Anakin felt as though his heart was burning as he sat there on the floor, his knees drawn up to his chest as he stared wordlessly at where his legs met the floor of Luke's quarters. He had no idea how long he had been sitting there staring at the floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the entire room, but he could only assume that it had probably been an hour at least.

He wanted to get up and do something productive, but he barely had the strength to do so, not after everything he had just learned.

He felt so pathetic at his weakness and inability to just stand up, but his shame was overwhelming and kept him sitting there, with nothing more than his guilt and his sadness.

His tears had long since dried and he was certain that he was unable to shed anymore as he gently wiped away at the crust that had formed in the corner of his eye. Usually, he was not one to cry, but he felt more than entitled to at the prospect of himself turning to the Dark Side and helping in the destruction of the Order and the Republic. Not to mention the loss of his future wife and the fact that he had two children who were currently trying to fix the destruction that he had caused, and it wasn't just them.

He had been with the Rebellion long enough to know what they were fighting for and how much had been sacrificed all in the name of freedom and justice. So many Rebels had died to try to put an end to the tyranny he had helped create and he would be lying if he said that alone didn't kill him.

How many of those Rebels had he personally murdered? All in the name of the Empire?

The very thought alone made him nauseous and he didn't even try to fight the bile that was raising in his throat as he quickly pulled Luke's garbage container over to him before letting it all out, the putrid smell permeating the air around him as he heaved into the can.

Once he finished and there was nothing more that he could force up, he wiped his mouth with the corner of his sleeve before he shoved the container aside, the smell becoming too much for him to handle at the moment.

He knew he would need to take the container out of Luke's room and probably procure him a new one, and although he was still extremely emotionally spent, he slowly stood up and let out a shaky breath as he picked up the waste bin and made his way over to the door, but just as he was about to exit the room, something on Luke's desk caught his eye.

The container in his hand was almost completely forgotten as he slowly made his way over to the makeshift desk, which was covered in data-files and as well as few tools and schematics, but that was not what had caught the young Padawan's attention.

There, staring up at him, was a small Japor snippet, much like the one he had made for Padme all those years ago. It, of course, was not the same one, but it was very similar in design to the one had given her, bearing the secret symbols and art that so many slaves had come to know and use within their community.

The slaves on Tatooine would often make good luck charms and talismans, the symbols carved onto each one was different and unique; symbolizing something that only the slaves would understand. Each one carried a different message that was unique only to itself, and that's why Anakin remembered this one so vividly. Japor Snippets were not that uncommon in the slave community on Tatooine and although Anakin had carved probably more than a few dozen in his entire life, he knew exactly who had made this one and who it had been given too.

Anakin gingerly reached down to pick up the small trinket, his eyes dancing across the symbols that he carved onto it all those years ago before presenting it to his mother as a parting gift before leaving for the Temple. It was strange, he had not thought of the small talisman that he had given his mother but seeing it now seemed to bring back all of those memories.

The symbols he had carved onto the wood represented love and protection as well the promise that they would one day meet again. Slaves on Tatooine were constantly being separated and there were no guarantees that they would ever see each other again, so this symbol had come to represent a promise.

A promise that they would one day meet again here or in the afterlife.

Anakin stared down at the talisman quietly as he let out a shaky breath before he turned it over to see his initials which he had carved out on the back before he turned it back over so that he could stare at the familiar markings.

"My Aunt gave it to me," came Luke's quiet voice from the doorway as he leaned against the frame with his arms folded across his chest, his blue gaze taking in the sight of the younger Jedi.

"Your Aunt?" asked Anakin softly as he looked over at Luke before looking back down at the trinket in his hand.

"Aunt Beru. She gave it me when I was young because she wanted me to know where I came from. Both she and my Uncle had loved Shmi and they had wanted me to know who she was and how much she meant to them," said Luke as he unfolded his arms and slowly made his way further into the room.

"I was lucky enough to have it on me when my home was destroyed by Stormtroopers," continued Luke absentmindedly as he slowly entered the room.

"I didn't know your home was destroyed by Stormtroopers," said Anakin gently as he felt Luke's pain through their bond. Whoever his Aunt and Uncle had been, Luke had loved them dearly and their deaths had left a hole in his heart that was only just beginning to heal.

"It was very tragic what happened to them," said a visibly conflicted Luke, "but if it hadn't of happened, I would have never gone with Kenobi to save Leia from the Empire and the plans for the Death Star would've never reached the Alliance."

"I guess that's one way to look at things," said Anakin as his eyes drifted back down to the Japor Snippet in his hands.

There was a pregnant pause between the both of them and Anakin could sense Luke's nervousness and curiosity rolling off of him like waves, but he remained silent as he waited for Luke to say whatever it was that he wanted to say.

"Your mother," began Luke timidly, obviously afraid that he was breaching a sensitive topic, "what was she like? I mean, I know a little bit about her from my Aunt and Uncle, but not that much seeing as they only knew her for a little more than three years before she-"

Luke looked a little bit like a deer caught in the headlights and it was plainly obvious even to him that he had just backed himself up into a corner.

"-Passed?" finished Anakin for Luke.

Luke looked at Anakin shyly, but Anakin wasn't mad at Luke for asking about his mother. Her death, even though having occurred decades ago, was still a sore topic for Anakin, but that didn't mean that he couldn't talk about what an amazing person she was.

Not to mention the fact that Luke deserved to know about his grandmother- thought Anakin blankly before he shoved it as far out of his mind as possible.

Best not to think about all the technicalities right now.

"My mother was a good person," said Anakin as he lifted his head to look Luke squarely in the eyes, "she was kind and gentle, but strong at the same time. She knew the power of self-sacrifice better than anyone I've ever known and she always managed to look on the bright side of things. She always put my happiness before her own, which was why I was able to earn my freedom and become a Jedi. If it wasn't for her, I would probably still be a slave on that barren rock with no prospect and no future to call my own," said Anakin with a shaky breath.

"You miss her," stated Luke.

Anakin nodded his head as he started to feel the familiar burning wet sensation behind his eyelids, but he fought off the urge as he took in a few haggard breaths. His mother wouldn't have wanted him to cry for her, she would've wanted him to be strong for her.

Now, be brave and don't look back. Don't look back.

"Yeah," said Anakin with a curt nod. "I miss her."

Silence flooded the room and surrounded them for a few heavy moments before Anakin managed to tear his gaze away from Luke and back down to the talisman in his hands, the catalyst for this entire conversation that seemed strangely- enlightening.

Anakin felt as though a heavy burden had just been lifted from his shoulders and it seemed for the first time in days he could finally breathe again.

Anakin gently placed the Japor Snippet back down on the desk, his fingers drifting along the carvings before he finally drew his hand away, a silent goodbye on his lips as he left the trinket be among Luke's data-files and X-Wing schematics.

"You can keep it," said Luke as he shifted his weight awkwardly. "I mean, it is technically yours since you made it."

"No," said Anakin shaking his head. "It's yours, keep it."

"You sure? It did belong to your mother," said Luke, questioning whether Anakin would want something of hers. "You could have something to remember her by."

"I don't need anything to remember her by," said Anakin as he looked over at Luke with a determined look on his face. "She was my mother, I'll always remember her."

Luke nodded his head in understanding as he looked down at his feet as an awkward silence passed between the both of them, permeating the air around them before it all became too much for them handle.

"So, this- Cliegg Lars, was a good man? He treated her well?" asked Anakin as he pried into his mother's marriage to a man he knew nothing about. He couldn't be faulted for wanting to know more about the man that granted his mother her freedom and married her, and he had a right to know what sort of man Cliegg Lars was.

"He was a good man," said Luke as he recalled everything he had been told of his step-grandfather, who had died shortly before his birth due to a chronic illness that had taken his away one of his legs some years prior. "He met your mother while she was still a slave and when he found out that her master was thinking about selling her, he bought her and emancipated her. They eventually got married a few months later and according to my Aunt and Uncle, were quite content with each other."

Anakin nodded his head, not quite satisfied with the answer but at least somewhat content with the fact that she had at least married into what appeared to be a good family. He was glad to know that she had not been alone on Tatooine, having found people to call family and the ability to settle down somewhere.

It was small, but it did bring him some long-needed comfort.

Anakin swallowed as he looked back at Luke pensively and with a great deal of curiosity to know just who Luke really was. Already within these past few minutes, he had learned of what sort of people had raised Luke but that still didn't give him all the information that he wanted.

He was just trying to get a further detailed analysis of Luke's past and upbringing, a small but efficient distraction from everything he had learned earlier.

"Were they good to you? The Lars, I mean. Where they good people?" asked Anakin.

He felt odd asking it, but he was determined to know.

"They were good people. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better family to have brought me up in the circumstances that they did," said Luke truthfully.

"But you would've preferred your birth parents," stated Anakin as he felt a sense of longing from Luke. It was small but still present and Anakin did not need to be told what it meant.

Luke had longed for his family. His birth family.

"I would've preferred my birth parents and my sister," said Luke pointedly. "You're right about that statement. Don't get me wrong, Anakin. I loved Owen and Beru and I respected them for everything they had done and sacrificed for my well-being. But that does not change the fact that I was never supposed to be brought up by them, and Leia was never supposed to be adopted by the Organa's."

Anakin didn't say anything to that, choosing to remain silent than try to even respond to what Luke had just said.

He could sense Luke's regret about his upbringing without any of his birth family and it only made Anakin's guilt grow stronger and heavier because he knew that that was his fault.

"I-I'm sorry you didn't have that growing up," said Anakin softly, "but it sounds like you had a stable home and two people who cared about you. Trust me when I say this, you would've been a lot better with them than you would've been with-"

Anakin stopped himself before he finally just decided to force the words off his lips.

"You and Leia would've been better off without me," he said sternly, his gaze not quite meeting Luke's.

"Due to the circumstances, I completely agree," said Luke as he folded his arms over his chest. "But please remember that you are getting a second chance to rectify things, Anakin."

"That brings me absolutely no comfort what-so-ever," said Anakin as he let out an irritated huff of air before he drew away from Luke, his arms crossing over his chest as he came to stand in front of the window with a terribly broody demeanor that rolled easily off of him and into the surrounding Force.

"You keep saying that I'll have the chance to rectify everything when I get back to my own time, and I even believed for a while that I would, but now I feel as though my being here is just nothing more than punishment for my actions," said Anakin as his anger started to boil around him. "Maybe this is nothing more than the Force showing me what a kriffing idiot I am!"

"You really think that?" asked Luke thoughtfully, which only seemed to fuel Anakin's fire.

"I don't know what to think anymore, Luke! Maybe this is all a big cosmic joke or this is the Force's way of telling me that I'm nothing more than a failure," said Anakin as his hands tightened into a fist.

"Maybe it would just be better if I killed myself," he said as he finally turned around to look at Luke, who was staring at him in appall over what he had just said, but Anakin didn't mind as he took a few steps over to Luke with newfound determination.

"I could just take my lightsaber out right now and finish it all before it even started," he said as he glanced down at the weapon that was hanging from his utility belt. "One swift strike and everything would be over. No more Vader, no more Empire, no more suffering."

"Y-you don't mean that," said Luke, but even he was unsure at that point and Anakin seemed to notice this as he took another step towards Luke.

The look on Anakin's face sent shivers down Luke's spine.

"Killing yourself won't accomplish anything," said Luke, his voice a lot smaller than he had intended.

"How do you know that?" asked Anakin bitterly. "Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. Maybe this is what the Force wants."

"You're really that dimwitted, aren't you?" asked Luke. "Killing yourself will not accomplish anything besides an easy way out for you, and that's not fair to us or the galaxy."

"Why? Cause you'll never be born?" scoffed Anakin as he haughtily folded his arms across his chest before the realization of what he had just said sunk in.

Anakin's eyes widened, and shame and guilt once again took control as he stared into Luke's hurt eyes; so much like his own and yet so foreign that it made his heart twist.

"Kriff, I-I'm so sorry, Luke. I didn't mean-" began Anakin as he ran an agitated hand through his hair before taking a deep breath. "That came out so wrong."

"You think?" scoffed Luke as he gave Anakin an irritated glance. "Maybe you should think before saying something like that."

"I didn't mean to- question either yours or Leia's existence, but you have to understand where I'm coming from, Luke. I mean, what would you do if you were in my position?" asked Anakin, his eyes pleading for advice on how the Kriff he should be handling this.

"I guess if I were in your position, I would do everything in my power to fix the damage that my actions caused. And I would also try to make amends with the people that I hurt."

"How do I make amends for what I haven't even done yet?" asked Anakin.

"You could try starting with Leia," stated Luke as he looked over at Anakin with a deliberate stare that subtly suggested that Leia already knew about the situation at hand.

Anakin's eyes narrowed decisively as he felt Luke's nervousness and slight guilt that could've only meant one thing.

"You told her, didn't you?" asked Anakin slowly.

"I ran into her in the hallway just after our earlier conversation with Ben," began Luke as he ran a hand through his hair. "She could sense that something was wrong and you know how adamant she can be."

"And-?" he pressed as he came to stand in front of Luke, who he noticed was a few inches shorter. It wasn't something that Anakin had really noticed at first, but ever since he had found out that Luke was his son he couldn't stop noticing the difference and similarities between the two of them.

"She uh- she didn't take it so well," said Luke slowly. "It might be best if you kept your distance, for now."

"You told her I was Vader?" asked Anakin, a little part of him feeling a bit crushed that Luke had told her. He had hoped that maybe he would be able to explain himself before she learned the truth, but it seemed as though that would not be happening.

"I told her everything," said Luke adamantly. "She deserves to know and I would never lie to her."

"I know," said Anakin sullenly as he turned away from Luke to stare out the window. "she deserves to know as well, no matter how much she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Luke couldn't help but recoil at how ridiculous it sounded coming out of his mouth.

Anakin only gave him a pointed stare that said everything that needed to be said in that moment, which made Luke only feel worse.

"I mean- she does hate you, but I'm sure once she gets to know you-"

Anakin shook his head, "It doesn't work like that, Luke."

"You don't know that," said Luke stubbornly, "I know Leia better than you, and I know that she can be very temperamental at times, but I also know that she is a logical thinker. Just let her get over her initial anger and eventually, she'll see what a good person you really are."

"But I'm not!" said Anakin fiercely as newfound anger began to surge through him. "I don't know why you would even think that I was. Didn't you hear what Obi-Wan and Artoo said? I fell to the Dark Side, Luke. I allowed myself to be consumed with evil and look at where that got me! How many people have died because of my actions, Luke? How many people have sacrificed themselves to undo the wrong that I did?"

"That's not fair, Anakin. Vader and you may be the same person, but that doesn't make him you. You're not the one who did all of this and that means you're the one who can change things, Anakin. This is your chance to be better than him. Don't waste it because of something an alternate version of you did."

Anakin stared at Luke for a few long seconds before his gaze fell to the floor at his feet, his shame still present and evident as he turned away from Luke to stare out the window once again.

"That still doesn't change the fact that Leia hates me," he said as he folded his arms against his chest. "And I don't blame her for that. Kriff, I hate myself more than she ever could and to me, it doesn't matter that I haven't done any of those things yet because it doesn't change that fact that I did do it. You may be able to compartmentalize Vader and me, but I just can't, Luke. And I hate myself for that," he said as he let out another shaky breath.

"Anakin-" began Luke as he tried to reach out to Anakin but found that his attempts at reconnecting with him were futile. Anakin was already starting to close himself off from Luke as he successfully hid his emotions and feelings deep within himself as well as fortifying his mental shields to the point where Luke could feel nothing from him at all nor could he even reach him.

"I'm sorry, I just can't do this right now. I have repair work to see to and I'm sure you have other things you need to get done today besides talking to me. Plus, we have that debriefing in a few hours as well if I'm not mistaken."

"Yeah," said Luke as he ran a hand through his blond hair before he let out a large sigh, "yeah, we have a debriefing with Mon Mothma and General Dodonna in a few hours and- "

"-And Leia will be there," said Anakin with an indiscernible look.

"Look, Leia may be mad at you, but just give her some time to adjust. She's a sensible person, Anakin. She'll get over her anger eventually and see that you being here is a good thing."

At least, that's what Luke hoped would happen. He just hoped that she wouldn't be too- callous to Anakin when he did give the report. That was not something that the teenaged boy really needed at this point, especially when his emotions were as rampant and intense as they were.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Luke," said Anakin tersely as he started to make his way over towards the door, but he stopped before he could exit the room and turned to look back at Luke.

Luke thought maybe Anakin wanted to say something further, but all the boy did was simply march over to Luke's waste bin and take it away with him, but not before Luke got a whiff of the pungent odor from inside of it.

"Sorry," said Anakin. "I'll get it cleaned for you so you don't have to get a new one."

And with that, the young Padawan made his way out the door, leaving a visibly worried Luke behind in his wake.

Luke didn't say anything as he watched Anakin disappear out of his quarters and he knew that it would be useless to call out to him, not when Anakin was as closed off as he was. Luke sighed as he folded his arms over his chest before he turned around to face the blue apparition of Ben Kenobi, who had been silently listening to their entire conversation but was now only making himself known.

"Well that went- well," said Kenobi sardonically as he looked into Luke's irate gaze. "At least he didn't go on a Force rampage and destroy your quarters even more."

"Ben I don't know what to do about him," said Luke as he scrubbed a hand over his worrisome face. "Did you hear everything that he said to me?"

Ben sighed as he lowered himself down onto Luke's bed, his arms coming to rest on his thighs as he stared up at Luke.

"Yes, I heard everything."

"Then what I am supposed to do?" asked Luke as he ran an agitated hand through his hair. "He honestly hates himself and I could sense that he was telling the truth when he said things would be better off if he just killed himself. Ben, how am I supposed to reach out to him if all he wants to do is ram a lightsaber into himself?"

"It is quite concerning, to say the least," said Ben as he started to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "I can understand your frustration, Luke. I knew Anakin would take things badly, but I don't think I was prepared for just how bad it would be."

"So then what am I supposed to do?" asked a lost Luke as he stared down at his former Master with a despondent gaze.

"I wish I could give you all the answers, Luke. But I'm afraid that I can't. Anakin is a very stubborn person and it's going to take a lot more than just one person to bring him out of this depressive state that he's caught in."

Ben was silent for a few heavy seconds before he looked back to Luke with a gleam of hopefulness in his eyes.

"Perhaps it is time you took Anakin to see Yoda and hear what he has to say on all of this," said Ben gently.

"Do you think Yoda will be able to help him?" asked Luke hopefully.

Ben nodded, "I believe that Master Yoda will be able to give Anakin some insight that neither of us could give him concerning his fall to the Dark Side, and how to prevent it. And of course, Anakin will need to know more about the Dark Side if he is to confront Sidious and Vader."

"He will need to finish his training," said Luke pensively as Ben nodded.

"There will come a point when Anakin must face who he has become, and he needs to be prepared for that moment," said Ben remorsefully. "It will be the ultimate test between good and evil on Anakin's part, and it will also determine whether or not the Prophecy of the Chosen One will be fulfilled."

"The Prophecy of the Chosen One?" asked Luke slowly as his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "What's that?"

Ben sighed as if he was about to indulge Luke with a dirty secret that he was ashamed about, which caused Luke's stomach to twist uncomfortably.

"The Prophecy of the Chosen One was a long-awaited Jedi prophecy that foretold of an individual who would destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force," began Ben as he shifted on the bed. "My former Master, Qui-Gon Jinn believed Anakin to be the Chosen One because of how high his midichlorian count was."

"What are midichlorians?" asked Luke with a perplexed look on his face. Neither Ben nor Yoda had ever mentioned midichlorians before and he would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in learning more about the Jedi and the Force.

"Midichlorians are small little microscopic life forms that reside in our cells. They determine if a person is Force Sensitive or not and how much potential they have."

"Oh," said Luke as he pursed his lips. "I thought the Force just chose whoever was sensitive to it or not. I had no idea it also came down to biology as well."

Ben waved a dismissive hand through the air, "-it's not something you should concern yourself with, Luke. Midichlorians do not determine how powerful a Jedi is in the Force. It only determines how much potential you have, and if you don't know how to use that potential, then it really just becomes nothing more than a number."

"So how high is Anakin's midichlorian count?" asked a curious Luke.

"About 27,000," said Ben, "higher than any other person in recorded history. Would you like to know how high your count is, Luke?"

Luke thought about it for a few moments before he politely shook his head.

"I don't need some number to determine my Force potential," said Luke adamantly. "I know where I stand and I don't need some number defining that."

Ben nodded his head in understanding as a small smile graced his lips. "I had a feeling you might say that, young one."

"So, tell me more about this Prophecy," said Luke as he encouraged Ben to continue. "What happened when your Master found Anakin?"

"Well as you know, your father won his freedom in the podrace and we took him to Coruscant to see if the Order would be willing to accept him despite his age. You see, the Order trained their Jedi from birth and some felt that Anakin was far too old to begin his training."

Luke scoffed, "I started ten years later than him and I turned out fine."

"Indeed you did, but it was a much different time back then," said Ben as he gave Luke a please-don't-interrupt-me-again look. "The Order only allowed Anakin to train as a Jedi because of his Force potential and also because they feared what would happen if he didn't learn how to control his power. However, the Council was not above making sure that Anakin knew exactly why they had allowed him to be trained in the first place."

"Wait," said Luke as he looked over at Ben with a scowl. "Are you telling me that from the age of nine, Anakin had to deal with being the center of an ancient prophecy?"

"Regretfully, yes," said Ben with a guilty expression.

"You guys actually thought that it would be okay to put that kind of burden on a child? Do you know how much scrutiny that probably subjected him to?"

"It was not one of our proudest moments," said Ben truthfully.

"No Kriff," scoffed Luke as he did his best to contain his anger. "That was not okay to do that to a child. Its no wonder he later became disenchanted with the Order. You honestly thought that that would not have repercussions on his psyche?"

"The Jedi were not perfect, Luke. We definitely had our fair share of mess ups and you have no idea how guilty I felt having to watch him try to live up to those standards that had been forced upon him. If I could change things, I would, but I'm not the one in that position."

Luke ran a hand through his hair as let out a breath that he been holding in. "Yeah, I know. It's just- I never really realized how bad things were for Anakin. I thought that once he had won his freedom that he would've, I don't know, actually have been free? But now it just seems like he traded one slave owner for another."

Ben said nothing as his gaze fell downward.

"Did it ever annoy him that he had to call you and all the other members of the Order Master?"

"At first, but I had always assumed that he just gotten used to it over time," said Ben quietly.

Luke shook his head in disappointment and dismay. It was easy to deify the Jedi until you actually looked closer and realized just how messed up they truly were.

"Things will be different," said Luke adamantly. "Anakin will change things."

"Change," began Ben as he stared out of the window with a distant look, "perhaps it is time for the Jedi to let the past die and focus on opening new doors instead of old ones."

Luke said nothing as he too stared out of the window.

He couldn't agree any more.

AN: I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out and I hope you guys enjoyed it :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza. Whatever you guys celebrated, I hope it was wonderful.

And of course, Happy New Year!