Chapter 34 - The Meaning of Chosen

DISCLAIMER: We (unfortunately) do not own Star Wars. :P

Author's Note: I do not, in any way, regret the cliffhanger. *evil grin*

Thank you, loldelegate! :)

~ Amina Gila

"What do you want?" Anakin demands, twisting in the chains holding him against the wall. He can't move, and it's grating on him like nothing else can.

The Son laughs, the sound of it cold and dark, and it sends a shiver through him, even as he glares back at him defiantly. "Ah, what do I want," he repeats, as though that's the most interesting question he's ever heard, "We all desire many things, child."

If he's trying to be irritating, it's working. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I have been trapped here for more years than I care to remember," he replies, moving a little closer. Too close, when Anakin is trapped in a position like this. It reminds him of – of memories long suppressed from his childhood before the Temple. "But you will help me."

"Help you?" he repeats. The Son sure has an interesting way of making people want to help him. "Help you how? I don't even know who you are."

"We are embodiments of the Force," he explains. "My father has trapped me here, but with the power of the Chosen One, I can break free."

Anakin blinks. Wait – what? "What are you talking about?" If he's looking for the 'Chosen One' – Anakin still doesn't know what to think of this prophecy – he definitely has the wrong person. Or maybe he got Anakin to lure Ahsoka here?

"You don't realize, do you?" He sounds amused.

"Realize what?"

"What you are." He lifts a hand, and something icy and dark slams against Anakin's mental shields. He gasps sharply, instinctively throwing up a stronger barrier against him, but the mental invasion doesn't stop. He's never felt anyone this powerful before, and the darkness is flooding through every inch of him, struggling to break through. It would help if it didn't hurt so much, and –

He has no idea what the Son is trying to do to him, and nor does he have the mental clarity to begin pondering it, but he starts gathering the Force to himself with everything he has. He's a Jedi. He can do this. He has to. He's not going to let this being of the Dark Side do Force knows what to him.

He hurls the Force wave outwards as hard as he can, opening his eyes when the presence doesn't touch his mind again. The Son is on the other side of the room, but he's already pulling himself back to his feet.

Except Anakin is still chained to the wall, and there's nothing he can do about that. "Unfortunate that my father now requests your presence," the Son hisses, waving a hand and snapping the chains free on him. He stumbles nearly falling but the Son turns into a bird, grabbing by the arms – why will he not stop doing that?! – and lifting him into the air, streaking out the window before Anakin can take the time to comprehend what just happened.

**w**

Anakin might not have a problem with heights, but this is getting ridiculous. He squirms around in the creature's claws, but he knows even if he could pull away, he'd end up falling to his death at this height. They fly towards another towering structure, and as the Son flies down lower, he can see the figures gathered on a platform below. A man who must be the Father is standing across from Ahsoka, who's in the center. A light-colored bird is holding onto Obi-Wan on one end, and the Son flies down, holding Anakin right above the ground opposite them.

"Only the Chosen One can tame both my children," the Father is telling the very angry Togruta.

Wait, what's going on here? He has no idea, but he has a very bad feeling about this.

Ahsoka gives the Force another fierce glare before she closes her eyes, and he can feel her reaching out with the Force. She throws out her hand, a Force-shove slamming into both the Son and the Daughter, but they hardly react. He can sense her growing frustration as she tries, and fails, to get anywhere against them.

The Son's claws tighten on his arm, and Anakin really has no desire to find out what's about to happen now that she failed to free them, if that's what was supposed to happen here. Anakin doesn't wait, gathering the Force to him as strongly as he can – it's so much easier here on Mortis – and lashes out at the Son as hard as he can. The bird is blasted backwards, his grip coming free mid-way and Anakin drops to the ground.

He catches himself, reaching outwards again, towards the one holding Obi-Wan. He wraps the Force tightly around her, with everything he can as she struggles against him, trying to pull away. He throws her back, and Obi-Wan finally drops to the ground, instantly drawing his lightsaber. The two birds flap their wings unhappily but keep their distance.

And wait a minute, why is everyone staring at him? What did he do?

"And so, the truth is revealed," the Father declares. "It is you who is the Chosen One." He's looking right at Anakin as he says it, and Anakin can feel the first stirrings of sheer panic rising up within him.

"Me?" he splutters, shaking his head frantically. "You must be mistaken. I'm not anyone special! I'm just... a normal Jedi, like my master. It's – Ahsoka is the Chosen One!"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Ahsoka protests, eyes wide, confusion pouring off her in waves.

"The Test has shown otherwise," the Father replies calmly. "Tano has an important role to play, but she is not the Chosen One."

What?! But... he doesn't want to be the Chosen One! He doesn't even know what that means! It doesn't make sense. Why would everyone have thought the Chosen One was Ahsoka for years if she wasn't?

"But... how is that possible?" Ahsoka asks, faintly.

"The identity was mistaken," he responds, as though it's no big deal, "It was the will of the Force that your true identity be hidden."

"I don't understand," Anakin protests. He doesn't understand any of it, and he's so confused, it feels as though his mind is shutting down.

"As you have tamed both my children, you will bring balance to the galaxy," the Father replies, as though that's somehow supposed to explain anything. "Now go from here. Lingering may only offset the tentative balance on this world."

"We should go," Obi-Wan agrees, turning, and Anakin follows him and Ahsoka away without protest. He wants to be off this strange planet anyway. He needs to talk to Ahsoka about this, but he has no idea where to start. It makes no sense.

"What does even mean to be the Chosen One?!" Anakin demands, half-hysterically, as they make their way towards the ship, "What am I supposed to do?!"

Unfortunately, Ahsoka seems about as confused as he is. She spent years believing she was the Chosen One. He's not surprised by how lost she's feeling. "The prophecy says that the Chosen One will destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force," Ahsoka elaborates, telling him exactly what he already knows, "But as for how that is supposed to happen? I have no idea."

"Wonderful," he mutters sarcastically. "That is absolutely wonderful. The fate of the galaxy is allegedly resting on my shoulders, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. The galaxy is definitely absolutely doomed if I am supposed to save it."

He feels more than sees his master suppressing an eyeroll. "Enough with the theatrics, Anakin," Obi-Wan chides. "We'll figure it out once we go back to Coruscant."

It's easy to say, but not so easy to do. He has no idea how to handle this. And more than that, he doesn't want to have to handle this. It's not fair. Why does he have to be this so-called Chosen One? Why can't he simply be normal?

"You should get the ship ready to go," Ahsoka tells him when they reach the shuttle.

Anakin eyes her. "What are you going to do?"

"I would like a moment to meditate on all of this before we leave," she answers. "Perhaps I can find some much-needed answers for all of us."

He could hardly blame her for that. He wants some time himself, but preferably after they get off this strange planet. "What am I supposed to do?" he absolutely does not whine to Obi-Wan as he slides into the pilot's seat and fires up the engines.

"Calm down," Obi-Wan advises, as though it's that simple, "This... new title changes little."

What? "What do you mean?"

"You're still the same person you were before," his master elaborates. "That we now know you're the Chosen One changes nothing. You are still a Padawan who needs to learn to be a Jedi Knight. No one has all the answers. It's something we'll have to find out together."

**w**

Everything Ahsoka ever thought she knew has been completely upended, and she doesn't even know where to start. She's... not the Chosen One.

She's not... the one thing that her entire life has technically revolved around, even if she hated it, at times. This is why she was allowed to become a Jedi in the first place. Qui-Gon had firmly believed in it, but apparently it wasn't true.

It almost feels like her entire identity was just... shattered. And she has no idea how she feels about it, how she even should feel about it. Everything she did was because of that. Of course, she would have wanted to help the galaxy anyway and still does, but it always felt like she had to, because it was her destiny.

She doesn't know what to think about the fact that apparently Anakin is the Chosen One instead. In some ways it does seem to fit. He's already so skilled, far more so than she ever was at his age. And he's extremely caring and always wants to help everyone, almost to a fault – everything she imagines a Jedi should actually be like. But he's also only a Padawan, and the galaxy can hardly wait until he's old enough for someone to do something about it.

Sudden movement catches her attention and Ahsoka looks up sharply, right as the Son comes flying straight towards her. Not again. She reaches for her lightsabers, but he's moving too fast. She dodges aside, but he turns, swooping down to grab her in his claws.

"Let go of me!" she snarls, trying to fight him off, but she's not strong enough. Not even for one of them. And to think Anakin was able to fight them both off... No, there's no question that the Father is right.

The Son ignores her, predictably, flapping his wings and lifting them off into the sky even as she struggles against him. It happens so fast the others don't have time to react, either, though she knows they heard, because she acutely felt Anakin's flare of alarm.

She ceases squirming after a while, because she has no desire to fall all the way to the ground from this height. He flies to another towering structure, although smaller and somehow more sinister looking than the Father's monastery.

He flies through an open window, finally setting her down on the floor, transforming back into himself, or his human-ish self, that is. "What do you want with me?" she demands, in what she knows is a very failed attempt to be threatening.

"Merely to speak with you," the Son responds lightly. "There has been a misunderstanding. We need not be enemies."

"You're a Sith," Ahsoka snaps.

The Son laughs, the sound dark and cold. "Yes and no. But that is beside the point here. I can sense your desire to restore peace to your galaxy."

Her eyes narrow. "And?"

"I can help you. My father has trapped me here, but together, we could escape."

Seriously? "Why would you help me?" she asks, flatly. "You're a Dark Sider."

"The Dark Side is not evil. It is a part of the Force. Would the Force have created it if it was wrong?" the Son asks, "You know how wrong the Jedi teachings have been in the past. Their mortality makes them narrow-minded."

It frankly scares how much she sees what he means. But that doesn't mean she's going to trust him for no reason. Especially not when he's more powerful than her. "Maybe so," Ahsoka concedes, "But I don't know you. I have no reason to trust you."

"Are there any Jedi you can rely on?" he asks, mildly, "Any one of the Light Side who assists you?"

She's about to snap back "of course" but stops, taking a moment to think about it. No, there isn't any Jedi she trusts. Well, there's Anakin, but he's almost too good to be a Jedi. There's Kitster and Palpatine, but they're just normal people. And Dooku... she certainly doesn't trust him, but she thinks maybe he is actually doing what he thinks is best, the same way she is. Even if she is most unimpressed with his methods.

"That doesn't give me any more of a reason to trust you," she retorts, finally.

"Perhaps not," he concedes, "But the matter is that you cannot trust the Jedi, either. Would they have had use for you, had they not believe you to be the Chosen One?"

It hurts, because she knows what the real answer to that is. Of course not. She doesn't answer, but her expression is clearly enough of an answer.

"You see, you have no place among the Jedi," he continues, "If you want to restore peace, you must look elsewhere."

"I already have," she replies sharply. But what if he does speak the truth? What if he's not all evil? He may be the embodiment of the Dark Side, but doesn't he still have some form of humanity?

"Yes, but maybe you have not looked far enough. The Jedi are falling short. They should never have allowed this war to happen. It seems clear that they are making mistakes."

Is he saying – "I"m not going to use the Dark Side!"

"That is completely your choice," he agrees, "But I have lived far longer than most of the galaxy has existed. I have seen far too much of the Light. It is passive. Do you not feel the hate, the anger, the pain? In you and the galaxy? The Light merely says to 'let it go', but the Dark allows you to embrace it and use it. Use your determination to make things better, instead of 'releasing it into the Force'."

It makes so much sense, and she suddenly finds herself questioning... everything. For the second time that day. What if she has been going about everything all wrong? And... it certainly doesn't feel like the Son is lying, either. Maybe he more genuinely wants to help than she thought.

"The Dark Side is more powerful. It will give you the power you seek, to save the galaxy... from the Jedi and the Sith," the Son continues, "Together, we can make the galaxy a better place. It is your destiny."

"I don't have a destiny anymore," she mutters.

"But you do. The Chosen One's power means nothing if he refuses to embrace it. Embrace the Dark Side, help me leave this place, and we can restore peace and prosperity to the galaxy."

It feels like the truth, and she doesn't think she can keep denying it anymore. After hearing she wasn't the Chosen One, she never felt so lost in her life, but now... All of that is fading in the place of this.

"What do I need to do?" Ahsoka asks.

**w**

Not this again. "He's going that way!" Obi-Wan calls, pointing.

"I see him," Anakin replies, speeding after the bird disappearing into the sky. It's growing dark with clouds and fog – definitely intentionally – which is making it hard for them to see where he's going. Seriously, why does the Son keep kidnapping his padawans?! He never even had time to ask Anakin what he wanted with him before.

It makes a disturbing amount of sense that a being of the Dark Side would try to kidnap the Chosen One, though he doesn't get why he's taken Ahsoka now. And speaking of that, Obi-Wan has never been this mind-blown before. In some ways, it makes so much sense that Ahsoka isn't the Chosen One, because of how she always acts. All of the Council, including him, were starting to have questions. Obi-Wan was insistent, though, because Qui-Gon believed in her. That had been what mattered most to him, but now... he doesn't know. It doesn't change who she is, only what he thought would be her future. He must have faith in her, he reminds himself. He has to have faith she will pull through her struggles as a true Jedi.

The ship jolts violently as Anakin narrowly misses hitting some stray floating rock formations, and then flies higher to avoid them.

A towering structure rises up directly ahead of them, but Anakin hastily jerks it aside – nearly throwing Obi-Wan face first onto the controls – before flying for the ground. "He went in there."

"We must be cautious," Obi-Wan warns, standing, "Any conflict here could have repercussions for the whole universe. Perhaps we should talk to the Father first."

"But the Son could be doing anything to her!" Anakin protests, "He was trying to possess me."

"What?!" he hisses.

"I fought him off, but I don't know if Ahsoka could," Anakin continues.

No, she probably couldn't. Not after seeing everything else that has happened today. He doesn't want to think about what would happen if she were to get possessed. He can't imagine losing her to the Dark Side, whether it's her choice or no. "Then we need to go to the Father," Obi-Wan insists.

"What if it's too late by then?"

"What if, by trying to go after Ahsoka first, we accidentally destroy the balance here? Who knows what the repercussions of that could be on the galaxy?"

"What if, by waiting and not going after her, that causes an off-set in the balance?" Anakin challenges.

Obi-Wan really wants to sigh, because Anakin does have a point. But so does he. "I don't think we should split up," he says when he sees Anakin's mind reach the same conclusion that his just did. The last thing he wants is for Anakin to run off after Ahsoka, even if he is clearly capable of handling himself around the Son.

"But Master, it's our best solution!" Anakin protests, "And if I'm really the Chosen One, I ought to be able to handle the Son. It would be far better for me to go after him than you."

Sometimes, he really hates it when Anakin makes so much sense. "Fine," he agrees reluctantly, "But if this doesn't work out, don't say I didn't tell you so."

"Duly noted," Anakin replies with a smirk.

"Be careful," Obi-Wan warns, before he heads back onto the ship. He's leaving both his padawans here with a crazy Darksider, and anything could happen to them. He needs to find the Father as soon as possible.

He reaches the monastery quickly, stepping into the main room to see the Father sitting on a throne-like chair. "I told you to leave," he says by way of greeting.

"The Son kidnapped Ahsoka," Obi-Wan explains, "I don't know what he wants with her, but he took Anakin earlier as well."

"He is being consumed by the Dark Side," the Father replies gravely, "He needs your ship to leave the planet. I will come with you to find her, but then you must leave at once, before it is too late."

**w**

Anakin is definitely not excited to be back here again, especially not when he's all alone. But Ahsoka is in there and he has to stop the Son from whatever he's doing to her. Hopefully Obi-Wan will be back soon.

He takes off running for the structure – these buildings are designed for flying giants – but stops abruptly at the sight of the Light bird flying overhead. She flies down, transforming into the Daughter as she lands. "I sensed a disturbance," she says, with a frown.

"The Son kidnapped Ahsoka," he explains.

"Then he must have his reasons," she objects, "Our father has forbidden us from interfering."

"That is exactly what he's doing. You can help me stop him."

"We should speak with the Father," she counters.

Why does everyone keep saying that? Or does Anakin really have no idea what he's getting himself into? "My master went to find him. We can't wait."

"Very well," the Daughter concedes, at last, "I can take you up there." After his flight earlier, he really doesn't want to fly like that again, but this is for Ahsoka. Anakin nods his agreement, and she turns into a bird, flying him up to the platform outside the Son's building.

They step into the main room together, and Anakin freezes at the sight in front of him. "Ahsoka?" he asks, warily.

She's standing next to the Son, her eyes yellow. But... other than Dark, she feels like herself. She doesn't feel possessed, although he supposes he would have no way of knowing that, since he's never felt anyone before who was.

"Brother, what have you done?" demands the Daughter, sounding horrified. "You have done what is forbidden. We are not allowed to mettle in the affairs of the galaxy."

"I have done what is right," he retorts, "Or what is wrong, depending on your point of view."

"I won't let you leave this planet," the Daughter warns.

"You are not strong enough to keep me here," he mocks.

"Father will stop you," she declares firmly.

"If he gets here in time," the Son taunts, a blast of red lightning arcing out of his fingers. She raises her hands, instantly blocking it. "You aren't strong enough to stop me."

"Not alone, maybe," Anakin calls, stepping forwards, ready to help the Daughter. He's seen enough. The Son is losing himself in his desire for power, and only the Light will be able to stand in his path and stop him.

"Don't get involved in this, Anakin," Ahsoka warns.

His eyes snap to her. "Ahsoka, he's done something to you. This isn't you."

She scoffs. "Yes it is. I finally embraced what I truly am. I don't fear the Dark Side like the Jedi do."

What did he do to her?! "Don't do this, Ahsoka," he practically begs, shaking his head. "Don't walk down this path. It will destroy you."

"The Jedi were destroying me," she snaps, "I see through their lies now."

Behind him, the Daughter transforms into a bird, charging at the Son. She slams into him, throwing him to the floor, but he instantly transforms too, kicking her back, and a vicious fight breaks out between them.

"What did he tell you?" Anakin demands, with rising horror. More and more, he thinks she is doing this over her own free will, and... Why would she ever do that?! Obviously the Son manipulated her somehow to reach this point, but how?

"The truth," she answers simply, "Only through the Dark Side can we actually make a difference. The Jedi are passive, and care for nothing but their own ideals. They will be the doom of the galaxy as we know it if they are not stopped."

"That is not true –"

"It is," she cuts him off, "You're still young. You haven't seen what I have."

He doesn't know what he should say, in the face of that claim. She's not listening to anything he's saying. "Ahsoka, when has the Dark Side helped anyone? The Sith are behind the war. They're the ones you're trying to stop."

"The Light Side is weak," she retaliates, "We will fail, unless we embrace a larger view of the Force. I don't have time to argue about this. I need to leave."

The same moment, the Son throws the Daughter across the room, and starts electrocuting her again.

"I can't let you do this," Anakin says, desperately.

Her expression darkens. "Then I'll have to go through you, too."

"We don't choose Light because it will win. We choose it because it's the Light."

She falters, but only for a moment. "Then who do we help?" she counters, and throws out a hand, blasting him back with the Force. It's so sudden he didn't see it coming, and he skids backwards, catching his balance as the Son and Ahsoka race for the door.

The Daughter turns into a bird again, slamming into the Son and the two go flying across the room. Ahsoka whips around as Anakin runs towards her, pulling out her lightsabers. "This is your last chance to stand down," she warns.

No, no, no, this can't be happening. "I don't want to hurt you, but I can't let you do this," he replies firmly.

"I don't either," she retorts, lunging forwards, "But your choice is made."

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