Eternal Balance: Chapter 7

By The Al Bhed Slayer

A/N: Thank you all for the great reviews! I was surprised how many there were yesterday! VERY IMPORTANT CHAPTER! Very short, though. Anyways, all I have to say is…fluff. Fluff on the way. R'n'R!

After Senator Amidala said her goodbyes, she, Anakin, and Akaia continued walking to the Starfreighter. Akaia, at a loss of words, turned her attention towards the sky. It had been a long while since she had last left Coruscant, and particularly looked forward to seeing a new planet. Between the disturbing notions I've been getting and my emotions going haywire, this should be a break. She glanced over at Anakin and Padme who seemed to be enjoying each other's company quite a bit. Or not… A pang of jealousy. She had finally at least been able to admit it to herself: she was jealous. Since the moment she killed that man back on Lotora, she had tried to ignore her darker emotions that came from the action, which she knew made her a hypocrite. But nothing had brought out those emotions after that…until now.

You can join in the conversation at anytime, she heard in her mind, almost making her jump.

She glared menacingly at him. Don't do that!

He grinned, looking down at her. Sorry, I couldn't help it.

Her glare soon dissolved into a small smile, shaking her head in mock disappointment. They boarded the freighter and soon waited. Akaia still in her own world, couldn't help but feel as if this weren't a good plan.

What am I getting myself into?

She knew she shouldn't be listening to them. She knew she would get angry again. But curiosity, as always, had gotten the best of her. After eating, Akaia had begun to think about what these darker emotions had been doing to her. She stared at her hand inquisitively. Could she ever be able to summon those sith powers that no one trusted her with? After hearing the already familiar sound of Artoo chirping, she heard the senator begin speaking again.

"Must be difficult, having sworn your life to the Jedi," Padme began, picking at her food. "Not being able to visit the places you like or do the things you like…"

"Or be with the people that I love," Anakin finished, in a trance.

In that instant, blue sparks of electricity circled wildly around her palm…She couldn't feel it, but strangely knew how to keep it in her hand. At least she knew what caused it; her jealousy had flared. Seeing as tiny bolts of lightning still moved across her hand, she was still harboring the feeling. She continued listening, although part of her wasn't sure that was a smart idea.

"Are you allowed to love?" Padme had asked. "I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi."

"Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden," Anakin explained. "Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life…So you might say that we are encouraged to love."

By that time, Akaia couldn't feel her right hand at all as she saw the lightning move quicker and become stronger.

It felt so easy to let it grow stronger…to let the darkness take over…

…so simple…

"Akaia?"

At the sound of her name, the lightning had disappeared. Her attention shifted towards where the voice had come from, which led her stare to Anakin. His expression seemed to be a mixture of concern and shock. Had he seen the lightning? She silently wished he hadn't…No matter how difficult it would be for her to explain it, it would be worse to explain its trigger.

The day dragged on rather slowly after that. After landing on Naboo, they immediately spoke to the queen and other senators. As soon as that was over, Senator Amidala had insisted on changing before they were to go to a lakeside retreat. For the first time she could ever remember, Akaia had felt self-conscious, what with wearing a plain brown outfit and a pair of boots. Compared to the senator, she looked more like a peasant. The former guardian exhaled in frustration.

With Padme around, Anakin had held off asking Akaia about her…power. Had he really seen lightning in her hand? Strangely, what bothered him more was that she'd been hiding it, as she'd been doing with many things lately. I'll be sure to ask her about all of this tonight.

He took a quick look at the girl as she studied anything and everything around her in complete awe before the started to the retreat.

This has already turned out to be quite an interesting mission.

We should be thankful Obi Wan isn't here, he thought with a grin.

Carefully stepping out of the boat they had come in, the three walked up the stairs quietly. Naboo's only sun had already started to set, partially disappearing between mountains and fields. It was a gorgeous sight, but Akaia still went in instead of watching the night creep slowly closer. She got settled in one of the rooms, letting her thoughts take over for the moment. Not very long into getting in the room, someone entered and immediately asked, "Would you tell me what's going on now?"

She turned to the padawan. "What do you mean?"

"You were controlling sith lightning." He stepped closer. "How could…"

She sighed. "It's controlled by my emotions, and at the time, I felt very strongly about a lot of things."

"Is it possible to summon the power now?" he asked curiously.

She shook her head.

"And you're alright?" he inquired.

"I'm fine," she answered reassuringly.

Curious, Anakin stepped closer once more and took the hand the lightning had been in, palms facing upwards. He glanced from her hand to her storm-ridden eyes. "So, if you felt strongly enough, you could use sith lightning?"

She nodded slowly, slightly confused.

The last thing Akaia remembered seeing was Anakin giving her a mischievous smile before he closed the distance between them, gently pressing his lips against hers.

TBC

A/N: Like I said, short but sweet. Ha ha, I figured since I was taking out a kissing scene, I'd add my own. Well, tune in tomorrow for the next installment!