Damned By The Light

Disclaimer--Guess

The Force circled around the boy, wrapping him in a gentle embrace. The Force knows it must choose a destiny for him, but doesn't want to. He doesn't want this boy to lose his innocence so soon.

But duty calls, so the Force continues, though reluctantly. This boy will be special.

*~*

A boy ran to his mother, whimpering slightly. "Why are those men here? They want to take me away."

The mother shook her head. "They need to. You do not belong here."

The boy whimpered more. "You don't love me?" The boy cries silent tears.

The mother knelt before her son. "No, my dear. Never. But you have a gift, one that Daddy and I can't help with. Those men," she pointed to them, who had stopped a short distance away, "those men can help you."

She hugged her son, who was crying stronger now. "Be strong, my Obi-Wan. They will take care of you."

*~*

The Force sighed. It felt bad for the mother, having her son leave so early. But he does have a game to play.

*~*

"Please, Master Jinn, this is my last chance! If you don't take me, I won't become a Jedi," Obi-Wan begged.

Master Jinn looked stonily down at the twelve year old. "A Jedi who begs?"

Obi-Wan shook his head rapidly, tears threatening. "No, Master Jinn. I—"

The Master walked off, leaving a stricken boy in his wake.

*~*

The Forced smiled a bit. Their relationship will be an interesting one indeed.

*~*

Obi-Wan looked up at his master. "Is it always this hard?"

Qui-Gon nodded sadly, and sat next to his apprentice. "No matter what you do, your love for her will never leave. But you can hide it, and lock it away."

The tear streaked boy leaned on his master. "How?"

"Time," was the only reply.

*~*

Jedi can't love. The Force knew that, but he had this boy love a young woman, and have his heart broken.

*~*

"Master." The voice was broken, shattered. Almost like his heart. But his heart isn't broken, not yet.

The master lifted a hand, and touched the tear-stained cheek. "Obi-Wan…." Qui-Gon smiled, a crooked one, but a smile nevertheless. "Let…me…go…"

Obi-Wan shook his head rapidly. "No, Master! You can't die!"

The master shook his head, and made his last words. "Train-"he coughed viciously. "-the boy. He will bring…balance."

And with that, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn once again left a stricken boy in his wake.

*~*

The Force cried a little. He didn't want this man to die! But Obi-Wan had to train Anakin, and this was the only way.

*~*

"Anakin!"

The boy spun, and faced his Master. "I won't apologize. He deserved it." He said it calmly, without hate or regret.

Obi-Wan slowly walked up, looking down at the boy. "Whether he deserved it or not, is not the question. We're questioning your anger, your-"

"Just shut up! I know I'm not perfect! I know you didn't want me in the first place!" Anakin shouted, sizing him up. "I hate you," he hissed. Anakin stalked away.

Obi-Wan looked on in sadness.

*~*

It almost laughed. Their relationship will be close to what it was with Qui-Gon.

*~*

"I'm sorry, Master. I-I got carried away."

"Well, that's an understatement."

Anakin smiled a little. "I know, and I know I can't take back my words, but I wish to."

Obi-Wan smirked, but it was a sad one. "Wishing is not being in the moment."

Anakin smirked back.

They sat in silence, staring at one another. "Now what?" Anakin asked.

"I think we start over."

*~*

The Force relished in their short time together, before everything came tumbling down.

*~*

Obi-Wan looked around at their small circle, with only twenty or so Jedi left. Shaak Ti, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Mace Windu…

His eyes came to rest on his Padawan. He was looking at the small circle too. Their eyes met, both full with sorrow.

This day was not a day to be celebrated.

*~*

The Force, though already knowing of the parts to be played out, was still surprised that it took a war to bring Obi-Wan some sense of peace with Anakin.

*~*

The two men stared at each other, dark blue to blue-gray eye. To Obi-Wan, for some unknown reason, this moment felt like it would be the last time they looked at each other, truly.

*~*

If only they knew.

*~*

The master bowed his head, unable to look his friend in the eye.

"If he asked me to spy on you, do you think I would?"

Obi-Wan could hardly answer. He felt as if their world was shattering.

"I didn't ask for you to be put in this situation. Believe me, please!" Obi-Wan looked up.

He saw Anakin's' retreating figure.

*~*

It danced around the boy some more. It almost stopped. Things were getting rougher, and harder.

*~*

Obi-Wan clutched his head, lightsaber almost falling out of his grip. He felt Boga shift beneath him, feeling her mounts anxiety. She conked softly.

He patted her gently. "Just a headache girl. Nothing to worry about."

She suddenly flung herself, so he was now parallel to the floor.

Then he was falling.

*~*

The Force felt horrified at what it was doing. It almost cried.

*~*

He knelt beside the body of a youngling, absently stoking her unstained cheek. "Who? Who could've done this?"

"Know already, you do."

*~*

No, he doesn't. He doesn't need to. But the Force has him learn anyways.

*~*

The blue-gray eyes looks down at the holofigure.

Later, he realized, he never got a chance to cry.

*~*

The Force bowed its head, and paused. It wanted-needed-to regain some composer.

*~*

"You're going to kill him, aren't you?"

He looks down.

"I-I can't. Obi-Wan…"

He walks out, down-trodden.

"I'm so sorry."

*~*

He means it.

*~*

"My allegiance is the Republic, to democracy!"

….

"I have failed you, Anakin," he shouted.

"I have failed you," he whispered.

….

"This is the end for you, my Master. I wish it were otherwise."

For a moment, Obi-Wan thought he saw a flicker of regret, but it left.

"Yes, Anakin. So do I."

….

"Don't try it!"

Anakin leapt.

….

Obi-Wan cried now, for the loss of the Jedi, for Padme, for almost anything. "You were the Chosen One! It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"

He backed off, half turned away. "You were my brother, Anakin!" he choked, not shouting anymore. "I loved you."

*~*

The Force knew it be true. Yet it knew that the boy was some-what lying.

*~*

The hermit looks around at his desert home. Nothing new.

*~*

The Force smiled a little. Not for long.

*~*

"You fought in the Clone Wars?"

The hermit nodded. "I was a Jedi Knight, the same as your father."

The boy smiled apologetically. "My father didn't fight in the Clone Wars. He was a space navigator."

"That's what you uncle told you. He didn't want you to run on some mission with the damned-fool wizard, Obi-Wan."

His eyes got a far-away look in his eyes.

*~*

The Force wished that he could go on some mission. But that has gone a long time ago. Now, he's got to do one more thing.

*~*

The blue-gray eyes met the dark beetle eyes of the mask. "Good-bye, Anakin." He raised his lightsaber.

He could feel his former apprentice hesitate. For a moment, he thought Vader-Anakin? - was going to let him live. But then the red lightsaber was swinging toward him.

"I love you."

He believes he heard some agreement.

*~*

The Force slowly withdrew, crying freely. He knew that this boy had a game to play. But the Force didn't want him to play it. It almost went back, and changed everything, but didn't. As it said earlier, he had a game to play. The Force hoped that somehow the dark would come and fix everything, but it was wrong.

This boy-this man-was damned by the light