~Final chapter! Yay! Sorry it's taken me so long to finish it, I have
too many stories going on for my own good. I hope you enjoy, read and
review!~
Slowly Nara and Luke walked into the open doors of the sand blown castle to be met with darkness that dripped with warning. The only thing they could hear were their breaths slowly rebounding off the walls around them and the soft glow of their light sabers on the black tile floor.
"Where do you suppose he is?" Luke said is a trembling voice staying close by Nara's shoulder.
Nara whispered, "I have no idea but I can feel his presence, he's here. . ."
Anakin watched from above on a hidden catwalk. Although it was dark, his heart only saw darkness and he could see Nara advancing slowly below him. She reminded him of Padme but knew those times were over. He could never see his wife again. He thought of Padme softly, but never in the same way he use to.
"Your force is weak if you can not detect where I stand." Anakin replied in his deep voice.
Nara turned slowly and held up her saber squinting to see through the darkness. She backed up a bit leaning her body over to prevent attack.
"Why do you come here? This is no place for a young girl." Anakin continued.
"I come here in search of my father." Nara replied briefly spotting movement on the catwalk above her. The shadow may have been faint but darkness never moved in great masses.
"Then you came to the wrong place. You will not find your father here."
"How do you know he can not be found here? You don't know who she is." Luke pointed out.
Nara and Luke waited for a reply from the voice but it stayed silent in the darkness. They could hear soft metallic footsteps off to their left but they were too faint to pick up on. Luke moved so his back was pressing against Nara's so they covered either side of the place they were in.
"Luke just stay calm." Nara reassured gripping her light saber.
"I am calm." Luke replied.
"I can feel your heartbeat on my back."
"It only beats that way because I am afraid I might loose you." Luke replied.
Nara opened her mouth to say something but a light saber of red color swooshed on illuminating the black tile in front of her.
"I will give you a chance to leave, if you choose not to I will have to destroy you."
Nara stepped closer daringly and replied, "Let me see your face first."
"Nara. . ." Luke started.
Anakin swing his light saber at Nara knocking her light saber out of her hand and replied, "Do not request anything when I have given an order of life and death. They must teach Jedi's to be stupid now a days."
Luke lunged at Anakin locking light sabers with him and held him there, "Take that back!" Anakin knocked him backwards with one push and started an onslaught of swings at him, all of which Luke was fast enough to dodge.
Nara ran to her saber and picked it up as best she could in her burned hand. Luke and Anakin stopped their flashing light sabers so that they crackled at the pressure of the other light against them. Luke's determined face was illuminated but Anakin's still stayed hidden. Nara ran up and slashes through the two light sabers sending them both stumbling backwards but she stood in front of Luke facing Anakin.
"Your fight is with me. I have come too far to let one man stand in the way of me being able to see my father." Nara replied.
"Very well, you have a strong spirit." Anakin replied running after her, saber held high in the air.
While Nara had no physical strength to stop Anakin from his deadly run, she managed to duck and spin quickly flinging her arm out to the side getting Anakin in the back. Anakin quickly responded back by lashing his saber behind him getting her in the arm.
Nara breathed has watching the dark mass and red saber turn in front of her. She did not notice it, but her blood was slowly beginning to flush her face and anger was taking over every move she made.
"So you are weak to the dark side, your anger is growing slowly towards me allowing you to turn."
"You wish." Nara snarled beginning her swipes at him. Anakin was too fast and managed to block and change to offensive so that Nara for forced to defend herself. Finally with one last swoosh Nara was knocked off her feet and forced to hold her face.
The cold tiles below her held her on a slippery glass surface that stained with her dripping blood. Although hurting, she never shed one tear as Anakin walked closer and loomed over her. Nara looked up at him and tried to feel for her saber but it has skid away from her grasp and lay dormant of the glassy floor.
"Nara!" Luke cried running after her attacker but was blinded with his hated and was easily thrown down by Anakin in one flash. He too lay on the tile hurting, holding his hand that was now detached from his body and lying further away with a pool of blood forming around it.
Turning back to Nara who was now sliding towards her saber Anakin leaned down so that his hot breath stung Nara's face. Slowly he remarked, "Stupid Jedi, I can feel your every move. I once was like you, feeling that I was doing right in the world but I found the dark side."
Nara looked up at Anakin seeing the red beam close to his face casting an eerie glow on him. His blue eye reflected doubt in it but his face held an evil scowl of hate from years past. Nara understood her father's intentions just by the one simple look on his face. He had hate inside of him but was trained to take it out on all the wrong people. It was killing him slowly.
"F. . .ather. . ." Nara chocked out of the shock. She had finally found him, her journey had come to it's close.
Anakin moved his saber over her face seeing Padme's eyes staring back at him. His eye still held doubt but his heart knew this was his daughter. "It can not be!"
"Father, I am your daughter. Please listen there is something I have to tell you." Nara cried through her tears. She reached up slowly with a trembling hand towards his face and wrapped her arm around his neck giving him a loving hug.
Anakin moved away and did not return the hug. He stood up slowly and raised his saber over his head, "The enemy must die."
"No daddy! Wait!" Nara pleaded.
"I will never show a weakness, I showed a weakness before and this is what it got me. I have no weaknesses." Anakin replied and with one slash he created a gash in Nara's stomach.
Holding her stomach, Nara wailed as her hand instantly was painted in crimson. She breathed softly but looked back up at her father's dark figure in the black not understanding how deep his anger had rooted. "Father, I came here to find you. Padme. . .my mother and your wife is sick. She is dying! She wanted to see you one last time, and have us together as. . .a family."
The red saber was dropped from Anakin's hand as it bounced and rolled on the glassy floor. He breathed in gasps as he fell to his knees holding his head. The room had begun to glow in a soft warm light and Nara got her first real glimpse of her father crouched over with his cape swung over his shoulder. In agony, Anakin lifted his pain struck face as he stared at Nara, his body trembling in pain.
"Daddy. . .I still love you. . ." Nara whispered as she leaned back on her elbow, her world becoming darkned and the cold hand of death coming down upon her heart.
"My. . .daughter." Anakin whispered reaching out for her but Nara has already gone. Her head fell back to the glassy surface and with one last sigh she lay silent.
"NARA!" Luke cried out stumbling up. He held her head with his one good arm as he fell to his knees over her body. "No Nara. . .please come back. I. . .love you."
"What have I done. . ." Anakin whispered to himself as he watched Luke leaning over Nara embracing her in sorrow.
~
Padme lay back on her bed with her face looking blankly out to the world. Her red lips had become pale white and her eyes glazed over seeing a different world. Still Obi-wan held onto her icy hand whispering encouraging words to her praying that she would make it and hold on to the end.
That's when Anakin's cloaked shadow fell upon the bed. He opened the door and looked upon his wife with wide eyes as a gasped escaped his lips. The only word he seem to be able to say after that moment was 'Padme'
Obi-wan moved away from the bed quickly as Anakin took Padme's side holding her hand and kissing her once rosy cheeks. Glassy tears made his quavering eyes tiny pools of remorse that didn't know how to escape. It had been so long since he cried.
Slowly, Padme opened her eyes to see Anakins face once again and her white lips seemed to grow in color as she smiled and reached up to touch the side of his face. "Anakin." She whispered.
"Padme!" Anakin breathed laying his head down on her chest grateful she was here with him. Padme ran her fragile fingers through his hair like she had done so long ago as tears escaped her eyes and fell softly onto his body.
Obi-wan saw Luke come in with his hand wrapped. He had a heavy heart as he saw the two hugging and took his place by Obi-wan with out a word spoken. Obi-wan looked at him oddly.
"Where is Nara?"
"Dead." Luke answered looking away.
Anakin lifted his face to look at Padme's eyes and whispered, "Padme I love you. I finally have you in my arms again."
Padme smiled again and nodded, "I love you Anakin." With that Padme leaned back on her pillow, slowly letting her grasp of Anakin go. She lay on her pillow peacefully with her smile still on her lips. Anakin stood there for a long time staring at his wife and stroking her hair. He wished that she didn't have to leave him like this and longed for her to come back. His past was forgotten. . .his future was uncertain.
As the sun set that night Luke sat at the building along turning a rose over in his hand. He cupped it in his hand gently but his face reflected anger and his hand closed crushing the delicate flower. When he opened his hand back up he let the pedals softly float away on the wind. They danced into the burning sunset and Luke watched them reminded of Nara. His hand slipped into his pocket and he took out a soft velvet box. Inside was a pale white ring that illuminated the last sunrays in it creating rainbows inside. He touched it softly with his finger but closed the box and lifted his face to the sun. His past was forgotten. . .but his future was uncertain.
Slowly Nara and Luke walked into the open doors of the sand blown castle to be met with darkness that dripped with warning. The only thing they could hear were their breaths slowly rebounding off the walls around them and the soft glow of their light sabers on the black tile floor.
"Where do you suppose he is?" Luke said is a trembling voice staying close by Nara's shoulder.
Nara whispered, "I have no idea but I can feel his presence, he's here. . ."
Anakin watched from above on a hidden catwalk. Although it was dark, his heart only saw darkness and he could see Nara advancing slowly below him. She reminded him of Padme but knew those times were over. He could never see his wife again. He thought of Padme softly, but never in the same way he use to.
"Your force is weak if you can not detect where I stand." Anakin replied in his deep voice.
Nara turned slowly and held up her saber squinting to see through the darkness. She backed up a bit leaning her body over to prevent attack.
"Why do you come here? This is no place for a young girl." Anakin continued.
"I come here in search of my father." Nara replied briefly spotting movement on the catwalk above her. The shadow may have been faint but darkness never moved in great masses.
"Then you came to the wrong place. You will not find your father here."
"How do you know he can not be found here? You don't know who she is." Luke pointed out.
Nara and Luke waited for a reply from the voice but it stayed silent in the darkness. They could hear soft metallic footsteps off to their left but they were too faint to pick up on. Luke moved so his back was pressing against Nara's so they covered either side of the place they were in.
"Luke just stay calm." Nara reassured gripping her light saber.
"I am calm." Luke replied.
"I can feel your heartbeat on my back."
"It only beats that way because I am afraid I might loose you." Luke replied.
Nara opened her mouth to say something but a light saber of red color swooshed on illuminating the black tile in front of her.
"I will give you a chance to leave, if you choose not to I will have to destroy you."
Nara stepped closer daringly and replied, "Let me see your face first."
"Nara. . ." Luke started.
Anakin swing his light saber at Nara knocking her light saber out of her hand and replied, "Do not request anything when I have given an order of life and death. They must teach Jedi's to be stupid now a days."
Luke lunged at Anakin locking light sabers with him and held him there, "Take that back!" Anakin knocked him backwards with one push and started an onslaught of swings at him, all of which Luke was fast enough to dodge.
Nara ran to her saber and picked it up as best she could in her burned hand. Luke and Anakin stopped their flashing light sabers so that they crackled at the pressure of the other light against them. Luke's determined face was illuminated but Anakin's still stayed hidden. Nara ran up and slashes through the two light sabers sending them both stumbling backwards but she stood in front of Luke facing Anakin.
"Your fight is with me. I have come too far to let one man stand in the way of me being able to see my father." Nara replied.
"Very well, you have a strong spirit." Anakin replied running after her, saber held high in the air.
While Nara had no physical strength to stop Anakin from his deadly run, she managed to duck and spin quickly flinging her arm out to the side getting Anakin in the back. Anakin quickly responded back by lashing his saber behind him getting her in the arm.
Nara breathed has watching the dark mass and red saber turn in front of her. She did not notice it, but her blood was slowly beginning to flush her face and anger was taking over every move she made.
"So you are weak to the dark side, your anger is growing slowly towards me allowing you to turn."
"You wish." Nara snarled beginning her swipes at him. Anakin was too fast and managed to block and change to offensive so that Nara for forced to defend herself. Finally with one last swoosh Nara was knocked off her feet and forced to hold her face.
The cold tiles below her held her on a slippery glass surface that stained with her dripping blood. Although hurting, she never shed one tear as Anakin walked closer and loomed over her. Nara looked up at him and tried to feel for her saber but it has skid away from her grasp and lay dormant of the glassy floor.
"Nara!" Luke cried running after her attacker but was blinded with his hated and was easily thrown down by Anakin in one flash. He too lay on the tile hurting, holding his hand that was now detached from his body and lying further away with a pool of blood forming around it.
Turning back to Nara who was now sliding towards her saber Anakin leaned down so that his hot breath stung Nara's face. Slowly he remarked, "Stupid Jedi, I can feel your every move. I once was like you, feeling that I was doing right in the world but I found the dark side."
Nara looked up at Anakin seeing the red beam close to his face casting an eerie glow on him. His blue eye reflected doubt in it but his face held an evil scowl of hate from years past. Nara understood her father's intentions just by the one simple look on his face. He had hate inside of him but was trained to take it out on all the wrong people. It was killing him slowly.
"F. . .ather. . ." Nara chocked out of the shock. She had finally found him, her journey had come to it's close.
Anakin moved his saber over her face seeing Padme's eyes staring back at him. His eye still held doubt but his heart knew this was his daughter. "It can not be!"
"Father, I am your daughter. Please listen there is something I have to tell you." Nara cried through her tears. She reached up slowly with a trembling hand towards his face and wrapped her arm around his neck giving him a loving hug.
Anakin moved away and did not return the hug. He stood up slowly and raised his saber over his head, "The enemy must die."
"No daddy! Wait!" Nara pleaded.
"I will never show a weakness, I showed a weakness before and this is what it got me. I have no weaknesses." Anakin replied and with one slash he created a gash in Nara's stomach.
Holding her stomach, Nara wailed as her hand instantly was painted in crimson. She breathed softly but looked back up at her father's dark figure in the black not understanding how deep his anger had rooted. "Father, I came here to find you. Padme. . .my mother and your wife is sick. She is dying! She wanted to see you one last time, and have us together as. . .a family."
The red saber was dropped from Anakin's hand as it bounced and rolled on the glassy floor. He breathed in gasps as he fell to his knees holding his head. The room had begun to glow in a soft warm light and Nara got her first real glimpse of her father crouched over with his cape swung over his shoulder. In agony, Anakin lifted his pain struck face as he stared at Nara, his body trembling in pain.
"Daddy. . .I still love you. . ." Nara whispered as she leaned back on her elbow, her world becoming darkned and the cold hand of death coming down upon her heart.
"My. . .daughter." Anakin whispered reaching out for her but Nara has already gone. Her head fell back to the glassy surface and with one last sigh she lay silent.
"NARA!" Luke cried out stumbling up. He held her head with his one good arm as he fell to his knees over her body. "No Nara. . .please come back. I. . .love you."
"What have I done. . ." Anakin whispered to himself as he watched Luke leaning over Nara embracing her in sorrow.
~
Padme lay back on her bed with her face looking blankly out to the world. Her red lips had become pale white and her eyes glazed over seeing a different world. Still Obi-wan held onto her icy hand whispering encouraging words to her praying that she would make it and hold on to the end.
That's when Anakin's cloaked shadow fell upon the bed. He opened the door and looked upon his wife with wide eyes as a gasped escaped his lips. The only word he seem to be able to say after that moment was 'Padme'
Obi-wan moved away from the bed quickly as Anakin took Padme's side holding her hand and kissing her once rosy cheeks. Glassy tears made his quavering eyes tiny pools of remorse that didn't know how to escape. It had been so long since he cried.
Slowly, Padme opened her eyes to see Anakins face once again and her white lips seemed to grow in color as she smiled and reached up to touch the side of his face. "Anakin." She whispered.
"Padme!" Anakin breathed laying his head down on her chest grateful she was here with him. Padme ran her fragile fingers through his hair like she had done so long ago as tears escaped her eyes and fell softly onto his body.
Obi-wan saw Luke come in with his hand wrapped. He had a heavy heart as he saw the two hugging and took his place by Obi-wan with out a word spoken. Obi-wan looked at him oddly.
"Where is Nara?"
"Dead." Luke answered looking away.
Anakin lifted his face to look at Padme's eyes and whispered, "Padme I love you. I finally have you in my arms again."
Padme smiled again and nodded, "I love you Anakin." With that Padme leaned back on her pillow, slowly letting her grasp of Anakin go. She lay on her pillow peacefully with her smile still on her lips. Anakin stood there for a long time staring at his wife and stroking her hair. He wished that she didn't have to leave him like this and longed for her to come back. His past was forgotten. . .his future was uncertain.
As the sun set that night Luke sat at the building along turning a rose over in his hand. He cupped it in his hand gently but his face reflected anger and his hand closed crushing the delicate flower. When he opened his hand back up he let the pedals softly float away on the wind. They danced into the burning sunset and Luke watched them reminded of Nara. His hand slipped into his pocket and he took out a soft velvet box. Inside was a pale white ring that illuminated the last sunrays in it creating rainbows inside. He touched it softly with his finger but closed the box and lifted his face to the sun. His past was forgotten. . .but his future was uncertain.