Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

A/N.: Thank you so much for all your kind words and reviews. I will be forever grateful of the love you have all shown for this story!

- Guest: Thank you so much! I'm happy you noticed the change in writing style. I suppose it wasn't the style itself; but it was like writing a whole new character so something needed to change. Thank you for making an exception and leaving your comment.

- Guest: Guess you'll find out now! ;)

- Sarah: Thank you!

Epilogue

It Will Never Truly End

Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi Knight.

Anakin Skywalker. The Lord of the Sith.

Anakin Skywalker. The Chosen One.

How can one can be so many things during the course his life and still reach a crossroads and benothing, or all, or something else entirely?

Who was Anakin Skywalker?

That was a question yet to be answered.

But what Anakin Skywalker was, was alive.

He hadn't thought he would be. He'd entered that fight expecting to perish with his foe. But that would just be too easy, wouldn't it? It would have been easy to reach that culmination point and do what he was supposed to do and just join the Force, as if it had no need for him anymore.

But apparently, it had. What that need was he was yet to discover.

Now, as he meditated, engulfed in the Force and listening to the quiet waters of the lake on Varykino, he knew there was still a path to be chosen; a road to walk through. But which one he did not know.

Suddenly Anakin found himself without the burden of destroying the Sith. Finally he sensed the Force around him and within him perfectly in balance, like it was supposed to be; an explosion of light and clarity.

But what it meant as well was that, at last, his destiny was his own.

He opened his eyes and allowed the sun to warm his skin. He breathed in the soothing spring air and he watched along the green plains of Naboo. His children were there, lying on the grass, getting to know each other as if they had an unbreakable connection.

They laughed. And what a beautiful sound it was. They were happy and they were free; their lives so filled with possibilities.

Anakin had never before experienced the Force without the shroud of the Dark Side hanging over it. It used to be blurry and the future ambiguous. Now the future of his children was clear; well, not their exact future. But all of the paths that could possibly be laid before them; all of the decisions they could come to make. But the future was always in motion. Every step, every word, every deed was capable of creating a new set of events to unfurl.

That was the beauty of life; its uncertainty, every surprise it brought. And that was the power of the Force: liberty, free-will. That was the balance. Not being pulled and prodded to the whims of one man, as it had been so long by the Sith. Balance was to allow it to freely flow and manifest in every choice of every being in the Galaxy.

Anakin smiled. For some time he had been able to, truly. He would never forget his past; his very future depended on it. But somehow, even if limited by the things he had done, he could feel some semblance of happiness and peace; even if he hadn't deserved it.

His musings were interrupted by the soft footsteps of Padmé approaching. Like he had heard so many times over the years, the Force fluttered around her, caressing her with its light. She was not able to feel it, but he sensed it every time that she walked into a room.

Yet, even though she had been happier than he had ever known her to be, on that day, something troubled her.

She settled next to him silently and a smile formed on her lips as she watched their children. "They're so beautiful, aren't they?"

Anakin nodded but said nothing. The weight of that moment, however, did not escape him. He knew what disturbed her as they stood on the same balcony where they had gotten married so many years before. It would always remain one of his most treasured memories. How would it have been if he had forgotten it completely? He didn't care to think about it, so he dismissed the offending thought.

"I love you, Anakin." Padmé said, as she averted her gaze towards him. The Force around her told him that she had yet to finish speaking. He took her hand into his and squeezed it gently, encouraging her to continue, even though he already knew what she wanted to say. "But," Padmé offered, after a long pause, "I don't think I can do this."

Anakin smiled and took his wife's hand to his lips. He placed a soft kiss on them. He lingered, aware it would be the last one.

How would she after all that had happened? By becoming Darth Vader, Anakin destroyed everything Padmé ever held dear. He took away the love of her life, her children, the Republic and, nearly, her life.

No love would survive it in spite of how clear the Force had become; no balance could erase those memories. Regardless of how much Anakin had changed, he knew it was over the day he became Sith. Redemption was his but it did not mean his actions had been forgotten; nor could they be.

They had to be remembered and bore into the mind of Jedi to come as a cautionary tale of someone who had fallen into darkness and fought his way back into the light, but had lost so much along the way.

Those memories would forever linger in his mind and forever trouble Padmé. She would never forget the man she loved hold her neck with his invisible grip; she would never forget he had killed children and his brothers and sisters; she would never forget that she feared him so that she had given her children away at birth.

And neither would Anakin. He was yet to fully forgive himself; how would she ever do it?

"I know." He finally replied, looking into her eyes. The Force spoke to him and he looked at their children in the distance. "We have done what we were meant to do. Now you are free, Padmé." They had. When he dove into the Force and peeked into their futures and something was perfectly clear. They were the future of the Jedi, they were born to bring light into the Galaxy and spread it across every corner of it, regardless of the paths they chose to take.

It hadn't happened yet and Anakin was so proud of them already.

She released a humorless chuckle; almost pained. Her eyes shone with unshed tears. "Free? How can I be free if I know I will forever love the man that I cannot fathom being with?"

"By letting go." He replied softly. "And by knowing that our love, flawed as it was, not only created our children, but was strong enough to bring me back from the darkness. You, Padmé Amidala, are the strongest woman I know; and that is why I have loved you since I was a little boy and will love you until my dying breath. But our paths, although destined to cross, were never destined to merge. So you will be happy, and I will do what you have asked me that day on Mustafar: I will make amends for what I've done and devote my life to it."

Anakin caressed his wife's cheek one last time and she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. "How?" she asked.

He smiled. "Only the Force knows."

There was something Anakin Skywalker had to do. A difficult task indeed, painful, but it could not be delayed.

During the weeks of recuperation from the grave injuries he had suffered during the course of his battle with the Dark Side, his Master had visited him from the netherworld of the Force and had shown him the first step to the discovery of his new path; a path the Force, in all its wisdom, had decided to keep a mystery.

Perhaps, it was better this way. Knowing what he was meant to do during all his life had become, at some point, a burden far too heavy to bear.

Not knowing was liberating. Not knowing was to have a choice.

And this time, Anakin knew, he would make the right one, for now the Force was with him and they had become a single entity, perfectly attuned, moving together in perfect unison.

Now, at long last, Anakin knew what it meant to be the child of the Force. It was to be the Force, to succumb to its will, to allow it to guide him at every step. To be the child of the Force was to be at peace.

And Anakin left Naboo without a promise of return; for how could he if he knew not what the will of the Force was?

During his trip he was unsettled; not afraid, but sorrowful. The person he was about to seek might very well be the one he had hurt the most.

The Force would not show him the outcome of that meeting and Anakin knew that, after all he had done, there was the possibility of not leaving that planet alive. If it came to that he would accept his ending. If it didn't he would accept it as well.

Whatever happened in that place would be the will of the Force.

Skywalker landed his ship on one of the few clearings the swamp planet had to offer. As soon as his boots hit the ground he immediately felt them sinking slightly in the humid dirt.

The Force felt odd there, plagued by the Dark Side. It was unfortunately a familiar natural conduit to it, just like Mustafar had been. And, despite everything, it made a shiver run down his spine.

It was a good hiding place however. And Anakin was not surprised Yoda had elected Dagobah for his exile.

He reached out with the Force, searching for the old Grandmaster. His presence was fading, but it was there. It stood out among all the other life in that place. And such life there was. There were critters of thousands or even millions of different species. They roamed freely in that beacon of life so contrasting with the energy of the Dark Side that emanated from the planet itself; unbothered and untouched by it.

Anakin zoned in the spot of light that the Force showed him and began his walk. It would prove to be a long one that dragged itself through the night. When he stopped to rest he could hear the nature surrounding him; the tree leaves bellowing against the wind; the tiny night insects chirping, the occasional small lizards sneaked under his legs. All of their lives flowed perfectly through the Force, and Anakin breathed it in, for he had never once been in a place so devoid of interference from sentient life; so pure and tainted at the same time.

The night air became cold and Anakin could feel his cheeks and nose reddening. He pulled his cloak closer around himself and tried to rest, despite the uncertainty of his encounter.

He could not however. It was too cold, it was hard to keep himself dry, there was so much life that the Force wouldn't stop swirling around him and his shame invaded his thoughts.

Yoda would surely never forgive him. Maybe he shouldn't, perhaps that was the wise thing to do.

Soon he felt that flicker of light approaching. Master Yoda had sensed his presence.

Anakin stood and turned around. A shuffle of a nearby shrub in the darkness came first and then the rhythmic sound of that familiar gimer stick, digging into in the wet dirt and sending a small splash of mud around every time it was lifted in between each of the aging steps of the longest surviving Jedi in existence.

His surroundings were completely darkened by the night. The only light there was bestowed by the moon that shone dimly in the night sky.

He was able to sense rather than see the old Master finally making his way towards him.

The green tint of a lightsaber finally lit Yoda's features. He looked tired and old, much older than he had the last time Anakin had seen him, almost sixteen years ago. His ragged robes gave him the appearance of a crazy hermit rather than that of a wise man.

Anakin thought for a moment that he would strike him with his weapon, and in earnest he didn't flinch and was at peace with any fate that would be cast upon him. But as he raised it above his head he knew that was not his intention. All he was doing was lighting the way.

And there they stood, facing each other in silence. For a moment Anakin was at a loss of what to do. But suddenly he felt himself fall to his knees and bow his head in shame.

There he was, before that wise old man, the one who had been a beacon to Jedi for generations, to the people he had managed to destroy. He could not stand above him and he felt so very small.

Anakin felt the words come out of his mouth, without him willing it; the Force acting through him and showing him his own feelings.

"I know there is no forgiveness for what I have done, Master. But I ask it of you nonetheless." He said, suddenly feeling tears he didn't know he had flowing down his cheeks silently.

Yoda regarded him silently and hummed. "A long time it took you, Young Skywalker, to come and find me. Come. Speak by the fire, we must. Too old for this cold, I am."

Anakin lifted his head and was surprised to see the old Master already walking away; the lightsaber suddenly turned off. He didn't wait for him and, in his astonishment, Anakin didn't stand right away.

Of all the reactions he could have possibly imagined, that was not the one he expected. He had anticipated some sort of outburst; at the very least an unkind word. He would think that the Master would have shown disappointment or even pain. But his expression was blank.

Finally he wiped his tears with the sleeve of his cloak and stood, taking long strides to where Yoda was. He walked behind him and kept his pace small. He was slower than he remembered; he was older and not just in years. Everything he had ever fought for had been taken from him by one of his own. By one of the very children that he helped raise.

Back then Anakin hadn't harbored much respect for the Master. He had rejected him, after all. Now he knew he probably should have rejected him. Perhaps the Jedi Order would still be. But there was no use in lingering in the past. What was done was done.

They finally reached a small precarious hut; a chain of smoke came out of the chimney and beyond the window candle light flickered softly.

Had this been the place where he had been living for so long? Robbed of his home, of his Temple and settled in a place where he did not even have power to warm him during the cold nights.

And it was his fault, Anakin knew it. His and Sidious'. At least it was the fault of the man he once had been and not the man he had finally become. But somehow, as much as he changed it would never cease to be him.

His infamy ran deeper.

They didn't speak a word as Anakin ducked his head to fit through the small door. He could not even stand up straight inside the small makeshift house. Yoda settled on a bench before the fire that was burning and heating the house and motioned with his gimer stick for young Skywalker to do the same.

Anakin could barely bear to look him in the eyes; so he settled for crossing his hands on his lap and stare at them instead.

"For eight hundred years a Jedi, I have been." The old Master started with a sigh. "And failed, I have."

"No Master, I have failed you. I have failed everyone." Anakin said, still unable to tear away his eyes from his hands.

"Yes. But blind I was to see it. Yet, returned to the light, have you not? Bring balance to the Force, you have? Yes, yes. Sense it I did. The Sith are no more. Your part you have done and now you must continue."

Yoda nodded pensively and stared at the fire.

Anakin took a deep breath and finally looked at the Jedi before speaking. "I will turn myself in and accept punishment for my actions, Master."

Yoda's hears perked back and his gimer stick hit his metallic shin. "Run, you will? Again? Hide yourself in a cell, you will? Like you hid yourself in that mask? Ignore the destruction you left behind, you will? No, no. To live with what you have done your punishment will be. And to mend what you have broken."

Skywalker released an unamused chuckle. "Obi-Wan told me once that I would never be a Jedi, that I was not worthy of it. And I am not. But my children need a Master. They need you, Master Yoda."

"Worthy you are not. But a Jedi you are. More than you have ever been. A Master your children have. Return I will not. Tired I am, my life coming to its end. One with the Force I will soon be. Ready I am, now that you have fulfilled your purpose." Yoda stood and walked towards the makeshift bed, lying under the covers.

Anakin followed him and knelt beside the Grandmaster. "I don't know if I can do this, Master. The Jedi still need you."

"No. The past I am." Yoda said, his eyes closing. "The future, your children are. With them, the Jedi will return."

Anakin knew he was dying; the Force was telling him so. Gathering around him slowly and coaxing him to join it; softly telling him he would finally be alright and Yoda, believing it, was finally letting go. It was as if he had been waiting for that moment; for the moment when he would be able to say his final piece, for the moment where he would give his last order to a Knight. And now that he had, he was allowing the Force to take him to live in it in peace. And he deserved it. The young Jedi arranged the covers over his Master and Yoda smiled. "Happy I am, that you have returned, young Anakin."

"I will do my best, Master. I promise. The Jedi will return." Yoda nodded and his eyes closed at last. Anakin felt the Force leaving his body, its bright light flickering away and merging with the world around it. The old Master took his last breath and a peaceful smile adorned his features. Suddenly, his very flesh joined the Force and it cried out with happiness around him as it welcomed one of its favorite children.

Anakin left Dagobah with a path. Something he had not had in so long. To make amends was to rebuild what he had broken.

The time had come for a new Jedi Order and, he hoped, for a better Jedi Order. One that would not shy away from love; one that would follow the will of the Force alone.

When he had arrived he did not know who he was; now he knew. He was Anakin Skywalker, Master of Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker; the last Jedi.

And the first Jedi.

"But I'm trying!" Leia said; her frustration was as clear in her voice as it was in the Force.

Master Skywalker let out a sigh. Teaching could be exasperating at times and Leia only joined him and Luke for brief periods. She had an inclination for politics he could not understand; but it was her path of choice. There was so much of her mother in her that he wouldn't even mind if she had refused to learn the ways of the Force at all.

He tried to hide the frustration in his voice. As much as she tried, the large rock would not budge and they needed it to so they could get into the old Temple.

"You can't try Leia. You must believe. There is no weight or size in the Force. Free your mind of all that is unnecessary and guide the Force to lift it. Again. And Luke, stop laughing at your sister." He scolded as he heard the boy snicker beside him.

They had both grown since they had begun their studies even though not even a year had passed.

Luke was an eager student and Leia, although filled with such raw power, had other interests and, in the beginning, had taken her time to warm up to her newly found father. But she eventually did and now, even though they weren't yet as close as he was with Luke, their connection had been growing steadily.

"But I can do it! We'd be inside already!" The boy protested.

Anakin shot him a look of disapproval. "I know you can and so can I. That's why neither of us are doing it. Patience, Luke." That was proving to be a lesson for both his young apprentices.

The Jedi turned his attention to his other student once more. "Believe Leia." He said.

She looked at him and back at the large stone that was blocking the entrance of the ancient Jedi Temple. Closing her eyes, she reached out her hands and took a deep breath. Anakin saw her mouthing the word believe and he smiled.

A sound came out of the stone and, a few seconds later, it moved slightly. Leia took another deep breath and tried again and slowly the rock floated through the air and the entrance was revealed at last. She moved it to her right; her eyebrows were furrowed just like her mother's did when she was deeply concentrated. And then she dropped it, causing a loud thud that echoed on the mountains around them.

Anakin smiled. "See? I told you."

Leia squealed. "I did it!" She raised her arms up in the air and ran to hug her brother.

"Come on, let's go inside." Anakin said softly and awfully regretful that he had to cut the celebration short. But they were on a mission and soon night would fall.

They walked inside the old Temple, one of the many across the Galaxy they had been searching for. Slowly but surely they had been succeeding; one after the other they found and searched. Gathering the missing pieces of knowledge and wisdom of the Jedi of Old was more important than ever if there was ever to be a Jedi Order once more.

Together they searched those halls and together they found what they had been looking for. A great room filled with holocrons from floor to ceiling, untouched for centuries. Anakin smiled, pleased with the discovery.

"This is the biggest one so far!" Said Luke, marveled by the sight.

The older Jedi nodded and began running his fingers through the shelves. He closed his eyes and let the light that sealed the devices invade him.

Thousands of years of wisdom surrounded them. He looked around him and the Force showed him that Temple full of Jedi whose names he would never know. It told him that that was the place; it began waving around it and tugging at his mind.

They explored it further, it seemed untouched. Like it had stopped in time, as if it was waiting for the ones that would come behind them. As if it was waiting for them.

Anakin ran his hands on the dusty walls and the Force flowed through them; what a deep connection that place and the Force had. It waved around them freely and wildly, like a river that runs down a mountain.

It was beautiful.

Home. The Force told him softly. Home.

So far in the Unknown Regions, the Skywalkers had finally found the new home of the Jedi Order.

He could imagine that place being filled with life and children once more; with Masters, Knights and Padawans. Their light reviving those old stone walls. Anakin sat on the dusty floor and closed his eyes, basking in the joy of the Force and making it his own.

"I think we have found what we were looking for." He whispered to his students, who had now settled silently on both his sides. They dared not speak loudly, for fear it would disturb the peace of their new Temple.

It was only the beginning of their mission; there was still so much to do.

But he knew that, as any quest worth undertaking, it will never truly end.

The End

A/N: This is it! And I can't believe it's over. This story was such a journey to write. It was a whirlwind of emotions. To write a broken man being mended was quite something and I can honestly say I loved every moment of it. It was a story that didn't take much editing because I always wanted it to feel as raw as possible and I think I succeeded.

Thank you everyone for all of the love you have shown for it, for sticking around and for leaving me your feedback. I hope you enjoyed reading it at least half as much as I have enjoyed writing. And I hope people continue to enjoy it in the future as it silently sits in this archive.

Now, I will finish my other story! (finally) in case you want to check it out. And I have a few ideas. (Maybe even a sequel brewing in case I feel it's good enough.)

Please enjoy, leave your reviews (present and future) and, if you have any question at all about the story or the characters, feel free to pm me and ask.

For now, goodbye my lovely readers. :)