The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?

Edgar Allen Poe

Qui-Gon stood up swiftly, running forward, Obi-Wan matching him stride for stride despite their height differences. They ran, and Qui-Gon could feel the heat of the shield singe the ends of his hair. He spun, dodging a hit from the Sith.

The fight raged on, and Qui-Gon could feel the fatigue dragging at his limbs, making his moves slower, less graceful.

And then the Sith knocked his feet out from under him.

Qui-Gon swore, barely avoiding falling in the pit. He rolled to his feet, lightsaber at the ready. He lunged forward, ready to help his padawan, when Obi-Wan's lightsaber sliced the Sith in half. Qui-Gon sighed, relieved that this whole mess was over. The Sith toppled backwards into the pit, his lightsaber held almost as if he had tried to stab Obi-Wan before he died.

"Master?" Obi-Wan whispered, and Qui-Gon jerked his head to look at him.

"Obi-Wan!' Qui-Gon cried, eyes widening at the hole in his Padawan's back. He rushed forward, catching Obi-Wan as he fell.

He sank to his knees, cradling Obi-Wan's head in his lap. He could feel the tears trickling down his face.

Obi-Wan reached up, catching the tears on his fingertips. His hand fell as his strength failed, and Qui-Gon caught his hand and held it in his own. Obi-Wan smiled. "It's alright, Master," he whispered. "I'm alright."

"No, you're not. You- you're dying." Qui-Gon could feel his voice crack.

"There is no death, there is the Force, right?" Obi-Wan rasped.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, his voice wavering.

"My failures always have been spectacular, haven't they, Master?,"

"Oh, no, Obi-Wan, you've been a good apprentice." Qui-Gon told him desperately.

"Don't worry Master. At least I don't have to worry about my Trials, or cleaning my room anymore. Anakin will like to have some space. He'll like my old models, I think. H-he d-deserves t-to have the chance that he a-almost didn't get. We have something in common, then." Obi-Wan's breath grew fainter, and Qui-Gon wished that he could heal him, that he had paid some attention to the healers.

He felt Obi-Wan's life slip away into the Force, and he finally sobbed, pulling Obi-Wan close.

Anakin watched, terrified, as Master Qui-Gon methodically went through Obi-Wan's room, stripping it until the room was almost bare. There was a desk, and a bed. The bed had fresh sheets on it, and the desk had been cleared.

Master Qui-Gon Walked past Anakin, and Anakin wanted to ask him why he had been so angry about clearing his Padawan's room out, but he was clearly still mad. Anakin had learned to hold his tongue years ago, and this was clearly not a time to speak out.

The Clones Wars

Three months after Christophsis

Ahoska sat on a her bunk, and leaned back, huffing. She didn't like it when she and her master had to work with her Grandmaster, but it was a necessity. She constantly wondered what had made Master Jinn so cold, but the one time she had asked, Anakin had given her a harsh glare that put an end to any questions she had on the subject.

"What are you thinking about?"

Ahsoka sat up, and studied the ghost her master claimed was an 'imaginary friend.' "You know, my master thinks I've started hallucinating."

"Really?" The ghost sounded interested. "Please tell him that I firmly believe in my own existence," he said dryly.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Of course we both believe you're real. You are, you know, the one my master thinks I'm hallucinating, and I really don't want to be insane."

"You're master thinks you're hallucinating?" The ghost asked curiously.

"Yeah," Ahsoka said patiently. She had gotten used to the memory gaps that the ghost was prone to.

"You told him about me?" The ghost asked.

Ahsoka looked up, startled. "Of course I did. I wanted to know if it was common for Jedi to see ghosts."

"I see your point," the ghost said, amusement lining his voice.

Ahsoka smiled at him. When she had started seeing the ghost a month ago, she thought she had lost it. Now, thanks to the ghost's odd sense of humour, they were friends. Sometimes Ahsoka thought that she actually had gone insane, but she could feel the ghost in the Force, and all her life she had been taught to trust in the Force.

The ghost smiled at her. "Check this out," he said, and started floating.

Ahsoka grinned at him. "That's amazing! Been practicing, have you?"

Then he disappeared, and Ahsoka sighed.

"Been practicing what, padawan?" Anakin asked from the doorway. "Talking to your imaginary friend?"

Ahsoka sighed. "He's not imaginary, he's a ghost."

"Oh?" Anakin said, eyebrow raised. "I'm stronger in the Force than you are. Why can't I see him?"

"I told you. He can't manifest when you're in the room," Ahsoka said in exasperation.

"Oh, how convenient!" Anakin snapped. "I'm worried about you, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka's head snapped up. "Me? Why?"

Anakin sighed. "Ahsoka, you claim that you see a ghost. Apparently it can't manifest around either Qui-Gon or I. Do you think that's normal?"

"So you think I'm crazy?" Ahsoka asked.

Anakin shook his head. "No! I think that you are a twelve year old girl that is fighting in a war. I think that you may be lonely, and your mind provided you with a friend."

Ahsoka stared at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. She blinked, and turned around, so that her back was to her master.

"I've arranged for you to speak to a Mind Healer once we're back on Coruscant," Anakin said. When she didn't respond he sighed. "Ahsoka, even Master Qui-Gon is worried about you. This is one thing we have agreed on. He never liked me, but he seems to like you, and we're worried."

When Ahsoka continued to ignore him, he sighed and left the room.

She lay there for about an hour before there was another knock at the door.

"Go away."

"Not happening, little 'un."

Ahsoka sat up, overjoyed. "Rex! Come in."

Rex walked in, and smiled at her. "What's wrong?"

Ahsoka shook her head, frustrated. "My Master thinks I'm crazy."

Rex's eyes widened at her frank response. "I don't believe that."

Ahsoka smiled humourlessly. "Neither do I. And yet, the conversation I just had with him begs to differ." Ahsoka wrapped her arms around her knees, and rested her chin on them. "He didn't outright say it- he actually claimed otherwise- but I could tell he was thinking it. He wants me to visit a Mind Healer."

Rex sat next to her on the bunk. "I don't pretend to understand the Force. But I know one thing. If this Force of yours has deemed you worthy to speak to this ghost of yours, then who am I to disagree?"

Ahsoka smiled at him. "Thanks, Rex."

"My pleasure, little 'un."

"Good morning, Padawan Tano."

Ahsoka glanced at the Healer, before returning her gaze to the Coruscant skyline. "Good morning, Healer Fyla."

Fyla smiled at her and glanced at the datapad in her hand. "Do you know why you're here?"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "My Master thinks that I'm hallucinating."

"And are you?"Fyla asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"No."

Fyla wrote something down. "Your master, and grandmaster, tell me that you say that you keep seeing a ghost. Can you tell me about that?"

"He's my friend. He is sarcastic, and sometimes I feel like I need a tall glass of water after talking to him, he's so dry." Ahsoka told her.

"I suppose I do have a talent for …. deadpan humour." the ghost said from behind her. Ahsoka groaned, while his shoulders and braid shook with his laughter.

"Are you alright, Padawan Tano?" Fyla asked.

Ahsoka nodded. "I'm alright. He just has a really bad sense of humor."

Fyla looked interested. "He's here?" Ahsoka nodded again. "Does he have a name? Can you describe him to me?"

"We don't know his name. He has amnesia. He has a Padawan braid, and he tends to forget what we're talking about in the middle of a conversation. We're working on it."

Fyla wrote something down. "How many friends, other than the ghost, do you have?"

Ahsoka tilted her head, considering. "Well, there's Rex, Barriss, and a few more clones."

Ahsoka was starting to get annoyed with Fyla writing things down. "Do you ever feel lonely?"

Ahsoka frowned. "Lonely? No, not really. I tend to be really busy, I spend time with Rex and the clones, and when I can, I spend time with Barriss. Other than that, I have a ghost following me around, pestering me."

Fyla jotted something else down, and stood up. "That concludes our session today. I'd like you to come back the day after tomorrow. Have a nice evening, Padawan Tano."

Ahsoka sighed with relief and left, the ghost floating along behind her.