"Wrong?" Yoda spoke, which immediately drew everyone's attention. "Practice of the dark side, the Empyrean Order does."
"What!?" People exclaimed, now knowing that Anakin Skywalker, their 'Chosen One' would engage in such activities. Sure, they should have known that Anakin was different and had complaints with the Jedi, but he wasn't meant to switch alignment from the dark side to the light.
"Wasn't Skywalker meant to destroy the Sith, not join them." Someone asked amongst the chaos and this definitely raised some eyebrows with people stopping for a minute to go over what they thought were meant to be Anakin's 'responsibilities.'
"Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness... some would say." Another person walked into the room, this person being Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, since he wanted to say something today that would certainly bring shock to the people within.
The Chosen One was the central figure in the Jedi prophecy that foretold the coming of the one destined to bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith.
So potent would the Chosen Ones power be that even the Father, one of the three Mortis gods, would seek to recruit Skywalker as his successor, believing that only the Chosen One had the strength to maintain the balance between his children, the Son and the Daughter in the realm of Mortis.
The Great Holocron contains many references to the prophecy of the Chosen One:
'A Jedi will come. To destroy the Sith. And bring balance to the Force.'
Records are unclear about this prophecy's exact origin, or whether the above words were the actual prophecy or a concise interpretation. Several accounts indicate that the prophecy was the subject of debate as far back as twelve hundred years ago, but it may in fact be much older.
Even more interestingly was the fact that possibly contradicting the above, or possibly reflecting the notion that the text in the Great Holocron was simply a 'concise interpretation' rather than the actual prophecy, in Obi-Wan Kenobi within a few years from now would have said, "I have scanned this prophecy; it says only that a chosen one will be born and bring balance to the Force; nowhere does it say he has to be a Jedi."
Most definitely interesting since the prophecy that the Jedi are so proud of was in actuality a falsehood, while in on itself the Chosen One may be real, but they wouldn't exactly have to be a Jedi.
In the end, whether it be right or wrong, the Jedi's interpretation, everyone was in agreement that Anakin Skywalker was, no, IS the Chosen One.
"Master Qui-Gon. Do what do we owe the pleasure?" Mace questioned, given that Qui-Gon's entrance was unexpected and even more so, that he would have been listening to what the Council were discussing.
"Oh? Don't mind me. I am but a humble and passing traveler, only overhearing what the High Council were talking about." Qui-Gon replied as he glanced at everyone, where Qui-Gon seemed to have been enlightened.
Everyone there could feel it. Sense it within the very Force that something must have happened or occurred for Qui-Gon to feel so weird.
"No, please tell us of what you may mean." Plo-Koon and most of the others, including Yoda was interested in hearing what Qui-Gon had to say.
"I have scanned this prophecy... The prophecy of the Chosen One that we as the Jedi have not had much interest in, that was until Anakin came along." Qui-Gon said as he looked at everyone within the room.
"I have gone over the records within the Great Holocron, and I could only find mention that the Chosen One is meant to be born and then bring balance to the Force. There is no mention of this Chosen One being a Jedi, neither is there no mention of this Chosen One destroying the Sith either." Qui-Gon continued, finally relaying what he had found.
It was all he needed to know, before he would be making his final decision here today about. Why he is here.
"Impossible. The Jedi would never mistake such an important prophecy." Ki-Adi-Mundi had alot of religious zeal for the Jedi and the Jedi code, meaning that he even believed totally in whatever had come before as well.
"I am sorry to say this Master Mundi, but there is no record of anything but the mention of the Chosen One being born and then bringing balance to the Force. Nothing." Technically this meant that there were a whole lot of other candidates, besides Anakin but he was the most likely.
Hell, the Chosen One could very well be Yoda or Sidious themselves since they are both extremely powerful, at least when it comes to the Force.
Similar prophecies existed among other galactic cultures. The Celestial group known as The Ones, for example, had such a prophecy.
But theirs focused instead on a literal balance in the Force and required that the Chosen One succeed the Father once the latter had become too old to continue restraining the Son and the Daughter, the embodiments of the Dark side of the Force and the Light side of the Force, respectively, as too much of either would spell disastrous consequences for the galaxy at large.
Even the Nightsisters of Dathomir held to an ancient prophecy concerning 'a perfect being' who would one day arise; the prophecy was made by Allya, an exiled Dark Jedi and 'the mother of all witches,' whose daughters became 'the first crafters of spirit-willed magicks.'
This chosen one would be 'brought into existence by the spirits' and would 'embody the balance between the Winged Goddess and the Fanged God.'
The Heinsnake Cult, a separate Dark Side faction from the Order of the Sith Lords predicated on unrestrained chaos and anarchy, featured a similar interpretation of the prophecy to that of the Jedi Order.
However, in their case, the prophecy entailed a black armored figure proceeding to lead the Heinsnake Cult's army to bring chaos to the galaxy, and that the figure would decapitate three Snakes, with two of them dying while the third, symbolizing chaos, would be immortal.
In the future, the Heinsnake Cult believed the Imperial emissionary Darth Vader to be the armored figure, and considered both the Jedi and the Empire to be the two snakes that would die. However, this prophecy, in the end, proved false when Vader wiped out the Heinsnake Cult.
"I have not only looked at the Jedi's own prophecies but also discovered other interpretations as to what the Chosen One could be or mean and most of all everything lines up to Anakin. I am not taking back my statement that he is the Chosen One, and instead would present further evidence of this fact." Qui-Gon said as he started to send through information about more obscure groups, Force-sensitives that were of course of their own religions and cultures.
The Jedi were not prepared for what they were about to see.
[]
'Too much, too much...'
'Burning.'
'Burning.'
It was like a sun. A star with an infernal grasp over the entirety of the universe and as its mass expanded indefinitely it would engulf everything within its own brilliance.
A gasping sound is heard as we rejoin Anakin within his royal bedroom. Aayla was next to him, but fast asleep and she didn't seem to notice Anakin's making of sound or the movement of his body.
'What is that...'
Anakin was going over the records from with whatever he was dreaming. He may not need sleep, but he still sleeps anyway and it would seem that he has discovered something interesting.
His mind was taking him places that seemed to be telling him something, whether that be something the Force wants to tell him or it is just his very own innate power to see into whatever it is that he sees.
What Anakin was seeing through his dream was not like anything he had really seen before and he did remember that what he is seeing seemed to be something important. This is one of the reasons he didn't to to sleep.
A problem that he knew the original Anakin also had was the problems with either falling asleep or meditation.
Thankfully he had gotten a method to where he doesn't need to be in a proper meditative state to access all of the benefits that being in a meditative state can grant. He is even using one of his other full mental processors to go into this state but he does so cautiously.
'I guess that means it should be soon now.' Anakin was thinking about the next steps of what will happen.
Getting out of bed, he started to pace around the room silently, as Aayla lay there with peaceful breath and movement. Anakin was not worried about Aayla or his child to be and knew that they were probably going to be fine.
However, he didn't really want to leave and go places, away from his pregnant wife. Of course, he could always take her along with him to wherever he is trying to go towards, but that isn't exactly a good thing, now is it?
The reason why he was contemplating leaving, is because there is much to come and much to happen. Specifically he had still yet to meet the Mortis Gods, as Anakin considered them important, especially in regards to their connection to the Force.
The Son, representing the dark side of the Force, ultimate selfishness, and the Daughter, representing the light side of the Force, ultimate selflessness.
He was starting to see himself within his own mind, something that wasn't just him but a star. His dreams were a foreboding so to speak, a forewarning of something yet to happen or to come.
He knew that the burning represented something, and he didn't like the implications that he would become something painful. Especially since it was similar to the originals story... Of course this could all be something the Force wanted to do, to further test him for or on anything.
Whatever it was, Anakin knew that he was getting both closer and further away from what the Force wanted for him. It would still try to guide him, and still fail because he wants to do other things, and it may want the Jedi dead, but at the same time, has he not already given it all the reasons it would need to allow them to live?
They were being converted by him, or maybe there is something much, much deeper to what is going on. He doesn't know everything but he was trying to understand just what being the Chosen One meant, even though he didn't just go on to fully embrace this destiny.
He thought that there are more important things to do, especially since his family was starting to form.
Still pacing around his room, he stopped and then started to think about what he should do. 'I think...'
Sitting down on the ground, Anakin begins to float as he starts to go into a meditative state with his first consciousness. 'Well, come on then. Tell me just what you want to tell me?' He sent out very strong pushes through the energy field that is the Force.
There was no response however, and if Anakin had to put a feeling to the way the Force was acting. It was like a mischievous kid playing with a toy, something that may be correct but Anakin was slowly turning into something that was most definitely not a toy.
It is entirely possible that Anakin could become something rivaling and possibly overtaking the Force. He could become the Force itself.
"Ani? Are you all right?" Aayla called out from the bed with a tired voice.
"Yeah... I'm good." Anakin got out of his meditative state as he was probably not going to get an answer, and if he wanted to advance further past his current point, he had to make progress.
He may be starting to generating his own energy within the Force, and has even made his own version of the Living Force as well, plus him having access to his own Cosmic Force as well only meant that he had all of the necessary tools to continue down whatever path he is on.
"Are you sure?" Aayla could sense there was something, but if he didn't want to talk about it, then that was fine as well. "You dont have to say if you dont want to." She was wide awake now, and it wasn't like that was a problem.
Most people within the Empyrean dont need as much sleep as they used to, meaning that they could work longer, or do other things longer without feeling tired. All thanks to the super serum, as it truly did upgrade everyone's capabilities.
"No, it is fine for you to ask. It was just a dream, nothing serious or anything like that, but it was symbolic really." Anakin headed over towards the bed and sat down next to her.
"Symbolic how?" Aayla asked.
"I was a star, ever expanding and it burned. As the star I didn't turn into a black hole the larger and larger I got, but instead started to encompass everything." Anakin answered.
"Are you not already a star doing just exactly that?" She asked again.
"What do you mean?" Anakin questioned himself.
"I mean exactly what I mean. A star that has his own planets orbiting him, me, Padme, Shaak, Barriss, Ahsoka, and Zannah." Aayla answered.
"I guess you could interpret it that way." Anakin could see her point.
"Yes, you can. Of course I know it is more than that, but you as a star is also something important as well, isn't it? The Force is telling you that you will eventually become something greater than what the universe could handle... Or I may just be making silly assumptions." Aayla explained.
There was a bit of silence, before Anakin replied. "That is something... Whatever it is, I may need to leave Tatooine and go somewhere, on the other side of the known galaxy."
"You have to leave?" Aayla questioned.
"I want to take you with me, no, preferably I want to take everyone with me, but that would just be silly." Anakin said.
"That does sound silly, but understandable. Tell me. Is it important enough that all of us should go with you?" Aayla asked.
"In a way it is very important. No, extremely important despite it not seeming like it isn't." Anakin replied.
"Then... just do it. Take everyone single one of us with you."
After a little bit of contemplation, Anakin decides that there wouldn't be any harm in taking all of them with him to Mortis. In fact, they could all learn something while there, whether that be within the Force or not.
Sighing, Anakin then replies. "Ok, ok. I have a feeling that you just want me to take you guys with me because you want to keep an eye on me."
"We cant be having you continuously forming Dyad bonds with every girl you meet now." A woman's instinct seemed to be very strong, especially in this instance since there is a woman on Mortis, but Anakin doesn't think she would be interested in any relationship.
"Right..."