Chapter Four: Healing.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but this story idea. Obviously you guys already knew that.
A.N: Yo everyone happy new year! Sorry this chapter took so long to come out but with the holidays, the new year, the bloody heat, I really haven't had a chance to work like I usually do but I'm happy to get this out before the month was up. I can't promise what will be updated next, I'm just workin on what I feel like right now.
Now this chapter isn't too action heavy but I really hope you enjoy it all the same and let me know your thoughts in the reviews or in a pm. Now I'm trying not to come up with too many new ideas and just focus on updates but I can't promise I won't do something Jojo related sometime soon, maybe, I dunno we'll see. oh and I want to thank everyone for the love for my Spider-verse fic, made me super happy and keen to start workin on the second chapter.
Well, enough of me rambling, here's the link to Aizen's discord like usual- /R4NwY5uZ
Catch you guys at the next update!
The warm glow of the sun slowly shone its rays across the green planet of Asha Ree. The natural inhabitants of the planet, ranging from the smallest insect to the largest reptilian, awoke and began their day as if it was no other.
Swish!
That could be said for the newer inhabitants of Asha Ree as well.
A single figure was running and leaping through the interjoined tree line effortlessly. Swinging off vines and flipping through the air, the blonde padawan landed on the grass covered ground with grace. Naruto was alone today, having commanded BB-1 to stay with Leia and keep her company while the restless Jedi trained.
Ahsoka was not with the padawans at this current moment nor had she been for the last two weeks. The ex-Jedi was reluctant but she knew she had to leave and return to her duties as Fulcrum and continue to support the rebel alliance as much as she can, unfortunately putting Leia's training on hold until she was to return. For now, the princess of Alderaan could do nothing more than perfect what she already knew.
Yet it didn't seem Ahsoka would be returning to Asha anytime soon. The last time Ahsoka had to leave, the togrutan female was gone for a full month and a half with little to no communication.
They were all alone with no one to rely upon but each other…Unfortunately one member of the trio had started to seclude himself in his training.
Naruto was aware of what he was doing, yet he couldn't stop himself. He felt ashamed and greatly responsible for Mace's death, constantly tortured by his failure. It felt like there was a deep, painful pit in his heart and it felt like agony.
The scarred Jedi despised this empty feeling inside his chest…
Naruto was silent as he found a clearing with a beautiful crystal blue river that led down a watery trail to a powerful waterfall. The crashing sound of water against rock was soothing and a perfect place for the Padawan to begin his meditation. Naruto sat down, crossed his legs and placed his hands in his lap as he focused on nothing but the force. He let the air fill his lungs before slowly exhaling, a process the Padawan repeated over and over.
This was something Naruto did for more than an hour and the son of Anakin was growing more frustrated by the minute. He couldn't understand why something as simple as meditation was beyond his capabilities at the moment.
Naruto growled as he rose from his seated position, scratching the back of his head in frustration as he scowled, 'Why can't I do anything right?!'
Crunch!
The blond Jedi was instantly on alert, staring into the treeline intently as his hand reached down towards his lightsaber clipped to his belt. Naruto's heart started to race as the noise grew. Trees snapped like twigs and were crushed by what sounded like a tremendous weight.
Whatever was coming, it was big and it was strong. Naruto's eyes widened as the treeline burst into splinters and out came a roaring, furious subspecies of Reek native to Asha. Its eyes were bloodshot with rage and its three titanic horns destroyed whatever was insight. The Reek's bellowing roar was near deafening and yet, Naruto stood tall with his hand reaching down towards his saber of light.
The reek stomped on the ground aggressively, bashing its head left to right before beginning its reckless charge forward. Naruto pumped force energy into his legs, leaping over the beast easily. He landed with a crouch, slowly rising to his full height before turning to face the once again charging three horned beast.
Naruto began to feel irritated at the beast and this time, the Padawan chose to stand his ground, using the force to guide the beast at the last moment away from himself 'Just leave…'
The Reek roared in frustration, it rose high on its hind legs and bashed in the ground. Naruto's empathic ability allowed him to sense the Reek's bountiful rage, something so vast he almost missed the hidden layer of grief underneath. Naruto didn't have much time to ponder as the stampeding creature was almost immediately upon the Padawan. Yet, the whiskered blonde showed no fear as he used the force to lift the three horned beast high and then slam it on the ground hard, 'Leave me alone!'
But the Reek refused to listen. With immense struggle the beast found the will to stand, leaving Naruto to stare confused, growing more frustrated by the second. His hand once again reached for his lightsaber as he barked out, "Why are you doing this?! Just stop and leave me alone!"
Unfortunately, there seemed to be no convincing the tormented creature of a peaceful alternative. Naruto, with a press of his thumb, sparked his saber to life, the dark blue illuminating his face as his weapon softly hummed with power. Naruto crouched as he held the handle of his lightsaber in a reverse grip. His eyes steadily narrowed while the beast grew closer and closer until it seemed only a hair's breadth away from trampling the Padawan flat but Naruto's natural agility and speed, aided by the force, allowed the blonde to leap over the charging beast while slicing off one of its horns mid-air. He landed with grace, watching with a frown as the Reek crashed onto its side, withering in pain from its missing horn.
Naruto advanced on the thrashing creature with his lightsaber still activated and buzzing furiously as if the kyber crystal within was reflecting his emotions. The Jedi could no longer hold his tongue as bellowed his fury on the weakened creature, "I told you to leave! None of this would have happened if you just left me alone! This is your fault!"
Naruto placed his boot-covered foot on the creature's face, keeping it pinned to the earthy soil below. He stared deep into pained eyes and saw himself reflected back.
He didn't like what he saw. It frightened him.
Naruto stepped away from the Reek and looked down at the saber still activated in his hand. Naruto shook his head as he deactivated his lightsaber, quietly thinking to himself, 'What's wrong with me…'
The blonde Padawan clipped his saber to his belt and reached out with the force to understand why the Reek was acting in such a manner. Naruto closed his eyes as he felt loss, the loss of a loved one, a child, the Reek's child.
"You're a mother."
The Reek groaned as it struggled to stand, huffing as it turned to face the still teen. It once again roared out its pain as it stomped the ground. The anger being filtered out by the overwhelming despair of the creature.
"You want to die…" Naruto whispered in shock as the real motive of the creature's sudden attack became clear. It wanted to join its offspring in the land beyond, its purpose for living and joy gone.
The young Jedi could empathize with the creature as his powerful yet understanding eyes halted its sudden charge. The Reek was only a foot away, roaring in Naruto's face but the blonde Padawan showed no fear as he reached out, gently placing his hand on the stunned creature, and used the force to share his remorse with the grieving mother.
The Reek's eyes changed from a murderous red to a more calm and tropical orange. It stepped back from Naruto, bowing its head as it groaned sadly. The Jedi wished there was something he could do to heal the creature's pain but like his own, it was internal and such a wound could only be healed with time…
Naruto started to walk away from the now two horned beast, stopping to look sadly over his shoulder at the once mother, it looked back at him and gave a quiet whine before resting its head on a lush patch of grass. Letting out a sigh filled with sorrow, the Jedi made his slow return back 'home'.
VVVRRRR!
Leia's practice saber cut through the air as she perfected her form. Inspired by the whiskered Jedi, she too started to practice and slowly but steadily perfect form V, Djem So. However, a problem was quickly starting to arise: Leia felt herself reaching the limit of her ability or rather, the limit of what she could learn by herself. Leia needed a training partner, someone to keep her spry and on edge so she could push past her current mental block and grow. The only problem was, that the only other Jedi on this planet kept secluding himself from her, pushing both BB-1 and the princess away.
The doorway to their temporary home opened, Leia went to greet Naruto but paused when she saw how disturbed he looked. He looked tired, agitated, and even confused, his blue-eyes clouded. Leia deactivated her practice lightsaber, calling out to the troubled Padawan. "Are you alright?"
Naruto stopped to look at Leia and BB-1, giving a weak smile as he said, "I'm just tired guys. I'm just going to go to bed."
"You haven't eaten…" Leia made to grab last night's leftovers but the blond Jedi shook his head.
"I'll have something when I wake up," Naruto promised, giving one last small smile as he left the princess of Alderaan and his droid to escape to his own room. He closed all the blinds until the room was near pitch black, the only source of luminescence was a holo image of a younger grinning Naruto, an alive Mace, and a softly smiling Yoda.
Naruto sighed as he softly laid down on his bed, his eyes slowly closing as he wondered if he would be tormented by the same nightmare of his master's death.
The blonde Jedi opened his eyes to a room that was not his own. Sitting up, Naruto yawned as he rubbed his eyes, quite aware he was in another force dream. Of what, Naruto wasn't sure and where, he could only make assumptions.
Getting up, Naruto walked out into beautifully crafted halls filled with people, aliens of various different specifies, and droids going about their duties. It took Naruto only a moment to realize he was surrounded by other force sensitive beings, he was surrounded by Jedi…
He felt himself go briefly breathless, leaning against one of the many titanic pillars that flowed throughout and supported the massive Jedi temple. Naruto smiled as he slowly started to walk through the temple, allowing the force to be his guide. 'It's just like your stories, master…It's beautiful.'
The force brought Naruto to a secluded training room where the blonde Padawan could hear the sound of a lightsaber cutting through the air and the mechanical whirling of what Naruto could only guess was two training droids. The son of Anakin and Padmé felt relieved and excited upon the sight of his father, this time similar to himself in age. If the blonde Padawan had to guess, this was before the clone wars.
Naruto found somewhere comfortable to sit, a grin stretching his lips as he watched his father train. Anakin was like a machine, his grip on his lightsaber tight and movements as fluid as water but aggressive like fire. A training droid twirled its own saber, circling the smirking Padawan while its companion droid set its blaster to stun.
There was no fear in Anakin Skywalker's eyes, no doubt, just confidence. Confidence in himself and in his ability in the force. His footwork was graceful as he twisted his body and bent his arm with his saber pointing downward blocking a stun bolt that would have knocked him unconscious if it hit. The force along with the young man's natural battle instincts saved Anakin from having his face sliced open, his eyes widening as he briefly lost his footing only to regain it as quickly as he lost it. Rushing the attacking training droid with new vigor as he showed why he was quickly becoming the best in Djem So, becoming one of the best in the whole order.
The rate of fire coming from the other droid increased steadily until its accuracy was near borderline deadly. Even a Padawan who was just as skilled and gifted in the force as Anakin had their limits. A stray stun bolt broke past his defenses and the Padawan of Obi-wan Kenobi briefly blacked out, his saber deactivating and slipping from his grip.
The sound of his saber clattering on the ground briefly awoke Anakin, his vision clearing just in time to see the elegant blue light, luckily set to its practice setting, inches away from impacting his face.
'Oh dank farrik…'
Anakin was sent flipping through the air, landing with a loud 'oomph' as his head was sent spinning. Naruto winced as he crouched next to his father, offering a sympathetic smile as his fellow Skywalker struggled to stand.
Using the force, Anakin switched off the droids before taking a seat, he wiped his sweating brow as he brought a container filled with cold water to his face, wincing as the cool metal slowly reduced the swelling. Naruto took a seat next to Anakin, glancing at his father, he couldn't help but allow his empathic abilities to reach out, so he could sense how his father was feeling. Saying he was shocked was an understatement, Naruto had no idea his father was so…lonely.
In a temple full of beings, he was an outcast for being the supposed 'Chosen one'. Naruto could feel his desperate need to prove himself, not just for his sake but for his master as well. He wanted Obi-wan to be proud of him, he wanted his mother to be proud…
As Anakin's thoughts drifted to his mother, his heart started to ache in a way the Padawan couldn't quite explain but it was a strong cocktail of emotion. Guilt for the fact he was free and Shmi wasn't. Regret that he may never get to see her again. Frustration within himself for being unable to follow the Jedi code and let go of his attachments.
The whiskered Padawan smiled sadly at his father, and it seemed their problems were similar. Naruto reached out to place his hand on Anakin's shoulder, momentarily forgetting he couldn't interact with the past.
The area around Naruto shifted and everything burst into white whips of force energy, leaving the Jedi in a beautiful plane of force before he was transported somewhere else, to view a new memory.
Naruto was still on Coruscant, he could tell that much from the view. Anakin once again made an appearance, unknowingly standing next to his son with his hands folded behind his back, gazing at the beautiful city with unfocused eyes clouded by thoughts or rather, uncertainty. Not about his upcoming duel with his master but something more personal.
The door to this elegant training area opened and out came Obi-wan Kenobi, a surprised smile visible even behind his beard. "Ah, there you are."
Anakin turned to face his master, his emotions becoming more balanced as he grinned at his fellow Jedi, responding with a sarcastic but playful response "I was starting to think you weren't coming, master."
The Padawan bowed in respect towards his teacher and father figure. Straightening his posture, Anakin's hand was quick to rest on his lightsaber as Obi-wan approached him with a brow raised and amusement dancing in his eyes ."Then perhaps, I stand more of a chance this time."
Obi-Wan unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, holding it with both hands as his young Padawan followed suit. Nodding his head which Anakin returned, the student of Qui-gon had a simple question for his own pupil, "Are you ready?"
Anakin's saber burst to life, illuminating his face in a blue hue, brimming with cockiness that comes with youth as he responded with his own question. "Are you?"
Obi-wan's own saber of light hummed with life as he slowly started to circle his younger adversary. "Then let's begin, my young Padawan."
Naruto watched with a large smile as the two Jedi dueled before his very eyes. The way they clashed their sabers and moved was awe inspiring, especially the blonde padawan's father. His aggression was a tool and he wielded it quite adequately but his master, Obi-wan, wasn't to be taken lightly. He matched his impatient student pace for pace, strike for strike.
The dueling Jedi were fast but the whiskered blonde found no struggle following their impressive and fast paced movements, watching with the eagerness of a scholar.
Obi-Wan was starting to get pushed back as the power behind his students' powerful slashes was growing, the force swirled around the chosen one in a way that could only be described as a fierce maelstrom.
Obi-wan was playing on the defensive before surpassing his Padawan with an offensive swing that nearly took the young Jedi by surprise, if it wasn't for his own miraculous battle instinct. Anakin gave his master room to breathe as well as himself, twirling his saber as he waited to see what would be Obi-wan's next move.
Obi-wan gave a disappointed sigh as he said, "You grow too aggressive, Anakin. Be mindful. A Jedi's goal is to defend life, not take it."
Anakin frowned before once again attacking his master with an overhead slash, cursing as he missed but smirking as he was back to back with his opponent. "Mercy doesn't beat an enemy, Master!"
Anakin used sudden momentum to push Obi-wan away before spinning with a strike from the right, of course, the Jedi knight was already prepared, blocking his Padawan's saber with his own. A clash of dominating power was held between master and student, one that Anakin was quickly starting to win with his superior strength.
"And this is why you're gonna lose!" Anakin broke their brief clash, chasing after his opponent with long steps, twirling his lightsaber before bringing down his blade of light in his signature downward slash. Obi-wan was quick enough to block the strike but he knew his Padawan was gaining momentum in his slashes as he pushed the student of Qui-gon back until it resulted in another deadlock, "There's no way out, master."
Obi-Wan met his padawan's eye as blue attempted to overpower blue. Anakin pulled his saber away only to attack once more with triple force. He repeated this over and over, smashing his saber against Obi-Wan's in a strong attempt to break his master's defense. The final clash had Obi-wan taking a knee, using one hand to brace himself while his other held his saber tight, arm shaking against Anakin's overwhelming might.
"Admit you are beaten!" But Obi-wan didn't respond, he had enough strength to push his Padawan back, if only briefly. It gave the Jedi knight a chance to move and avoid another of Anakin's downward slashes.
Anakin was still relentless as he followed his master, saber cutting through the air with a mighty hum. Obi-Wan knew this couldn't last, that he needed to find another way to best his talented Padawan. A monstrous swing from both master and student had them both taking a knee, sabers held to the side as they both lightly panted.
The light side of the force sang throughout the room, its presence strong but welcoming. It embraced Anakin and Obi-Wan in its power. Master and student sprung into action once more. Their lightsabers moving far too fast to be followed by a non-force user.
After several more of Anakin's impressive strikes, Obi-wan made to defend and hopefully trap Anakin's saber in a downward deadlock but his Padawan was quick to catch on and with a flourish of moves, disarmed his master and sent his lightsaber flying out of his hands.
"There. Your weapon's gone, it's over." Anakin stated confidently to his master, feeling proud, strong, and assured of himself. He looked towards his master, expecting, perhaps even hoping for praise only to find disappointment.
"Your need for victory, Anakin, it blinds you." Obi-wan's words rang true. Anakin frowned as he went in for the finishing strike only for his master to guide his saber using the hand away from himself and then deliver a sharp elbow to the Padawan's unprotected back. Anakin grunted as he stumbled forward, eyes widening as his saber was ripped out of his hand by Obi-wan with the force. His ultimate tool for defense flew into Obi-wan's awaiting hand.
Anakin looked away in disappointment while Obi-wan sighed, explaining to his pupil, "You're an outstanding warrior Anakin but your need to prove yourself is your undoing."
Anakin looked back towards his master as he started to walk forward, deactivating Anakin's lightsaber and returning it to the crestfallen Padawan. Obi-Wan, seeing how upset Anakin was, placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling softly as he said, "Until you can overcome it, a Padawan, you will still be, my friend."
Naruto watched his father follow after his master, crossing his arms as the world around him started to change once more. It made the young Jedi wonder: what was the force trying to show him? Trying to tell him?
Had his father experienced something similar to what Naruto himself was going through? Was the force in a way, trying to warn Naruto of a possible path that led to the destruction of the Jedi and the death of Anakin? Naruto couldn't be sure. The force was mysterious and unpredictable. All the blond whiskered Padawan could truly do was let it guide him and hopefully, the answers would fall into place.
In a blink of an eye, the spectral world changed once more, Naruto found himself on a large and grand silver starship. The blonde Padawan didn't have much time to admire the beautiful interior of the ship, powerful emotions hit his empathic abilities full force. Naruto followed the sore to find his father once again, but he wasn't alone. Naruto's mother, Padmé, was also here being accompanied by her ever loyal blue and white astromech droid, R2-D2.
'Why are you so scared, Father?' Naruto questioned in his mind as he took a seat, frowning as the planet Tatooine came into view.
Naruto looked away from the sandy planet to look at his mother. Smiling sadly, Naruto couldn't help but admire how beautiful she looked. She certainly looked the part of a Queen and Naruto was sure even though her term was over, the outstanding monarch who dedicated so much time was still there, waiting to be used to help not just the people of Naboo but also those who need help throughout the galaxy.
Padmé reached out and gently held Anakin's hand, her thumb making small circles in a comforting manner. Her smile was bright and full of hope as she said, "It's okay Annie, we'll find her and free her. I promise."
Anakin gave a weak smile, gently squeezing the love of his life's hand before slowly letting go as the ship started to descend towards the spaceport of Mos Espa, his old home. With the ship landed and secure, Naruto followed after his parents or at least he tried to. He took one step and the next thing the whiskered Padawan knew, he was standing next to a grumbling male toydarian. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he inspected the insect-like alien, he seemed awfully familiar.
A droid pulling a carriage containing his mother and father stopped a few feet away from the distracted toydarian, too busy tinkering with the broken device in his hands to notice Anakin walking forward, Padmé by his side, just as determined to find and free Shmi Skywalker.
Anakin was polite, and formal even as he spoke in huttese, "Excuse me, Watto."
The toydarian didn't even bother raising his head, growling as he grew more frustrated by the second as he struggled to repair the droid part, giving a dismissive "What?" As he refused to raise his head.
"I said, 'Excuse me, Watto." Anakin said more firmly, his eyes narrowing slightly. Naruto finally remembered who the alien was, he was his father's old master when he was a slave. Watto wasn't as quick to remember Anakin, lifting his head with narrowed eyes as he tried to figure out who this young man was. His blood shot, bulging eyes shot to the silver hood of a lightsaber strapped to Anakin's belt.
"Let me help you with that." Anakin was gentle as he took the droid part away from Watto, spotting the problem almost instantly and correcting it almost immediately.
The Toydarian watched the Jedi with narrowed eyes, grunting as his wings briefly flapped as he tried to make himself more comfortable. Grunting out in huttese "I don't know you…What do you want?…You look like a Jedi. Whatever crime was committed, I didn't do it."
Anakin briefly paused in fixing the broken machine to ask Watto, what's he's been wanting to know ever since he arrived on this desert wasteland, "Where is Shmi Skywalker?"
Watto froze upon the mention of his old slave, slowly looking at the young man with squinted eyes until they opened wide with shock and perhaps even a small amount of joy, asking cautiously in basic, "Annie?…"
"Long time no see, Watto." Anakin greeted before the broken droid in his hand sprung to life, giving the Jedi a grateful bow before running off.
"Annie it is you!" Watto exclaimed with joy, his wings buzzing as he hovered so he was equal height with Anakin, "Ahhh, look how much you've grown! Big important Jedi now huh? Eh, Annie, maybe you couldda help wit some deadbeats who owe me a lot of money…"
"Watto, where is my mother?" Watto signed at Anakin's question, rubbing the back of his neck as he struggled to maintain eye contact with the Jedi.
"I erm, *sigh* I sold her, Annie." Watto locked eyes with the boy, now a man, he used to own as a slave. Anakin's eyes were furious, frightening the old Toydarian.
"What?!" Padmé was tender as she took a hold of Anakin's hand in hopes of calming the desperate and quickly growing troubled Jedi.
"She asked me to!" Watto exclaimed quickly in hopes of calming down irate young man.
Anakin and Padmé shared a confused look at Watto's answer. Anakin frowned his eyebrows in confusion while the senator of Naboo asked, "What do you mean?"
Watto sighed sadly as picked up a nearby piece of junk, cleaning the rust off as he said, "After you left, she became sad. It grew worse by the day. So bad that I was sure she would try and leave the planet with her chip still active."
Anakin was shocked and horrified to find that out. Wondering how sad and lonely she must have felt. Anakin looked down at the sandy ground, eyes unfocused as he whispered, "I had no idea she missed me that much…"
Padmé gently held Anakin's hand to quietly express her sorrows and to show the affection of her eyes that he wasn't alone. Something Watto didn't miss but chose to ignore.
"Not all sad news, Annie. Your mother got married to a…to a, uh, what was his name? Lars! Lars set your mother free and they got married. That was the last heard." That brought some comfort to Anakin and made the Jedi wonder about his stepfather.
"Do you know where they are?"
"Long way from here…Someplace on the other side of Mos Eisley, I think…Come. Let's go check my records."
Naruto watched them walk away and then eventually fade away like dust or rather the sand all around the Jedi from the future. Sand started to swirl around Naruto blocking his view of his father and his mother.
The area around Naruto morphed and changed towards the force's desire. The sand, swirling like a tornado, collapsed as the wind pressure suddenly disappeared and the dreaming Jedi once again found himself somewhere new. He was still on Tatooine, that was obvious but he didn't recognize the house.
Sand crunched underneath his sandal covered feet but he left no footprints as he walked towards the modest house that was most likely bigger underneath the land or at least that was what Naruto assumed. Letting his instincts guide his direction, the dreaming Padawan soon found his father along with his mother sitting at a table with an older man in a hovering chair. He wasn't alone. A younger man sat by his side, and given his similar looks Naruto could figure out, that the older patriarch of the family was Lars and the young man next to him had to be his son.
A young woman passed by Naruto, carrying a container filled with chilled blue milk, and placed it in the middle of the table before taking a seat next to Lars's son's side.
'Must be his wife,' Naruto thought to himself before moving to the corner, using an upside down crate as a seat. Lars explained to Anakin that he was a moisture farmer. It was outstanding pay but hard and dangerous work.
The Tusken Raiders were relentless, coming for water that they declared 'rightfully theirs. Whenever the Tusken Raider call was heard, bloodshed followed not long after. Lars remorsefully told Shmi's son that they were the reason he could no longer walk or live without the aid of a machine. Worst of all, they were the reason Anakin's mother was missing.
Naruto felt a grim feeling in his chest as he watched his father storm out of the room, activating what Naruto could only assume was a speeder bike, giving chase for the Tusken Raiders that stole his mother. Naruto looked at his mother with a sigh before walking out of the Lars Household, the scenery changing as Naruto stepped out the door. He looked behind to find the modest home was gone. Just sand and large protruding rocks remained.
Dusk was just about to end and night would take its place. Naruto looked towards the sky, eyes narrowing as he could faintly make out smoke, 'Campfire….'
Naruto knew the Tusken Raiders weren't far. He could sense them, feel them and their emotions. It was all so raw and primitive, it left Naruto feeling disturbed. It was a large tribe, filled with over thirty adult members. More men than women.
Two Tusken children ran past Naruto, chasing after an older massif that looked after the young children like a nanny. Naruto's head whipped to the far side of the camp where he could sense his approaching father. The dreaming Jedi found Anakin stealthy sneaking through the village, the force shrouded him as he used it to try and find his mother. Stopping at each hut and then moving on in disappointment until Anakin found one with a life force steadily growing weaker and weaker.
The worried son was quick to whip out his lightsaber, igniting the dark blue blade of light and carving open a large hole. Anakin crouched as he carefully entered, his eyes squinting as they slowly adjusted to the darkness before widening in horror at his mother's state. Naruto had followed after his father wanting to see his grandmother for himself but nothing could have prepared him for the state she was in nor could it have prepared him for empathic feedback of Shmi's suffering. Naruto's eyes shook as he fell to his knees, eyes tearing up as he felt all her pain, her suffering from every barbaric and cruel act they put his grandmother through. He felt sick.
Crucified to a wall with her hands bound tightly by the rope. Her clothes were torn and bloody and her body was littered with angry red. Anakin barely suppressed a sob as he carefully undid his mother's bindings. Holding her gently in his arms as he tried to wake her, the distraught Jedi barely managed to croak out her name, "Mom?"
Shmi, with all the strength she had left, opened her bloodshot and swollen eyes, confused at who was holding her so tenderly. Her vision slowly cleared, and her eyes, so similar to her son's, started to water as she realized that the man holding her was her son, all grown up.
"Ani…" Anakin nodded as he took his mother's rising hand, bringing it to his lips as he cried.
"I'm here, Mom." Anakin managed to force a weak smile as he stroked his mother's bruised cheek, "I told you, I was going to come back for you."
"Ani…I missed you so much…" Shmi weakly uttered, holding onto her son tightly or as tightly as she could.
"I missed you as well, Mom. I thought about you every day, I promise," Anakin swore as he felt some hope that maybe everything was going to be okay. Maybe he could get his mother out of this hellhole.
"Y-You've become a man…" Shmi commented as her hand left her son's grasp to wipe away a stray tear trickling down his cheek.
Anakin managed to swallow the massive lump in his throat as he whispered to his mother, "Come on. Let's get you out of here."
Shmi smiled sadly, her eyes half closed as she tried to get her son's attention. "Ani…"
"Mom it's okay-" Shmi interrupted Anakin by caressing his cheek. Her end drew near but she still wanted her boy to hear her final words.
Shmi struggled to speak, her last breath, her last words, used to express how she felt in her final moments. "I…I love yo-"
Naruto looked away as his grandmother went limp in his father's arms. Wiping away his own tears he felt the steadily building righteous hot rage in his father. He gently laid Shmi on the ground, closing her eyes before rising and reaching for his saber strapped to his belt.
The first guards of the two Tusken males barely managed to let out a scream. The burning pain of light cutting and searing his flesh into two pieces was indescribable. The other male guard roared in shock at the sight of his bisected brother before his head was taken from his shoulders in a single swing. Anakin stepped out of the hut, his eyes red and still fresh from tears were haunting. A brave Tusken warrior charged at the Jedi with his cycle rifle, releasing a war cry in the native tongue of his people but Anakin was far too skilled, far too powerful.
With a single downward slash, he cut the young male into two even pieces. The tusken women guided the elderly and carried the children to a hut to hide away from the monster slaughtering anyone who got in his way like livestock. Anakin showed his deadly potential in the force as he tripped a fleeing warrior. Using the force to drag him through the sand and back towards the furious Jedi. The Tusken raider clawed at the sand, screaming in panic before rolling onto his back, a cycle rifle that had been passed down through his family for generations armed and ready.
Pew!
The first shot was deflected away with a single swing. Hands shaking, the Tusken raider steadied his aim, holding his breath as he fired a second shot, targeting a direct shot at the murderous Jedi's chest.
Pew!
Anakin twirled his saber, smacking the plasma bolt to the sandy earth. The Tusken Raider roared in defiance as it was dragged closer and closer with the aid of the force. He aimed his cycle rifle once again but this time at the vengeful son's head. He hoped that this would be it, that this would take down this barbarian who was massacring his people.
Pew!
Anakin moved his head to the side, eyes narrowing as the bolt soared past his head. Anakin disarmed the warrior quite literally, enjoying his anguished scream before impaling his mother's torture through the chest. The sand turned into glass beneath the raider as the burning hole in his chest grew wider and wider until finally, Anakin withdrew his saber. He glared at the remaining warriors with as much hate as he could muster. They dared not move, paralyzed by fear.
Naruto watched this all with a blank face. He knew as a Jedi he should condemn his father, knowing as a fellow keeper of the peace, his father was going beyond protecting himself to murder…but he didn't care. He couldn't find it in himself to defend these animals. Naruto watched with no empathy as his father continued his slaughter, using the force to bring the remaining warriors in close before repelling them back with a massive shockwave that kicked up sand. Few died straight away from the impact but many were on the ground with broken limbs, possibly even broken ribs, attempting to crawl away from their impending death but Anakin would not allow them to get away, to have any hopes of surviving. They showed his mother none, so they would receive nothing in return.
Anakin finished them off quickly before moving onto a larger than average sized hut. Naruto followed his father, frowning as a new feeling of unease crept into his stomach. The furious Jedi cut open the entrance causing the tusken children to cry and the woman to shield them while pleading to Anakin to spare them in their native tongue.
Naruto went to grab his father's arm as he stepped into the hut but like every time he tried to interact with Anakin, he passed through him. "Father…"
"Animals, every last one of you…." Anakin mumbled as he looked down at the remaining survivors of the camp. The old massif that had been playing with the children early, charged at Anakin. Following its instincts to protect them but the loyal companion of the Tusken children was no match for Anakin. It was caught midair, whining before its neck was snapped violently.
The children cried even harder, screaming in distress. The mothers tried to defend their offspring but they were cut down just like the rest. Anakin advanced on the children, raising his saber to take them out cleanly and quickly but as he went to bring his mighty saber down, he hesitated. Naruto watched intently, begging Anakin in his mind not to kill the children.
That's when Naruto felt it, an ancient presence. It was dark, cold, and filled to the brim with temptation.
The dark side.
It whispered into Anakin's ear a single command. "Kill them~"
That seemed to be the extra push Anakin needed. Naruto's eyes shook as he summoned his saber, igniting the blade and hoping to stop the vengeful Anakin from killing the children by blocking his saber with his own, "Father, No!"
But this was the past. There was no changing what happened. All Naruto could do was learn from what the force had shown him…
Naruto shot up with a gasp, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he tried to steady his breathing. He held a hand to his heart as he closed his eyes. It was a side of his father he never expected to see, a side he didn't know existed. It didn't change how Naruto felt or how much he admired Anakin but it was still shocking and perhaps horrifying, even if he understood it.
BB-1 rolled in front of his creator, letting out a concerned beep. Naruto smiled as he reached down, rubbing the top of his droid's head before getting out of his bed. The air was still cool but the whiskered padawan didn't seem to mind. Walking outside, he found a step to sit on as he waited for the sun to rise. Naruto heard the sound of feet hitting stones before Leia took a place next to her fellow padawan.
The princess of Alderaan didn't speak right away, instead just watching Naruto, entrapped by how peaceful he looked with his eyes closed, the wind blowing his messy blond spikes in a playful dance and even the way the force sang around him was different from how it was yesterday and the weeks before. Leia felt herself smile as she leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees, holding up her chin with her palm as she greeted her savior with a beautiful smile, "Morning, wonder boy."
"Good morning, princess," Naruto said as he found himself smiling, his first true smile in a while. Leia was momentarily flustered by the greeting, even more so by the radiant smile.
"How are you feeling?" Leia knew Naruto was probably sick of hearing the same question but she felt it was only right to ask.
Naruto looked towards the rising sun as he shared his thoughts. "I…I miss my master and I still want Vader to face justice for what he's done but I refuse to let revenge consume me. I'm going to honor my master and the amazing Jedi he was by bringing down the Empire and restoring the Jedi order. I don't care how long it takes or how many times I have to fight, I will bring back order and peace to the galaxy."
Naruto had gotten so passionate about his declaration that he stood tall, the sunrise started to peak over the treeline, and beams of sunlight shrouded the scarred padawan in an almost blessed way.
It was one this day, this morning that the light side had secured its champion against the darkness.
Leia was so mesmerized by his passions, his devotion to his new dream, to his new goal but she couldn't help but ask, "How? How are you going to do it?"
Naruto grinned as he confessed, "I think it's time for everything to change, the Jedi included…but I can't fix this galaxy by myself, I'm going to need allies, comrades, friends, people who I can trust with my life."
Naruto offered his hand out for Leia to take, his eyes sincere, honest, and vulnerable as he asked the only person whom he could consider a friend. "Will you join me?"
Leia took a moment to think over Naruto's request, she looked deep into his eyes. After a moment of staring, the princess of Alderaan must have found what she was looking for. Leia placed her hand on top of the whiskered Jedi's own, responding with a slightly breathless but strongly resolved, "I will."
Naruto gave Leia's hand a light pull, bringing the princess up to her feet as he said, "Well, princess, your master isn't here to continue your training. So until she returns, you're going to be training and learning from me. Are you up for it?"
"Does that mean I have to call you master?~" Leia teased her fellow padawan, finding it cute to see him flustered for once.
"You-You don't have to call me that," Naruto muttered as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"So, what's first?" Leia asked as she started to follow the whiskered blond inside the temple.
Naruto didn't tell Leia right away, all he told his fellow was to get her practice saber and blaster…
The mighty trees of Asha Ree stood mighty, their branches large and protruding. Perfect for the two Jedi padawans to run across and leap from. They were both without shoes, which gave them a better grip and a more free feeling as they traveled. Leia had never felt so free as the rushing wind made her hair blow out of its usual bun style and let it flow.
Naruto was right beside Leia, laughing as he used the force to propel himself forward, reaching out and snatching a vine, using it to swing through the tree line. Leia quickly followed the whiskered blond's lead, wrapping her hands around a strong looking vine and using her hips and momentum to swing with a cheer.
Naruto showed off his skill by swinging backward and the princess couldn't help but roll her eyes before letting go of her vine to grab another. She gave Naruto a cheeky wave as she passed him, attempting to show off herself as Leia once again let go of her vine to do a series of elegant flips and twirls in midair, something she could never have imagined herself doing before she met Naruto and master Ahsoka.
Leia, feeling more confident than ever, reached out for another vine, however, she overestimated the strength of this vine and as she began to swing, it snapped. The princess of Alderaan's eyes widened as she started to free fall.
Leia closed her eyes, berating herself in her head for her slip up and waiting for the impact of a terrible fall but Leia didn't need to fear because Naruto was there to catch her when she needed him to. Catching the falling princess by the hand broke Leia out of her shock, she thanked Naruto with a nod and the whiskered Jedi gave one in return. He grunted as he threw Leia forward as well as giving her a boost with the force to a fresh truss of vines.
They continued to swing and jump from branches for a while longer before finding a clearing with a beautiful swamp like lake to take a break near. Leia sighed as she fell to the grassy floor, panting with cheeks flushed from exertion. A shade crept over the slightly tired princess, blocking the sunlight. Peaking an eye open Leia saw it was Naruto holding out a metallic drinking bottle filled with fresh cold water.
"Thanks, wonder boy." Leia said sitting up as she more than happily accepted the cylinder containing, opening the lid and craning her head back as she greedily gulped down the cool liquid.
"You did good out there. When you weren't falling." Naruto teased as he took a seat next to Leia under a shady tree. Chuckling when Leia stuck her tongue out at him before opening his own container and taking a drink.
"Thanks for catching me." Leia said sheepishly, brushing a lock behind her ear.
"I'm sure you would have done the same for me."
"Maybe," Leia responded with a teasing smile over her own after pretending to take a second to think about it. Naruto rolled his eyes before leaning back against the tree, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the sound of nature.
Leia tried to slip into meditation like her fellow padawan but found it to be quite the challenge. The physical aspect of a Jedi was easy for Leia but she found getting in touch with her more spiritual side near impossible. For an odd reason, it didn't seem to 'click' for Leia like it did Naruto.
Naruto peeked open an eye, an amused smile creeping across his lips as he could see Leia was beginning to grow more frustrated at her lack of meditation.
"You're trying to force it, Leia." Naruto turned to his fellow padawan, saying softly, "It's okay not to be perfect at everything right away. I know master Ahsoka, master Windu and even master Yoda have failed many times during their lives as Jedi. That's the first step in a long line because from failure, you learn and grow and work your way towards your goal, no matter how many times you might slip, you never give up. I believe you can do it. Just give it another go."
"*sigh* I'll try."
"'Do or do not. There is no try.'" Naruto said before chucking at Leia's raised brow, explaining, "That's what my Master would say."
Leia once again took a meditative posture where she felt the most comfortable, then she closed her eyes and steadied her breathing but nothing happened. After nearly five minutes Leia was ready to give up when Naruto spoke up, "Can you hear it, Leia?"
"Hear what?" The princess of Alderaan asked, her eyes still closed but turning her head in the direction she heard Naruto's voice.
"Can you hear the trees rustling together? Listen," Naruto whispered to his fellow padawan.
"Okay…?" Leia sighed as she pushed aside all other sounds and just focused on the rustling of trees. After roughly half a minute, Leia started to only hear the wind that passed through the branches, tickling the leaves and letting out a sound of pure nature.
Naruto nodded his head to the left, not that Leia could see, as he asked, "What about the insects in that patch of grass over there? Can you hear them?"
Leia stopped listening to the sound of dancing leaves, instead honing her hearing even more until she heard the high pitched, faced paced sound. That was soon greeted by a lower, more subtle sound. A smile broke out as Leia said, "I can hear it."
"Good," Naruto praised with a growing grin of his own, deciding to attempt something a little harder "What about the hatchling convor?"
Leia's brows frowned as she concentrated on the bird-like creatures but she didn't force the mediation, no, rather Leia let it flow and allowed the force to bring her balance while at the same time, guiding her. Leia gasped, within her mind she could perfectly picture the three baby convor, chirping and calling out for their mother.
"It feels like I can see them but I can't?" Leia said as she opened her eyes, turning to face Naruto with an excited look, "Is this what you feel all the time when you meditate?"
Naruto nodded as he started to tell Leia what his master's told him when he was just a young boy, "That's the force. The force binds all living things, including the trees, the insects, the convor, and especially you and I."
"That's amazing…" Leia whispered as she found a new appreciation for the beautiful green world that surrounded them.
Naruto studied Alderaan's princess for a moment before rising to his feet, dusting his hands as he said, "I think you're ready."
"For what?" Leia questioned as she followed the whiskered Padawan.
"To finally duel me," Naruto stated with a smirk that Leia couldn't help but mimic, excited to finally duel and show the young man who saved her how much she'd grown.
"Not afraid I might beat you? Master Ahsoka said I was one of the most gifted fighters she has ever seen." Leia said cockily as she was quick to pull out and activate her practice saber.
"I'll manage," Naruto quipped with a chuckle as he activated his own lightsaber, making sure to turn down the saber to its dueling settings.
Leia was the one to attack first, rushing at Naruto with her saber down low, bringing the practice weapon up in a strong upward swing. The whiskered padawan's own lightsaber came down with an equal amount of force before moving in to take control of the battle but the ever tenacious princess of Alderaan wouldn't let him. Fierce as a Raxshire but also swift and nimble as a Fathier.
Naruto was quickly beginning to adapt to the way Leia fought but he was still cautious. He didn't know Leia long but he knew her just long enough to get a somewhat idea of how she thinks and carries herself. She was strong willed, prideful in her abilities and very eager to improve and this showed in almost every swing but this wasn't a bad thing necessarily; Leia's drive and determination covered for her faults. Naruto twisted and swung his arms as he blocked strike after strike, not fearing to counter attack when the time was right, effectively putting Alderaan's princess on the defensive.
Leia was starting to grow slightly winded as Naruto put more power into his swings. Leia tried to retreat from the clearly more powerful Jedi and Naruto was more than happy to grant Leia's request as he sent a force push packed with a decent amount of power at his fellow padawan. Leia crossed her arms, her saber held in a reverse grip as she braced for impact but his might proved to be far more than Leia could handle, sending her flying back a couple feet, her practice saber slipping from her hand, cluttering to the ground within her reach.
Leia groaned softly as she rose to a sitting position, shaking her head clear before looking towards her opponent, brown eyes flaring with excited challenge. Naruto twirled his saber, golden brow raised as he asked, "That the best you got, Princess?"
"Not by a long shot," Leia promised as she rose to her feet, practice saber already in hand and activated as she once again charged at the whiskered blond. As Naruto charged back, a feeling Leia couldn't quite explain hit her in a way that lit a fire inside her heart. Perhaps it was battle lust, perhaps it the appropriation she felt from being treated like an equal by Naruto even though they weren't on the same level quite yet or perhaps it was the developing feelings she was beginning to feel for her hero. Maybe it was a strong mixture of all three but whatever the case, Leia had never felt more happy or alive then she did on this day, at this moment.
The two padawan's were going to meet for an explosive clash that would have shook the training area from their uncontrolled force output but something had been lurking, watching, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Slowly this creature has swam closer to the shore in hopes of unleashing a well planned sneak attack. The murky water bubbled and swirled before a large mass propelled itself out of the lake with its massive legs.
Naruto caught the goliath sized amphibian creature quickly approaching from the corner of his eye. He could see its mouth open wide in hopes of catching its prey, Leia. The Princess was far too focused on the battle to see the approaching beast but Naruto, in an amazing move of speed and reflex, stopped his attack, reaching out with his free hand to lightly but firmly hold Leia by the shoulder, guiding and saving her from the Oggdo.
The Oggdo sailed over their heads before crashing into the hard ground. It rose to its feet, shaking its large and burly body before turning its sights back on Naruto and Leia. Naruto turned his saber back to its normal setting, not taking his eyes off the amphibian beast for a single second as he told Leia, "Go get your blaster, your practice saber will be no use here."
Leia nodded, instantly understanding as she split away from Naruto as she ran towards her blaster while her fellow padawan ran towards the attack Oggdo instead. Its vocal sack bulged before it launched its grotesque tongue at Leia in hopes of catching her while she was trying to flee but Alderaan's princess showed off her skill by sliding under the attack and continuing her dash towards her blaster.
Naruto yelled as he leapt through the air, slicing through one of the creature's many eyes, causing the Oggdo to stomp and bellow out its fury in a roar, it snapped at air as it tried to bite Naruto in two only to receive another burning slash to its hide. The large amphibian's legs pushed it off the ground in small bursts. Naruto out maneuvered the beast's sloppy lunges before leaping over the creature, using the force to lift the large monster of the lake and slam it on its back. The Oggdo, not to be defeated, rolled on its back, its vocal sack once again bulging before releasing its tongue at Naruto only for the blond padawan to catch it and hold onto it midair with the force.
The creature released such repugnant sounds before screaming as its tongue was severed from its sharp teeth infested mouth, thanks to Naruto's saber. The long appendage fell to the ground limp and unmoving, the only thing the Oggdo could do was charge its prey down with a mighty leap.
Pew!
A blue bolt sailed through the air before hitting its intended target, one of the Oggdo's remaining eyes, blinding the killer creature even further. The pain of losing another one of its eyes distracted and disrupted the Oggdo's charge, leaving it vulnerable for Naruto to leap toward the confused beast, leaping over its mouth and plunging his bright dark blue saber into its brain but its didn't end there, his saber continued to cut through meat and bone until he nearly cut the creature into two even pieces.
Naruto deactivated his saber as he stared down at the creature with his arms crossed and his lips set into a frown. Leia walked to his side, brown eyes shining with confusion as she asked, "Why did it attack us? Was it hungry?"
"No, it wasn't hungry, it was just killing to kill." Naruto muttered before turning his back on the creature, gesturing for Leia to follow him, "I think we've done enough for the day and I'm sure BB-1 is probably frying his circuits wondering where we are."
The two returned back to the temple with Leia promising the next time they dueled, it wouldn't get interrupted and the princess of Alderaan promised she would win.
Naruto was looking forward to it and he would eagerly wait for their rematch while cautiously wondering what the force will show him next…