Hey everyone still out there, it has been even longer this time. I truly am sorry. Actually, I totally had no inspiration or whatsoever to complete another chapter, although a lot of drafts are already waiting in my textbooks - and then I accidentally found a lovely message in my Inbox that I must have overlooked earlier, and I was like "Wait...Fanfiction...that was like, fantastic!" And before I realized, this chapter was half-written and I couldn't chicken out any longer - so here it is, a new chapter for "Everybody's broken". I hope you like it, and that I haven't lost all writing skills - and that maybe, possibly, hopefully you will feel like hitting the teeny-weeny review-button on the bottom of the page - I'd jump for joy. And I mean it literally!

Thanks for reading :)


I'm feeling fireworks in here,
light up the atmosphere,
and I can see so far.
I'm feeling fireworks in here,
you are the wish, my dear
I made upon the star.

You can call me crazy,
call me any way you do,
this has fallen for you

You and I – are a universe!

Mrs. Greenbird – Shooting Stars & Fairytales

Obi-Wan taught Anakin to have a goal

Obi-Wan lifted his gaze from the endless pile of reports and files to the blonde little boy that sat at the other side of the table, equally buried beneath papers that he swore to be worse than the essay on juristic quarries on Kashyyk – his homework.

It had been a quarter of a year now, and still the Jedi sometimes froze when he heard those tiny feet padding on the kitchen floor, the high voice of a child in the room next to his, the pearly laughter from the living room. He still stopped dead sometimes when seeing the shoes, completely similar to his own, but approximately half their size, stacked neatly next to the door, and wondered whose it were – and then it all came back to him, and although it were also bitter memories of loss and horror, he had to walk into Anakin's room and be sure. Be sure that he hadn't imagined it all. That he had really lost his Master, that he was a full-value knight now, no longer a learner, and most of all – that the boy was there.

He had come to a point where he didn't just occupy himself with Anakin because that was what a Master did, but because he liked it. He liked doing homework together and remember all the things he himself had learned at school. He looked forward to walking through the Temple together and explain all the curious things, rooms and beings they came across. He enjoyed meditating together – well, trying to meditate, because Anakin was fidgeting constantly and portraying vivid images of everything but serenity through their bond. But then, Anakin had only started learning, every youngling had his difficulties with meditation, and Obi-Wan could reap the fruits of his hard work every day. Anakin was a fast learner, a truly witty and eager child, and extremely interested. His constant nosiness, his thirst for knowledge and his excitement when learning something new gave Obi-Wan a deep sense of contentment.

He knew that Anakin was The Chosen One, but deep inside himself he knew that this wasn't why Anakin seemed so special to him. It was because he was his Padawan, and he was starting to be a Master like those he had always smirked about – someone who told everyone who would listen the talents and of his protégé and swore that there had never been a more talented child in the Temple.

And he knew something else – that although Anakin had only been in the Temple for three short months, and younglings usually had to train for years to come this far, today was the day Anakin was ready. They had practiced to center the young boy within himself, to erase fidgeting and clumsiness, and to improve the agility and preciseness of the muscles – and today, Anakin would touch a lightsaber for the first time. He just didn't know that yet, and Obi-Wan had felt like the cat that got the cream for the whole day, because today he could announce it to his young charge.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat. Anakin, who had nibbled on his bottom lip in consideration, jumped a little and immediately sat up straighter. Light blue eyes met grey ones

"Master?"

Obi-Wan smiled encouragingly, and Anakin relaxed visibly. So he was not going to be at the receiving end of a lecture for lolling around.

"Anakin, I think it's time for a little…lightsaber practice."

There was silence for the fraction of a second – and then Anakin jumped up and down as high as his sitting position allowed. Obi-Wan grinned at the image – "quivering with anticipation" had never been used more aptly. As fast as his blonde Padawan had settled enough to at least visually master the everlasting calm and serenity a Jedi should display, they had gone on their way towards the training halls. Obi-Wan first showed Anakin some easy stretching exercises while he went in search for a junior-sized training lightsaber. Anakin let his gaze wander avidly through the vast hall, awash with light. Everywhere, there were Jedi training and sparring in couples or threes, everywhere, there were ignited lightsabers, adding a sparkling green, blue, violet shade to the everpresent light that curiously seemed to evaporate from the stone itself. Suddenly something hit him – he belonged here. They were all Jedi, like he was now, they were a big family, and he would strive to be worth of that belonging, to be accepted as a valuable part of that community of good, strong people. And, most of all, he would strive to be worth of his Master, of his teaching and tutelage, and of the affection he already gave so freely.

Again he let his gaze wander, this time in search of Obi-Wan – and frowned in surprise when he found him hugging a tall, towering man with a long ponytail. He watched a little jealously as Obi-Wan continued to talk to this stranger in a manner that made clear that they had known each other for a long time. Just as Anakin started to wonder whether he should dare to walk over, Obi-Wan looked up and beckoned him closer. Anakin eagerly complied and just managed to catch the rest of Obi-Wan's phrase:

"…my Padawan, Anakin Skywalker!"

Anakin was met with an intense, but not unfriendly gaze out of surprisingly gentle eyes. The tall man smiled, then extended his hand.

"Pleased to meet you, Anakin. My name is Garen Muln – I have been a friend of Obi-Wan since we have been younger than you are now. And still he has not managed to become taller than me."

Obi-Wan huffed indignantly.

"Size doesn't matter, as I may inform you! And I'm the better fighter!"

Garen Muln laughed, a deep, resounding rumble, and involuntarily, Anakin had to grin. To his surprise, Obi-Wan joined his laughter, and Anakin's grin widened – laughing was something his Master rarely did. If this new man could evoke such a pleasant situation, he couldn't be bad at all.

"Talking big, aren't we? Well, prove it, old friend – sparring match? We haven't done this for ages!"

Obi-Wan's gaze rested on Anakin.

"Actually, Garen, I have promised Anakin that we would start with his first Katas today…"

Garen Muln and Anakin started to speak up immediately.

"Turning chicken, Obi-Wan?" Garen grinned, but Anakin drowned out his jibe.

"Oh Master, please! I'd love to see you fight! And…imagine all the things I can learn from watching!"

"That's right, Obi-Wan!" Garen smirked with a wink at Anakin "Doesn't Master Yoda always say 'Always pass on, what you have learned'? And now you try to take this great chance from your very own Padawan? Do you really want to…"

"Alright, alright!" laughed Obi-Wan, who knew when to acknowledge defeat. Anakin's puppy-eyed expression and Garen's ridiculous argumentation was too much to withstand.

"I'd be pleased to take part in a training fight with you, Knight Muln!" he said with a exaggerated bow, and laughed out loud when Garen gave Anakin a high-five. Talk about love at the first sight – and Anakin didn't even know that Garen was a professional pilot yet!

Anakin watched eagerly as Garen and Obi-Wan joked around while performing several stretching exercises to be ready for dueling. His Master had lifted hip up a beam normally used for balancing, and that had proven to be a wise decision, because soon, the area around the two duelers was crowded. Everybody tried to seem very busy with themselves, but to Garen, the reason for their presence was clear – everybody wanted to see Obi-Wan Sith-Slayer Kenobi fight. He looked his old friend over unobtrusively. Obi-Wan seemed older, and although barely noticeable, Garen immediately spotted the difference – the once impulsive and light-hearted young man had lost more than his Master on Naboo – he had left behind a huge part of his innocence. And yet, Obi-Wan was faring way better than he would have thought. He'd rather have bitten off his own tongue than telling his friend the truth about his stay on Coruscant. He wasn't here for some unpostponable talk to the Council – he had wanted to check for himself that Obi-Wan was alright. Bant had written to him several times, but he hadn't been able to believe her until he saw with his own eyes that Obi-Wan was really, truly doing ok.

Garen's attention wandered – from the Master to the Padawan sitting on his lookout above everyone's heads. This was the famous Chosen One – in fact, after all he had heard about the boy, he had instantly felt a strong dislike for him. He could imagine the pain it had caused Obi-Wan to hear his beloved Master choose this foreign child over him, he knew the reservation the Council had shown before allowing Obi-Wan to train him, he knew that initially Obi-Wan hadn't even wanted to at all, he had done it just to fulfill a promise. And then he had met Anakin for himself – and had immediately warmed to the boy. He wasn't at all like Garen had imagined – no spoiled, arrogant prat from the Outer Rim, but a small, insecure, blonde being that truly seemed to worship Obi-Wan. And he truly could not disregard the way Obi-Wan had talked about him, the way he had smiled – he knew how hard it was to gain Obi-Wan's trust and affection, and obviously this boy had done this feat immediately.

He was thwarted from his musings by a playful punch against his shoulders. Obi-Wan grinned mockingly at him.

"Now who's turning chicken? Do you want to spar or not, Garen?"

Smiling himself, Garen bowed low before his oldest and best friend, and after Obi-Wan had repeated the gesture, they adopted their fighting stance, ignited their sabers tuned to low power – and the duel began.

Anakin's eyes were almost too slow to follow the proceedings. Both men moved with breath-taking grace and velocity, they whirled and jumped like forces of nature, their sabers were nothing more than hazy blurs of light. Anakin gasped in shock – he had been so sure that Garen's blade had hit Obi-Wan's bare neck, but it just whizzed though thin air – Obi-Wan was long gone with an artistic somersault. To Anakin it seemed as though he could read his opponent's mind – no one could have actually seen the movement before it would have been too late. Then, with a potent buzz, both sabers collided in mid-air, and suddenly, both men were standing still, caught in a duel of raw power as each one tried push the other off-balance. Anakin noticed the muscles working under Obi-Wan's sweat-glistening skin, muscles he hadn't known the young man possessed – only right now, Anakin realized the power his Master could wield, the lethal forces reigning behind that calm façade, but instead of being afraid, as he knew he would have been when faced with such a power in his earlier life, he felt a pride and sense of belonging he had never known before. As long as this fierce, brave, terrific man would be proud of him, would accept him as his ward, he could and would endure anything – the loneliness, the feelings of being a misfit didn't matter any longer, because someone thought he belonged, and it wasn't just any random someone – it was the paragon of everything the Jedi Order stood for!

Still, none of the men had given up a single inch of floor to the other, and suddenly, they grinned at each other about their obvious stalemate. Then, again to fast for Anakin to truly perceive, the situation had changed completely, and the movements had become a blur again. He was not the only one to be impressed, though – everywhere around, he could hear hushed statement of praise for both knights, and particularly some of the younger Padawans' eyes were just as round as his. Finally, Garen, who had a physical advantage, seemed to have gotten the upper hand – with a series of quick blows, he forced Obi-Wan backwards until he almost touched the brick wall of the training halls. And then, all of a sudden, Obi-Wan was gone, and the crowd seemed to exhale as one – Obi-Wan had reappeared behind Garen, his saber at his old friend's throat, poised to burn through the sensitive flesh.

One moment, both men remained in their stance, then both lowered their swords and grinned at each other, seemingly oblivious to the staring crowd around them that only slowly started to disperse. Anakin's heart still beat heavily in his chest. Sure, he had known that his Master was great, just the way every Padawan knew about his, but never before he had been able to exactly estimate what Obi-Wan was capable of. Before he knew what he did, he had jumped down from his lookout and dashed towards the now joking friends – and before Obi-Wan had known what happened, either, Anakin had hugged him fiercely.

"Master! That was, that was, that was…brilliant!"

Both men started to laugh at this, and Anakin blushed furiously.

"I mean, I…well…I am deeply impressed, Master, and Master Muln, and I wanted to express my gratitude for…"

Garen laughed even louder at this.

"Totally your boy, Obi-Wan…he's already talking like a negotiator!"

"If you say so, Garen…and now I fear you will have to excuse us! I will have to make a fighter out of my little negotiator here!"

Anakin didn't quite know what was so funny, but he liked the way Garen made Obi-Wan laugh and banter, he liked the way the older man shook his own hand earnestly for good-bye, and he liked that the two friends appointed a re-match for two days later. And what he liked the most was that several minutes later, he closed his own small hands around the hilt of a real, buzzing, blazing blue lightsaber.