No direction. His feet were flying and he had no idea where he was going. He just knew he needed to get out. Get out of this building, away from this darkness, into the light, into the woods where the Living Force would be. Had to be.
Lungs heaving for oxygen, he leaned heavily onto his knees and heard the approach of footsteps. Glancing up, his eyes met with those of Master Yoda and Master Windu. Several other council members were behind them. They all stopped and stared at the young Jedi on the steps of the palace, gasping for breath, a terrified look upon his face.
Obi-Wan's gaze was locked onto the small but powerful Master's. They must have all come here for Qui-Gon's burial. When they found out what had happened, they would condemn him. Yoda would never forgive him. Qui-Gon was his student. Yoda had loved him.
He had failed.
He was alone.
He ran and didn't look back.
Bushes slapped at his leggings, thorny limbs tore at his tunic and still he ran. His boot became ensnared by a thick growth of vines and he fell to the ground, gasping for breath. His gasps soon turned to sobs and he began to mourn. He mourned for the loss of his Master. He mourned for the loss of the Force, but mostly he mourned for the love that he just realized he had lost. Padme. He had loved her, once. But it wasn't meant to be. The Code forbid it. The Force forbid it.
He had ignored them both and now he was paying the price.
Forcing himself to stand, nausea and vertigo swept over him and he fell once more, this time to his knees. Opening his eyes, he noticed the woods had darkened and he gasped as a spindley tendril of shadow crept over the ground and moved towards him. He watched in horror as that inky shadow grew up from the ground and transformed into the shape of a human. It then began to glow blue and once focused, he realized that the apparition was Master Qui-Gon.
"Master!" The declaration was almost a sob on his lips.
"Why Obi-Wan?" The image faded momentarily and re-appeared to his left.
"Why what Master?"
"Why did you fail me? You let him kill me."
"No Master."
Once more the image faded and re-appeared, behind him this time, and Obi-Wan spun on his knees to face it.
"You failed Obi-Wan. You failed me, you failed the Jedi."
"No!" Obi-Wan threw his hands to his face in despair, unable to bare to hear any more, but a powerful dark force bound his wrists and drew them back down.
"You betrayed me! You betrayed the Jedi Order! You know attachment is forbidden! Why Obi-Wan? After everything I had taught you. You threw it all away for the attention of one young woman? You sacrificed everything! Look at what your selfishness cost!"
Qui-Gon opened his robe to reveal a large black hole in the center of his chest, right where the Sith had speared him with his weapon.
Obi-Wan slammed his eyes shut, a sob erupting from his throat. "I'm sorry Master. I'm sorry."
"It's too late Obi-Wan. The Light has abandoned you. You are not worthy to serve it. There is nothing left for you -- but darkness."
Obi-Wan's eyes opened as the word hung about his ears. Darkness. His vision clouded and his bloodshot eyes focused on nothing in particular as he murmured the word again as an echo. "Darkness."
"Come padawan. Come to the Dark Side. You won't be alone. I'll be there waiting." The image faded back into the shadows of green and black, a slight breeze stirring the padawan braid that hung loosely across his shoulder. With a blank look on his face that matched the void within his soul, Obi-Wan reached to his utility belt and withdrew a knife.
And cut off his braid.
Jedi Master Mace Windu did not miss the grimace of pain that appeared on Master Yoda's face as they made their way through the palace. "What is it?"
"Darkness. Terrible darkness."
"Here?" Mace had felt nothing other than the ripples in the Force, which he had assumed was the result of Qui-Gon's death.
"Young Obi-Wan, in great danger he is."