And though I've never said it with words. There is love.. In the silence.
Ben was in deep concentration, meditating on how to get back to Rey. He didn't know for how long he had been like that, it could have been days, but mere hours as well. It hadn't paid off, however. He felt as lost as he was when he woke up. He thought he had sensed her presence a moment ago, but it passed as soon as he sensed it. Hope had fluttered in his heart. He concentrated even more. 'Show me the way..' he whispered eventually.
He sensed a presence stirring nearby, though he was certain it wasn't Rey. He reluctantly opened his eyes to see who the intruder was. He was taken aback by whom he saw. He saw a young man, about his age, maybe a little younger. He was a Force ghost. The man had long, dark blonde hair and a scar across his right eye, donned in dark brown Jedi robes of old. Ben thought he recognized him, though he was certain he had never seen him before. 'Who are you? Ben asked as he stared at the man and remained silent, not sure what to do or say. At last, the man spoke.
'You've asked for my guidance many times before. I couldn't show myself to you. Not yet at least. Now that you have allowed yourself to let the light in you shine through, I can.' the man stated.
'Grandfather?' Ben asked hesitantly.
'Yes. I've come to show you something. Walk with me.' Anakin Skywalker instructed as he led the way.
Ben couldn't imagine a man who looked so normal, so friendly and so surprisingly.. good to be capable of doing what Darth Vader had done. Ben stood up, slowly. He followed his grandfather while still feeling very unsure.
'I sense great confusion in you, what's bothering you?' Anakin asked curiously.
'Isn't that obvious? I'm stuck here with no way out. You don't happen to know where the exit is, do you?' Ben said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Anakin chuckled.
'There once was an exit, you know. Ezra Bridger, a Jedi padawan, destroyed it many years ago.' What? It sounded like his grandfather was trying to have casual small-talk with him. It almost seemed hilarious in the current circumstances, but it had sparked Ben's interest nonetheless.
'Why did he destroy it?' he asked eventually.
'The Emperor attempted to use this place to gain more power. Bridger stopped him from doing so.' Ben nodded and Anakin continued: 'The World between Worlds is a vast place. It is a place of what has been, what is and what will be. But the future is very erratic, as it can change drastically by the slightest turn of events.' He warned.
It felt like they were turning a corner, but it was hard to tell in the darkness that surrounded them. Ben was surprised to see what he saw. There were portals, many portals. Like the one he had seen Rey in. In every single one, a different scene was shown. They walked by many. Ben didn't know where to look, as there was so much to be seen.
Ben lingered in front of one portal. He saw himself as a young man. In watching the memory, Ben recalled the despair he felt then. It was the day his uncle, Luke Skywalker, had betrayed him. It was also the day he had turned to the Dark side, a memory he thought he had long supressed and forgotten. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Seeing the memory reopened old wounds.
In the memory, he saw himself aboard a transport, on his way to the First Order. He sat in a corner, alone, on top of a crate. On the other side of the ship, the other padawans Ben had brought with him sat brotherly together. They laughed, their mood was festive. These were the men that would one day become his Knights of Ren. Ben had never felt so alone in his life. Not up until then, that was.
Anakin stood behind him and lay a hand on Ben's shoulder. Ben looked away from the portal and his sad eyes met his grandfathers'. A knowing look lay in those wise, blue eyes. 'I heard them too, when I was starting to turn.' He paused as he squeezed Ben's shoulder 'I still sense much shame in you, for giving in to those whispers. Look, you can try to hide from it, but it will always come back to haunt you, if you do not embrace it. It is done, you can't change it. You cannot go on with your life wondering "What if", it is what destroyed me. Only when Luke came for me, did I let go.' Anakin admitted. 'Come, there's something I want you to see.' He said as he continued to walk the corridor of portals. Ben followed. He couldn't shake the feeling the memory has stirred in him.
After walking by many portals, in which some Ben had seen familiar memories as well as ones that were completely alien to him, Anakin spoke. 'We are very much alike, you and I. It was despair and a feeling of betrayal that made us turn. Though our motives were different. Do you know why I turned?' his grandfather asked.
'You were frustrated in the way the Jedi handled things, and you tried to seek more power. Or at least, that is what I've read in the archives of the Empire.' Ben admitted.
'It is true, though there is much more to it than that. When I was still Obi-Wan's apprentice, my mother was taken from me in a horrible, horrible way. I loved her.' Anakin had to look away and swallowed 'When my wife, Padmé, told me she was pregnant, I started having visions. I saw her die in childbirth over and over. I was determined to do anything and everything that lay in my power to save her from such fate. I didn't want to lose her the way I had lost my mother. But the Emperors whispers had corrupted me. I lost sight of what truly mattered..' Anakin stopped walking. 'This is our stop.' He said, his shoulders hung low.
Ben walked closer. He looked inside and all he could see at first were nothing but flames. 'What is this?' Ben asked.
'This is where I turned.' Anakin admitted, 'Watch' he instructed.
A chrome coloured spacecraft touched down on the landing bay. The gangplank of the ship lowered and a woman ran out, wearing a kaki coloured tunic. She was heavily pregnant. Ben knew who she was, as the resemblance with his mother was uncanny. Padmé Amidala. She was running toward Anakin, and he was running toward her. They embraced. It seemed so out of place, such a tender caress between all the flames and smoke. It reminded Ben of Exegol where he and Rey, in the remnants of the Sith temple, had kissed.
'I saw your ship' He heard Anakin say as they broke their embrace. 'What are you doing out here?' his voice sounded so very different than what Ben had heard up until now. It was full of despair, paranoia and.. hate.
'I was so worried about you, Obi-Wan told me... terrible things.' His grandmother sounded so concerned, it reminded Ben of the last time he had spoken with his mother.
'What things?' Anakin snapped.
'He said you turned to the Dark side, that you.. killed younglings!' Padmé said, horrified by the thought alone.
'Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me.' Anakin stated in a cold, absentminded manner.
'No, he cares about us!' 'Us?' He interrupted.
'He knows, he wants to help you. Anakin... All I want is your love' She said resolutely, as if she wanted to take him home then and there.
'Love won't save you, Padmé, only my new powers can do that.' Ben was surprised at how arrogant his grandfather sounded.
'But at what cost? You're a good person, don't do this!' Padmé begged.
'I won't lose you the way I lost my mother. I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of and I'm doing it for you. To protect you.' He seemed to believe what he was saying.
'Come away with me, help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can!' Padmé wouldn't go down without a fight.
'Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore! I have brought peace to the Republic, I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him!' The belief in his own words was terrifying, given how horribly wrong they were. 'And together you and I can rule the Galaxy, make things the way we want them to be!' A shiver ran down Ben's spine. The similarities between him and his grandfather were frightening. He recalled he had once done the very same with Rey.
Padmé looked at him in disbelief, as she slowly backed away from him. 'I don't believe what I'm hearing...' she shook her head, 'Obi-Wan was right! You've changed..' Ben had seen his fair share of frightened people, but the fear he saw in his grandmother's eyes was one he wouldn't forget.
Anakins jaw tightened, and rage was boiling within him. 'I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me, don't you turn against me!'
'I don't know you anymore..' tears welled up in Padmé's eyes. 'Anakin, you're breaking my heart... You're going down a path I can't follow!' she said as her voice broke.
'Because of Obi-Wan?' Anakin asked. It didn't seem to bother him at all what Padmé was trying to say.
'Because of what you've done, what you plan to do!' She said in an accusing tone. 'Stop now! Come back! I love you.' She pleaded one last time.
'LIAR!' Anakin's anger had taken him.
Ben's attention was shifted to the gangplank of the ship once more. On top, stood a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. 'No!' Padmé exclaimed.
'You're with him! You brought him here to kill me!' Anakin yelled as he walked toward Padmé and Force-choked her. Ben was shocked to his very core, wasn't this supposed to be the woman Anakin loved?
'Let her go, Anakin!' Obi-Wan said in an authoritarian tone.
Anakin's grip only seemed to intensify. 'Anakin...' Padmé whispered softly.
'LET. HER. GO!' Kenobi stated again. Anakin let go, Padmé gasped and then collapsed.
Ben was snapped out of the memory and looked at his grandfather in disbelief.
'I hope you don't think any less of me now. It is my most painful memory. As long as I lived, until the moment my son came for me, this has haunted me.' Anakin's head hung heavy with sorrow.
'Why did you want me to see this?' Ben was still very shocked. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. It was far worse than anything he had ever imagined.
'I let my lust for power take the best of me. Saw conspiracies where they weren't. It all began in an attempt to save her, but, as you can see, I failed miserably.' Anakin tried to avoid Ben's gaze.
'I still don't understand, why did you show me this?'
'You achieved what I never could. I should never have been the Chosen One. You on the other hand, should've been.'
Ben became even more puzzled to what his grandfather was saying. Before Ben could open his mouth, his grandfather spoke again.
'Once, your biggest fear was that you wouldn't live up to me, correct? You were determined to finish what I started.' Anakin looked Ben right in the eyes, then continued: 'And you did.'
'How do you mean?'
'You succeeded where I failed. You saved the woman you care about. And in doing so, you brought Balance to the Force.'
All pieces fell into place. 'Rey...' Ben whispered.
'You love her, don't you?'
'With everything I have in me' Ben admitted. It dawned on him he had never said that out loud before. Great, another regret added to the list.
Anakin smirked. 'I am positive that you will find your way out of here. Embrace what you have done, what you have achieved. Meditate on it, that is all the guidance I can offer. This is a little out of my area of expertise, you know.' The mischievous twinkle had returned in his eyes. It made him look so young and so innocent.
'Remember. You were the one to restore the Balance. You. Not me. I'm so proud of you.' And with those words, Anakin lay a hand on Ben's cheek. 'May the Force be with you.'
'And with you,' Ben replied. Then, Anakin dissapeared.
Author's note: Did I just include a full scene from Revenge of the Sith? Yes. Yes I did. Did I just use the Hayden Christensen rendition of Anakin? Yup. Guilty as charged :P (Sorry I just like Hayden's better than the Sebastian Shaw one)
Unpopular opinion maybe, but I've always thought the prequel trilogies were pretty good, actually. Yes, dialogue sounded very forced from time to time but the overall story adds so much to the entire Skywalker arc. Or at least, that's my humble opinion. It's okay if you don't agree.
Anyway, we're now about four? Five? Maybe six? chapters away from our Dyad having their reunion. Stay tuned and let me know what you think! I LOVE reviews!