They found themselves in a room with light blue walls and plenty of chairs and sofas. Their clothes had changed, too - Shmi was wearing a long, colorful silk dress and Anakin was wearing a silk shirt and black pants. There was a door set in the wall they were facing.
Shmi smiled and kissed her son's forehead. "Shall we?"
The boy's eyes were alight as he nodded. Both could feel anticipation jumpy in their stomachs. The Skywalkers walked hand in hand to the door, Shmi pushing it open slowly. It revealed an inhumanly tall man working at a low control panel.
"Anakin. Shmi. Welcome home." Anakin ran through the doorway to the man, who scooped him up into his arms. He kissed Anakin on the cheek and embraced Shmi. They kissed on the lips, very quickly.
"BLECH!" yelled Anakin.
The adults laughed, and the man set Anakin down. "Do you want to polish the stars?" he asked.
Anakin's eyes lit up like the aforementioned stars. "Yes! Please Dad, can I?"
The little boy's father chuckled at his son's antics. "May I. And of course." He took Ani's hand and guided him towards a door set near the door they had just come through. Ani could barely contain his excitement. The father pushed open the door and kissed Ani's forehead.
"You know what to do."
The little boy nodded vigorously, skipping inside as if his heart's desire were in there. And perhaps it was. His father gently closed the door behind him.
Once inside, little Ani took a handkerchief off of the many hooks inside and went through another door to reveal the entire universe.
Anakin walked fearlessly out into the model, not seeming to care that there was no floor. He knew how to get up and down, stepping between levels like stairs, looking for stars that needed to be polished. He could see things here, in Ascendance, that would have been impossible to see in the real world.
There! Ani spotted a star rather far away that needed a good polish. He skipped over and up until he reached the sick little star - for if stars are not polished, they become sick. The little boy put the white handkerchief on his hand and cupped the little speck of light gently in his thumb and first two fingers. Gently, he rubbed his thumb over the little star, and the star dipped down and rubbed affectionately against the little boy's thumb. They were so sweet. Anakin smiled and skipped off to find another star in need of polishing.
Hours later, Anakin was exhausted but happy. He half-stumbled through the adjoining room into the main room, where his mother and father were talking amiably. The boy walked over and sat on the control panel to wait. He didn't have to wait long. His mother noticed him and picked him up.
"Hello, Anakin. All done?"
"Exhausted, but not done."
His father chuckled. "I don't think polishing the stars can ever be done. It's an ongoing job." He picked up the little child and let his head rest on his robed shoulder. Anakin nuzzled into his father and closed his eyes.
"Are you ready to go home?"
Shmi sighed, took her husband's hand in her own, and kissed him gently on the lips. "We're ready, but I don't want to leave."
"I wouldn't think you'd ever want to leave. It's designed to be a sort of paradise." He gave her a sad smile. "But I don't want you to leave, either."
"But it must be done. Anakin and I have lives down below."
Anakin's father put a hand on her cheek. "Go. But remember, I will always be with you." He leaned down and kissed his wife gently, then watched as she took her little boy off his shoulder and carried him to the door. As she laid her hand on the handle, she turned and smiled. Then she turned back, pushed the door open, and stepped through.