Ahsoka knows it: she's a failure. Anakin doesn't want her, so why keep trying? Why keep wasting energy for this – for him? She looks around, giving a futile attempt to avert her eyes from him.
There was Christophsis, a ruin of a planet if she could say so. And an eerie glow from the sky only adds to its mystery. From the sight around her, Ahsoka remembers why she there: to help. And she hasn't really done much of that – at least to Anakin.
The sound of ships overhead makes her shudder, but she can't bring herself to turn and look. Hunching her shoulders, she forces her gaze to the ground, wanting to take in no more of the world.
She can feel the cold fear wrapped up inside her, and tries to hold back the rest of the shivers. Curling in her fingers, she resists the urge to put her head in her hands. This was not a time to be weak, not when this planet was falling around them, not when she saw many die, not when she was about to be told to go home... not that she had a real home; the Temple wasn't a place she wanted to call home.
Anakin sits down next to her, the movement creating a small breeze only she can feel. Ahsoka notices how she can almost touch his hand, that's how close he is. In the Force, she can practically feel his hesitation to speak. "You're reckless little one," he says, the odd tone of his voice – softer than she'd ever heard – making her go rigid. Closing her eyes, she looks away, trying to keep the worries – and possibly tears – at bay.
"You'd never make it as Obi Wan's padawan." The words each strike her as they come out. She lets out an involuntary sigh, and tries to raise her head and pretend she isn't scared. It doesn't work. Her heart is hammering like crazy in her throat, and she doesn't pay attention to the fact that she's holding her breath. And then...
"But you might make it as mine." A shock wave passes through her, forcing her eyes to flash open and the air she'd been holding in her lungs whoosh out. And for the first time, she really can't speak.
He smiles, the hard, battle-etched lines on his face smoothing, putting her more at ease. Her fears seem to melt away, and an unusual warmth starts to spread through her, starting at her heart and coursing through her veins. She crinkles her nose from the feeling. Letting her shoulders sag a little, she takes a deep breath. And smiles back.
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A/N: So I wrote this a little while ago, and it's a bit different from my normal style of writing. It's just been hard to find time to write anything new 'cause my brother's birthday is today so it's been pretty hectic for the last few days and I've also been kinda sick. But I hope you like it and please review!
