A/N - So so sorry this has taken so long, as expected I've just started my final year of uni and it's already insane! Anyway a big thanks to everyone who's reading/reviewing its certainly kicking me to write the next instalment! enjoy


Obi-Wan busied himself with the preparation's to leave Ilum, placing their vessel in the perfect position and correcting the controls in order to safely pass through the planet's atmosphere. He had performed the act so many times now that it was almost second nature, he worked almost on automatic as their ship zoomed out into the darkness of space, from one cold void to another. He couldn't help but shake the feeling that even though they were leaving Ilum behind in the distance Ilum would not be leaving them anytime soon, or more precisely wouldn't be leaving Anakin.

He could hear his Padawan pottering about in the back of the ship, most likely looking for the medical kit which Obi-Wan had requested. Each time Obi-Wan attempted to connect with Anakin along their bond he was roughly rebuffed, at first he tried to not take the defensive action personally but the longer the silence reigned the harder the feeling was to shake. Anakin was deeply unbalanced which was the most dangerous situation a Jedi could be in, he only hoped that Anakin would not resist his help to recenter his balance. It was incredibly easy to feel lost at such a young age and even with his Padawan's incredible connection to the force he was still fallible to it, to both sides of it.

His attention was brought back into the present moment as Anakin stalked into the cockpit and plopped down in the co-pilot's seat, hands clasped onto the med kit so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Obi-Wan raised his brow over the Padawan's grumpy demeanour, he didn't need to be able to read Anakin's exact thoughts to know that the boy was in a sour mood. The question was what was causing it? Just the injuries or the mysterious happenings of Ilum?

"You can relinquish protection of the medical kit now, Padawan," Obi-Wan teased whilst reaching out to take the box.

Anakin flinched when Obi-Wan's skin made contact with his own, the over-reaction was just another thing to add to the list of Obi-Wan's growing concerns.

He frowned at his Padawan at a loss of how he could help when Anakin was acting so defensive, when he had his mental shields up so high that Obi-Wan couldn't even determine a whisper of the inner working's of his mind. It truly was beginning to worry him that Anakin no longer shared things with him, how else was he meant to teach his apprentice?

Anakin remained silent as Obi-Wan dabbed at his cut and ran a medical scanner over the boy's body, he didn't react the next time Obi-Wan made contact with his skin choosing to remain in a pensive silence, brooding even. It didn't take long for Obi-Wan to cleanse and close up the wound on Anakin's forehead, a quick bout of force healing had the remainder of his bruises fixed also. From the scan's it was clear that Anakin had been out in the caves for longer than his body could properly withstand, he was suffering from a mild case of hypothermia which would be easily fixed with plenty of rest and keeping warm.

"Well now you get a medical excuse to sloth in bed, Padawan, all of your dream's come true." Obi-Wan's eyes sparkled as he attempted to bring some levity into the surroundings.

Anakin's response was a meek smile before a shiver passed through his whole body and a dark shadow crossed his eyes, transforming them from their usual bright blue brilliance to a dull lifeless grey. Obi-Wan had seen that look often enough to know what caused it, Anakin was haunted by nightmares beyond imagining.

"We've talked about the trials of Ilum before, Padawan, Jedi who go into the caves never reemerge the same person." As Obi-Wan lectured Anakin's guilt above all else bled through, he was ashamed of his changes. "Anakin, what happened down there?"

Obi-Wan observed the dejectedness in Anakin's posture as the boy refused to meet his eye, he caught the faintest flash of fear cross Anakin's mind before he was ruthlessly pushed out again. There was an overwhelming feeling of shame surrounding the young boy's force aura, why could Anakin not see the wonderful magnificence he had achieved? It was not an easy thing to face oneself after all.

"Master, with all due respect I don't think I'm ready to talk about it, if I did… Well I feel that it would only make matters worse, much worse." The tone was a vast improvement to earlier, neither snappy nor disrespectful. The Padawan was clearly unsure of his already teetering control over his emotions if he were forced to discuss the trial, that was the precise reason why being unbalanced was so dangerous.

Obi-Wan sighed to himself, he couldn't very well get angry at Anakin for his refusal he understood the importance of patience more than most. Discussing something as monumental to Anakin as this without time to reflect could very well cause more harm than good just as the Padawan had suggested.

"I understand, Anakin, but I will say this, you cannot hide from this forever and I am always here to help. You know that." Obi-Wan turned fully to face his Padawan, placing a warm hand on the boy's shoulder in a reassuring manner.

Anakin even managed a smile after hearing Obi-Wan's promise of being there for him, gratefulness shining from his eyes blindingly.

"I know, Master, I'm just so exhausted now, so unbalanced."

Obi-Wan nodded in understanding as he felt the truth of Anakin's words, unbalanced was quite frankly an understatement for the boys current state of mind. Perhaps it was best for Anakin to spend some time reflecting on the past, they could then regroup and hopefully move past any remaining issues his young charge faced. A Jedi must always turn to the force first and foremost after all.

"Okay, Anakin, you better go get some rest." Anakin nodded before moving swiftly to leave the bridge, his anxiety to get away from the conversation was not lost on Obi-Wan. He decided not to push the issue further knowing it would only return Anakin to a sour mood and he would then not be in the right frame of mind to sort through his muddled feelings.

"I'm proud of you, Padawan, you did well today." Obi-Wan smiled genuinely as he truly meant the words, Anakin had achieved a great feat and had returned from his quest with the most beautiful saber crystal Obi-Wan had ever seen.

Anakin smiled at the compliment, it didn't fully serve to mask the reservation and fear still held in his eyes however. The Padawan left the cockpit with due haste and made his way back to the living quarters towards the rear of the ship, not noticing Obi-Wan's worried expression as he left.

Obi-Wan sighed heavily and ran his hands through his hair in a huff, deeply frustrated with how events had just occurred and most importantly with feeling Anakin's despair but not being able to help. He hated seeing his Padawan in such a way, he was the one who was meant to help yet all he seemed to be doing was causing his young apprentice more pain. He found himself stroking his chin in thought as Qui-Gon re-appeared beside him, the sudden emergence neither shocked or startled him much to his Master's chagrin. Qui-Gon had tried time and time again to catch Obi-Wan off guard but had so far failed in his goal.

"You're doing that more often you know?" Qui-Gon grinned as he indicated Obi-Wan's thinking gesture.

Obi-Wan looked down at his hand absently wondering where in fact he had picked up the gesture, perhaps it had happened after the growth of a beard…

He smiled before ignoring the judgment, the action served to help him think so was not a detrimental one in his mind. "Were you listening?"

"Always." Qui-Gon's joyous expression transformed seriously, sobering to match the mood in the cockpit.

Obi-Wan was rather curious as to his Master's opinions of Anakin's behaviour, an outsider could sometimes see more than the people concerned and with somebody as perceptive as Qui-Gon there was no doubt he had a good grasp of the situation by now.

"And?" Obi-Wan prompted when Qui-Gon fell into a pensive silence.

"I think you're right about Anakin hiding things from you, I don't believe it's because he doesn't trust you though… It's almost like he's trying to protect you from something, perhaps what he saw."

Obi-Wan agreed with the evaluation somewhat, he hadn't thought about Anakin's silence in a way of protecting him before but the hypothesis did fit. Anakin should know by now though that it was not his burden or responsibility to protect Obi-Wan, it was the other way around. The curiosity now surrounded just exactly what Anakin had seen, Obi-Wan knew all too well how destabilising visions were and he had seen the worst things imaginable. A dreadful after-thought raced through Obi-Wan's mind as he asked himself if it was possible Anakin had seen what he had? Even witnessing parts of those awful visions would account for the deep shock settling into his Padawan right now.

"You haven't showed him anything have you?" Obi-Wan asked urgently.

"Of course not ,Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon shot down the statement and pushed aside wounded feelings also, knowing that Obi-Wan did not mean to insult. He was on the brink and extremely worried about Anakin.

Obi-Wan calmed himself as he realised that line of thought had really gotten away from him, of course Qui-Gon wouldn't have let anything slip with Anakin he was careful. If Anakin ever saw what Obi-Wan had… The result was unthinkable.

"Master, what can I do if he won't talk to me? He won't even let me into his mind anymore…"

Qui-Gon raised his brow in surprise, comically even at the mere thought of a Padawan outsmarting the Master. They both knew Anakin was no ordinary Padawan though.

"You've seen how stubborn he is, Qui-Gon, how strong in the force…" Obi-Wan let the rest of the sentence trail off as he felt a flash of pain traverse his and Anakin's bond.

Before he could truly batter Anakin's mental shields to find out what the blazes had happened, his Padawan's insistent reassurance filtered into his mind. He was fine. Obi-Wan fought the urge to check up on his apprentice in person, only managing to stay away knowing that truly racing in would do more harm than good. Their trust was at a precarious point at present so reluctantly Obi-Wan remained on the bridge and took Anakin at his word.

"I used to know a boy who sounded just like that." Qui-Gon's teasing brought him back into the present moment and even caused a grin to grace Obi-Wan's features as he identified who his Master was describing, a younger him.

Qui-Gon sobered as he then answered the heartfelt plea seriously, "You can do what you always have, Obi-Wan, be there for him whenever he needs you."

"I will always be there for him, Qui-Gon, he knows that," he resolutely promised to himself and the force, until his last breath Obi-Wan would be at his side when Anakin needed him.

Qui-Gon smiled, "He may need reminding, Padawan, teenage boys are incorrigibly stubborn after all." A subtle barb at Obi-Wan's own past which caused the pair to chuckle lightly.

Obi-Wan's thoughts moved to earlier as he realised curiously that Qui-Gon hadn't even reacted when Obi-Wan had felt the burst of pain from Anakin, it was more than possible that he and Anakin had become so attuned to one another's thoughts and feelings that they were truly the only ones who knew how the other was. Another after effect of their encounter with the Sith. The ongoing conundrum, they had been thrust closer together than ever before and yet Obi-Wan had never felt more distant from his Padawan than he did in the present moment. He had hoped the visions of that harrowing future could be buried but more lately they surfaced more often than not, usually when he and Anakin were embroiled in a dispute of some sort.

"If he cannot control his fear then we both know what could become of him, I would never wish that fate upon anyone let alone Anakin." An air of melancholy threatened to drown the pair as Obi-Wan's statement eradicated what little levity had been remaining.

Qui-Gon squeezed his eyes shut painfully as if he remembered the future they had supposedly altered, the problem with altered futures was that anything could alter it back again. As Qui-Gon had always been very fond of saying - 'the future was always in motion', which of course meant that what they had both seen could still come to pass or even something far worse. When he opened his haunted eyes there was conviction there, an unusual passion rekindling in the depths of the Jedi Master's gaze.

"We won't let it happen, Padawan, we can't."


Anakin dragged his feet across the threshold and collapsed in a heap on one of the bunks, not bothering to remove his boots before hand. He was exhausted after that ordeal, dead on his feet really. The most tiring task had actually been keeping Obi-Wan out of his mind, he could never let his Master see what he did in that cave, could never let him see the monster his Padawan had become.

He reached into his tunic pocket and removed the very reason behind all of his new found troubles, the saber crystal. He had spent weeks designing and building a saber hilt, pouring hours of dedication into the weapon to make it just right. All of that effort felt useless now after the events of the cave, the saber would forever be haunted by Ilum. Obi-Wan had been right about one thing it was pure and beautiful and most of all it felt like it was his. That's what confused Anakin most of all, how could he deserve such a sacred item after what he did, what he allowed to happen?

Anakin had awoken in tears shaking and trembling with despair and grief on the floor of those caves, clasped tightly in his hand was the saber crystal he had searched so desperately for. He honestly thought the thing would burn him with the darkness he so evidently was capable of, he had rushed out of the cave's without turning back not willing to risk seeing any more vision's. The last lot had almost destroyed him.

Obi-Wan's lifeless body sprung to the forefront of his mind in the moment of weakness forcing Anakin to wipe away hot tears viciously and eradicate the image from his mind before Obi-Wan saw, as much as he tried he couldn't stop looking into his Master's dead unseeing eyes.

"Enough!" Anakin screeched and scrambled to his feet, clasping his saber crystal firmly even as it seared his skin.

He moved over to his rucksack and deposited the crystal carefully but quickly in a container, hand already burned and the damage already done. He hissed in agony as he stared down at the damaged skin, it was like the purity of the crystal had reacted to something within Anakin, the potential for darkness. Anakin accepted this as no more than what he deserved…

His defences must have slipped for a moment as Obi-Wan's insistent questioning invaded his mind, concern over the pain he had just felt through their bond. Anakin quickly threw his Master off the scent and wished that Obi-Wan wouldn't come racing in here, he didn't want to be caught out in this state by Obi-Wan. He didn't want his Master to see what he had become, what he had the potential to become.

Thankfully Obi-Wan stayed put although Anakin could feel his Master's hesitance, perhaps Obi-Wan was already starting to distrust him? Anakin shook away the hurtful feelings from his mind and scolded his thoughts as unfair and unjust. Obi-Wan only wanted to help him, he always had. Anakin was far more unbalanced than he first imagined, he was blaming his Master for something he hadn't done and it was more than unfair.

With a weary sigh Anakin removed his boots and flopped back into bed, covering himself with as many blankets as he could get his hands on as he remembered Obi-Wan's instructions to remain warm to fight off illness. He was just so tired…

Maybe if he got some sleep he could actually think straight, he could work his way through whatever that was in the caves and more importantly he could repair the still-growing rift between he and Obi-Wan. He wanted nothing more than to tell his Master everything but he found he could not, out of fear of Obi-Wan finding him as disgusting as he found himself. He could live with his own harsh judgement, but Obi-Wan's? He knew that would be the final nail in his coffin.

Anakin let sleep wash over him as his exhausted limbs sagged under the bed sheets, he allowed his weary eyes to close and mental shield's to wash away as he succumbed to unconsciousness. Anakin only wished for one thing as he drifted into oblivion, he wished to rest alone for once. He willed to be free of the many nightmares that had plagued him for weeks and caused countless sleepless nights, he wished only to rest.


Obi-Wan stared out of the viewport aimlessly and marvelled at the beauty and feeling of hyperspace travel. There did exist a time, when he was a Padawan himself, when hyperspace travel did not agree with him. He simply had not understood what was truly happening on his first few trips, the force always felt different in this dimension convoluted even when one was unprepared. The feeling of travelling in such a state had often left him feeling empty inside, truly feeling space for what it actually was, a void. Of course in time Obi-Wan had become accustomed to the feeling and could even appreciate the difference, the force was still out here it was just a matter of seeing things from a new perspective.

When he travelled in hyperspace it was as though, strangely, the force was even more encompassing, when he delved into it distance no longer had any consequence. He could see and feel things happening on the other side of the galaxy at the same level as he could sense things around the ship, hyperspace eradicated the sheer problems of distance. The problem with being susceptible to everything in the force at once was that for the inexperienced that was precisely what they sensed, unfiltered chaos. This was the main reason many did not choose to mediate too deeply in hyperspace, it took great precision and experience to filter out the white noise and zero in on an exact moment.

Qui-Gon's next query had Obi-Wan lose his focus entirely within the force, voices and feelings piled on top of one another into a large jumble, indistinguishable now that the connection had been lost.

"Have you told any others of the visions?"

He and Qui-Gon had remained in reflective silence after their last discussion over Anakin, it was only natural that his Master identified a topic amongst many which was troubling Obi-Wan.

"I've thought about telling Master Yoda more than once…" Obi-Wan began before trailing off, realising that he didn't actually fully know why he had refrained from informing the Jedi Master.

"But?" Qui-Gon prompted.

"It never seems to be the right time, every time I go to mention it something stops me, a feeling holding me back," Obi-Wan admitted finally after putting in a great deal of thought, he supposed that enough was in itself a good reason. His bad feelings had an uncanny reputation of becoming reality.

"Hmm."

Obi-Wan frowned in confusion, surely Qui-Gon would agree to err on the side of caution?

"You don't agree?"

Qui-Gon stroked his beard in a gesture reminiscent of Obi-Wan's earlier moment, he now realised where he had picked up the action from…

"I did not say that… Only that perhaps he could offer some advice with your's and Anakin's recent problems. Not to mention he must sense you are keeping something from him," Qui-Gon added with a small smirk, there was never any chance that anyone could keep a secret truly from someone as wise as Master Yoda.

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan agreed as he mulled over the thought's. "One thing is certain, if Anakin's situation crumples any further then I may have no choice but to involve Master Yoda."

Qui-Gon did not add anything after the statement, he didn't have to. Actions often spoke louder than words and by Qui-Gon's frown alone he knew that the Jedi Master could see the possibility of Anakin becoming worse, just like he could.

It was true that Yoda suspected something to be amiss, he and the old Master had spent rather a lot of time together recently in their search for answers. They had both spent numerous evenings in deep meditation seeking an answer to Anakin's mysterious actions on Moraband, how the young boy had managed to essentially join conscious' with Obi-Wan and become truly one with the force unlike any Jedi had ever seen before. They hadn't had much luck on discovering the secrets to Anakin's sudden appearance of powers other than that they stemmed purely from the force, from the light side of the force.

Obi-Wan was beginning to believe that they would never find out what had happened that day, Qui-Gon certainly hadn't been very forthcoming recently claiming that he had more to protect than either of them could ever imagine. Obi-Wan was beginning to accept that the force would always work in mysterious ways and that they would not always understand or even begin to understand it's capabilities, one thing was for certain after all of their meditation however. Anakin Skywalker was undoubtedly the chosen one.

He had almost told Yoda everything on more than one occasion, the burden of holding the horrors threatening to drown him entirely. If Yoda had asked he would have surely broken yet the Grand Master never had, it was clear he would not force the issue. If Obi-Wan wanted to bare his darkest secrets then it would be on his terms, Obi-Wan didn't know honestly if he could live with himself if he ever showed another soul what he had seen. He would be sealing that person's fate to countless nightmares, undue worry and unimaginable pain.

With the way Anakin had changed however Obi-Wan felt the pull to tell Yoda more persistently than ever, he could really do with another's advice if they were to avoid the worst, if he were to avert making the same mistakes again. It was true that he could be over reacting because of his extra knowledge but one thing was for certain, his Padawan had changed. If the situation with Anakin did not improve soon then he would have no choice but to involve Yoda, he would not fail his Padawan again.

A sharp stabbing pain brought Obi-Wan out of his reverie sharpish, he clutched his head as another dizzying wave hit.

"Obi-Wan, what's wrong?"

He looked at Qui-Gon's worried face confusedly, surely his Master must have felt that?

"Arghhh…" He ground his teeth together as his head pounded under the fresh assault, it was Anakin.

Qui-Gon's pained expression informed Obi-Wan that he was not the only one to feel the latest wave, he signalled for Obi-Wan to go and see to his hurting Padawan whilst he would watch over the ship. Obi-Wan rushed out of the cockpit with due haste as another wave of misery washed through him, reinforcing mental shielding Obi-Wan rocketed to his Padawan's aid.

"No… Mum… Stop!" Anakin mumbled incoherently as nightmares and visions fought to tear apart what little sanity he had left.

Anakin writhed in agony as he desperately attempted to block out the screams of his tortured mother, the screeching of dying children and explosions of never ending wars. Armies raged onwards in his mind as he watched the galaxy rip itself apart piece by piece, there were flashes of great wars with huge loss, an image of a devastating weapon the size of a small planet and flames engulfing everything he had ever loved.

"No, Master!" He screamed as once again Obi-Wan was cut down by his evil elder self, this time Obi-Wan had looked him right in the eyes when he was murdered. A question dying on his lips never to be spoken, 'How could you do this, Anakin?'

He threw his hands over his eyes to stop the images from coming but that didn't stop the haunting sounds which only served to rise in volume after his blindness.

"Anakin, you're a good person don't do this…Anakin, help me!…Execute order 66…I hate you!…You are fulfilling your destiny… I have brought peace, freedom, justice and security to my new empire… Anakin, I don't know you anymore… Get on with it… As you wish… I see through the lies of the Jedi… You're breaking my heart… I do not fear the dark side as you do… Henceforth you shall be known as… Darth Vader…"

"Anakin!" His eyes shot open and he pushed hard against whoever was next to him, throwing everything he had left in his weary bones at the intruder.

"Padawan, stop it's Obi-Wan." Anakin viciously shut out the voice, kicking and thrashing wildly as the tears continued to flow freely down his face, his breath coming in deep gulps as his heart threatened to race out of his chest.

He yelled out as arms tried to encompass his thrashing limbs again, bearing down a pressure on his will to relax. Whoever this person was they were certainly persistent. Anakin didn't stop fighting the heavy weight even as his limbs grew weary under the force suggestion, he could still be stuck in those awful nightmares for all he knew.

Soon he felt warm breath brush past his ear, the body pressed down upon him leaned into speak softly. "Anakin, you're safe."

It was like the words broke whatever spell he was under, he stopped struggling immediately and found his limbs grow as heavy as lead. Anakin sniffled as the tears continued to roll down his face, his throat hoarse from screaming. Soon the heavy weight holding his limbs lifted and Anakin looked up into his Master's very worried looking face.

"Are you really you?" Anakin almost couldn't manage words, tone cracking with heavy emotions as fear threatened to engulf him.

"Yes it's me, Padawan, I'm here." Obi-Wan pulled him into a crushing embrace and rocked him as he cried his heart out, stroked his back as his young body shook uncontrollably.

Anakin fell into the comfort and hid his embarrassment in Obi-Wan's tunics as he fought to calm his over zealous heart beat, he kept mental shield's excruciatingly high as the thought of Obi-Wan seeing any part of this almost killed him. He couldn't help but be reminded by his mother as Obi-Wan held him lovingly, of course this train of thought brought on a fresh wave of tears.

When the storm had mostly passed and Anakin had managed to ground himself back in the here and now, Obi-Wan pulled away reluctantly to get a better look at his Padawan. Anakin stared at the floor under the scrutiny, he was far too mortified to meet Obi-Wan's gaze.

"How long have you been having nightmares?" Obi-Wan questioned quietly, wincing as Anakin flinched visibly at the question.

He did not want to cause his Padawan anymore undue stress but this did not look like the first time that Anakin had undergone such an experience. When he had rushed into the room what greeted him shook Obi-Wan to his very core, he had never seen such violent nightmares effect somebody and had genuinely feared for Anakin's physical wellbeing. If he hadn't effectively jumped on his Padawan the boy could have have really hurt himself.

Obi-Wan winced as he shifted position to sit beside Anakin who he noticed had not let go of his tunic, the poor boy was petrified to lose contact. He could feel livid bruises forming beneath his clothing from Anakin's wild defence but hid their existence expertly from his apprentice, he did not want to add to the boy's guilt for something which was not his fault. His anxiety grew the longer Anakin remained silent, the lack of an answer was in itself very illuminating. Anakin had definitely been suffering from this and had hidden it from him, Obi-Wan released his own hurt into the force realising that Anakin needed his full and undivided attention now.

"On and off for a few weeks," Anakin eventually mumbled meekly, head still hanging low in shame.

Obi-Wan sighed in frustration, mostly at himself. How could he have missed this for so long? This would more than explain Anakin's tiredness of late and not to mention his change in behaviour. Visions could be a very harrowing experience especially persistent ones.

"You should have come to me, Anakin, I could have helped."

Swift defence flashed in the boy's eyes, there was a good reason why he had not come to Obi-Wan. The cogs clicked into place as he realised why Anakin would keep this from him, he was in them.

"They involve me don't they?" He questioned incredulously deeply wishing that the visions his young charge had seen did not resemble any that Qui-Gon had shown him, if that truly were the case then Obi-Wan did not know how to help Anakin. He hadn't even been able to help himself in those regards and more often than not dreamed of the horrifying events at nights, they had both been lacking of sleep lately it seemed.

"Some of them…" Anakin shamefully admitted, not willing to go into more detail in such a fragile state.

Obi-Wan pulled his Padawan closer as another wave of awful tremors passed through his small frame, kicking himself mentally for not being able to spot his apprentice's torment sooner, for not being able to keep away the horrifying visions that plagued his Padawan's mind night after night.

"Anakin, I am your Master. I have a responsibility to you and you must know by now that I take it very seriously. Simply put I care about you, Ani, I always will."

The words seemed to ease some of the tension in Anakin's body, not all but it was certainly a good start. He even looked as though he may open up…

"The vision's I saw in there… was that the future?" Anakin's voice trembled as he asked the most pressing query on the mind, Obi-Wan deduced that he wanted some reassurance that the horrors would not come true.

"The future is always in motion, Padawan, nothing is set in stone." He lifted the boy's chin so their eye's met. "You control your own destiny, Anakin."

Being this close to Anakin's face he now noticed the dark rings under his young charge's eyes, it was obvious to anyone how run down Anakin was. After a good night's rest they could hopefully move forward and finally put their demons to bed, leaving them in the past where they belonged.

Some of the apprentice's pent up emotion seemed to release as his addled brain finally saw perhaps a way forward, a way to not get lost in the visions and destiny. Obi-Wan knew how hard it could to be to fight against destiny, against fate but it could be done. He would help Anakin achieve what Qui-Gon had done, to change the future.

As Anakin flinched, most likely from yet another memory, Obi-Wan sighed. He frowned as he witnessed first hand just how relentless these visions were. He grieved over the ramifications of this latest trial, the visions in the caves had more than likely resembled his Padawan's nightmares. This would be a rather large milestone for them to overcome, Obi-Wan did not relish the challenge in the slightest this would be hard on the both of them. But for now…

"You're exhausted, Padawan, we can talk more about this all tomorrow after you get some real rest."

Anakin's grip on his tunic tightened into a death clench as unimaginable fear gripped him, he was terrified of being caught up in the nightmares again or any resemblance of them. No wonder he had hardly gotten any true sleep for so long.

"I can keep them away, Anakin, don't worry." Obi-Wan placated his young apprentice as his fear threatened to drown him.

"You can?" Anakin's tone was unsure, wary.

Obi-Wan smiled gently before levering himself to lay down beside his Padawan, knowing the death grip on his tunic would not be released anytime soon.

"Do you trust me?" Obi-Wan half teased.

Anakin looked affronted for half a second before his terror overtook his features again. "You know I do, Master."

Obi-Wan placed his free hand on Anakin's forehead and induced calmness, not so subtly either.

"Then sleep, Padawan."

The heavy loaded force suggestion crashed and overtook the exhausted Padawan's mind, he went as limp as a sack of potatoes upon the bed, eyes closing immediately. Obi-Wan loosened himself from the Padawan's grip as his hand slowly lost it's strength on his tunic, he sat beside Anakin's bedside as he kept up his will on the stubborn apprentice.

He spied the twisted Padawan's braid and went about re-plaiting the messy hair into some accordance of order, smiling gently at the nostalgia it brought on. His fingers met Anakin's first marker and his face sobered as he remembered just why his Padawan had earned it, a trial of spirit after their first mission. Anakin's confusion to the receipt of his first marker was rather comical at the time, after fighting the Sith themselves his Padawan found it hard to believe that he had earned such a token. Thinking back now Obi-Wan was sure that these nightmares haunting his Padawan had been partly been brought on by actions from that mission, ramifications which neither of them had foreseen. Dooku, Ventress, the Sith. They all still haunted the pair of them.

He kept up his vigil and cocooned Anakin's mind from the outside world so that the Padawan would have a chance to rest, perhaps properly for the first time in weeks. Obi-Wan felt guilty for not seeing the problem before now, he would definitely keep a closer eye on the Padawan from now on. He brushed away swirling darkness as they were attracted to Anakin's mind, it was as though the boy was indeed a magnet for the evil thoughts and memories.

Anakin slept peacefully as Obi-Wan protected and guarded his mind from any lingering evil, from any haunting visions that stemmed from the force. It was more than worrying that there was so much activity stemming from the force surrounding Anakin, and that most of that activity drew it's power directly from the dark side.

As Obi-Wan sat protectively beside his Padawan he couldn't help but shake the growing 'bad feeling' he was getting about the not so distant future, about his and Anakin's future to be exact. As he looked into the force surrounding his apprentice he saw a crossroad's of sorts, two paths which could be taken with very different outcomes. Anakin was swiftly approaching another trial and that fact petrified Obi-Wan as he knew they were not ready, he knew more than anyone just how much was at stake and couldn't help but feel the unfairness of shouldering such a burden on exceedingly young shoulders.

Dark shadow's loomed over all of them, the entire galaxy and each and every decision. The shadows of the future, the shadows of Vader…


Okay so that's the prologue to the story well and truly finished, I will be attempting to speed my schedule up slightly but as I said earlier my work load is pretty heavy at the moment!

Until next time...