Eternal Balance: Chapter 12

By The Al Bhed Slayer

A/N: I know people, it's been SO very long since I updated! Damn, time flies. Well, I wanted to write earlier this week, but my friend invited me to go see Ep. III AGAIN for the third time. Then afterwards we snuck in to Batman Begins which was WICKED AWESOME (Best Line: "Would you like to see my mask?" – Scarecrow)! Anyway, it took me a while to write this – damn writer's block – so I hope you guys like it. R'n'R! Oh and if I actually started naming chapters (but I won't), let's just say this would be called "Revelations". R'n'R!

Inspirational Quote:

Angel: You walked down the steps. And I loved you.
Buffy: Why?
Angel: 'Cause it I could see your heart. You held before you for everyone to see. And I worried that it would be bruised or torn. And more than anything in my life I wanted to keep it safe, to warm it with my own.
Buffy: That's beautiful... Or taken literally, incredibly gross.
Angel: I was just thinking that, too.

-Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Helpless"

As Anakin and Padme focused on deciding where to land the ship on Geonosis, Akaia felt the worst was to happen. The end was drawing near…Although she felt this, she tried with all her energy to hide her uneasiness, to no avail. Anakin's expression grew troubled each time he quickly glanced back at the woman. Her gaze fixed on the floor; she remained silent and deep in thought. Whenever we get back to some normalcy, he decided, I'll be sure to find a way to cheer her up. It is my fault she's like this after all.

"See those columns of steam straight ahead?" Padme spoke up, glancing from the navigation panel, to the windshield. "They're exhaust vents of some type."

Focusing back on the matter at hand, Anakin steered the ship towards the vents. "That'll do."

Before long, the ship descended into the vent, completely engulfed in steam. Finally landing, the three stood, Senator Amidala facing the other two. "Look, whatever happens out there, follow my lead." She continued, putting on her shawl, "I'm not interested in getting into a war here. As a member of the Senate, maybe I can find a diplomatic solution to all this."

"Don't worry," Anakin assured her on the way out. "I've given up trying to argue with you."

The three of them exited the ship, walking through the clouds of steam. In the pit of her stomach, Akaia's worry grew with each step, as they walked through the small opening to the next room. With a shaky breath, she told the other two just above a whisper, "I can feel it."

"What?" The padawan queried.

Her expression blank as they continued, the former guardian turned to them. "All this…it can only end badly. Things are going to change for the worse."

"You can't know that for sure," Anakin replied quite confidently. "It's just a feeling, right?"

With that simple comment, Akaia made eye contact with him for only a second. She had tried pushing away whatever she felt…especially for him. But, in that instant, the truth was clear. Too bad he can never know how true that statement is for me, that he can never know I… she thought, taking a deep breath. She couldn't even bring herself to thin the word causing herself more pain. "Yeah…just a feeling."

That split second he looked in her eyes, he saw something unrecognizable. Mentally shaking off the odd sensation, they continued through another threshold. "Besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

Akaia stopped and glared at him, jaw dropped before she started moving again. "Why did you have to say that?"

"What?" He asked in confusion.

Still glaring, she responded. "You just jinxed us."

"I didn't-" he paused, sensing danger. He turned around, only to be feet away from several winged creatures. Akaia and Padme followed his gaze as well. At the sight of all this, Akaia again glared at Anakin.

"You were saying?" She questioned raising an eyebrow.

In the blink of an eye, Anakin had switched on his lightsaber, already slashing whatever they were into pieces. As the next door slid open, all three ran towards it. Abruptly stopping, the door shut behind them as they stood on a ledge which moved out from underneath them. Falling onto a conveyer belt, Akaia and Padme landed painfully near scolding hot metal. Anakin then let go of the door, landing on his feet and cutting through more the same creatures.

Meanwhile, Akaia and Padme, enveloped in their own problem, stood and found themselves dangerously close to getting crushed. Thinking quickly the former guardian spoke. "I got an idea." She glanced quickly at the senator. "Just keep moving away."

Padme nodded in response, backing away. Akaia turned to the piece of machinery, recalling what she'd done the night before, all the death she'd caused. Self-hatred consuming her, she thought, This better work. Immediately, electricity shot from her hands to the machine. Growing closer and closer to it, she kept her focus. Almost crushed beneath the weight of the machine, she saw that the conveyer belt slowed and contraption in front of that almost trampled her came to a halt. She exhaled in relief walking towards Padme. The senator stared at her in shock. "What did you…?"

"I'll explain later, if we aren't dead." Akaia, seeing the approaching creature, force pushed it to the nearest wall. As the other conveyer belts continued moving, she looked off the edge of stilled machinery, at the ground then back to Padme. "Think you could jump down from here?"

The senator of Naboo glanced down as well, shrugging. "It could be worse." Seconds later, she jumped down unsteadily.

Without a second look, Akaia the hurried off to find Anakin, only to see he'd already been found.

"Don't move, Jedi."

There Akaia and Anakin stood chained up, in a chariot of some sort, beside another which Padme stood in. Akaia eyes remained downcast, scanning through her thoughts of the last two months. Everything seemed to mesh together now…she could barely decipher them herself. Before she knew it, she heard Anakin speak up beside her. "I'm sorry."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she met his stare. "For what?"

"…If we hadn't met, you wouldn't be here right now, you'd be safe." He replied, guilt in his tone.

"If we hadn't met, I'd be alone in a cell on an unstable planet wishing I would die." She retorted lightly. "I'd take this any day."

He remained silent for a moment, searching dark eyes the answer he'd been look for. "Are you going to tell me now?"

She stared blankly at him. "Tell you what?"

"Back on Coruscant, when you said you weren't ready to tell me why you said what you did…" He began, trying to trigger her memory.

Her face remained blank for a few more seconds before her eyes grew wide. "Oh!...oh. That." She sighed heavily, not knowing what to say. I cannot tell him I love him. Well, I suppose I could…but if we survive…damn it! Moments later, she finally spoke. "Well…the thing is I suppose I was jealous." It's technically not a lie…it was true at the time! She tried to justify to herself, to no avail.

He continued staring at her for a moment before letting out a laugh. She glared at him momentarily.

"Okay, we're about to die, I'm trying to be serious, and you're laughing!" she said in a hushed voice.

Now grinning, he returned his gaze to her. "I know, it's just…you had nothing to be jealous of."

She eyed him questioningly. "Meaning?"

"Padme and I…we'll always be apart of each other. But…" He paused as she looked away for a second. "…what I feel for you, it's entirely different…Akaia…" She locked eyes with him once more as he leaned in closer, only inches away. "…I love you."

His words didn't really sink in at first, but when they finally did, she made her decision. This is it…Finding her voice, she was about to begin when the chariot – if you could call it that – jerked forward as the harsh light of their sun hit her.

…Just great.

TBC

A/N: He said it! Woo hoo! Too bad things get worse in the next chapter. Will she get her chance to tell him on she feels? Dun, dun, DUN!