You know when people say that your life will flash before your eyes when you die?

They were lying.

You don't have any big remembrance or slide show of your life, good times or bad. All you feel is the current pain. You feel the agony rip through your veins, your lungs getting ready to collapse from lack of oxygen, your heart ready to pound right through your inflamed chest. You don't remember anything but the suffering, and the fear – fear like nothing you've ever felt before. You try to think about a familiar face, or a comforting whisper; but there's nothing but terror and the constant battle to suck in just one more breath, force your heart to beat just one more time. Buy yourself one more second of life, so that maybe, just maybe, you can reassure yourself that there's something after this.

And that's when everything just shuts down, and your world becomes darkness.

That's what dying is like.

You know when people say that your life will flash before your eyes when you die?

They were wrong.

xXx

A cold wind swept through, conjuring the faintest of coughs. That was quickly followed by a weak inhalation of breath, and then an exhale.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Somewhere, I scream echoed in the distant. His heart began beating stronger, faster.

Breathe in. Breath out.

The ringing of more explosions. Was that crying he heard? A shattered, horror filled sobbing that tore through his soul…

Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out. In. Out.

"mhpyahn." Something incomprehendable screamed in the distance. He strained to open his eyes, or at least clear his hearing.

"mhbywn." There. The sound was a bit better. He kept pushing his senses.

"mhmbywn."

"uhmbywn."

"uhhbywan."

"uhhbywan…"

"OBI-WAN!"

"Anakin!" All his senses came back all at once in a barrage of feeling that made his head swim and his heart skip as Obi-Wan bolted straight upwards into a sitting position, gasping for air like a fish out of water. Pain radiating over every inch of his sore body, he struggled to push past the physical suffering, and hazy gray eyes swept over his surroundings.

Everything had a black haze closing in from the corners, leaving his vision blurred and extremely limited. It seemed he was surrounded by a dark fog, with only snippets of reality able to be seen through the smog. He caught sight of an morning sky turned red from nearby flames and smoke. He could smell the acrid stench of an oil explosion, and heard shouting, more crying, and screams. Shaking all over, the Jedi managed to get to his feet, and stood on wobbling legs in hopes of getting a better handle on the situation.

It was when he looked to his right did he catch glimpse of the ash covered, black clad figure standing in the remains of a Naboo garden, the beautiful plants now shriveled and dead, sparks and coals covering the cobblestone paths. Anakin had his lightsaber activated, and was facing a cloaked figure that stood with his/her back towards Obi-Wan; but the red, shimmering blade of a Sith was unmistakable. Two, in fact.

Obi-Wan felt that horrible, suffocating fear grip his gut – the fear nearly every Master experienced when one of their apprentices was in danger. Obi-Wan took a step forward, but suddenly collapsed back on the ground, his body feeling as if he didn't yet have full control over it. He tried to call out to his former Padawan, but his voice decided to die at that exact instant. He was forced to lie, helpless on the ground, straining his eyes to see through the black fog.

He caught flashes of Anakin, a few glimpses of a heated duel where lightsabers clashed and the Force was thrown in nearly overwhelming waves between the two opponents. The Sith remained hooded, and from the grace and flexibility, Obi-Wan gathered the conclusion it was a woman. Ventress. The name popped up like a bad memory – which it was – into his mind. He remembered quite distinctly fighting against the old witch-turned-Sith-disciple easily. He also remembered Anakin could never quite get the best of her. Oh, Anakin

His eyes locked onto the young Jedi's face. It was hardened with determination, and some other emotion Obi-Wan couldn't place. There were a million emotions swimming in those bright blue eyes Obi-Wan knew so well… including fear. Anakin was afraid, and for a brief second, that terrified the Master. Because that meant Anakin, the Hero with No Fear, needed a reason to be afraid – a reason so strong that it had completely destroyed the boy's strong mental shields.

Obi-Wan felt like his heart was stabbed with a metal spear when he heard Anakin's pained scream, which was ripped from the boy's throat when one of Ventress' lightsabers lodged itself into his shoulder, and then was torn out with frightening brutality. Obi-Wan's throat closed up. Something was wrong. The aura wafting off Assajj Ventress… she was a Sith disciple, yes, but never, ever, had Obi-Wan felt her Force signature this dark. It was like she had been poisoned and rotted to the core. Not even Dooku sent shivers through his spine. Not like this.

Anakin was losing the fight, and quickly. Desperately, Obi-Wan looked around for his own lightsaber, finding it wasn't on his belt. That's when he realized that despite the destruction around him, his own clothing was clean. Spotless in fact. As if he had just stepped out of the 'fresher and changed back at the Temple. What the heck? Bewildered, the Master looked around, trying to find a solution to his bizarre situation.

And his heart stopped at what he found lying near the garden walls.

Literally.

His heart skipped two or three beats, making a hand automatically fly to his chest. He felt his own pulse, and though he did find a beat, it wasn't… normal. It felt light, and strange, almost like a ghost. Which was entirely possible, because Obi-Wan Kenobi found himself staring with wide eyes at his own body lying only a few feet away.

He stared at the body, watching as it lied motionless against the wall where it must've been thrown after the first explosion. A large chunk of the brick fence had fallen on his chest, and sickeningly, he didn't see a single sign of movement from himself. Not even an inhalation.

Am I dead?

Dead.

Was he dead?

He stared back down at his flawless tunic, then at his body, and then at the haze around him. And suddenly, he felt extremely nauseous. His body… he was… his heart had stopped beating. So here he was, caught in that strange vortex between mortal reality and becoming one with the Force.

Shit.

He heard another cry, and his head whipped back around to see that this time, it was Ventress tumbling backwards as Anakin slashed violently through her arm, nearly cutting it off above the elbow. Hissing and snarling, she glared at her enemy for several moments, neither one moving.

And then she just ran.

Ran off away from the Palace just as some figures in the distance began running towards them.

Anakin watched her run, and while Obi-Wan sort of wished he would go and catch that little witch, he found himself start with surprise when Anakin turned away without a moment's hesitation, throw his lightsaber into a nearby bush, and dart for the wall.

Oh, that's right. He was dead.

Obi-Wan felt part of his heart break when he watched the young Jedi collapse to his knees beside his still motionless body.

I swore I'd help him, that I was there for him. Oh Force, now he's holding my body. He's not going to get over this, not after what just happened with Padme and all the scandal with her family… Oh Force, I can't die. Please don't let me die. I can't. Just not now. For Anakin's sake… He watched Anakin desperately throw the hunk of brick off of him; and then the boy was cradling his mentor's body in his arms, speaking in low but panicked tones at him, his flesh hand ghosting over his bleeding forehead, wiping strands of copper colored hair from his Master's face. Obi-Wan's spirit shattered. Anakin, your arm… your arm, Ani. Y-You're injured, stop the bleeding… No, Ani, please no, don't just let yourself bleed out… Anakin started sobbing, and Obi-Wan felt frantic anger filling his heart.

Don't do this to him! he screamed into the Force, struggling to move but now completely able to do anything but lay there and wait for his transition into the Force to complete. Don't take me away! Not now! Why are you doing this to him?! Are you trying to destroy him?! He's supposed to be your kriffing Chosen One! Son of the Force, they call him! Why are you doing this to him?! He stared, eyes burning as he watched Anakin embrace his Master's body in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably now.

Don't let me die, please. Please, please, please, let me come back. Please, please, please, PLEASE…!

He heard voices coming closer, shouts, exclamations of horror, and plenty of gasps. He couldn't turn his head, but he didn't have to; for seconds later, several guards ran over to Anakin, and a certain black haired senator who immediately went for Anakin, and gently but firmly pulled the boy away from Obi-Wan's body. The guards engulfed the body, Obi-Wan watched, and for a few moments Anakin struggled and fought against Bail Organa's grip before finally just collapsing against him.

Obi-Wan managed to catch a glimpse of what the guards were doing… CPR, he realized with a sudden soar in his heart. Yes, please, please work… He started willing his spirit back into his body, not even sure if it would work. He could feel Anakin's suffering in the Force, as in, actually feel Anakin fall apart all around him. It was agony to experience, agony to know Anakin was falling apart because he had smashed into a wall.

Suddenly, he couldn't breathe once again. Gagging and choking, Obi-Wan eyes widened to the state of perfect circles, he felt a white-hot pain flare through his entire body, and the last thing he witnessed was Anakin's tear-filled eyes suddenly lock onto him and stare in shock before his entire world went back, and he fell out of the void. Whether into the Force or back into his body, he wasn't sure of at all.

At least, until he heard the tiniest whisper of a guard, his voice sounding distant but above him.

"He's breathing again."

xXx

Breathe in. Breathe out.

It was the first thing his semi-conscious mind registered, and he accepted the orders gratefully. But then he quickly remembered that the last time he tried this mantra, it turned out he was a ghost caught between life and death; so Obi-Wan quickly decided to just let his lungs do what they did beset, and focused on opening his eyes.

Easier said than done.

Apparently, his eyelids had transformed into lead, because lifting them took every ounce of energy he had left to muster. He just barely managed to open them up to tiny slits, catching a small look around a starch white room, before falling back into unconsciousness.

xXx

The second time awakening was much easier. Now, his head didn't feel like a gas-filled watermelon, and when he tried cracking an eyelid, it slid up with little struggle. He quickly did the same with the other eye, and opened them fully. Thank the Force, there were no blinding lights to curse at.

It seemed to be sometime during the night, because most of the room was dark except for a tiny crack under the door, yellow rays coming from what must've been the hallway. Mind still feeling fuzzy from perhaps a few painkilling drugs, Obi-Wan leaned back against the pillows and looked around the room; and something in him chilled. The white sterile walls, the medical cot he was on, and the erratic carvings in the ceiling molding did not belong to any Naboo medical wing, as he had first presumed. No, he wasn't even on Naboo.

He wasn't on Naboo, and where was Anakin…?

Just then, the door opened, and a young Jedi stepped into the room, brunette hair pulled into a tight bun, silver eyes widening in shock and jaw dropping towards the ground when she noticed her patient awake, confused, bewildered, and seemingly irritated. "M-Master Kenobi!" she squeaked, nearly dropping her clipboard. The Healer-in-Training immediately spun around and screamed for "Master Windu to come immediately!"

Oh no.

He was in the Jedi Temple, the Halls of Healing.

Which meant the kriffing Council…

And speaking of the Council, none other than Mace Windu stepped through the doorway moments later. He entered, with the Healer-in-Training right on his heels. She started scurrying around, checking his vital signs, not even bothering to speak to him but rather going over his body with the Force – a feeling that always made him a bit uncomfortable. But at the moment, his full attention was on Windu. Dark-skinned face tight and unemotional, as always. Simply staring at Obi-Wan, until the other Jedi was irritated to the end of his rope. "Where is Anakin?" was the first thing the bearded Master blurt out. He distantly

remembered that there had been an attack on the Palace, and Anakin had been fighting, and he was pretty sure he had been dead, too…

"Away." The way he said it, so cold and monotone, and even with a bit of resentment, made Obi-Wan's gut twist and knot painfully.

"Where is he, Mace?" Not even bothering with formalities at the moment, because he had known Windu for quite a while, and they usually got along. Well, not recently, but once upon a time. He knew he wasn't acting like himself – he wasn't the usual calm, respectful, picture-perfect Obi-Wan Kenobi – but he had to know where his apprentice was. He stretched out tendrils of the Force – limited, because there was now a dull throbbing in the back of his head – but he couldn't feel Anakin anywhere nearby.

"He's currently on a mission, liberating Shili and destroying a Separatist base that was found on-world," the dark-skinned Master replied without the slightest change in his voice. "He will be returning shortly, and I am sure he will be eager to see you have awakened. Being on Shili for several weeks has taken a toll on his men, I've heard, despite how simple the assignment was…"

"Being on Shili for several weeks…" The words sent little rivers of fear and dread streaming through his veins like ice water. "W-What? Mace… how kriffing long was I out?"

Not a moment's hesitation before he got his answer.

"Six months."