Misread Prophecy

AUTHOR: Abigail

SUMMARY: What if the 'chosen one' wasn't Anakin Skywalker? What if the Jedi Council realized their mistake too late?

CHAPTER 10: New

RATING: T

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything that was created by George Lucas.

NOTE: It's getting close to the end my friends...Please review. I hope to have the entire thing done by Saturday. (crosses fingers and frantically prays)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Feels like being underwater
now that I've let go
and lost control.
Water kisses fill my mouth...
Water fills my soul...

-Jewel

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Her mind was drifting, gently being pushed by the ebb and flow of the calming waters. The softness of the lake against her skin felt soothing to her aching body. Then, she was ripped from her reverie...and violently thrown into the chaos she knew too well. Fuzzy images replaced the serene lake of Naboo. Large light blinded her eyes, forcing her to squint. Pain vibrated up her body, contorting her face into one of agonizing anguish. Suddenly, the room was deathly silent...followed by a shrill scream. A baby was placed before her sweating face...the monotonous droid holding it out like an offering to this tormented mother...

"It's a boy," it droned. Padme gasped loudly, her lungs sucking the artificial room for air. Her trembling hands weakly reached for the child, but they fell to her side, overcome with tenderness.

"Luke..." she murmured softly. The pain in her body had subsided for a moment and she almost felt like she was drifting back to her dream realm...but the contractions ensued, flaring up her body again with a vengeance. She cried loudly, her mind chaotic with the pain that attacked her both body and soul. She felt as if she were being lowered into a pit of fire, the flames slowly licking up her body, burning her skin and melting it gradually. The flames overcame her thoughts, driving her into a frenzy. The heat engulfed her lungs, forcing her breathing to become sporadic and labored. Soon, her screams were joined by the cry of another...entering the world in the same hectic way that Padme brought it in.

"And a girl..." the droid spoke metallically. Padme forced her eyes open and placed a tremulous hand upon the baby's forehead. Her skin was still aflame, burning with the pain and torment of her body as it touched the child's cool skin. Her singed thoughts began to smolder...her mind struggling, straining to see through the smoke that clouded her mind.

"Leia..." she whispered, her voice hoarse and dry. The warmth continued to penetrate her body, making her desperately long for that Lake, its' cool, clean water refreshing, serene, peaceful, beautiful, enticing...Not the fire, heat, pain, anguish, torture, and suffering that engulfed her now.

"You have twins, Padme. They need you...hang on..." a voice called to her. She opened her eyes. No... She struggled to shake her head. There was no way that she had twins. Her child died; along with her soul...she could feel it.

"I can't..." Padme didn't finish her sentence. Her mind strained to piece together the fragments of images and words that were said to her, but it was no use. She felt herself drifting away again, the fire consuming her once more.

Then she saw it. She was skeptical, until the image came closer, appearing less ambiguous. Padme rose above the surface of the mayhem, to that oasis that had sheltered her in times like these so many times before. It was calling her...she could hear it softly behind the pandemonium of her thoughts. The force was wrapping around her, feeding her the strength and the will to reach out to the outer stretches of her mind.

"Anakin..." she said gently, her hands probing for his fading image. In a sudden swoop, she was lifted from the fiery hell and gently placed into his arms, that embrace that extinguished every thought and feeling, only leaving behind the rawness of her love for him. His comfort surrounded her, filling her to the brim with love and passion. Padme weakly wrapped her arms around his steady form, her body straining for more of him. But her energy was exasperated, and her arms limply fell against the bed, and once more, she drifted away into her dreams...no longer consumed by the fire of her emotions...

>>>>>

Her eyes opened suddenly. The blurred vision of the room slowly came into focus, and Padme found herself in a Medical Room, tastelessly adorned with machines, tubes, and sullen Protocol Droids. The white walls and luminous lights gave the room an air of idealism, similar to floating on a cloud. Padme liked it, slowly taking in the environment around her as she woke up from what felt like a long slumber. At that moment, the images came back to her, flashing in her mind faster than light itself.

Padme's throat contracted, her air pulsing out from her weakened lungs. Panic set in, as she began to shake violently, her hands traveling to her stomach. She winced at the pain, but was even more shattered by the thought that entered her mind. They're dead...

But before she could even cry out or scream, a gentle hand stroked her face, awakening her spirits. "Padme..." Anakin cooed softly, his warm face looking down upon hers. She reached a feeble hand toward him, finding the strength to touch his face. A breathy sound came from her lips, but Anakin silently placed his fingers against her mouth, ceasing any words that she dare to speak. He slowly stood up from his place next to her bed, and strode to the far corner of the room.

Padme clutched at the sheets covering her as she watched Anakin leave her. She tried to call him, but no words came. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw her. Anakin gently lifted the baby from the Medical Capsule, slowly bringing her into his arms with one long swoop. His callused fingers lightly ran across the fidgeting baby's forehead, as if he were tracing a line. Then he walked over to Padme, ever so slowly. Each step sounded in Padme's ears, as she watched in disbelief, her eyes widening with intensity and emotion.

Anakin stopped next to her bed, gently lowering the baby down in front of Padme. "Leia has missed you..." he whispered tenderly into her ear. Padme's arms were frozen to her side, as if they were bound by some outside force. She closed her eyes, and then opened them again, hoping that it was just a pleasant dream. But nothing changed, and the tiny baby continued to coo and squirm in Anakin's outstretched hands. "Hold her..." he pleaded gently, looking into Padme's large brown eyes.

Padme pulled away, her body tensing when Anakin brought the baby close to her. "I...I can't..." she muttered, her head jerking away from Anakin. Her mind was screaming at her, there is no Leia. There is no baby. There is no you. But there she was, alive and feeling. And there was the baby, its tiny fingers curling around Anakin's palms, staring with astonishment at Padme. She felt the force again, swirling around her as Anakin brought the baby closer again.

Padme slowly reached out, her hands wavering above the now still form of the baby's diminutive body. She gasped when Anakin let go, the child fully placed in her hands. Padme felt every part of the moment, the velvety smooth touch of her skin, the way that sparkles danced in her daughter's eyes, and how her thin wisps of amber brown hair reflected the light beautifully.

"Leia," she whispered, a smile emanating off of her face. Padme turned to Anakin, his eyes shining so brightly. Her heart was overfilled with joy, the moment so precious. She captured it in her heart, not letting her mind drift to the questions and confusions that had clouded her so easily before. Padme let herself go, giving into that moment of ultimate happiness, love, and devotion.

Padme let her fingertips just barely graze Leia's cheeks, her skin tingling at the touch of her own child's skin. The feeling spread throughout her body, warming her soul and melting her heart. She lowered her head and placed a chaste kiss upon Leia's forehead. Leia cooed; her eyes widening as she looked up at her Mother. The tiny fingers moved towards Padme's face, grasping at the tendrils of hair that hung about her Mother's head. And in this moment of utter bliss it made Padme feel so complete. A movement across the room made Padme lift her head to see Anakin standing in the corner, and gently wrapped in a blanket and sleeping in his arms, her son...

"Luke..." she said softly, the name striking a painful memory in her brain. But the thought was quickly erased when she saw her son's face. His features resembled Anakin's so well that she almost cried just staring at him...The reality of it all kept creeping to her, ever so slowly, as Anakin walked back over to the bed, rocking Luke back and forth.

"Have room for one more?" he asked curiously, already seeing the answer upon Padme's radiant face. She shifted Leia into her other arm, freeing up her right hand which allowed Anakin to place Luke down into his Mother's embrace for the first time. Padme looked down at her children, joyous tears running down her pale yet flushed face. Anakin knelt down next to her, permitting his hands to gently run through Padme's hair.

"Oh...Anakin..." she gasped lightly, looking up at him again. Her brown eyes stared deep into his, allowing herself to be lost in his captivating gaze. Through each other's eyes, all of their unspoken words were said...all of the questions that bore down upon them were answered, and their recent past easily looked upon with forgiveness...And in that moment, as Padme held her two children while she stared into Anakin's eyes...the chains of the Dark side released her soul, freeing her from the bondage that had seduced her that dreadful night, which seemed so long ago.

Anakin leaned into her face, leaving an inch of space between the two of them. Padme shut her eyes, letting the feeling of him sink into her bones once again as she willingly met his lips. She held her two children close to her beating heart while she let Anakin's hands caress her face, hair, shoulders, and arms...Their mouths inviting one another in as they displayed their love for each other...so openly, without the barriers of trapped feelings or hidden secrets. The past was over and with the proverbial sunrise came a new day for Anakin and Padme...

>>>>>

"Attached to one another, they are..." Yoda spoke his wise thoughts to Obi-Wan, while watching the scene of affection from outside the room's window. His shrewd gaze moved up towards Obi-Wan's pensive face.

"Yet, they express a love so powerful...I feel it is beyond the strings of attachment. It is beyond anything I have ever seen a Jedi express before," Obi-Wan said. "Their love makes them strong. It was strong enough Master Yoda to free Padme from the Dark side..." he added, his astute accent clearly indicating that he felt there was a logical reason to their love for one another. Yoda considered this in his head, leaning against his gimmer stick.

"Perhaps..." he crooned. His gaze returned back to the transparisteel window...The thoughtful and serene look on his face suddenly darkened. "Uncertain, is the fate of young Skywalker and Amidala..." he said quickly, looking up at Obi-Wan.

"A vision, Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.

"Hmmm..." Yoda's small hand crept to his pointed chin. "A final test, these two Jedi will soon stand. Face to face again with the Sith Lord, I feel..." he said croakily. Obi-Wan looked down upon him again, his face brooding. Yoda nodded to Obi-Wan as they left the hallway, allowing the newly born family their moment of happiness...