The Skywalker Dynasty

"My Immortal" Continued...: Chapter 22

"Father, NO!" Luke and Leia screamed as they ran toward him. He did not stop. He closed his eyes, steadied his grip, and aimed to thrust the lightsaber through his own chest, ending his life, and releasing his soul to save Padme.

Obi Wan was frantic! "Anakin, don't!" He screamed. "We aren't even sure this will work! You will be dying for nothing!"

For a moment, Anakin stopped. He looked at Obi Wan. "I cannot continue to live with the guilt of knowing what happened to her, knowing that my love for her destroyed her. For that, I can never forgive myself. Having this second chance to save her, and failing, made it more unbearable than I can ever overcome. Goodbye, my master."

He looked lovingly over at Luke and Leia. "Don't die, father! We love you, we need you!" Luke cried out.

"We wanted mother, but we don't want to lose you too. We just found you! Please, stay with us." Leia added with desperate, pleading eyes that reminded Anakin of Padme's.

He couldn't stand it. "I love you all, but I cannot go on. Please, fulfill my final desire. I told her once I would give my life for her, and I will. Please allow me this. Take it." The last words were a whisper as he once again closed his eyes and his mouth and concentrated his effort on aiming the lightsaber into his own chest. Luke made one last lunge to try to stop him, but he was too late.

Anakin collapsed to the ground, the lightsaber still in his hand. No one saw a visible wound. They wondered what happened. Had he died of heart failure? A broken heart? Shock? Luke bent to touch his father's pulse in his neck. It was not gone. He touched his chest, and felt a faint breath.

Just then, a voice came from behind him. "Anakin is not dead." Luke did not recognize the voice, but Obi Wan did. They all turned. It was Qui Gon Jinn's force spirit. Beside him was Yoda's All were still and silent. Even Han was given the benefit of being able to see all the spirits now. Qui Gon spoke: "We have been searching the force for you, Obi Wan, and for Anakin."

"Have I displeased you, Master?" Obi Wan inquired.

"No, you have not." Qui Gon's spirit continued. "You were right to help Anakin. You were right to restore his eyesight, it should never have been taken from him. I disagree with Yoda on many things, but we have explored, and learned a lot. Still, in all of our travels, and discoveries, we have seen nothing so powerfully moving as the scene I just witnessed. I have watched Anakin all these years, and I have been both amazed and greatly disappointed. But this is our Chosen One, he has repented, and is redeemed. He will receive his immortal soul, but not on this day. He had indeed brought balance and love to the force. He has been a part of the destruciton of Sidious at the hands of his son and the destruction of the last vestige of the sith in Luke. The Sith are destroyed. Anakin is a Jedi who has more than earned his favors. He was willing to give up not only his life, but his rare and valuable difficult to attain immortality as an individual for love. He has shown selflessness, compassion, and, at last, no fear, and ability to let go, even of his most precious possession, his own life. For this, he will be rewarded."

The group looked at Anakin crumpled to the ground, and at the spirits, and wondered what was going to happen next. Now, Yoda spoke. "Born of the force, he was. Lived of the force, on both sides of the force, he has. Die of he force, sacrifice his own soul, he was willing to do. Travel and learn from Qui Gon, I have. Wrong was I. Humble am I."

Qui Gon gave an approving look at Yoda, and spoke again. "My discoveries of the workings of the force are great. Change much, I can. Whether or not it is the will of the force to do so in all things, I have yet to know, so I will not always act. But if there is anything so surely written in it at this moment, it is that Anakin Skywalker will suffer no more. This is an event of monumental proportions you here are about to witness, because it has never, and may never, depending on cirucmstances, ever happen again. This young woman should never have died in the first place. A disturbance in the force was caused by this, and will be corrected. Anakin deserves what is about to occur, and I will use all my eternal and mystical energy and knowledge to complete it. If I may ask you all to stand back, except you, Obi Wan, will you please join us?"

Obi Wan smiled as he stood side by side with Qui Gon and Yoda. Luke, Leia and Han surrounded fallen Anakin, still unconcious on the ground. The three wise spirits gathered, and raised their blue glowy hands, aiming them at Anakin's immobile body. The three humans jumped back in awe as they saw a blue glow surround and overtake Anakin's human form. It shook and levitated, until it was standing. With a blinding flash that made Luke, Leia and Han shield their eyes and turn away, Anakin seemed to disappear into the light, then reappear. He was alive.

He was still the same Anakin who had passed out, who had lived 46 years, and who had remembered each one with joy or pain.He was still the same Anakin who had been Vader, changed, who had lived and learned, who had volunteered to sacrifice his own life. But incredibly, miraculously, his body and health were totally restored.

Standing, awake but barely aware, he looked at the three spirits. "So, I am dead?" He asked.

They all smiled. "No, quite the opposite." was the answer. He didn't even take time to examine himself, he ran straight to Padme. She was still cold.

Yoda stepped forward. "I it shall be who chances the experiment. 900 years have I had, pain have I caused to others in my arrogance and obstinance."

Master Jinn cut him off. "No, Master Yoda. You have also learned from and regret the things about which you had been mistaken. This will not require any of us to do what you ask. With the three of us together, our power shall suffice." Yoda nodded at Qui Gon and Obi Wan smiled at Anakin a they all turned toward Padme. Anakin glanced up at them for a second, and while he returned his gaze to Padme, the enormous blue glow ingulfed her body as it had his, enveloping her until she could barely be seen. She shook, levitated, and the ground beneath her even rattled. Luke and Leia were stunned and Han had given up his last ounce of doubt about the force being real! One last powerful flash of energy, and all was calm.

Anakin, standing over her, touched her again. This time, her eyes opened, and she looked up at him. The first sight she saw was his smile, and his beautiful blue eyes, and an outline of golden curls around his head. "A-Anakin." She managed to speak. In her mind, not yet fully coherent, no conscious time had passed since she had died in childbirth, thinking of him.

"Are you okay?" He wanted to look at the children, and at the spirits, but he was too happy to take his eyes off of Padme.

"Yes, I am okay. I'm here, and I love you." "There is still good in you." she gasped.

"You better believe it." He said, touching her face. "Don't you ever leave me again." He cried. She raised up, putting her arms around his neck, and he lifted her into his strong arms. They kissed, and embraced as one, as if they would never let go.

At last, Anakin looked up at the spirits and asked, "Are you sure I am not dead? If I were dead, I would gladly be if I could be reunited with her."

The spirits assured him, "Anakin, you are not dead."

He looked around, assuring himself this was not a dream or a vision, but real. Again, the same look of disbelief and not wanting to hold hope he had given Obi Wan when he healed his eyes crossed his face as he inquired: "Is this of the force? How long before it fades? Do you have to be present for it to continue this way?"

They all looked at him. Obi Wan spoke. "No, Anakin. You don't understand. We have used the eternal spirit of the everlasting force to restore Padme's life. It isn't going to fade. She is living again, with her own body."

He smiled and cried at once, but did not put her down or leave her. "Thank you, my master. Thank all of you, my masters. I will do whatever I can to make myself worthy of this."

"You already have, Anakin. You already have." Qui Gon said.

"We must go now, Anakin." He motioned to Obi Wan.

"Obi Wan too?" Obi Wan sadly nodded. Tears of joy, and sadness, filled everyone's eyes.

"Will I see you again?" Anakin pleaded.

Obi Wan smiled. "I guarantee it. And you won't have to die first, either. Goodbye for now, my dear and much loved brother and friend."

Anakin was able to raise one hand he was using to support Padme to bid farewell. "Goodbye, chosen one, child of the force." Qui Gon waved. Yoda only nodded his approval. Finally.

"May the Force be with you all, always." Anakin called as they disappeared.

"It will be, Anakin, it will be."

Obi Wan's was the last voice he heard as they all vanished. "and it will be with you. Remember, with the force, nothing is impossible."

(not the end, yet...)