Chapter 7: I am Your Angel
That night, Padmé laid in bed, but she did not sleep. It had taken her quite some time before she'd even been willing to go to bed in that dark room and, though Sabé slept nearby, little could be done to alleviate the fear that kept Padmé unable to close her eyes.
Unbeknownst to the young woman, another young being was also having a hard time falling asleep. After hours of unending crying, Leia Skywalker was tucked into bed by a very weary crèche master.
Then, for no apparent reason, the baby sat up in the darkness surrounding her crib, and all her crying stopped as a wide grin spread across Leia's puffy but adorable face. Little hands slowly reached out at the darkness while she happily gurgled.
Gloved hands timidly reached out towards the baby.
Seeing as it appeared that she was not going to be falling asleep any time soon, Padmé seethed over her performance in the sparring room earlier that day. She was certain that, had the Phantom not nearly frightened her out of her wits, Padmé would have done much better.
Why does he complain about which level I'm in when my placement is his fault?
Still, it had been very intimidating, and Padmé was not used to defeat. In the span of four years, she had started out in the Junior Legislation League and been a Senator for Naboo, but this had stung just as much as the day when Palpatine had demanded that she be removed from office.
The remembrance of that horrible day caused anger to rile up in Padmé and she angrily slammed her hand against her pillow.
Defeat was foreign to her, but Padmé would never let it win.
It was this determination that caused Padmé to fling back her warm blanket and put on her favorite slippers and a matching robe. After making sure that Sabé was fast asleep, Padmé crept to the door and swiftly left the security of her quarters.
Had any of the Jedi known the risky thing she was about to do, Padmé would have been severely scolded, but she did not care.
She noted with interest how much more intimidating and eerie the Jedi Temple was at night. Faint scurrying sounds turned out to be merely cleaning droids while whispers proved to not be a passing ghost but a couple of Jedi Knights.
As Padmé made her away along, she tightened the sash of her robe while trying to think of a plausible excuse for being out of her bed in the event that she should be caught.
In the crèche, the cloaked figure suddenly lifted his head as if he sensed something and, swiftly placing the sleeping child back into her crib, stole out of the room and into the empty corridor.
Soon, Padmé found the long-abandoned sparring room that she had been in mere hours before. Because practice was always encouraged, the doors were unlocked, but either due to the late hour or the fact that it was unwise to be left alone, the room was empty.
Padmé slowly stepped inside, the door slowly creaking shut behind her. With a loud click that made Padmé jump, the doors shut, causing the room to be deathly silent.
Then, she realized how alone she was and, for a brief moment, Padmé considered turning back and hastening to her quarters.
But that would only expose yet another weakness of hers.
With increasingly confident strides, Padmé crossed the room to where the poles laid ready against the wall. After choosing one, she moved to the center of the room and stood there for a moment.
Closing her eyes, Padme tried to rid herself of her tears of deafeat and, most importantly, of him...
And then it was only her and the pole. With fluid movements, she twirled and jabbed with it, immagining a petrifying foe before her.
On and on Padme battled this invisible enemy and, in the back of her mind, Padme knew that she was winning. As she progressed, her strength increased and her battle became more furious. Triumphant, she raised her pole for a final blow. With a furious swing, Padme hit with all her might...
...and hit something with a loud 'crack.'
Gasping, Padmé's eyes flew opened, but for reasons unexplainable, they slowly began to drift shut again as they became increasingly heavy.
Through the haze as she slowly peered through it, Padmé felt an icy coldness wash over her, its blanket wrapping around her and leaving Padmé unable to move. With each passing second, her body lost more feeling, the pole she had been previously gripping fell to the floor. As if in a deep slumber her body became limp but Padmé somehow remained standing upright.
Then, the chanting began.
I am your Angel Protector…
Come to me, your Angel Protector…
The Voice was undoubtedly male and it seemed to surround her. Its eeriness touched the back of her mind, but Padmé found that she was unable to fight against it. Something deeper and far more frightening than sleep overcame her, but by then, he had come to her.
I am your Angel Protector…
Come to me, your Angel Protector…
Eyes slowly opening, she saw… him.
Anyone else would have surely fainted or fled I n fear, but Padmé found that she could do neither. Mist- the same mist that had followed her before- billowed about them, separating her from him. Was he standing near her or a great distance away? Padmé's mind was unable to distinguish this.
Despite the hold the Phantom had on her mind, Padmé briefly trembled.
A long, black cloak covered his tall frame, its length disappearing into the mist. From the little light that entered the room, Padmé saw a flash of light before he slowly lifted his head, leaving only emptiness where the face should have been.
Suddenly, she noticed the black glove that reached and, without realizing that she was doing it, Padmé reached out and touched it. The glove was cold but, the moment she touched him, it curled about her slender fingers in an oddly gentle way.
Even more gently, the Phantom pulled the unblinking Padmé towards him until she was standing a mere foot from his towering build.
Momentarily, Padmé thought she saw a flash of blue from beneath the cloak's hood, but it disappeared.
Eyes that she could not see gazed down at her and, feeling their pressure, Padmé averted her gaze and looked down at the floor.
Something tenderly brushed along her cheek and down her jaw. Wide-eyed, Padmé gaped up at the Phantom and was further surprised when he did not stop his ministrations.
But, without warning, he stepped away from her and she instantly felt the loss of his touch and would have hastened to his side but for the fact that Padmé found that she could not move.
Like something out of a dream, the pole she had dropped hovered before her, and upon grabbing it, Padmé saw that the Phantom held one too.
This shall be your first lesson.
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