Another dream. Another vision displaying for him the dire reality that the future held for him, another reality that he wished that he could escape from. But there was no escaping his dreams, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he wanted to.
This time he found himself in the Senate building, his arms wrapped delicately yet firmly around the form of a small and petite woman, her head resting against his shoulder as she too held him as tight as she could. The feeling of her, of Padme in his arms felt surreal to him as he breathed in the scent of her hair and felt the faint beating of her heart against his own chest, fast and beating to such a degree that he knew it was much more than just excitement. It was fear.
"Are you alright? You're trembling. What's going on?" he asked as he pulled away from her shaking form to stare down into her nervous brown eyes. He didn't need to be a Force Sensitive to sense that there was something wrong with her.
The look that she gave him was enough to make him fear that something bad had happened but then she smiled up at him with gleaming eyes full of love and excitement as she clasped onto his hands tightly, her much smaller hands encompassing his larger ones as best they could.
"Something wonderful has happened," she said softly as she stared up at him intently, as if to engage his reaction to whatever it was she wanted to tell him.
"Ani," she said tenderly, "I'm pregnant."
He blinked slowly at the revelation, his mind trying to process the fact as fast as it could before he could even try to formulate a response to the startling news. He had never even thought that this would happen between the two of them because having children was always something he had resigned himself to never happening. Padme had always been enough, but perhaps-
Perhaps there was room enough for a child in their lives. A child who was theirs, a product of their love and devotion to one another. He couldn't help the image of a brown-haired little girl who was the spitting image of her mother dance across his mind before disappearing into the image of her mother, who looked nervous at the uncertainty in his eyes.
"That's," he stuttered as he lowered his head to look down at her heavy robes to see the well-concealed swell of her belly, which was almost completely hidden away by her heavy garments. Now that he knew, he could sense the small life growing inside of her just waiting to be born.
"Th-That's wonderful," he said as he tried to blink away his shock and surprise. Everything was happening so fast and he felt as though he barely had any time to catch up.
"What are we going to do?" she asked as a she looked up at him with fear in her eyes.
Anakin realized in that moment how scared she was, perhaps even more than he was at the prospect of possibly having to raise and hide a child away from the public view without giving away their secret. Or perhaps, deep down, they both knew that having this child would mean giving up their secret, which was something he was willing to do if it meant being with her. But Padme was adamant that there was just too much at stake.
But Anakin didn't care in that moment. A child was perhaps the greatest gift that he could ever want, and Force did he want it.
"We're not going to worry about anything," he said as he smiled down at her. "Alright? This is a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life."
He pulled her closer to him and leaned down to give her a tender kiss as she threw her arms around him as if he was all that she had in that moment, and Anakin allowed himself to revel in the feeling of her arms around him, because he knew that this was only a dream and like all dreams, this too came to an end as the room around them started to fade away.
The feeling of Padme in his arms became nothing more than a distant memory as she too faded away from him until he was only holding thin air.
Hot, smoldering air that burned with every breath with a fiery heat that he could not escape.
His dreams always led to this fiery world, but this time he wasn't in agonizing pain with flames tickling at every part of him as they had in previous ones. He was standing on a platform staring down at Padme, who was starting to back away from him with sad and unbelieving eyes.
He could feel the darkness inside of him that was growing with every passing second and he knew that it was already too late for him. This was Darth Vader he was inside of, and the raw thrashing power that he could feel consuming him from the inside out was- intoxicating.
He felt more powerful than he had ever in his entire life and that scared him.
Is this what the Dark Side truly felt like?
"I don't believe what I'm hearing," she said shaking her head in disbelief as tears poured down her face. "Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."
No, no Padme I haven't changed! I'm right here!
"I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me, don't you do the same!" he snarled as he felt his anger start to rise up dangerously. He didn't know if he could even control it at that point.
"I don't know you anymore!" she cried out in pain. "Anakin, you're breaking my heart."
Anakin felt the same, but there was nothing that he could do to reassure her that she was not alone. His heart weighed heavily in his chest and he wanted so bad to just tell her how sorry he was, how this was not him she was talking too.
"You're going down a path I can't follow."
Vader lifted his head to look past her and over to the sleek Nubian ship that he had remembered from when they had met on Tatooine all those years ago, but that was not what Vader was looking at.
There, standing in the doorway was Obi-Wan with his hands on his hips as he stared down at him with such disappointment in his eyes. This was not the same glare that his Master had given him as a Padawan, not even close.
This was much, much worse than that.
Anakin could feel Vader's anger awakening inside of him and not even he could handle the sheer force of it as he felt his counterparts mind start to jump to conclusions. Deadly conclusions that stirred feelings of betrayal and disloyalty. And all of it directed at Padme.
No, not her. Please.
"Because of Obi-Wan?" asked Vader with such calmness that it sent shivers up Anakin's back. He was far too calm, and it could only mean one thing.
"Because of what you've done," said Padme, totally oblivious to the man behind her or the thoughts of betrayal that ravaged her husband's mind, "what you plan to do! Stop! Stop now and come back! I love you!"
"Run, Padme. For Force sakes just run!" yelled Anakin as loud as he could, but his desperate cries fell on deaf ears. He had no control here. No one could hear him.
"LIAR!" yelled out an anguished Vader as Padme turned around to look at Obi-Wan before desperately looking back at Vader.
"No!" she yelled out, but her words could never reach Vader anymore.
"You brought him here. You brought him here to kill me!" yelled Vader as he stared down at her with murderous, hungry eyes.
What happened next was enough was enough to make Anakin sick to his stomach as he felt himself raise his hand to cut off her air supply, leaving her gasping for a single breath as she struggled against the invisible force around her neck.
She stared at him with pleading, desperate eyes, as if she knew that he was there, lurking in the depths of Vader's mind but unable to help. Anakin wanted to help her, to help the children she carried, but he was helpless. All he could do in those painstakingly long seconds was just watch.
And then- fire. Hot, searing fire that ate away at his flesh and left his lungs burned to the point where he could no longer draw any sort of breath. He could feel his flesh melting off him and bubbling as he screamed in pure, unadulterated agony that was unmatched by anything he had ever felt in his entire life.
He could not escape it seeing as he had no limbs other than a metal claw, but even that was not enough to save him. He could only lay there and scream and hope to the Force that it ended soon.
Anakin lifted his head to stare up the embankment where he could see two black figures watching him, their faces veiled behind darkness as the fire danced around his vision, distorting them even further.
The both of them stepped forward into the light until it was obvious that they were both children, holding hands as they both stared down at the burning man with blank, devoid faces.
A boy and girl. One with blond hair and tan cheeks, no doubt touched by the twin suns of the desert that had owned him and his father. The girl had brown hair that had been delicately braided around her head, a few stray strands of hair dangling down in front of her eyes that stared at him blankly.
They stood hand in hand as they looked down upon Anakin being consumed by the flames, not one word escaped from their lips as they stared at him with haunted, eerie eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul.
"Help us," they whispered through the flames, their small voices almost disappearing into his own agony as he cried out in pain. "Please, father. Don't let this happen."
Anakin wanted to reply, but only screams came out of his mouth as he lifted his metal arm to reach out to them to no avail. His vision was slowly escaping him as everything around him started to slowly fade away, but their faces were still clear to him as he looked to see a man come up behind them and start to pull them away from the embankment, away from him.
"No!" he screamed as he tried to reach out with the Force but found that it would not bend to his will as it once had, forcing him to watch helplessly as his children were taken from him.
The man turned around to look down at Anakin, his face becoming illuminated by the fire around him so that he could recognize who this man was, and his heart burned with hatred upon the realization.
Kenobi looked down at him with an eerie look. Devastation, pain, sadness, and regret all combining into one tragic stare before he turned his back on his former Padawan and led the children away.
And Anakin's heart burned like never before.
He didn't know how long he laid there on that fiery shore, screaming with burnt lungs that could never draw any air and flesh that had melted from the hot embers beneath him. Perhaps it had only been a few seconds, but it had felt like an eternity before he felt the dark, shrouded presence that he had once thought kind and caring.
"Oh, my poor, poor apprentice," came a sickly, sweet voice from beside him. "What have they done to you?"
Anakin forced his eyes open as he looked over at the hideous man that was staring down at him with a pretentiously concerned face that he could tell was fake. He shuddered as Palpatine touched his burnt arm in a motion that was meant to seem caring, but Anakin could see what was really going on in his mind.
"H-help me, Master," moaned Vader through burnt, charred lips. "Please."
Palpatine smiled, "of course, my young apprentice. I will help you."
Liar. He never wanted to help you. All of this was just one big lie.
The next few moments in the dream proved Anakin irrevocably right, all though he wished he hadn't been as he found himself strapped down to a table as a saw ran through the flesh and bone of his already mutilated limbs. He cried out as he pushed against the restraints but found that they would not budge as he strained against them.
He could see medical droids all around him, chipping away at his body and turning it into something- grotesque. Anakin could only watch in muted horror as Vader's body- his body, was slowly replaced with metal until it was like he wasn't even human anymore. An abomination.
Anakin groaned as he allowed his head to roll back against the table as he opened his eyes to see something awful leering above him, the sound of mechanical breathing drowning out everything else in the room as he watched it draw closer to him, meaning to trap him within its horrid black void.
Anakin felt his metal fists clench at his sides as he tried to move his head so as to escape it, but it was pointless as the black mask was lowered over his face, trapping him inside of it with an awful hiss. Inside everything was black except for the red that filtered in through the eyepiece, washing everything he could see of the outside world in only red.
He had never in his entire life felt so isolated and so alone. Cut off from the world with only his misery as company felt like the very definition of insanity.
And so, he screamed, but even his voice had been taken away.
Anakin awoke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest and sweat dripping down from his hairline and into his eyes. His breathing was labored, and he couldn't seem to get it under control as panic surged through his entire body. He felt dizzy as he felt his fingers and toes begin to tingle, a sure sign that he was in the throes of a panic attack. He hadn't had one of these since he was nine, much less one this bad, but Force he couldn't stop thinking about the blasted mask and being trapped inside of it. For maybe the first time in his entire life, Anakin felt claustrophobic.
It took him about five minutes to finally calm down and his breathing slowly began to return to normal as he leaned back against the wall and ran a tired, shaking hand through his hair. He didn't know how long he sat there in stunned silence, his mind occupied by the terrifying vision he had just had. It had started off so kriffing nice and then everything had gone up in flames – literally.
He couldn't stop replaying it all back through his mind repeatedly until he was sure he would never forget it, even if he tried. The images had been all too much for him to handle and he still found himself at a loss at what to do now.
He exhaled deeply as he banged the back of his head on the cool metal wall. He shut his eyes tightly for a few long, heavy seconds before the sound of his com buzzing next to his bed brought him out of his reverie as he used the Force to carry it over to his waiting hands. It was far too early to be receiving a message from anybody, or at least it felt far too early but he frowned when he looked at the time and realized that he had overslept by a long shot due to his failure to set his alarm the previous night.
"Kriff," he muttered as he rolled out of the bed upon the realization that Luke had been waiting for him in the hangar while he slept. He had forgotten that they were going to Dagobah today and he had forgotten to set his alarm the night before in his tired frenzy.
Anakin threw on his robes and his shoes before clipping his utility belt on and running a comb through his hair. His morning breath was horrendous, so he brushed his teeth as fast as he could before he threw some clothes and a couple hygiene products in his bag before rushing out of his quarters in search of Luke, who he could tell was beginning to become impatient.
But, he decided that before he found Luke, he should probably get some breakfast to sate his hunger. Luke would just have to wait a few more minutes until Anakin found something to eat as he turned around and made his way over to the mess hall.
He grabbed something quick and was in the process of scarfing it down while walking through the ship, when he ran into the last person he wanted to see that morning. Leia looked tired and Anakin could sense that she had not gotten a lot of sleep the night before and he hoped that she wouldn't notice him as she made her way down the corridor with a data-pad in her hands.
It wasn't like Anakin wanted to avoid her, but he just wasn't ready to face her yet. Not after everything that he had learned that Vader had done to her. What he had done to her.
He felt the same way about Luke, but Luke was a bit more agreeable than Leia was. Plus, he knew that if Leia saw him, she would probably tear him to pieces like a ravenous dog, just as he would if he were in her position.
He tried to duck behind the corridor as soon as he saw her making her way towards him, but he was a second too late as her tired brown eyes looked up from her pad to make direct contact with him. There was no escaping her now as her eyes narrowed in his direction and he could feel the surprise and anger resonating from her through the Force, and all of it was directed to him.
She looked him over, frowning when she saw the hastily stuffed bag slung over his shoulder and the half-eaten piece of blue buttered toast in his hand. She stuffed her data-pad in her oversized coat pocket before she briskly made her way over to him, determination plastered all over her face.
"So, when are you planning on becoming Darth Vader?" she demanded as she placed her hands on her hips and glared up at him as she waited for him to answer his question.
Anakin grimaced both at the volume and content of her question as a few people gave them strange looks as they passed by, but Leia didn't seem to notice them as she glared up at him. Anakin wished that he could satisfy her question with an answer, but he knew that that was not possible. Kriff, there was nothing that he could even say to himself to make him feel better about everything that he had learned about himself in the past two days.
He was shocked at just how much hatred she held for him at that very moment. She hated him to the core of her very being, even more so than he had hated being a slave, and that was saying something. He could feel the pain and loss that she had suffered at his hand and he wanted so badly to just make amends with her. To somehow make it so that none of it ever happened so she wouldn't hate him so
He closed his eyes as guilt flooded through him and into the Force, where she could undoubtedly feel it rolling off him in steady waves. He knew he needed to say something to her, to show her how sorry he was for everything.
He reached down and pulled his lightsaber off his belt, which prompted Leia to visibly flinch as she eyed the weapon with wary eyes.
"Go ahead. Use it. You can end all this right now with a single stroke, Leia. You can stop that monster from ever existing in the first place," he urged as he held it out to her. In that moment he wasn't joking. He wasn't messing with her or goading her on.
He truly, genuinely wanted her to use it against him.
She stared down at the hilt of the weapon for what seemed like an eternity with evident surprise on her face. Anakin knew that she had not expected for this to happen and it was obvious that she wasn't quite sure what to do now.
"Please," he muttered as he choked back a sob. "I don't want to be him."
She looked up at him for the first time since he had made the offer, strangely, there was no longer any hatred burning in her eyes but with a sad expression that told him everything he needed to know in that moment. He felt her anger slowly dissipate as remorse took its place and her gaze softened as she shook her head.
For the first time since learning of his true identity, Leia now realized that this boy was not the Darth Vader that she had been comparing him to. No, this Anakin was just a boy who had lost everything he was familiar with and everyone he had known. He had been tossed into a bleak future to learn from the mistakes that he had not even yet committed.
"No," she whispered as she pushed his lightsaber away from her, "I can't do what you're asking me to do, Anakin."
"Why not?" he asked in defeat as his shoulders slumped and his hands fell at his sides.
"Because I now see that Luke was right. You are not Darth Vader, Anakin and now I know that you will never be him. The Force brought you here for a reason. If I were to do what you asked, then all of this would've been for nothing."
"You can't know that for sure," he said indignantly as he reluctantly clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt. "You've seen the things that Vader has done. How can you not want him dead?"
"You're right," she said softly, "I have seen the things that Vader has done, and I know for a fact that you would never do any of those things, Anakin. I can see that you're different. You are not Darth Vader!
"But I will be," he said stubbornly. "If it happened once, it can happen again."
"Then you'll just have to make sure that when you go back that it doesn't happen," she said softly as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He could sense that she no longer bore the hatred that she had just a few moments ago, but her touch was still nervous and unsure, but strangely welcoming at the same time.
She still held anger inside of her, but it seemed to all be directed at Darth Vader instead of him as if in her mind she was starting to see them as two different people, just as Luke did.
Her words seemed to give him newfound hope as he looked down at her and inhaled deeply. He found that he wanted nothing more than to do what she said, to prevent this all from happening. Perhaps for the first time since they had found out the truth about each other, they were finally seeing eye to eye on something.
He nodded, "I promise, Leia."
"Good," she said as she withdrew her hand, "I'll see you and Luke when you get back from Dagobah."
As soon as she said that she was already halfway down the corridor, leaving behind a visibly stumped Anakin as he watched her disappear behind the corner. It would be an understatement to say that whatever the Kriff had just occurred between the two of them was strange and unexpected. He had never in a million years expected to see Leia finally put away her resentment towards him.
He could tell that she was not the overly sentimental type, but at least she no longer despised him. He wasn't sure what her deal was anymore when it concerned him, but perhaps he could just accept her actions without questioning them.
Anakin shook his head as he muttered under his breath before making his way back in the direction of the hangar.
Luke was exactly where Anakin expected him to be as he strolled into the hangar, still somewhat dazed from what had just transpired between him and Leia in the corridor, which was not something that escaped Luke's attention as he eyed the younger Jedi.
"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show," Luke commented as he took Anakin's bag and handed it over to Chewie, who let out a welcoming roar to Anakin before he dumped his bag into the back of the X-Wing that had been commissioned for him to use for their journey to Dagobah. Anakin had never been to the planet before and had wondered why they were not going to take the Millennium Falcon, to which Luke responded that he'd rather not lose his friend's ship to the swamp. So, they were going to go ahead and just take their X-Wings, which Anakin was perfectly fine with.
"Sorry, I- I was just talking to Leia," said Anakin as he gave Chewie a tight, but friendly smile.
Luke paused before looking back at Anakin with both curiosity and dread. "And-?"
"And- she told me that I wasn't Vader."
"She said what?" asked Luke incredulously.
"She said that you were right. That I wasn't Vader and that I never would be," said Anakin as he shook his head, still in disbelief.
Luke stared at Anakin for a few hard seconds before a smile broke out on his face as he clasped Anakin on the shoulder. "I told you she would come around."
Anakin nodded, "yeah, I suppose you did."
"What can I say? I know my sister," said Luke with a grin before he turned away from Anakin and gave Chewie a tight hug and the promise that they would return soon. Anakin hadn't expected the Wookiee to give him a bear hug, but he found himself not minding as he too returned the monstrous hug.
"Hey Chewie, could you do something for me while I'm gone?" asked Anakin as he watched Luke make his way over to his ship to finish the last minute's preparations before they departed.
The Wookiee let out a large roar as he tilted his head down at the teenage boy, waiting for him to tell him whatever he wanted to tell him.
"Watch after Leia while we're gone? Something tells me she's going to need a friend in these next few days," said Anakin.
He could sense that Leia was still trying to wrestle with her feelings and he felt as though it was good that she would have some time away from him and Luke to process everything, but at the same time he didn't want her to have to deal with this all alone. Leia was a strong woman, just like his mother and Padme, but Anakin found himself concerned about her well-being a lot more than he ever thought that he could. And after everything that she had suffered through, Anakin could say without a doubt that she didn't deserve this.
She didn't deserve any of this and neither did Luke.
Chewy roared in understanding as Anakin made his way over to his X-Wing and grabbed the orange jumpsuit that was hanging over the side, courtesy of Luke. He changed into it quickly and wasted no time in hopping into the cockpit and lowering the hatch down over him.
He wasn't sure what he would find on Dagobah and whether Yoda would be able to help him with his strange predicament, or if he would even be willing to help him after everything that he had done. Luke had assured him that Yoda would know better than that, but Anakin wasn't so sure.
All he knew was that he was honestly frightened of facing the little green Master. But there was no going back now.
Only Yoda could give him the answers that he sought and that really left him with no alternatives other than sucking it up and going. He needed to know how to fight off the Dark Side and how to defeat the Sith Lord that he had become, or else all would be lost.
Force, that was a scary prospect.
"Rogue Six you are clear for takeoff. May the Force be with you," came Leia's unmistakable voice from over the com as Anakin shoved his helmet over his head.
Anakin couldn't help but let out a small grin at the sound of her voice as he slid the visor down over his face. "May the Force be with you as well, Princess."
"Don't have too much fun without me," she said. "And make sure Luke doesn't get in too much trouble."
"Copy that," said Anakin as he gently eased the ship off the ground and followed Luke's craft to the hangar opening.
And just like that, they were soaring into the vacuum of space before the familiar blue hue of hyperspace surrounded the ship and Anakin was able to sit back in his seat and relax some. The trip would only take at most an hour from their present location, which was somewhere near the Kazan System if he was not mistaken.
Anakin closed his eyes as he listened to the sound of his breathing and the soft rattling of the ship, a sound that always seemed to bring him a strange sort of comfort no matter what. Anakin had always loved flying through space, but he did have to admit that he still was not used to the chilliness that seemed to permeate his entire being when he did fly. Even after all these years, he still was not used to it.
Most of the trip was spent in silence as the galaxy sped by them as they drew closer to the remote planet that Yoda had made his home these last two decades. Anakin had to give the Jedi credit, he had really chosen one of the most remote planets that there was in the galaxy. He could honestly say that most of the systems that they were passing on their way to Dagobah lay on the fringe of society and were all but forgotten to the rest of the galaxy. Yoda could peacefully escape Imperial attention from this relatively unknown planet and it was no wonder that he had not yet been discovered.
He could imagine how frustrating that probably was to Vader.
"We're coming up on the planet here in a few seconds," came Luke's voice over the com. "Prepare to drop out of hyperspace in three…two…one…"
They both dropped out of hyperspace and found themselves facing the green, swampy looking planet below. Anakin could already tell that the world was nothing more than a karking swamp from the looks of it and he couldn't help but scrunch his nose at the sight of it. He had always loved the green in nature, but for some reason, he had never really enjoyed too much swampiness. It was always too humid for his taste seeing as he had grown up in a dry heat, and he could say without a doubt that he much preferred the latter.
Anakin stared down at it for a few more seconds before he felt a familiar tingling presence gently probing him from the planet below. Yoda prodded him in both curiosity and morbid fascination as he searched for any sign of Vader inside of him. Luke had told him that Master Kenobi would warn Yoda before they came, and while Yoda was expecting him, Anakin could only assume that the little green Master still had his qualms as to the reality of the situation at hand.
After a few seconds of intense searching, the presence backed away in satisfaction as Yoda beckoned him forth with no apparent hostility or anger. He could tell that Yoda was excited, as if he was looking forward to studying him and the implication of time travel.
It was as if Yoda was inviting an old friend over for lunch, as if Vader had never happened.
It baffled Anakin but he didn't question it as he followed Luke down into the atmosphere, Yoda's invitation still resonating deeply within him as he lowered his ship down into the canopy of large, overgrown trees that shrouded his view of the ground.
As soon as Anakin saw the ground where he was to land his X-Wing, he seriously doubted that the Earth beneath him could support his ship, but he felt Luke's reassurance through the Force as he watched Luke land his vessel easily down onto the muddy ground. Anakin followed suit as he let out a small prayer to the Force that his ship wouldn't get eaten up but was surprised when he found the ground to be steadier than he had originally thought. He had to let out a small sigh of relief as soon as the vessel's engines were shut off and the hatch popped open, exposing him to the stagnant, dank smell of the bacteria-ridden swamp around him. He couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the smell that was assaulting his nostrils, which reminded him of putrescent food.
Anakin lifted his helmet up off his head before he unstrapped himself and pulled himself up onto the side of the cockpit as he looked around the mossy, humid environment around him. For some reason, he found himself not really surprised that Yoda would choose this place to settle down to hide from the Empire.
"Nice place, huh?" shouted Luke over from where he stood next to his X-Wing and gathered up supplies from inside. "Maybe we should come vacation here sometime."
Anakin let out a small chuckle as he slid down the side of his vessel and landed in the muddy, wet ground beneath him. He could feel his feet sink into the ground slightly, but not enough to cover the entire bottom half of his leather boots as he started to make his way over to where Luke was.
"I think I'll pass if you don't mind," he said as he unzipped his jumpsuit to allow his skin the ability to breathe in the humid air. "Besides, I think I'd much prefer to vacation on Naboo then here."
"Naboo?" asked Luke as he gave Anakin a sideways glance. "Wasn't that-?"
Anakin was surprised that Luke had even remembered that Naboo had been- his mother's homeworld seeing as Anakin had never mentioned Padme to Luke since that day that Artoo had told him the truth. He hadn't really had the courage to talk about her, so of course Luke and Leia remained largely in the dark when it concerned her.
"You want to know more about her, don't you?" asked Anakin as he tilted his head, waiting for Luke to give his response.
Luke froze before giving Anakin an unsure look that told the Padawan everything he needed to know about what Luke wanted. She was his mother and he deserved to know about her. Everyone deserved to know about their mother, no matter how Anakin felt about the situation.
He couldn't help but cringe at the image of Vader using the Force to choke her.
"Well, I mean yes- yes I do, but if you're not comfortable- "Luke babbled before Anakin held up a hand to silence him.
"I'll tell you anything you want to know, but just beware that I don't really know her all that well. We met when we were children and that was eight years ago for me."
"That's fine," said Luke reassuringly. "My Aunt and Uncle never really told me about her because they really didn't know a lot, but I'll take anything I can get."
Anakin sighed, "I'll tell you tonight, but first, I believe that someone is expecting us." He said as he nodded over to the shrubbery where he could feel an ancient, wise presence waiting patiently for them. Master Yoda was waiting for them and who were they to keep the Grand Master waiting?
Luke followed his eyes over the dense foliage that surrounded them before he nodded in agreement.
"Well then let's not keep him waiting then," he said as he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and started to make his way through the underbrush. Anakin grabbed his own bag before he ran off to follow Luke through the trees and bushes until they came to a small clearing where Yoda's presence felt the strongest.
"Been waiting for you, I have," came the familiar voice of the old Master as Anakin looked over to where he could see a small figure sitting on a fallen tree, his entire body shrouded in the shadows.
Anakin allowed Luke to take the reigns as he stepped forward to address the small Jedi Master while he remained behind, too nervous to step forward and face the small green Master in fear of what he would have to say to him. Anakin felt as though his shame and guilt would forever separate him from those whom he had betrayed as Vader, and Yoda was no exception. He had destroyed the very Order that Yoda had helped shape over the last few centuries, and Anakin wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to address that.
"Master Yoda," began Luke, "It is good to see you. I hope you have been well these past few months?"
Yoda grunted from where he sat, and Anakin could tell that the green Master was not really paying Luke all that much attention from where he sat observing them. He could feel the old Jedi's eyes and his attention completely on him, and it made Anakin want to shrink and slither away from his scrutiny.
"Good to see you as well, young Skywalker, but enough with pleasantries. Brought a friend, you have," said Yoda as he pointed his cane over in Anakin's direction.
"I assume Master Kenobi has told you of the situation at hand?" asked Luke as he looked between Anakin and Yoda with uncertainty in his eyes.
"Indeed, indeed. Informed me, he has," said Yoda as he clapped his hands together in obvious excitement. "Come forth, young Skywalker. Inspect you, I must."
Yoda referred to him as if he was some sort of puzzle that needed solving and it was obvious that he was dying to see if it was true that he had come through time. The Order had never heard of such a thing before and there were no recorded teachings that even broached the subject at the possibility that the Force could even manipulate time, but it really came as no surprise to Anakin anymore the more he thought about it. The Force encompassed everything, time and space belonged to the Force in ways that they would never completely understand.
Anakin looked over at Luke, who could only nod over in Yoda's way with a You-better-do-what-the-little-green-Master-says look that made Anakin's stomach sink a little bit as he slowly began to make his way over to where the Grand Master sat. The closer he got, the more of Yoda was revealed and Anakin couldn't help but notice how much he had aged in these last few years. He looked older and frailer than he had ever remembered him, but after everything that had happened to him, Anakin couldn't really blame him. Force, Anakin felt older at this time than he had ever felt in his entire life.
"Tell what you're thinking, I can," said Yoda as he jabbed an accusing finger up at the youth from where he sat. "Old I have become."
Anakin gulped, "you look good, Master."
"A liar you are, young Skywalker," said Yoda as he patted the spot on the log next to him. "Teach you better, Kenobi should have."
Anakin wasn't sure what he should say to that as he slowly lowered himself down onto the log, his weight causing it to dip down further to the ground, but Yoda didn't seem to notice this as he jumped to his feet and made his way over to the Padawan. He grabbed the boy's chin and forced it down so that he could properly inspect the face of the young man he had never thought he would see again, much less under these circumstances.
"True it is, then. Come from the past you have," said Yoda as he let go of Anakin's face, 'but a question we must ask ourselves now. Your purpose here, yet to be determined young Skywalker?"
"It took me a while to piece it all together, but I believe I now know why I am here," said Anakin hopefully, as if he wanted Yoda to reassure him that he did indeed know the purpose of him being there, but Yoda only grunted as he sat back down on the log and shook his head.
"Not my place to tell you, young Skywalker. Answer that, only you can."
Anakin shook his head, "I know why the Force has brought me here, but I can't help but feel as though there's more that I'm supposed to do."
"Know your future actions, you do, but what else?" inquired Master Yoda thoughtfully for a few seconds before he lowered himself off the log. "Meditate, on this, we should. Reveal everything in time, the Force will."
"Is that all?" asked Luke somewhat hopefully. "Just meditate and we'll have the answer to Anakin's predicament?"
Yoda chuckled, "much there is to learn from meditation, young Skywalker. Come to us, answers do when we clear our minds. But more there is to this than just meditation. Unclear, everything is."
"I need to know," said Anakin, his tone affirmative and unwavering as he looked down at the green Master. "Please, I have to know what happened and why so that I can stop this."
Yoda bowed his head solemnly, "explain everything I shall to the best of my ability, young Skywalker. What happens next though, is up to you. Ready to learn of the Dark Side, are you?"
"I think I am, but- I don't know, Master Yoda. Do you think I'm ready?"
"To be determined, that is," said Yoda with a look that made Anakin feel uncomfortable before he turned away from him and started to hobble down a small path that led away from the clearing and into the thick foliage around them. "Discuss this over lunch, we shall. Come along Skywalker's, especially you Anakin. Hear your stomach, I can."
Both Anakin and Luke gave each other a strange, confused glance before they both started to follow the little wry Master through the woods until they came upon a small hut that had been carved out of the roots of a large tree. Both light and smoke poured out of the top and Anakin could smell food emanating from within, a sure sign that Yoda had been expecting company.
Master Yoda chuckled as he watched Anakin breathe in the surprisingly delicious scent of food that permeated the air around them.
"Changed, you have not young Padawan. Still, the boy I remember, you are. Hope there may be for you yet, Skywalker."
For all their sakes, Anakin really hoped that was true.
AN: I hope you guys enjoyed! I am amazed at how much I was able to write considering the crazy last few weeks that I've had. I am sorry to say that I do not know when the next update will be, seeing as my schedule is only going to get busier in the coming days. Who knows really, but I do have a fairly good idea of where the story will be going now, so that's good.
Thanks for reading! :)