Chapter 7-Reality versus Surrealism

She was upset, and it was time to learn more about the son she had raise.

"Annie, just what exactly are you planning? I mean you just went all out and started saying things like freedom and …"

"Mum it's not, it's just…" Anakin tried to explain but to no avail.

"Just what are you trying to do Annie? Free us? Then why all the things about all slaves and, and…."

"MUM!" Anakin shouted.

He didn't need her hysterical and he for one had no idea just why was she ranting so much, her theories not even hitting close to the target by much.

"Mum, just calm down alright? Please, let me explain."

She gave a sigh raising her hands up in true surrender before dropping herself onto a chair, causing her hands to smack out loud against her tights.

"I don't wish to stay here forever as a slave mother, and yes, while you've taught me so much and have more still to teach, I think it's time I start learning something more."

"More? Or is that your spirit calling out for an adventure?" Shimi asked her son in mock curiosity.

"I…" He stop, his mind told him that it was to learn more. But, his heart… it told of a different matter, and he for one didn't wish to lie to his mother at all if possible.

"Maybe it's a need for an adventure, I'm sick and tired of having to be like a machine, following a future that can be predicted without a single hesitation, and if I do leave, and join the Jedi, I do get to learn new things!" He defended.

She couldn't reply him, didn't know how to either as silence dominated the room.

"Mum, I can't stay here forever, not as a slave, besides you were always going on about how I should get rid of being a slave status at any single opportunity present."

She stared at him, eye for an eye and it frightened him when he saw it. The intensity of the raw emotions present made him feel nauseated and guilty as butterflies did a barrel roll in his stomach.

"Annie, I'm … not against you going off and making your own life, it's just everything I used to say seemed to be impossible to attain, like it's just all big talk and no actions, it gives false hope to continue on and I'm not young anymore Annie.

"I'm too settled now with what I have to even think of moving out another inch and I presumed the same for you but then this came and prove me wrong and, and you brought that man here and…" She started rambling; even the tiniest hint of a twitch was obvious on her.

Anakin smiled softly and placed his two palms on her shoulder to steady her before making a turn, repositioning himself at her back, squeezing the stress out from her shoulder-blades.

"Mum. You're rambling."

She smiled apologetically at him.

"Sorry, I just wanted to ask if you're ready. This choice you're going to make, it'll bring you… unwanted feelings and I'll probably not see you again."

"I'm willing and I've had a long time to think this through, every night when you tucked me in, I would think of the choice I would take if I have it, and besides, you're my mother and nothing, nothing at all can make me not see you again, no matter how long it takes. I promise that mum!"

She glanced away. A hidden smile full of hidden pain and pride, Anakin may have finally grown up enough to choose his destiny, but that doesn't mean that she would be happy with his choice.

"Come on! Master Jedi might need some help choosing his bet." Anakin called out, his feet moving forward rapidly, some distance away from his mother. The subject was close for that day and there was absolutely nothing she could do to change it anymore. She squeezed her eyes shut before standing up to follow him to the Pod-tracks to find the Jedi.

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Padme sighed in relief when her aching feet were finally given a rest. Sure she was healthy and had done plenty of exercise especially walking up and down the corridors and stairs, but a desert was just what it is. Too big, too spacious, too long… even the weather hadn't been kind to her tons too different from Naboo's summer least say the four seasons. The weather here was just horrendous, reminding her of the moon, being either too hot or too cold with no 'just nice' anywhere at all.

"Here!" The boy, Annie, as his mother had fondly called him thrust a cup before her.

Padme hesitated unsure with his intention.

"It's just plain water since anything cold is really expensive on Tatoonie. Besides, you look like you really need it." He told her holding out the cup.

She smiled, whispering her thanks from a rather dry throat before gulping down the entire cup greedily, unaware of the ungainly droplets of water dripping down her chin.

Anakin faced away from her hoping that she would notice it soon. After all, politicians no matter the gender were always conscious of their attire and manners and Padme Naberrie was most definitely a politician and of royal status if the word 'Queen of Naboo' as stated in the folders had anything to say for.

'Thank Merlin for small gifts', Annie thought as he reminisced the time previously when he and his mum had got down to reading the folders on the table. 'Ostendo sum sententia vita' a spell to grant the caster any information of the people who stepped through the ward through those folders was thought to have malfunctioned when it went completely out of control against both he and his mom.

Much to their surprise, the ward seems to function all well and dainty when Watto entered their home leading to the unconfirmed theory that the ward couldn't work on time-travelers or whatever category they were going to be placed in.

"Thank you Anakin."

He startled before remembering Padme, turning back to face her whom he was relieve had wiped off any remnants of untidiness.

"Annie, call me Annie, and you're welcome of course milady!" He joked slightly unable to halt his tongue from making that slight remark.

True to the facts, Padme had frozen just for an instance before smoothing out into a sweet chuckle.

"Why thank you, my lord-"

"Annie, to my friends." Anakin countered.

"Then you must call me Padme- for my loved ones", she joked.

"If you wished my love" Anakin followed, skillfully acting the handsome prince gaining much laughter from his audience.

"Thank you Annie, it's been a while since I've had much fun like this," she gestured around her before continuing "in such a dire situation."

Anakin lips quirked up slightly. He was glad that he had managed to help bridge away her wariness of him. Whatever was to come, he knew for certain that she was going to be dumped in the centre of it all.

"It's the full moons tonight, look." He pointed upwards from his laid back position.

Beside him, he could feel her movement in the air, every disturbance bringing a new image into his inner eye. An echo followed as he felt her dropped down following his position upwards.

"It's weird, seeing two moons up when I'm used to only one."

Anakin lowered his head in agreement.

"Yeah, it probably does take some getting use to, like they always say…"

"Annie!"

Anakin sat up immediately, his mouth opening startling his companion immensely.

"Annie, it's time for you to sleep!" His mother called from the bottom.

"Going!" He shouted in reply before remembering that Padme was still beside him and he had just shouted and all… oh Merlin.

"Good night Annie."

He felt like an idiot, what's with his lack of concentration but hurriedly he nodded his head as he watched her shadow moved beyond his sight. Sighing, he wondered just what was wrong with him. Every action he had made seems so unlike himself. So… Slytherin, not unlike the feeling of watching himself from a recording.

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He watched as a bystander when a figure so like him moved forward. It was a battlefield, something totally different from all his other nightmares. Never had he felt his dreams clearer than this, his mind able to calculate as if it was awake.

He twisted his head to his other side, following the line of sight as his older self raised a hand.

An army so white and pure, it seems as if the flowing of the rapids had moved into hell. A beacon housing so many angels… He took a deep breath as his vision expanded before him. Yes, they weren't angels at all but soldiers all wearing clothes unstained by the ugly taint of the land and right in front was someone he could've sworn he knew all his life.

Padme. Clothed simply in a clad white scarf that seems to serve as a decent enough dress, welding a blaster in one hand, she was the perfect image of an innocent noble angered in her own house for revenge. While she stared angrily past him at his older self, he wondered if perhaps the stranger that looked like him was perhaps truly his older self. What in the blaze did he do to earn a Queen's wrath that she would send her army on him?

He twisted his head back to the stranger whom he now realized was clad in the darkest black he ever saw, wielding in his hand a strange tube he found somewhat familiar. To his belated horror as he stood up slowly that just behind the older self was a whole string of wraiths. Rows and columns of them spill over the land blending in perfectly with the tainted land. Not only was this a battlefield, he was in the midst of a clash between two forces.

This was most certainly the worst nightmare in years now.

"Kuso!" Annie cursed as he tried to wake himself up. Slapping his cheek hard and looking around once more, his surroundings appeared unchanged.

'This is not reality, this is a dream!' He told himself.

"Not real… no. Not real." He muttered as his feet regain their functions backing off slowly from his mid position between the two forces desperately hoping that they would not take any notice of him.

And true to his wish, they did not even notice him- an innocent bystander who was trying to avoid the upcoming bloodshed. No, they didn't care about him both raising their hand up like a symmetrical picture before sending it cutting through the air. The last gesture he ever wanted to see. His execution signal as both armies rushed forward the ground pumping from their footsteps. And he was smacked right in the middle of them.

This was bad. Very, very bad.

Passing up his previous motion of subtly moving off the battlefield, Annie turned round fleeing for his dear life. As of then, his concern wasn't if his surrounding was surreal or not or perhaps the reason for having unknowingly landed there. No, what he did know was that no sane man would take so much of a chance between life and death and he definitely didn't want to be between the imposing figures of the wraiths and the white clad soldiers at all.

Feeling the hammering of his heart slowed him down and every bead of sweat seemed to be bigger than usual rolling down his sensitive skin. What he did not need then was the sight of the two nightmarish armies. Shutting his eyes while running, he hoped fervidly that if he could not avoid the death approaching then at the very least could he be spared from the sight of his impending death. That was the very last mistake he would make there and then as he tripped and fell into a pit he had never noticed.
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A/N: I'm really sorry for this being so late ... three months or more instead of the two months... Unfortunately i'm going to have my final exam coming so i'm not going to be updating for quite awhile... maybe a month or so. Really sorry about that.