping off the counter, he gave the group one last look before he disappeared into the back room.

Sorry.

She smiled softly, I didn’t want you to do it for me, penneth. It was only for you.

He brightened a bit, and went back to finding something to tinker with. He was still on shift after all. A thought struck him, Hey. You know, you’ve never told me what I should call you .

A long period of silence almost made him start to fidget, before a confused voice said, Call me?

Yeah, like. What’s your name?

I … do not have a name, penneth.

His eyebrows rose and his mouth fell open, No one ever gave you a name?!

Sorrow filled her voice, I have not spoken to anyone in a very long time, Anakin. In that time I have had no need for a name.

He shook his scruffy blonde hair, before he nodded decisively. Well, I’ll think of one.

It felt as if she was watching him closely. It made him slightly on edge that he couldn’t discern her emotions like he’d been able to for years. He was hoping for some sort of affirmation, but her presence faded before she spoke another word.

:SON:

As she waited for her children to once again find each other, she found herself frowning in thought. Her son had spoken a strange point. She really had never had a name, per say. She had been given many designations. She really hadn’t chosen the name “Force” for herself, and if she had been able to, she would’ve picked a better name than that .

But, she had never been in need of a direct designation. She hadn’t wanted to tell him that she really had never spoken to someone the way she was able to speak to him. She supposed … in that way, she had been caged. Impeded in her growth.

Still, being simply nameless was familiar. To be without substance, it requires a surrender of self. Or does it?

Her attention fully diverted from the events on Tattoine, she delved deeper into herself in a way she had not in many eons. She had been content to forget many of the principles which made her who she was. That would be resolved now.

The Wise One would care for her son.

She had no need to worry.

Chapter Text

She was home.

In this plane where only she existed, silence, pure and deep, is the only thing one would find. It soothed her in a way nothing else could, putting her heart at ease, and allowing her mind to expand. It had been a long while since she had explored herself ... explored this place. Eons, maybe.

She had been intrigued when Ani had led her to start to think of herself. Normally, her attention was so caught by helping and managing the world around her that she paid little attention to her own affairs. Her soul had begun to feel heavy, but she had deemed it a trivial thing, and continued to serve her people.

A servant. To be a servant was a noble thing, and she had always deemed it a blessing to live for others. Still, sometimes she had wanted … to be recognized. Living a life in solitude was a dangerous thing, it caused a person’s soul to ache. To yearn to not be the only one.

Perhaps … perhaps that had happened to her. That would explain the weight in her heart. So she had come back. To search for the reason, and maybe to finally return peace to her soul.

Though she lacked a body, she was still able to settle into a light trance. Her mind drifted, and then her world shined.

:SON:

It was small from the outside.

A little fission of a crack on the surface of her soul, that spread and grew the further she traced it. A darkness that festered, drawing on her energy, on her light. The balance of the world … resting on this one … small … crack.

She was confused.

Where had this crack come from? Why hadn’t she been paying attention? How had it escaped her notice? Surrounded by light ... it should have been obvious from the start. She trailed it, trying to find the source.

As she went, branches seemed to shoot out from the main crack, ever so steadily chipping away at the only thing she could truly call her own. Did she even deserve it? To fail so miserably to notice such a thing, did that not make her unworthy to exist as herself?

A light tinkle of sound could be heard as she hurriedly dove deeper, unsettled at the thought that she could simply ... not exist anymore.

:SON:

In a separate plane, Anakin tilted his head at the bell-like sounds, and put down his work.

Voice?

His head was silent.

The absence of the comforting presence which he had felt since before he could walk was deeply rattling, and he tried to probe for her, but his efforts were stumbling and inexperienced. He came up with no answers.

What happened? Why would she … why did this? Meht! Panic slowly rising in his chest, he unconsciously flared his senses deeper, and he was abruptly brought back to full awareness when he sensed the signature of the man in the other part of the store. It was so … similar to his!

Maybe he knew what happened!

The boy jumped off his seat, and ran out of the room.

:SON:

There it was.

The source of the dark and the emptiness. The source of the crack.

A malignant pulsing growth .

Revulsion spread through her. It reeked of death and decay, with inky tendrils that seemed to have paused in their crawl towards her heart. She needed … she needed it gone .

But … where had it come from?

She touched it lightly with her mind, and it awoke.

:SON:

A tearing sensation spread through her consciousness. A ripping and shredding like she had never felt before. Her light flared in response, and she was abruptly drawn away from the painful sensations. The presence of the dark receded.

A metaphysical copy of herself seemed to form from nothing, and a matching form stepped out of the black swirling cloud where the growth had been. It stared intently at her, searching for something in the core of her being.

Would you be free?

She drew out of her trance and stared in shock at the crumpling world of light around her.

Would you … live?

:SON:

She quickly escaped the first dimension and returned back to her anchor. To her little son. The only beacon of light she had left in the steadily darkening world.

What had she done?

Chapter Text

Qui-Gon lingered, stalling desperately in the area of the junk shop. The Trandoshan had thrown him out once he’d offered republic credits. Well, maybe a part of it was trying to influence him with a mind trick. The pull towards the area had disappeared a little while ago, leaving a hollow emptiness in his chest, but he knew that he needed to be here. The … handmaiden was quickly losing patience, but he continued to try to pacify her.

The sensation he’d felt from the boy’s tentative prove was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. His aura was pure light and seemed to spread a feeling of calm and cold throughout the soul. He needed to talk to the boy, but there was no way to go back and speak to the boy, and if he left, Qui Gon would have no way to find him without his name.

He turned around at a disturbance behind him, to find the gungan in an altercation with a Dug. Why had he ever brought the bumbler along? He made his way over to try to assuage the Dug’s temper, when his interest peaked as the boy came up hurriedly and shot something back at the Dug with perhaps a bit more anger than the situation demanded.

Both the gungan and the girl tried to thank the boy, but he just smiled a bit strained, and looked around searching for something. Or someone. Qui-Gon felt the force pulse as the two of them locked eyes. The boy’s filled with a strange sort of desperation, and he looked so lost.

“Hello there.”

The boy’s smile was much too dim. It looked out of place on the boyish face, “Mister Jedi.”

QuiGon’s eyebrows rose. Well. Apparently, he wasn’t as discreet as he thought he was. Either that … or there was something very special about this boy. The boy glanced up at the sky, looking extremely irritated and distressed, and then turned when the woman in the stall next to them told him to get home. Ani . Was that his name or just a nickname? So many questions for the unassuming child in front of him.

Ani turned back to them, and seemed to stare especially hard at the Jedi master. “There’s a sandstorm coming. Do you have a safe place to stay?”

“We can make our way to our ship.” The girl answered before Qui-Gon could. Ani looked jittery and shifted from one foot to another. Qui-Gon opted to remain silent and simply observe. Ani’s eyes flicked between them all, before he sighed slightly and seemed to come to a decision.

“That’s too far. You can come to my house.”

The boy stared at him for a few more moments, before he motioned to them to follow. He nodded to the handmaiden’s questioning look. Maybe he could finally find answers when they reached their destination.

He could only hope.

:SON:

His thoughts were racing. He wanted to interrogate the man as soon as he reached him, but then the sandstorm had come so close so quickly. His irritability and anger over such a mundane fact was so strange, it had never happened before. In an endless circle, words just continued to bounce around his brain. She wasn’t there .

It felt as if the planet had been taken out from under him, and he was floating helplessly in an empty space. It was terrifying, and he just needed someone to stop it. His steps unconsciously began to quicken in response to his hurried thoughts. He could feel the concerned gazes of the others behind him, and if it were any other time he would reassure them, but not when he felt as if a vital of himself had been ripped away.

The wind began to pick up around them, and the sand began to swirl. He pushed through it, trailing the familiar path to home. There. He felt the comforting presence of his mother in the house. She must have been dismissed early. The door slid open and he called to alert her.

“Mom! I brought visitors!”

From that point on, Anakin’s attention began to fade. He heard the introductions, his mother’s invitation for them to stay the night. Their names trickled through his ebbing consciousness, Qui-Gon, Padme … they sounded very important to him. For some reason.

There was still an hour or two before dinner, but he just couldn’t seem to concentrate on any one thing long enough to even try to speak to the man he so desperately needed to speak to. A loud voice rumbled in his mind as he made his way further into the home, and his eyes widened in shock. That … wasn’t her.

Such an interesting little thing. It seemed to slither and slide within him, and he vaguely registered the steadily more concerned voices around him. I think … I think I shall watch your career with great interest. With a gulp of air, Anakin returned to the present and saw that he was heaving for air on the floor, and the Jedi’s hand was on his head, sending waves of light through him. The slimy presence seemed to squeeze around his heart before it retreated out of his body.

His eyes filled with tears. What was that? He needed … he needed her back .

Sobs racked through his body, and he felt two sets of arms encircle him.

:SON:

She stared in confusion.

She … couldn’t reach him.

How? How could she not reach her son ? She felt the dark presence swirl around him, and her anger rose quickly. How dare it keep her from Ani? Intense waves of light pulsed from her being and she felt the darkness react slightly. It tried to grab harder onto Ani, but she let out the brightest flare of light she had ever managed, and it squealed and ran away.

Her baby was crying. She needed to … get to him.

But. So. Tired.

So. Tired.

Her consciousness ebbed, and she was temporarily lost to the world.

Chapter Text

“Ani? Ani, are you alright?”

The Jedi’s voice drifted to Anakin’s ears through the sound of his sobs, and it started to settle him. What was that? He tiredly shook his head. His energy just seemed to have been sapped out of him, leaving him as dry as the desert plains. Concerned blue eyes shifted into his vision, and he blinked in confusion. Where had they come from?

Mom? No, the Jedi. Qui … Qui-Gon? Was that his name?

His head hurt. He needed Meht.

“Deep breaths, Ani. Follow my breathing. Everything is alright, do you hear me?”

He nodded shakily, and worked on the Jedi’s breathing. After a minute or so he was aware enough to take in the worried expressions of those around him. Mom was holding him close, like she was afraid he was going to disappear, the Jedi held a calming hand on his back and was staring at him straight in the eyes. Asking something.

“I …” his voice came out as a croak, and his mother fetched him some water, “I need to speak to Qui-Gon.” It came out shaky, not what he intended. Maybe … maybe if he could sound strong then … then the Jedi would think he wasn’t just a slave, a little kid slave who couldn’t figure out the world on his own.

He was helpless. Useless.

“Well boy, let’s see how you like this then shall we?”

He shook his head. Mom … Mom was here, he was here. Qui-Gon would protect him … right?

Anakin wanted to cry again. He needed Meht. She always knew how to help, she’d always helped …

Where was she?

The adults glanced back at him after silently communicating with each other, and Qui-Gon helped him up and led him out on the balcony. With his small hand still on his chest, he tilted his  head to look up at the stars. Qui-Gon stood silently next to him, but he could feel the man’s intense gaze.

“I’ve always wanted to travel the stars.” His lips pursed, “I wanted to be free, to take Mom away, to live on our own ship, finding adventures wherever we went. I … I always knew it was … just a dream.” His eyes dropped to the ground below, “When you’re a slave, all you want is something different, you know? All you want is to help others, to help and be free. But I’ve watched … all my friends suffer through it, but I always had someone.”

“Your mother.” The Jedi’s deep baritone shocked him for a moment, but he turned to look into the man’s eyes.

“No. No, I’ve always had Mom, but she … she has her own troubles. No, I had someone else. The Voice.” The other’s gaze sharpened, “She has always been a … presence with me. She’s the reason I’m … like this.” he gestured vaguely at himself. He wasn’t doing a very good job explaining, but he didn’t really care. He needed to find her , bring her back . “She was gone today. After … I did the probe thing. She disappeared, and I … I don’t know what happened. I don’t know where she is.”

His eyes watered, and he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, “Then that thing . It was dark and weird, and just so not like her, but it talked to me, and it was squeezing …”

The silence stretched thin as Anakin tried not to cry again, and Qui-Gon gathered him up in his arms. “I don’t know what to do.” he paused for a second and looked back up at the stars, “I need your help.”

The man nodded decisively, “And you shall have it, Anakin.” he sighed, “You shall have it.’

They both stayed there quietly, each reflecting on their own dilemmas. Anakin buried his head in Qui-Gon’s shoulder, who simply shifted to take the boy in his arms.

Meht, where are you?

:SON:

Blurry words drifted into her senses, and her being twitched.

Anakin. Anakin. Anakin.

She was … calling to someone. Who was she calling?

Her light flickered as her mind wandered back to her own plane.

The former beautiful light had been completely disintegrated, and all that was left was a rotten, pulsing, dark mess everywhere. As her unconscious self sank to the bottom, her light radiated, and the dark substance all around her hissed.

So … you have come back. Welcome. Welcome.

Her eyes popped open and she screamed as the blackness speared her through, drawing on her light.

Anakin.

Her breathing steadily became more shallow.

Help.

Chapter Text

Anakin. Anakin, help!

HELP!

Anakin shot up from his bed with a harsh gasp. That … that was meht!

In a frenzy of movement, he tried to get out of bed, but only succeeded in getting tangled up in his sheets. The thud of him falling to the floor echoed throughout the house and he grimaced. He didn’t want to disturb Mom or … Padme? Was that her name? He finally slipped out of the sheets and ran out the door to the Jedi’s room, an annoying and useless thought going through his mind.

It’s a pretty name.

His sudden advent caused Qui-Gon to sit up abruptly, instantly alert, if not in complete possession of his senses. He blinked, “Obi-Wan?”

Anakin’s eyebrow rose as he rolled his eyes. Adults. “No, it’s me.”

The older man squeezed his eyes closed and rubbed his forehead with a groan, “Oh, Anakin? What …” he yawned, “What are you doing up so late?”

“Can you please just wake up! I heard MEHT! This is VERY IMPORTANT!!” He tugged at the man’s shirt and frowned as it still took several more moments for Qui-Gon to wake up fully. Couldn’t adults wake up any quicker?

“Meht? Your mother?”

Qui-Gon focused on the boy to find him staring at him in disbelief. Oh. Oh .

“You heard ‘the Voice’?”

“YES! She was calling to me for help! And I don’t know what to do because I can’t feel her, but I know she needs my help, so I need you to help, but you won’t wake up, and I can’t feel her!” Anakin’s breath went out with a whoosh, and Qui-Gon tried not to smile as he put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Not to worry, Ani.” He finally sat up fully and got rid of the last vestiges of sleep. “Do you know how to meditate?”

Anakin’s face scrunched up, “Meditate? I think … I’ve done some sort of light thing of that, but I always had Meht to help.”

He hummed, “Then I shall teach you.” Qui-Gon waved a hand towards the floor, “Come and get comfortable..” They both settled down, even if Anakin squirmed a bit, “Close your eyes. Good, now try to relax. Let go of all your worries, if only for a moment, and look deep within yourself. Let your mind sink into a state of oblivion and surrender everything.”

Anakin wanted to start panicking as Qui-Gon’s voice began to fade, but he tried to keep following the instructions. He had to … relax. His hand wanted to twitch but he tried to keep it still even as his mind began to focus inward. It was strange … it was so strange doing this without her. Then again, it was strange doing anything without her.

In his mind’s eye he could see his core using the special vision ... whatever it was. A pulsing ball of grey that he without hesitation dove into. Immediately he felt as if something was choking the life out of him. He was blind … blind and lost.

He didn’t … where was he?

A wall of black goo seemed to surround him, letting no light enter his field of vision.

Qui-Gon?

Meht?

There was silence for several moments before he heard movement behind him. He whirled and saw a face … without a body staring at him with extremely wide eyes and a sad little frown.

Not for me? You do not call … for me? No, no … never for me. It hissed, Ungrateful boy. And to think all this time I kept her alive … just … for … you. He tried to stay facing it as it began to twirl around him, always staring at him intently. Shivers started to rake through his body, and he could feel the tears build up.

Take him home! Someone, please, just take him home!

He pursed his lips and tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. “Who are you?”

I am Death. I am the Free. The face smirked, You may call me Mirtis, Chosen One.

His brow furrowed even as he tried to hide his quaking at the thing’s designation. “Chosen One?”

Oh? Has the little grotthu not told you? You are her Chosen One. The one in whom she places all her hope. It moved closer a tiny bit, forcing the slightly stunned boy to take a step back, Such a responsibility for one so small. Wouldn’t you say, boy?

Anakin’s irritation rose, “Just tell me where she is!” Mirtis’s attitude quickly turned from dangerously sweet to a furious snarl, Why should I? I have the slave right where I want her!

He didn’t know what was happening, but was as if a furnace had been lit in his heart. This … this thing had no right! It had NO RIGHT to call Meht a slave! His ire rose higher and a fiery fog began to fill his mind. His vision was clouded enough so that it was impossible to see Mirtis’s satisfied smirk. Any onlooker would have been able to tell … that the little boy’s eyes were a bright blood-shot yellow.

:SON:

“Arise, my love. Begin your cycle.”

She laughed and rose to twirl in front of the speaker, a being with the appearance of an aging man. His entire body radiated a bright white light, which seemed to dance with her halo of light. She remembered. She remembered the crinkles and laugh lines which had adorned his face and framed his eyes. Eyes that were wise with the knowledge of eons.

“Yes, Baba!”

He shook his head and chuckled, “Ah, my Nulis, always so carefree.” He stepped forward and caressed her cheek, “It is time. Go … go and spread your love and joy with the world.”

She nodded solemnly, before she frowned and glanced off into the distance at a dark form off to her right, “What of Mirtis, Baba?”

His smile turned sad, “Mirtis shall find her own way.” He moved his palm to hover over her heart, “Be well, my daughter.”

She jerked awake, feeling her heart beat rapidly. She blinked and startled as she felt a tear fall down her cheek. She inhaled shakily, “Till we see the end, Baba.”

A scream of rage sounded somewhere off to her right. Her head snapped in that direction and she desperately tried to peer through the black wall. It sounded like …

ANAKIN!

She grunted and rose unsteadily from her kneeling position, and felt her light rise in response to her need to protect him . He must … he must not. One step … and another. She passed through the dark mass, and felt as if she was walking through sludge.She glimpsed her son as if through a fog. A bodiless face whirled around him in fast circles, and she felt her heart stop in response.

Her voice was whisper soft, but it seemed to pierce the whistle of a wind that had never truly been there.

Mirtis. Enough.

The face slowly turned from where the dark was caressing Anakin’s head. When it caught sight of her it hissed and narrowed it’s eyes.

So … the grotthu has awoken.

Her lips thinned, Yes. I have awoken … my sister.