(Characters like Obi-Wan are older than normal, so when Anakin is six, Obi-Wan is 20, and will finish the trials soon. Characters ages are normal unless stated.)
-Chapter 3-
-3 Years Later—
Age does not limit wisdom, it just makes others underestimate you. A young child could defeat a grown adult with underestimation. No one expects children to have wisdom, but in reality most children be wiser than most adults. Anakin was only 6 and could fully understand Master Yoda. Speaking of those two, Anakin's control has increased as they expected, they actually met the goal on Anakin's birthday. They actually exceeded it, Anakin's control was expanded to almost that of a Jedi Knight. But he wasn't finished, he won't learn anything else until he learns full control. They suspected FULL control would take about another 6 years. Anakin has literally not learned anything but control, he was offered but he declined. He is a perfectionist, he won't stop until he can keep a serious conversation with the Force indefinitely.
What Anakin has been doing for 3 years is meditating 10 times a day, strengthening his body, increasing his stamina, and much more. Because of this, Anakin didn't learn anything else, he was perfectly fine with mastering one thing until perfection. Another method of training his control is constantly enhancing his body with the Force. This caused his body to mature a bit faster, but not so much you couldn't tell he is 6. When he turned 6, he was allowed to run laps around the Jedi Temple. So he used the Force to enhance his speed, subconsciously recreating an ability of the Force, to run around the Jedi Temple. He did this until he was tired, or until Yoda forced him to stop his exercise. Anakin wore clothing to fit his activities, he made it himself. He used coolant fabric as an under outfit that is black. His outer outfit is custom to more of the Grey Jedi. It is a balanced outfit, with the under outfit being black and the outer being white, the outer outfit itself is made of many different layers like a Jedi's. (Just think the twins in SWTOR of the eternal Kingdom, I can't really describe it) Sometimes he spent time in the Starfighter hanger, and this struck his interest in mechanics. So he requested that he be given a disposed droid on a quiet planet to fix up and modify. Yoda accepted this, so he sent a Jedi Knight a couple days ago to Tatooine to retrieve a disposed protocol droid.
The Jedi Knight returned with a skeleton of a protocol droid, he gave it to Anakin, who went to his and his mother's room and put it on his table. Yoda already knew he was going to ask for parts, so he already had a Jedi bring up some parts. And as Anakin worked on the droid, Yoda sat in his hover chair, inspecting Anakin.
"Read about this have you?" Yoda asked.
"No Master, I'm taking what I learned from the other Jedi and my instincts to fix this droid." Anakin replied, mildly surprising Yoda.
"Interesting, skills with droids, natural it is for you." Yoda stated.
Anakin nodded and continued to work on his droid. He was working on the Cognitive Module, he was fixing it by using three different SyntheTech AA-1 Verbobrains. The unusable module originally inside the droid had intact circuits that were perfectly synchronized. The additional Verbobrains allowed the droid to be in expert in "Diplomatic" skills, such as etiquette, posture, and much more. Some salvaged MK. 2 Myriad Visual Systems helped the droid see in human and alien standards. A communication module with over 6 million form of communication allowed the droid to use distinct trade vernaculars, security codes and much more as well. All the circuits led to the back plate where they were stored.
Anakin was going to set up the systems and put the outside plates on it in a couple days because he didn't want to finish it now. He wanted to get back to it to see if everything works as it should though. Yoda was still mildly surprised Anakin just knew what did what. But he shouldn't be surprised by the Chosen One.
"Master?" Yoda looked at Anakin.
"Yes?" Yoda responded.
"Could we go meditate some more?" He asked, it was about 2 in the afternoon, so Yoda nodded.
"We can." Yoda responded.
Yoda took Anakin to the contemplation gardens, as that is their favorite place to meditate. They always sit on one of the many roots of the Great Tree sticking out of the ground, because they felt more connected to the Living Force being in contact with the Great Tree. In life, contact can prove to someone that another person is there with them, and that it's not a dream. We always want someone with us, but when we have them, we worry that it is just a good dream, but being in contact helps them know it's real. Sitting on the tree is similar, it helps them connect with what is living and what is not.
So until Shmi got there around 5, Anakin and Yoda just meditate like always. Anakin just thought about his mother and how much she means to him. He has thought about many a time before. He always thinks the same thing, how lucky he is to have such a great mother. Others may not be so lucky, and that is what pains Anakin in his young heart. People are always hurting, and he isn't doing anything about it. It makes him feel helpless, he wants to help but he can't because he is cared for by his mom and Yoda, and he isn't ready to risk his life. This even further makes him believe everyone is the same. While someone may hurt one, they will care for another, and it is constant with everyone. Actions are the same, products are the same, but the reactions are different. People will hate you if you don't agree with them. Some can see both sides, Anakin is one of those people, he feels love and he feels the pain of others. But even if people aren't the same they always end with a similar product. We all survive, it's all on how we do it.
Just thinking about his mom gets him thinking about these types of things. Before he knew it, he felt his mother arriving. So he got up and waited for her. His power isn't the only thing to have increased. His relationships have as well, his relationship with his mother has been increasing ever since he was born, like it should. It is rather sad when parents abandon their children, they are one of them after all. His relationship with Yoda keeps growing a great grandfather. He is even best friends with Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. If you get to know Anakin, he is very friendly, and is hardly without a smile. It brightens everyone's days really, with such a bright light making the Jedi open up from being usually stoic.
Shmi arrived and quickly embraced her son like always. Like Anakin, her relationship with him has increased of course, and just as much. They are the ideal parent-child relationship, they love each other unconditionally.
"How was your day Ani?" Shmi asked.
"It was great like always mom. How was yours?" Anakin asked.
"It was normal." Shmi replied and rubbed Anakin's head.
"I'll see you later Master Yoda." Anakin said as he and his mother walked to their room in the temple.
Ani and his mother arrived at their room, Shmi and Ani sat on the couch and turned on the TV.
"What would you like to watch Ani?" Shmi asked.
"I don't really mind what we watch, so you can choose something." Anakin replied.
So they ended up watching a comedy movie that was about this man that was really attuned with animals and made a job of it. Halfway through it, Shmi got up to make some dinner, which was just some basic things. It took 10 minutes to make and Shmi took her plate and her sons to the couch so they could eat. When they finished another movie and their dinner they began to play some Dejarik, they both loved the game. Anakin couldn't beat his mother yet, and it gave him another thing to strive towards.
"How long have you played Dejarik for mom?" Anakin asked.
"I played it when I was younger, about since I was 12. I would always play it with my friends." Shmi replied, staring off into space, remembering the past.
"How long do you think until I'll be able to beat you?" Anakin asked with a smile.
"You still have a ways to go." She replied with a chuckle, "We should probably head to bed honey." As it was about 8 pm.
"Okay mom." Anakin replied as he got up to go deal with his hygienic duties before heading to his room.
Shmi walked him walk away, and smiled to herself while she thought about how good Anakin was growing up. He has no anger towards another, and doesn't put himself before others. Shmi will regret the day she will have to leave him, as it will always come. We experience death almost every day, people die and leave us. But we shouldn't mourn, we should celebrate their freedom. In the wise words of Yoda, "Death is a natural part of life, rejoice for those who transform into the force. Mourn them do not, miss them do not." Despite this, Shmi doesn't want Anakin to experience that type of thing.
After Anakin got in bed, Shmi went into his room to wish him goodnight and head to her own room.
Anakin awoke in the middle of the night, sweating from a nightmare. In the dream, he saw a figure clad in black, it's breath was raspy, caused by a respirator. The figure pulled a black and chrome hilt from his waist, and a deep crimson blade sprouted from the emitter. Anakin felt oddly connected to this figure, like it was him. But at that point, Anakin woke up. After he woke up, he caught his breath before sitting on his room's floor. Yoda taught him that to deal with fear, or any other emotion like it, you should meditate.
Anakin didn't go back to sleep, technically. He went into the Force, a feat that no one has achieved when they were alive. To go into the Force usually entails losing your identity after death. But Anakin is literally connected to the ethereal energy, negating any harms. It is due to this event that his Force signature resonates like it does when he meditates. The reason that he didn't technically go to sleep was because his body was not asleep, but his mind was similar to being asleep. To clear it up, sleeping causes your functions to halt until your brain has rested. So Anakin's brain connects to the Force, but his body is still active while he dreams, or "gains insight". Anakin hasn't told anyone that he could go into the Force, because he didn't see it as important.
Around the time they usually wake up, Shmi knocked on Anakin's door then opened said door. While she was expecting him to be in bed, she saw that he was sitting on the ground, which surprised her. She walked up to Anakin and before she reached him, said boy "woke" up and looked towards his mother.
"Sorry to worry you mother, I couldn't sleep." He said.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Shmi asked, to which he nodded. "Could you tell me what it was about?" She asked.
He nodded once more, "I saw a dark, black-clad figure, it's breathing was bated and raspy. I felt a connection to it like it was me, then it pulled out a crimson lightsaber to which I woke up. I planned to talk with Master Yoda about it."
"It'll be okay, I'm sure that it will have nothing to do with you." To which she would come to be sort of right.
"Let's get ready mother, I don't want you to be late." He smiled and got up.
They both got dressed and met each other in the kitchen where Shmi began to cook breakfast. They were interrupted by a quiet knock at the door. "That's Master Yoda." Anakin spoke up.
He got up to open the door, and he was right. Yoda was standing at the door patiently waiting, leaning on his cane with both his three-fingered hands.
"Nice to see you it is, Anakin, Shmi." Yoda smiled and walked in after Anakin waved him in.
"Nice to see you too Master Yoda." Shmi replied.
Yoda jumped to sit on one of the stools that sat next to the counter/island. "Good, your morning has been?" He asked.
"Yes Master." Anakin replied with a smile, "has yours?"
"Mmhmm." Yoda replied with a nod.
"Would you like some breakfast?" Shmi asked Yoda.
"No thank you." Yoda replied, getting a nod from Shmi.
"Well after I finish making Ani's breakfast, I'm going to head to the Senate Building." Shmi stated.
"Okay mother." Anakin stated, with a nod, as well as Yoda nodding.
So she left after Anakin got his breakfast and gave him a kiss on his forehead. Anakin finished his breakfast and then Yoda took him to the meditation chambers.
On the way, Yoda said, "Felt your pain, I did. Nightmare?"
"Yes Master, I had a nightmare about what I think could be one of many futures for me. I saw a dark figure that was in black armor. It had a respirator that echoed and they pulled a crimson lightsaber from their waist and ignited it and then I woke up." He replied.
"Careful you must be of the future, Anakin. The future, ever-changing it is, fear it can spread. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate…leads to suffering." Yoda replied.
"Yes Master, I remember." Anakin said.
"Your destiny, to master the Force it is. Not just the light, the dark, but both. Seen this I have, the others do not. Know I do, balance is harmony, one without the other balance is not." Yoda stated with his seemingly infinite wisdom.
"I'm glad you give me the freedom that you do, and that you do believe in true balance." Anakin stated with a smile.
When they reached the meditation chambers, Yoda and Anakin sat across from another. They then opened themselves to the Force, today they would test Anakin's prowess with the Force. To do this, they would use the Force to push on the Force boundaries of one another. They went into meditation to prepare for said test to be as close to 100% as they could be. After 10 minutes, they both got up, with the Force flowing around them and through them. They opened their eyes, and concentrated the Force into their palms and then pushed. It seemed to be a stalemate, until Anakin got another vision of the Sith Warrior from his dream. The energy Anakin was putting off seemed to leak out darkness, and he pushed with anger. Yoda luckily could withstand it, but Anakin's body was ready for the searing burns of the Dark Side. After all, the Dark Side was the opposite of the Light. As the Light heals, the Dark hurts. And those who use it without experience can feel the pain of those of the past and they can't handle it. Anakin himself, a well of the Force, is open to all the suffering, hate, pain, and everything else that takes place in the galaxy. It was a good thing no one could feel anything outside the chamber.
Yoda released the energy and rushed to Anakin. "Okay, are you?" He asked with worry.
"Yes Master, I just need a break." Anakin replied before getting up.
"Saw it again did you?" Yoda asked.
"Yes Master, but this time, I felt all the pain and suffering it causes." Anakin replied again.
"Okay it is, teach to handle this I will, when older are you." Yoda stated.
"Thanks Master. May we meditate before we do my exercises?" Anakin asked, getting a nod from his little green friend.
So it was proven while Anakin is powerful, he still cannot yet control all his power, especially his emotions. Unlike the other Jedi, Yoda would train Anakin to not cut away his emotions, but to turn them off and on. Anakin would need emotions to be in balance, because unlike the Jedi, Anakin will be trained in both sides, and the Dark requires emotion to fuel it. Yoda knows this through the Sith Holocrons in the forbidden section of the Jedi Temple. It is because of that the Jedi don't learn from said Holocrons and in the ignorance of the Jedi, they thought the Sith were extinct and as such the knowledge isn't necessary. Yoda wanted to learn this material so he could teach Anakin himself despite his knowledge that anyone could fall.
During their meditation, something happened to Anakin. Yoda felt it, an awakening of something inside Anakin, the Force itself is fusing with Anakin, albeit slowly. Before, the Force was just open to Anakin, but with how much Anakin opens himself to it, the Force is fusing with Anakin, he would truly become the strongest force-user ever.
To Anakin, his meditation was going normally, until his mind-scape flashed white. He then saw five entities dressed in black with yellow-ish masks, each one with a different expression. They then approached him, floating through the air towards him.
The one with the most neutral expression spoke, "Hello young one."
"Hello," He replied, and was about to introduce himself, but was cut short.
"We know who you are, Anakin Skywalker, Chosen One. Or as we will address you, Our Avatar. We are the priestesses of the Force, and you are in the Wellsprings of Life. This is where all Force energy converges, where the Living Force meets the Cosmic Force." The same one spoke again.
"Why am I here?" He asked.
"We are here to guide you as the Jedi do, and how the Sith will. You are the Avatar of the Force, you must master all aspects of the Force. We will teach you all we know once you learn what you will." The same one replied. They then introduced themselves with the neutral one speaking overall, "We are known as Serenity, Anger, Confusion, Sadness, and Joy."
"Why me?" Anakin asked.
"You were conceived by the Force, as such you will bring balance to it, that is your purpose. It is not your only purpose, as you may make your own." Serenity replied. Serenity spoke again, "To the Force you are it's child, we serve the Force, and by default, you. We will serve you until we can no longer."
"I am honored to have you by my side." He addressed to all five priestesses.
"The honor is all ours, we have only one purpose, to protect the Force. And we hope to please you through your journey." Serenity replied.
Serenity then got close to Anakin and placed her right hand on Anakin's left cheek, after which Anakin was engulfed in a bright light, and he awoke in the real world. Yoda was in front of him, trying to get his attention.
"What's wrong master?" Anakin asked.
"In a trance you were, awake you I tried to." Yoda replied.
"Sorry master, I was just….in peace." Anakin replied.
"Time it is, exercise you must." Yoda stated with a smile to accompany Anakin's own.
"Yes master." Anakin replied as he got up and stretched.
Yoda led him to where they usually worked out, which was of course the training rooms that was designated to high level members of the order. Once they arrived, Yoda told Anakin to do 30 push-ups, all of which Anakin completed no problem. After the push-ups, he had to do 50 sit-ups. After the fifty, Anakin had to run 2 laps around the temple, which is tough considering the size of the temple. Yoda had Anakin do some acrobatics after the laps to prepare for the agility of form IV. For the acrobatics, Anakin had to do frontflips, backflips, somersaults, no handed and one handed sideways somersaults. After doing 10 of each, Anakin had to do climbing exercises and use Force Jump to reach high points. By the time they were done, it was about 4 o'clock. Since his mother wouldn't get off for another 2 hours, they were going to see some of the other masters.
The first they were going to see was Qui-Gon, for some reason, Anakin felt a familial bond with the master. Probably due to the fact they were quite similar in terms of their attitude. Qui-Gon was very calm and collected, often went against the Jedi code to show proper care to his peers and students. He was very grey in terms of the Force. Qui-Gon was alone in the archives, as his padawan is on Mandalore, dealing with the government and helping a female named Satine. The old master was sitting at a table reading a datapad on the Living Force. Yoda and Anakin approached him, drawing his attention away from his datapad.
"Afternoon Master Qui-Gon." Anakin said.
"Hello young Anakin." Qui-Gon replied with a smile, "This is a pleasant surprise."
"Talk to you Anakin desired, other business, attend to I must. Watch over him, if don't mind you do." Yoda stated.
"It would be my pleasure Master Yoda, I'd enjoy some time with young Anakin." Qui-Gon replied with a smile while rubbing Anakin's hair.
"Glad I am, see you later I will." Yoda stated with a smile then walked away.
Qui-Gon turned to face Anakin, "So what do you want to do?"
Anakin replied, "Can we meditate together?"
"I always like to meditate, so no problem." Qui-Gon answered.
They went to the chamber that Yoda and Anakin usually go to. Usually, no one else can, but Anakin is allowed to meditate with ones he wants to in the chamber. They sat down across from each other, and began to bath in the Living Force. Qui-Gon got the chance to feel what Yoda usually does when they meditate. Meditating next to Anakin in an enclosed space felt like sitting right in the Force, like it was physical and you could touch it with your own hands. The Jedi touch the Force daily, but that is with their mind. Right now, it was like you could reach out and touch it like water. The Force flows in a similar manner to water, so it is only right to use it as an example.
Qui-Gon never felt so calm, so peaceful, like there is no hatred in the galaxy. Unfortunately, there is, and lone people can't change it. Sure lone people can help it along, but no big changes can take place with only one person. It may sound very pessimistic, but from a certain point of view, it is true. Then again, anything is true from a certain point of view.
But at the moment, they were meditating, Anakin was just in front of the barrier to the wellspring of life. The Wellspring of Life happens to be inside a planet, but Anakin, being the Avatar of the Force, can project himself there. He did not want to visit yet considering he was just there and didn't want to bother the priestesses. In the end, Anakin decided to end his meditation, conveniently at the same time as Qui-Gon.
"It appears to be 6:00 master, this is about the time I go wait for my mother." Anakin stated.
"Then let's go wait for her then." Qui-Gon replied.
So they headed towards the garage, as that is where Shmi arrives. On the way, they address minor topics, such as training, planets, things of the sort. When they arrive, it was just as Shmi was leaving the garage. She noticed Qui-Gon was with Anakin instead of Yoda.
"Where's Master Yoda?" She asked.
Qui-Gon replied, "He had some business to attend to, so in the meantime, I watched over young Anakin."
"And may I get your name?" Shmi requested.
"Of course, I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn." He replied.
She looked over Qui-Gon, and felt a long-forgotten heat rise to her face. "Well thank you for looking after my son Master Qui-Gon."
"You can just call me Qui-Gon, no need for you to use my title." Qui-Gon replied, getting a nod from Shmi, as she couldn't trust herself to speak.
Anakin felt offended, "Then why do I have to address you as Master?"
"Because I will be, I plan to teach you a great deal of things after Obi-Wan passes the trials." Qui-Gon replied with a chuckle.
Shmi smiled at the scene, as if Qui-Gon was growing attached to Anakin already, like a father. She then spoke up with a smile still adorned upon her face, "Well we should be going, I have to get some food in Ani's belly."
They then said their farewells and went their separate ways.
That was Chapter 3, sorry for the absence, just never know what to right, and I only get small impulses dealing with the future. I hope you enjoyed and you have a great day, or night, or whatever, I'm not assuming the time.