Oh my gosh guys, I'm so excited, hardly any of this is like it was originally I had so much fun messing with this episode!
I can't wait! I bet you can't either, mwahahahaha
WARNING: Analina fans must be prepared for frustration. Like...ssseeerrrrrious frustration. You're going to want to kill me, but don't, okay? No one would like that because then I couldn't finish this series lol.
Oh, and I'm on Facebook for those of you who don't know yet; my fanfictions now have a Facebook page: AngelDesaray of Fanfiction
Go check it out, go like it, seriously!
PLEASE OH MY FORCE AND SKYWALKERS PLEASE REVIEW!
Enjoy!
Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Zelina all sat on varying positions on the landing ramp, watching the rain pound down upon the earth of Mortis. Zelina and Anakin sat side by side at the top of the landing ramp while Obi-Wan stood further down the ramp, and Zelina kept a gentle hand on Anakin's back. She could sense how pensive and downtrodden Anakin was at the moment as he had been since the confrontation up on the cliff, and she wished she could just wave her hand and cheer him up. It wasn't that easy though...
"I'm getting a little tired of how unreliable the weather is here," Obi-Wan quipped, the first to break the silence.
"Some might say that's part of the appeal," Anakin answered sarcastically. Obi-Wan turned to face him at his tone of voice.
"You did well Anakin; how do you feel?"
Anakin heaved a sigh, keeping his eyes cast down at the ramp. "I'm not sure we're doing the right thing by leaving; the Son is consumed by the dark side..."
"And if we stay, we may be used to the dark side's advantage," Obi-Wan pointed out.
Behind them, Ahsoka poked her head out of the floor; she'd been looking at the repairs the ship needed as she was the only one small enough to fit down there that had the knowledge to fix it. "So, do you want the bad news, or the really bad news?" Ahsoka asked.
"How about you give us the bad news in a good way? You know, cushion the fall, soften the blow, etcetera," Zelina suggested with a small smile.
"We've got two cracked pins, a busted power converter, the engine should be fired twice to dump debris, and the backup vents need charging."
"Sounds terribly downbeat," Obi-Wan pointed out with a small smile.
Ahsoka gave him a look before she lowered herself back into the crawlspace without a word. Anakin got up and walked away to get something while Obi-Wan resumed his spot on the landing ramp. "Can it be fixed?" he asked Ahsoka. Anakin reappeared, drawing Zelina's curiosity when she saw he had a small speeder that was one of two kept on the ship.
"I can reroute the primary initiator..." Ahsoka was saying, but Zelina wasn't listening anymore. Instead, she followed after Anakin as he powered up the vehicle.
"Where are you going?" she asked quietly, standing beside him.
"To see the Father," he explained shortly. Thankfully he didn't leave her hanging, and moved to explain himself. "I'm not convinced he can keep the Son here without our help; perhaps we should make a stand."
"Ani—" she started to say, but Anakin cut her off.
"If I don't get the Father's blessing to leave, it will haunt me forever," Anakin said quietly. Zelina smiled slightly.
"I wasn't going to stop you; I was going to ask if I could come with you," she assured him. Anakin turned around and stared at her in surprise, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Honestly Ani, you'd think you'd have figured these things out by now. I'll only stop you if I'm sure that what you're doing is absolutely idiotic."
"That's reassuring," Anakin said, his sarcasm returning. Zelina swung onto the speeder, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his shoulder.
"Come on, let's go."
"Anakin? Zelina?" came Obi-Wan's voice, and Zelina turned her head back towards him.
"We'll be back; stay with the ship. We'll be all right, and we won't do anything stupid, I promise," Zelina told him before she turned back to Anakin. "Go."
Anakin shifted slightly in the seat, allowing her to grasp him a little more comfortably before he took off and left the ship in the dust.
It took them a while, but Anakin was able to steer them in the direction of the Father in the heart of what seemed like thousands of rolling hills surrounded by mist. Anakin kept a tight hold of her hand on the way up the hill, probably an action borne out of his very close call of losing Ahsoka not too long ago. She didn't mind though; how could she possibly be bothered by Anakin holding her hand?
They reached the top of the hill where a tomb was perched at the top and the Father stood, hand outstretched to set a rock over the entrance with the Force. They didn't even have to announce their arrival.
"You should have left by now," the Father told them seriously without even turning around.
"Our ship needs repairs," Anakin muttered, casting his eyes downwards for a moment as he helped Zelina come level with him.
"Do not underestimate my son," the Father warned. "He will seek your ship to escape our isolation and sow terror through the universe. And while you are here, he will use you to do it."
Zelina stiffened at the Father's words, and she tightened her hold on Anakin's hand slightly. Anakin glanced at her before he finally met the Father's gaze.
"What will you do now that he's given himself over to the dark side?" Anakin asked the Father.
The Father sighed. "It is my actions that have unleashed great danger upon the universe. I must...kill him."
Zelina stared at him in shock. Would he really kill his own son? And why did that shiver of premonition slither into her gut and clench at her heart? Against her will, she shivered from a cold that didn't come from the air.
"But he's too powerful for you alone!" Anakin protested.
"Hm...perhaps," the Father admitted. "Perhaps not. The Force will decide."
"We can help you," Zelina spoke up, standing firmly beside Anakin. The Father turned to face them, his eyes roaming over the pair and lingering momentarily on Zelina.
"The choice is no longer yours to make; all of our destinies are clouded." The Father looked out over the valley, brow furrowed in thought. "This place is strong with the Force...Darkness has no hold here. Go; ask, and you will know what to do," he said, pointing out into the hills. Anakin nodded, reaching out and taking Zelina's hand to help lead her down the hill once more, the Father watching them the entire way down.
Once she believed she was out of the Father's hearing range, Zelina spoke. "I can't believe the Father is going to kill the Son," she muttered.
"It has to be done; he's become a threat to the entire galaxy," Anakin replied quietly.
Zelina sighed and shook her head. "I couldn't do it...no matter how much of a threat they became, I don't think I could bring myself to kill someone that I love."
Anakin grew quiet at that statement. "I think I agree with you there Zee...but the Father is not us, and I think that he will do whatever it takes to fix his mistake."
Zelina sighed. "You're not wrong there..."
She might have said more, if they were not interrupted by a voice neither of them had expected to hear ever again in their lives.
"You have both grown strong and powerful, just as I imagined."
Zelina and Anakin's heads snapped up at the voice. "Master?" Anakin called the same time Zelina timidly called out, "Qui-Gon?"
Up on a hill just off to their right, Qui-Gon materialized, his complexion blue and glowing a soft white light. He smiled warmly at the two of them, but was quick to get right down to business.
"Little one..." he said, looking at Zelina. "Do you believe that your friend is the Chosen One."
Zelina felt something stir inside her at being addressed as such, and she glanced at Anakin. He was looking at her with an expression she couldn't read, but she could feel his hesitancy, anxiety, and fear to hear what she had to say. Zelina turned her attention back to Qui-Gon.
"Yes, I do," she said, her tone of voice leaving no room to doubt. Qui-Gon turned to look at Anakin.
"And do you believe you are the Chosen One?" he asked Anakin. Anakin struggled with himself for a moment.
"How could I possibly know?" Anakin admitted, glancing at Qui-Gon and Zelina. "Everyone seems so sure of it, when I don't even know myself it I am..."
"I cannot tell you that; I can tell you what I believe. I believe that you will bring balance to the Force, as do your friends and loved ones around you. I also believe that you will face your demons and save the universe."
"And this creature of the dark side, do we leave, or do we stay and kill him?" Anakin asked, drawing closer to Qui-Gon and looking so much like the nine year old that Qui-Gon found on Tatooine that Zelina's heart ached at the sight.
"Neither," Qui-Gon said immediately, bringing Anakin up short. Zelina was a little confused herself. So they were to stay, but they weren't to kill the Son...so why should they stay? "Look deeper; you will find another way."
"I don't understand," Anakin replied despairingly, dropping his head in shame. Zelina gently rubbed his back in comfort.
"I don't either, I'm confused," Zelina added, squeezing Anakin's shoulder lightly.
"Not far from here is a place strong with the dark side of the Force. You will need to go there."
Anakin took a deep, steadying breath. "And destroy the Son?" he guessed.
"Remember your training Anakin; trust your instincts. Zelina...trust your heart."
With that, Qui-Gon disappeared with a simple gust of wind. "Master? Master!" Anakin exclaimed, but Qui-Gon was gone. Zelina stared at the place where Qui-Gon had been moments before, her gaze sliding over to Anakin.
"I guess we start towards this dark place," she said quietly. Anakin's eyes remained on the spot Qui-Gon had been for several moments before he tore his eyes away to meet her gaze.
"Yeah...I guess so...I wonder why Qui-Gon told you to trust your heart, but told me to trust my instincts..." he muttered.
"Probably because your heart has had the tendency to send you on a vengeance path," Zelina offered gently. Anakin gave her a look she wasn't going to forget and she smiled apologetically. "Sorry, it was just a guess."
Anakin sighed. "Come on...let's get back to the speeder, we'll be able to move faster that way."
It took a while, but Zelina and Anakin soon found themselves descending deep into a large hole in the earth of Mortis, jagged edges of rock surrounding them as they plunged into the earth towards a rock of magma. Zelina tightened her grip on Anakin's waist, burying her face in his shoulder as Anakin angled them towards a flat spot of land at the bottom of the earthen well. Her grip was as firm as Mandalorian Iron, even though she trusted Anakin to get them safely to the bottom of the well.
When he finally touched down on the ground, Zelina was relieved to swing off of the vehicle and stand on solid ground. She eyed the strange symbol carved into the earth that radiated golden light while Anakin got off of the bike behind her, keeping herself as disconnected from the dark side of the Force that she could sense all around as possible. Anakin, meanwhile, scanned the surrounding river of magma with his eyes, searching out the Son in the hopes that they would not be caught off guard.
"Welcome," came the Son's voice, soft and out of place for who he was. Zelina and Anakin whipped around to face him, with Zelina coming even with Anakin in a somewhat protective move. "I believe there has been a misunderstanding."
"I think we all understand each other perfectly," Zelina responded coolly.
"We really don't have to be enemies," the Son said in a sorrowful tone.
"You murdered your sister!" Anakin shot back, reaching for his lightsaber. "The Force is out of balance; I have to stop you."
Zelina frowned slightly. When had Anakin come to that realization? Qui-Gon had said specifically that they were not to kill the Son.
"Must you?" the Son asked with a scathing smile. Anakin activated his lightsaber, but the Son simply sighed and pulled it out of his hands with the Force. "There is no use for such crude implements here," he proclaimed. Zelina's had remained clipped to her hips, having already learned that lightsabers had no effect on these Force Wielders after the Father's display of power pushing Anakin's blade back into the hilt. She warily pulled Anakin back from the Son, angling herself so that she was at least covering half of him protectively. She had a really bad feeling in her gut...something was about to happen.
"I have a gift for you," the Son told Anakin, and immediately Zelina positioned herself in front of Anakin.
"I don't think either of us want a gift from you—if it can even be called that," she warned, acting much braver than she felt at the moment. Anakin drew himself up to his full height and gently pushed Zelina out of the way to step threateningly towards the Son.
"I've had enough of your trickery," Anakin snarled.
"Oh, but you'll like this one, I promise," the Son said in an oily voice, drawing closer to them. Zelina backed up instinctively, pulling Anakin back with her as the Son approached. "What if I could show you...the future?" the Son proposed. Anakin said nothing, but Zelina felt him tense as he suddenly refused to back up any further.
"Anakin," Zelina said in a warning voice. She didn't like how the Son was eyeing Anakin right now, and the Force was practically yelling at her that something very bad was about to happen. She tightened her hold on Anakin's arm as she felt a ripple in the Force and felt Anakin start to weave dangerously, a hand clutching at his head. "Anakin!"
Anakin leaned heavily into her, shaking his head. "No...No, stop it!" he pled.
"Know yourself; know what you will become!" the Son thundered, and Zelina shot the Force Wielder and deadly look.
"Leave him alone," she shouted at him. Anakin's hand clenched her arm so tight she was sure she was going to bruise, but she could also tell that he was no longer there with her, per say. He shook his head avidly, trying to dispel the images that were assaulting his mind while Zelina supported him. She could feel his pain, and it was so strong she felt like she was going to be sick. Anakin jerked suddenly from something she could not see.
"I will not look!" he shouted, his grip tightening.
"Let him go!" Zelina shouted, pushing the Son back with the Force on a whim. The Son snarled at her.
"I'm growing tired of your meddling girl," the Son hissed, shocking her with red lightning. Zelina screamed and her legs gave out from under her, causing both her and Anakin to fall to the ground. Anakin had fallen to his knees anyway in that moment in pure anguish that hurt her more than the Son's electricity.
"No..." Anakin moaned. "No!" he screamed. Zelina pushed all thoughts of her own pain out of her mind, seizing Anakin's shoulders as he crumpled to the floor on his hands and knees, shoulders heaving in silent sobs.
"Anakin...Anakin, I'm here, Anakin, talk to me," Zelina said in a rushed, quiet voice, running her hand gently through his hair a few times and running her hand down his back in an attempt to comfort him even though she had no idea what was wrong. To her surprise, Anakin pulled away from her, a sob breaking out of him for a moment. The emotional pain and guilt she sensed from him at that moment made her blood run cold, but she didn't let that deter her. She kept up with her attempt to be there for him, fighting his attempts to break away from here. "Anakin, please, talk to me, I'm here," she whispered.
"I will do such terrible things...?" Anakin finally choked out, halfway stating it while also posing it as a question.
"Yes," the Son said simply, smiling in a sickening way that caused Zelina to clutch Anakin a little closer. "But it doesn't have to be that way; the choice is still yours to make."
"How?" Anakin whispered, and Zelina looked at him in shock. What had he seen?
"Anakin, don't listen to him, you know he's just trying to trick you into helping him, he's trying to use you," Zelina pled softly. Anakin turned a gaze on her that was so tortured, so utterly, freshly broken, that her words died in her throat. "Ani..."
"The future, by its nature, can be changed," the Son practically purred from off to the side. "Join me, and together we will destroy the Emperor you see in your visions, and we shall end war, corruption, and suffering throughout the Galaxy."
Emperor? Zelina's mind asked, but she didn't have time to process that information.
"Will we bring...peace?" Anakin asked hesitantly, and Zelina could no longer take it. She grabbed the front of his tunic, and turned him around to face her fully, staring him dead in the eyes and refusing to let his gaze land anywhere else.
"Anakin, listen to yourself! You know what the Dark side does; we both do. It cannot bring peace because the dark side by its very nature destroys everything good in the universe!" She wasn't getting through to him as she wanted to; she could see it in his eyes. So she plunged deeper. "I don't know what you saw, but I felt your pain, and I know it was bad; but Anakin, please, do not join him. Joining him will destroy everything that we've fought so hard to preserve."
"You don't understand Zee; you didn't see what I saw, so how could you know what I have to do?" Anakin whispered, pulling further away. Zelina searched the Force desperately for what to say, heeding Qui-Gon's words from earlier to trust her heart as well. The words came to her in the inspiration of the moment.
"Is bringing the destruction of your happiness what you want? Yes, the future by its nature can be changed, but there is a risk of creating a worse future. What if that's what you're doing? Could you live with yourself if you brought about an even worse future than whatever he's shown you? Because Anakin, I can tell just by trusting my heart and the Force, that this is not the path you take to make it better," Zelina said firmly. Anakin looked away from her, and she pulled him into a tight hug, running her fingers through his hair as she cradled his head to her chest. "Whatever you saw...I promise you we will find another way to stop it from becoming a reality...Just please, do not follow the Son down this path we both know will only lead to pain and suffering."
Anakin shook his head. "I..."
"Think of Luke," she said desperately, struck by another sudden inspiration. "What did he say Anakin? What did he tell us as a warning?"
Anakin looked up sharply at the mention of his future son, searching Zelina's desperate eyes. She saw some of the dark cloud the Son had pulled over his eyes dissipate. "Luke..."
"He said that our choices are going to affect what happens to him; every single choice. Anakin, have you even thought what this might mean for him? Don't do this; Luke will need you whole and on the light side of the Force. Not in league with him, the very embodiment of evil and the dark side," Zelina said vehemently. "Please, Anakin..."
Anakin said nothing, but Zelina could feel his pain and fear so clearly through the Force it felt like her own. Now, it was just a matter of who he would trust; the Son, or Zelina.
Finally, Anakin slowly nodded. "You're right," he whispered. "You're right..."
The Son hissed furiously. "If you follow her you are doomed to walk the path that was shown to you. Do not be a fool!"
Anakin tightened his grasp on Zelina's hand, letting her pull him to his feet. "I would be a fool to trust you. Zelina has never done me wrong, whereas you have not ceased trying to deceive me from the moment I came here."
The Son snarled at the two of them. "You will pay dearly for your mistake," he hissed before he suddenly unleashed a torrent of red lightning upon the pair of them. Anakin pushed Zelina behind him in an attempt to protect her, but once he went down the Son was able to focus the lightning on her as well as Anakin. Their screams echoed around the cavern until the darkness of unconsciousness claimed them both.
A voice floated towards Zelina.
"A...n...e...a..."
"An...in...Ze...na..."
"Anakin...Zelina..."
"Anakin! Zelina!"
Zelina groaned. Everything hurt...she just wanted to slip back into the darkness of unconsciousness...but at the same time...there was so much fear in that voice...she had to answer, let them know she was still here...
"Obi-Wan..." she murmured.
"Zelina! Can you hear me? Zelina?"
Zelina groaned, stirring slightly before the movement caused her to seize up in pain and gasp. "It hurts," she couldn't help but whimper.
"I know, I know, I know it hurts young one, but you're safe now..."
"Anakin..." she whispered. She brought herself a little further out of her unconscious state, clearing her throat to speak a little louder. "Anakin, where's...Anakin..."
"He's right here, he's safe. He's still unconscious; what happened?"
"Son...wanted Anakin...join him...wouldn't..." Zelina explained softly. She could feel Obi-Wan's hand on her forehead as he checked her health.
"I'm going to get you both out of here, okay?"
"Son...planet...ship..." she muttered.
"I know, I already contacted Ahsoka and told her to sabotage the ship so that he can't get off the planet; she'll be meeting us and the Father at the monastery so we can stop the Son and finally get out of here."
She heard a groan emanate from Anakin off to the side. "Ani..." she muttered.
"He'll be fine; just leave this to me Zelina...you rest until we get to the monastery. Just rest for now..."
Reluctantly, she obeyed him and slipped back into unconsciousness, trusting that he would be true to his word and get the two of them to safety.
It was Obi-Wan Kenobi; of course he would.
When Anakin opened his eyes, the first thing he registered was the grueling headache he had and the painful aftereffects he could feel from the Son's lightning. He groaned, forcing himself to slowly sit up while he tried to remember what had…
Anakin sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes flying open to search his surroundings frantically as all of it came back to him. Now, however, he was back at the monastery, no longer in the well of the dark side as they had been before losing consciousness.
They…
Zelina!
Anakin searched desperately for his friend, fearing for a moment that he had lost her before he finally noticed her just off to the side. The Father was kneeling beside her, a hand on her forehead. Anakin dragged himself to his feet, stumbling over to them to drop to Zelina's side. His throat clogged as he stared down at his friend, the echoes of his vision coming back to the front of his mind as he stared down at her, lovingly brushing the hair from her face.
"I'm so sorry…" he whispered. "The one thing I don't understand…why haven't you told me…?"
"What did he show you?" the Father asked abruptly, startling Anakin slightly out of his trance. His jaw tightened as all the screams and pain he had seen came back to him, as well as what he had done to his wife…his child…his brother in all but blood…Zelina…
"I've seen what I become, and…I cannot let that happen," Anakin said firmly, looking up at the Father with his hand gently cupping Zelina's cheek. The Father sighed.
"Your destiny can change as quickly as the love in one's heart can fade. Nothing is set in stone," the Father said wisely. Anakin shook his head avidly.
"But I will cause so much pain!" he exclaimed, one of his hands dropping to clasp Zelina's in his own.
"If there is to be balance, what you have seen must be forgotten," the Father said firmly.
"Forgotten?" Anakin asked in surprise. "But…if I forget, then I won't be able to change it, I won't know the danger that I'm putting everyone in—"
"Considering how close you came to joining my son on the dark side when he showed you your future, I think that perhaps it is best that you don't know."
Anakin looked back down at Zelina, who looked as if she was sleeping. "You've already made her forget, haven't you?"
"Yes, I have," the Father said curiously, probably wondering where Anakin was going with all of this. Anakin reached over and brushed some of the hair from her face tenderly, his eyes searching her serene features.
"I just wish she would tell me why she didn't tell me sooner…why she has to wait until it's too late…" Anakin whispered. "But I guess that doesn't matter now…if we're just going to forget what happened down in that well, she won't remember I saw myself destroy everything, and I won't remember hearing her tell me the truth she's kept for so long…"
The Father watched him silently. "Perhaps now would be the best time for me to take these memories from you…but if you could have her remember one thing, now would be the time to tell her. Choose what you say wisely," the Father warned.
Anakin stared at him for a few moments before he turned his attention back to Zelina's prone form, wishing he could search her eyes for what he needed to do. Finally, he decided on what to say and leaned down to kiss Zelina's forehead very gently.
"Don't let me fall…" he whispered.
Zelina's eyelids fluttered open gradually, revealing the starry night sky above her. She had a faint ache running through her body, but for the life of her she didn't know why. In fact…she didn't even remember falling asleep, if that was what had happened to her. She didn't remember anything before falling asleep either.
Well, she did remember something from this space of time she couldn't remember. Just four faintly whispered words that echoed in her mind…
A groan off to her side drew Zelina's attention, and she rolled onto her side to see Anakin getting up slowly, a hand pressed to his forehead.
"Where am I?" he murmured, voicing Zelina's own question perfectly.
"I have brought you back to my monastery," came a different voice from right behind Zelina, causing her to jump about a foot in the air. She turned, surprised, to see the Father sitting on his knees behind her, watching the pair calmly as they gradually roused themselves to full awareness.
"What happened?" Zelina asked, confused, glancing towards Anakin. He shrugged in response, but the Father easily answered her question.
"My son broke the laws of time and showed your friend what he should have never seen," the Father said sternly, eyeing Anakin for a few moments even though he'd been responding to Zelina's question. Anakin hesitated, racking his brains to try and bring up some scrap of a memory.
"I don't remember," he finally admitted. "Why don't I remember?"
"I have erased that time from both of your minds. We shall never know…" the Father said solemnly, and Anakin and Zelina shared a wary glance. They were not given much time to dwell on the fact that they'd had a good chunk of time erased from their minds before another new, familiar voice came from above.
"Anakin, Zelina, are you both all right?" Obi-Wan called from his speeder as he and Ahsoka coasted into the clearing that Zelina, Anakin, and the Father were all sitting in.
"Where were you?" Zelina asked curiously.
"Making sure that the Son still couldn't get off the planet with our ship, but that's beside the point; are you both okay now?" Obi-Wan asked sternly, swinging off of the speeder before it even came to a full stop to stand in front of the two. Ahsoka trailed behind him, equal worry on her face although more of her concern was obviously directed towards Anakin.
"I think so, but we must stop the son once and for all," Anakin said firmly. "That, I remember," he added in a low voice, speaking solely to Zelina. The Father sighed, pushing himself to his feet through use of the Force.
"We have little time, and you'll get only one chance," the Father warned Anakin. "You know what you must do."
Anakin nodded in confirmation the same time that a new member joined the rapidly growing group. Things were happening so fast it was giving Zelina's already muddled mind a severe headache.
"How quaint; my own personal sendoff," the Son declared as he descended slowly from above. He landed on the ground just a few feet away from the Father, who tried one last time to pull his son from the dark depths of which he had fallen.
"I ask you one last time; do not leave, my son," the Father pled, taking a step towards the Son.
"You have no power to keep me old man. You must understand by now, this planet is not my destiny!" the Son snarled in response.
"What you will do will destroy all that is good. I beg you, restrain yourself and stay!"
"I cannot," the Son responded simply, appearing unfazed by his father's pleas. The Father wilted in defeat.
"And then it shall be. I love you, my son."
"Do you?" the Son asked skeptically even as Anakin activated his lightsaber to attack. The Son placidly deflected both swings that Anakin made at him with his bare wrists; something Zelina had expected. She was sure she was the only one who had managed to remember that lightsabers were useless against the Force Wielders.
The Son grabbed Anakin around the throat and lifted him into the air, with Anakin croaking in surprise for air. Behind Zelina, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka immediately activated their blades, while Zelina cried out Anakin's name, sending a powerful Force Push towards the Son and causing him to slide back several meters. The Son growled and tossed Anakin over his shoulder and Anakin rolled and skid to a halt, unmoving. Zelina, knowing she couldn't take the Son, ran after Anakin the same moment that the Son called Obi-Wan and Ahsoka's lightsabers out of their hands and into his own, pushing them far back with a powerful Force Push. Zelina skidded to a halt beside Anakin, leaning down beside him and placing her hands gently on his back.
"Anakin, Anakin are you okay?" she asked, turning him over. Anakin rubbed his throat slowly, pushing himself up onto his elbows.
"I'm fine..." he muttered, allowing Zelina to help him to his feet.
"What?" the Son said behind them, drawing their attention. The Father held the dagger firmly in his hands while the son laughed in disbelief and scorn. "You're going to kill me now?"
The Father looked at him mournfully. "I held hope that you could resist the dark side, but I see now there is no going back."
The Son's eyes widened when the Father suddenly pointed the dagger at his own chest. "Father..." he asked hesitantly. Suddenly, the Father plunged the dagger into his chest, and the Son cried out in a sound of desperate fury, shock, and utter despair. "No! What have you done? It did not have to be this way!" the son howled, catching the Father before the old man could hit the ground and cradling him in his arms as he threw the dagger far away.
"Yes my child, it did," the Father said quietly. "You and I are tied together, and your strength runs through me. This way, I take your power."
"Please don't die," the Son croaked out, his voice strangled with emotion. The Father smiled weakly while Anakin pushed himself to his feet.
"I always knew there was good in you." The Father pulled the Son into a tight hug. Zelina watched numbly as Anakin approached the pair and the Father opened his eyes and gave a discreet nod towards Anakin. The Son, realizing that something was about to happen, tried to pull away but the Father held firm, and the Son was unable to get away before Anakin impaled the Force Wielder with his lightsaber. The Son gasped, going rigid before he fell limp in the Father's arms.
"And so you have betrayed me father," the Son said with his last breath. Then he let out his last breath and died. The Father stared mournfully at his Son's body as he gently set him down on the ground. Zelina slowly made her way over to the main group, coming to a standstill beside Anakin and gently placing a hand on his shoulder as they collectively kneeled in front of the ancient man. The Father looked up at them, sadness filling his eyes.
"It is done. And now I die, my heart broken...but knowing the role you will play," the Father said, looking up at Anakin with a spark of hope. The sight seemed to send a lance of pain through Anakin, and his question came out slightly strangled.
"And what is that?" Anakin asked desperately.
"You are the Chosen One. You have brought balance to this world. Stay on this path, and you will do it again for the galaxy," the Father stated, his breathing coming labored as he neared the end of his life. "But beware...your...heart..."
Zelina tightened her grip on Anakin's shoulder at the Father's words, and they all collectively stood there as the Father fell to the ground and died, disappearing into nothingness. They stared at where the two great beings had been not moments before, trying to process everything that had just happened while Mortis literally crumbled down all around them. None of them were shaken from their daze until the bright blue gem that had hovered at the top of the monastery suddenly dropped from its place in midair, shattering into thousands of pieces to emit a bright white light that was gradually taking up everything around them. They all turned their faces upwards to watch it, and while Obi-Wan and Ahsoka backed away from the oncoming bright light, Zelina stepped forward and wound her hand tightly into Anakin's, standing fearlessly in the face of it as the unknown came hurtling straight towards them...
The next thing Zelina knew, there was a faint voice steadily growing louder.
"General Skywalker, come in."
The four Jedi roused themselves, sitting up and staring at each other in shock as they found themselves back in space as they had been before they'd arrived on Mortis, back in the Twilight, with Rex calling them through the communications device. Anakin gave Zelina a bewildered look before he turned to answer Rex.
"We read you Rex; can you hear me?" Anakin asked hesitantly.
"Yes sir, standing by; we were worried," the Captain told him. "You were off the scopes there for a moment."
"A moment?" Anakin asked incredulously. "We've been gone more than a moment, Rex."
"Sir, I don't understand; you'll need to explain."
Anakin glanced around at the others. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Anakin said before he switched back into his usual military general self. "We're coming in now..."
Zelina stopped listening by that point, instead choosing to stare out into the stars as thousands of thoughts swirled around in her head. She had so much to think about, so much to consider and take into account, so much to look at again to see if she missed something. Luke, Anakin's future son, the warning he'd given them, the missing period of time where Zelina was sure something important—detramental even—had happened, the warning the Father had given her when they'd first arrived, the firm confirmation they'd received that Anakin was indeed the chosen one...
...and then there was the four words that kept coming back to the front of her mind that felt so much like a dream she wondered if they were just that; a dream and nothing more...
Don't let me fall.