A suffocating onset of snow greeted Anakin as he awoke. It smothered any sounds that may come from the forest. There was no chirping of the birds or rustling of the leaves on the ground. Everything was still. It was a haunting, deafening lack of noise, however, he found himself enjoying it.
Anakin sat at the mouth of the cave to bask in the stillness. He watched the snowflakes fall in the moonlight. The sight eased his troubled and worried mind. Before he meditated at the mouth of the cave, he had been debating whether or not to follow through with the enigmatic, seductive knowledge he'd learned from Darth Revan. The information sat in the back of his mind, waiting for the moment to rush to the forefront of his consciousness. It lurked, ever-present in his head. Sooner or later it would drown out all other thoughts. That time was not far.
For the last few weeks, Anakin battled with himself. He felt a deep desire to tap into the Force, bend it to his will, and search the near future for answers. After all, that was what Revan told him would bring forth foresight. But there remained the part of him that tried to fight off the onslaught of curiosity; the Jedi in him warned Anakin of the dangers that may come. It was a war of attrition.
What made the internal conflict worse was the sheer number of Sith holocrons awaiting him in the back of the cave. They sat there, looking innocent enough, but their whispers spoke to him in his sleep. They beckoned to him during the day. Even in that moment, as he sat at the front of the cave, the holocrons sweetly called out to him, begging Anakin to use their knowledge.
Anakin frowned at the falling snow. He watched one particular snowflake descend from the sky and land on his outstretched palm.
Whenever his frustration, loneliness, or anger welled within him those calls grew stronger. Anakin began to think of it like an addict facing withdrawal; he attempted to remain steadfast in his denial, yet the waves of need battered against his resolve.
Come, they whispered. Come and find.
Anakin heard their call. He turned back to the cave where he placed Revan's holocron. To his surprise and interest, it began to glow a deep crimson. The light reflected off of the rock walls. The light was warm and inviting.
Come.
He had so many questions he needed answered: Did Padme love him or miss him still?; Was Ahsoka alright and safe?; Why had so many abandoned him? Those unanswered questions swirled in his head constantly, reminding him of everything he'd lost. Now, he had a chance for resolution.
Come.
The Jedi in him fought furiously against the rising tide of curiosity and need-to-know. Anakin had to remember his training and that once he embraced the dark side of the Force, he could never return. His fate would be sealed the instant he touched it.
Not yet, he told himself.
To put distance between himself and the holocron, Anakin rose from his meditative position. He shivered in the stagnant, frigid air. It was a clear night and a good time for a walk through the forest and give him a chance to think clearly or to not think at all.
Raising the hood of his cloak, Anakin set off into the woods around the cave. He'd have no issue finding his shelter again - the Force was far too powerful for him to forget it.
The snow fell onto his cloak with barely audible thuds. Branches snapped underneath his feet. Leaves crunched as he passed over them, caring little for stealth. There were no threats out there, none he felt anyway.
On his walk, Anakin tried to clear his mind. It was exhausting to be constantly bombarded by thoughts of the future, of his morals, and of what had been. The cycle played in his head non-stop. There was no break or rest from it all. He dreamt of it night after night when all he desired was a dreamless sleep.
Anakin wandered aimlessly for hours. He trekked outside the cave until the sun began to rise over the ocean to the east of his cave. Without any sort of peace, Anakin meandered back to his cave and the holocrons.
He stopped at the mouth of the cave, staring at the still beaming object in the back of the cave. Its light glowed warmly as though it had been waiting for him to return, and maybe it had been.
Another sleepless night destroyed Anakin's ability to fight off the seductive calls. His frustration reached a boiling point and the anger inside of him silenced the resistance of his inner Jedi. There was nothing holding him back anymore.
He reached out his hand and the holocron flew across the room to him. It vibrated happily in his palm. The golden edges hummed and a pleasant heat rushed across Anakin's skin. Immediately, the doubts he held began to dissipate.
He observed the holocron again, keeping mental notes of the directions given by the Mandalorian Sith Lord. It was nothing he hadn't seen before, however.
After his introduction, Revan proceeded to give his instructions. "The dark side is demanding. It requires an intense and strong connection to the Force as well as a thirst for its power. To activate foresight, you must follow the path of the dark side. To achieve true power, you must connect to the Force and bend it to your will. You do not serve it, it serves you. The dark side will not respond to weak pleas but to sheer force. It will recognize your strength, your anger, and your hatred. Only then will it serve you."
Revan paused and Anakin could practically see the golden-red eyes behind the mask. "The ability to see the future is an ability some are born with. The future can come through visions, meditation, and in dreams - times when you are strongest to the Force. Others can learn to see the future, yet it is difficult. Those with a natural affinity for foresight have a greater chance of success in using the power. Through time it becomes easier, though repetition makes seeing the future come naturally.
"To begin, you must recognize the feelings that allow you to embrace the dark side. Recognize your anger, your hatred, and your suffering. Remember those who've betrayed you, who've kept you from becoming who you were meant to be. Live in those past moments where they've placed chains on you that you're now free of. Let your emotions rise inside of you and embrace them. Welcome your agony like a friend. Use them as you reach into the Force and take the power that is rightfully yours.
"As you feel the Force bending and respecting your power, command it to see into what will be. Ignore the strength leaving your body while you make your demand. Focus on a single question and focus your mind. Grasp the Force, bend it and shape it. Repeat your inquiry if you must, but do not let it go until it shows you what you must know." Revan bowed his head momentarily. "An unfocused mind bears no results. The further in time you wish to go, the more power, practice, and energy it requires. Practice and achieve."
Revan's image faded from sight. The holocron closed in Anakin's palm, the light emanating from it died. Once again, it fell dormant.
Once you touch the dark side, it will forever be part of you. The old Jedi adage echoed in Anakin's ears, only he paid it little mind.
Anakin resumed his meditative state at the mouth of the cave. The sunlight had yet to reach the inside of the cave and him. His darkened silhouette remained untouched by the oncoming day despite the trees behind Anakin being lit.
He closed his eyes and allowed himself to pay attention to the feelings that shadowed him. Loneliness gripped his chest, squeezing its fist around his heart and lungs. Anger clenched his fists - his metal prosthetic shook violently. Hatred clouded his brain and boiled the blood running through his veins. A tidal wave of emotions flowed through Anakin Skywalker, and those in his past life flashed before his eyes.
Padme came first. The love she had blessed him with left a gaping crater in his chest. She had been so careless and cold when she ripped it from his grasp. The love of his life, his soulmate was no more. She cast him aside in favor of her career. To Padme, he was nothing more than a threat, a danger she must rid herself of.
Next, Obi-Wan appeared. His friendship and parenting meant so much to Anakin. He thought foolishly that he could trust Obi-Wan, yet reality proved him wrong. The code was what mattered most, not him. The Jedi were the family Anakin longed to be. When it came down to it, he was nothing more than a disappointment.
Tears clouded Anakin's visions, but he continued to let himself feel.
Ahsoka abandoned him. She chose her own path rather than be by his side. After all he had done for her, after the sacrifices he made, he wasn't enough for her. He'd never be enough. Ahsoka would risk death and injury instead of completing her training. Unlike Anakin, she didn't need companionship.
The Jedi council, his spiritual guides and mentors, cast him aside for following his heart. Moreover, none of them had ever truly accepted his presence. They respected his power, however, it was because he threatened them. Anakin was a slave on a very short chain to be held by the Jedi Council. He belonged to them. When it didn't fit their needs, they made formal the prisonership they kept upon him for years.
Anakin's breathing was heavy. He exhaled like a dragon. His hands clenched his robed tight enough to create small tears in the fabric.
Anakin hated them. He hated all of them for what they'd done. They didn't understand him and they abandoned him after seeing what he was truly like. His frustrations, need for friendship and love, and his anguish disgusted them all. All of them kept him at arm's length, then cast him out of their lives when he broke their moral codes.
They were selfish.
They didn't deserve his trust.
Anakin should have power and show them what he could become.
Anakin's connection to the Force reached a climax. The vein connecting the two pulsated. Seizing control of his emotions, Anakin took hold of the Force that fed into his connection. He brought it into him, like a tractor beam reeling in a ship. It resisted as best it could, yet he was far too strong for it. There was no escape. Anakin bent it to his will as Revan instructed him to do.
Tell me, he commanded, what waits outside of this cave. Show me the beast that will walk past the mouth of this cave today.
A vision flashed in his eyes. A brown-haired, quadruped meandered by the mouth of the cave. Its snout sniffed at the air, picking up Anakin's scent. Its beady eyes searched the darkness for the scent's origins, but it chose not to investigate. The beast continued on its journey a moment later.
Anakin let go of his grip on the Force. He collapsed backwards on the cave floor, gasping for breath. The energy in his body had been consumed by his seconds-long use of foresight. In spite of his historic midichlorian count, Anakin was not a god.
The crunching of leaves to his immediate left caught Anakin's attention. Lazily, he lulled his head towards the opening to see the same beast from his vision smelling him. He watched in a mixture of amazement and exhaustion as it looked at him on the floor. It made no approach and made no threat - thankfully, as Anakin lacked the energy to run. A moment passed where their eyes met, then the beast continued on its way.
Anakin fell asleep the moment the beast disappeared from view, but when he stirred hours later, he starved for more practice, more power.
For several days, Anakin slept, ate, and tested himself. Foresight evolved into a power he had to grasp. He hungered for it, yearned for an ability that was meant to be unattainable to Jedi. Failure fed his darker emotions and bolstered his performance until he was able to see a vision that truly shook him.
Anakin was still in the cave, but the ship in the middle was repaired - its engines were glowing against the rock walls. The holocrons waited onboard as well as the other artifacts collected by the exile. The life he'd been living was coming to an end as a new journey began. What caught Anakin's eye and drew his attention was his own silhouette standing at the mouth of the cave.
This Anakin in his vision was stronger. He oozed power and confidence. The cloaks around his body remained tattered and his face was wild from his unkempt hair and beard, but he was obviously in good health. The Anakin of the future called the exile's lightsaber to his hand.
A shadow in the corner that he'd been previously unaware of spoke to him. "Sooner or later the Jedi will catch you."
The confident Anakin faced the shadow. "It'll take all of them to defeat me."
"Your confidence is your weakness, Skywalker. Your faith in the dark side is misplaced. The Sith won't reign in this galaxy. It may not be Kenobi, Yoda, or the Council, but one Jedi is going to end this."
"Your assumption is misplaced," Anakin replied in a slow, menacing tone. He bent over in front of the shadow. He held out his left hand as though lightning would explode from his fingertips, but the lightning was fluid and red. "I'm stronger than anything you've faced."
The shadow cried out in agony as Anakin's red current pierced his heart. The muscle drained from the shadow's body, flooding to Anakin in a rush. In the blink of an eye, the shadow became a mass of skin, cloth, and bone.