Author's Note: Hola, to everyone who is reading this. In this story, I picture Anakin at the age he was when he died, forty-six, not as the young man portrayed by Hayden Christensen. I really like his portrayal of Anakin in the prequels, but it does not make sense for Anakin to be that age in this story.

I am in Spain right now and have rediscovered by love of Star Wars via my Spanish comics. That is why I have separated words like "dark side" and "light sabre" which I believe are combined in the original English version, but I cannot be bothered changing them. I have also used British spelling.

I know little about the world of Star Wars outside of the film series and comics set post New Hope so I made up stuff for the gap periods between the three trilogies. If anything I said contradicts canon material feel free to let me know in your reviews and please leave one!

The Eternal Light Sabre

Anakin Skywalker gazed down as the black figure strode into the meditation chamber, shut the door behind him and fell to his knees. In total silence, Ben Solo, who now went by the name of Kylo Ren, lowered his head before the triangular pedestal and the burned husk of the mask he kept upon it.

My mask, Anakin realised with a shudder. A chill which could not have come from the physical world passed through him. He raised a translucent hand to his forehead and sighed. You are a fool, my grandson. There is nothing I need to show you. The dark side of the Force manifests within you, whether you wish it to or not. Its power is easy to detect, but far harder to forget.

"Be patient, Anakin," said a calm voice from behind him, "Whatever troubles you will one day pass."

Anakin spun around to face his old Jedi Master. "Obi-wan Kenobi, you have been watching me."

"Yes, I thought you might decide to visit your grandson. You will not be able to appear before him if he does not want you to, but perhaps he can sense your pain and disappointment, as I do. Unfortunately, that alone will not persuade young Ben to return to our side."

"He was named in honour of you, I suppose, after I killed you." Anakin gulped. "You never got the chance to teach him, like you did my son, because of me, because of what I did."

"Without you I would have died far sooner, my friend, and your son would never have been born. The Emperor would most likely have found a less powerful, but more loyal apprentice and the galaxy would still be in his grip. On the whole, your existence served us all well."

Anakin sniggered. "On the whole, I think the galaxy would be better off had I not turned."

"Perhaps. It is wise to remember the mistakes of the past, but you must not allow them to consume your thoughts. You made errors, grave ones, but dwelling on them will not undo them."

"The present is not much kinder to me. You told me the dark side cannot reach us in our current state, because we are too closely tied to the light, but…"

"You still feel its pull," said Obi-wan, "and watching your grandson use it has only made it worse. If you wish to overcome it, I suppose you must confront it. Still, I must ask if you are ready."

"My grandson needs me. I should be ready to help him. I should be strong enough to."

"Just like you should have been strong enough to save your mother and your wife," said Obi-wan, cringing, "she told me everything, just before she died. You must be wary of such thoughts."

"I see," said Anakin, "I should be content. After all, I got what I wanted. I became more powerful than any Jedi who ever lived, but at what cost? In my youth, I promised to defeat those who used the dark side of the Force to dominate the galaxy. I thought I had, though I became one of them first, but now they seem stronger than ever, as a result of my inspiration."

"The dark side is strong at times, but its power will not last. In time, its hold over the galaxy will weaken and you will be free from its influence. You must wait until you are more fully healed, before you try to contact young Ben again."

Anakin turned away. "Why wait for something which will never happen?"

"Do not speak that way, my friend," said Obi-wan, in a stern tone. He took a few steps towards him and stretched out his hand, but stopped short of touching his shoulder. "You must know that the dark side is not a compassionate master. You were an effective vessel for it, but you were nothing more. It will release you, as it does all Sith Lords eventually, though most would believe themselves to be abandoned rather than freed."

"Forgive me if I seem disrespectful, Obi-wan, but I do not believe you are qualified to speak of the dark side. You did not live for over two decades with its poison coursing through you, degrading what remained of your body, filling you with contempt towards those you once loved."

"No, but I daresay that those who can observe a lava flow from a safe distance understand it better than those being burnt alive by it."

"I do need a reminder of what occurred on Mustafar," said Anakin, through gritted teeth.

"Pardon me, that was a poorly chosen metaphor. That place brought you pain, no doubt, but it is hard for me to see you as the man who tried to kill me there. In the early years of my exile I convinced myself that the Emperor had cloned you and destroyed your original form. It was an absurd idea and eventually I had to face the truth. Likewise, young Ben must face the fact that his worship of Darth Vader is without purpose. His idol will never really speak to him."

Anakin clenched his fists. "Never? I do not give up so easily, Obi-wan. I will find a way to reach him. I am doing all I can, but he is resisting me."

"Of course he is, he will only listen to Darth Vader."

"I am Darth Vader," said Anakin. He lifted his right hand and flexed his fingers. Then he screwed his eyes shut and bit his lip.

Obi-wan chuckled. "Well, Lord Vader, you have grown soft. Your master must be very disappointed in you. I, on the other hand, could not be more proud of my old student, whatever name he selects."

"You may not be the best judge of character. The last time you told me that was right before I turned. How can you proud of me for not being what I once was? You must know I can no longer be that way without my old powers."

Obi-wan moved to stand beside Anakin. "Do you want them back?"

"Those powers caused nothing but pain. I want nothing to do with them."

"That is why I am so proud of you. You are making excellent progress. Soon your return to the light will be complete and those on the dark side will not be able to harm you."

"Harm me? You mean they are not trying to seduce me?"

"Seduction has many forms. Since the promise of power no longer appeals to you, Snoke instead aims to convince you that do not belong with us and have no choice but to be his servant."

"The Leader of the First Order wants me as an apprentice? Why did he target my grandson, then?"

"He is as clever a manipulator as your old master was. He seduced young Ben and encouraged him to worship you in your darkened state, so that you would have a constant reminder of your past. Snoke knows you are here and is using your grandson to lure you back to dark side of the Force, so he can return you to the physical world. You must not allow that to happen."

"He is deluding himself. Even the most powerful Sith Lords have never resurrected the dead."

"You must listen to me, carefully. Yoda does not want me to tell you this, but you must know. You are a most uncommon creature. The Force has recognised you as its own and you are becoming bonded with it, but you have carried more darkness with you than any dying Jedi has before. Snoke is attempting to use that darkness to do what has never been done. If he succeeds it will mean the end of the Jedi."

"He wants me to finish what I started, as my grandson would say."

"No, I am afraid what he wants is far worse."

Anakin snarled. "What could be worse?"

"When you were in the physical world you could only kill the bodies of Jedi. Our spirits lived on undamaged. Our absence from the galaxy is regrettable, but it can be remedied, through the training of a new generation. On the other hand, if you were to turn now, you would act as a crack, through which the dark side could enter our plane. Snoke could then use it to not only bring you, or rather Darth Vader, back to life, but also to corrupt the Force itself. At least, that is what Snoke hopes and Yoda fears."

"Is that why Yoda ordered you to erase me from existence?"

Obi-wan stared at Anakin, his eyes widening. "You heard him?"

"After my grandson accepted Snoke as his master, I tried to find you. I wanted your guidance. When I heard you mention me, I could not help myself. I apologise for not respecting your privacy."

"I feel we are the ones who should apologise," said Obi-wan, "for thinking so little of you. We worried that seeing young Ben use the dark side with such effectiveness would make you crave those same abilities and undo everything you had achieved here. We were too cautious and allowed the terror of the moment to rule us. You must be furious."

"No," said Anakin, his voice weak, but level.

"No?"

"I was at first, but now I understand. You must do what is right for the Jedi Order and for the galaxy. If the Force has no pure side the Jedi cannot exist, here or in the physical world. They will lose their powers or worse be transformed into users of the dark side. You cannot allow the enemy to triumph. If that is why you have come to me now, then I must accept my destiny."

"My dear friend," said Obi-wan, his eyes shining with tears, "are you saying what I think you are?"

"I do not want to be destroyed, but if that is what you must do, then it would be wrong for me to try to stop you. Neither of us can ignore my past. Snoke is right, I do not belong here."

"Anakin, you must realise that the only way to leave this plane is to open yourself up completely to the dark side, the very thing you wish to avoid. You must learn to be content here. Yoda and I should have helped you move past your guilt, not plotted against you."

"How exactly did you plan to eliminate me?"

From the pocket of his robe, Obi-wan took out what appeared to be the handle of a light sabre and examined it. "We should not have made this. I can conceive of no circumstance in which a Jedi spirit should be made to vanish and it is useless in the physical world."

"If you decide to use it, I will do my best not to oppose you. If the time comes, I only hope I will be courageous enough to bow your judgement."

"The time will never come. I will not lose you again. This sabre causes the very problem it was created to fix. Yoda and I designed it because we lacked faith in you."

"I find you lack of faith reasonable," said Anakin, with a brief laugh, "I have done little to earn your confidence. I do not understand why you believe in me at all, after everything I did."

"For twenty three years we did not. We thought you were too far gone. You proved us wrong. You returned to us, after our cynicism drove you away and your commitment to the light has remained firm since then. I am most impressed."

"It is even firmer now that I know how dangerous it would be for me to fall again. I will try to exercise control over myself, but I cannot make any promises."

"I think you can." Obi-wan held out the sabre, the bottom of its hilt pointed towards Anakin. "I do not need it any more."

"You would risk the survival of the Jedi for my sake. Do you believe that is wise?"

"You are no longer the threat you believe yourself to be. My only concern is that, in your inner agony, you might decide to stab yourself and bring great sadness."

"I do not understand. You told me I could destroy the Jedi forever."

"You could, but you will not," said Obi-wan, thrusting the sabre towards Anakin. "Take it."

"No," he said, his hand quivering just above its handle, "If the dark side ever draws me in again, I will not be able to do what is necessary. The Jedi will be safer if you keep it."

"It may seem that way, but in the long run that is the riskier course. The danger will only pass once you are fully redeemed and that cannot occur while I possess the sabre. If I keep it you will continue to believe that returning to the dark side is an option, one I can save you from. In truth, only you can save yourself. If you take the sabre, it will mean accepting the eternal embrace of the light."

"Then will I be forgiven?" Anakin pressed his lips together.

"My friend, I cannot speak for the other Jedi, but I forgave you the instant you appeared here, so did your mother, your wife and your son. It is time for you to forgive yourself."

"How can I? The harm I caused far outweighs anything I have endured. The Jedi should despise me."

"It is not in our nature to hold onto contempt or not in my nature at least. You expect the galaxy to carry out vengeance for the pain you brought it, like your old master would, but you must not be discouraged. With patience and training you will learn to recognise the remnants of dark side ideology within your thoughts and do away with them. You cannot live here in peace if you continue to think like a Sith Lord."

Anakin looked straight at Obi-wan. "Perhaps I think like a Sith Lord, because I am a Sith Lord."

"Is that what you want to be?"

"It is not what I want to be. It is what I am and always will be." A tear ran down his cheek. "I have no choice."

"Well then, go ahead, Lord Vader," said Obi-wan, smirking

"What?"

"Give into your fear and frustration. Accept Snoke as your new master. Allow the dark side of the Force to use you as host, so it can infect and conquer the light, wiping out the Jedi forever. After all, that is what want, I mean, what you cannot help but do."

Anakin backed away. "No, I will not allow that to happen."

"Even if the dark side offered you the chance to protect those you love?"

"I did love Padme and my mother too, but the truth is, I did not try to save them for their own wellbeing, but for mine. I could not bear being separated from them and forced to doubt my own power. More than anything, I wanted to prove that I was strong."

"Why?"

Anakin raised an eyebrow.

"How did power come to matter so much to you?"

"I never thought to ask that question. I suppose, the Emperor, or the Chancellor as I knew him then, convinced me that my power was what made me valuable and that I would be nothing without it. I became powerful enough to earn respect from the Jedi, the Chancellor and even myself. Now I realise that power does not create love, friendship or genuine peace, only shallow illusions of them. I no longer desire those deceptions."

"No, and you never will." Obi-wan reached out with the sabre once more.

Anakin shook his head.

"What is stopping you, my friend? Tell me."

"If I am to renounce the dark side forever I need something to replace it."

"You mean you need something to separate you from your closest friends, erode your humanity and you its slave?"

"I know what the dark side did," said Anakin, glaring, "It forced me to break away from everything I valued, everything that could comfort me, until its power was all I had. Without it, nothing will console me. The dark side dominates its users such that they cannot survive without it. That is its true power, a power those beyond its grasp will never understand."

"Help me understand."

At first, Anakin remained silent, his shoulders sagging. Then he spoke, as if in trance. "Do you know why so few planetary systems rebelled against the Emperor, though they hated him?"

"If you are worried Palpatine or one of his followers will blow you to pieces for abandoning him, I assure you that is not at all possible. No technological marvel can overpower the Force."

"I was not referring to the Death Stars or any use of brute force. If the inhabitants of the galaxy had fought together, even I could not have strangled millions all at once. Most stayed silent on their own. They were concerned that the employment, stability and relative peace which existed would disappear if the Empire fell. Nobody knew what would become of the galaxy after a revolution. They had no guarantee that a brighter future awaited them and neither did I, so we lived the best lives we could in the world we were given."

"You no longer need to live that way," said Obi-wan, the hand that held the sabre still extended, "You can live, in a manner of speaking, however you wish."

"I do not know how else to live or what else to live for."

"My former Padawan, you baffle me. You have a wife who is waiting for you, a son who misses you, a daughter who is curious to meet the true version of you and a friend who will never give up on you."

"You?" Anakin narrowed his eyes. "You refuse to touch me. You tremble whenever I am near. I can feel your terror. It is no different from what the Imperial officers felt when compelled to confess their errors to me. You do not want me in your presence any more than the others do. I only remind you of your darkest moments and the worst parts of nature."

"You are correct, to some extent. The officers were terrified of upsetting you, so I am, but for different reasons, I assure you. I do not expect you to hurt me for disappointing you, rather I aim to avoid hurting you. You are forcing me to witness you in anguish, which is a far more severe punishment than being deprived of air I do not need, but you can end it. Please do it, for both of us."

Anakin glanced at the sabre. "I sense your sincerity, but I cannot do as you ask."

"Why?"

For a few moments, he remained still and silent. Then he looked Obi-wan in the eye, flashed a cheeky, yet bright, grin and laid his hand upon the sabre. "I am afraid you pulled the ship out of hyperspace at the wrong time, General Kenobi."

Obi-wan released the sabre and smiled back, his face alight with joy. "It seems you have failed me for the last time, Commander Skywalker."

"I hope so." Anakin ignited the sabre and pointed it upwards, basking in its vibrant, white glow. "I can make the right choice this time. I will free myself from my anger and my fear. I cannot go back. I must not go back."

Below them, Ben Solo sat with his own mask in his hands, his legs crossed and his head bent.

"I will visit you one day, my grandson," said Anakin, switching off the sabre, "when you truly want me to. You have kindness and compassion in you. Do not try to deny it. You will be a Jedi again, like your uncle and grandfather before you. I will show you the peace that the light brings. I will never return to the dark side." With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the sabre into the physical world. It landed on the pedestal beside the burned mask he once wore.

"Congratulations, my friend," said Obi-wan, his arms outstretched, "Now, come here."

Anakin tried to walk to him, but his legs began to shake. Then just as he was about to sink to his knees, a pair of wizened, yet firm arms caught him. "What is happening?"

Obi-wan pulled him to his feet, but kept his arms around him. "The strength the Force gives you is being redirected towards destroying the remnants of the dark side which reside in you, but have no fear. You will not end up on your knees again. You will achieve freedom. Just relax and let the Force move through you, down whichever path it selects. Do not attempt to rush it or change its course."

"How long before my strength returns?"

"The less you worry about such matters, the less time it will take, Anakin," said Obi-wan, stroking his back and shoulders. "Set your worries aside. Let the Force work at its own pace, only then will you be fully immersed in its pure form. Nothing will stop its flow."

Anakin wrapped his own arms around his mentor and pressed his chin against his forehead. "Thank you."

"Thank you, my friend."

"For what?"

"For demonstrating the power of the light. You have no idea how much the dark side and those who use it hate you for your betrayal, even while they seek to seduce you. They despise you more than they despise those who were never their allies. Do you understand why?"

"Does the dark side need a reason to hate?"

"No, but in this case, there is one. You proved that it was possible for a committed Sith Lord to once more become a Jedi. The example you set will terrify masters of the dark side for generations. Thus they hate you with a hatred so strong, we would struggle to comprehend it."

"I can comprehend a great deal of hate and I fear that my example may not be entirely positive."

"Indeed, those on the dark side will twist your story for their sake, but they cannot deny what happened, what you chose to do in the end. From now on, the alignment of every apprentice to the dark side will be in question. They will waste precious time seeking to suppress a call that exists only within them. The dark side is fragmented, frightened and enfeebled, thanks to you."

"I never intended to do any of that. I only did the right thing at the right moment."

"That was all you ever needed to do," said Obi-wan, his voice soft and soothing, "The Force will take care of the rest, including your redemption. You only need to relax and let it happen."

Anakin nodded. He let go and allowed his arms to rest by his sides. His eyes flickered shut. He floated upwards a little and there he stayed suspended, his form glowing, aware of nothing but a deep sense of relief.

"It will not be long now," said Obi-wan, "The light is strong in you, stronger than you realise. Your struggles are not over yet, but one day they will be. I will come back soon and this time you will not fall into darkness in my absence. You will remain here with us. That is your destiny, Anakin, because you chose it. You are fulfilling my every hope and those of your son too. Goodbye, for now, my dear friend. I love you. I always will."

With those words, Obi-wan strode away and left his fellow Jedi in peace.

The End

Thank you for reading. Remember to leave a review. I have a longer version of story which I may upload soon and which contains parts cut out of this version.

I am also currently working on an alternate, darker ending to this story, but feel free to think of the ending portrayed here as the "true" ending. I am very much on the light side of the force, so this is definitely the ending I prefer, but some of you might prefer the other one. We shall see.