Hello! I am posting this as an answer for a challenge posted by Hi Hikari No Kaze in her story, 'Ripples from the Future'. It's really good, you should check it out.
The title of this story refers to an old saying that means a lot to me at the moment. Maybe you've heard it before? "For every two steps forward, you must take one step back."
Anyways, in the first chapter, she asks for someone to write a time-travel story about Qui-Gon, since there seem to be none of these lurking about fanfiction, which is sad, since though Qui-Gon is not on my top three favorite characters list, he is still pretty awesome. (And, you know, Liam Neeson is pretty awesome, and he plays Qui-Gon) So, here goes nothing!
Hey, Hikari No Kaze, since you will eventually be reading this, (and anyone else, for that matter) you should know that this is my first attempt at a time-travel story. Oh, and I don't own Star Wars. Or the above-mentioned author.
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Qui-Gon Jinn, or really, his Force-ghost, watch sadly as two figures ran along the support beams of a massive mining building on the fiery lava planet of Mustafar. Each wielded a brilliant blue lightsaber, though one was clothed in the Dark and the other, older one, was drenched in the Light, though it was tainted by sadness, regret, reluctance, and numb horror. Qui-Gon sighed. He had had such high hopes for both.
Anakin Skywalker, once a great Jedi Knight, and now a fearsome Sith named Darth Vader, had had such potential. He was strong in the Force, a natural leader, and a gifted Jedi. Yet, Anakin was also impatient, quick to temper, and formed strong attachments, especially to his wife, former Queen and now Senator Padme Amidala.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was still deeply entrenched in the Light of the Force, but he had been hurt far beyond his former Master had ever imagined a person, a Jedi, could be hurt without cracking. And not just the physical pain of being tortured by the Sith witch Ventress, or the innumerable times he had landed in the Healers wing, but the emotional and mental pain of losing Qui-Gon while they were still Master and Padawan, taking on Anakin as an apprentice only hours after becoming a Knight, becoming a General in this wretched Clone War, and, finally, Anakin turning to the Dark Side and slaughtering every single living thing in the Temple they had both once called home. Now, Obi-Wan had been tasked with destroying the one he had loved as a son, a brother by Master Yoda, who had gone to fight the newly proclaimed Emperor, and Sith Lord, Darth Sidious.
Qui-Gon watched as the two continued to battle as the support beam fell into the lava river below and began to slowly sink. Obi-Wan jumped onto a small platform that hovered above the surface of the flaming river, and Anakin leaped onto a small matinence droid that could barley hold the fallen Jedi's weight. Obi-Wan sighted a high bank nearby and leaped onto it.
"It's over, Anakin." He yelled, looking down at his former student's hate-filled yellow eyes. "I have the high ground. Don't try it."
"You underestimate the power of the dark side!" Anakin yelled before jumping. Obi-Wan let the Force guide his lightsaber, slicing through Anakin's knees before taking his remaining hand. The mutilated body of his best friend fell to the ashy black sand, his lightsaber falling at Obi-Wan's feet. It was then, Qui-Gon knew, that Obi-Wan stopped thinking of the man as Anakin, and started thinking of him as Darth Vader. But Qui-Gon still held hope for the boy.
As Anakin grabbed at the burning sand with his mechanical hand, Obi-Wan finally let his tears surface, along with grief-driven words.
"You were the Chosen One!" he said, not to Vader, but to Anakin, who he thought of as dead. "You were supposed to destroy the Sith, not join them! You were supposed to bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"
"I hate you!" Qui-Gon was sure that that was the evil, dark thing called Vader speaking, the thing that had invaded the soul of the little boy he had known on Tatooine.
As Obi-Wan bent to pick up Anakin's fallen lightsaber, even the Dark Side couldn't prevent the fire that started eating at the torn remenants of Anakin.
"You were my brother, Anakin." Obi-Wan murmured as the flames ate at his former Padawan and screams ripped through the hot air. "I loved you."
As Obi-Wan began to walk away, everything became blurred, colors washed out, and sound became muted. Qui-Gon frowned. Nothing like this had ever happened before. The Force was writhing and screaming, its sorrow and loss evident.
Suddenly, giant, invisible hands seemed to grabbed Qui-Gon and lift him. You! The Force cried, You can stop this from happening! You can save him! You must!
Then everything was black and quiet. Qui-Gon wondered momentarily if he had gone deaf and blind, but that thought was dashed from his mind as a familiar sound reached his ears.
The deep, regular breathing of a sleeping Obi-Wan Kenobi.
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