Anakin woke, as if from a dream. Slowly, sleepily, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking around. He seemed to be in a forest, full of towering trees and fresh green grass. The plants around him were healthy and covered with dew. A slight breeze blew softly, weaving between the trees like a silent snake. The sun shone down on the forest, the light filtering through the trees. Its rays warmed Anakin to the bone. It was very peaceful, and almost completely silent, save a few chirps from birds flying about. Anakin looked around again, confused. He had never seen this place in his life!
"Luke?" Anakin called. "Luke, are you here? Where are we?"
"Luke is not here." A deep voice said quietly. "We have been waiting for you for a long time."
Anakin turned around warily. Standing before him was Obi-Wan Kenobi, alive and well. He was wearing his Jedi robes, and he had a small smile on his face. Anakin was too shocked to speak.
"You are in the Force. Luke is still alive in the mortal world." Obi-Wan told him. "That was a very brave thing you did, Anakin. Saving your son from the hands of the Emperor proves that your heart has changed. I am proud of you. So are all the others."
"Obi-Wan?" Anakin said, still shocked. He slowly took a deep breath, letting everything his former master had said sink in. "Is everyone here?"
"Yes. Including Padme." Obi-Wan replied, smiling slightly at Anakin's immediate reaction.
"Padme?" Anakin cried. "D-Does she hate me?" he put his head in his hands in despair. Ever since Padme had died, Anakin had been aching to know whether she had forgiven him or not. He didn't know who in the world would still love him and forgive him after all that he had done. He expected the worse. Even angels would have a very hard time forgiving him.
"No." Anakin raised his head in disbelief, a single tear running down his cheek. Was it possible that she had forgiven him? He listened with bated breath for Obi-Wan's next words. "She still loves you. She has been crying everyday since you joined the dark side." Anakin felt a pang of guilt. He had caused her an abundant amount of pain! Oh, his poor angel...
"She has forgiven you, however. So have we all. Especially since you saved Luke. Still, she is heartbroken because of your actions."
Anakin jumped to his feet, determined to win back her undying love and trust. "Where is she?"
"She is sitting on a bench, a half hour's walk west from here. She has been waiting for you for a long time."
Anakin was about to take off, when he turned back and looked at Obi-Wan. "Master," he began. "I'm so, so sorry for killing all of those Jedi. For killing you. For killing all of those innocent people. I'm so sorry for becoming arrogant and selfish, for turning to the dark side. I apologize with all of me. I can't believe that you are so gracious as to forgive me after everything that I've done. I'll try to make it up to you someday, I promise."
Obi-Wan crushed Anakin into a hug. "Thank you for that apology, Anakin. It is accepted happily. I am glad that you have turned from your evil ways. I am very proud of you."
Anakin bowed, and then sprinted off westward, like he was running on the wind. Obi-Won chuckled softly and turned to go back to the others.
Anakin sprinted along, never slowing down. He couldn't wait to get to Padme! He needed to see her again, see her beautiful face, and hear her lovely voice. He needed to feel her comforting presence, to hold her in his arms and feel completely content. After sprinting for about fifteen minutes, he came upon a glade, warm and sunny. The surroundings reminded Anakin of Padme's garden in Naboo. The smell of flowers drifted in the air. To the right of the clearing, a huge lake was spread out, like an enormous mirror. The water was calm and tranquil, and it sparkled in the morning sun. In the center of the glade, there was a stone bench, intricately carved. And sitting on the bench, with her back to him, wearing the beautiful yellow dress that she had worn on that day when they had had a picnic in the meadow, was Padme. He stopped, panting from the tiring run.
She stood, and then slowly turned around. She was as breathtaking as ever. Her long, chocolate brown curls tumbled down her back. Her beautiful brown eyes stared, unblinkingly, into his. Her lips were as pink as a rose, and her cheeks were bright. Her form was as perfect as ever. She was an angel. His angel.
They were both too shocked to move. They just stared at each other for a long second. Then, he stumbled forward, tears in his eyes. "Padme." he whispered. "My angel. Oh, my angel. I am so, so, so sorry." He was about to continue when she ran forward, tears also in her eyes. They were running down her face, thick and fast.
"Ani!" she cried, sobbing. "Oh, Ani!" She ran around the bench and straight into his open arms. She sobbed into his shoulder, as Anakin held her as tight as he could without suffocating her. His tears were falling onto her hair as he held her, relishing the smell of her. They embraced for a long time, like the other was their lifeline. Finally, they broke apart just enough to be able to look at each other. "Anakin." Padme said softly. "I've missed you- so much. More than you can ever imagine. I can't believe you're here now."
Anakin fell to his knees in front of Padme. More tears leaked out of his eyes. "I'm so sorry that I turned to the dark side. I'm so sorry that I killed all of those Jedi. I'm so sorry that I didn't listen to you. I'm so sorry that I almost killed you. I'm so sorry you were forced to give birth to Luke and Leia without me to help you at all. I'm so sorry that I killed all of those innocent people. I'm so sorry that I didn't raise Luke and Leia, and that they were forced to become orphans. Oh, Padme. I've done so many terrible things. I don't know how you'll ever find it in your heart to forgive me." He was crying now. "I have thought about you every single day since you died. When I was dying by the river of lava, I only thought of you. Not a single day has past when I haven't thought of you. You are everything to me, Padme. When you died, I died as well. I can't live without you. You are the very thing that anchors me to the world. Without you, my life means nothing. I love you, Padme. So much. So much." Padme was crying too, as she looked down into the face of her loving husband. This was her Ani, the one that she had married. This was the Ani that she had missed so much in the short time before her death. This was the one that she thought about, all those years in the Force where she had been waiting for him. Her loving, caring, considerate husband, the one who only thought about others, the one who was completely selfless. Her Ani.
