They ate their meal in silence and then continued with their training for the rest of the day until the sun began to set over the canopy of trees. It was then that Yoda hobbled into the hut with the purpose of making them dinner, leaving the two Skywalkers outside by themselves in the dimming light.
They had both trained long and hard that day, but mostly it had been Anakin that had participated in the lessons that Yoda had set out for them which ranged from his mental abilities to his physical attributes, that had left him feeling rather tired as he lowered himself down on the log next to Luke with a sigh.
"I can't wait until we get back to the Rebel Fleet," commented Anakin as he swatted a bug off his neck, "what I wouldn't give for a decent shower and a bed right now."
"I just want to get out this muggy heat," said Luke with a grin, "makes me almost wish I was back on Tatooine. At least the heat there was dry and not muggy like it is here."
Anakin snorted, "well at least I'm used to the heat there, but like I said earlier, I think I'd prefer it if we went somewhere a little bit nicer than Tatooine."
"Like- Naboo?" asked Luke softly from he sat as he looked over at Anakin with hope shining in his bright blue eyes. It was so blatantly obvious that Luke wished to know more about her- about Padme, his own mother and Anakin did remember promising upon their arrival to tell him about her, even though there was not much that he knew.
Anakin held his son's gaze for a few moments of silence as the hoot of a Dagobah night owl sounded somewhere over them. He sat up straighter as he pulled his robe closer to him before he turned his entire body over to face Luke, but something else caught his attention instead.
Luke's right hand seemed to be twitching- oddly. Almost as if it were mechanical instead of flesh and it made Anakin perk up at the realization that Luke's entire hand seemed to be a prosthesis, the twitching far too unnatural and robotic to be biological.
"Your hand," began Anakin slowly as he reached out and grabbed the older Jedi's hand so as to inspect it, "it's a prosthetic."
"Oh, that?" said Luke as he looked down to see his twitching hand, which had previously gone unnoticed by him, "yeah, it's mechanical. Must be a glitch somewhere in the gears from the looks of it. Probably did something to it during our duel earlier."
Anakin said nothing as he felt around the synthetic skin until he found the fold and peeled it back so he could take a look at the wiring underneath. Prosthetic limbs had always fascinated him and he couldn't deny that he held a morbid curiosity as to the mechanics of the hand, but something told him he didn't want to ask how Luke had lost his hand.
"I lost it in a duel," said Luke slowly and hesitantly as Anakin turned his arm around.
"With Vader?" asked Anakin softly as he looked up into Luke's pained expression. Anakin could feel Luke's sadness and anger rolling off him like waves into the Force as well a distinct sense of betrayal emanating from him.
"Obi-Wan had told me that my father had been murdered by Vader," began Luke, "and so when I confronted Vader on Bespin, I thought I would finally be able to avenge my father's death. But then he cut off my hand and told me the truth and I was devastated. I felt betrayed by everyone and I felt anger at Vader for what he had done to me, what he had taken from me. He offered to let me join him and rule the galaxy with him, but I knew I was better than that."
"You are better than him," said Anakin earnestly, "and you made the right decision that day despite everything."
"I wasn't the only one to lose something that day," said Luke softly as he watched Anakin pull out the hydrospanner out of his bag. "We all lost something to Vader that day and I can't help but regret that we were not able to do anything more."
"You're talking about Han, right?" asked Anakin as he began to work on repairing his son's hand.
Luke nodded grimly, "he's out there frozen in carbonite because of us and there's nothing we can do at the moment to help him. It's been months and I don't know how much longer we can go without him."
"Well, look on the bright side, he won't die in carbonite," muttered Anakin as he prodded at the synthetic nerves, "you just have to find him and then rescue him."
"If only it were that easy," mumbled Luke as he watched his hand twitch.
"I'm sure you guys will figure something out," said Anakin, "you haven't lost him yet, Luke. Have hope."
"Do you have hope?" asked Luke softly as he held Anakin's gaze, "that you'll be able to prevent all of this? To go back and save your mother and Padme?"
"I have to," said Anakin truthfully, "if I don't have hope, then what else do I have? Without it, I have no purpose and I have no direction. I have to have hope that I can save them because there is just simply no other alternative, Luke."
"You are determined," commented Luke, "I can tell you love them deeply and I can see why."
"This isn't just about them, Luke. This is about you and Leia as well," said Anakin as he pursed his lips, "and the Order and for Master Kenobi and for the Republic. I have nothing to gain at this point and everything to lose, which is why I must prevent all of this from happening or die trying."
Neither of them said anything for a few heavy minutes as Anakin worked away at Luke's hand and Luke sat in deep thought as he watched Anakin. Neither of them was sure what could or what should be said at the moment, but they could feel it in each other through their bond.
"She was a Queen," said Anakin as he broke the silence between the two of them, "elected at the age of fourteen to serve as the leader of the sovereign state of Naboo. She was so young, but also very intelligent and brave. To nine year old me, she seemed so much older than fourteen and much wiser."
"She sounds wise," mused Luke as he tried his hardest to envision the woman that Anakin was trying to describe to him. All he had to go on at that point were a few grainy blue images and what others had to say about her, and while it did give him an outline of the woman his mother had been, he still longed for more.
And he knew that Anakin could not give him what he truly wanted.
"Just a few months before I came here, she was elected to the Galactic Senate to represent Naboo, as per the request of the new Queen. I had hoped that with her having more of a presence on Coruscant that we would be able to see each other, but now I guess I know it won't happen for a few more years my time."
"Well I'd imagine that the both of you are busy with your own respective duties and activities," commented Luke as Anakin began to replace the synthetic skin, "besides, at least now you know you will for sure see her, amongst other things that two of you will do together."
Luke grinned up at Anakin as he waggled his eyebrows, which only served to make the young Padawan flush red as he made sure to give the nerves in Luke's synthetic skin a quick pinch.
"Ow!" said Luke as he pulled his hand over to his chest melodramatically as Anakin rolled his eyes.
"You're incorrigible," he murmured under his breath as he tossed his tools back into his rucksack.
"Must run in the family," said Luke with a cheeky smile to which Anakin only shook his head.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Luke," said Anakin as he waggled a finger in the older man's face, "don't forget who's going to have a say in what your future name will be, son."
Luke only laughed for a few moments before he noticed the stony expression on Anakin's face.
"Wait- you're not serious, are you?" asked Luke, suddenly very worried about what his name could become if it were to be changed.
Anakin grinned, "just yanking your chain. Besides, I think Luke's a good name. Leia too."
"Well that's a relief," said Luke, "I'd hate to see you off to your own time and wake up the next morning with a name like Humphrey or Mervin."
Anakin sniggered, "I'll make sure to add them to the list."
Luke punched Anakin's arm playfully before he held out his hand and inspected it, pleased to find that the mechanical tremor had disappeared.
Anakin grinned, "you're welcome."
Luke smiled before he let his arm drop back down to his side, eager to continue the discussion about his mother.
"So you guys met on Tatooine while you were still a slave? What was she doing on Tatooine exactly?"
"She came there with Obi-Wan and his Master. They were trying to find more parts for their ship when they came into Watto's shop. They were there because she was forced to flee Naboo due to an illegal blockade put in place by the Trade Federation."
"Wait, I've heard about this before," said Luke as he tried to recall all that Artoo had told them, "the leader of the Trade Federation, Nute something tried to have her assassinated later?"
Anakin nodded, "from what I've heard, yes."
"And it was while they were there that you won the Boonta Eve Classic and won your freedom? That's how you got to Naboo?"
"I also managed to get them the parts they needed for their ship," said Anakin, "my freedom was another bargain Master Jinn made."
"But why did Master Jinn want to free you? I'm just curious why you and not your mother as well," asked Luke.
"My mother wasn't a Force-sensitive like I am," began Anakin, "Master Jinn tested my midichlorians and determined me too powerful to be left untrained. And he could only bargain for one of us."
"And so they took you and left her behind," pondered Luke, "that seems so unfair to me."
"It was," said Anakin as he shook his head, "and no one bothered to do anything about it. When I arrived at the Temple, they told me to forget about her. But how could I?"
"I'm sorry, Anakin. I know what it's like not having a mother and being left to wonder," he mused. "My Aunt and Uncle never bothered to tell me anything about her other than the fact that she wasn't from Tatooine. When I was a kid I used to make up stories about her and the different scenarios for why she left."
"Like what?" asked Anakin.
"That she was a spy for the Rebellion or a Princess from a far-off planet and that she had to leave me with the Lars for my own safety. Now I see I wasn't all that far off," said Luke sadly as he looked down at his lap.
"I'm sorry you never knew her," said Anakin, his voice soft and remorseful as he took in Luke's sadness.
"I used to make up stories about you too," said Luke suddenly, a sad smile on his face as he looked over at Anakin.
"Really? Please, indulge me."
"Well, Uncle Owen always told me you were the captain of a spice freighter-"
"-A spice freighter?" interrupted an incredulous Anakin, "force, what other lies did they tell you about me?"
Luke laughed, "that was the only thing they told me, well- other than the slave part. But anyway, they told me you were the captain of a spice freighter and I thought that was too boring to tell anyone, so I told people you were a Bounty Hunter- and a smuggler and that it was too dangerous for you to return to Tatooine because the Hutts wanted you dead. And that's why you never around when I was a kid."
"Force, you told your friends I was a criminal?"
Luke shrugged, "at least the other kids thought that I was cool. Better than telling them my dad was the captain of a spice freighter. Besides, it was Tatooine. Most kids dads were either slaves or criminals. You know how it is."
"Unfortunately, I do," muttered Anakin under his breath. There were many children on Tatooine who never knew much about their fathers due to the fact that many of them were the children of slaves or criminals. Anakin had known many families that had been separated as well as children whose parents were nothing more than thieves and murderers.
And so he couldn't blame Luke for coming up with stories, heck even Anakin had done that as a child. It just saddened him that Luke had to resort to making up stories because he never knew the truth about them.
He couldn't help but wonder if Leia had come up with stories about her birth parents, but something told him it was not something she indulged in. Afterall, she did have two loving and kind parents who raised her as if she were their own, so why make up stories when her parents were already royalty?
"Hey, I don't mind that you made up stories. It's Owen and Beru's fault for not telling you the truth and leaving you to wonder. I probably would've done the same if I were you."
"Ben knew too, but he never bothered to tell me either," commented Luke bitterly, "and then he lied to me and tried to get me to kill Vader."
"I mean, he could've done better than that," commented Anakin idly, "we all kriff up sometimes, him especially. And trust me I know, after all, I lived with him for eight years."
"And yet you still love him like a brother," stated Luke, almost critically.
"I wasn't there, so I can't judge his actions or what he tried to do. People make mistakes sometimes and it's not worth it to hate them because of it. I'm sure Obi-Wan has learned his lesson since then."
Luke said nothing as he stared up at the stars, his mind a million miles away as he thought about Anakin's words. Neither of them said anything for a few moments before Yoda hobbled out of the hut to declare that dinner was ready. And by the time they had eaten, they were far too tired to continue their earlier discussion and instead they both chose to prepare for the next morning.
And that night, they both dreamed. But for once, Anakin dreamed of happier times while Luke dreamed of a broken-hearted man, ravaged by the loss and betrayal of a brother and a life condemned by two suns and the scorching sand.
When Anakin awoke the next morning, he could feel the anticipation hanging over him like a heavy cloud as the Force simmered around him, softly but ominously at the same time that made him uncomfortable. It was enough for him to know that something was going to happen, but the Force held onto its secrets and gave him no clue as to what to expect.
He could feel the heaviness in the Force, the warning as well as the foreboding that hung restlessly over all of them, but mostly it seemed to converge around him in an unsettling way. It was like a cold chill that seemed to penetrate his skin to sink into his bones and beyond, and it scared him.
He could tell that he was not the only one to feel the restless tendrils of the Force as Luke also seemed just as disturbed as he was, but neither of them addressed the situation at hand as they both ate their meal in complete silence, not bothering to talk or even look at each other.
Even Master Yoda seemed quieter than usual as he sat watching them, his legs crossed and his cane resting in his lap, a passive yet inquisitive look on his face as he watched them, although Anakin could tell he wasn't really watching him. Yoda was in tune with the Force as he did his best to understand and comprehend the unease and the trepidation that surrounded them like fog.
Anakin barely touched his food and instead chose to push it around his plate before finally setting it down on the table, his appetite all but gone at that point.
"Are you ready?" asked Luke, his quiet voice piercing through the veil of silence that had previously surrounded them.
Anakin thought about it for a few moments before he shook his head, slow at first but gradual, "yeah, I guess we should get this show on the road."
"Much anticipation and restlessness I feel in you, Padawan."
"I feel-" he paused, "I feel as though something isn't quite right, Master. I can't describe it, but something is going to happen. I can feel it."
"I can feel it too, Master Yoda. What does it mean?" asked Luke.
"Hmmm," Yoda leaned on his cane, "shrouded in darkness, everything is."
Darkness was a good way to describe just what it was that hung over them like a cloud, threatening to pour down on them at any second. It wasn't blatantly dark, greyer if anything and subtle in a way that made Anakin uneasy.
Luke sensed his unease, "do you have any clue what Anakin will see in there?"
Yoda shook his head, "a mystery that remains. Affects us differently the Dark Side does. Feeds of your fears and your desires, the Dark Side does and tries to manipulate you with them. Know what Anakin will find there, I do not know."
"Well that makes me feel better," mumbled Anakin.
"When I was in the Dark Side Cave, I found Vader in there," said Luke softly as he caught hold of Anakin's icy blue eyes, "but it wasn't really Vader, it was me."
"Did you fear that you would become like Vader?" asked Anakin as held onto his son's gaze.
"Took Vader into that cave, Luke did, and feed off his fears it did," said Yoda, "only what you take with you can be used against you."
"That was before I went to face Vader on Bespin, where he told me the truth. I guess that was the Force's way of warning me that Vader was a part of me and vice versa," said Luke thoughtfully, "I just didn't know what it really meant at the time."
Anakin said nothing for a few moments before he finally looked up at Luke with questioning eyes, "d-do you think that- that I'll see Vader in there?"
"You might," said Luke honestly, "I really have no idea what you'll find in there. It could be Vader or someone else that has haunted you, no one can say for sure."
"But ready you are," supplied Yoda as he placed a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder, "have fear you should not. Overcome your Trials, you will."
Anakin nodded as he stared at the little green hand that rested on his shoulders before he looked back up at Luke, "there's no going back now. I'm ready."
Luke smiled encouragingly, and it was about the only thing that he could do for the younger man at that point. Anakin was nervous, but that was to be expected, but he was determined and that trumped everything else.
Anakin rose to his feet and turned his gaze over to the entrance of the cave, which did not seem as scary or as ominous as it felt through the Force. He could feel the darkness emitting from it like a beacon and he couldn't help but feel strangely drawn to it, like a moth to a lamp.
The darkness scared him and yet it was alluring at the same time. Enticing and captivating in a way that made Anakin almost lose his sense of morality, but he knew that it was only the side effects of being so close to the Dark Side.
The Dark Side always had something to offer and it was up him to resist the temptation.
"Wait," Luke said as he too rose to his feet, "won't he need his lightsaber?"
He motioned to the cylindrical weapon that sat on the log where Anakin had laid it down earlier before their meal.
"Need it, he will not," said Yoda with a wave of his hand.
"But he should have it with him," urged Luke as Anakin looked between the two of them, "you said it yourself, he doesn't know what to expect in there. He should take it with him just in case."
"Only what you take with you the Cave is," said Yoda, "bring your weapons, bring your violence, shape your experience it will. No, best to leave them behind it is."
Anakin hated to admit that Yoda was probably right on that one. If the cave was what you brought with you, then maybe it wasn't the best to bring weapons with you because of the violence that they represented.
The Force whispered to him and Anakin listened as he shook his head, "I don't think I'll be needing my lightsaber. I can feel that whatever is waiting for me in there cannot be touched by any physical means."
"It's your choice," said Luke uneasily and in obvious disagreement, "but for your sake, I hope you're right."
"Me too," said Anakin with fear lacing his tone as he slowly began to make his over to the entrance before pausing to turn back to face both Luke and Yoda.
"I-I can't actually be killed by anything in there, right?" Perhaps it was a question he should've asked before ditching his lightsaber.
"Find out you will," said Yoda, "good luck, young Skywalker. Need it you will."
Yoda's answer was not comfortingly in the least and Anakin had a feeling that he was kriffed at that point, but it was too late to turn away as he inhaled and stepped into the darkness and shivered involuntarily, not because it was cold in there but because he could feel himself becoming submerged in something- something dark.
He turned to look but found that the entrance to the cave had seemingly disappeared, leaving him completely in the dark and utterly alone, the sound of his breathing the only sound that could be heard in the enclosed and somewhat airy cave.
He let out a shaky breath as he walked further into the cave, his hands landing on the natural vines and roots that surrounded him and allowed them to guide him deeper and deeper inside. From the outside, the cave had not looked that big but upon walking inside, Anakin realized just how truly large it really was.
He felt as though he could go on forever and forever and get lost inside the cavernous space that seemed endless, and it did seem as though he had been walking for a long time before he finally found himself in a foggy looking clearing that split off into many different paths, all of them shrouded in darkness.
He looked behind him at the path that he had just walked off but found that there was nothing there anymore but a wall of impenetrable roots that seemed to be moving completely on their own, causing him to take a cautious step back.
"What in sith hells," he muttered as he turned around to see that the natural wall of the cave was indeed moving and changing, splitting and diverging and creating new and ominous openings and pathways. He could hear whispers emanating from every opening, softly at first but then growing louder and louder with every second.
Anakin closed his eyes as he tried to drown it all out, but it was seemingly impossible. The whispers were a part of the Force and Anakin had never been able to quiet the Force in his entire life. He wasn't like the other Jedi who were able to just quiet everything out. No, the Force for him had always been louder, more constant, and more maddening.
"No, no," he muttered as he placed his hands over his ears in hopes that maybe it would help muddle all that the whispers had to say.
No such luck.
He went to take a step back but his foot caught on one of the large roots that jutted out of the Earth and fell back onto the dewy Earth that moved beneath him like snakes as the roots came up and wrapped themselves around him, trapping him there as he strained against the natural restraints.
For a brief moment, he remembered being strapped down to a table as his body was chipped away at and replaced until he was nothing more than a mechanical monstrosity, an abomination of flesh and machine all intertwined until it was all one.
"No!" he cried out as he kicked his feet at the moving roots before they too were restrained, rendering him completely immobile. Panic surged through him as he shut his eyes as tightly as he could, his breath catching in his throat as he tried to inhale through the anxiety that gripped his chest in a tight vice.
He felt like a slave back on Tatooine with binders on his hands and a collar around his neck shackled to a wall in Gardulla's palace along with all the other slaves, all of them tightly packed in with barely any room to move or breathe and the stench of filth surrounding them. And laying there on the floor brought back the brunt of all those unpleasant memories that he had tried so hard to forget over the years.
He struggled for a few more seconds before the horrible sound of mechanical breathing filled the cavern around him and chilling him to the bone. He froze as he listened to the sound of the ominous breathing grow closer and closer to him with every passing second until it was all that he could hear.
He raised his head to stare at the fog that rolled slowly toward him and over him until all he could see were the dense white wisps that poured out of the opening in the mossy green wall of the cave
He could only watch in terror as a large black shape started to make its way out of the opening and toward him. Anakin shut his eyes as the sound of footsteps grew closer and closer until he could feel the- the thing right in front of him, stooping down so they could reach out their hand.
He tried to shy away from the hand that he knew would be mechanical to the touch, and so it surprised him when he found that the hand that came to rest on his cheek was most definitely flesh, skin, and sinew just as his own hands were. Not the mechanical touch of Vader, but the touch of someone human.
"Ani? Ani, is that you?"
Was that-?
"Mom?" he asked as he opened his eyes and looked around for his mother only to find that the woman in front of him was not his mother. No, this woman who vaguely resembled Shmi Skywalker was far too- grotesque to ever be her.
He couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath at the sight of her, which was sickening just to look at. Her skin was shriveled and cracked to the point where he could see bloody scabs marking her once beautiful face. Her hair was tangled and matted and her eyes-
Her eyes were yellow and sunken to the point where her cheekbones jutted out in a way that made her look starved and emaciated.
She resembled a dry husk rather than the kind and beautiful woman his mother had been-
No, whatever this thing was, it wasn't his mother. His mother was dead in this time and the mother he left behind was still waiting for him on Tatooine. This was nothing more than his imagination, or at least that's what he told himself.
He shuddered as he felt her hand caress the skin on his face before he looked up into her lifeless yellow eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness as she peered down at him, a sickly smile on her horribly chapped lips as she pushed his Padawan braid over his shoulder.
"What's wrong, Ani? Aren't you happy to see me?" she asked insipidly.
Anakin shook his head, "you're not my mother."
"Of course I am," she as her face began to twist in something that made Anakin squirm, "don't you recognize me? Don't you recognize what you've done to me?"
She gestured down to her emaciated form while Anakin looked away, not wishing to see the rest of her in fear of what he would find if he did.
"Look at me, Anakin," she said as she grabbed his chin and forced him to look up at her, forcing him to clench his eyes shut.
"No," he begged as he felt his eyes begin to sting.
"I said look at me!" she commanded, her breath warm with the smell of decay, "look at what you've done to me!"
"I didn't do that to you," whispered Anakin as he looked down at her bloodied and ripped clothing that hung off her form, "that was the Tusken Raiders. They did that to you, not me."
"Because you let them!" she wailed, "you did nothing to stop them! You let them murder me!"
"No!" yelled Anakin, "I tried to save you! I tried- I tried, but I couldn't."
He choked on his tears, "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."
"No you're not!" she accused, "you knew that I was in danger and yet you did not try to save me while I still had a chance! You wanted me to die!"
He said nothing as he turned his head away from her as tears poured down his cheeks. He didn't want to look at her, he didn't even want to acknowledge her. He just wanted her to go away and leave him alone.
He thought that he had come to terms with what had happened to his mother in this time, but seeing her like this, hearing her accuse him like that-
He felt like he was drowning, unable to tell up from down in all the confusion and the onslaught of guilt and regret that coursed through him like a raging river. He could see his mother lying there in his arms as she took her last breath, her frail and worn out body as light as a feather in his arms.
"And it's not just me you've failed!" screamed his mother, "you let Padme die! It's all your fault that she died and you know it!"
A sob escaped him as he saw her lying there on that table in pain as she cried out for him, pain etched on her face as she begged him to come back.
"Everyone you care about ends up getting hurt by you at some point, don't they? Obi-Wan, Leia, Luke-"
An image of Obi-Wan being cut into by a red lightsaber followed closely by the image of Leia screaming out in pain as a black shadow loomed over her before he saw Alderaan being obliterated into nothing more than bits and pieces left to float in space. Then there was Luke, injured and defeated as he clung to the side of a metal pole with only one hand, the other nothing more than a burnt stump that had been cauterized by a lightsaber.
The words, "No, I am your father," followed and Anakin couldn't help but cringe as he heard Luke cry out in pain and betrayal before he jumped down into the abyss below.
And at that moment, Anakin could feel all their pain and suffering as if it were his own and he thought that perhaps, this would be the end of it all. He could barely hold onto his sanity at that point as he listened to his mother scream in his face, accusing him of only bringing pain and suffering to their family.
She blamed him for ruining their family and told him how much they all hated him because of it. She told him how worthless he was and how she wished he had never been born and how he didn't deserve to be anything more than a slave and it stung. Her words were like the sting of a whip across his back, flaying him open until all that was left was sinew and mangled skin.
And that's exactly how he felt.
Open. Flayed. Raw.
"You chose power over your own family and where did it get you?" she sneered, "burnt and limbless and unable to even breathe on your own. Is that what you wanted? To live out every day in pain, to be weak and dependent on someone else? To have your entire family gone and knowing that's it's your fault what happened to them? Is that what you wanted?"
He said nothing.
"Or did you just want to enslave everyone like you yourself had been enslaved? Did you want them to experience what it was like having their rights taken away like you did? Is that why you turned around and helped enslave the galaxy after everything you had gone through?"
Hypocrite! Hypocrite! Hypocrite!- The Force chanted over and over as it whispered in his ear, unceasing and constant.
No, he would never wish that upon anyone, not even his greatest enemy. Or- did he?
Hypocrite, the Force whispered again into his ear, you wanted them to suffer. You wanted them to be slaves…
"And so the oppressed soon becomes the oppressor," she taunted as she brushed a stray hair out of his face, "maybe you should've never been granted your freedom. Maybe you should've stayed on Tatooine like all the other slaves. Who knows what would've happened to you, but at least the galaxy would've been better off."
Had he stayed on Tatooine? He would probably be dead by then, or worse- his mind traveled to all the other slaves that had been forced to engage- in other activities. Men, women, and children alike coerced into-
He felt sick just at the thought.
He could feel a tingling at the back of his mind, a gentle touch that was not intrusive or vicious as it brushed against his consciousness ever so slightly.
Luke-?
He grabbed onto that gentle wisp and held onto it as tight as he could, like a man trying not be swept away by the current.
Don't let it the darkness win, Anakin. Find the strength to fight it.
Anakin wanted to say something more, but when he reached back Luke was already gone. He had already broken the rules by interfering and helping him, but Anakin couldn't help the surge of newfound strength and energy that surged through him at Luke's words.
He hadn't come all this way just to be defeated by words. He was Anakin Skywalker. He was a Jedi Knight.
"You were never meant to be anything but a slave," she spat, "pathetic and worthless. Nothing more than property- "
He snapped.
The grotesque and emaciated form of his mother flew back and into the wall with such force Anakin thought she might shatter into little pieces, but it seemed as though she was stronger than he had originally thought as she pushed herself up off the ground weakly.
It was then that her whole demeanor changed. No longer was she the nasty and malicious person she had been only a few seconds prior, but now she looked weak as she looked over at him with pleading eyes.
But Anakin was not buying it.
"No," she shook her head vehemently, "no, that's impossible- you're not supposed to-"
"Not supposed to fight back?" he asked as the vines and roots began to shrivel and weaken until he was able to break free from them, "I'm not as weak as you think nor am I a slave. My name is Anakin, and I will never be a slave again. Not to you or anyone else."
He was surprisingly calm, but the anger was nonetheless there just below the surface.
"And what happened to you and Padme is not my fault," he said as he tugged off the last of the roots, his icy blue eyes boring into her yellow ones. "Nor am I responsible for what Vader did to Luke or Leia."
He stood up and made his way over to her as she tried to scoot away from him in terror, but Anakin had no intention of hurting her as he bent down to her level and stared at her hollowed yellow eyes.
He reached out and gently stroked her matted hair, "you're not my mother. You never were."
"I am only what you make me," she said, her tone much softer than it was before.
It was true. His mother had always been at the back of his mind along with the guilt and remorse that he supposed never really went away, even though he tried to push it back. Now thinking back on it, Anakin wasn't surprised that the Cave had used her to try and manipulate him.
"I know," he said as he stood up and inhaled deeply, "but I never did any of those things and I never will."
"You could have power," she begged as she grabbed a hold of his hands, "you could have knowledge beyond your imagination- just like Plagueis the Wise who could manipulate life itself. You could have the power to give life. What is purer than that?"
"Life is sacred, but not mine to give- or take," he said softly, "which is why I will never choose your path."
The Force rippled- shuddered as the light rose to meet the darkness and overpower it. The whispers faded away gradually until there was nothing but peace- serenity.
"You could've had knowledge and power," she whispered, "but now you'll never know what you could've had."
"Knowledge and wisdom are two very different things," he said, "and at what cost does that power come with? If it's what I've seen, then no thank you. It's not worth it at the price you're selling it for."
"This isn't finished, Chosen One," she said as her form started to evaporate into dark tendrils, "we'll meet again, one day. And you won't refuse us then."
"We'll see about that," he said as he watched the dark tendrils of fog disappear back into the cave along with the darkness that had once permeated the cave. Light poured into the clearing as the path back to the entrance was illuminated.
Anakin sighed in relief, glad that the whole ordeal was now finished and that he had- somehow, managed to make it out unscathed. He had faced his Trials and had probably soiled his pants in the process, but at least he made it. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to be feeling right then and there. Most of the people he knew were always excited to have passed their Trials, but then again none of them had had to face what he had just faced.
He wasn't really all that excited, just tired and in desperate need of a nap and some food.
He cringed as he stepped out of the Cave, the sunlight a little too bright for his eyes as he shielded the sun with his hand.
"Anakin!" yelled Luke as he ran up to him and grasped his shoulder, "are you alright?"
For just a moment, Anakin couldn't help but flinch involuntarily at the touch, but he then he found himself easing into the feeling as he exhaled deeply and pursed his lips.
"I'm fine," he said as he stared at Luke for a few moments, his eyes traveling down to his right hand which he knew to be mechanical. For some reason, Anakin couldn't help but imagine the blackened stump that he had seen back in the Cave. He stared at it for a few silent moments before he looked back up into Luke's brilliantly confused eyes before he found himself wrapping his arms around the older- no younger man.
"I'm sorry for what Vader did to you," he whispered into Luke's ear before he pulled away from him.
"What did you see in there?" asked Luke, his voice soft and full of concern.
Anakin shook his head, "I'll tell you later. Right now, I just need something to eat and then we can head back to the Fleet. I'm tired and I'm ready to be off this planet, no offense Master Yoda," he said as he addressed the little green Master, who had been watching them silently from his log.
Yoda chuckled, "none taken, Jedi Knight Skywalker."
"Never been called that before," commented Anakin with a small grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Well, you should probably get used to it," said Luke as a huge grin spread across his features.
"Wait-" said Anakin as a new thought crossed his mind, "what happens when I go back? I'm still a Padawan in my own time."
"Much there will be to explain once you return, not just your Knighthood," said Yoda as he jumped down from the log, "make them understand you will have to."
"What about-?" he asked as he grabbed his Padawan braid in obvious questioning. It didn't feel quite right for him to take it off seeing as Master Kenobi was not here, not his Master Kenobi. But then again there was no longer any need for him to keep wearing it.
Yoda sensed his conflict, "no need there is to wear it anymore, Knight Skywalker. A Padawan you are no more."
"If it's any consolation, you have my permission to take it off," came Obi-Wan's voice as his blue form materialized in front of them, a smile plastered on his face.
Anakin stared down at it for a few more seconds before he nodded and allowed Yoda to ignite his lightsaber and take it clean off his head in such a delicate manner that Anakin hardly felt it as he clutched the now detached braid that had been with him since he was nine.
It felt weird not feeling it sway whenever he moved his head, although it had weighed barely anything it was still a foreign feeling.
"Thank you, Masters," he said as he addressed them both before he gave Luke a small smile, "but if neither of you guys mind, I think it's about time Luke and I got back to the Fleet. I wouldn't want Leia to start worrying."
"I'll go prepare the ships," said Luke as he began to make his way over to the hut to grab their things, leaving Anakin, Yoda, and Kenobi alone. The smile disappeared off of Anakin's face as he turned to face the two Masters.
"Anakin, what did you see in there?" asked Obi-Wan as he began to stroke his beard.
"I saw my mother, but it wasn't really her," said Anakin, "it was only a dark manifestation of her."
"Offer you something, she did?" asked Yoda thoughtfully.
"She blamed me for her death and for what happened to you and Padme and the twins. She said I wanted to hurt them and that I wanted her to die," he said as he shrugged himself down on the log. "She said that I was worthless and that I would always be a slave. She then offered me knowledge and power and-" he paused, uncertain.
"Offered you what, young Skywalker?" asked Yoda, his eyes trained on him.
"She offered me the ability to give life, like- Darth Plagueis," he whispered as he looked up at them questioningly.
"Hmm, a Sith tale that is, a very dark one. Said to be able to manipulate midichlorians, Darth Plagueis was. Create life itself, he could."
"That's- that's beyond unnatural," said an appalled Anakin, "only the Force can do that. Right?"
Both Obi-Wan and Yoda shared a look that made Anakin uneasy, a knot formed in his stomach as the Force rippled gently- so gently that he was certain only he could feel it.
"What did you say?" asked Kenobi, obviously trying to divert the question.
"I told her that it wasn't my job to give life and that it never would be," he said simply, "and I told her that I would never choose the path she wanted me to. I'm not going to make the same mistakes as Vader did and I will never be a slave to my choices like him."
"Resisted the Dark Side you have," said Yoda, "ready to face Vader you are."
Anakin shook his head, "maybe. I don't know, Master. I just have this feeling that it's not going to be that simple. Something else is going to happen soon, I can feel it."
"Like what?" asked Kenobi, obviously interested in just what Anakin was thinking.
"I don't know," he said with uncertainty, "I think that's why I'm so anxious to return to the Fleet. I can feel that something big is going to happen, and soon."
"Trust your instincts you should. Share this with Luke and return to Leia you must," said Yoda earnestly.
"I agree," stated Kenobi, "if the Force is trying to warn you, you must listen to what it has to say."
Anakin nodded, "but what about you, Master Yoda? Will you be returning to the Fleet with us?"
Anakin could tell that Yoda was not going to last much longer and he could feel his life force starting to diminish. It was so blatantly obvious that Master Yoda did not have long to live at that point and his days were numbered, and it made Anakin wonder what Yoda was going to do in these last few days of his life.
At most, Yoda only had weeks and surely he did not want to spend them here in isolation.
"Stay here, I will," said Yoda as he solemnly closed his eyes, "spend my last days here, I shall."
"Are you sure? You could come with us," offered Anakin, "that you won't be alone."
Yoda merely chuckled, "a caring person you are, but no. I will not be alone here," he said as he looked up at Obi-Wan and smiled.
"I've been keeping Master Yoda company here for the past few years," said Kenobi with a nod, "and sometimes Qui-Gon will even pop in for a visit."
"Master Jinn?" asked Anakin in shock, "he still hangs around?"
"Occasionally," quipped Obi-Wan, "but he mostly likes to keep on the down low."
"Huh," said Anakin with a grin, "what do you guys do for fun? Play bingo?"
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes while Yoda chuckled. Obi-Wan looked ready to make a comeback when they were interrupted by Luke.
"The ships are ready to go whenever you are," he said to Anakin before he bid the other two Master's farewell. He then tossed Anakin his orange jumpsuit before he climbed into the cockpit to make a survey of his instruments.
Anakin waved at Luke to continue before he turned around to face the two elders.
"There's something I need to tell you guys before we leave."
"What is it?" asked Kenobi.
"Back in the cave when I was talking to the darkness, it told me something and I'm not quite sure what it means."
"Say something it did? Tell us," said Yoda.
"It said that we would meet again and that I wouldn't refuse them again," he said, his voice low and uneasy, "just what is that supposed to mean?"
"Disturbing, this is," commented Yoda, "certain you are of this?"
Anakin nodded, "that's what it told me."
"Interesting," said Kenobi as he stroked his beard thoughtfully, "perhaps we should meditate on the meaning of this, as should you Anakin. There's no telling just what your vision meant by this and we should be prepared for anything the Dark Side has in store for you."
Anakin nodded, but the uncertainty remained, "I will do so. Thank you, Masters. May the Force be with you."
"And with you, young Skywalker. Until we meet again," said Yoda as he bowed his head.
Anakin held their gazes for a few moments before he bowed in farewell and walked away, unsure of what the future held for him or the twins at that point.
AN: Thanks for reading!