16. He had only been 16. He would never take a padawan. Never become a Knight. Never fulfill his destiny.

Force, he had been so young! He hadn't even made it to adulthood, still a child really. And now he was dead. Dead saving Obi-wan's life. Dead because Obi-wan had been too weak to protect him. Oh Anakin...

Obi-wan would never see him smile again, never hear his laugh. Never lecture him on his questionable relationship with Chancellor Palpatine, never rail him for stumbling all over himself at the slightest mention of Senator Amidala. Obi-wan clutched Anakin's blood soaked body close to his chest, sobbing his name as if that would bring him back. The boy had always been there, ever since Qui-gon died, and Obi-wan when had been left feeling as if the world itself was at an end... Anakin was there, filling the gaping hole in his heart. Now he was gone.

No. It couldn't be true, but it was. It was, and Obi-wan felt as if he would never move again. Anakin had been his reason to breath, his life, the reason he got up in the morning, his reason to live. Now gone, far to soon.

Obi-wan cradled Anakin's body in his arms, and wept. Cradled Anakin until the last traces of warmth had left the boy's body, wept until he had no tears left to weep. Anakin had been everything, and now he was gone. Gone, and with him, Obi-wan died, not physically, he was destined to bear the agony of Anakin's departure for years to come, but emotionally. Spiritually. Obi-wan Kenobi ceased to exist.

Anakin was dead, life had lost it's meaning, existence was irrelevant. Obi-wan rocked Anakin's body in his arms, and wrapped his fingers around the boys braid. Choked as a fresh wave of all to deserved pain poured into him. Memories mercilessly pounded at him, those golden strands lightly cupped in his palm, a gentle tug, a tender caress, Anakin's face as he received his first bead. His protests that a braid was to girly.

Obi-wan felt the shattered remains of his heart dissolve at the memories. Obi-wan was nothing more than a broken shell now, a dead man with a beating heart. He would have given anything to have their positions reversed, to know Anakin was safe, alive. Instead Anakin was dead, those brilliant blue eyes closed forever, and Obi-wan feared death no longer.