A/N: So it's back to the Leia-Vader saga. We'll go back to the rest of the gang a little later on.
This chapter is a little light. Thanks for the idea of a prequel! Haha! There's also definitely gonna be a sequel to this…
Please Read and Review! Thank you!
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Chapter 12
Bright and colorful masks of different shapes and sizes twirled around him, over and over, spinning and dancing, making his head light with dizziness. Light surrounded him, almost blinding him. He was not used to this kind of light... Not anymore.
And then suddenly, the heavenly light was gone to be replaced with the same dreary atmosphere he usually surrounded himself with. Except now, white snow lay at his feet and sculptures and stones of angels and crosses surrounded him. He never thought a cemetery would bring shivers to his spine.
He walked, with nothing but his feet guiding him and soon, he found himself lost among the snow and the tombstones that encompassed him. It seemed he was stuck in a labyrinth of graves. He glanced at one tombstone and almost fainted at the sight of the name his eyes befell upon.
Obi-Wan Kenobi.
No!
He turned away abruptly, not wanting to face the guilt of the death of his former master at his hands. He turned only to be faced with an even bigger tombstone, the name engraved on it gave him the greatest impact as if slamming him to a wall.
Padme Naberrie Amidala Skywalker.
Her face flashed up in his mind as she lay on her open coffin, still beautiful and elegant even in her eternal slumber. A true Queen. She carried the jappor snippet till her grave. He reveled in her image even in death.
Suddenly, the image of his wife was replaced with a blazing fire now swallowing him whole, burning him mercilessly. Like Mustafar. The snow was gone; only the fiery embers of the fire remained slowly taking all of him. No one was there to hear his screams. He wasn't there to hear theirs.
Anakin where are you?!
He was burning...'Somebody please help me!' He wanted to scream but he couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. He felt his limbs being burnt away so easily and cried out for someone to help him.
And amidst the fire and pain, his screams and anguish, an angel sang...
"No thoughts within her head but thoughts of joy…
…No dreams within her heart but dreams of love!"
And then, the fire was gone. He was heavily breathing, relief washing over him as he began walking among the cold, dank walls underground. He felt the water seep past his mechanical limbs as he walked, he paid no mind to it. His mind was concentrated on where this trail would lead him.
"This haunted face holds no horror for me now…It's in your soul that the true distortion lies…"
That voice again, who was it? Was it…Padme? It felt as though she was speaking to him…Darkness finally encompassed him, erasing his previous trail and vision, leaving nothing but darkness in his wake and with all his might, he started running, floating even, not caring what it would do to his mechanical limbs. He had to find the owner of that voice. He had to find Padme…
"This is the choice! This is the point of no return!" Was that him? Surely it was not. But now, he wasn't sure. He didn't understand any of this. Where are the voices coming from? All he could see was darkness. There was nothing but darkness.
"The tears I might've shed for your dark fate grow cold and turn to tears of HATE!"
No!
Padme! Please don't turn away! Please don't hate me! I love you! He cried desperately. But the darkness choked him, his voice empty and unheard. As it had always been when he was in darkness. Not even his breathing could be heard.
Sobs and screams now painfully thundered in his ears, deafening him.
"Luke…"
He wanted it all to go away.
"Leia…"
He wanted it all to stop. He didn't want to hear anymore voices. And then…
Silence.
A believer…a whisper…echoed in the wind…
"Obi-Wan…there's good in him…I know…there is still…"
Silence.
Vader's eyes snapped open. He felt relief surge through him as he realized he was finally out of the horrible dream land he found himself lost in. He wiped his eyes, the realization that tears had escaped his eyes as he dreamt striking him. This dream disturbed him greatly. He dared not go back to sleep again.
The mask slowly found its way on his scarred face and he released himself from the pressurized chamber that he slept in, trying to find a way how to ease his mind from his dreams.
A walk would surely lighten his mood. It was not his Star Destroyer he was on where he could look out into space and its many bright stars but Vader had found many alternatives to getting his mind off his plaguing dreams. Anything but meditating. He would surely find himself back in dream land in no time.
The bright light of the city of Coruscant greeted him as he stood by an enormous window, high up on his building. Silence surrounded him and the darkness lingered behind him, just the way he liked it. Not like in his dream though, this was different. This was comforting and soothing.
Obi-Wan…there's good in him…I know…there is still…
The voice whispered in his ear, bringing shivers in his spine. It was Padme, he was sure of it. It had to be her. His heart constricted painfully as he contemplated the depth of her last words to his former master. And he felt the guilt purge through him once again for killing her the way he did.
But you didn't kill her. That was a lie too… The Anakin from within whispered to him now. What was the truth anyway? Nothing changed from 20 years ago to now. He was still confused. He was still haunted. He was still suffering. He was still greeted by his demons. Which demon? He wondered momentarily. Padme or yourself?
His troubling thoughts were interrupted by a loud sound of crashing dishes noisily clattering from a distant. He began walking to the where the sound had come from, incredibly annoyed that his silent night had been shattered by mere clumsiness. Whoever disturbed him would surely pay…
As he walked in darkness, a light coming out from a room whose doors were wide open for the entire world to see. Soothing music could be heard coming from within. It was the kitchens and Vader's mind blazed with fury wondering who in the Force would be banging dishes noisily and playing the damned radio in this time of the night.
He entered the bright-lit room and his anger only intensified tenfold. The kitchen was in shambles! As if it was heavily ransacked and a war had just been fought within it. Broken dishes lay sprawled on the floor, flour and powder and other food ingredients were on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling! Oh yes, there'd be hell to pay…
And then Vader saw it. A door-sized compartment containing most of the frozen foods was opened and there stood the suspect that he would punish this evening. He stood there, waiting for the suspect to finish his gluttonous act and catch him off guard with his mere presence.
The compartment closed, revealing fully who it was, catching him off guard. Ironic, wasn't it?
For the suspect, the disturber to his silent night, the noisy intruder was none other than his daughter.
Leia.
She shrieked when she finally took notice of him.
"Father!" Her eyes wide with frantic fear of being caught doing such an act. She clutched her box of ice cream a little tighter, as if he was going to get it. "What in heavens name are you doing here?"
He smiled despite himself, beneath his black mask. "I should be asking you the same question."
She gave him a defying look. "I was hungry. So I came here."
"Yes, I see." Vader drawled out slowly while surveying his surroundings. He then took in Leia's appearance. Her long, curly locks were tied in a much disheveled order as if not much importance was given to it. She wore a sky-blue long sleeved shirt, too big for her size and matching pants also too big for her small frame. She clung to her food tightly. Vader was very amused at the appearance of his daughter. Not even Padme had looked anything near this. "I never knew my children were such cravers for food."
"You never knew your children at all."
She didn't mean it the way it sounded. It was suppose to be a joke. But it struck the Dark Lord more than he would ever admit.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean - … It was a joke…" Then Leia smacked herself for being so stupid. "Ugh. Nice. Stupid! Stupid!"
"It's alright, young one." Vader interrupted. "I understand."
Leia slowly move the long, rectangular, metal table and sat herself down on a chair. Vader followed her actions. Then she began eating her ice cream delightfully as Vader watched her silently.
"What are you doing so late in the night, Leia?" He paused. "And why are you making a mess out of my kitchen?"
She sighed. Lately, she had been feeling guilty for the harsh words she had screamed at her father almost 4 days ago. She hadn't seen him ever since her episode with Mara and she begun feeling guilty about all she had said. She was always a kind person no matter what the circumstance. Plus, her reoccurring dreams made her stay awake most of the time.
"I couldn't sleep." Leia admitted. "And I'm sorry about the mess. I was experimenting with my cooking and this happened. Lots of complicated tools in here. And then, I got a bit clumsy. I'll clean it up when I'm done."
"No." Vader's voice boomed. "You will do no such thing. Send a droid to clean it for you."
Leia smiled. "Father, I have been a ballet rat before. I know how to scrub the floors."
"I do not approve of the Emperor's prize cleaning kitchens before his eyes."
But deep down inside, somehow Leia knew his referring to her as the Emperor's property was just another mask he would put on to let the other party know he was not feeling any emotions.
"Whatever you say." Leia settled. "And I am no one's prize."
"Why couldn't you sleep?" Vader interrupted, completely changing the subject.
The question was said with so much concern and care, Leia almost believed the mask to be off. This was her father speaking. It had to be.
"Dreams." She replied simply.
"What dreams?"
"About my mother."
His heart leapt at the easily said phrase, so casual yet it sent a hundred daggers flying towards him, making him lose the Dark Lord's façade he had long ago put on.
"You have dreams about your mother?"
"Why? Don't you?"
Vader shut himself up at her last remark.
A comfortable silence settled among father and daughter as Leia ate away and Vader remained deep in his troubling thoughts. Did we have the same dream? Vader wondered. Were Leia's dreams somehow becoming his as well? Was that how great their connection was to each other?
"I've had dreams of Mother since I was four years old." Leia suddenly spoke up. Her statement deeply disturbed the Dark Lord. Even Leia herself wondered why she had begun to share such a secret to him.
What the hell. Might as well finish what I started. Leia thought. Maybe this was her way of asking for forgiveness for the horrible things she had said to him.
"My father…" She glanced at Vader and tried to correct her mistake. "Um…I mean… My first father, Gustav…well I loved him very much. And we were a happy family all those years ago. Music and laughter filled our household. Oh, I was so happy in that part of my childhood, I can never forget."
Vader simply nodded, taking every word in and knowing there was nothing else he could say. Perhaps Obi-Wan had made a wise choice of sending his children to different families after all.
"But then, my first mother died when I was around three. And my father, he loved her so much, the grief almost overtook him as well. For a long time, he wasn't able to move on and living had become difficult during that time for all of us."
Her voice shook as she remembered watching her beloved adoptive father suffer.
"I didn't know what to do at that time, I was only a child. But I wanted to help him so much! But no matter what I did, nothing could ease his pain of losing his wife."
"I can understand that feeling." Vader commented quietly. Leia had to pause to take a good look at him. If only he wasn't the Dark Lord of the Sith, things would be simpler.
She carried on with her story. "I prayed everyday. 'God give me guidance. God, please help my father.' Everyday I would light a candle, get down on my knees and pray to the Lord Almighty.And then…as if my prayers were heard, she came."
Vader perked up, his curiosity growing with every revelation his daughter told him.
"Oh my Lord! She was so beautiful!" Leia exclaimed, her eyes set in a far-away look, no doubt remembering the image she had seen. "She came to me in a dream and I was transfixed. Light was shining all around her. She had this immaculate robe on and she was smiling at me! She was truly an angel!"
Vader had to smile at that. Of course she was… It was the first thing he had said to her, all those years ago back in Watto's shop.
"I didn't know her back then. I was Christine Daae and not Leia yet. But she came to me and told me that everything was going to be alright and that I should not despair and that she was sorry she couldn't be there to help me personally." She paused, her eyes shining with the memory of her dream. "And then she started singing…Her voice was so…ethereal, other-worldly, heavenly…"
And Vader could feel her emotions as she described how his wife sang.
"I will never forget that song. The song that inspire me to sing until now. The song that made me dream of becoming a diva when I grow up."
She closed her eyes to gather up strength for her voice. "A la nanita nana nanita ella, nanita ella… Mi nina tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea…"
When she finished her quiet singing, she continued her story. "I never understood what it truly meant, I don't know what language she sang in…But I never forgot it. Then one day, my father heard me singing. And then, it stopped. All of it, the depression, the gloominess, the mourning. It was as if new life had been created for him. The music started again and we moved to a house by the sea.
"But my happiness ended when Father became sick. I ignored it, hoping everyday it would go away, hoping that it wasn't real. By 10 years of age, I was nothing but an orphan carrying the weight of the world." She noticed her ice cream was melting and decided to put it back in the fridge before it completely melted.
So, she had her own share of hardships as well…Vader thought sadly. He never wished for his children to endure such pain so early in their lives and Leia had been cursed to a fate such as that.
"But before he left, he promised he would send me the Angel of Music. To guide me and make me song take wind. I was to be a diva, he said. And so he promised. I was taken in the Opera Populaire and lived there until it had fallen.
"Meanwhile, my dreams of mother still continued. I didn't understand any of them. I didn't know anything until Obi-Wan told me the truth. Until he did, I never knew that I was dreaming Mother's life and how she had died."
This deeply perturbed the Dark Lord. Her apparent gift of dreams was something he had not expected. The Force surrounded his daughter in a different way. Not like him, not like Luke. Different but still powerful…He wondered if his wife had something to do with this…After all, the dreams did start with her.
"The Emperor emphasized your stay at the Opera." Vader spoke deeply, his momentary thoughts stashed in the back of his brain for the time being. "What exactly happened there?"
Leia sighed. "It's a long story."
Vader smiled even though his daughter could not see it. How he wished he didn't always sound so sinister with his voice so that it would convince her at least just a little.
"We have all night. I wish to know my daughter now even if it is quite late."
And so she begun her tale as Christine Daae and everything else that happened within the Opera. Vader sat by her, content with simply listening, occasionally inserting his comments about the things she was saying. Leia told him everything that happened between her, Raoul and the Phantom of the Opera. Nothing was left out, nothing was left hanging. And now, Vader understood his recent dreams a little bit more. They were not his, they were Leia's memories, her dreams. How it was reaching in his subconscious was still a mystery to him.
He held her hand as she told him about the fateful performance of her very last opera, Don Juan Triumphant and one of the biggest decisions she had to make in her entire life under the cells of the Opera. He gave her comfort as she cried when she told him how she left her precious, broken Phantom with nothing but a ring and a kiss for a memory…
His heart lurched as she retold her story of how the Stormtroopers had gone to attack her and her fiancé and how his former master had been there to rescue her. The image of the tombstone in his dream flashed in his mind for a moment but he chose to ignore it for the time being. He was grateful to Kenobi for saving his daughter but he would not let his former master haunt him now.
"Obi-Wan told me everything, the whole package because I insisted on it. We were standing by a bridge near the Rue de Rivoli. Oh Paris thrived that evening, always ignorant of the horrors that lay beneath the curtains. He told me everything there. And the first thing I wanted to do when I found out the truth was jump off the bridge and drown…"
Vader felt as if he had been slapped once again, punched in the gut and rammed to a wall. He controlled his tears. It was hard enough to see as it was. Luke's anguished and horrified look in Bespin flashed once again in his mind, haunting him once again. And a new image, an imagination. He could already picture it, Obi-Wan trying so hard to make Leia not jump off the bridge, trying so hard to comfort her in her agony of knowing that he was her true father. He erased these images, refusing to dwell on them, knowing the images would only bring him nothing but suffering.
He erased them completely leaving now one thought that lingered painfully in his mind.
Am I so horrible to be called a father, horrible enough for both my children to forsake me?
Leia noticed her father's slumping posture as if weakening from the Force visibly. But she knew that once again it was her words that had caused him such pain and it took up great strength for her to not bang her own head on the metal table.
Things had been going so well for them that evening and here she had to go ruining it. For once, her dreams had finally come true. Her true father was here by her side listening to her tale actually giving a damn about it. Why did she keep messing it up? Great going, Christine…
"Father, listen, I'm sorry." Vader looked up to face his daughter's intense gaze. It was as if Padme's eyes were burning right through his mask at the moment.
"Leia…"
"No. Listen, so I'm harsh and angry at you and always hurting you. I'm sorry! But all my life, I've yearned and dreamed of nothing but my father." She gripped his arms just as she had done days before, desperate for him to understand. "I thought it was always Gustav but it wasn't. When Obi-Wan told me who my true father was, I felt such despair! But I still yearned for my father, hoping you'd burst through the doors of the Alderaan palace or in my detention cell and say, 'Leia, it's you, my daughter.'" She paused, willing the tears to stop falling. "But that never happened until only now. And you know, this is a dream come true for me. This is real. This is me with my father, Anakin Skywalker."
For once in two decades, Darth Vader had absolutely nothing to say whatsoever.
Ani…I'm pregnant…
That's won- that's wonderful…
What are we going to do?"
We're not going to do anything right now. This baby is a blessing. This…is a happy moment.
The happiest moment in my life…
Leia continued speaking as Vader found himself back in that beautiful memory. The last line filled his whole being as Leia said,
"Luke has dreamed of his father his whole life as well…He loved music because of Mother but he loved flying because of you, Father."
The happiest moment in my life…
Truly this was. And this was no dream. And the best of all, no one else was here to destroy this happy moment between father and daughter.
Obi-Wan…there's good in him…I know…there is still…
Padme's words brought a jolt in him. She believed in him. There was no betrayal. There was only truth set right before his eyes but he was too far blind to see it all those years ago. It was too late. Too much time has past, too much regrets have been listed. But his daughter here, who endured so much even without his doing, was still singing her song and telling him that dreams do come true.
Could it be?
"Leia…you give me faith when there is nothing left."
Leia's heart was racing. Anakin Skywalker truly was here before her! He was here, trapped by the machines of Darth Vader. He could still be saved…
"My mother believed in you. She believed in you till her very last breath."
Vader could only give a slight nod, desperately hiding the old feelings welling within him.
"And your Phantom?" Leia jerked back at the sudden change of topics. She shrugged.
"He's with Luke now, wherever they are. I finally met him again after all these years…"
"And?"
"And nothing."
Vader was wise enough to remain silent, not wanting to push it through.
"He was the one who taught me all about the Darkness. The beauty of it all. The music of the night." Leia revealed. Vader could only stare back in shock.
"If he was the one who asked me to turn, I would've probably said yes without hesitation. He could seduce me with his voice; show me the truth and beauty of not just the light but that of darkness as well."
"He is a very clever man."
"Yes." Leia breathed, awed. "But his experiences made him the way he is. A child of the wilderness with nothing but darkness and loneliness as his companions. I could've changed all that but I was so afraid, I turned and walked away…"
Silence reigned.
"Why?" Vader asked. "Why were you so afraid of the darkness?"
"Because I didn't understand it."
"And now?"
"I've come to terms with it." Leia smiled.
Vader let that sink into his system for a moment.
"Is that why you've agreed to turn to Dark Side?"
Leia scoffed at once. "I only did it for Luke and Erik and everyone else I love." She raised her eyebrows a little higher as if suggesting this was all just a game to her. "Besides, I could always pretend to be into it. It's so easy."
Vader admonished her at once. How could she even think of such a thing?
"The Dark Side is not something you can toy with."
"Why?" Leia challenged defiantly. "The Emperor treats it as a play thing, why can't I? It would be for my own benefit anyway."
"You must fulfill your destiny."
"I make my own destiny." Leia intoned clearly settling the matter. "Father, I've played many roles in my life. I've been taught to dress up and pretend to be someone I'm not without the audience suspecting anything. I'm an actress. To pretend to be an apprentice of evil would be cake."
Vader alarms were ringing inside his head, knowing exactly where this was going. "I will not allow it."
"So what, you're going to tell the Emperor what I'm planning, what I plan to do?" She paused. "Look, I'm not going to sabotage the Imperial fleet, that's for the Alliance to do. I'm just thinking for myself here. I will not turn. At least, not really. But nobody else needs to know that."
"No." Vader got up and made a motion to leave the room. Leia stopped him, grabbing his hand.
"I need you to do this for me."
It took awhile for Vader to reply. This was too great a secret. Could he seriously push through with this? And how long exactly could Leia keep up with the pretenses until the Emperor suspected. It was too dangerous.
"Leia…I can't…"
"I'm not asking you as a Master, I'm asking you as a Father." And her piercing chocolate orbs embedded themselves within Vader's soul, the familiarity of it all getting to him. This was Padme's daughter requesting for help here, how could he refuse her? What have I gotten myself into?
The Dark Lord sighed wearily.
"I will agree." Leia squealed with delight but Vader cut her off before she got too excited. "But I cannot make promises that I will protect you once the Emperor discovers this…fraud…"
"Great! Its fine, I'll be fine as long as you keep the secret with me."
Vader could only nod. "Leia, what do you plan to do to make this whole plan of yours work?"
Leia stopped. What exactly did she plan to do? What was her purpose for doing this in the first place? She couldn't turn by heart, but she couldn't complain about it anymore because her loved ones would suffer at the end of the bargain. She gazed at the enormous dark figure standing before her. Maybe it was because of him. She just had to stick around a little while longer. Maybe her purpose was to save him. And so she must do this.
Little Lotte, oh Little Lotte, what must we do? She asked herself, praying the Christine within her would give her some answers.
But Christine Daae has never used her talents to deceive anybody; she never had to be in this situation before. But the audience was always fooled every single time. Now it was the same thing. The only difference was, there was no stage, and this was the real deal. If she messed up, she could be destroyed.
Oh Christine, what have you gotten yourself into? She thought of Erik and his deceitful ways, playing the role as the Angel of Music. It would seem so easy now. She had learned well from him. All she needed to do was play her part well.
And then, in an instant she knew exactly what she would do. It had to be done if she wished to be the ultimate actress of the century. It was the only way to protect herself and her loved ones.
Leia, what do you plan to do?
She gazed up at her father, Darth Vader, a new determination glazing from within the depths of her eyes.
Brava…Brava…Bravisimo…
"Lie."
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this is like a total interlude! haha! More drama and angst as we go on to the next chapter. Next stop, the Jedi Temple... Yes it's still standing here!
Chapter 13 Preview: Dance of the Spirits
"I am tired of playing these games with you, Leia." Vader hissed, igniting his fiery red lightsaber. For awhile, Leia remained frozen, mesmerized by the beauty of her father's saber...His voice was the one to snap her back to reality.
"You cannot lie anymore. You must accept your destiny or be destroyed..."
Something was tossed in the air and she caught it accurately in her tiny hands. She looked over it.
It was his lightsaber. No. Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. The one Luke had used when he fought Vader in Bespin. The one she was going to use now to fight him.
She held it within her grasp, feeling the power of the Light flowing through her. Oh, she was an excellent fighter. And she had a good heart.
She'd win this battle. She was good in lying now anyway. She could pretend it wasn't her father she was fighting right this moment.
'Game on, Christine. Let's do this.'
And the flashes of blades collided with each other, beginning now the fight between father and daugther.
