A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far Away

Chapter 102

Anakin and Padmé were just getting back to sleep when the first scream pierced the night. Anakin was out of bed in an instant, one hand holding his lightsaber.

"Anakin?" Padmé asked, sitting up and listening as well. Then the second cry went out.

"HELP ME!!"

"Luna," Anakin muttered, already out the door and using the Force to sense what was going on, Padmé right behind him.

His could sense her waves of fear, but her presence was dimmed, so she was having a nightmare. A bad one.

"SOMEONE HELP!!!" she yelled one last time, not a second later, her presence sparked brighter having woken up.

Anakin and Padmé were at her door a moment later. Anakin hesitated for a moment before opening the door, not knowing if Luna would prefer to be left alone or not. One quick check through the Force made his decision.

Luna was sitting in her bed, wrapped in sheets and hyperventilating. She looked terrified and was sobbing as she looked around the room and tried to move in some direction.

"Luna?" Anakin asked, moving towards her. "It's alright, your safe."

Padmé moved to sit on the bed as she pulled Luna into an embrace. Anakin sat on Luna's other side and did the same as they both worked to try and untangle the sheets Luna had wrapped around herself while she was thrashing in her sleep. They both murmured reasuences to the girl as Anakin used the Force to calm her mind.

When Luna finally stopped crying, Anakin placed a sleep suggestion into her mind, causing her to drift back into what he hoped would be a dreamless sleep.

"Do you know what that was all about?" Padmé asked in a whisper, holding Luna close.

"I don't know about the nightmare, but she didn't recognize where she was when she woke up," Anakin muttered in reply.

"Do you think she'll be alright?"

"I think so," Anakin replied in uncertainty, not knowing if it would be true or not. There was a good chance that if Luna woke up again, she'd have enough time to remember where she was, then again, she might not.

He didn't blame her for having something like that happen right after a nightmare, and that's without adding in the fact that she was now in a galaxy that she didn't know existed a couple weeks ago. Even just waking up without a nightmare involved could have a similar response now that he thought about it.

All it boiled down to was that Anakin didn't know if she would have a reaction if she woke up again and if she did, weather or not it would be worse. It didn't help matters that he had no idea if it was the first time that something like this had happened to her or not.

"Maybe she should sleep with us," Padmé suggested, "just in case it happens again."

Anakin nodded his head in agreement.

Gently, he picked up Luna and carried her to their room before setting her down on the bed.

As the two Skywalkers settled back in themselves, Anakin couldn't help but think that this is what it would be like when Luke or Leia had a nightmare and they would come and sleep with their parents.