"I hate you!" Searing pain, the agony of fire.

"You were like a brother to me, Anakin! I loved you!" His flesh burnt, consumed, killing him.

"Save me, Anakin!" Padme screamed for his help, reaching...

"Come help me, Ani! Please!" His mother, the prisoner of the sand people, in torment...

"Master Anakin, what are we going to do?" The faces of the children, so young, so innocent, not knowing

that the one they looked to to protect them was there to kill them.

"You told me you would save me, Anakin. Why didn't you keep your word?" She stood there, looking at him with reproach in her eyes.

"Padme, I'm sorry!" The words exploded in his mind but his voice was gone. "I'm so sorry! I'd do anything to get you back!"

"It's too late, Anakin." Her eyes pierced his heart, more painful than his body when it burned.

"No!" He sat up in bed. His breath came in harsh, grating gasps. He forced himself to stop, to breathe. Each breath was like a dagger

in his lungs, necessary pain. He pressed a metal hand to where his heart should have been; it found only machine.

He looked up, his gaze turned toward the mirror. A horrible face stared back at him; scarred, bald, hate-filled. He did not even recognize himself anymore.

A year had passed, a year since he had betrayed his mentor, slaughtered Jedi and younglings - murdered the woman he loved more than anything.

His cold metal fingers clenched into a fist - how could he? Why? The passed year f elt like eternity, a life condemned to be lived in hell.

He bowed his head. "How?" His voice was even strange to his ears; after all this time. He looked up at the ceiling, tears streaming from his eyes.

"HOW?" The scream tore from his throat, a sob took his breath away and strangled him. He could still hear her voice - all of their voices, haunting him, crying out "Anakin!"

But no - there was no more Anakin. Anakin was dead, buried in flames, tortured into ashes. He was Darth Vader now, a sith Lord, a creature of hate, fear, anger - darkness.

There was no going back.

Not for him.

"I'm sorry, Padme...

...I failed."