The dark is viscous. It's horrible and mean. It devours the light and haunts the day.
Right now, that's all Obi-Wan Kenobi feels.
He's not sure how he's walking at this moment. He's not sure he even is. He can't hear the other Masters speaking. He can't feel them keep him upright.
He just feels the dark.
The light is fleeting and it does its best to wrap around his tattered shields as the four Masters make their way to the mass of darkness.
His head buzzes and his ears ring.
Come, my child. The dark whispers. Come say hello.
He doesn't want to.
You're almost there.
He doesn't want to be.
It's warm here.
It's not.
"Obi-Wan?" Plo's voice penetrates Obi-Wan's mind. It pushes the dark back for a moment.
"Where?" He doesn't finish the question. He doesn't think he can.
A moment later, his vision fades.
There's a pounding behind his shields. As though someone is knocking on them. All he hears is the knocking. It clangs and echoes through his mind.
Come in.
It's safe here.
It's warm here.
It's not.
It's not.
The darkness fades for only a moment. It only takes a moment for Obi-Wan to see a face and to hear a voice.
"Palpatine." Obi-Wan whispers passed dry lips as his vision darkens once more.
He doesn't know what happened next.
How could he? He's far too busy fighting the dark in his mind.
(He's unaware of the fact that it's not just in his mind. He's unaware that he's fighting Palpatine face to face. He's unaware that the darkness is in his mind only because the light has seeped into his heart and soul.)
He's busy keeping it at bay.
(He's unaware that he deals the killing blow. He's unaware that Depa, Adi, and Plo fought with him. He's unaware that Palpatine was unable to lay a single blow upon their heads.)
The darkness seems to shrink into a small ball in his mind. Curious, he poked it lightly.
He thinks he hears screaming.
(He does hear screaming. It's his.)
He thinks he feels the dark side explode.
(He does. It nearly kills him.)
He remembers falling asleep.
(He didn't.)
He remembers waking up. He remembers the warmth. He remembers the light.
Good morning, little one.
The light hurts but in a nice way. Coruscant feels brighter. It feels softer.
"You've done well, Master Kenobi." Mace's voice reaches his ears and he feels his lips twitch into a smile. "Rest now."
He does.
