Author's Note: According to Wookieepedia, Tuskan Raiders travel in groups of 20 to 30, which isn't compatible with the hundred kills I'd attributed to Anakin, so I've updated the number through the story to account for this. Hopefully the change isn't too jarring. In my defence, Anakin is an evil bastard. :)

Chapter 9: The Demon

Obi-Wan held up the missing lightsabre. "Looking for this?" he said. The quip didn't hide his shaky voice.

Anakin snarled as he stretched out his mechanical hand. "Give it back."

Obi-Wan gripped it tighter. "No, you gave it to me for a reason. You knew this would happen." He drew his own lightsabre and ignited them both.

Anakin gave up on summoning the weapon and instead used the Force to hurl loose Tuskan bones at Obi-Wan, who sliced through them effortlessly. He then tried tossing sand at him. The Jedi lifted his arms to shield his face, but his hold on the lightsabres remained firm.

"You don't want this, my friend," said Obi-Wan.

But Anakin did. He wanted it more than anything and he wasn't going to let anyone tell him otherwise. He'd lunge forward and crush his target's throat if it weren't for the pair of glowing blades he wielded. But what if there was another way? He reached out again, his fingers flexed.

"I won't let you do anything you'll re —" Obi-Wan choked before he could finish his words.

"Regret? You think I'll miss your endless lecturing." It was a relief not to hear it.

Obi-Wan clasped his neck and staggered forward, his face twisting. He wouldn't last long. In seconds, his nonsense would be silenced forever and if anyone dared speak similar words, all Anakin had to do was squeeze his fist.

But then, somehow, Obi-Wan straightened himself and took a deep breath. "You won't shut me up that easily, I'm afraid," he said, with more composure than should've been possible. "I have the Force too."

Anakin dropped his arm and sneered. "I'm still stronger than you. If I had my lightsabre, you'd be dead."

"That's true," said Obi-Wan, with a gentle smile. "But you don't. You chose to spare me from the rage you knew you'd feel. Do you recall why?"

Was there a reason? Or had he merely been obeying the Jedi Order's programming? "You're useful to me, Obi-Wan." Yes, that had to it be it. It wasn't any deeper than that. "I need you to keep training me, making me stronger, and I want to ravage your body too. I bet you'd enjoy that."

"I would," said Obi-Wan, in his low, seductive voice. He really was pathetic. Did he ever stop thinking with his dick? "And you had every chance to at the Temple. But you insisted on coming here. Why?"

"You were blinded by your feelings," said Anakin. "You needed to see the truth."

"Did I now? I thought my wellbeing didn't matter to you. Why not keep me blissfully ignorant, while you exploit me for your enjoyment?"

Why hadn't he done that? It would've been the simpler option. Could he really have been so foolishly noble?

"Your actions don't make much sense, unless ... you do care for me."

Anakin winced as if he had stabbed him through the stomach. It couldn't be true. He couldn't be the kind, sensitive man Obi-Wan had fallen for. If he was, then he needn't have slaughtered the Tuskans or tried to murder his best friend. Had he really thrown away everything — his life as a Jedi, his last chance at love — for a lie?

Anakin tried to ignore the doubts Obi-Wan had planted, but he couldn't. His heart slowed, his muscles relaxed and the pain in his eyes softened from a burning to a sting. Had they turned a sickly yellow, like those of the Sith who'd killed Qui-Gon? That would explain his would-be victim's shock at seeing them.

He pinched his nose to block the putrid stench flooding his nostrils and mouth. He hadn't noticed it when they arrived at the camp. The dark side must've dulled any sensation that could interfere with his bloodlust, enabling it to fully consume him. He tried not to get excited by the idea. Obi-Wan was right. It wasn't what he wanted, not forever.

"That was close," said Anakin, "Too close." He should've known better than to let that evil overpower him again, but it'd crept into his mind so subtlety he couldn't fight it. "If I'd killed you, I'd be lost forever. I'd have become a ..." He couldn't bear to say it, but it was true. Once he'd passed the point of no return, he'd have wanted company.

Obi-Wan switched off the sabres. "Indeed, I suspect the Sith set up this scenario to make you experience the dark side, so they could seduce you to it."

Anakin huffed. "Nobody made me do anything. This " — he gestured to the decaying corpses — " was all me. It's probably the reason Sidious came after me in the medical ward. I'm not some helpless victim."

"No, you didn't passively surrender to his schemes. You foiled them by handing over your lightsabre. That decision saved us both."

"But what if I don't get the chance to make it next time? What if that feeling comes on without warning? I can't take that risk. I can't put you and the other Jedi in danger." Anakin tossed the swoop bike's key to a startled Obi-Wan, who nonetheless managed to catch it. "Keep my lightsabre too," he said, "You'll need it." He turned to face the vast desert and strode away.

"You're leaving? But you can't. You'll never make it without a vehicle."

"I'll be alright. I'll find the Javas that live around here. They'll give me a lift to Mos Eisley." They'd want his tunic and utility belt in exchange, but that didn't matter. He wouldn't be needing them. "It's a spaceport filled with scumbags, so I'll fit right in, and anyone I hurt will deserve it. I'll change my name and looks and hide my Force powers, so the Sith don't find me."

"No, I won't let you live that way," Obi-Wan shouted. He chased after him, his footsteps pounding the hard ground.

Anakin glanced back, but only to force him to his knees with a flick of his wrist.

"This is beyond me, then," Obi-Wan called out. "Qui-Gon, if you're listening, help me."

He fell silent for a moment, waiting for a reply that wouldn't come.

Did he really believe the Force could enable Jedi to transcend death? It had always struck Anakin as wishful thinking. He had felt a twinge in his chest after he killed the first three Tuskans, but it was likely his own conscience rather than a voice from beyond. Either way, he wished he'd listened to it.

"Please," Obi-Wan kept yelling, "the Order needs him. I need him, if only as a friend. If there's anything I can say that'll stop him, please tell me."

Anakin rolled his eyes. There was nothing to say. It wasn't up to Obi-Wan what he did. He was wasting his breath.

Oh, I agree, a calm voice said inside Anakin's mind and with it came a familiar Force signature. The desperate pleas quietened as did the crunching of sand beneath his feet. I have heard his request, but it's you I wish to speak to.

"Qui-Gon," said Anakin, too far away for Obi-Wan to hear him, unless he also yelled. "How can you …. you're dead..."

Physically yes, but my spirit lives on in the Force. Through it I can reach out to the living, as I did the first time you were here, but you were too consumed with hatred to notice. With my limited abilities, I cannot yet show myself to you, nor do I have much time, so I'll be brief. You have an important choice to make, my friend. Fight your rage or give into it.

"With all due respect, Master, I have no choice. The sand people killed my mother and now I'll never be the same." He kept walking.

Indeed, your hatred for them is understandable, especially when most of Tatooine shares it, but that doesn't make it less dangerous. The dark side will strengthen your fury and extend it as you've no doubt noticed.

Anakin nodded "That's why I hurt Obi-Wan, why I need to stay away from him — and Padme too." He'd have no choice but to spend his life alone.

But there's one person you can never avoid. A man you'll always be able to harm. You're harming him with each step you take, ruining his future and — if I'm right about the prophecy — the galaxy's future.

It took Anakin a moment to realise who Qui-Gon was referring to. "You mean … I'm harming myself?"

Yes, that is where the dark side leads. Let your hatred fester long enough and you'll have no choice but to turn it on yourself. Then there will be no escaping your misery.

Anakin shook his head. "I don't care. I'll gladly suffer to protect Obi-Wan."

By making him fight the Separatists and the Sith without you? By crushing his confidence in his teaching abilities? Not to mention his reputation with the Order — the very one you lied to protect.

So, Qui-Gon had been watching Anakin for some time then. The revelation was surprising, yet comforting, for it meant he'd never been truly alone. "But Master, I can't be a Jedi, not when the dark side has a such strong hold on me."

Strong yes, but not unbreakable. As I said, you have a choice to make.

"Say, I do choose to fight it," said Anakin, though the idea seemed futile. "How would I do it?"

You already know the answer. It is the only antidote to rage. You spoke of it to Padme only weeks ago.

Anakin cast his mind back to the conversation they'd had aboard the refugee freighter, in which he'd impressed her with his knowledge of Jedi philosophy. "Compassion … unconditional love." He shook his head and laughed. "You think I can stop hating the sand people and feel sorry for them? I'm not capable of that."

You are, Anakin. Force yourself to treat your enemies with kindness and your mind will follow your actions. Your anger, both at them and at yourself, will fade.

"But Master, I can't do anything for them. They're dead. I killed..."

Before Anakin could bemoan his evil deeds, Qui-Gon's words interrupted him. You can grant them dignity in death. That may seem unimportant, since we do not know if their consciousness lives on, but other tribes have encountered this brutal scene. They live in fear of a desert demon who will come for their camps unless they sacrifice their young ones to appease it.

Anakin shuddered. He'd never suspected Tuskan children were still dying on his account, he might be responsible for over a hundred deaths by now. Then again, he wasn't the one who'd invented their ridiculous rituals. "It's not my fault if they kill their own children, those stupid, worthless …" He breathed out. "... living beings. You're right. I'm a Jedi. I can't let more innocents die."

Indeed, you've taken your first step towards defeating your inner darkness. Now bury the demon, before it claims more lives.

And with those cryptic words, Qui-Gon's voice fell silent and the echo of Obi-Wan's desperate cries returned. Anakin tuned them out, focusing instead on what to do next.

What demon was he meant to bury? Surely not himself, Qui-Gon would never ask that. It wouldn't achieve anything anyway. The Tuskans didn't know he was responsible. All they knew of was the destruction he'd left behind, but ... of course … that was the answer.

Anakin ran back to Obi-Wan, who was still kneeling, his head buried in his hands. He'd never seen the Jedi so despondent, and he couldn't blame him. To lose a former Padawan was devastating enough. Losing a man who he adored and believed to be the saviour of the galaxy must've been agony.

As Anakin approached him, Obi-Wan raised his head and beamed, though tears were still running down his cheeks. "You came back!"

"I shouldn't have run off. It was cowardly and selfish." He'd been far too self-focused recently. Whenever he'd recalled his crimes, his focus hadn't been on his victims, but on his own corruption, which only made it harder to fight it. Qui-Gon's advice had helped him see that.

Obi-Wan stood up and spread his arms to hug him.

"Don't celebrate just yet," said Anakin, stepping back. "Qui-Gon gave me have work to do."

"He spoke to you and not me?" said Obi-Wan, with a hint of jealousy. "What did he want from you?"

"I'm supposed to bury the sand people I killed ... or what's left of them."

"He ordered that?"

"Not exactly, but he hinted at it."

Obi-Wan raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Are you sure it was Qui-Gon?"

"Positive." The Force hadn't steered him wrong yet, not in its uncorrupted form.

"But why would he ask you to do that? What will it achieve? We should get out of here — quickly. This place is dangerous to your psyche, and I don't fancy its odour."

"Qui-Gon reckons it'll help me resist the dark side and even if he's wrong, it's the right thing to do. Jedi respect all life. That's what you taught me."

"But if the Sith are behind this, we could be falling into their trap by staying here."

"I'm not asking you to stay. Go back to the swoop bike." Obi-Wan had its key which meant he could abandon Anakin if he wished, but he trusted him enough to take that risk. "You can look for food or shelter." The wise Jedi already had water, having packed it into his satchel before heading for Tatooine. "Not that you'll find much out here."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I'm staying. I'll help you bury them."

Anakin's eyes widened. That was a generous offer, even for his former master. "But you didn't create this mess."

"I did, in part. I taught you to wield the lightsabre you used, and I failed to properly warn you away from the dark side. Besides we'll never get out of here if you do it alone. We have twenty corpses to bury!"

More like thirty, but Anakin wasn't going to correct the underestimate or tell Obi-Wan it was absurd to blame himself for his student's actions. He didn't want him to change his mind. His help would make the work easier and less lonely. "Alright, I'll need my sabre."

Obi-Wan handed it to him without hesitation. Anakin, ignoring his twinge of excitement at having the weapon back, sliced through the hardened sand beside the corpse at his feet. The sabre's brightness frightened away the zicx bugs. That was one problem solved. If only it could repel the blazing heat. Their task wasn't going to be easy, but if it made him a better man, it'd be worth it.

Five hours later, after Tatooine's twin suns had finally set, Anakin and Obi-Wan entered the hut where the last unburied corpses lay. They held their sabres over the two male Tuskans, who were embracing each other on a bed of bantha hides. Their bodies were better preserved than the others, since the insects hadn't gotten to them, but their flesh was no less charred.

The Jedi had left them for last, since the tragic sight had overwhelmed Anakin earlier. He'd remembered mentally mocking them as he slashed through their chests. What idiots they were — surrendering to lust, when they should've had the sense to run.

Anakin hung his head, prompting Obi-Wan to hug him from behind. He sighed with pleasure at his touch, just like the Tuskans he'd killed — as if the affection he'd shown Padme on Naboo hadn't made him enough of a hypocrite. His disappointment at having been rejected by her may even have driven his cruel thoughts.

"Don't worry," said Obi-Wan tightening his hold. "You're not that man anymore. We're almost done burying him." As they began their task, Anakin had repeated Qui-Gon's exact words to him, and he'd agreed with his interpretation. "You don't even have his hand, the one that did this." He stroked its mechanical replacement.

He was right, of course. The flesh hand that Anakin had once stared at in horror was gone, but had that really changed him? "I have the one that choked you."

"Ah yes ... well, that wasn't pleasant, but at least now know I can resist it, should the dark side ever tempt you again."

"I'll never escape it, will I?" said Anakin, his eyes watering. How long would it before he had to dig another twenty-eight — he had counted them this time — graves?

"It will take time …. as it did for me."

"You?" said Anakin. He broke free of Obi-Wan's grip and pivoted to face him. "You used the dark side." What devious thing hadn't he secretly done? Next, he was going to tell him he'd smoked Outer Rim death sticks.

Obi-Wan exhaled sharply. "Ten years ago, when that monstrous Sith struck down Qui-Gon, I was overcome with a fury the likes of which I'd never felt. That was what gave me the power to destroy him. Without it I wouldn't have stood a chance. I've never told anyone. If the Council finds out they'll deem me a fraud."

"But you're not. You're a hero. You defeated a dangerous enemy. I killed innocents."

"I would've too if given the chance. That was how intense and intoxicating my rage was. And to make matters worse, I received an anonymous transmission on my private comlink a few days later. Its sender asked me to return to the Jedi Temple and meet them under the Great Tree, shortly before Qui-Gon's funeral, so we could discuss his death and how to respond to it."

Anakin frowned. "Dooku was trying to turn you." Obi-Wan had told him of his conversation with the Sith on Geonosis.

"I suspect so too, but the Council never traced the source of the message. All we know is someone wanted to lead me down a vengeful path, and I longed to follow it. The memory of that power was still fresh."

"But you didn't obey the message. I was with you the whole time."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Ah yes, that only made my desire to leave stronger, but I'd made a promise to Qui-Gon, and you couldn't have a fallen Jedi for a master. So, I chose to let go of my anger and now you've found a way to do the same."

He was right. When Anakin turned his attention back to the amorous Tuskans, it wasn't with jealousy or hatred. How could he despise two beings whose struggles were hardly different from his own? He now understood the real reason the two males hadn't run from his violence. They hadn't known of it. Their romantic feelings, like his, had been forbidden. They'd been hiding them from the rest of their tribe, so when the danger came, the others couldn't warn them. Not that a warning would've helped them.

"I don't know if either of you did anything to my mother," said Anakin, as he knelt beside them, his nose wrinkled "But if you did, that's no excuse for destroying a beautiful relationship. I'm sorry for that. I'll bury you together."

"We'll bury them," said Obi-Wan, with a heaviness to his tone.

Anakin now understood that his companion wasn't just helping him, he was doing it for himself too, to battle his own evil. His flirtation with the dark side only made him more of an inspiration. If Obi-Wan could face it and overcome it, why couldn't he?

Once the last Tuskans were buried, Anakin marked the spots to wish them peace. Then he and Obi-Wan left the hut.

The night air was chilly, for the empty plateaus couldn't retain heat, but far fresher and quieter without the rotting fresh and buzzing insects. They'd turned the horrific aftermath of a massacre into a graveyard — not a nice location, but no worse than the rest of the planet. Any Tuskans who stumbled across it now would assume the demon had forgiven them and they'd be right.

Anakin's every muscle ached, and his mind was fuzzy, for he hadn't slept properly in days on account of his visions, but they wouldn't trouble him tonight. Even if he saw himself strike down his old master, he'd know he was doing it for his benefit. The dark side wasn't going to take him. Not when he had Obi-Wan to fight it with him.

As they strode towards the edge of the village, their path now unobstructed, Anakin shivered, having not expected to stay on Tatooine long enough to need warm clothing. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, then retrieved his robes from his satchel and wrapped them around him — a true gentleman if ever there had been one.

Anakin's heart soared. Even after everything he'd learned, Obi-Wan's feelings hadn't changed. He couldn't save him from them, more matter how hard he tried, and as he admired his moonlit face, he realised he didn't want to. With his mind purged of the dark side's poison, he could no longer deny the truth. He needed to say it out loud.

"Wait," said Anakin, gripping the Jedi's shoulder and bringing them both to a stop. "Before we get out of here, I have one more confession to make. I love you, Obi-Wan."

"I know," he said. "I didn't believe what you said about wanting to use me. That was clearly the dark side talking."

Anakin chuckled. "You're supposed to say, 'I love you' back. But I guess you wouldn't know that having been raised in the Order."

"I didn't and I trust I've made my feelings clear, but if it'll make you happy, I'll say it. I love you, Anakin."

That did make him happy. Very happy. He threw his exhausted arms around Obi-Wan's shoulders and leaned in to claim his lips. But before he could, his eyes drooped shut and the last thing he felt was himself collapsing against the man he'd one day marry.

Sorry to tease you all again, haha. I promise they'll actually kiss in the next chapter. :) Also, did anyone catch the Empire Strikes Back reference?