The Sith Lord looked out over Corasaunt as it was bathed in the sunset, giving the grey and silver landscape the illusion of flames. He scowled darkly, the view bringing back memories that were burned into his mind as much as the landscape itself had been.

Anikan- no- Darth Vader turned away and stalked over to his cluttered desk, the array of information all bearing importance that was meaningless. He truly was the Chosen One, though not for the side he had been lead to believe. And yet, what had this gotten him? Nothing, he thought angrily, his eyes tingeing yellow, nothing! With a cry of fury he swept the items off his desk, letting the black darkness of the force curl around his form, eagerly feeding off his bitter emotions.

He had joined Palpatine, had turned the tides of the war, and was left hollow. His mother was still dead, the weight of his actions on that day still bearing his soul vulnerable to guilt. The order that held him back, that were corrupt, the Jedi were gone, obliterated. And with that, any semblance of family he knew. Not all my family is gone… he grit his teeth at the thought. He had saved Padme, he had done everything under his power to protect her, and had succeeded. But now, after his momentary lapse, after his one mistake against his beloved, she rejected him. Padme wouldn't even look at him, would have run if he didn't keep her and the twins under heavy guard. She'll come around… she has to. An or else hung heavily in his mind, but he pushed away at it. He could never hurt Padme, never! When he choked her, it had been a slip in judgment. It wouldn't happen again, he swore to her it wouldn't happen again. Still she treated him like a stranger, like a danger to her and his children!

Everything had fallen apart; even his standing with the Emperor was nothing but a farce. He looked about at the office with disdain. He was a hero, a leader of the people, reduced to paper pusher until Palpatine needed his influence. The dark side seemed to enjoy his hatred and disgust for Palpatine the most. Vader clenched his fists. As the cretin had stated two months ago, he had kept his word to save Padme, made Ani- Vader one of the most powerful influences in the galaxy, and he would wring Vader's oath of loyalty to him for all it was worth. The Sith hated it! Second hand to the emperor who he now realizes sees him as nothing but a pawn. Just like when he was under the thumb of the Jedi!

Only one man never saw him that way. Only one had ever truly cared about the wayward Chosen One. But he had lost him, the only person who truly accepted him, cared and loved him like a son. Vader looked down at his clenched fists, one mechanic and the other mercifully still flesh. Obi-Wan. That battle… who really knew what could have happened, but he did know that he could have come out of there worse. Much worse.

The heat burned his skin, the smell of molten rock and fire and singed clothing over powering. He and his master were nearing the end, they could see the other was exhausted. But Anakin could not care, could not see beyond the tantalizing coil of the dark side. "You under estimate my power!"

"Don't try it!"

Obi-Wan had the higher ground, and even as he prepped to somersault over his master, to continue on in his rage blindly, he watched as Obi wan raised his saber, saw where it would land, that he had made an error, and Anakin Skywalker was about to lose the battle.

But Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber. Anakin landed and whirled, ready to attack but frozen in shock, the sudden change in events throwing him off.

"You were the chosen one!" Obi-Wan in that moment looked more broken than Anakin had ever seen, even at the funeral for Qui Gon. "It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! To bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness!" His yell curled off into a moan of pain, and Anikan regained himself enough to take the moment of weakness and use it against him, kicking out and quickly disarming his old master.

It landed a few feet behind the very Sith Lord he had been sent to kill, but Obi-Wan barely registered his weapon's position. "You were my brother Anakin." He looked lost, his voice ragged with desperation. "I loved you."

Anakin glared, holding his saber warningly at his friend's throat. "You speak of an emotion that was forbidden by the very same people who sent you to kill me, master." He stayed tense, but they both knew the fight was over, and he was the victor.

"I cannot kill you." The general finally did drop his gaze in shame, making no move to defend himself. "I raised you Anakin, you put me at my wits end and made me the proudest master in the order. I've seen the young ones, I know…" It was too hot to cry, the tears would've evaporated, but that's what it looked like Obi-Wan was trying to do. "I know what you've done, what you've become, and still I cannot…" He trailed off, at a loss.

At that moment, something rekindled in Anakin. He had feared his master had hated him, that his death was the only option. But here was proof that his care for Anakin was more powerful than the Jedi brain-washing teachings, here was proof that perhaps Obi-Wan did not have to die! "Surrender, master." He held his position, plans already formulating in his mind, figuring out just what to say to Palpatine, how to help Obi-Wan see the truth that the Jedi had hidden from him. Hope rising even as his voice stayed tense and cruel. "Your Order is gone, as is any chance of you winning this battle, surrender!"

Kenobi looked back up at him, and those changeable eyes gazed into his tainted own, seeing past the dark side, past the bitterness and anger. He smiled faintly; perhaps the heat was getting to him, or perhaps seeing something Anakin himself could not. "You are still Anakin." He relaxed his posture, resigned. "There is still good in you."

Anakin was about to argue the contrary, though relieved his oldest friend was not fighting him, but everything was cut short when a foreboding groan echoed in their surroundings. And Anakin, who could see the bubbling warning occurring behind his defeated opponent, only had a chance to shout "OBI-WAN!" before a burst of lava shot up out of the river, and Anakin watched for one horrified second as his master's face remained serene, as if he knew this would happen, before the lava crashed down on him, burying him under molten rock. The Sith Lord had jumped out of the way automatically, the hissing element missing him by inches.

After that, he was frozen, staring at the spot Obi-Wan had just stood, as if expecting him to defy life itself and come right out of the mess unharmed. But no, even as his heart broke in a way he didn't think it could after his mother's death, he knew the truth.

Obi-Wan was gone.

Now, six months after the event on Mustafar, it remained Darth Vader's greatest regret. Even with his acceptance of the dark side, he knew he had let his anger overwhelm him so he hadn't thought, had forgotten how important Kenobi was to him. As Palpatine had finished laying way to his new empire, had fixated his and Vader's position as the world's heroes, all he could think of was his old master. How Obi-Wan had pushed him away at first, had been distant with the loss of Qui Gon, but then became the greatest man Vader had ever known. He probably wouldn't have made it to his Knighthood with any other master. Obi-Wan's patience, while it didn't feel so at the time, was infinite. When they fought together, defending the galaxy, there was no one who held greater trust or loyalty towards Anakin than Kenobi had. Even with his short comings, the old Jedi had known when to push him, how to steer him so his stupidity would (hopefully) not get them killed.

Palpatine may have been his mentor all these years, but it was Obi-Wan who had been like a father to him, a brother. Perhaps something that even transcended those notions. They had been thicker than blood, as the old proverb went. He watched despondently as the last rays of sun disappeared over the horizon. Obi-Wan's death had become his obsession. With all the power he had attained, all the knowledge he had learned and been teaching himself these last few months, there seemed no way to resurrect the dead. But he wishes, knows that if he got the chance, he would set things right, more than right! If only-

He straightened at the sudden tug from the force, turning cautiously as he looked about the room. For the last few weeks or so, aside from the constant hanging of the dark side on his thoughts and actions, there was no real movement around him, not like it had been before all of this, not since the battle on Mustafar. He could hear it whispering around him now, though. Strong and powerful and forming its own will. He stayed still, not struggling as it wrapped tightly around him, embracing its actions, waiting to see what it was trying to tell him.

It was so sudden; he didn't even see the shift. One moment, he was standing in his office.

The next, in the middle of the Jedi Temple.

With JEDI bustling and moving all around him.

Anakin whirled in confusion, receiving a glance from a few but otherwise ignored. The force had gone silent again and he could only stare. This wasn't possible, this wasn't, he had killed them! Children and padawans raced around, Master walking about and socializing with not a care in the world, like order 666 had never happened. Most of them he didn't even recognize, others he knew but saw distinct differences in. One of the little ones even ran into him, accidentally smudging some of the food he was rushing with on his sleeve. But even the young one's quick "Sorry!" and scampering off couldn't shake his stupor. Sith Hells, what had the force done?!

It didn't matter, these were Jedi, they and their doctrines were a distorted abomination that he would see destroyed with his last breath if need be. He was reaching for his light saber, already identifying his newest victim, planning out based on his location the quickest escape to Palpatine to alert him of the situation. But he froze in shock at the sound of a child's call echoing off the walls.

"Hurry up, Obi-Wan!"

Anakin felt like someone had put a blaster through his heart. No, it cannot be. He whirled around at the voice, immediately pegging it to a little Mon Calamari girl who was standing a little ways off with her hand-fins on her hips. A dark haired human boy stood next to her, both were looking expectantly at something around the corner. "You're so slow; we're going to be late!" The boy teased. Anakin, his heart pounding, heard the tell tale signs of someone light footed running up from behind the area.

A young boy came skidding around the corner, and Anakin is froze into shock again for an entirely different reason. The young boy looks abashed, rubbing his neck ruefully with an awkward smile, saying something that Anakin can't hear. Even though the hair is the style of a not yet chosen child, even though the clothes are something he's never seen on him before, even though the child's stance is completely different from his master's uptight, upright manner, Anakin can see it resemblance clear as day.

This was Obi-Wan.

The girl says something that causes all three of them to laugh, all of them oblivious to their astonished watcher. Anakin can't seem to move, he isn't even sure he's breathing. Obi-Wan. As if somehow sensing him, the young boy turns his head and meet's Anakin's gaze. Skywalker feels his breath catch again, having those changing orbs locked onto his face. I've found you; I've found you Obi-Wan.

The boy frowns, as if confused, but the girl says something to him and he turns to address her. And just as suddenly as it had appeared, the world is gone, the force rising at him in a great wave and then leaving him stumbling in his office, alone. Anakin looks out his window, noting how dark it has become, and realizes he is breathing hard, as if he had just finished a battle.

Stumbling, he falls against his desk, trying to make sense of it. All he could think of was somehow; the force has shown him the past. He suddenly looked down at his sleeve, seeing the random mush that had rubbed onto his cloak as that young one had ran by. No, he had not been shown the past.

He had been in the past.

Somehow, some way, the force had sent him back in time. Kriff, I can travel through time, who knew the force was so powerful? Even Palpatine has never mentioned something like this… A thought struck him, freezing him once more. The force never acted randomly, it always- whether by darkness or light- acted with purpose. And the force had done this as he had been hoping for a way to correct his error, a way to save Obi-Wan.

A dark thought began to form in his head, plans promising that he could still have everything he wanted. Vader chuckled quietly, almost admiring the smear of food on the robe. The dark side was truly wondrous; it has helped him find a way to reach Obi-Wan. And now, now he can make sure that Kenobi is his.

Forever.