Beyond - Legends A Dream of Rain [Anakin/Tahiri]

Title: A Dream of Rain
Timeframe: Pre-SBS
Genre: General
Characters: Tahiri Veila, Anakin Solo
Summary: What is real?
Author Note: I've been strangely prolific this past week, except instead of updating I keep on coming up with new stuff. Not sure what inspired this one?Hope you enjoy this one, PregnantPadme!

Thanks to Thrawn McEwok for giving this a quick read-through


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Errant Venture [27 ABY]


It was a dream, and she courted it.

It was a trick that she was trying to learn from Mara, who had reasoned that control of her subconscious would give Tahiri some control over her personalities. Weeks of practice later, she had learned to measure success in the small things. Though she still experienced blackouts and injuries she could not account for, the incidents were growing less frequent, and the flashbacks to her false memories did not trouble her as much. But thankfully, she had regained control of her dreams. Tahiri commanded them, directed them.

Controlled them.

Her dreams were a universe she could escape to at night, where she could touch happy memories and taste freedom. They could be anything she wanted ? comfort, love, warmth, trust. Sometimes, memories from childhood. Sometimes, fantasies of adulthood.

It did not matter what they were, as long as they were just hers ? just Tahiri's. Not Riina's.

He was a dream too, and she courted him. She drew him closer as time slipped away, and a smile curved her lips as her fingers touched his. She rarely brought him into her dreams because she was too frightened to open doors she had kept so carefully shut.

Tahiri concentrated as she had been taught and focused on the small details. His dark hair, carefully spiked. His lips, well-defined with a crooked smile. His twinkling blue eyes that had always reminded her of rain.

This was a dream?and she controlled her dreams. She controlled herself and her surroundings?and she controlled ?

"Tahiri?"

Anakin?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Tahiri jolted into awareness, only to find herself curled into one of the couches that lined the small rec room aboard the Errant Venture.

Someone had covered with a worn quilt, and she was suddenly thankful for the warmth. In the middle of the room, Valin Horn and Myri Antilles were playing some sort of card game, and Tahiri distantly hoped the two young Corellian were not practicing their gambling skills.

"Are you alright? You dozed off." It was Anakin again, who was sitting across from her, his eyes staring straight at her. Studying her, as if she had done something puzzling. Something unusual.

Something unwanted.

Tahiri shook her head silently, curled up into her quilt, and directed her attention to the younger children as she tried to shake the feeling of his eyes still watching her.

She could not.

When sleep finally overtook her again, Tahiri did not court her dreams.

She fled from them.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The next few weeks, Anakin watched her more frequently. Walking, eating, resting, helping Corran with his X-wing?suddenly everything she did was of the greatest interest. It was like he suddenly did not know her.

It was like he did not trust her.

She often found herself brooding during her waking hours. Tahiri had a lot to brood about, with her life in shambles, and the only home she had known invaded and destroyed by a race of people who wanted to see the Jedi dead.

And yet, all she saw was the moment her dream had turned upon itself, the moment that Anakin had opened his eyes and stared at her with shock and mistrust. The moment Dream-Anakin had become?Anakin.

Part of her screamed that it was not possible. Tahiri had already confronted this test and had passed it ? she had not killed Anakin despite all of the commands of Mezhan Kwaad.

But a small part of her had curled in on itself, knowing it could be true. Knowing it was still possible.

She dreaded going to sleep that ni

 

Inara: You posted it!

It's absolutely great! Perfect A/T - canon, and with the characters just right; not too confident, not too knowing, but honest and... well, beautiful!

I'll try to get back to you later with a full review!

But for now... thank you!

- The Imperial Ewok

 

Tahiri tore herself away and found herself back in front of Anakin. He was still watching her with curious rain-eyes. Eyes filled with possibility.

She flung her arms around him, and he laughed. The sound temporarily washed away her concerns, washed away Riina, like a good spring rain.

This was not a dream.


Just beautiful. You captured perfectly their relationship at that moment in time, and I loved the way you used the imagery of the dreams mirroring and reflecting reality. Just lovely.

The door to her room opened, and Anakin ran in, still in his nightclothes, his hair rumpled from sleep. He knelt in front of her and helped her into a sitting position, his eyes determined ? and afraid?

Why was Anakin afraid?

He reached out to her, touching her face. "Are you okay?"




You are so versatile! I'm so impressed!

 

I owe you like ten replies from posts that have rendered me speechless. Add one more to the list.

 

I have a stupid grin on my face right now that refuses to go away.

Lovely work, Inara. You wrote both of these characters so perfectly, showing all of their adolescent doubts, awkwardness, and honesty. It filled in the spaces of Post Conquest beautifully.

I love this idea, and it rings true as something Mara would recommend.

I find this to be a perfect symbolism. For Tahiri, a young girl who was raised in the Tatooine dessert, where water was gold, to see this in Anakin reveals so much about how she sees him.

Poor Tahiri. Poor Anakin. Their relationship underwent so much. Even their happiest moments seemed to be weighed down by sadness.

I think this was one plot line of many that the EU writers could have done so much with but chose not to for some reason. The conflict that could have been created between Tahiri/Riina and Anakin could have been so enticing. Would he risk killing Tahiri to save her and others from the manipulations of Riina?

The battle of wills here on Tahiri's dreamscape is excellently written.

Beautiful, Inara, absolutely breathtaking.

Wonderful work. This ending was perfect, balancing everything out. I loved it! This piece is everything A/T should be.

 

I'm dead tired, so this review will, sadly, not be my best. Anyway, this is just outstanding. So much to love about it that I'm loath to pick it apart piece by piece. Instead, I think I'll settle for a broad and some loud .

Great work, Inara.


JD.

 

Ooh wow...BEAUTIFULLY done Inara! Wow...love the dreams and the comparisons to rain, SO awesome! And...dang...woman!!!! I'd forgotten how much I love Anakin Solo, and this has just reminded me tenfold. LOVED IT!!!!

 

OH my gosh!

An Anakin/Tahiri by you!!!!

My life is complete!

Full review later, I just got home and now my mother's determined to feed me...

 

A beautiful, heart-wrenching, but make-you-smile piece that could be considered Cannon Tahiri and Anakin.

I love the exploration you do with this, the disjointed style that fits so well with her post abduction character. I was absoloutely entralled by the use of rain as a descriptor through the piece. The way you put it together was just beatiful


I love that you're exploring other ships, very cool!

A great little vig, Inara

 

You drew me in right from the very first sentence!

It was a dream, and she courted it.

Lovely work! You're a very talented author!

 

Beautiful vig! I loved it!

 

Is it my birthday already?

To what do I owe this gift?

you are wonderful and so is this story! I do so love pieces that capture the innocence of pre SBS canon while at the same time dealing with the possibilities abondoned by the proficcers.

As you are painfully aware...I lurv Tahiri and I thought you did a wonderful job with her here. She was wounded and fragile, but not shattered, and Anakin's concern and love came across beautifully.

Have you now written every 'ship that exists?

Stupendous!

Preggers

 

Very interesting story. You portrayed Anakin and Tahiri quite well.

 

That's a relief on my part. It's always a concern if I can get the characters right.

*taps foot impatiently*

You're welcome!

Thanks! It was fun for me to do, and mirror symbolism is always fun to play with.

Thanks!

Thanks for stopping by, Rodi!

I think that makes me the happiest of all. It's always a pleasure to bring a smile to someone's face, especially when I usual write angst

Thank you! I didn't want to make them too adult or too child-like, and having never written Tahiri before, it did worry me.

I feel like it's a technique Mara might have employed herself on many occasions. She had her own memories to escape.

I guess if I had to choose any element to represent Anakin, it would be water. It's such a clean element, a soothing and renewing one, but still very powerful. It's something I thik Tahiri would appreciate.

I was originally going to make this "all-the-way" happy, I really was...

*shuns plot bunny*

It's an interesting question - would Anakin condemn Tahiri if she could not be saved? And furthermore, would Anakin ever believe that?

Thanks!

Should I be worried that you seem surprised?

I'm glad - it's my first foray into A/Tdom, and I liked it very much!

Thanks! I really appreciate you stopping by