Chapter 2 - Friendship
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Anakin cracks an eye open, eyes darting around the darkened cage. It's the middle of the night now – the second night that he's been here. But why –
Tap. Tap.
Wait.
Why is someone tapping on the glass of his cage in the middle of the night?
He stands, twisting around to where he can sense a very familiar Force presence and smell the same familiar scent that he did earlier.
It's Ahsoka, of all people. She's standing right outside his cage, eyes bright with excitement. "Hey!" she hiss-whispers, face lighting up when she sees that he's awake.
What's she doing here?
Anakin growls questioningly, trotting up to the cage wall. It feels so much freer to be around her when all the adults aren't watching.
Ahsoka nudges him with the Force. It's not the invasive way everyone else does. She's just trying to sense his meaning. "I snuck out here to see you."
...What? Why would someone want to see him?
He growls again.
Why?
"Because you look sad and Jedi are s'pposed to help people."
Are they? They might pretend they do but they certainly do a bad job of it. Maybe they can't control everything and his point of view is probably biased from the things Sidious has said to him, but they aren't the heroes Anakin once believed when he was little, on Tatooine.
Ahsoka's hands reach for the lock, fumbling.
Anakin freezes, staring at her.
Is she going to... let him out? That can't be right. She wouldn't directly go against what the other adults want.
"Don't run away," she requests.
The door screeches as she pushes it open, the sound echoing much too loudly in the now darkened room.
So much for letting him out. But what's she doing?
He's half tempted to try bolting anyway but he won't get Ahsoka in trouble like that. The Togruta steps into the cage, stepping towards him.
She's not here to hurt him. He knows that but he's still a little wary to let just anyone touch him. But she's not just anyone. There's something about her that already feels like he's known her for a long time and she's the only person who's been nice to him for no reason since Maul. That was six years ago.
Anakin stands fully on all fours as Ahsoka steps up in front of him – he's practically as tall as she is.
She reaches out, fingers brushing across his head fur. It's light, featherlike. It feels nice.
It also feels too soft to be real. No one touches him like this. But – but she feels so genuine.
He whines softly, nuzzling a little closer to her.
She's just a child, not an adult. He doesn't need to be afraid right now.
"Where'd you come from?" Ahsoka queries, still stroking his head.
As if he could tell her. He growls softly again. I can't tell you.
"It's okay if you don't wanna say but we could take you home if you did."
No. No. He never wants to go back there. He'd rather stay here – at least the Jedi aren't trying to make him become something he knows Mom would be forever disappointed in him for becoming.
He growls again. I don't want to go back.
She frowns, still lightly stroking him.
He tilts his head back enough to lick her hand and she giggles.
He growls, quietly. Shouldn't you be in bed?
She cocks her head a little. "No one would let me come any other time."
That's probably true. He's just glad she came even if he doesn't know how to say that. Feels a little too shy too and he's afraid the kindness isn't going to last. That she felt sorry for what she sees as a sad puppy doesn't mean she cares about him, but he's still grateful she's trying right now.
Anakin just nuzzles a little closer, desperate for the touch while it lasts. He misses being touched.
Sidious touches him sometimes in a way that always feels possessive and maybe it's as close to showing affection as the Sith Master ever would, but he never pets him and certainly never holds him when he's in his human form.
Ahsoka leans closer, winding her skinny arms around his neck. Is she – hugging him?
He stills, the intimacy of the gesture more than what he knows what to do with. No one's hugged him since Mom. He growls, half a mind to jerk away but she's not hurting him. She doesn't smell like she's about too, either. She doesn't seem bothered by his annoyance, though.
"I can't stay for long," Ahsoka tells him, resting her chin on top of his head, arms still wound around his neck. She's holding him tight enough that it's almost uncomfortable but he doesn't exactly mind. "But maybe I can bring you something cool next time I come."
He growls softly, nuzzling against her. He'll be grateful for anything she does if he gets to be around someone again. Someone who he's not terrified of hurting him even if he's still wary about trusting.
**w**
Creeping out of the youngling area of the Temple and making her way all the way to where the animals are kept in the middle of the night is tricky but Ahsoka's beginning to find it fun. It's an adventure and she can't wait until she gets to go on adventures as a padawan, but this'll have to be enough for now.
Besides, she still feels awful for the poor wolf that's been trapped in that cage for nearly a week now. She certainly wouldn't like being stuck in a cage very much. And there's just something about it... It feels so bright in the Force, which is strange for animals. Something about it is different and she can't deny feeling a strange attraction to it.
This is the fourth time night she's been able to make it all the way here – she feels a little bad about the night she overslept too long to make it.
This time, the wolf is already perked up and waiting when she creeps up to the cage. It wags its tail, trotting up to the edge, growling softly.
She can't tell exactly what it's trying to say but she's pretty sure it's wondering how she's able to keep doing this without getting caught.
"When we're little we play this hide and seek game," Ahsoka replies, "All of the younglings in one group hide and one of the students gets blind-folded and goes to find them with the Force. It's Force practice. But I got good at trying to hide myself in the Force so it would take them a long time find me." She giggles.
The wolf barks softly though it looks like it's laughing somehow.
She grins. "And I started hiding from the masters too 'cuz it was funny." Really, it's easy. And she never realized it could be such a useful skill.
She reaches up to slide the door open again, creeping inside the way she has every other night.
The wolf usually keeps a pointed distance from her, but this time he trots a little closer on his own, though hesitantly. She pats his nose and he licks her hand.
It growls softly again, its piercing yellow eyes studying her. Sometimes the gaze in them is so intelligent it's a little unnerving. He acts so smart it's almost hard to believe he's an animal. But animals can besmart, so...
She doesn't have much to say to the wolf, so she just starts talking, the same way she has every other night, telling him about what's happened throughout her day – not that there's much to say when all her classes are pretty similar. "I think I'm gonna be ready for the Gathering soon," Ahsoka finishes finally, unable to help the excitement building in her chest. She can't wait for that.
The wolf growls, looking visibly confused.
"It's when we go to get our lightsaber crystals," she explains, eagerly, "And then we start our final years of training before becoming padawans." It's a couple months out yet she thinks but she can't stop thinking about it. "All I've used so far are training 'sabers and those aren't half as fun. I wanna know what my real one is gonna look like."
The wolf seems amused again somehow when it growls, nudging her with its snout. She strokes its nose again and it wags its tail.
And then it suddenly goes completely rigid, head cocking as it sniffs the air.
She frowns. "What's wrong?"
It growls lowly, head twisting to face her. Fear glitters in its eyes and cautiously reaching out with the Force, Ahsoka quickly realizes why.
Someone's coming.
And there's nowhere she can hide. She yanks the cage door the rest of the way closed, dropping to the floor next to the wolf. It shifts to a half-sitting, half-standing position, as though trying to make itself as big as possible to cover her when the door to the room opens.
Ahsoka cautiously peers out from behind the wolf to see who it is. She can see fairly well in the dark and it's enough to make out a Jedi Master and their young padawan entering the room. They're one of the nocturnal Jedi, then. The species that are naturally awake during the night are awake all throughout the night, doing they're training then while all the others are sleeping.
Oh great.
Why did she never think about that? It hasn't been a problem until tonight, but she doesn't know what she'll do if she gets found out.
The wolf stays on its feet, very pointedly shifting position as the Jedi approach. Ahsoka holds her breath until it feels like her lungs are going to explode, heart pounding. But they finally go past the wolf without giving it much attention, going to focus on the other animals. That won't matter until they leave, though.
She rests the back of her montrals against the wolf's furry side as she waits, trying to ignore how much the fur tickles.
She has no idea how long she's been stranded here waiting endlessly when the Jedi finally move for the exit. Neither of them move or breathe until the door slides closed, plunging the room into darkness again.
"That was close," Ahsoka pants, jumping to her feet and throwing her arms around the wolf's neck.
It still looks scared and she can feel the fear it's radiating. It steps away from her, head flicking towards the door.
The meaning is obvious enough. It wants her to go.
"It'll be okay," she promises. She's disappointed but she's too jittery and she'd better get back to bed before anyone catches her.
**w**
He still loathes this cage. At least with Ahsoka coming here he feels a little less lonely. It gives him the tiniest something to look forward to. And it gives a certain sense of companionship that he hasn't felt from anyone in so long. Even if he's probably getting ahead of himself because... he doesn't know that it's going to last. She is still a Jedi, taught that they're not allowed to get attached to things. Ahsoka just hasn't been learned that as thoroughly as the rest of the Jedi yet.
It makes something clench uneasily in his gut at the mere thought – he doesn't want to lose this thread of friendship, the only hint of human contact he might ever have again. Even if it's a friendship with a Jedi and they're the ones who killed Maul. He can never forget that. But that wasn't Ahsoka's fault.
The Jedi are never going to let him out of here, are they?
He's about to climb the walls from sheer boredom but half the time he's too miserable to do much but sit in a dismal ball on the floor, snarling if anyone stops to look at him, like he's some object to be studied. It reminds him of slave auctions, those stares that he couldn't do anything to escape from.
And after the last time when Ahsoka nearly got caught, he doesn't know if she's going to come back. Probably better if she doesn't. He doesn't want to be punished for it and he doesn't want her to get in trouble with her masters, either.
But something feels... off, in the Force. He can't say what it is, he just there's something...
He reaches out with the Force cautiously, trying to be careful so the Jedi don't sense what he's doing. And that's when he feels it.
There's the slightest twinge of something cold in the air.
The Dark Side.
But most of all, it feels like his master.
Anakin's blood runs cold.
It's his master. He's here. He's here right at the Jedi Temple right now. How is he here? Anakin feels the familiar nudge of slipperiness, touching his shields. It's only for a split second, so brief no one else may have noticed, but he knows it's a warning. His master knows where he is. He knows that he's here. He's found him. He's coming. He's going to take him, to –
His chest feels it's constricting, growing tighter and tighter. He can't draw in a single breath of air. He was supposed to be free, to be away. This can't be happening. It can't – he can't go back to him, knowing what Sidious will do to him. The walls feel like they're closing in on him, trapping him here for when Sidious comes to drag him away again. He can't – he can't –
He wants to cry. Or throw up. Kind of thinks he's about to do both but he can't breathe. He has to –
There's no Jedi right here to see and he wouldn't have the mind to care anyway. He lashes out blindly with the Force, throwing all his strength into it, The glass shatters, the sound deafening as the broken pieces fly across the floor.
He's... free. Or no he's not because his master is coming, and he has to get out before it's too late. He Force-leaps from the cage, narrowly missing the shattered glass on the floor around him and then bolts. Doesn't know where he's going, He just runs.
A couple of Jedi are passing in the hallway right outside and all of them spin around to look at him. He shoves past them and keeps running.
His heart is still pounding and it feels like he's going to round a corner only to come face to face with Sidious but now that he's running, he doesn't know where he's even going. This was so stupid. Now the Jedi are going to be angry at him too. There are Tempe guards already in pursuit.
He's so stupid. Why did he think this was a good idea? What are the Jedi going to do to him now? They already chained him and caged him for doing nothing. What'll they do if – if they realize he really is this dangerous? They're never going to unchain him again and he can't deal with that again. He doesn't want to go back. He can't –
Breathe.
Think.
He has to find some way to hide, until he can figure out where to go.
Unwittingly, his gaze drifts up to the vents on the ceiling above them. He could hide up there, but not as a wolf.
The scent of people approaching drifts down the hall – he can sense it in the Force, too. The Jedi are closing in on him. If he's going to do this, he'll have to do it fast.
Anakin dodges around another corner, reaching deep within himself. It's not the same as using the Force, but the staticky energy deep in his heart is similar. He lets that energy pulse outward before sucking it back into himself, letting it twist his form back into a human.
He stumbles to the wall, pressing a hand against it as he breathes in shakily. He's finally human again. He hasn't shifted back from being a wolf for a long time. He kind of misses being human. Not that he feels any less like an animal when he's human anyway. But he'll have to be fast because the Jedi can't see him like this or Force knows what they'll do. He reaches upwards with the Force, yanking the vent free and then jumps inside, setting the grate back in place.
The darkness and narrowness of the shaft make it feel like it's closing in on him. He draws his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, trying to take a moment to breathe. His heart is still pounding and he feels trapped and he wants to get out but there is no out. His master is out there and he's even more likely to get to him if he leaves. Probably, Sidious was just warning him. He wouldn't actually come after him in the Jedi Temple. That would be downright stupid.
He should've just stayed where he was instead of panicking and running and making things worse for himself a second time over. Why does he keep doing this?
If he escapes the Temple now, Sidious will get to him.
But – but what will the Jedi do to him if he stays?
**w**
Anakin doesn't know how long he's been curled up in the ventilation shaft, trying to figure out what to do with himself. He doesn't have anywhere to go. The only place he knows is... going to find Ahsoka. Not like there's anywhere she could hide him, but... well, probably not.
He doesn't want to get her in trouble, though.
Doesn't want to push her, either.
Anakin's... growing fonder of her than he probably should be. He can't help it. He wants to get to know her, to be able to talk to her. He's just afraid that the... return affection isn't going to last. Why would it? No one's ever wanted him, except for his usefulness.
He has no idea how to find Ahsoka, but he cautiously reaches out with the Force, reaching for the bright rose petals she is. They're starting to form a bond because of the amount of time they've spent with each other and the newness of it makes him want to be around her even more. He suspects the same is also true in reverse. Bonds forming is always intense – or at least it has been ever since Anakin was so isolated for so long that he's scarcely formed any new ones in years.
Disentangling himself, he starts crawling through the vents, trying to figure out how to get to Ahsoka from what he can sense.
After doing a bit of exploring it turns out that it's not too hard to find the youngling wing. Navigating through the vents to get to where Ahsoka is, is a bit harder, though. Now that he's here he's feeling beyond nervous. He has no idea how she's going to react or – or anything. But he can't stay hiding here forever.
Anakin finally pulls the nearest grate open, lightly dropping into the hallway below and darting behind a nearby pillar. The pillars are towering, reaching from floor to ceiling and they're a perfect hiding spot.
Reaching deep within himself, he reaches for the staticky feeling inside of him, letting it transform him back into a wolf. It leaves a lingering pain but one that fades quickly. He's so used to it that it doesn't bother him anymore. He doesn't have to wait long before he hears childish voices drifting down the halls. Anakin presses close to the floor, watching and waiting.
A group of younglings who must be coming out of class round the corner and he can smell and sense Ahsoka with them. It's risky to reach out and lightly nudge her mind in a way that he hopes is too discreet to make her think he's a person but enough that gets her attention, but he tries anyway. He can sense it as her Force presence stops moving and the other children continue on. The moment he's certain everyone's back is turned, he carefully peaks out from behind the column.
Ahsoka is still lingering a few steps behind the others, scanning the hall with confusion. Shock fills her gaze when she spots him. "What are you doing here?" she squeaks, running over to him.
He growls miserably.
I couldn't stay there anymore.
"No one knows you're here?" Ahsoka asks.
He growls in confirmation.
Her gaze darts around the hall. "Then... I can hide you! Quickly. Maybe... under my bed?"
That is a terrible hiding spot but he doesn't have the heart to burst her bubble and he doesn't know if she has any private space that she could keep him other than that. He licks her tiny hand gratefully and she throws a furtive glance down the hall both directions. "Follow me," she advises, and takes off running. Anakin trots after, sticking close to the wall ducking from pillar to pillar so no one will spot him.
Thankfully the run to her room goes off without a hitch.
But his stomach drops the moment he enters her room – because it's not her room at all. It's a large room with multiple beds, evenly spaced from each other. She told him she has an Initiate group who she's grown up with or something. He didn't realize they shared the same bedroom.
Anakin growls, gaze flickering between the other beds, back to her.
"I'll make sure they don't tell!" Ahsoka promises, patting his head, "But you'll have to hide now. I need to get to class."
Oh.
Then he better not keep her.
He nudges against her palm, half to show gratitude, half to indicate that he's encouraging her to leave before he trots over, sliding under the bed. It's beyond cramped down here and he has to stay almost flat on his stomach to fit properly. Definitely less comfortable than a cage but at least it feels like he's here out of his own choice. He hears Ahsoka pattering out of the room and his anxiety skyrockets the moment she's gone. It's a good hiding spot but he knows it's not going to last. He has to find somewhere better or run away from the Temple entirely and... then where would he go? He doesn't have anywhere to go. All he can do for now is stay here.
And maybe take a moment to take in his surroundings while he is here. The carpet is soft beneath him. He hasn't felt anything this soft... maybe ever. There's nothing comfortable about his quarters in the Works. There wasn't on Tatooine either and certainly not in the cage the Jedi locked him in. He likes being here better.
**w**
This is getting ridiculous. Obi-Wan didn't realize a wolf could possibly cause this much trouble. He still doesn't understand how it got out of the cage in the first place. The way the glass was shattered looks more like someone used than the Force than that the wolf somehow threw itself against the wall hard enough to break it. Which shouldn't be possible anyway because the glass was made durable enough to resist animals trying to break through it.
He's also annoyed that he and Windu have spent the last couple hours searching through the entire Temple to find it. The wolf has a distinct brilliance in the Force and it also feels of the Dark Side so it's not impossible to pinpoint in the Force but tracking it down from there is a lot more difficult.
It was the last interruption they needed in the middle of the Chancellor's visit to the Jedi Temple too, seriously. Palpatine had seemed intrigued at the mention of this wolf when Windu tried to explain what was happening, but Windu had brushed it off as a Jedi matter.
Late afternoon sunlight is streaming in the Temple windows by the time he and Windu make their way to the youngling area of all places. All the Jedi are supposed to be on lookout and report any sightings of the wolf immediately so he doesn't know why they stopped hearing sightings of its location entirely only ten minutes after it escaped. It's obviously found a good hiding spot somewhere, but here?
It feels like the wolf might be somewhere in the bedroom area and they're making their way there, checking through each room when they run right into that Togruta youngling Obi-Wan thinks he remembers seeing in the animal cage room the other day.
"Have you seen any sign of the wolf out here?" Windu asks, pausing.
The girl blinks, something almost nervous flitting across her face. "Why would it be out here?"
"We can sense it close by," Obi-Wan replies, moving past toward her room.
She darts past him, standing in front of the door in his way. "I was just in there. I don't think it could be here."
There's something –
Why is she acting so... weird?
Wait.
She's the girl who seemed fascinated by the thing. Is there any chance –
"Then let us take a look," he replies, brushing past her.
The room looks empty at first glance but it certainly doesn't feel empty.
"There he is," Windu realizes, approaching one of the beds. He flicks a hand, pulling the edge of the bedding back just enough to see suspiciously familiar blonde fur under the bed.
So much for not being in here.
The Togruta is standing frozen in the doorway, looking very guilty.
She hid the wolf in here, didn't she? Seriously?
"How are we going to get it out?" Obi-Wan asks dubiously. He doesn't really want to have to try dragging it out considering that it's probably going to come at them with all its teeth and claws the moment they get any closer.
"Why can't you leave it alone?" the girl protests.
Windu spins towards her. "You knew it was here?" he demands.
"I – um..."
"That is reckless and dangerous," he says, sharply, "This is a creature of the Sith. Do you know how much damage it could have caused already?"
"But it hasn't," she argues, sullenly.
"Not yet."
Obi-Wan hears shifting and turns around to see the wolf crawling out from under the bed, on the opposite side they're on – though that effectively corners it between the bed and the wall. He doesn't know why something about the gesture looks so humanoid and childish for a moment.
Obi-Wan circles around the bed to stand in front of it, bracing himself for it to lunge at them. "Come along," he orders, though he's not fully sure how much Basic it understands or not.
The wolf doesn't move. It's backed into the far corner already, tail between its legs. It's... scared enough that it's practically shaking, now that he's actually looking.
Seeing it like this takes the slightest edge of his annoyance, but well... he doesn't understand why it ran away in the first place.
It also makes something twist uncomfortably inside of him. Why is it so scared? Animals shouldn't be that scared unless they've been hurt by sentients before.
"What are you gonna do to him?" the girl speaks up, biting her lip.
"Take him somewhere he'll be contained this time," Windu replies, shortly.
The wolf whines quietly – the first noise it's made this entire time. It sounds miserable.
Can it understand what they're saying?
It's the first thing that makes him feel a little bad but he doesn't know what else they're supposed to do with it.
The wolf flattens itself on the floor, whining quietly again. It' s not a gesture he understands the meaning of.
"It ran away cuz it didn't like being stuck in a cage," the girl argues sullenly, "Can't you at least give it a chance?"
A chance to what, exactly? Roam freely when they don't know who it'll hurt next?
But to be fair... "It hasn't hurt anyone since it escaped," Obi-Wan admits, grudgingly.
Windu's gaze flicks back to the wolf and he sighs. "Keep it with you at all times and under close observation, Obi-Wan," he instructs.
Wait – "Me?" Obi-Wan definitely-not-yelps.
"You've dealt with Sith in the past. I'm sure you can handle a Sith animal."
The girl perks up a little. "I could watch over it too – "
"No," Windu cuts her off, "You shouldn't have gotten involved in this at all. Focus on your schoolwork. We'll handle this, young one."
She looks distinctly sullen, but nods.
Obi-Wan still doesn't know when he got demoted to dog-babysitter. But fine. "Come on," he orders, stepping back in the hopes it'll coax the wolf to come out.
It's unsettling how much the wolf seems to have followed their conversation but if it's a Sith dog, it must have a strong connection to the Force so it can probably sense intentions. Now that it's not snarling and biting at the slightest provocation, it makes him wonder if it's actually tamer than he realized. Did it have a previous owner? Was it in the street because it ran away?
The wolf stands slowly, inching out from behind the bed like it's being dragged to its execution or something. It still looks scared. What's he supposed to do with a scared wolf puppy? It's not like he has a lot of experience with animals anyway.
The youngling steps aside to let them past but the wolf pauses next to her, studying her with an almost uncannily intelligent look in its eyes before it trots past.
"Bye!" the girl calls after them – but Obi-Wan has the distinct feeling she's actually talking to the wolf, not them.
Honestly, when did she become best friends with this creature?
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