Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by George Lucas. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

XxRandomNemesisxX: True... very true. *smacks Anakin* :D

anakinpadmekenobi: Obi-Wan is a very strong character. He's dealt with a lot of horrible things in his lifetime, and he never gave in. I certainly don't think he's willing to give up now. At least, I hope not!

Kyer: Same here. Anakin is a baby, which was why I didn't really like him in Episodes 2 and 3. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, is a much more interesting character. He doesn't beg for our sympathy - he earns it.

pronker: The dream sequences were difficult to write, due mostly to the fact that I've hardly ever written first person. The emotional was also hard to capture, so I'm glad it turned out well. And I feel very sorry for Obi-Wan right now. Everything bad seems to happen to him :(

ObiBettina7: You are correct! Things will be coming to a head very soon. Obi-Wan and Anakin are both blind to each other's feelings. They really need to open up to each other! You'll see that soon enough. ;D

Yereton: Thanks! I'm glad you think so.

Estora: Obi-Wan is fun to torture. It's probably because he keeps his feelings bottled up inside... Yay for Obi-torture! *high five* Padme made me mad in that chapter, as well. I don't think she was really thinking about Obi-Wan's feelings at all. It was more about her getting rid of that weight on her shoulders than anything else. Not much of a confession, if you ask me. :P And thank you so much! Like I said before, the dreams were difficult to write, so it means a lot.

Again, thank you all for your comments! I appreciate them, as usual, and I always will. It makes my day when I open up my computer and see that you've all reviewed! I hope this next chapter lives up to your expectations.

For those of you who care, the last chapter's title was based on the song "Dear Agony" by Breaking Benjamin.

Important Note: After Chapter Ten (the chapter after this one) is posted, I will be taking a short leave from this story (a hiatus, if you will). I've divided the story up into two parts, so to speak, because I need the time away from the story so that I can focus my attentions on other things. Don't worry. I won't be gone long (three or four weeks, maybe). This will give me time to catch up on my writing and finish most of the story.

And so, without further ado, I give you Chapter Nine!

WHAT LIES BENEATH

- Chapter Nine -

Haunted

"Perhaps you felt betrayed?"

"... Do something... Confront them... Act..."

Those thoughts haunted him. How long would he feel like this? He was helpless.

Padme and Obi-Wan didn't trust him. He had made one simple mistake, and they had both turned against him. They were probably plotting behind his back already. Even the Jedi were going to betray him, according to his dream. Chancellor Palpatine was his only loyal friend. He was the only one who could be trusted.

Anakin was a threat. He was the Chosen One, and they were all jealous. They wanted to exterminate him. That was why Obi-Wan had killed him in his dream. He was dangerous... He was unpredictable... Too powerful. They envied him.

"Do you really believe that?" a voice whispered in the back of his mind. "You're a Jedi. You're better than this."

"I can't trust the Jedi anymore... They're flawed - evil. Just as Palpatine said."

"Are you so easily swayed? Snap out of it! This isn't you!"

"Everyone I love is going to betray me! I have to do something."

"This isn't the way. This isn't the Jedi way!"

Anakin growled and pushed the voice away, waving a hand to slide open the door to Padme's apartment.

She was there, sitting on the couch, waiting for him. Her hands were folded together on her lap, and her gaze shifted to him when he stepped inside. She didn't smile. Instead, her face was calm and composed - beautiful. He grinned and crossed his arms, admiring her from a distance.

"Good evening, Love," he said playfully, staring into those dark brown eyes that he had always adored.

"Anakin."

Her greeting was cold, but Anakin didn't notice. He walked toward her and sat on the couch, scooting closer until their legs were touching. He reached out a hand and grasped hers. She didn't pull away.

"You're beautiful, Padme."

"Anakin, I have to tell you something."

"What is it?" His voice was barely above a whisper as he brought his face close to hers, breathing in the pleasant aroma of spring flowers, fresh perfume, and the lake-side scent of Naboo. But there was something else... a smell that didn't belong - something foreign and male.

"Obi-Wan has been here."

Love changed to suspicion in an instant. He no longer cared how beautiful Padme looked, nor what she had wanted to tell him. She and Obi-Wan had been plotting behind his back... Betraying him...

"Yes," Padme stated simply. "I am glad he isn't actually dead, like you seemed to think."

Anakin knew what she was getting at. She was trying to say that he had been wrong, that he had been foolish. That angered him. He jumped up from his seat and stood in front of her, pointing a finger accusingly.

"What have you and he been up to?"

"Anakin!" Padme shouted, scolding him as she, too, stood up. She reached for his arm. He jerked away from her grasp.

"You're going to betray me, aren't you? My nightmare is going to come true! Just as Palpatine said..."

"Palpatine?"

"Obi-Wan couldn't help me. He only made things worse. Chancellor Palpatine understands me. He helped me. He made me see the truth."

"Anakin..."

"Where is he?" Anakin turned around, searching the room. "Where is Obi-Wan? When I find him... Oh, when I find him..."

"Anakin, stop!"

That dark part of him that he had been fighting to control broke free. He wasn't himself. He wasn't Anakin. He was the man from his nightmare, the man who had murdered all of those innocent people, and he didn't even realize it. Padme was no longer standing before him. He did not acknowledge her presence; he forgot about her completely. She was screaming at him to calm down, but he couldn't hear her. This new Anakin was oblivious to everything.

"He doesn't really care about me, and neither do you. You're both plotting against me. You want me gone. You're jealous! You're all jealous! You hate me!" His eyes watered and tears began to form, but he didn't care. He didn't wipe them away. "You should hate me. I deserve it... I... I... Oh, when I find him... When I find him, I'm going to kill him!"

"Anakin!"

Padme grabbed both of his arms roughly and shook him, trying vainly to stop his psychotic frenzy. He broke through her grasp, striking out at her, and she fell to the ground with a cry.

Anakin snapped out of it. He couldn't remember anything. One moment he had been Anakin, sitting on the couch with his wife. And then he had been a monster. What had he done? What had he said in his anger? Looking down, he saw Padme. She was sitting on the floor with her knees tucked to her chest, slowly scooting away from him. Her brown eyes were wet and wide with fright, her mouth open as if she were about to scream.

"Padme! I'm so sorry..."

"No!" she cried, standing up quickly. She pressed a hand to her forehead where he had struck her and backed up. "Get away from me!"

"Padme..."

"No!"

Anakin moved forward, reaching out a hand to touch her arm, and she pulled back.

"Padme, I didn't mean it! I didn't mean any of it! I'm sorry! I'm sorry..."

Padme shook her head. The anger and sadness in her eyes were evident. She turned her back on him. Anakin could hear her enter their bedroom, and the door slid shut with a loud slam behind her.

"I didn't mean it!" he screamed after her. "I didn't mean it!"

* * *

"Anakin, what's wrong?"

"... I killed them all..."

"... He's jealous... He's holding me back!"

"Come to your senses!"

"Someday I will be the most... powerful Jedi ever!"

"... He said you've turned to the dark side..."

"... The Jedi turned against me... Don't you turn against me!"

"... You were my brother, Anakin!"

"... I love you!"

"Liar!"

When he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he no longer saw Anakin. The face staring back at him was the face from his nightmare. Dark, grim, twisted by evil... Even his eyes were not the same as they had once been. They were red from crying, dull and dim instead of the bright blue they had previously been. His brow was creased in a frown that wouldn't go away, his hair a mess. He couldn't tell if the water trickling down his face was from his tears or his sweat, but it didn't matter.

He grabbed the brush sitting on the bathroom counter - Padme's brush - and studied it tenderly. He had given it to her as an anniversary gift two years ago. She loved it. She was so beautiful when she stood on the balcony, running that brush through her dark curls...

"You're so... beautiful..."

With a snarl, he raised his hand and hurled it at his reflection. Glass shattered, falling everywhere, and the brush snapped in half, but he didn't care.

He stepped inside the shower and turned on the water. His clothes were quickly soaked, sticking to his body, and he slid down to a sitting position. The water trickled down his face, hiding his tears. Maybe if he sat there long enough, locked away in the shower, his evil deeds would be washed away...

"... They're like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals... I hate them!"

"... she died in my arms... I killed everyone... I killed them all..."

"Padme..."

".... No!"

"I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!"

"... Perhaps you felt betrayed?"

"It's all Obi-Wan's fault. He's jealous! He's holding me back!"

"... Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me..."

"... Oh, when I find him... When I find him, I'm going to kill him!"

"... You were my brother, Anakin! ... I loved you!"

"I HATE YOU!"

The water continued to pour down, but it did him no good. It could never cleanse him. He was falling... falling... Over the roar of the shower, he could hear Padme. She was just outside the door.

"Anakin, please come out. We can talk about this. I know you didn't mean it. I know you didn't--"

"Go away, Padme," he snapped, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the tiled wall behind him. "Leave me alone."

"Anakin--"

"Just... go away."

He didn't hear her anymore. She had done as he'd asked. She'd left him. Standing up, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel, drying himself. He changed into a fresh robe and left the room, leaving the shattered glass of the mirror behind him. He didn't even bother to say goodbye to Padme before he left the house.

He had one concern.

Find Obi-Wan.

The voice in the back of his mind pleaded with him. "You're better than this... This isn't the Jedi way!"

He ignored it.

"It's not too late. Turn back! Turn back now!"

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of that annoying voice. "I can't... It's too late. Padme already hates me, and it's all Obi-Wan's fault."

"No. Obi-Wan can help you!"

Anakin shook his head again, and this time the voice did go away.

* * *

He found Obi-Wan sleeping in the middle of the hallway, his back leaned against the door to Anakin's old quarters. It was an odd sight. Anakin had never seen his master so... vulnerable. His face was smooth and peaceful, his muscles relaxed as he snored softly, lost in another world. All of his troubles were gone, replaced only by a sense of peace. Anakin wished he could join his master in the comfortable doze, but he couldn't. Not under such hostile circumstances.

"Master," he said loudly, nudging the sleeping Jedi with the toe of his boot.

Obi-Wan stirred and groaned, his eyelids fluttering open groggily. He yawned and raised his hands above his head in an effort to loosen the stiffness in his muscles. When he opened his eyes completely and saw who it was who had awoken him, Obi-Wan scowled.

"Oh, it's you."

"What are you doing here?"

Anakin didn't try to keep the anger from creeping into his voice. It didn't matter. There was no stopping this argument.

Obi-Wan studied him, stroking his auburn-colored beard like he usually did when thinking. Anakin couldn't tell what was on his old master's mind, but he knew that it was nothing good. Their last meeting hadn't gone so well, and Anakin's appearance would surely let Obi-Wan know that he still wasn't himself.

"I came to visit you last night, but it seems that you had... other plans."

Anakin crossed his arms over his chest, saying nothing. He pushed past Obi-Wan and slid open the door to his room, stepping inside, and Obi-Wan pushed himself to his feet to follow him. The door closed behind the two with a snick. Anakin spun around on his heels to face Obi-Wan.

"I know why you came to visit me, Master, and I know you don't trust me. I know I've made mistakes... Too many to count. And I know I keep saying I'm sorry... But sorry is never enough, is it?" A short pause. "Just tell me, why would you want to betray me? Why would you want to hurt me? I've done nothing unforgivable, have I?"

"What are you talking about, Anakin? I would never betray you. What would make you think that?"

Obi-Wan's blue-green eyes bore into him, searching his soul, seeing everything. Anakin hated the way his old master looked at him.

"I know the truth now, Obi-Wan. You can't hide it from me any longer. I know you're jealous of me. You want to get rid of me. I'm a threat. You're afraid of my power. You're afraid I'll finally see the Jedi for what they really are. You don't--"

"That isn't true."

"Yes, it is! It's so true. All this time you've never really cared about me. You were using me! And now you're afraid of me. You fear my power!"

"You know that isn't true. I do care about you, Anakin."

"No! You never did! You can't lie to me now."

Anakin was sweating now, panting. It felt good to let out his anger; it had been buried deep within him for so long. Obi-Wan stared at him with wide eyes, much like Padme had done earlier, backing up a step. They all feared him. The dark side swirled around him, fighting off the light. He was two mixed emotions, two different people, each of them battling for dominance.

"Anakin..."

"I had a talk with Chancellor Palpatine, and he helped me. He did, not you. And now I know what my dream means." He trailed off, his gaze abstract. "I was so angry... angry because you betrayed me. It was your fault, not mine."

"I would never betray you! I've always stood by your side, Anakin. You know that."

"Liar!"

"Anakin, come to your senses!"

There is was again. That damned line, spoken with such authority. He'd heard it before. It always had the same affect on him. It always made him stop and think about his actions. Come to your senses. Anakin took several deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out.

He collapsed on the bed, sitting with his head cradled in his hands, crying. Obi-Wan sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. The darkness within him calmed, and the light took over for a short time. A heavy weight was lifted. He could finally think clearly.

"I'm so... confused," he said between sobs.

Beside him, he could hear Obi-Wan's heartbeat - quick and loud, playing in his own head. After all that had happened, his old master had still managed to calm him down.

"I know... I know," Obi-Wan whispered, giving Anakin's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I forgive you. You have to forgive yourself."

Anakin hadn't been able to forgive himself the first time. He had believed himself unforgivable. Perhaps that was what had forced him over the edge. That and Palpatine's twisted words. Why had he listened to him? What was wrong with him? He was two people, two separate beings living in the same body. Why couldn't he control himself?

"I can't..."

"I know you can. It may seem hard, but you're strong, Anakin. Strong and wise. If anyone can fight this, you can."

Anakin raised his tear-stained face, his eyes meeting Obi-Wan's. They sat like that for a long while, simply staring. If only Anakin knew what his friend was thinking... He could tell that his old master's apology and advice were sincere, but that voice in the back of his mind was telling him otherwise.

"He's lying!"

"No. He cares about me. He wants to help me."

"Don't trust him. He's going to betray you, remember?"

"Go away!"

The voice did just that, fading into that lonely, abandoned crevice in the back of his mind. The darkness was gone. He had fought past it. This is the first step, he told himself. The first of many. Could he do this on his own?

He laid his head on Obi-Wan's shoulder, allowing himself to cry freely into the soft cloth of his friend's robe. Obi-Wan wrapped his arm around Anakin hesitantly.

"I'm here to help you."

Anakin nodded. He knew.

Sneak Peek for Chapter Ten ("Give Me a Sign"):

Obi-Wan's eyes flew open at the sound of that familiar voice. Was he hearing things? Was his mind playing tricks on him? How in the blazes was this even possible? He turned around slowly, hesitantly, fearing the worst - the proof that he was officially going crazy. Instead, he was greeted by a very familiar face.

"Qui-Gon!"