Beyond - Legends Enchanted - A Star Wars Fairytale (AU; SkySolos, Jag, Tahiri, Vader, etc) - update 29. July

How have I been missing this? taramidala pointed me this way some weeks ago. I'm sorry it took me this long to get here. I have some back reading to do, but the prologue was great!!

ETA: Looky-Lu! I was post number 100!

 

Hey ginchy, good to have you aboard! Thank you, and I hope you enjoy it.

Tags: @Ceillean, @Nyota's Heart, @taramidala, @windu4, @Durroness

* * *​

Darkness surrounded Jacen like a blanket. He didn’t like it; it pressed too close, felt a little too comfortable. It felt like it wanted to cuddle.

Jacen, as a rule, did not cuddle. He tried to pull away.

Jacen.

The voice was deep and almost recognisable. It sounded like his uncle’s, but deeper. It seemed to shake the world.

Jacen looked around, fighting the darkness. Uncle Luke? he called.

There was no sign of his uncle, but the darkness in front of Jacen grew darker, like the shadow of a shadow. It resolved itself into the shape of a man. His face was hooded, but Jacen caught the glint of a grin as the man lifted his arms, and more shadows poured forth. He spoke in a voiceless whisper.

Watch, little Jedi.

And in the shadows, Jacen saw images.

He saw his mother, holding Thalia and Lienna close in a corner while outside, men fought for their lives. His father and Chewbacca raced along a road, arrows flying all around them. Anakin stood tall, brandishing his knife, but something flung him against a wall and Jacen felt his brother’s pain like his own, slamming through him. The knife shattered against the hard ground.

No!

Jacen tried to focus, reaching out a hand towards his little brother. He managed to hold onto the scene a moment longer, long enough to see Anakin’s head slump forward, and then the shadows swirled and his little brother was gone.

Pain and grief battled inside him, and he choked down a sob. The shadows were relentless, showing him his sister, standing in a forest. As he watched, Imperial soldiers ran in to surround her, and Jacen’s heart stopped.

Jacen.

And then he did see his uncle, hovering beside the scene. Luke seemed to glow slightly. The shadows danced around him, never quite reaching.

Stand firm.

Luke lifted his hand. In it, he held a sword. He cocked his arm back and threw it; it arced toward Jacen, tumbling end over end.

Jacen hesitated. If he misjudged this, the weapon might take his hand off. Catching a sword at the wrong end was not recommended.

One of the soldiers moved in to seize Jaina. Beyond the group, Jacen could feel the darkness creeping over the land, threatening everything and everyone he held dear.

He needed that weapon.

He reached out for it, but too late -- it shot past him and into the darkness, where it disappeared. Jacen lunged forward as the soldiers grabbed Jaina, but he couldn’t reach them. He could only watch, helpless, as they dragged his sister away into the darkness.

The darkness spread, and resolved itself back into the shadowy figure he’d seen before. He still couldn’t see the man’s features, but he heard him speak, that same ashen whisper.

Look on, little Jedi. Little traitor. Look at your failure.

The shadows streamed around Jacen and swept him along. He fought them, but he couldn’t stop, couldn’t look away, couldn’t even shut his eyes. There were more images.

He saw Anakin again, limping towards a group of dark shapes full of ill intent. His little brother was gathering magic to him, almost glowing with it. But beyond it, Jacen could feel his pain, his weakness. Blood poured from him as he walked.

Jacen reached out to try and staunch the wound, but he couldn’t get through. He could only watch as magic surrounded and penetrated his little brother completely, until he seemed to glow from the inside. Anakin yelled and launched himself at his enemies, and they fell back before him. Light exploded, and Jacen strained his eyes to see what happened next. But he couldn’t. The explosion stayed burned into his eyes, overlaying the shadows that still swirled all around, and it took a while before his vision cleared.

By then, Anakin was gone.

Jacen felt his brother’s death tear through him. It would have driven him to his knees, if he’d been able to move.

But the shadows weren’t finished. Anakin’s death was still echoing through Jacen when the scene changed. He saw Chewbacca, roaring his defiance at the sky as fire rained around him. Ben lay on the ground, unnaturally still, the light playing in his coppery hair. Luke knelt beside him, head bowed, grief rolling off him in waves. Mara faced off against a shadowed opponent, long knives flashing in her hands. Something hit her and her whole body jerked as the knives fell from suddenly limp fingers. For a moment, she seemed to look at him, and the look in her green eyes drove a cold spike of fear into Jacen’s heart.

“You’re as... vile as he was,” she pressed out. Then she fell to the ground, still convulsing, and the shadows swept her away.

Enough!

Jacen still couldn’t move, but the helplessness coursing through him solidified into anger, and he willed the shadows to stop. They were tough, but he was tougher, and slowly, they drew back.

They re-formed themselves into the shadow figure, which moved toward him. In one gloved hand, it held a sword, which shone with an eerie inner light.

Mine.

Jacen clenched his fists, only to find them already holding weapons. He brought up the knives -- Mara’s knives -- and met the shadow man’s sword as it swept towards him. The force of the blow surprised him, but Jacen kept his feet. He matched the shadow man’s grin, and launched a counter-attack.

They drove each other back and forth, each unable to gain the upper hand. Jacen could feel the shadow man’s intentions, moving to block the blows before they even happened, but his opponent seemed to do the same with him. It felt like fighting Jaina, but it was serious, deadly serious.

They were locked, blades pressing against each other, almost close enough for Jacen to make out his opponent’s face, when his enemy suddenly drew back and whirled around.

Jaina stood there, armed with a sword of her own and clad in unfamiliar armour. The shadow man lunged at her and she lifted her blade to meet his.

With a yell, Jacen launched himself after his enemy, but the shadow man hit him with an invisible shove and sent him sprawling. Jacen shoved back, but the shadow man turned the momentum into a graceful leap. Jaina swept her blade at him, but he blocked it, sending her stumbling back. Jacen got his feet under him and ran to rejoin the fight, but once again, he was flung aside.

Jaina stayed on her feet and attacked again. The two blades clashed twice, three times. Jacen focused. He needed to be more subtle.

Instead of a flat-out shove, he threw one of his knives, guiding it through the air just as the shadow man sprang back from one of Jaina’s attacks. The knife hit his leg, which buckled under him when he landed. He flung out an arm to keep his balance. Jaina pressed her advantage, jumping forward to drive her sword into his chest.

The shadow man fell in on himself, dissolving back into shadows which swirled around Jacen, once again obscuring his vision.

When he could see again, the scene before him made his heart stop.

Jaina was sitting on the floor amidst the shadows, grief swirling around her, too big for her body to contain it. It was a mind-numbing, soul-crushing grief. It felt like she’d lost half of herself, and where that half had been was nothing -- a yawning, aching, abysmal nothing.

And in her lap, she cradled a man, a man who was bleeding from far more wounds than a person could sustain and live. A man whose features were slack in death, older, but still unmistakable.

Jacen stared at himself, his own lifeless body, lying dead in his sister’s lap. The shadows around him seemed to watch him, mock him, and he heard the voice again, the voiceless whisper from the darkness.

One by one, little traitor. One by one, you will destroy them all.

​

​

* * *​

​

​

The darkness let him go, and Jacen shot awake. Blood pounded in his ears, and his breaths shuddered through his body in panicked gasps.

Years of training kicked into gear, slowing his breath and his pulse, but he couldn’t calm down. He felt hounded, watched, like he was the focus of something big and ominous. For once, he did not enjoy feeling like the centre of attention.

Jacen finally remembered that disturbing dreams were not his only problem, and looked around. He was sitting upright in a bed, in a small room, bare except for the bed and a small wash stand. A lone window showed a square of night sky and tree tops. Moonlight angled through it onto the plain wooden floorboards. It looked peaceful. Even the darkness felt soothing.

And something was calling him.

He swung his legs out of bed without knowing why. It seemed like the thing to do. He padded across the room and made his way down the stairs and to the kitchen door, although he couldn’t have said how he knew the way. He moved without thinking, a nameless dread still lurking inside him.

A woman stood in the back yard, her back to him, looking out into the dark depths of the forest. Brisha, he remembered. Her name was Brisha, and this was her cottage. He stopped just outside the door, suddenly unsure.

“Couldn’t sleep?” asked Brisha.

He didn’t ask how she knew that he was there. Of course she knew. “Something like that.” Jacen hesitated. “Where’s Jaina?”

“Inside. Asleep.” Brisha turned to look at him, her voice carrying a measure of reproach now. “As you would know, if you’d been paying attention.”

“I was distracted,” said Jacen, feeling put-upon.

“I know.” Brisha took a few steps towards him, peering up at him with shadowed eyes. “You’re worried.”

Jacen looked past her around the yard. It seemed to have been made by the same crazy confectioner who had created the house. Slabs of toffee made up the low wall around it, sugar-coated flowers grew in candy-lined flowerbeds filled with chocolate sprinkle soil, and though the cherry tree in the corner looked real enough, it seemed to be growing cream cupcakes with cherries on top.

“What is this place?” he asked.

Brisha looked around with a smile. “A powerful source of magic,” she said, giving him a look that saw too much. “I’m sure you can feel it.”

Jacen, used to evading the subject of his magical talent, sidestepped the comment. “I meant the house.”

“It was built by a Sith mage,” said Brisha. “Darth Vectivus. Pretty, isn’t it?”

Jacen’s eyes widened before he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to know anything about Sith mages. He knew plenty, of course. He had grown up hearing about them and their evil deeds, and he had encountered some himself. A few years ago, he and Jaina had run into trouble with Brakiss, a man so impossibly handsome that he made it difficult to think straight, even for Jacen Solo.

He chose a safe answer. “I’ve never heard of him.”

“That’s because he did no evil,” said Brisha, again looking like she understood far more than Jacen said. “He didn’t try to take over the realm, he didn’t fight the Jedi, he didn’t kill anyone. He just lived, and learned, and eventually died of old age, peacefully.”

Jacen found that difficult to believe, but refrained from saying so. “So now you live here? Why?”

“Why would I live in a house built by an evil, scary Sith?” Brisha smiled. “Like I said, this place is a powerful source of magic. You’re a smart man, Jacen, I’m sure you’ve figured out my... talent. And you know the world is not safe for those like me. I was on the run when I found this place. It accepted me, and it’s protected me ever since.”

Carefully, Jacen reached out with his own magical senses, and the darkness seemed to reach back. Brisha was right, he realised. There was something in the darkness around them. Something less than benign. It felt malevolent, but at peace, contradictory as that sounded. It reminded him of a sleeping guard dog.

It was at odds with the cheerful, colouring, sweet surroundings, and it made him nervous. He felt off-balance, like he was lagging behind reality by a few steps.

“Accepted you?” he asked.

“That sounds like it has a will,” said Brisha apologetically. “I don’t mean it like that. But not everyone seems to harmonise with it. Those who do... there is so much wisdom here. Have you ever experienced a Force vision?”

“Yes,” said Jacen, before he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to admit that. It hardly mattered, he thought. She knew anyway. She was like him.

“This place amplifies them,” she said. “Visions of the future, the past... the veil is thinner here. It’s much easier to see.”

Jacen felt a little shock plummet into his stomach. “True visions?”

“Of course.” Brisha frowned. “You saw something, didn’t you?”

He shook his head, but she went on, “I know. I could see it when you arrived. This place resonates with you, too.”

Jacen tried to chase away the fear that clamped around his chest at the thought that what he had seen might come true. He needed his wits about him. Something wasn’t right here. The dark energies he could feel clashed with the ridiculously cheerful, sweet surroundings, leaving him confused.

“What makes you think that?”

“Because I saw it,” she repeated. “You’re a powerful man, Jacen Solo. I thought so when you arrived, but now I’m sure. I’ve had visions too, and the portents...” She shook her head, looking awed. “I think you’re the one. The only one who can stop the coming darkness.”

“The coming darkness?” Jacen echoed. “What do you mean?”

“It’s unclear,” she said. “I’ve tried to see it, but I don’t think I’m strong enough. It’s never quite clear. But I felt a presence standing in the way, a powerful one. I didn’t know who it was, but I recognised it when you came to my door. It’s you. It has to be.”

Only years of experience stopped Jacen from blushing. He knew that he was a talented mage, but even Jacen, with all of his Solo genes, had not managed to build up much of an ego around that with Anakin as his brother and constant rival. He and Jaina were good, but no matter what they did, in this area, Anakin had been consistently better.

It made Brisha’s words that little bit more satisfying. He also didn’t miss the fact that Brisha, despite apparently working on this, had not been able to see the future clearly in this regard, while he’d had a powerful vision without even trying.

“I can help you,” Brisha went on. “I think that’s what brought you here. I can teach you to use this place, and you can become the mage you were meant to be.”

Jacen’s ego wanted to agree, but he wrestled it back with some effort. The energy he could feel around him still unsettled him, and he felt like he was lagging a little behind reality, as if the conversation was happening without him and he was just filling in the gaps.

“All right,” he said. “Enough games. Just who are you, really?”

The woman before him hesitated. When she spoke, her voice was soft, almost wistful. “My name is Shira Brie.”

That was a name Jacen knew, and he tensed. “Also known as Lumiya. You’re a Sith.”

“Yes,” she said simply. She did not move to attack, just kept looking at him with that faintly wistful expression.

The conversation was rapidly leaving Jacen behind, but he still kept up his end. “You don’t seem very Sithly.” That’s not even a word, he thought. Why did I say that?

“Most of us aren’t,” she said. “Just like most Jedi are not much like Jedi.”

“What?”

“Jacen.” She smiled an indulgent smile that should have angered him. “How many Sith -- true Sith, not dark Jedi -- do you know? How many true Jedi? You assume that all Sith are like Palpatine. We aren’t.”

“You—” Jacen shook his head again. “You tried to kill my uncle. And my Mom and Dad, too.”

Lumiya shrugged modestly. “So did your aunt. She got better. So did I. It just took me longer.” She sighed. “I made mistakes, Jacen. I was young, impulsive, stupid. I’ve learned a lot since then. Coming here...” She looked around again and took a deep breath, smiling. “It helped me turn my life around. And I’ve learned so much. I want to make amends. I want to help you. I want you to use me and my knowledge to set things right.”

Jacen hesitated. “I didn’t come here by accident, did I?” he asked, demonstrating a level of insight that might have been impressive had it come several minutes earlier, or had he been a mouse faced with a succulent piece of cheese fastened to a mysterious wood-and-metal contraption. “You lured us here.”

“Does it matter why you’re here?” asked Lumiya. “You’re here. You can stop the darkness, you can restore balance and make things right, and I can help you. That’s destiny.”

“That’s why you told me about Vectivus, isn’t it?” he asked, cementing his place as a brain hero among rodents. “You want to persuade me to learn the Sith ways from you.”

“I want to help you reach your full potential,” said Lumiya.

“Why you?” Jacen asked. “I already have a teacher.”

“Luke?” Lumiya shook her head. “He holds back. Just like you do. You subdue your emotions, you’re doing it right now. There are aspects of magic you’ll never learn if you cling to control like that. You keep your feelings in check. You don’t use them.”

Jacen frowned. “It’s dark magic when you act from emotion.”

“Is that what your uncle told you?” Lumiya scoffed. “Luke Skywalker is scared. Understandably, given his past, but he shouldn’t pass that fear onto you. I mean, think about it. You’re being taught by a man who learned all he knows about magic during a time of war, from teachers who had two goals: make him into a weapon, and keep him firmly on their side. It’s limited. And that’s what he’s passing onto you, because that’s all he knows.”

Jacen had spent a lot of time thinking about dark and light magic. In fact, he remembered bringing up points very similar to Lumiya’s in arguments with his brother and uncle. “Maybe. But turning to Sith ways instead isn’t an answer.”

“You’re missing the point,” said Lumiya. “Sith and Jedi are two sides of the same coin. Dark magic, light magic, there’s no real difference.”

Again, she was echoing arguments that Jacen had had with his brother, back during his days as a self-appointed Jedi moraliser and philosopher. Like most philosophers, he had not arrived at much of a conclusion, but he had succeeded in annoying his entire family, and now, the idea of it all being in vain bothered him. “I seriously doubt that.”

“It all just comes down to techniques,” said Lumiya. “There are Sith techniques, and Jedi techniques. But it isn’t the technique that makes you evil. It isn’t the tool that makes you evil. It’s how you use it. Your motives.” She sighed. “A lot of Sith have succumbed to the allure of power, yes. They lack the strict discipline of the Jedi order, and they were weak. But you, Jacen, you aren’t weak. I believe that you can resist the temptation, particularly since you’ve already had Sith training. You can be the best of both, the most powerful mage the world has seen in millennia.”

Jacen, caught between flattery and suspicion, struggled to catch the significant part of Lumiya’s words. “Wait, what do you mean already had Sith training? Explain that.”

“Later,” said Lumiya, waving the detail away, and Jacen accepted this for reasons best known, or perhaps not known, to himself. “Jacen, I want to help you. At least listen to me. You’ve always had an open mind, you’ve always searched for more and been open to more. Listen, that’s all I ask.”

It seemed like a fair compromise to Jacen, whose eyelids were suddenly drooping again. “Yeah. All right.”

“Thank you,” said Lumiya, sincerely. “For now, why don’t you go back to bed and sleep on it? We’ll talk more in the morning.”

That seemed like a good idea to Jacen. He was briefly, vaguely aware of walking back to his bed and sinking into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

 

I really like Shira in this chapter, with her subtle stroking of Jacen's ego; it was enough that he noticed, but not too much that he would get overly alarmed. Personally, I think her arguments make a lot of sense, but I'm pretty much in the minority with that. '…so did your aunt. She got better'. Nice line. I've often thought that the line between Shira and Mara was far thinner than we would like to believe.

I'm going to hold out hope that what Jacen saw won't come to pass…but it was clever use of all of the LotF imagery.

 

ohhh Iverna I don't think I have commented on this story.

I have always loved fairytales, and this is just plain, awesome. Each character is their fairytale persona and their Star Wars persona. How you did that is beyond me. You accomplished a feat and to weave everything in and out of each other. Amazing.

Plus this past chapter was amazing with Jacen's vision. Let's hope it doesn't turn out like LOTF.

 

Interesting development and shocking vision/dream Jacen had. Whatever sense Lumiya's arguments might make, one can never keep a rein on the line or gray area or boundary between ruling for the good of many versus seizing power and holding ion out of believing you have a mandate or are more right than everyone else.

 

Yeah, Lumiya's a clever one. Jacen's in for an interesting time, for sure! As for whether it'll come to pass, I guess we shall just have to wait and see. *grins*

Heyyy, glad to have you aboard! I'm glad you like it so far. I really like fairytales as well, and Star Wars is kind of a fairytale itself, only in space, so it works out fairly well I think. Thank you!

Very true! I think it's very easy to take charge out of a desire to set things right and then become corrupted without even really noticing. Let's hope Jacen comes to his senses and remembers that...

 

Tags: @Ceillean, @Nyota's Heart, @taramidala, @windu4, @Durroness

Let me know if you want to be tagged!

* * *​

Anakin watched as his lady companion acted out the way Prince Jagged had dealt with the elf girls. Her theatrics made him laugh, and he thought that she and Jacen would get along immediately.

The thought gave him pause. Of course Jacen would get along with her. His stomach clenched. His own protectiveness surprised him. He wasn’t in the habit of protecting strangers, and he’d only just met the girl.

And yet, it didn’t feel like that. He hadn’t really stopped to think much since meeting her out here, but now that he was sitting down and a little calmer, he’d had more time to look at her. And the more he looked, the more he felt like he’d seen her before.

“Respect to the prince,” he commented when she finished the story.

She gave him an odd look, one that he tried very hard not to connect to his earlier comment about spells and seduction, and nodded. “Yeah. He’s quite a man. Did you see him? What did you think?”

He wasn’t sure what to say, so he settled on, “Not what I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

“Arrogance. Uselessness. You know, royalty.” He heard the derogatory tone in his voice, and remembered a little belatedly who he was talking to. “No offence.”

She laughed, a careless sound. “I’m not royalty.”

She didn’t look it, if he was honest. Some of her hair had escaped from the elaborate hairdo, her feet were still bare, and her eyes were shadowed in the dark, full of mystery.

And, just like that, the memory clicked.

“Right,” he said. “I forgot. Not entirely honest.” He grinned.

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t even start about that, Mr. Most Wanted.”

He felt his grin grow wider even as he took a step towards her. “Huh. I like the sound of that.”

It was hard to tell in the dark, but the way she rolled her eyes and squared her shoulders made him suspect that she was blushing. He reached out to take her by the shoulders, and leaned closer.

“That’s it, right?” he asked softly. “Hormford.”

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t pull away. “Excuse me?”

“That’s why you look familiar. I ran into you in Hormford.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking—”

“Sure you don’t.” He winked and released her. “Neither do I. Never been to Hormford.”

She looked at him for a moment longer, then she smiled. “Right. If you had, I bet you would’ve gotten into all kinds of trouble.”

“And run into a mysterious girl who seems to pop up wherever I go lately,” he said.

“Why would you have been running?” she asked.

He’d never been very good at this kind of thing, but he endeavoured to keep the charade up. Maybe this was his chance to find out just who she was.

“Probably because I broke out of a dungeon,” he said. “You know, bounty on my head and all.”

She grinned. “Tell me? I was… I mean, it sounds like the kind of thing I’d be wondering about. You know, if a strange man ran into me in broad daylight and then disappeared, I think I’d want to know what was going on.”

“I’m not so good at stories.”

“Oh, go on. Please?”

He gave in and told her how he’d escaped from Horm’s dungeons, glossing over the parts where he’d called on magic to help him out.

When he got to the part where he’d run into her, she shook her head, smiling.

“Just as well that the guard had already asked us, huh? You literally missed him by two minutes.”

The word “us” threw him off for a moment, but then he remembered, vaguely, passing someone else before reaching her. “Who was with you?”

“You don’t remember?”

He thought back, trying to sift through the memory. “Uh...”

“Two other girls.” She raised her eyebrows. “You knocked them into the mud.”

He opened his mouth, closed it again. It was all a blur; the world had turned into escape routes and obstacles, and he’d only been concerned with getting to the other end. When he’d run into the girl, it had all slowed back down for a moment, but only until his brain had caught up with him and urged him onwards. He’d barely managed to remember her face. “Sorry.”

Her stern expression melted back into delight and she waved a hand dismissively. “It’s all right, they deserved it. You couldn’t have picked better targets. So what happened after that?”

He told her the rest of it; climbing across roofs and ducking through alleys until he made it to the town wall, then dodging over that past the guards. It hadn’t been much of a challenge, since most of the attention was turned towards the castle and the town gates. He hadn’t even needed to call on the Force.

Not that he was about to say that. He’d already nearly walked right into it, earlier. She was distracting, that was the thing, and she was making him talk. Usually, he got around the problem of what he wasn’t supposed to say by not saying much of anything.

“So you paid the guy off with the bounty money?” She burst out laughing. “The bounty that he basically put on your head? That’s genius!”

He shrugged casually. “It worked out quite well.”

“I’ll say.” Her eyes were sparkling. “It sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Having a price on your head? Sure.” He heard the taint of bitterness in his own voice at that, but he couldn’t help it. For a while, he’d almost forgotten the differences between them, but whatever her secret was, she was clearly a lot higher up the social ladder than he was. From up there, being a wanted criminal was probably all kinds of exciting and romantic.

“Not that,” she said, and sobered. “I meant -- well, you know, you can do whatever you want, right? Go wherever you want.”

“Except for fancy parties,” he pointed out. The wistfulness in her voice made him wonder. He knew that nobility came with duties, but he’d always assumed that overall, it balanced out for the better. No guard or judge would ever tell a noble what to do. Kings and lords were the ones who told everyone else what to do.

But now, he couldn’t help thinking that he was way off on that, at least when it came to this particular noblewoman.

“I guess. Still...” She looked away, shaking her head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make light of it. It’s just—” She broke off, her eyes wide as she looked up, listening. Somewhere in the direction of the palace, a clock was chiming. “What time is it?”

“Must be about midnight,” Anakin said. “It was after ten when I—”

He didn’t miss the brief flash of panic on her face as she jumped to her feet. “Oh, damnation, I was supposed to—I mean, she said—I gotta go. Nice to meet you, Anakin, bye!” The last few words were shouted as she turned and raced away out of sight.

Anakin stayed put for a moment, staring after her, then his mind caught up with him and he pushed off the bench. “Hey, wait! I—!”

A glint caught his eye a little ahead. Her shoes lay in the grass, glittering in the moonlight. He picked them up and took off after her. “Hey! You left your shoes!”

He had no idea which way she’d gone, but he figured that she must have arrived by horse or carriage, so he tore along the paths around the castle towards the stables.

But he was too late. When he reached the stable yard, it was to see a white horse galloping through the gates beyond, a slim figure in a flowing dress on its back. Anakin stood there and watched as she disappeared, still uselessly holding her slippers, feeling like a fool.

* * *​

Leia had resisted the urge to pace all afternoon, but now that she’d finished the washing and cleaned the kitchen, her legs wanted to keep moving. She’d made and then eaten lunch hours ago, and there was no sign of the twins.

They weren’t in danger, that much she knew. She would have felt that. She would know if they were in any kind of trouble.

But they were late, and Han was not here to concoct a million possible explanations and make her laugh with speculation about Jacen’s love life. And Chewie’s big, steady presence was lacking, too. Their absence made the house seem too big and empty.

She gave in just before midnight. Leaving the kitchen door unlocked, she lay in bed and tried to sleep. They were just late. They’d been late before, especially Jacen. She was just not used to being alone anymore. There was a lot more space for worry when she was alone.

She summoned some magic and sought the twins out. She found them asleep, content and warm, and breathed easier. She stretched further towards Anakin. She only got a distant sense of her youngest son, but it was one of happiness, with an undercurrent of delighted excitement. He, too, was fine.

Comforted, she burrowed further under the covers, relishing the chance to have the big blanket all to herself. Eventually, she fell asleep.

She slept fitfully, and woke with the morning sun. Breakfast was just tea and bread, but Leia was used to that. The days of lavish meals at court were long behind her.

She’d barely finished and gotten dressed when her brother arrived.

“Good morning.” Luke stepped into the kitchen, already giving her that earnest, worried farm boy look. “Everything okay?”

Leia smiled. “Good morning. Sit down, I’ll get you some tea.”

“Mara’s on her way with the kids,” Luke said. “Where is everyone? What’s going on?”

She gave in, and explained the situation to him. When she finished, Luke frowned.

“They’re okay,” he said slowly. “I’m not getting much, but I know they’re okay.” His blue eyes were bright in the morning sun. “They’ll find their own way back. Trust them.”

She could feel the truth of it, a calm knowledge that wherever the twins were, they would be fine on their own. Still, she made a face. “That sounds like a Jedi thing.”

“I think it is,” Luke admitted, accepting his mug of tea and taking a sip. “I could go and look for them, if you want.”

It should have sounded good, but it felt entirely wrong. Leia shook her head. “They’ve been gone before.” She tried a wry smile. “I always knew that Solo kids were going to be hard to keep track of.”

“Oh, yeah, because Skywalkers never get into any trouble, right?” Luke quipped, making her laugh.

It broke the tension inside her some more. He was right. She needed to trust them. If they could rescue Zekk from Horm’s dungeons, then spending a night away from home really wasn’t anything to worry about.

Mara arrived just then, with the children and a basket of food. She set it down on the table. “I thought we could eat together,” she said by way of explanation.

“Where are you going today?” Leia asked.

The conversation turned to Jedi matters, and Leia found with mild surprise that her worry for the twins had eased almost completely. It really did seem to be a Jedi thing.

Unfortunately, that in itself was plenty of reason to worry all over again. But at least it wasn’t a gut-level worry.

How encouraging.

 

Liked the A/T. Especially the banter & now him holding her slippers. Enjoyed the way Luke tried to soothe away Leia's natural worries.

 

LOVE IT! Another chapter soon? *puppy dog eyes*

 

I am still catching up, but still a faithful reader!! You are a writing machine with this fic! I love how different and original it is with all of our favorite characters. The way you have transferred them to this world, yet kept their characterizations intact is awesome. I hope to be all caught up very soon!!

 

Wow, you are really a seanchaí that works magic with each word you weave.

I am sorry that I did not find this story any earlier.

Please put me on your update list!

 

Yep, now we'll have to see what he does with them...

Thanks! The next bit will be up very soon!

Thanks so much! I actually had a good bit written before I started posting, hopefully I'll be able to keep it up though! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. It's been a ton of fun to try and figure out how to fit them all into a fairytale world.

Go raibh maith agat! It's been a while since I've seen you around, it's good to hear from you! And you're on the list, no worries!

 

Tags: @Ceillean, @Nyota's Heart, @taramidala, @windu4, @Durroness, AzureAngel2

Say the word if you want on or off the tag list!

* * *​

Morning rose over Myrkr, the winter sun slanting across the trees with more goodwill than warmth. Birds sang, carefully moving after each tweet to avoid discovery as only birds raised in an enchanted forest, surrounded by predators that also lived in an enchanted forest, could.

On a road near the forest, by a tiny homestead that looked abandoned but, judging by the smoke still rising from the ruined building, wasn’t, a caravan waited. It was trying hard not to look like a caravan, and the handful of people milling about the two wagons was trying hard to look like they had nothing to do with it. Considering that they were all clustered around the only human landmark for miles, and having breakfast together, this was not working very well. But old habits died hard.

Shortly, two figures on horseback—one tall, the other taller—appeared around a bend in the road. The caravan crew sprang into sudden action on seeing them. Nonchalance gave way to efficiency, and by the time the two newcomers arrived, the fire was out and the wagons almost ready to go.

Han Solo dismounted and shook hands with a man in his thirties who seemed to be in charge. Their job apparently done, the man and two others mounted their horses and left at a gallop. Minutes later, the wagons churned forwards in the other direction and disappeared along the road, leaving behind no trace that they had ever been there.

The birds kept singing and switching locations in a deadly game of musical chairs.

​

* * *​

Deep in the forest itself, Jaina Solo was waking up in a room that smelled like caramel. The scent reminded her where she was, and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up.

The room looked like a diabetic tomboy’s nightmare. Everything from the wardrobe to the floor was sweet and edible, and every available surface was decorated with frosting in pastel colours. Hearts seemed to be a favourite motif. Jaina’s teeth hurt just looking around.

She realised a little belatedly that the bed felt strange, and saw that it was because the mattress was made of sponge cake. She got up hurriedly, brushing crumbs from her hair and feeling decidedly sticky.

“I’ll be damned,” she muttered, and hurried to find her brother.

Jacen was asleep in the room beside hers, and Jaina shook him mercilessly until he blinked his eyes open.

“Wha—”

“Come on,” said Jaina. “We’re leaving.”

Jacen frowned as she pulled him off the bed, looking around in confusion. “Why does it smell like cake?”

“You were lying on one,” said Jaina. “Come on.”

She tugged him out of the room and down the stairs into the room where they’d eaten the night before. A fire still danced in the hearth.

“Wait,” Jacen protested. “We still don’t know where we’re going.”

“Anywhere’s better than here.” Jaina tried the door; it was unlocked, and she shoved it open with more force than necessary.

Jacen snagged a piece of doorframe, earning himself a glare from his sister. “What?”

Jaina stalked along the path, but when she reached the gate, she stumbled and fell forward with a yell. Jacen dropped to his knees beside her. “Jaina?”

Jaina tried to get up, but something was holding her back. She pulled up her skirt to look at her ankle. It looked normal, but she could feel something clamp around it every time she tried to move past the gate. Frowning, she muttered a revealing spell.

A slender silver anklet blinked into existence, attached to a delicate silver chain that ran straight back towards the house.

“Magic chain,” said Jacen. “Bet you anything that Brisha’s holding the other end.”

“Did she get you, too?” Jaina asked.

Jacen tried the spell on himself, but it showed nothing. He shrugged and moved forward carefully, inching through the gate. Nothing happened. “I guess not.”

“Great. You go get help, I’ll stay here and try to figure out—”

“No way.” Jacen shook his head and held out a hand to help her up. “Let’s just go and find her.”

“Jacen—”

“He won’t leave you,” said Lumiya from behind Jacen. She was smiling. “Come on in and have some breakfast, won’t you?”

Jacen glowered at her, one protective arm around his sister. “Let her go.”

“That’s not up to me,” said Lumiya, and began walking back towards the house, trailing her hands over the plants that lined the path. Jacen watched her for a moment, looking dazed. His stomach growled.

He took Jaina’s hand. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s figure this out.”

Breakfast consisted of cake, cookies, and chocolate milk. Jacen dug in, but Jaina poked around her plate dubiously, picking at the bits that didn’t have too much icing on them.

“Do you have any bread?” she asked eventually.

“Gingerbread,” said Lumiya.

“No, I mean real bread,” said Jaina. “Or an apple, or something.”

Lumiya frowned. “You don’t like cake?”

“Not for breakfast,” said Jaina. “How did you build this place, anyway?”

“I didn’t build it,” said Lumiya, glancing at Jacen. “It’s been here for a long time. You can’t build a place like this anymore. Too many guidelines about nutrition these days. I mean, who wants a multigrain-bread house?”

“Me,” muttered Jaina, whose sweet tooth was outnumbered by all her savoury ones.

“Strange girl,” Lumiya commented. “Jacen? Another cookie?”

“Thanks.” Jacen took the treat and ate it with every sign of enjoyment. Lumiya watched him, looking pleased.

Jaina, meanwhile, was losing her patience. Raised by a princess, her manners were better than most people’s, but she was rapidly forgetting about them. The lack of food was not helping. “Look, Brisha, thanks for the cake and all. But I’d like to go home now. What the hell is with this ankle chain thing?”

Lumiya’s expression turned to one of concern. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But you can’t leave. You’re both stuck here, trapped by your greatest weakness. I thought I could avoid it, but...” She shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry.”

“Let us go.”

“I’d love to,” said Lumiya. “But it’s not of my doing.” She offered a sad smile. “Why do you think I’m out here all alone?”

“You can’t leave either?” Jaina asked. Jacen lost interest in his cookie and sent Lumiya a sharp glance, which she missed.

Lumiya nodded. “This place is a focus of magic. It will allow you to leave once you’ve overcome your greatest weakness.”

“A chain on my ankle is my greatest weakness,” Jaina said, her tone making it clear that she was having none of it. “You got a hammer?” Another thought occurred to her. “Wait. So why’s Jacen trapped here? He could leave.”

“Not without you,” said Lumiya.

They both looked at Jacen, who looked back quizzically. “So what do we do?” he asked.

“We figure it out,” said Lumiya. “I’ll help you. Don’t worry. In the meantime, maybe you could help me? It’s a big house, and I haven’t been able to keep up with all the work. I’d appreciate some help.”

Jaina was about to tell Lumiya where she could stick it, but thought better of it when she looked back at her brother. She had spent a long time learning to stop and think before she spoke and acted. Her aunt had drilled it into her. She could almost hear Mara’s voice now, warning her to keep her head down. Wait, she would say. Watch. Listen. Feel. Something’s not right, and you won’t figure it out by antagonising Brisha. She’s sneaky. You’ve got to be sneakier.

Jacen, meanwhile, was nodding. “Sure. What do you need?”

“Well, for starters, there’s a lot of wood out back that needs chopping,” said Lumiya. She turned to Jaina. “And the oven could use a good cleaning.”

“Got it,” said Jacen, sliding his chair back from the table. “I’ll get right on it.”

“Good boy,” said Lumiya. She held a plate towards him. “Have another cookie.”

Jacen took one eagerly, and Jaina watched as he bit into it, seeing the subtle strands of magic weaving around and into him this time.

Lumiya smiled.

* * *​

When Luke and Mara returned from their errands just after lunchtime, it was to find Anakin engaged in a wrestling match with the kids in the field behind the house. Shrieking and laughing, Ben and Thalia jumped on him while Lienna clung to one of his legs. The scene reminded Luke of a bear playing with his cubs, and brought a wide smile to his face.

“Uncle Luke!” Anakin called. “Help! I’m being attacked by bandits!”

“You’re the bandit!” Thalia yelled, tugging at his arm as he held onto Ben.

“Daddy!” Lienna let go of Anakin’s leg, ran through the gate, and launched herself at Luke. “We’re playing bandits!”

“I saw,” Luke said, bouncing her on his arm as he walked closer to the others. “Who’s winning?”

“I did!” Lienna proclaimed.

“I think it’s a tie,” said Anakin, who had managed to hoist Thalia over his shoulder and get to his feet. Ben was hanging onto his arm, giggling like crazy.

Mara laughed and reached for her youngest daughter. “Let’s go help them, Lienna!”

She took the girl in her arms and ran at Anakin, Lienna flailing her arms and shrieking with delight as she pretended to fly.

Luke took the opportunity to watch Anakin. The young man looked tired, which was to be expected after working half the night. Dressed in his usual homespun shirt and pants, he looked the same as always, but Luke’s Jedi senses caught something different about him. A sense that something important had happened clung to Anakin like an aura. With a start, Luke realised that it was a similar feeling to the one he’d had earlier, when he’d reached for the twins. It felt for all the world like destiny.

He wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

For his part, Anakin looked happier than he had in a long time, his smile brighter. Luke was glad to see it. The young man had been almost bitter lately, but today, he looked like some of that had lifted.

Luke smiled to himself, and went to join his family in their game.

 

Iverna! Yum! Now I wouldn't mind waking up in a room filled with sponge cake and smelling of caramel. LOL Well, their greatest weakness is the key ... is Lumiya as stuck as she claims? Woot! Tahiri's the secret to Anakin's newly found happiness.

 

The birds kept singing and switching locations in a deadly game of musical chairs.

I simply love your ironic descriptions!

 

It is a very yummy house, that's true! I'm not sure I'd like sleeping on a sponge cake though... *lol* Good point about Lumiya...we shall find out more about her plans soon! As for Anakin - he would probably deny it, but I think you might be onto something there!

Eyyy, thank you!

 

Tags: @Ceillean, @Nyota's Heart, @taramidala, @windu4, @Durroness, @AzureAngel2

Say the word if you want on or off the tag list!

* * *​

In the back yard of Lumiya’s cottage, surrounded by the smell of cherry pie and liquorice, Jacen was chopping wood. He had taken his shirt off. It was almost winter, but there is an order to this kind of thing. An attractive young hero always removes his shirt while chopping wood. It’s tradition.

Jacen did not mind, because the sun was shining and he was full of sugary energy.

Lumiya stepped out to watch him—to ascertain his physical capabilities, she told herself. It had nothing to do with the way the sunlight glinted on his bare arms, or the way his dark hair fell into his face with each strike of the axe, or the way his back muscles rippled when he moved. None of that mattered. She was not looking for a pretty boy. She was looking for an apprentice, and she needed to be sure that he would be strong, a capable warrior. This was serious business.

Jacen lifted the axe again, and struck downward, neatly slicing another piece of wood in half. Sweat glistened on his neck and bare back.

Very serious business, indeed.

He noticed her, and turned around. “Hey.”

“I just came to see how you’re doing,” said Lumiya.

Jacen smiled, leaning on his axe. He did not seem tired, despite having spent the entire morning out here, chopping wood and cutting back shrubs. He did look very capable, Lumiya thought. Especially with that crooked smile... “Getting there.”

“I appreciate it,” she told him. “But it’s going to get dark soon. Come on inside and we’ll get started on dinner.”

“Right.” Jacen set down the axe and followed Lumiya towards the house. “By the way, about last night...” He almost cringed as he said it. He could recall quite a few conversations which had begun with those words. None of them had gone well.

But Lumiya remained placid. “Yes?”

Jacen shook his head, looking confused. Dark curls swept across his forehead with the movement. He hadn’t shaved, because as a middle-aged woman living in the woods by herself, Lumiya did not own a razor. The stubble on his cheeks and his mussed hair gave him a roguish air, as if he’d just stumbled out of bed.

Not that it mattered how handsome he looked, Lumiya thought. It was just a fortunate coincidence.

“Why did you tell Jaina that you’re stuck here, too?” asked Jacen. “Are you?”

“In a way,” said Lumiya. “I told you it’s not safe out there for me. I was never able to truly master the Force. That’s why I’ve been looking for an apprentice.”

“So that’s why you want to teach me.”

“I want to be useful,” said Lumiya, putting some urgency into her voice. “I’ve learned so much. I don’t want to see it go to waste. And you’re my best chance, Jacen. You can take what I know and really do something with it.”

“You mentioned that,” said Jacen. “Why me?”

“I’ve seen it,” said Lumiya. “I’ve studied the portents. You can be the strongest mage the world has seen in centuries if you’ll just look a little beyond what you know.”

​

* * *​

Inside the house, Jaina was on her knees in front of the chimney and cursing a blue streak. Mara had taught her to watch and listen, but she hadn’t yet managed to teach her how to do it patiently, or in a family-friendly manner.

No one had had to teach her how to tell if someone was having her on. When you grew up around Lando Calrissian and Han Solo, you learned that automatically.

Jaina was not taking captivity well, and her brother’s odd understanding for Lumiya was not helping with her temper. Understanding and sympathy, in Jaina Solo’s book, were reserved for people she liked, and if there was any to spare, it went to the poor and the innocent. Sith mages were firmly at the opposite end of that spectrum.

Lumiya and Jacen entered the house, and Jaina stopped cursing and listened.

​

​

* * *​

“I’m not saying you should be like Palpatine,” Lumiya told Jacen. “That’s the last thing I want. He’s destructive, uncaring, manipulative. He chose the dark side, and he became twisted by it. Much like your uncle has become twisted by the light. You haven’t fallen prey to the light side, so I’m sure you won’t fall to the dark, either.”

“Wait a second,” Jaina burst out. “Jacen, she’s Sith!”

“I know,” said Jacen, and wondered briefly why he hadn’t told Jaina that earlier. “Her real name is Shira Brie. Or Lumiya.”

Jaina gave Lumiya a dark look. “That explains a few things.”

“Jacen,” said Lumiya, ignoring Jaina. She began setting the table for dinner, and again, the menu seemed to consist mostly of cake. For that reason alone, Jaina thought, they had to get out of here. She knew her brother. If Jacen stayed here for any amount of time, she was going to have to roll him home.

“Please don’t let your fear stop you from doing what’s needed.”

“Fear?” Jacen shook his head. “I’m not afraid.”

“You’re afraid that I might be right,” said Lumiya. “That it isn’t as easy as you’ve been led to think. That dark magic, itself, doesn’t corrupt. That you’re destined to become a powerful mage, the first one in decades who can use both light and dark magic. You’re afraid, just like your uncle was afraid when Obi-Wan Kenobi first came to him, just like every hero is. You’re afraid of choosing between your comfortable but purposeless life, and the life you know you are destined to live.”

This was a clever ploy on Lumiya’s part. It was no less clever for being horribly over-used. Jacen was nineteen, an age where most people are still adrift on a sea of teenage hormones on the intrepid quest to find, well, a quest. A purpose. There is a reason why this age group is the one most commonly targeted by people who claim to be trying to Change Things. Deep down, every teenager is waiting for an old wizard to show up and inform them that they must go forth and save the world. Most of them wait for long enough to give up and do something sensible, but some believe the impostors. (Others still resort to using certain plants in order to find not just wizards, but dragons and talking plants and purple ferrets, too.)

Jacen had already gone through his existential crisis, but the Skywalker part of him was still waiting for the old wizard.

Jaina, on the other hand, was pragmatic enough to realise that saving the world mostly involved a lot of hard work, manly tears, and possibly dying. She stepped between them, holding the shovel from the chimney like a weapon, and glared at Lumiya. “Shut up.”

“Wait, Jaina,” said Jacen, holding out a calming hand. “Let her talk.”

“When did you turn stupid?” Jaina demanded.

“Not stupid,” said Jacen, against all evidence. “Curious. Lumiya, last night you said I’d already had Sith training. How?”

“Vergere,” said Lumiya, who was trying hard not to sound triumphant after seeing Jacen turn against his sister, even slightly, already.

“Vergere?” Jacen stared at her. He had met Vergere two years earlier, after running into trouble with vornskrs and some guards in a small town near the forest. She’d been a little old lady who lived in a small, neat cottage and talked about gardening. She had made him tea and he had spent a few days there, while the trouble blew over. “She wasn’t a Sith.”

Lumiya raised her eyebrows. “She taught you magic, didn’t she?”

“She taught me about gardening,” said Jacen. “And yeah, she showed me how to hide my presence so the vornskrs wouldn’t sense me.”

“She taught you to survive,” said Lumiya. “She taught you how to make plants survive. Survival is a Sith trait.”

“Now you’re clutching at straws,” said Jacen.

Lumiya was not put off. “The Jedi are taught self-sacrifice, giving up their lives for the greater good. Sith train to survive. Like Vergere.”

“She embroidered little cushions!”

Lumiya spread her arms in a shrug. “So? I bake cakes.”

“And you want Jacen to join your little old ladies’ club?” Jaina demanded. “Drink sherry, knit cardigans, do a little dark magic? Jacen, this is ridiculous. She’s making it up.”

“Don’t you want your life to mean something?” Lumiya demanded. “You’re the one, Jacen. Let me show you. Or just look for yourself. You can stop what’s coming. You can make a difference. Don’t you want that? A purpose?”

“You keep saying that,” he said. “How do you know it’s me?”

Lumiya shrugged. “I can show you.”

Jacen hesitated, then nodded. “All right.”

Lumiya let her eyes drift closed and reached out to him. He reached back, and she swept him along almost faster than he could follow. Drawing on the energy which suffused the house and its surroundings, she whispered a spell and sought out the future. Images swirled before Jacen, tangled and confusing. Lumiya reached out and pulled them into line, until they made sense to him.

Jacen saw a dozen futures, all stretching out from this point. He saw himself turning away from Lumiya, and tragedy ensued no matter what he did then—Jaina, pulled into fire by her ankle, screaming. Lumiya, knocked against the wall by Jaina’s shovel. Jacen, stabbed by his sister, whose features were frozen in horror. Further ahead, the futures were all clouded by darkness and tragedy.

He shook his head and turned away, looked elsewhere, searching for a future which didn’t end in pain. He only found one. He saw himself, leading an army against the dark forces from last night’s visions. He retraced it, and saw Lumiya, standing across from him. She tossed a sword towards him. But even here, there was an obstacle in the way, something dark and angry.

Jaina.

She caught the sword and struck at Jacen, but he ducked out of the way and wrenched the sword from his sister’s grasp, striking her down. He looked ahead to see more pain, more fighting, but ultimately, there was light. Freedom.

Jacen looked elsewhere, and saw the different strands play out their events. In every scenario where Lumiya died, along with her knowledge, the world plunged into darkness. Jacen missed the sword. The realm was lost. His family died.

Lumiya needed to live. And the only future in which she could live was one where Jacen fought Jaina, and won.

Jacen looked at Lumiya, and knew that she had seen it, too. There were tears in her eyes. “We Sith,” she said, “strengthen ourselves through sacrifice.”

It was well done. It sounded, and felt, almost noble, if you skipped over the part where he would be fighting and killing his own sister. It also sounded perfectly reasonable and logical, if you skipped over all the inconsistencies.

But the sneaky part of Jacen, the Solo part, couldn’t help but notice that it was always Lumiya whom the visions vindicated. If in doubt, his father always said, follow the money. Ask yourself who stands to gain.

He’d been brought here. He’d had a vision—several visions, in fact, all of them encouraging him to learn from Lumiya. There’d even been portents, if Lumiya was telling the truth.

And Jacen knew that, one way or another, his time was up.

“Don’t let your fear stop you from doing what’s right,” Lumiya urged again. “Don’t let it stop you from learning what you need to learn.”

“That’s not fear, it’s common sense!” Jaina snapped.

“You see? She’s your weakness,” Lumiya told Jacen. “She always has been.”

“My weakness,” Jacen repeated, shifting his stance and calling on the Force. He could feel the magical power Lumiya had shown him, and reached out to it.

Mine.

 

In the back yard of Lumiya’s cottage, surrounded by the smell of cherry pie and liquorice, Jacen was chopping wood. He had taken his shirt off. It was almost winter, but there is an order to this kind of thing. An attractive young hero always removes his shirt while chopping wood. It’s tradition.

Jacen did not mind, because the sun was shining and he was full of sugary energy.

Lumiya stepped out to watch him—to ascertain his physical capabilities, she told herself. It had nothing to do with the way the sunlight glinted on his bare arms, or the way his dark hair fell into his face with each strike of the axe, or the way his back muscles rippled when he moved. None of that mattered. She was not looking for a pretty boy. She was looking for an apprentice, and she needed to be sure that he would be strong, a capable warrior. This was serious business.

Jacen lifted the axe again, and struck downward, neatly slicing another piece of wood in half. Sweat glistened on his neck and bare back.

Very serious business, indeed.

You know how to suck a female reader in on a lonely Saturday night. Beltane is truly in the air. I see fire...

Anyway, Lumiya is pretty manipulative and I am sad that Jacen falls for it.

“Don’t let your fear stop you from doing what’s right,” Lumiya urged again. “Don’t let it stop you from learning what you need to learn.”

“That’s not fear, it’s common sense!” Jaina snapped.

“You see? She’s your weakness,” Lumiya told Jacen. “She always has been.”

“My weakness,” Jacen repeated, shifting his stance and calling on the Force. He could feel the magical power Lumiya had shown him, and reached out to it.

Mine.

I wish he could be as clever as his sister Jaina. But alas...

 

I agree with Azure. I really, really didn't want that to happen ...

 

Sorry, Jacen, you're sister's right. You did turn stupid...or you always were.

 

Why do I get the feeling our author was the one watching Jacen work?

Jacen's vision actually makes a LOT more sense than the one Denning wrote...and I loved the philosophical arguments about why teenagers are always the 'hero' in our stories.

Still don't buy the argument that Vergere's a Sith, though. Loved the 'gardener' comment`! Good stuff.

 

Yeah, there's something in the air all right. We shall see how this turns out for poor Jace... and his sister...

Yeah, Jacen doesn't seem to be thinking quite straight here, does he?

It is pretty stupid to listen to Lumiya, yeah... even if she is using magic on him. Silly boy!

Of course I was watching, I had to write it, didn't I? Nah, you have to have at least one shirtless scene in fanfic, don't you? Isn't that in the rules? I'm sure I read that somewhere...

The "Vergere is a Sith" argument is really flimsy. I actually re-read that part of LOTF just to make sure I got the references right, and it didn't make sense to me in there either. I guess we'll have to wait and see how Jacen's vision turns out here!

 

I'm caught up!!! It took me long enough, and I apologize for the delay. But it's such a fantastic tale that you've written and I wanted to make sure I was reading it carefully.

Lumiya is pretty scary with the magic and the twisted visions and words. And the sacrifice here would be much more of an actual 'sacrifice' on Jacen's part, and far scarier. I loved this entire scene but the best part was, of course:

“When did you turn stupid?” Jaina demanded.

 

I'm on the edge of my seat!
Lumiya needed to live. And the only future in which she could live was one where Jacen fought Jaina, and won. No. Lumiya needs to die. Please don't kill off Jaina!! I keep waiting to see how she's going to run into Jag. (I'm guessing she's supposed to be the Miller's daughter?) By the way, I love how Jag just reasoned himself out of Alema's and Numa's charms. LOL, that's exactly why I love him so much. Also, please tag me!

 

Oh crap, I've left you guys in this cliffhanger for waaaay too long. Sorry! DRL got in the way and distracted me. But the next post is all written and ready to go, so I'll do that before I write more replies!

Tags: @Ceillean, @Nyota's Heart, @taramidala, @windu4, @Durroness, @AzureAngel2, Darkwriter - say the word if you want to be tagged!

* * *​

“Anything from the twins?” Mara asked while she washed and chopped vegetables for a stew.

Leia paused in stoking the fire in the range, and shook her head. “No. Anakin says he hasn’t felt anything, either. It’s almost as if they’re hiding.”

Mara grimaced. She’d assumed that the twins would be back by the time she and Luke returned. They’d been gone overnight before, but never for longer, not without leaving word first. And Mara knew better than anyone that the forest could hold tremendous dangers.

“That doesn’t sound like Jaina,” Luke spoke up from his place at the table, where he sat peeling potatoes. “Not anymore, at least.”

Leia sighed. “No. Usually she keeps Jacen grounded, too.”

Part of Mara wanted to go after them, but she knew better. If the forest held them, then it would hold them, and sending in more people wouldn’t do the least bit of good. Better to wait here, watch out for any signs of trouble, and charge in towards it when they had a location.

Besides, it could all be as innocent as anything involving the Solo twins could be. Certainly the lack of danger they’d all felt so far indicated as much.

Anakin all but barged in through the door just then, carrying two pails of water. He set them down with a thunk. “Had to fight my way through bandits for this.”

Mara laughed. “Aww. You do have it tough, don’t you?”

“Very.” He blew hair out of his face. “Think I’ll let them annoy the cat for a while instead.”

“Anakin, the latch is caught again,” Leia said, pointing to one of the oven’s doors.

Anakin knelt on the floor beside her and began to tug at the metal.

Mara turned back to the vegetables, chopping with a little more than her usual vigour. At first, she put it down to picking up on the tension that remained with Leia despite everything, but it was more than that. The kitchen seemed suddenly darker, closer.

She frowned and tried to push the feeling away, reminding herself that the twins were fine.

But this was not about the twins. The dark feeling pressed in around her, and she put the knife down when she saw that she was leaving gouge marks in the chopping board.

A horn rang out in the distance. It was not a normal horn. In fact, it was inaudible to all but the most sensitive human ears—and those who had heard it before.

Mara had heard it before, and she froze when the sound reached her ears. Luke, attuned to his wife to the point where they sometimes felt like one being, heard a whisper of it a moment later, when Mara’s attention had focused.

To him, it sounded beautiful, wistful and exciting all at once. Mara only heard danger. Leia heard nothing at all, and Anakin only frowned.

“What is it?” Leia asked, glancing worriedly from Mara to Luke and back again.

Mara shook off the fear that wanted to squeeze her throat shut, and reached for the knife again. “We have to get the kids inside. Now.”

​

* * *​

Luke didn’t question Mara’s command. Anakin was already on his feet and halfway out the door, breaking into a run. Luke beat Mara to the door and ran across the yard to the pasture where the children had been playing.

He spotted the girls straight away. They were running away from him, hurrying on their short legs, heading for the gate at the end of the field. Anakin was heading after them.

Luke called them and ran faster, truly afraid now.

Thalia didn’t stop, but Lienna glanced back. She said something and Thalia hesitated, turning back to her sister. As Luke drew closer, tearing down the field with all the speed he could manage, he saw Lienna grabbing onto Thalia’s hand.

Anakin reached them, stopping between them and the gate and grabbing onto both girls. Luke didn’t hear what they said, but Anakin looked up at him.

“Ben’s gone over the gate!”

Luke’s heart tried to drop out through his stomach. “Take the girls inside!”

He ran on. Vaulting over the gate, he found himself on the track that led into the forest. He’d spent hours here, playing with the Solo kids when they were younger, and then, more recently, with his own. It was as familiar to him as his own back yard, except today, something felt different. He’d never thought of it as dangerous before. Myrkr Forest was dangerous. This was an offshoot of Myrkr, but as they’d always told the children, as long as they stayed on this side of the stream, they were safe.

There was no sight of Ben anywhere, but Luke heard the horn again as he ran, and more besides. A faint music was ringing through the trees, wistful, elusive, beautiful in a way that tore at his heart. And it called, not to him, but to someone.

He ran towards it, his heart thundering in his chest. Whoever they were, they were after Ben, he knew that now. The girls were safe with Anakin and Mara, but the boy was so damnably fast when he wanted to be...

Luke crashed through the undergrowth, not bothering to hide his approach. Let them notice him. Let them try to stop him.

The music grew louder, seeming to reach out and touch him for just an instant, and he stumbled. A spell brought his balance back before it could truly go, and catapulted him over a fallen tree trunk that he would have hit his head on, had he gone down.

The music grew quieter again, more and more distant even as Luke ran towards it.

Just ahead, he could see the stream that marked the border to Myrkr. And just beyond it, on the other bank, he caught a glint of sunlit red-gold.

Ben was lying on the ground, unusally quiet. Luke cleared the stream with a flying leap and dropped to his knees beside his son, hand reaching out for his forehead.

“Ben?”

Ben whimpered and tried to push his hand away. His forehead, along with the rest of him, was cold to the touch. And when Luke reached out with his magic, his senses told him that there was nothing there at all.

For a moment, he knelt there, looking from Ben to the forest beyond and back again. Whoever had made that music had also done something to his son. It was a black certainty in Luke’s heart, and it made his fists clench and his anger rise, sweeping spells ahead of it.

Luke clamped down on it all. He had to take care of Ben first.

He scooped the boy into his arms despite the continued whimpering, and stood. Ben felt solid enough in his arms, but he didn’t seem quite real.

Luke swallowed his fear, and headed home.

* * *​

Jaina watched her brother get ready to attack, gathering magic to him. She was still gripping her shovel, and her heart was pounding.

Jacen was looking at her, and seemed to be fighting tears. “I’m sorry.”

She nodded that she understood, and braced herself.

Jacen yelled something and Lumiya was flung across the table. She pushed back to her feet scowled at Jacen, quivering with rage. “So it’s betrayal already?”

Jacen shook his head. “I was never on your side.”

“You need me!” Lumiya all but screamed. “You’ve seen what will happen!”

“I’ve seen what you wanted me to see,” said Jacen. “And you were right about the fear. But you don’t fight fear.” He smiled faintly. “You face it.”

With a wordless sound of frustration, Lumiya charged. Jaina fell to the ground as the chain tugged her foot out from under her, and heard more than saw the two of them clash. The air was humming with magic now. Lumiya blasted a spell at Jacen, sending him crashing into the wall, but Jacen managed to soften his impact and bounced back.

Jaina climbed to her feet and ran after Lumiya. She shoved the Sith lady sideways with a spell, but Lumiya braced herself against the oven. Lightning flashed towards Jaina and threw her back onto the ground, her muscles spasming.

The chain around her leg grew visible, glowing yellow, and pain began to eat into her ankle. She screamed before she could bite it back.

Jacen roared and threw a chair at Lumiya, and the pain in Jaina’s ankle subsided as Lumiya turned back to Jacen. Lightning crackled around her arms.

Jaina had never seen anyone cast lightning before, but she’d heard the stories. The Emperor was rumoured to do the same. Luke had told them that it was dark magic, some of the darkest there was, because it was pure energy, pure power, directed in a way that nature had never intended.

Lumiya raised her hands and sent arcs of lightning across the room at Jacen.

It didn’t hit him.

Instead, it formed a little globe of light, dissipating back into the nothing it had come from. It lit Jacen’s grin with an eerie blue colour. “I’m a little insulted,” he said. “You really thought that you could lure me to the dark side with cookies and a few slick lines?”

Lumiya shrieked and doubled her efforts, but the little orb in Jacen’s palm only grew brighter. Jaina tried to ignore the pain that was still flaring through her ankle and sent another shove at her, but it bounced; apparently, Lumiya was shielding now.

Lumiya laughed, still casting lightning, sounding a little mad now. “You can’t hope to beat me,” she said. “You could have been the greatest ever, Jacen. But it turns out that you are a fool.”

“Then you’re a fool for teaching me,” Jacen retorted.

Jaina grabbed her shovel and began crawling towards Lumiya, gritting her teeth against the pain in her ankle. The closer she got, the worse it grew, but she wasn’t about to give up.

“I didn’t,” Lumiya told him. “I tested you.”

“You showed me the source of your power,” said Jacen. “It doesn’t matter why.”

Jaina pushed to her feet, ignoring the pain in her ankle. If Lumiya would just stay distracted for another few seconds...

“It doesn’t matter at all,” Lumiya scoffed. “You can’t use it. You’re weak. As long as your sister lives, you’ll be weak.”

Jacen’s eyes narrowed. Jaina drew herself up.

“So are you,” she said, and swung the shovel.

Lumiya shrieked when it connected with her head, whirling around and unleashing another wave of lightning towards Jaina. Jaina tried to shield from it, but the pain from her ankle was too distracting and the sheer force of Lumiya’s rage was too strong. The world became chaos and bright, scorching light.

Jacen launched himself across the room and landed between them. Lightning crackled around him and was drawn to his palms, where it became a bright orb of light once again. Jaina reached out to him and lent him her strength.

With another howl of rage, Lumiya redoubled her assault, and Jacen’s arms began shaking. The chain around Jaina’s ankle began to wind around her leg and then crept around her neck, cutting into her skin. She struggled to breathe, felt Jacen’s fear as he realised what was going on...

The world slowed, and Jaina saw it play out as if far away. Jacen raised his arms and sent the blue orb of light toward Lumiya. Lumiya’s expression changed from enraged to downright terrified as she realised that she had no defence against her own power. Her lightning was absorbed, her efforts at sending it back at Jacen useless. The light hit, and engulfed her, and she opened her mouth as if to scream.

Then she burst into flame from the inside out.

Jaina shrieked and scuttled backwards as Lumiya’s face began to glow, then burst away from her skull. She became a column of flame that roared all the way through the ceiling and probably the roof.

Jaina hardly noticed the pain from her ankle fading as the magical chain dissolved with Lumiya’s death. Shaking, she got to her feet, thinking only one thing: Jacen!

He was there two breaths later, and they fell together in a brief hug that hurt and reassured at the same time. Jaina gripped Jacen’s arm and tugged him away from the horrible bonfire that was all that remained of Lumiya.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

They stumbled outside. The outside of the house was rotting, Jaina saw, the cakes and sweets melting away into mould and stickiness that smelled sickly sweet. The fire had already caught the roof.

Jaina looked at Jacen, and saw his face reflecting the same horror that she felt.

“I never,” Jacen began. “I didn’t mean to…did you see that?”

“Dark magic,” Jaina whispered. “Jacen—”

He was already shaking his head. “Never,” he said. “Never again, okay? Come on. We gotta go.”

She nodded mutely, and they ran through the little gate that now looked like a horrible, decayed, deathly parody of itself, and into the falling night.