Spoilers: No new spoilers in this chapter.

Disclaimer: *waves hand at George Lucas* You will give Star Wars to me. It's now mine. *looks hopeful* Did it work? No. *sighs* Well, a girl can dream, right?

A/N: Many thanks to my wonderful beta, Darth Mom, the best beta in this galaxy and in any other. :)

Slipping Into Darkness

Chapter 3

Ob-Wan sat in the dinning hall. He had finally convinced Padmé to come with him to get something to eat, but she had yet to touch her food. Obi-Wan sighed. He knew that Padmé was very concerned for Anakin. He was as well, and his concern had only grown as he felt Anakin's torment through their bond. It was an agony of the spirit so great that he guessed even the youngest of the Jedi could sense it.

Everything in the Jedi Master desperately wished to run to his former Padawan's side, but he could not, for each time he considered it, the Force told him not to. Obi-Wan had learned long ago to listen when the Force spoke. So, though the thought of leaving Anakin to suffer alone filled him with guilt, he would wait. Anakin would approach him when he was ready.

That was how Obi-Wan had answered anyone who had come to the healer's ward, asking what had happened, and it had also been what he had told Padmé. To say the least, she had not responded well.

The Council, too, had come. Once Obi-Wan had explained the situation and his reasoning, they seemed to agree that Anakin should be allowed some time to deal with his vision before they questioned him. The healers also felt that it was best.

Eventually, he, the Council, and the healers had persuaded Padmé not to seek Anakin out herself, though she still refused to leave the Temple until she had seen him.

But, despite assurances that he had made the right decision, Obi-Wan could not help but worry for his former Padawan. Sensing such pain not only left him wishing that he could take this suffering away from Anakin, but it left him with many troubling questions. What had Anakin seen in his vision? He had said that it was a vision of his future, but what future could torture Anakin so much that he couldn't even face those who cared for him most? However, no matter how much Obi-Wan wished to run to his former apprentice's side, the Force told him that Anakin needed to be alone.

He would do as the Force directed him. Besides, Obi-Wan thought, a touch of his humor returning, if he went to see Anakin now, after having worked so hard to stop Padmé from doing so…well, he was certain that even a Jedi with the Force as his ally would not be able to face her wrath.

Looking up to face the young woman now, he knew she was exhausted. More than once, Obi-Wan had debated using a Force suggestion to compel her to sleep, but he doubted that it would be successful. The young senator was so determined that he suspected not even Master Windu nor Master Yoda would have been able to change her mind.

"Padmé," Obi-Wan began.

Padmé looked up from her untouched meal. "Obi-Wan, if you're going to try to convince me to leave again…" She rose to her feet as she spoke, but she swayed suddenly.

The Jedi Master moved quickly to her side, helping her back into her chair. If he had not been there to catch her, Obi-Wan was certain she would have fallen.

"Padmé, you need to eat something. You cannot help Anakin now, but he will need your strength later. And," Obi-Wan said, lowering his voice, "your child needs you to be strong as well."

Padmé locked eyes with him, and though she did not speak, he understood her question clearly.

"My only priority now is helping Anakin," Obi-Wan assured her. "That, and getting you to eat something before you collapse."

Padmé managed to smile at his last comment, and Obi-Wan knew she had understood the hidden meaning in his words. He would not say anything to the Council. It was not his place. Anakin would have to choose to tell them himself.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," Padmé said softly, almost as if hearing his thoughts.

"You're welcome," Obi-Wan answered, but inwardly, he wondered if he were doing the right thing. The road that Padmé and Anakin had chosen would not be an easy one. Attachment was forbidden for a reason, and if Anakin allowed his passion to take priority over his duty…

Obi-Wan forced away his doubt. Anakin was one of the most dedicated Jedi Obi-Wan had ever known. While Anakin was very protective of those he loved, he had never failed to do what was right because of it. Besides, Padmé made Anakin happy, and happiness was not something Obi-Wan was ready to deny his former Padawan. He cared about him too much for that. Perhaps Anakin isn't the only one who should be more mindful of attachments, Obi-Wan thought ruefully.

After coming so close to falling, Padmé seemed to finally agree that she would need to subsist on more than simple determination. She ate a full meal, and then Obi-Wan offered her the use of his quarters so that she could lie down. She didn't argue with him for once, and a few moments after she entered the room, Obi-Wan could sense that she was fast asleep.

Obi-Wan himself had had little time to rest and was exhausted. But he knew that the pain he felt radiating from Anakin would not allow him to find peace enough for sleep. So, he sat down to meditate instead. He calmed his mind and focused on the Force, seeking guidance. He hoped, above all, that the Force would give him a way to help Anakin, for he sensed that his former Padawan would soon need him more than he ever had before.

Anakin awoke to find sunlight streaming into his room. He felt a weariness so profound that he struggled to even lift his head, and he still lay on the floor, his room untouched. But something was different. He wasn't alone, he realized. He felt something, a presence he had not felt since…

"Qui-Gon?"

His voice was little more than a harsh whisper, but at his words a familiar figure shimmered into view.

He looked exactly like the man Anakin remembered, with long brown hair and a neatly-trimmed beard, both of which were graying slightly. He still wore the same well-kept Jedi robes, and his gaze had lost none of its intensity. Only the fact that he was transparent and glowed faintly blue reminded Anakin that this man had died on Naboo more than a decade earlier.

The deceased Jedi Master smiled. "Hello, Anakin."

Anakin struggled to find the power of speech, wondering for a moment if the stress had been too much and he had simply gone mad. But he could feel Qui-Gon's strong presence through the Force, and he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that what he was seeing was real.

"Master, how…how is this possible?" Anakin stammered.

"It is a long story, and one that you will understand in time. But for now, it is not important. What matters now is that you have been given a great gift, Anakin."

"You mean the vision?" Anakin asked, some of his earlier bitterness rising once again.

Qui-Gon's ghost nodded.

"A gift?" Anakin repeated darkly. He rose to his feet and began pacing the room, trying to force away the pain he felt surging again in his heart. "I'm destined to destroy the Order - how is knowing that a gift?"

"Anakin," Qui-Gon began, "what you saw was the future as it would have been, had you continued down the path you were following."

Anakin's chest tightened.

"But now," Qui-Gon continued, "you have been given a chance to change that future. You can stop the destruction of the Jedi Order and you can defeat Darth Sidious. You can even save Padmé."

At that, Anakin stopped pacing and stared into the Jedi Master's eyes.

"I understand how painful it was for you to see where your actions were leading, but you had to see what was going to happen before it was too late. Now that you have confronted the darkness within yourself, you can overcome it."

Qui-Gon's words seemed to calm the storm within him but the respite was brief. Could he save all that he loved…from himself? The small glimmer of hope that had ignited in Anakin was rapidly being smothered by the weight of his doubt. The pain of everything he had seen still lingered in his soul.

"But, Master, I'm not sure I can overcome it. What if I fail? What if I still become...that monster?"

"The future is always in motion, Anakin. It is still possible that you will become Darth Vader."

Anakin shivered as Qui-Gon spoke his Sith title.

"But, now you have seen where that path will lead you."

Qui-Gon stepped forward to place an incorporeal hand on Anakin's shoulder, and Anakin felt an electrical charge run through him at the touch.

"I have always known that you were the Chosen One. But it was not your Force abilities that convinced me of this, it was the strength I saw in your spirit. You are a good man, Anakin Skywalker. But remember, with the potential for great good comes the potential for great evil. You must always be mindful of this. Nevertheless, I am confident that you will do what is right. I have faith in you, Anakin."

With that pronouncement, the apparition faded, leaving Anakin alone with his troubled thoughts.

TBC

A/N: The next post should be up on Thursday.

Thank you everyone who has reviewed, your feedback has been incredibly kind, and greatly appreciated.

For anyone who hasn't reviewed yet…

*waves hand* You will review! *waves hand again* The submit review button is the option you are looking for. Once you have reviewed, you can go about your business. Move along. ;)

Ani-maniac494