"I loved you!" He heard Obi-Wan scream in the darkness. Anakin looked around, frantically trying to find him in the dark.
"You were supposed to destroy the sith, not join them!" He heard Obi-Wan scream, the pain raw and evident in his voice. Anakin tried to yell out his name, but no sound came out. He tried to raise his arms, but they were stuck to his side. He tried to move his legs, but the ground opened and swallowed him whole.
Anakin roughly landed on the ground, rolling down a hill and stopping on a beach. He quickly jumped back and gasped. His lungs protested inhaling the toxic air and he began to cough. The beach was next to a river of molten lava, and ahead of him he could see Obi-Wan, tears streaming down his face. He wanted to run up to him, reach out and ask him what was wrong. Ask him who had done this. He heard a strained groan and he quickly turned around. On the ground… was something. And it was moving. He watched as the thing reached out and used a mechanical hand to pull itself forward. The skin on the creature looked badly burnt and fried. There were no other limbs except for the one mechanical arm, which looked very, very familiar.
"If you loved me," The creature rasped "Then you would have killed me." Anakin was horrified. He watched as it continued to move its way up the beach and looked up when he noticed Obi-Wan walking down the slope towards it. Obi-Wan walked over towards the creature and picked it up over his head. Anakin watched as the tears streamed down his face and felt his sorrow in the force.
"Is this what you would have preferred, Anakin?" Obi-Wan said while throwing the creature into the lava below.
Anakin.
Anakin.
Anakin felt his throat closing. That was him? That creature was him? What happened? Why did he join the sith? Who did this? Why? What about Ahsoka? What about the war?
What about Padme?
His thoughts were racing through his head, he couldn't comprehend what was happening in front of him. His body was numb, and he didn't know where to look. How could he face Obi-Wan, knowing the horror that awaited him. Anakin felt a cold presence behind him. It sent shivers down his spine, even though he was next to a river of lava. Goosebumps lined his body and every hair stood up on end. Then he heard it.
The same heavy breathing that he heard while he was with Maul.
Anakin slowly turned around, and saw a black figure rising out of the lava before him. The lava slid off his armor, and steam curled around his body. The black mask was emotionless, but Anakin could sense the dark side rolling off him in waves. The figure walked up onto the beach, and stood at the riverbank, breathing slowly. Anakin turned back around to face his former master, and saw the fear, the horror on his face. He imagined that his looked pretty much the same.
"Yes." The figure said, his voice deep and emotionless. Anakin's eyes widened when he noticed that there was a familiar looking saber hilt hanging off the figure's belt. That was his saber's hilt. Well, it was the same build as his, but it looked like the grip had been modified. Anakin watched in horror as he ignited his saber, the red blade matching the red glow of the planet, and he cut down Obi-Wan in one motion. Anakin found his voice and screamed. A blood curling scream came out of his mouth, and he wasn't even sure if that was him making the noise. The figure stood still. Then his head slowly turned around to face Anakin.
"You're next, Skywalker." He said.
"Never." Anakin whispered, reaching for his own saber. The figure flicked his wrists and Anakin went flying into a nearby cliff. Anakin sank down to the ground, dazed from the force of the blow. He heard footsteps approaching him. He looked up and saw a pair of black boots. He kept raising his head until he finally saw the mask, but not the man behind it. He only saw his own reflection in the eyes of the mask.
"Anakin Skywalker was weak. I destroyed him." He said as he raised his saber and swung down again.
Anakin gasped and tried to sit up, but found that he was being restrained by several hands. There was a mask covering his face, and he wanted it off now. He tried to raise his hand to take it off but was stopped. Everything was burning. He felt like as if he had just been thrown into the lava river from his dream. He couldn't breathe- his chest felt so tight that he was worried that his heart might just give out right there and then.
"Anakin, you have to calm down." He heard Obi-Wan say. He looked up and saw his former master's face above him, but instead of the look of rage from earlier, his brow was furrowed in his usual worried face.
"His vitals are all over the place! We need to stabilize him now!" He heard a healer shout from behind Obi-Wan.
"Just relax." Obi-Wan said, trying his best to keep a brave face. Anakin looked up at him, trying to blink back tears and failing He was trying. He couldn't get enough air in. He was too hot. His body wouldn't stop shaking. He cried out when a sharp object pierced his thigh. Anakin tried to fight the drowsiness, he needed to know what was going on. But the medication did its job and it dragged him down into a dreamless sleep.
Obi-Wan stepped back, and covered his mouth with his hand, afraid to say anything.
"Master Kenobi." Luminara said while walking into the room. "I understand your concern for Skywalker. But the poison Maul has given him has not fully left his system…." She trailed off and looked away from him.
"And it is more lethal than we originally thought. She said quietly. "But Skywalker is strong and young. He has a good chance of survival." She added on quickly. "We can keep you updated on his condition, and you can bring Ahsoka down later to see him."
"Thank you, I appreciate it." Obi-Wan said as he bowed slightly, and then turned around to leave.
What was he going to tell Ahsoka?