Chapter 19 – Another Vision

Anakin lay in bed sleeping when he suddenly felt roused to consciousness, only his eyes didn't open and his dreams didn't stop. He recognized the feeling instantly. It was another vision. The room, or wherever he was in this vision, it was dark. He heard a woman screaming right in front of him. And then she was grunting, as if she were putting a great effort into something, but every so often she'd yell again, as if in great pain. A man winced too, nearby, only it was drowned out by the woman's screaming. Then Anakin realized the room wasn't dark but his eyes were glued shut, and try as he might he couldn't will them to open. Another sound started. It sounded like a pacing set of footsteps, and it grew louder and louder until he could no longer hear the woman scream.

"Ani, Ani." Padme frantically tried to wake her husband. He woke with a rush, opening his eyes fully and turning around the room looking for something. "You were having a nightmare."

"No, not a nightmare, a vision." Anakin wiped the sweat from his brow.

"A vision, about what? Are the kids in danger?" Padme knew his visions were never one hundred percent accurate, after all she did survive childbirth, twice. But her instincts as a mother kicked in and suddenly she was prepared to jump out of bed and do anything she had to.

"No, I don't think the kids were there. But I couldn't see anything, my eyes were shut the whole time." Anakin leaned forward and combed through his hair with his fingers.

"Oh, Anakin. Of all times to keep your eyes closed, during one of your visions." Padme shook her head.

"I couldn't help it, it was a part of the vision." Anakin sighed. "It didn't sound like you that I heard screaming, at least. I need to take a shower, then I'll go and tell Obi-Wan and Yoda about it."

"Yes, I think you should do that," Padme said. Her eyes were still worried, and rightfully so. She knew how much one of his previous visions almost cost their family. "When you do, make sure you take that box of Leia's for little Ella-Reese. And make sure he's coming to the twins Growing-Up-Day Party."

Anakin and Obi-Wan had argued over that one point in the creation of their clan rules quite a bit. It was the old Jedi way not to acknowledge the anniversary of one's birth/hatching/coming into the world in any way other than an increase in responsibilities earned with age and maturity.

"But Obi-Wan, you can't expect everyone to acknowledge this rule. We're encouraging attachments. Some of those attachments may ignore the rule altogether, and then we'll have an inconsistency of who gets their growing-up-day celebrated, and who doesn't. I know for a fact I can't stop my family from celebrating the Twins special day," Anakin had argued.

"Anakin, if we encourage this, we'll be encouraging individualism within the Jedi initiates. We want to encourage them to think of others before themselves. That's at the very core of what it means to be a Jedi."

"Alright. You want to tell my mom she can't give Growing-Up-Day presents to her grandchildren!" Anakin felt he had a real winner there.

They had eventually agreed on a way that allowed the younglings to celebrate their growing-up-day in many of the traditional ways, but also encouraged them to think about others too. For one, the younglings in question were encouraged to give something to another person on that day too.

For their third Growing-Up-Day Luke and Leia had collected some of their old clothing and toys and were donating them to the community center Padme ran. Leia had also put a few items aside for Ella-Reese. She enjoyed playing with the little Kenobi so much so that she had been nagging her parents for a sister.

"But what if we have another little brother instead?" Anakin could remember teasing.

"No! No more little brothers. Just little sisters." Leia shook her head and wagged her finger at her father.

Anakin carried the box under his arm as he walked up to Obi-Wan's apartment. The man opened his door with a smile on his face.

"She's talking to me. Listen to this…" Obi-Wan walked into his kitchen where Ella-Reese sat in a highchair. "Ella-Reese, your Uncle Ani is here."

"Bo-Bo La-Da," Ella-Reese babbled in response.

Anakin laughed. "And your Uncle Ani's happy to see you too."

Ella-Reese tried to stick her tongue out at her Uncle Ani.

"Bzzzt." Anakin blew a raspberry at the little girl.

Ella-Reese laughed, then blew one of her own back at him. "Bzzt."

Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan who had his arms crossed in a disapproving stare. "I brought you this from Leia. She picked them out herself."

"We'll be sure to thank her. When's her party?"

"At fourteen hundred hours. I'm supposed to make sure you'll be there. Or else." Anakin joked.

"We'll be there," Obi-Wan promised. "And Yoda's coming too. I expect he'll be returning to Tatooine in a few hours."

"That's good, uh, listen." Anakin's voice became serious. "I think I had another vision last night."

"Oh." Obi-Wan's face became serious too. "What happened?"

Anakin then went into describing what he saw, or more accurately, what he heard. "It's just the strangest thing. Usually I have some context. This time I have no idea who it is. Who's in trouble?"

"That is strange. Master Yoda always says the future is in flux. Your dreams can't predict the exact future, only give you a glimpse of what's possible. Still, I'll admit it would be more helpful to have some context here. Your visions usually center around people you're attached to. Are you sure you don't recognize anyone? Even a possibility could be a clue."

Anakin shook his head. "No. The woman screaming is no-one I've ever heard scream before. The man wincing was kind of hard to hear over the screams, and kinda generic, could've been anyone. And the footsteps were just footsteps. Average humanoid, from what I could tell."

"Hmm. I'll bring it up with Master Yoda, and see if he has any suggestions. Perhaps you'll have the vision again. With more information perhaps," Obi-Wan suggested.

"Perhaps. I'll let you know if I have it again," Anakin promised.

Obi-Wan was glad he and Anakin managed to compromise on their Growing-Up-Day debate. After becoming a father, he found his perspectives on a lot of things were changing, and he looked forward to the times when he could celebrate his own daughter's milestones. Still, he had about six months until her first birthday.

Ella-Reese was dressed up in one of the outfits from Leia's box. One he would have found perfectly ordinary months ago, but now found so-ooo cute. Though he didn't know how long his little one would be able to keep it neat and tidy. So as soon as he had her dressed, he pulled out his holo-cam and took a holograph image to save.

"Your mommy will like to see that one, won't she?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Ya-boo-too" Ella-Reese babbled back.

"Yes, I'll send it to her."

"Ab-ca da-noo"

"Improving, her language skills are?" Yoda observed as he entered the room.

"Bzzz," Ella-Reese blew a raspberry in response.

Obi-Wan Laughed. "Yes, though I think she learned that one from her Uncle Ani. Uh, speaking of which, do you have any ideas on Anakin's vision that I told you about."

"An interesting vision, it is. A message it contains. Feel its meaning is hidden, I do," Yoda replied.

"So you don't think more will be revealed if he has the vision again?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Perhaps, Perhaps. With meditation, more can be revealed. But in the first vision, the message is."

"The thing is, unless we can figure out who it was about, that message is useless."

"Useless, it is not. Useless, none of Anakin's visions have been. Saved his mother, he did. And to Tatooine with his wife, another led him."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yeah, you do have a point."

"And a party to attend, we have." Yoda used the force to pull down a pair of wrapped gifts he'd selected for the Skywalker twins. Obi-Wan picked up Ella-Reese and followed him.

Filled with people, the Skywalker's house was. At the center of it and socializing with their adult guests, Anakin and Padme were. With the other yonglings in the livingroom, the twins played. Many celebrations, in his 900 years Yoda had seen.

"Master Yoda, Master Obi-Wan! It is nice to see you." To see Shmi approaching, Yoda turned.

"How very nice to see you too. Uh, is there somewhere we can change a diaper? I feel Ella-Reese may already need a change," Obi-Wan said.

"Yes, right this way." Obi-Wan down a hall, Shmi led.

Left alone, Yoda was. Up to Anakin, Yoda walked. "A gift for your younglings, I brought."

When he saw the two wrapped items, Anakin smiled. "Why don't you give them to them now. I think they are getting a bit cranky now. It might help."

"Overwhelming for a youngling, a party like this can be. Give the gifts, I will." To reveal the twins, Anakin moved aside.

Big, Luke's eyes became. In a big grin, Leia smiled. The gifts into each youngling's lap, Yoda floated. Off, within seconds the paper was ripped. Their own practice sabers the twins held up. Big, their parents eyes became.

"Oh Yoda!" Startled, Anakin sounded.

Yoda nodded, "Yes! Ready to learn, they are. Tomorrow, our lessons will begin."

At Anakin, Padme glanced. Still big, their eyes were. Whack. Whack. Practice, the younglings started to.

As Luke took a strike to his jaw, Anakin winced.

"On their lowest setting, I left them," Yoda said. "Worry, you need not."

Whack. Whack. Thump. Knocked down, a potted plant was. Whack, Whack. To play, the younglings continued.

"Wait! Those Sabers are an outside toy." To usher his younglings to the back yard, Anakin rushed.

"Yum, For lunch, What is?" To stare with wide eyes, everyone continued. Understand this, Yoda did not.

Hello,

First, According to Wookieepedia, the starwars universe has Birthdays. But I thought it odd for a people that calls children younglings to be non-species specific, to use a species specific term like birthday. After-all what about the species that are not born but hatch, or come into the world through some other means. It sounds more logical that they'd have a different term, so I made one.

And according to Wookieepedia, I do believe Jedi did celebrate birthdays. At least some of the time. But from what I know about their culture, I find it more believable that they wouldn't. At least not for the youngling initiates.

Lastly, I tried a little experiment with this chapter. A Yoda POV section, where the narrator uses Yoda speak. I had a little Idea for another fanfic involving a time traveling Yoda, and though I don't know when or if I'll get to it, I took the opportunity to experiment a bit. I doubt I'd use Yoda speak for the whole piece. It's a bit hard to write. But I wanted to try a bit if it and see what you think. You be the judge. Does it read well for you?