Some might think three years is an excessive time to wait between chapter updates. Yes. It is. I gave up on this story a while ago because I didn't like it, and I couldn't think of what to do next. But recently I looked at the stats, and saw that people have been reading it, even while I was gone, and so I decided that I must give this story an ending. Sorry to everyone who I have kept waiting, but if you are still here after all these years, than thank you for your patience. Now, without further ado: Enjoy!
Ahsoka POV(this story will be permanently from Ahsoka's POV from now on)
Anakin knelt next to his old master's unmoving body, shaking his shoulder gently. "Master, master please. You can't leave me!"
He was still just a boy. Seeing my master in his younger form, and hearing his desperate words, I realized just how young my Master really was. To the galaxy, he may be a Jedi, a hero, The Chosen One. But he was still just a boy, relying on his few friends (because really, he had so few true friends) to help him get through the messy world. And he had just lost his closest friend of all.
I wasn't afraid to admit it. I know that I'm close to Anakin, and I love him with all my heart, but it was Obi-Wan who kept him sane.
That twelve-year-old boy looked up at me, tears in his eyes. "How did this happen? I- I can't remember anything."
I covered my mouth with my hand, letting out a sob. Did I dare tell him the truth? It would kill him, I knew it would.
"Tell me Snips," he said, meeting my eyes. I shook my head. "I can take it."
"Master, I-," I sighed, wiping my eyes to meet his gaze. "You grabbed Levi, and the car spun out of control. We crashed."
He looked me in shock. He opened his mouth to speak. I cut him off, "Please don't blame yourself, Master," I begged him. "You were possessed, it wasn't your fault."
"You're wrong Snips," he said quietly. "I should never have let myself be possessed, I should've been stronger!"
"Master, you can't say that!"
"It's true Snips. I've failed Obi-Wan, and I've failed you. I was never a good enough Jedi, I guess the council was right."
"Master, stop," I said, grabbing his shoulders firmly. "That's not true and you know it. So maybe you're not perfect. No one is, not even Master Yoda. We still need you, I still need you."
"You're right Snips," he said, his eyes flashing with intense determination. It scared me. "I won't fail you again. I won't ever let anything bad happen to you."
I was startled by Annabeth, pulling herself around the side of the car. "I think my leg it broken," she groaned, collapsing on the ground again.
"Let me see it," Dr May said. He was rubbing his arm where Anakin had grabbed him, but otherwise he seemed to be uninjured. "Yup, that's broken alright. I can splint that for you, but I can do much more for you right now without the right supplies."
"Thank you Doctor," Annabeth said, wincing as he reset the bone, and splinted the leg with some of the supplies from the first aid kit. She struggled to get up, but he lightly restrained her.
"No, you need to rest. If you try to walk it will only get worse."
"Thank you for your help doctor," she said, "but we need to get going. We're almost there. Ahsoka can carry me."
I picked her up, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. She leaned her weight on me, using my support in order to walk.
"Come on Master," I said trying to pull Anakin away from Obi-Wang's side. It was pointless.
"I don't want to leave him," he sobbed, pulling against my grip.
"I know Master," I said. "I don't want to leave him either, but we have to go. We're running out of time!"
It took us an hour to hobble the rest of the way into town. I felt bad for leaving Levi on the side of the road, and especially for leaving Obi-Wan like that. But we had no choice. We had to keep moving forwards.
We caught an overnight bus that would bring us the rest of the way across the country. I let Anakin sleep, and used my force powers to try to heal Annabeth's leg. By the end of my efforts, she was able to stand on her own, and walk a little bit. Anakin could've done a better job, but he needed to rest.
I could be the one responsible for everything. Just this once.
As we pulled into the station, the sun was just starting to climb into the sky, casting light on our third day. We were running out of time.
"Good morning Anakin!" I chirped, shaking him awake.
"Ugh, Padmé?"
"Master, it's me. Ahsoka. Do you remember what happened?"
"Ugh, yes, I remember."
"Annabeth, wake up," I whispered, giving the girl a much nicer awakening than I had given my master. Old times sake. I couldn't resist.
We stumbled off the bus, collapsing in the station. I stared up at the television, watching in silence as the reporters announced the upcoming weather. Across the bottom of the screen was a banner warning of potential earthquakes nearby.
"Come on guys," I said, pulling them to their feet. "We have to keep moving. The canyon isn't far now."
We started the long walk to the canyon's edge, when I felt the ground rumbling beneath my feet. Earthquake! I swayed uncertainly on my feet, struggling to stay upright as the ground shifted beneath me.
But there was more than that. There was something deeper, something sinister, tugging at the back of my mind. I looked at Anakin. He had felt it too.
A disturbance in the force.