Chapter 2 - Only Hope

Anakin's surroundings are dark and he instantly knows that he's having a vision. The slender man is standing in the middle of somewhere dark and shadowed and he looks exactly like he's been described over and over again.

There's movement in the darkness and Anakin sees robed figures, some with blue and green lightsabers and one with red moving forwards to attack him. The Jedi and a Sith. And they're all fighting together against the Slender Man, though it's mostly a battle with the Force.

One of the Jedi and the Sith raise a hand, pinning the Slender man in place with the Force. He's trying to break free and it seems like he's dangerously close to doing so but they actually have the upper hand for the moment.

Three other figure step out of the shadows. Anakin would recognize them anywhere – the Father, Son, and Daughter.

Each of them are holding a needle.

Anakin can't really tell what's in them. He can just tell what it feels like.

The Father's is pulsing with an energy of equal Light and Dark.

The Son's is pure Darkness.

The Daughter's is pure Light.

They're surrounded by some kind of force field. It's a Force nexus of some kind, probably the only reason they're able to restrain the Slender man for even a moment. The glowing symbols of the Jedi and the Sith are on the ground, on either side of the creature.

The Ones stab the needles into the man's arms. The Force lashes outwards violently, and chains materializes out of nowhere, wrapping around the Slender Man. He starts struggling and for a moment, the huge smile on his face seems to falter for a moment.

A purplish cloud is swelling behind him, electricity crackling through it as it spreads. Anakin has no idea what it is but it looks like an opening to somewhere else entirely, from how it feels in the Force. Like a... portal?

The Jedi and Sith hit the Slender man with a Force blast, and he goes flying toward the portal. He's jerked into it, being sucked outside of the galaxy itself.

And then his surroundings are fading and he's standing on Mortis. He sees himself as though from above, concentrated the energy of the Force, Light, Dark and Gray into three needles. And then he holds out a hand, using both sides as he activates glowing Jedi and Sith symbols on the ground, generating a Force field.

The Slender man appears suddenly, trapped inside the Force field as he attacks Anakin. The Force is flowing through him the way it only has once, back when he freed Obi-Wan and Ahsoka from the Ones. And then he pins the being in place, injecting the needles into his arm. They sprout into chains but the being's figure is suddenly shifting and changing and –

Instead of him, it's Ahsoka who's suddenly wrapped in chains. Her skin is so pale it can scarcely be called orange anymore and her veins are black. And she has eight tentacles.

"Ahsoka?!" Anakin calls desperately, jerking forwards.

He didn't mean to do this. What's happening – What –

He jerks forwards, trying to reach her, but the purple portal is already opening behind her. Her face is torn with betrayal and anger and hurt, and he doesn't know which cuts him to the core the worst. And then she's being sucked through, disappearing into the portal and away, before he can reach her.

He can see the galaxy as though from above and sees the way the thousands of people who are now infected are suddenly... changing. Their veins are fading from black back to normal, as is their skin. The sickness is gone.

Anakin jerks awake, back in his room, heart pounding.

What –

What was that?

He knows visions and he knows that's what that was. But he can't –

Locking Ahsoka into another dimension is not going to stop the Slender man. That doesn't even make sense. There's countless others who are sick too. There's no reason anything would be special for her –

But what if –

No.

He'll find another way. It doesn't matter if that's what he was shown. He won't accept that that's the only path. Anything can be possible with the Force and he just has to find the way.

But the rest of it... it didn't make any more sense. At least not by the Jedi's teachings. The Jedi and Sith worked together. And he used the Dark Side in his vision. What if that's really the only way to save Ahsoka?

He used the Dark Side once already, when he avenged his mother's death. And he knows how far that took him. And if it came down to it, the only way to save his padawan, he will do whatever he has to do. He's almost scared to know what it'll mean but he can't stop. Whatever it takes. But he still doesn't even know where to begin.

Anakin stumbles out of bed, heading to the 'fresher. He passes a mirror along the way, jerking to a stop at what he looks like. Because for a moment, he's almost certain that he sees black veins snaking their way across his face, which is unreasonably pale.

But when he looks twice, everything is normal.

Maybe he's just losing his mind a little bit from sheer exhaustion. He is exhausted, really, but considering that he's done nothing but ceaselessly research for weeks while trying to stop Ahsoka's death, there's no surprise there.

And... it's time for him to get back to work.

**w**

"You're my apprentice," the Slender man's voice hisses and Ahsoka whips around.

Wait.

How did she get here?

She's standing in the middle of a forest somewhere and he's coming towards her.

"No, I'm not!" she yells back, panic clawing it's way into her throat. How did she get here?

"Come, apprentice," he purrs, moving closer, looming over her.

She turns and runs.

He chases her.

The forest isn't ending. It doesn't matter where she goes or turns. Or tries to sense in the Force that there might be an ending. There isn't any ending. She can barely even stay ahead of him.

"You're my apprentice," he insists again.

She just keeps on running.

And then jerks upright with a gasp, back in her room in the healer's wing. But she can still sense the Slender man close by and no one ever comes to help her. And when they do, they pretty much always start yelling at her that she needs to become the Slender man's apprentice, whatever that even means, so maybe that's for the best.

But she just wants to get out of here but there's no way out.

**w**

Anakin's back to researching again, even while he can't stop thinking about his vision, when Obi-Wan comes to find him again. "You haven't answered your comm since last night," he says, appearing next to him.

Anakin glances down at where it should be and –

"I forgot it," Anakin replies, scrubbing a hand over his face. He's actually a lot more tired than he thought.

"You forgot it," Obi-Wan repeats, "Anakin – "

"Don't tell me to sleep," he snaps, "Ahsoka is – dying." He nearly chokes on the word. But they all know it. And the more the days go by, the more real it feels.

His master sighs quietly, settling in the char next to him. "I wish there was something more we could do, Anakin. But I looked everywhere in the Archives. I haven't found anything. The rest of the Council has said the same."

He nods, his anger fading to a rushing emptiness and desperation. He just – has to find something. For a moment, he thinks about telling Obi-Wan about his vision but... no. His master would never approve of him using the Dark Side.

"The Council asked you to go on a mission," his master says, after a pause.

Anakin goes rigid. "I can't. I have to find something for Ahsoka."

"I didn't want to ask but... it should be simple. Senator Amidala is asking for you to escort her to Naboo. There's some commotion there with the Gungans. There's talk about them marching on Theed."

Anakin stills. That – is not good. He feels a little bad of how he's hardly gone to talk to Padme since this all started but he doesn't even have the mental space to. And how could he just enjoy time with her when Ahsoka is in a state like this? The situation is serious and he... ought to help, but there's still a part of him that wants to refuse because any Jedi could do it and Ahsoka needs him. But –

There's something in the Force that whispers for him to accept. "I'll go," Anakin concedes finally, desperately hoping this isn't a mistake.

**w**

Obi-Wan can't stop thinking about his conversation with Anakin. He understands his desperation well but now he's beginning to get more worried for Anakin. He's going to end up killing himself too – though in truth, if Ahsoka's lost, Obi-Wan's unsure there will be much of the Anakin he once knew left anyway.

But something's wrong with his padawan. He feels off in the Force. Maybe it's just that he hasn't been sleeping but something's wrong.

He also has the distinct feeling that there's something Anakin's not telling him. He's known longer than anyone else and... he knows when he sees those things. He also has the distinct feeling it has something to do with his obsession to find the cure.

Stop him. Through any means necessary.

The voice that whispers in his mind doesn't really sound like his own but he ignores the weird thought. He has a bad feeling about where Anakin's obsession with finding it is going to take him as it, even if it's entirely understandable that his padawan will focus on nothing else, but now the feeling is even worse.

If he does anything too rash, Obi-Wan needs to be there to stop it.

For a moment, he thinks he senses something in the room but then it's gone so fast he's just as certain he must've imagined it.

Either way, he's going to go on this mission to Naboo with Anakin. He has to keep a close eye on him.

The veins on his own arms look weird for a moment but it's must just be the shadowing of the room. If he was sick, he would know it.

**w**

The mission to Naboo ends with Anakin realizing that a Gungan minister, Rish Loo, was the one who influenced the Gungan leader to do an attack. Rish Loo takes off, once his plot comes unraveled and Anakin gives chase. He follows him all the way through the forest and to a cave in the side of a mountain.

He can sense the Dark Side sharply and it has him immediately on edge. It feels familiar. Like –

Anakin stills when Dooku steps out of the shadows. "Skywalker," he greets smoothly.

Anakin's heart skips a beat and he draws his lightsaber instantly.

Every time he's seen Dooku it always ends with pain. And now he's here to confront him alone again. "You're involved in this?" Anakin demands. He shouldn't be surprised but he thought there was a peace treaty with the Separatists.

"I needed to lure you out here. And I knew you would answer a threat to Naboo."

Anakin's eyes narrow. "We had a peace treaty."

"I know and I didn't intend to break it. I just wanted to speak with you. About the Slender Man."

Anakin stills. "What about it?"

"I've heard that your apprentice is infected with the sickness and... While I understand that you may not believe me but I formed the Separatists to give those systems a chance at surviving free of the Republic and it's corruption. But now, the entire galaxy is at risk of falling from this sickness."

He shouldn't believe a word of this. He shouldn't even be considering it but then Anakin remembers his vision, how it took the Light and Dark and Grey to defeat the Slender Man before and – he will do anything to save Ahsoka. "What reason do I have to think you'll actually help me? That this isn't a trap?"

Dooku's quiet for a long pause. He looks thoughtful. "Qui-Gon was my padawan," he says at last, "And I know you may not believe me, but I did care for him. And I think you know what it's like to fear losing a padawan."

He never thought that Dooku still cared about him, honestly. Never had a reason to, with what Dooku has done to fight against everything Anakin knows Qui-Gon believed in. "That hasn't concerned you all this time."

"That you and Kenobi are part of my lineage always mattered to me," he replies, "But... I think you can well understand from the Jedi way that I had to put the greater good ahead of my personal feelings, even if I did not want to."

Right.

Nice excuse to explain how he cut off his arm, how – all the times he's tortured him. It was just in battle, yes, but –

He can't afford to fight with him, though. Not when Ahsoka's life is at stake. "So you propose as alliance?"

"I do. Through the ancient knowledge I've found, this can only be done through a Jedi and Sith working together."

"I know," Anakin replies evenly, "We have to work together – I had a vision of it. Light, Dark and... Gray." He hopes saying this isn't a mistake.

A vision?" Dooku queries, intrigued, "That would confirm what I already know. But have you considered what the Grey will mean? There is no one willing to take the action needed among the Jedi, other than you."

He knows what that means. using the Dark Side – but not Falling. Is that even possible? There's not supposed to be a middle.

"They have always said you're the Chosen One," Dooku goes on, "But Chosen for what? Maybe that's something you should get to choose."

His breathing hitches.

That prophecy has hung over him ceaselessly, something that already determined his destiny before he even became a Jedi. Something he's always had to live up to. Even when he's not strong enough to save anyone who needs him. "That's not how it works," he replies tightly.

"That's what the Jedi tell you. But they don't get to tell you what your destiny is. That's for you to decide yourself, as the Force directs it. "

No, it's not. It's not because –

He doesn't get to choose things. He just doesn't. but –

He's going to have to make a choice now.

"There will be another meeting," Dooku goes on after a pause, "A peace agreement on Mandalore. Come there, and we can discuss this more in private."

And then he's gone, disappearing into the shadows and leaving Anakin's mind whirling with far more questions than he's had before

And –

Choice.

Dooku said he had a choice.

Why is it that he's the first person who's truly offered him one since Qui-Gon? Even while Anakin still hates Dooku and always will.

**w**

"I've found a way to save you, Ahsoka," Anakin says, hovering in front of her.

Ahsoka blinks a few times, trying to focus on him instead of the Slender Man who she can still feel right in the room. Because he's always there. But this –

"You have?" she whispers breathlessly, desperately.

Anakin's eyes flicker with both hope and grief.

She thinks it's the first time she's had a reasonable conversation with him in – a long time.

And then he's suddenly shifting and transforming and he's the Slender Man and then he runs at her.

She leaps off her bed and runs out into the halls, but then she's back in that stupid forest and he won't go away. Won't stop.

"Come, apprentice," the vooice crows.

"Get out! My master is gonna get rid of you!"

"Oh, you really believe that?" he asks, "You think that was real? No, it was me. There is only one way out for you. Through me."

But –

She thought – she thought –

That it would finally be over and she can feel it as the resolve inside of her suddenly crumbles. This won't end and if all she can do is run then maybe she should just stop. Maybe –

She doesn't quite intend to stumble to a shaky stop by the trees but then the Slender man is looming over her. And then all she can see is this too wild smile looming in front of her.

A strangled sob bubbles up in her throat, as stupid as that is, when she's about to cry in front of the very person who's causing all of this.

"Go away!"

"I am your only way out," he replies, "Be my apprentice. Just say you accept."

What other choice does she even have? There's no way out – she thought Anakin really meant he was there to save her, but no. That wasn't any more real than the rest of this. "I accept," she whispers, and she doesn't even have the brains to think through what that might even entail. She's too worn.

The Slender Man smiles even wider. "Very good, apprentice." He reaches out, touching her forehead.

And then something is changing.

All Ahsoka knows is that she's suddenly back in the medical room and her back is burning with pain and all she can do is scream.

What did she just agree to what happened what –

**w**

Obi-Wan senses the massive disturbance in the Force only right before Anakin is supposed to be leaving on a mission to accompany Senators for more negotiations between the Republic and Separatists. He's called to the healer's wing right away to see that Ahsoka looks different.

She has eight tentacles growing on her back and she looks a paler shade of orange than should be possible for any Togruta ever. She's also unconscious and hasn't woken in hours, though her vitals are stable. And she feels wrong in the Force. Like an energy of chaos that shouldn't exist, mingled over with her former rose petal of a Force presence.

The Council assemble to debate if they need to contain her elsewhere. It's almost as though he can feel the Slender Man through her now – whatever that even means. That's never been true about anyone else, until right now.

How is he supposed to tell Anakin any of this?

Except in the end, he doesn't have to, because Anakin's already heard the news by the time he gets there, and goes rushing in to see Ahsoka.

Obi-Wan lingers back, watching as Anakin takes her hand, eyes burning with worry.

"I can go to the negotiations in your steed, Anakin. If... you would rather stay here," Obi-Wan offers finally. Though he doesn't think the Council would overly approve of the change.

Anakin's quite for a long pause. "No," he says finally, firmly, "I have to go myself. You were right before, Master. There's nothing I can do for her here."

Obi-Wan frowns.

Something about the way Anakin said that has him immediately wary because – Well, that's not Anakin. He'd never leave Ahsoka's side when she's hurt, unless –

Is he up to something he hasn't told him about?

All he knows is that he has a very, very bad feeling about it. He's following Anakin to these negotiations and if there's something going on with him – if he's up to something he has told Obi-Wan nothing about – he is going to find a way to sop it before he destroys himself too in the process.

**w**

This has to work. It has to or – He won't think about the or. He won't fail again. Anakin forces himself not to think about what he's about to do, as he waits until the first set of negotiations ae over before silently slipping away, going to find Dooku.

In the end, it hardly even matters anymore, what he has to. He will save Ahsoka, no matter the cost.

And that's even enough to override the sense of reason that says trusting Dooku is foolish.

"Maybe that's something you should choose." His words from before float through Anakin's mind, as he knocks on the door.

"I've been expecting you," the Count greets evenly when, as he opens the door to his private quarters.

"You asked what I was prepared to do," Anakin says evenly. What he is doing what is he thinking this is against everything in the Jedi way everything Obi-Wan taught him everything he taught Ahsoka but if he doesn't do it, there will be no Ahsoka left. "And you will have your answer. Whatever it takes – I know what my vision showed. But I need to – to learn the Dark Side." He nearly trips over the words, but he stubbornly holds the Count's gaze as he says it anyway.

"If there is any truth to your vision, you must learn to use the Light and Dark at once," Doku says, "I cannot show you how to balance both, but I can teach you the Dark Side."

"What do I need to do?" The desperation gnawing at hi is too wild for him to think of anything else.

"To start with, let's be seated."

Dooku sits on the floor and Anakin hesitantly sit across from him. He really, really doesn't have time for pleasantries but he holds his tongue. He doesn't need to anger Dooku and make him refuse.

"I think every Jedi knows on some level, how to draw on the Dark Side. I'm sure you've done it yourself before."

The Tusken camp. The lightsaber slashing and - he shoves it from mind.

"I can feel your fear, your anger, your desperation to save Ahsoka. None of that is the Jedi way. You must focus on it. Stop holding it back – The Jedi don't allow you to have these attachments. You need to embrace them. Let it give you strength."

Anakin nods closing his eyes.

He tries to focus on it but there's an instinctive part of him that immediately wants to rule all out, to try and be calm – even if that's impossible right now. it feels wrong and yet – There's no other choice.

He just has to accept this. has to –

But it doesn't even feel possible, when every bit of this is something he's struggled not to accept all his life. He doesn't want to fail as a Jedi either. He doesn't want to be a total disappointment Obi-Wan.

But –

Ahsoka's life is more important.

But that doesn't seem quite enough to make his stupid mind accept that.

"You're still holding back," Dooku speaks up again, "Perhaps you need to start with thinking and asking yourself, what have the Jedi truly given you? They took your mother from you, didn't they?"

Anakin breathes in sharply. "How do you know about that?"

"I found you intriguing, Anakin. The Jedi are holding you back from your ultimate power – they're afraid of it. Afraid of you. You must have seen it. They've held you back intentionally, haven't they? Forced you not to save many who you could have, if you didn't have to blindly follow their orders?"

How is he –

Only Palpatine knows these things.

"How do you know any of that?" he demands.

"Because that was me," Dooku replies evenly, "I wanted to fight for justice and they only served the Senate. They always said I had to stop. Eventually, I stopped listening and was considered more and mor rogue because of it. Finally, I left entirely to find my own way. I never lost a mother because of them, but I saw countless die whom I could have saved had the Jedi not forced me to stop."

He feels floaty and unreal. Dooku started down this path because he wanted to help? Because of all the same things Anakin's felt? He's not lying, Anakin's certain of that. And truthfully, Qui-Gon got his rogueness from somewhere. He just never thought so much of it was Dooku, except that Qui-Gon had a gentleness Dooku never has. "Then how, how could you begin doing what you?"

He feels the way the Dark Sie curls around Dooku. "Because sometimes, you have to be willing to go to any lengths to achieve what you want. For the greater good."

"Then how are you different than the Jedi? How are you any different than what you're fighting to destroy?"

"My old master was right about one thing," Dooku replies, tightly, "Once you start down this path, it will dominate your destiny forever – but that's not what I'm telling you to do. You have your padawan. You would do anything for her, the way I once would have Qui-Gon, before it was too late for me to save him. You needn't feel what it would mean for you embrace the Dark Side, I have no doubt that no matter what you could do, your padawan would pull you back."

He doesn't know how Dooku knew that was half of what was holding him back. The fear of what he would do if he lost it – but maybe he can still hold to the Light strong enough that he can find his way back.

And this is something he can choose. Even if he may regret it.

When Anakin reaches for the Dark Side again, the sheer power of it floods him full-force.

**w**

Anakin's disappeared to somewhere just like Obi-Wan anticipated but what he's not expecting the sudden wild shifting in the Force. Anakin's always burned brightly like a star and now it suddenly feels like he's going dark. Obi-Wan's felt him dark and broody before but never like this.

He picks up the pace as he moves through the halls, trying to track him down.

And then he does track down Anakin to right where he's fairly certain Anakin actually is – He throws the door open, suddenly wary because he senses Dooku too and he knows what the Count has done to Anakin -

But instead, they're both calmly sitting in the middle of the floor talking.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan demands fiercely, stepping inside.

They both freeze.

Anakin goes rigid, face paling a bit. "Master – "

"He's taking steps to save the galaxy where the Jedi have failed," Dooku replies calmly.

Did Anakin just – Fall?

Obi-Wan's feared what could happen if Anakin wasn't able to find balance but he never truly thought something like this. He saw him Fall on Mortis. He's feared it constantly on some level since but it always felt so unreal. Until this very moment. "Anakin," Obi-Wan demands, "What are you doing?"

"There's no other way, Obi-Wan. I had a vision." His gaze is on the floor.

"This isn't the way, Anakin," he argues. He understands the desperation he's feeling on some level – or at least, he can imagine it. If this were Anakin, he doesn't know what he'd do himself and he's already worried of Ahsoka dying will do to him, but Anakin losing himself in the Dark Side isn't any better of a route. "Dooku is just using you."

"I know." Anakin's hands clench. Dooku is eyeing him. "But – I have to save Ahsoka. I can't let her die."

"I don't think you're one to speak of using, Kenobi," Dooku remarks calmly, "When that's all the Jedi have ever done to Anakin."

Obi-Wan glowers. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I? You forced Anakin to leave his mother and refused to let him go back for her until she died." That – well, that actually is what happened he'll admit the guilt of that is not something he's ever quite been able to get rid of, . But that doesn't mean – "You only wanted him because he's your Chosen One – chosen to kill and that's all you've ever taught him. Not so unlike what you claim to hate about the Sith. And that he can't care for anyone even when that's all he wants. And did you once ask him if that's the way he wants?"

Is it?

But – "Anakin joined the Jedi because he always wanted to."

"As a child and a slave with no other way out. What choice did he have?"

Obi-Wan loathes how he doesn't even have an answer for that. "Like you're one to speak after how much you've hurt him."

"I'm not," Dooku replies curtly, "And I will not offer you my regrets when I know it will change nothing. But I'm willing to help you fight this problem and end it. And for just once, Kenobi, if you care for your padawan, might I suggest not taking this straight to the Council?"

He hadn't that far ahead yet. That's the reasonable course of action, but –

He doesn't know what they would do to Anakin either, were they to find out about how he's Fallen. "Anakin is coming with me, Count," he says icily.

"Yes, he is," Dooku agrees, nodding to Anakin. Obi-Wan's almost certain there's a silent communication there that he doesn't appreciate at all. "I'll see you both later. You can be on your way."

Obi-Wan waits until he's sure Anakin is coming before he leaves the room, as well.

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