Toxic Chapter 3: Covetousness
Anakin's mind was made up. As soon as the teacher had uttered the words "You're dismissed," he was out the door and fleeing down the halls to the Kenobi/Skywalker Residence, fully intent on apologizing to his Mentor. In his haste, he almost didn't notice a young Initiate, sprawled out, bawling it's lungs out in the middle of the hallway.
~Geez, Anakin. You must be deaf and blind to miss that~ he hissed to himself mentally. He liked kids, generally. Just not when they were screaming their heads off in his way when he was in a rush. He stopped abruptly, hoping the child hadn't seen him, and tried to conceal himself in the Force. ~Maybe I'll be able to creep past her~
The girl stood up and ran towards him, arms outstretched.
~Damn~
He sighed and sank to his knees in front of her. Giving a soft hiccup she silenced, surveyed him carefully, deciding if he was friend or foe. In front of her, she clutched a small, humanoid doll carefully. Hopefully she took another step forward.
~Joy~
"Hello," he ventured. "My name's Anakin. What's yours?" The little girl continued looking at him. Anakin felt like sighing again, a lot of staring had gone on today. There was something going on in this Temple, Something about him. A rumour, probably. But that would have to wait. At the moment, he had a lost little girl to sort out and serious groveling to do to Master Obi-Wan. Meanwhile, the little initiate finally decided to end her speculation.
"Mayani," came the one word answer. Despite the turbulence in his head, Anakin felt like smiling. He was getting somewhere.
"That's a very pretty name, Mayani. But why are you crying?" He asked carefully, keeping his voice low and even. Her face distorted and she began wailing again, her broken words running together in one endless stream of vowels.
"I pay hinsee, buno temee no go wy fro nusway tu hud un go lost!" She began to bawl again, this time even louder.
~Force remind me to tell Padme I am never having kids~
Anakin looked around worriedly and attempted to shush her with soothing, wordless murmurs. She allowed herself to be calmed and he smiled at her.
"Now, little Mayani, would you like me to take you and your dolly back to the Initiate Centre?" He kept the smile on his face and nodded his head helpfully. She chewed on the hand of the doll and nodded with him, wide eyes hopeful under a head of mussed up hair. He returned to his feet and took her tiny hand in his. Together they walked back to the lower layer of the Temple where the Nurseries were situated. All of the way he chattered to her about any random thing that popped up into his head that might be of interest to a small girl. He was just finishing a tale about a beautiful Queen and a handsome Jedi when they came to a fork in the corridors. To the left was a room usually used for silent meditation and to the right was the beginning of the Nurseries, where they were headed. But something distracted his attention. He took a step towards the Meditation rooms, feeling a familiar presence. He was right; in the room stood Master Yoda, Master Windu and Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, deep in discussion. He exhaled sharply.
As always, Master Windu wore a calm, cool expression, if not slightly tinged with sympathy. Yoda stared at the floor, ear tips drooping in sadness, leaning on his Gimmer stick heavily. The centre of attention, however was Obi-Wan, who looked livid, waving his hands about madly, clearly frustrated and angry, emotions that Anakin never saw from him. Master Windu said something, and Obi-Wan lifted his palms up, displaying wounds. Anakin's breath caught in his throat and he felt nausea bubble up his chest at the sight of the angry red slashes crisscrossing the pale skin. Tears pricked the back of Anakin's eyes and paranoia gripped him
~They're talking about me~ Horror welled up in his heart and anger began to simmer dangerously. ~They're talking about me~
Beside him, Mayani began to get impatient. "Aaaanaaaaakiiiiiiiiiin! What happened to the Queen and the Jedi?" She whined pathetically, tugging on his arm. He tore his eyes from the scene he witnessed through the glass panel in the door and sunk again to crouch in front of her, trying to push all emotion away.
"The Queen and the Jedi?" He asked, smiling sadly. She nodded enthusiastically in return. "They lived happily ever after, of course." He wasn't sure what reaction he would get, but he was definitely sure it wouldn't be that she flung herself into his arms for a hug, as she did.
"If they are so happy, why are you so sad?" She mumbled into his white tunic top. He lifted her up.
"Now, who said I was sad, little Mayani?" He murmured back to her, lifting her up into his arms to take her the short distance to the nursery. She sighed happily, drifting into sleep.
"Dunno, sad Anakin." With that she drifted into slumber. Glancing once more through the glass panel he dashed to the Initiate's station with the bundle.
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It was ten minutes later before Anakin could escape. The Head of the Initiate Centre had been so appreciative of Anakin finding the lost girl that she had insisted that he stay to hear her praise for several precious minutes Anakin knew he couldn't spare. He sped to the Meditational Rooms where he had last seen Obi-Wan, but to his dismay the Knight was nowhere to be seen.
"Sith," he spat, frustrated with the whole situation. He knew that when Obi-Wan had been talking to Yoda and Windu he had been complaining about him. Angry that Anakin was such an awful Padawan. Frustrated that he was unable to choose his own Padawan and was forced to have a silly over- aged boy from Tatooine as his apprentice. But, still . . .
~I don't need him~ The thought flashed through Anakin's mind violently ~I'm good enough for the trials myself now. I'm a better Jedi than him. If he doesn't want me anymore, fine. I'm willing to accept that. I don't need him. I don't.~
All thoughts of apology were wiped from Anakin's conscious. Obi-Wan would get his wish; Anakin would no longer be his Padawan Learner. And Anakin would be glad about it. With a face steeled and angry he stalked through the centre of the Temple, ignoring the giggles and whispers that followed him. Gradually, his pace slowed to a normal walk. Being angry would never help him, he knew that. If the man he used to call Master taught him anything, it was that. So, with a calm mind he decided to attend his next class. Spinning on his heel, his dark cloak flying around him, he took the turbo-lift to Debate Skills.
Settling himself down in one of the desks he closed his eyes and attempted to meditate for a few moments, before being brought to surface by more idiotic giggling behind his back, courtesy of a small group of about three girls and two males. One of the boys slid his desk slightly forward to speak directly to Anakin.
"So," He began in a copied classic Tatooine accent, "everyone knows you have an obsession with the Senator from Naboo. Rumour is that you're married and she's carrying your kid. I don't know if it's true, I don't really care. I just don't believe she'd pick you over all the eligible men in the galaxy, Metal Man." He made to move back "Oh, yeah. I wouldn't do that thing in your room without any clothes on in future. There are telescopes trained on your window." He made to move back to the place he had been in before, but Anakin stopped him, gripping him with an anger- spurred wave of the Force.
"Who told you this?" He hissed dangerously. The Padawan who he had pinned began to writhe about, trying to think of an answer through a cloud of something akin to fear.
"The telescopes? I don't know! I swear! It's not like I have one or anything, Anakin, I just heard from a friend of a friend who might know someone who might've had one once . . ."
Anakin still refused to look at him. Instead he tightened his hold of the Force and was met with a whimper. "Who started the rumour?" There were several seconds of silence before the Padawan answered Anakin.
"Paleeni." Anakin recognised the name. The Apprentice had held a grudge for Anakin ever since he had beaten him in an important lightsaber contest. It made sense. He released the other boy immediately, and moved to stand.
"Thank you for your help," he said, honestly. Sliding out the chair he sped towards the door, and almost bumped into the Professor. The teacher glared at him evilly with all of his eight eyes.
"And where on Coruscant do you think you're going, Padawan Skywalker?" He demanded, his voice like sandpaper over glass. "Do you have somewhere else to be?" Anakin exhaled inwardly.
"Yes, Master. I do." He stepped to move around him, but the Professor did the same. "No, you don't. You are going to return to your seat and sit through this lesson." Anakin met his eyes defiantly. "Now." Anakin stalked back to his seat, as the professor began to drone on, his eyes closed.
~It's only an hour, I'll make it, at least it's still a rumour, I can stop it. I'll speak to master Yoda, he can stop it. Or Master Obi-~ he stopped himself suddenly ~No, why would he help me? He doesn't even like me, and I know Yoda doesn't. I'll sort this out by myself.~
"Padawan Skywalker." The annoying voice called out to him, breaking him out of his reverie. Anakin opened his eyes excruciatingly slowly. "Care to join us and give us you opinion?" The Master glared at him, and Anakin glared back.
"On what?"
"Well, my dear boy, if you had been listening and not on . . ." The teacher stopped and smirked "Naboo? You might've heard that the debate topic was 'Conversion to the Dark Side.' Your views?" There were titters from behind him, and Anakin began to feel his blood boil, and didn't bother dampening it.
"Actually, I have a question." He stated. The teacher raised one of its eyebrows, or the tendons that looked like eyebrows, at him.
"Ask away."
"Why is the Dark Side so bad?" There was a horrified silence, then a flurry of whispers.
"Padawan Skywalker, the Dark Side is everything that is bad and evil in this galaxy. I can't believe you would feel the need to ask such a question," The Professor barked, standing up to its full height.
"But we've always been told that the Dark Side is attractive to some because of the power it holds. Surely only a good side would have that type of Power? And why should we just accept it?"
"Padawan Skywalker!"
"But what if the Jedi's really wrong, and this is the Dark Side? Surely, the Jedi are evil to the Sith?"
"Silence, Insolent Child!"
"This so called Dark Side must hold some good points, if so many can see the sense in it." Anakin leveled the Teacher, who now stood over him, fuming. A silence followed, the only sounds being the teacher's angry inhalation and exhalation of breath.
Without warning, the teacher's arm swung round in a wide arc and connected solidly to the side of Anakin's head, snapping the younger man's face round and busting his lower lip. A spurt of blood erupted from his mouth and he hissed quietly in pain. The teacher, however, refused to show any remorse. Anakin's metal hand flew to his cheek, holding the abused area and he snapped his sight line back round, staring with wide eyes at the Professor.
"I very much doubt you could be taught anything, so now I demand you stay away from me, and stay out of my class, lest I cut you down with my very own lightsaber, for the sake of the Galaxy," the professor told Anakin finally. Anakin gave him one final look before sweeping out the class room and down the hall. As his feet flew he gently probed the damaged cheek and wiped away the blood from his chin absently with the back of the prosthetic hand. He licked his lower lip carefully, fire coursing dark streaks through his eyes. The blood tasted bitter, sharp, unforgiving. He chuckled darkly.
~Just like my life then~ He shoved a little kid out the way violently, making his way directly towards the main entrance and exit to the Jedi Temple, removing his long brown cloak and discarding it on his way.
Someone was going to pay.
And Anakin couldn't wait.
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Anakin's mind was made up. As soon as the teacher had uttered the words "You're dismissed," he was out the door and fleeing down the halls to the Kenobi/Skywalker Residence, fully intent on apologizing to his Mentor. In his haste, he almost didn't notice a young Initiate, sprawled out, bawling it's lungs out in the middle of the hallway.
~Geez, Anakin. You must be deaf and blind to miss that~ he hissed to himself mentally. He liked kids, generally. Just not when they were screaming their heads off in his way when he was in a rush. He stopped abruptly, hoping the child hadn't seen him, and tried to conceal himself in the Force. ~Maybe I'll be able to creep past her~
The girl stood up and ran towards him, arms outstretched.
~Damn~
He sighed and sank to his knees in front of her. Giving a soft hiccup she silenced, surveyed him carefully, deciding if he was friend or foe. In front of her, she clutched a small, humanoid doll carefully. Hopefully she took another step forward.
~Joy~
"Hello," he ventured. "My name's Anakin. What's yours?" The little girl continued looking at him. Anakin felt like sighing again, a lot of staring had gone on today. There was something going on in this Temple, Something about him. A rumour, probably. But that would have to wait. At the moment, he had a lost little girl to sort out and serious groveling to do to Master Obi-Wan. Meanwhile, the little initiate finally decided to end her speculation.
"Mayani," came the one word answer. Despite the turbulence in his head, Anakin felt like smiling. He was getting somewhere.
"That's a very pretty name, Mayani. But why are you crying?" He asked carefully, keeping his voice low and even. Her face distorted and she began wailing again, her broken words running together in one endless stream of vowels.
"I pay hinsee, buno temee no go wy fro nusway tu hud un go lost!" She began to bawl again, this time even louder.
~Force remind me to tell Padme I am never having kids~
Anakin looked around worriedly and attempted to shush her with soothing, wordless murmurs. She allowed herself to be calmed and he smiled at her.
"Now, little Mayani, would you like me to take you and your dolly back to the Initiate Centre?" He kept the smile on his face and nodded his head helpfully. She chewed on the hand of the doll and nodded with him, wide eyes hopeful under a head of mussed up hair. He returned to his feet and took her tiny hand in his. Together they walked back to the lower layer of the Temple where the Nurseries were situated. All of the way he chattered to her about any random thing that popped up into his head that might be of interest to a small girl. He was just finishing a tale about a beautiful Queen and a handsome Jedi when they came to a fork in the corridors. To the left was a room usually used for silent meditation and to the right was the beginning of the Nurseries, where they were headed. But something distracted his attention. He took a step towards the Meditation rooms, feeling a familiar presence. He was right; in the room stood Master Yoda, Master Windu and Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, deep in discussion. He exhaled sharply.
As always, Master Windu wore a calm, cool expression, if not slightly tinged with sympathy. Yoda stared at the floor, ear tips drooping in sadness, leaning on his Gimmer stick heavily. The centre of attention, however was Obi-Wan, who looked livid, waving his hands about madly, clearly frustrated and angry, emotions that Anakin never saw from him. Master Windu said something, and Obi-Wan lifted his palms up, displaying wounds. Anakin's breath caught in his throat and he felt nausea bubble up his chest at the sight of the angry red slashes crisscrossing the pale skin. Tears pricked the back of Anakin's eyes and paranoia gripped him
~They're talking about me~ Horror welled up in his heart and anger began to simmer dangerously. ~They're talking about me~
Beside him, Mayani began to get impatient. "Aaaanaaaaakiiiiiiiiiin! What happened to the Queen and the Jedi?" She whined pathetically, tugging on his arm. He tore his eyes from the scene he witnessed through the glass panel in the door and sunk again to crouch in front of her, trying to push all emotion away.
"The Queen and the Jedi?" He asked, smiling sadly. She nodded enthusiastically in return. "They lived happily ever after, of course." He wasn't sure what reaction he would get, but he was definitely sure it wouldn't be that she flung herself into his arms for a hug, as she did.
"If they are so happy, why are you so sad?" She mumbled into his white tunic top. He lifted her up.
"Now, who said I was sad, little Mayani?" He murmured back to her, lifting her up into his arms to take her the short distance to the nursery. She sighed happily, drifting into sleep.
"Dunno, sad Anakin." With that she drifted into slumber. Glancing once more through the glass panel he dashed to the Initiate's station with the bundle.
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It was ten minutes later before Anakin could escape. The Head of the Initiate Centre had been so appreciative of Anakin finding the lost girl that she had insisted that he stay to hear her praise for several precious minutes Anakin knew he couldn't spare. He sped to the Meditational Rooms where he had last seen Obi-Wan, but to his dismay the Knight was nowhere to be seen.
"Sith," he spat, frustrated with the whole situation. He knew that when Obi-Wan had been talking to Yoda and Windu he had been complaining about him. Angry that Anakin was such an awful Padawan. Frustrated that he was unable to choose his own Padawan and was forced to have a silly over- aged boy from Tatooine as his apprentice. But, still . . .
~I don't need him~ The thought flashed through Anakin's mind violently ~I'm good enough for the trials myself now. I'm a better Jedi than him. If he doesn't want me anymore, fine. I'm willing to accept that. I don't need him. I don't.~
All thoughts of apology were wiped from Anakin's conscious. Obi-Wan would get his wish; Anakin would no longer be his Padawan Learner. And Anakin would be glad about it. With a face steeled and angry he stalked through the centre of the Temple, ignoring the giggles and whispers that followed him. Gradually, his pace slowed to a normal walk. Being angry would never help him, he knew that. If the man he used to call Master taught him anything, it was that. So, with a calm mind he decided to attend his next class. Spinning on his heel, his dark cloak flying around him, he took the turbo-lift to Debate Skills.
Settling himself down in one of the desks he closed his eyes and attempted to meditate for a few moments, before being brought to surface by more idiotic giggling behind his back, courtesy of a small group of about three girls and two males. One of the boys slid his desk slightly forward to speak directly to Anakin.
"So," He began in a copied classic Tatooine accent, "everyone knows you have an obsession with the Senator from Naboo. Rumour is that you're married and she's carrying your kid. I don't know if it's true, I don't really care. I just don't believe she'd pick you over all the eligible men in the galaxy, Metal Man." He made to move back "Oh, yeah. I wouldn't do that thing in your room without any clothes on in future. There are telescopes trained on your window." He made to move back to the place he had been in before, but Anakin stopped him, gripping him with an anger- spurred wave of the Force.
"Who told you this?" He hissed dangerously. The Padawan who he had pinned began to writhe about, trying to think of an answer through a cloud of something akin to fear.
"The telescopes? I don't know! I swear! It's not like I have one or anything, Anakin, I just heard from a friend of a friend who might know someone who might've had one once . . ."
Anakin still refused to look at him. Instead he tightened his hold of the Force and was met with a whimper. "Who started the rumour?" There were several seconds of silence before the Padawan answered Anakin.
"Paleeni." Anakin recognised the name. The Apprentice had held a grudge for Anakin ever since he had beaten him in an important lightsaber contest. It made sense. He released the other boy immediately, and moved to stand.
"Thank you for your help," he said, honestly. Sliding out the chair he sped towards the door, and almost bumped into the Professor. The teacher glared at him evilly with all of his eight eyes.
"And where on Coruscant do you think you're going, Padawan Skywalker?" He demanded, his voice like sandpaper over glass. "Do you have somewhere else to be?" Anakin exhaled inwardly.
"Yes, Master. I do." He stepped to move around him, but the Professor did the same. "No, you don't. You are going to return to your seat and sit through this lesson." Anakin met his eyes defiantly. "Now." Anakin stalked back to his seat, as the professor began to drone on, his eyes closed.
~It's only an hour, I'll make it, at least it's still a rumour, I can stop it. I'll speak to master Yoda, he can stop it. Or Master Obi-~ he stopped himself suddenly ~No, why would he help me? He doesn't even like me, and I know Yoda doesn't. I'll sort this out by myself.~
"Padawan Skywalker." The annoying voice called out to him, breaking him out of his reverie. Anakin opened his eyes excruciatingly slowly. "Care to join us and give us you opinion?" The Master glared at him, and Anakin glared back.
"On what?"
"Well, my dear boy, if you had been listening and not on . . ." The teacher stopped and smirked "Naboo? You might've heard that the debate topic was 'Conversion to the Dark Side.' Your views?" There were titters from behind him, and Anakin began to feel his blood boil, and didn't bother dampening it.
"Actually, I have a question." He stated. The teacher raised one of its eyebrows, or the tendons that looked like eyebrows, at him.
"Ask away."
"Why is the Dark Side so bad?" There was a horrified silence, then a flurry of whispers.
"Padawan Skywalker, the Dark Side is everything that is bad and evil in this galaxy. I can't believe you would feel the need to ask such a question," The Professor barked, standing up to its full height.
"But we've always been told that the Dark Side is attractive to some because of the power it holds. Surely only a good side would have that type of Power? And why should we just accept it?"
"Padawan Skywalker!"
"But what if the Jedi's really wrong, and this is the Dark Side? Surely, the Jedi are evil to the Sith?"
"Silence, Insolent Child!"
"This so called Dark Side must hold some good points, if so many can see the sense in it." Anakin leveled the Teacher, who now stood over him, fuming. A silence followed, the only sounds being the teacher's angry inhalation and exhalation of breath.
Without warning, the teacher's arm swung round in a wide arc and connected solidly to the side of Anakin's head, snapping the younger man's face round and busting his lower lip. A spurt of blood erupted from his mouth and he hissed quietly in pain. The teacher, however, refused to show any remorse. Anakin's metal hand flew to his cheek, holding the abused area and he snapped his sight line back round, staring with wide eyes at the Professor.
"I very much doubt you could be taught anything, so now I demand you stay away from me, and stay out of my class, lest I cut you down with my very own lightsaber, for the sake of the Galaxy," the professor told Anakin finally. Anakin gave him one final look before sweeping out the class room and down the hall. As his feet flew he gently probed the damaged cheek and wiped away the blood from his chin absently with the back of the prosthetic hand. He licked his lower lip carefully, fire coursing dark streaks through his eyes. The blood tasted bitter, sharp, unforgiving. He chuckled darkly.
~Just like my life then~ He shoved a little kid out the way violently, making his way directly towards the main entrance and exit to the Jedi Temple, removing his long brown cloak and discarding it on his way.
Someone was going to pay.
And Anakin couldn't wait.
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