"Obi-Wan? Qui-Gon, Sir?"

"Careful now apprentice, the boy is an essential element in my plan. Taint him if you can, but don't let him see you kill the Jedi."

Obi-Wan huffed in annoyance, but stepped back from the Jedi Master and deactivated his lightsaber, just in time for a young blonde boy to step in.

Anakin's eyes widened at the defeated form of the Jedi Master, who he had got to know as a strong and proud person. But the younger of the two man also caught the boy's attention. Obi-Wan seemed unharmed, which Anakin was glad for, but something was wrong with him. Anakin could not tell what it was, but his aura had changed and there was something around him that did not belong there.

"Anakin!" the long haired Jedi Master's exclamation brought the young boy out of his wondering, "Get away from here!"

The blonde wondered why the Jedi sounded so worried. It was only Obi-Wan and him in the room, well and the obviously dead body of a red being, but Anakin refused to look closer.

"What's going on? Are you guys alright?"

Before Qui-Gon could say anything else, Obi-Wan's smooth and gentle voice spoke, "Why yes, Anakin, everything is alright. Qui-Gon and I were just having a little discussion."

Anakin decided that he did not like the way the older boy's eyes shone in the light. "Am I interrupting?" he carefully asked, not sure if he should leave the two alone and call for back up or if that would be a mistake.

"No, don't worry. We have already settled it, isn't that right?" the ginger haired man turned to look at the Jedi, who was still half kneeling on the ground.

"Yes," Qui-Gon replied, not certain what was to be expected. He suddenly had the urge to get to Anakin and protect him, but he was not certain if he should protect the boy from Obi-Wan or the being that had enveloped his Padawan's mind.

"Are you sure you are feeling alright, Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked sceptical while he was slowly moving towards the two Jedi.

Obi-Wan gave him a friendly smile, "Why of course, but shouldn't it be me asking you?"

That made the blonde stop in his steps, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you have to be quite excited and I know from experience that all this can be quite overwhelming?"

"All of this?" Anakin asked confused.

"You haven't told him, yet?" Obi-Wan's eyes were wide when they turned to look at the Jedi Master, whose expression was unreadable. When he received no answer, Obi-Wan turned back to Anakin.

"Told me what? What is going on here?"

"Oh, Qui-Gon just told me that he decided to take you on as a Padawan, no matter what the Council says. Isn't that great, Ani? You can finally become a Jedi and save your mother."

Excitement bubbled in the young boy's chest, "Is that true?" Hopeful eyes turned to look at the long haired Jedi, who inwardly cursed Obi-Wan for his silver tongue. No matter what he would say now, one of the boys would be hurt.

"Well, I… eh"

"Don't be so shy, it's not like you. Of course he is going to take you as his Padawan!" Obi-Wan cut in and Qui-Gon saw the tint of yellow appear in those eyes again.

"That's so wizard, thank you Qui-Gon, sir!" Suddenly he blonde realised something, "But what about you, Obi-Wan? Were you not Qui-Gon's Padawan?"

"Ah, I realised that I am bot made to be a Jedi… in fact I am cut out for something else."

"You are nod mad, are you?" Anakin asked sceptical.

"Mad? Why in the galaxy should I be mad? You are certainly a talented and gifted child and I guess with the right person to guide you," Qui-Gon decided he did not like the way Obi-Wan pronounced the last part, "you can become stronger than every Jedi before you."

"You really think so?"

"I wouldn't have said so otherwise… but I guess I must apologize for the words I spoke back on Coruscant. I fear I let jealously rule me when I said you were dangerous. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive this fool his stupid words." Obi-wan bowed his head to emphasise his point.

"Of course I do… I understand how you must have felt," the boy suddenly looked down and began worrying his lips.

Qui-Gon saw the pleased and almost predatory smile of the ginger haired man.

"Being cast away and treated like you are worthless," Anakin's head snapped up at the words and he found himself gazing into the sad and broken face of Obi-Wan.

"Yes," he mumbled and Qui-Gon cursed his broken rib and the pain that prevented him from speaking up.

A sad and understanding smile appeared on Obi-Wan's face, "I am not mad at you, in fact I never was. I just… I think I cannot explain my words, for I do not fully understand my reaction myself. But now this, Anakin Skywalker, I am quite happy for you and your chance to become a Jedi and who knows, maybe our path will cross again, sometime in the future?"

"You are leaving?" Anakin asked bewildered. Why did Obi-Wan, his only friend except Padme, have to leave?

"I fear there is no other way. But I can give you a last warning on your way… no, that wouldn't be right of me." he turned his head away so that Anakin could not see the cruel smile he was giving Qui-Gon, who suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.

"Please, tell me!"

"I wish I could, but it does not belong to me to say that."
"Please, Obi-Wan! I swear I am not going to tell anyone!" Anakin pleaded and Qui-Gon realised Obi-Wan had him exactly were he wanted the boy to be.

The ginger haired man sighed in defeat, "This is not easy to admit, Anakin. You have to understand me… I don't want to ruin your opinion of your new Master. It wouldn't be right." His expression looked pained and Qui-Gon would have believed him, hadn't he known better.

"Anakin, don't listen to what he says," the long haired Jedi Master wheezed out and Anakin turned to look uncertain to him.

"He is right, Anakin. Don't listen to me, as I already said, it does not belong to me to tell you this. It is Qui-Gon who should tell you about his previous Padawans."

"Qui-Gon, Sir… what does Obi-Wan mean?"

"Nothing Ani, he is a little bit confused right now."

But Anakin shook his head and stepped away from Qui-Gon and closer to Obi-Wan. "Please tell me what you meant."

Obi-Wan kneeled down to be on eye-level with the blonde, "Are you sure? I don't want to hurt your feeling…"

"Yes!" he sounded determined and he stepped closer to Obi-Wan.

The ginger haired man sighed, "Alright… tell me when you cannot bear to hear it and I swear I will stop." Anakin nodded and only then did he continue, "I was not Qui-Gon's first apprentice, actually I was the third… damn, this is hard for me too, you know."

Anakin nodded in understanding, "I am here for you Obi-Wan." He carefully reached out, despite the strange aura that still surrounded the older boy. It had weakened, but it was still there. Gratefully Obi-Wan took the offered hand and pulled Anakin into his embrace, while giving Qui-Gon an evil smile.

"Anakin, you have to step away from him. Obi-Wan is not himself right now, he is feeding you lies," but his voice sounded on deaf ears. Qui-Gon could not blame the desert boy, for Obi-Wan had been one of the only persons, who had taken care of him and sadly Qui-Gon was not one of them. He had been to busy with the decision of the Council and with the prophecy.

"Thank you, Ani. I really appreciate that." He sighed, "Qui-Gon's first apprentice, Feemor, died on a mission, shortly before he would have been knighted. I haven't read the report, but Master Yoda had told me that it could have been prevented, if Qui-Gon had listened more to what the Force had told him. His second apprentice, his name was Xanatos, fell to the dark side, during his last mission as a Padawan. Had he fulfilled this mission, he would have become a full Jedi knight. I met him and Xanatos told me that he fell because of Qui-Gon. I cannot tell you if what he said is really true, but there was a… a"

"feeling?" Anakin tried to help the older boy.

"Yeah, you could say that. I somehow got the feeling that what he said was true, or at least that he believed this to be true."

Anakin nodded against the chest of the ginger haired boy, "You would have been a knight soon too, right?"

"Yes, Ani…" Obi-Wan sounded sad and when Anakin looked up, he was greeted by teary blue-green eyes and a sad smile. "But you shouldn't let Qui-Gon's past control your present with him! You know, I've got the feeling that you will become a great Master on your own someday."

Qui-Gon immediately noticed how Obi-Wan refused to use the term 'Jedi' or 'knight'. "Stop tainting him!"

"Tainting him?" Obi-Wan sounded scandalised and he let go of Anakin to stand up and take a few steps away from the Jedi. "I would never taint him. If I wanted I would not have told him the truth, but fed him lies."

"You call that the truth? How about you tell him about your own fall?"

"Obi-Wan, what is Qui-Gon talking about?" Anakin asked, gaze moving between the two conversing men.

"I fear that I came into too close contact with the dark side today, Ani." He looked regretful, "I knew Qui-Gon was going to die… I have seen it in a vision and in order to prevent that from happening, I opened myself to the Force presence of the dark being that lays slain there. I fear my own presence got tainted, making it impossible for me to become a Jedi, but at least I could save my former Master and I could also ensure your future."

A tear escaped Anakin's eyes, "You gave away your own future to save mine and Qui-Gon's?"

"Yes Ani and I would do it again and again."

"Now you are telling lies!" Qui-Gon said, struggling to his feet.

"You should lie back down, you are gravely injured."

"Stop pretending as if you care!"

Obi-Wan's expression turned hurt, "Forgive me, it was not my intention to bring you discomfort Master Jedi…"

The long haired Jedi snorted in disbelief, "Why are you doing this, Obi-Wan?"

"I already told you, didn't I? I am not worthy of being a Jedi now that I am tainted…" he hesitated, "I should go now."

"Obi-Wan!" two voices called out for him, but Obi-Wan was already at the entrance. "I'm sorry…" he said and eventually left, leaving Qui-Gon and Anakin behind.


After being threatened to be killed as a character in a story (I am traumatized for the rest of my live now, thank you Guest...) I decided to sit at my desk and to start writing and luckily I was able to break through my writer's block!

I hope you like this chapter! ^^