Seraphina's eyes shot open. The sounds of blaster fire broke her senses. She could hear the fighter ships blasting off against something, something she wasn't aware of. What made no sense was how those fighter ships reached Earth. How were they here? She only knew blaster fire from the Galaxy Far, Far Away. What were they doing on Earth?
She sat up, wondering what was going on. She turned her gaze to the silky curtain. She found a rope, pulling it down to reveal the rest of the cavernous underwater area. The lake was not that far away from the rocky surface. And that was where she found Darth Ordar making his latest composition.
She stood up, approaching him with wary eyes. She was aware of what the Phantom would do, if anyone took off his mask. So, what would Darth Ordar do?
She approached him, determined to get even with him. "How… how are you?"
"Hmm?" Darth Ordar asked, facing her.
She jumped back, finding him intriguing. What was with this cat that made her so mystified? "I don't understand. How did you find me? Why did you let me fall asleep?" She huffed, traumatized by a memory, a memory in which Frodo Baggins put her to sleep.
No! Frodo's powers! They were more powerful than hers. Seraphina collapsed on the floor, haunted by the memory of being put to sleep by someone far more powerful than her. It made her feel powerless.
She was surprised when Darth Ordar moved his paws over her sides. She huffed, gasping as she tried to remember who she was. It was so difficult.
"You're with me now. Nothing can stop us! Remember? Remember who you are! You are more powerful than this. You can defeat Frodo Baggins and live. It's what you want to do, surely it does melt your heart. Mmm. What would Frodo say if he saw you now? He'd think you were pathetic," Darth Ordar exclaimed, growling and snarling at her. He purred in her ear, loving her scent. It reminded him of the Ring.
"Come on. It's what you want to do, don't you?" Darth Ordar whispered in Sera's ear, enticing her to join him in his darkened lair.
"Sera!" Cooper's voice rang out from inside the cave. Sera looked up, gazing at the golden house cat, as he attempted to reason with her. "Sera, I know you destroyed the First Base, kept me away from you. I just want you to know that I am here for you. I am here."
Sera shook her head. What was he saying? "You know nothing about me. You don't even know why you came." She was enticed by Darth Ordar, enough for him to control her mind.
"Sera, I know you're in there somewhere. Wake up!" Cooper said, approaching her.
"Stop!" Darth Ordar held his paw in the air, stopping Cooper in his tracks. The golden house cat reached the rocky surface nonetheless. Darth Ordar hissed, determined to seek out the golden house cat's next move. "You dare come another step and I meld with Sera's mind! Do you want that to happen to her? Hmm?"
Cooper stopped, facing the cat. "If you dare harm her in any way, I'll…"
"You'll what?" Darth Ordar rubbed Sera's neck, making her fall into a deep sleep.
.
Sera walked across a thin plane. Glassy water protruded the floor. The skies above her head were blanketed in a reddish cloudy sky. It was no wonder she was here. She was caught in Darth Ordar's world.
And there was Darth Ordar, playing a few notes on a black piano. And there was the gangly creature Smeagol, playing around on the glassy water, crystal clear. Gollum was there, gangly and hiding on top of a tree branch. Sera was surprised to see them, but even more surprised to see a tall figure wearing black robes, with pale skin, and long black hair.
This figure was beautiful, but deadly. Sera only knew him by one name: Sauron, or as he once was Mairon. It was Mairon Sera wanted to speak to, but for now she would deal with Sauron.
"You came to me once," Sera looked at Sauron, picking him out among the group, "You wanted me to rebel against the Valar, against Eru. Why would you do this? What's the point, Sauron?"
Sauron snarled, telling her, "It was a cause worth fighting for. You blowing up the First Base was your own doing, not mine."
Sera chuckled darkly, "Oh really? You think that was all me?"
Sauron shrugged, smiling grimly, "It was for a good cause."
"What cause? You left me for dead, while the First Base was blown away! You call yourself a Dark Lord? You're nothing more than a shadow of your former self," Sera said.
Sauron looked up, pointing out with great passion and lust, "Oh look! Dormammu's present. I believe you have a date with him."
"Huh?" Sera asked, turning around to face the god Dormammu.
Dormammu was an angry god, who lived in his own realm in the multiverse. The moment Sera looked up at him, she witnessed a god who thrived in the darkness. His face rippled rainbow colors. His eyes were huge. It was the one thing Sera couldn't forget.
Sera and Dormammu had met before, but this meeting were totally different.
"You dare meet me!" Dormammu cried, his expression furious.
"Oh!" Sera cried, closing her eyes as Dormammu's fist reached her, sending her hurtling out of a dark dream and back to the glassy water plane. Sera huffed and puffed, frozen.
Sauron laughed, enjoying himself. "So much different from the living world, isn't it? We have the advantage."
Sera, still shaking, told Sauron, "You tricked me."
"I'm a villain! What did you expect?" Sauron cried, enjoying himself.
"Sera," Cooper cried out of nowhere, startling Sera. Sera turned to the golden house cat, whose aura was a bright white light surrounding him. Cooper smiled, telling her, "Come on. Come back to me. You're stronger than they are. Don't let them burn down another city."
Sera sighed, waking up from the trance that befell her. She clasped her fists, pounding the watery plane. She could do this. She could overcome this! She sighed, closing her eyes and feeling a white light surround her. The moment she woke up, the world returned to normal.
Sauron was gone, and so was Darth Ordar. Smeagol and Gollum wandered the watery plane, wondering what to do next.
"So, what now?" Smeagol asked, jumping for joy.
"Quiet! She might return," Gollum cried, annoyed.
Seraphina did not come back. At least, not right now. For now, life was good.
.
Seraphina awoke on the rocky surface. Darth Ordar's piano and all his things were gone. It was an empty cave, with only her and Cooper for company. She smiled, wondering how Cooper did it.
"How did you do that? You saved me," Sera said, pleased.
"Are you alright?" Cooper asked, smiling back at her. "If you must know, I don't know. All I did was speak to you here and you woke up. Are you okay? Do you need help?"
Sera shook her head. "No, I'm fine. In fact, I feel relieved, lighter. That was intense." She looked up at Cooper and around the area. Darth Ordar was still missing. "Something we did must have scared him off. Darth Ordar, I mean." She faced Cooper, asking him, "What happened? Where's Darth Ordar?"
Cooper sighed, saying to her, "He's gone. He vanished. He was standing on top of you, when I approached. But he must have vanished when you showed your bravery." He changed the subject, as soon as he heard another fighter ship fly by. "Come on. We'd better hurry. Our friends need us."
"Wait! Cooper!" Sera stopped Cooper, before he could go. "I'm still in trouble. I destroyed the First Base, our home. None of our friends will forgive me. Our only home is destroyed. What can we do?"
Cooper stared at her, hotly. "You're not abandoning your post. We must face this. Come on!"
"No!" Sera stood up, moving away from him.
Cooper looked at Sera in confusion. The only cat he ever fell in love with… was backing out? The one cat he could count on would ditch him? He snarled, grabbing her arm. "Come on," he reasoned with her. "I will not see you turn into an enemy."
Sera cried, fed up, "You don't know that. You don't know who I am, what I've done! What if no one forgives me?"
"Sera! Sera," Cooper calmed down, releasing her. "You know what? Go. Go now! See if anyone catches you."
Sera sighed. She told Cooper, "Thank you. Will we meet again?"
Cooper sighed, telling her, "I've got my own mission. I'll see you in the Galaxy Far, Far Away."
Sera smiled, nodding, "Thank you. I'll see you!" She ran off, leaving him behind.
.
Sera wandered out towards the cave's entrance. She hid behind the wall, watching the Stormtroopers surround the place. She looked on, confused. It was then that she felt breathing down her neck. She looked up, stunned to see Cooper standing right behind him.
Sera huffed, telling him, "What are you doing here?"
"Shh!" Cooper placed an index finger against his lips. "There's Stormtroopers outside! We need to head to my ship."
"Where is your ship?" Sera asked, cautious.
"Come on," Cooper said, leading the way.
*.*.*
References:
Eru Ilúvatar and the Valar comes from J.R.R. Tolkien's book, The Silmarillion. Dormammu comes from the Marvel film, "Doctor Strange".