for those of you who don't know what "the second coming" is, it's an au where qui-gon jinn survived naboo, and ends up turning to the dark side. (bethlehem!verse). it's not necassary you read that before this, but it is suggested.

this fic takes place about six years before "the second coming."

this fic is based off w. b. yeats' poem, "the second coming."

Wasted

anakin dreams of his mother, but lord jinn knows how to break people. obi-wan works to get his brother back from the depths of his mind. prequel of sorts to "the second coming."

"Master?" Obi-Wan groans, and pulls the blanket over his face. The voice doesn't leave, though. "Master, wake up. I need to talk to you."

"'Bout what?" he mutters into his pillow.

"Vision."

Another groan, and Obi-Wan kicks off his blanket. "Go make tea. Be down shortly."

Anakin dashes out, eager to talk about his vision, no doubt; Obi-Wan only hesitates a moment more before grabbing his robe and shuffling out of his room. The small window in the living quarters is dark, indicating how early in the morning it is on Naboo. He collapses onto his usual spot on the kitchen table, and it's not long before Anakin slides a mug of hot Sapir tea under his nose. Anakin sits in his usual spot, to the left of Obi-Wan with a bowl of cereal and a mug of Sapir tea, too. Neither touches their food.

"Now, tell me what your vision was."

Anakin hesitates a moment before speaking. "I…I dreamed of my mother. She was hurt and dying. And then the scene shifted to all the slaves—or a lot of the slaves, that is, gathered in a large crowd and in the middle was you and me."

"What were we doing in the crowd?"

Anakin shakes his head. "It seemed like we were dancing…. But that doesn't make any sense."

"Visions rarely do," Obi-Wan comments with a smile. After no further words, Obi-Wan asks, "That's it?"

Anakin takes a bite of his cereal. "Yeah. That's it."

Obi-Wan has a feeling that it is otherwise, but he doesn't push. He never does. "I suppose you wish to go to Tattoine to solve this mystery."

Anakin nods.

His tea is finally cool enough to drink without burning his tongue so Obi-Wan takes a sip. "Well, we have been given leave. And I'm sure the Queen won't mind lending us a ship, since—"

"I want to go alone."

"No."

"Master—"

"Anakin. You are fifteen years old and my responsibility. And with Qui—And with Jinn running amuck, I am not letting you go without escort." Obi-Wan crosses his arms. "And that's my final word."

"Escort? You're making me sound like a child."

"You are a child, Anakin."

"Fifteen—"

"—Is still not an adult. Now, you can let me come with you, or we'll find someone else. And if you don't accept this offer, then you're not going at all."

Anakin glares at Obi-Wan who stares right back. A battle of the wills and Anakin knows he can't win. Anakin skirts his gaze downward. "Fine. You can come. But I get to make the decisions."

Obi-Wan leans forward with eyes glinting. "Only if the situation permits itself."

xxx

Tattoine looms in front of them. Obi-Wan lets Anakin pilot them down. The cockpit is silent, but neither of them feels the need to say anything. This place holds memories for Obi-Wan, and a life for Anakin: it's a lot to take in.

Anakin lands deftly in a spaceport, and leads to way to his mother's quarters in the slave housing district. But when they arrive, it's not Shmi who answers. Obi-Wan places his prosthetic hand on Anakin's shoulder to comfort him.

"We're sorry to bother you, but we're looking for Shmi Skywalker," Obi-Wan says.

The man who opened the door shrugs. "Never heard of her. Best to ask her previous owner."

"Thank you." They walk away, Anakin grumbling under his breath.

"He sold her. That bastard sold her!"

"We don't know that, Anakin."

He doesn't answer. Merely stalks out of the slave housing district, and heads west. They walk for roughly ten minutes when they arrive at a junkshop with a floating Toydarian inside. Anakin speaks Huttesse to the alien who talks back. Obi-Wan waits patiently, studying the store as Anakin retrieves information on his mother. Not even three minutes later, Anakin calls for Obi-Wan, and they leave the shop.

"Well?"

"Mom's been sold to a man named Cleigg Lars who lives on the outskirts of Anchorhead. Apparently, he freed her." Anakin makes a sharp right, heading back to the dock. "I want to see for myself."

"Of course."

"Hello?" Anakin calls out. "I'm Anakin Skywalker, and I'm here looking for Shmi Skywalker. Do—"

"Ani?" A woman appears out of what Obi-Wan assumes to be a bedroom. She has dark hair and eyes, but even so, Obi-Wan can see the resemblance right away: same nose, same facial structure, and same stance.

"Mom?" Anakin doesn't pause to wait for confirmation, he just rushes up to her and starts to hug her. "I've missed you so much, Mom," he mumbles.

Shmi hugs her son back. "My son, my alu, I've missed you too. I was so worried. After I heard about the Jedi, about Master Jinn—"

"Not now. Please." Obi-Wan doesn't blame him. They both still wake up screaming from the nightmares of their friends lying dead and bloodied on the Temple floor. Simultaneously, they shudder at the memories.

Shmi frowns, but complies. She directs her attention to Obi-Wan. "Who's this?"

Obi-Wan holds out his hand. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I've been watching over your son."

Shmi takes his hand. "Obi-Wan Kenobi. Master Jinn talked of you. You were his apprentice, weren't you? He said that you were a great person, and he couldn't be any prouder."

Obi-Wan blinks back sudden and unwanted tears, looking away. "Thank you," he murmurs.

"Shmi?" A gruff voice calls out from whence Shmi came, and a man appears. A boy comes out of another room, looking close to Anakin's age. He has the same facial features of the man, same body structures. Obi-Wan assumes that this boy is the man's son.

"Cleigg, this is my son, Anakin Skywalker, and that man over there is Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has been watching over Anakin. Boys, this is my husband, Cleigg Lars, and his son, Owen Lars."

Obi-Wan bows to each in turn, and nudges for Anakin to do the same. "A pleasure to meet you," he says.

Owen hangs in the background as Cleigg strides forward to shake his and Anakin's hand. "Pleasure. Now, I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?"

"I had a vision of my mom being in danger, and I had to make sure she was alright."

"I'm perfectly fine, Ani. There was no need to trouble yourself, though I am glad at seeing you again." A pause and Shmi exchanges a glance with Cleigg, who gives a subtle nod. "You are staying the night, at least, correct?"

Anakin nods without looking at Obi-Wan. "If it's not a bother," he replies with a smile.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan feels a tug in the back of his mind, and the old, dying bond he had—has?—with Jinn reopens, and he feels the blasted man on this planet in the ship—? Yelling at the family to stay where they are, Obi-Wan races out of the homestead and races to the ship. Nothing is within sight, nor can he sense any dark presence. Obi-Wan hesitates before opening the hatch and walking up the ramp. What if Jinn is cloaking himself, waiting to slaughter him mercilessly? But, better him than Anakin or Shmi or the others. Obi-Wan releases the hatch, lightsaber in hand, and immediately, he finds a comm blinking at him. He feels Anakin racing towards him and waits for Anakin to catch up before playing the message.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi. It's a pleasure to speak to you once again, though I am surprised it is on Tattoine. You tend to avoid places where we met face to face. But no matter. You have your reasons, and I respect that.

"You must be wondering why I am here, and why I even bothered to go to all this trouble to make sure you hear my message. I am here to offer a proposition to you, and Anakin too. You see, as being Jedi, both of you are guilty of treason against my Empire. The Hutts will be told this, and they are most eager to join the Empire. Should you not surrender by sunset tomorrow, I and the Hutts will start to kill everyone on this planet. Starting with your family, Anakin. Assuming, at least, that those few impressions I got from Obi-Wan are correct.

"I would hate to have dead bodies to deal with, and the Hutts need the citizens. Sunset tomorrow. The bond will work, Obi-Wan."

Simultaneously, Obi-Wan and Anakin exchange grim looks, both hiding fury in their gazes. "I'm sorry," Obi-Wan starts to say, but Anakin cuts him off.

"It happens."

They exit the ship, slowly walk back to the homestead. Shmi gives them a look as they walk into the homestead. "What happened?"

"The Emperor has asked for mine and Anakin's surrender, or he'll start killing everyone." Obi-Wan crosses his arms, glaring at the floor, furious with himself. He should have known. He should have known that the blasted bond would have opened up. "Starting with you, Cleigg, and Owen." Shmi doesn't say anything, doesn't even change her expression. Obi-Wan can't even sense a change of feelings. Vaguely, he thinks that she could have been a Jedi.

"I won't let that happen," Anakin declares. "Jinn shan no mart-kino. You teng no lios. Yon caru en martu-kin y mliu."*

Shmi shakes her head. "The desert has its own wills and fates, Anakin, whether you or Jinn claim anything else with words or actions. You should know that better than anyone."

Anakin looks at the ground, suddenly subdued. "Yeah. I guess I do."

*this is from the mlioik language; my own creation. translation: Jinn cannot take desert-children. He has no right. I swear as a desert-child and Mli.

basically, he's promising shmi that won't kill anyone.