4: Terrible Misunderstandings
"You're lying," was Anakin's first response to the man in black. "How can you and I be the same person? I do not believe in ghosts, yet I do believe in crazy old men," he drew his light-saber (he'd draw it all day long too, whether this freak told him to put it away or not!).
Again came the sigh, now sounding a bit more human-like. The man placed his helmet by his feet, a silver floor now fading slowly into their reality. He took out his light-saber and batted Anakin's away as the young Jedi flung towards him. When Skywalker crashed his weapon down at an angle at His head, He simply swatted it back as a lazy child would a pesky fly. The man looked like he had no wish to engage in any confrontation, which made Anakin want Him to suffer more. He could not understand this new feeling inside of him, a desire to cause as much pain and humiliation as he possibly could. He had never felt this way before in his life (or at least, to such a strong degree). Yet it gave him focus and he found his opponent's defenses becoming more urgent and quicker-reflexed. He did not know what was happening, but he did know that he could not stop it now.
"Anakin," the man spoke as loudly as his withered voice could over the clanging of light-sabers. The attacks did not stop. "Anakin, do you want me to chop off the arm Dooku left for you?"
The young man ceased in his assault and wiped a bead of sweat from his face. "What did you say, you half-witted prune?" The man clutched a hand to his chest and coughed wetly. When the fit stopped, his watery hazel eyes that reminded Anakin so much of his own began to cry.
"I am too late, it seems, Anakin," he said. "I tried... I gathered up my last remaining strength to bring you here to this space where we could be truly alone yet I was too late. I shall send—" He coughed again. "Another to help guide you."
About to protest, Anakin watched as the man before him vanished from sight and a sickly sourness filled his mouth. His surrounding was gaining detail, finally beginning to reach a friendly familiarity; what he saw next was his own living room with Obi-Wan's back facing him. His head was spinning and his light-saber was still out before him. A young boy's cry resounded from somewhere out of Anakin's sight and Obi-Wan bolted around.
"I told you he was a Sith apprentice!" the boy called, horrified.
"What?" Anakin exploded, but before he could fully get the exclamation past his lips, he found himself staring into the savage face of his master, their light-sabers meetings. "Master," he began chokingly, not knowing what in the Force was going on. He dared not put down his weapon, for he did not know what was possessing Obi-Wan now.
"You have been training in the Dark Side?" His master said in a tone that frightened Anakin. It was one he used generally with heinous enemies about to be torn to pieces by the older Jedi.
"No," he said softly, shaking his head and for the first time seeing the other boy who was sitting on the couch watching intently. "Obi-Wan you must believe me, I have done no such thing!" His voice cracked as he strained to keep the other light-saber off of his neck.
"Throw away your weapon, Anakin!" Kenobi barked, as if issuing a dare.
"Will you kill me if I do, Master?" he said, not knowing if he could keep this up much longer.
"We shall see."
He finally gave up, tossing the light-saber to the carpet and kneeling before Obi-Wan, ready and waiting for whatever fate might befall him. The little boy finally stood up and approached the two of them, bending down to be at eye-level with Anakin. Their gazes met and it was an exchange of hatred and wanting to understand that passed between them. If Luke's dream had been a reality, then this man before him had to be destroyed. Yet perhaps there was something to be done? Some knowledge to be gained in preventing the grotesque future. As for Anakin, he despised this brat for turning his master against him yet wondered who he was and what he was doing here... and why he looked so familiar. I have sent another to guide you... The man in black's last words echoed in Anakin's ears.
"Anakin I believe you," Obi-Wan said at last, yet not quite putting away his light-saber. "If you truly were a Sith apprentice, you would have stopped at nothing in trying to kill me. Yet I must ask where were you tonight and why you appeared out of nowhere with your weapon drawn!"
So with a veil-like confusion over his mind, Anakin recited the evening's happenings sounding more crazy to himself with every word. Yet, like he did with Luke, Obi-Wan seemed to be listening closely and passing no judgment.
