Chosen: From the Ashes

Someone who's waiting for me

"[Anakin died]... killed every breath he would take for it was Anakin's breath he stole. Every beat his heart would continue to have, would be one beat more that Anakin had not and every second he existed still, was a second without Anakin for there's no life in a dead world..."

[ incl. ]: Obi-Wan has more crisis than he can take on, but Anakin needs help now, so it can all wait. Anakin can't.
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Obi-Wan doesn't want to wake up. Maybe he couldn't at all. He doesn't know. He didn't try. He is floating in an endless darkness and he isn't afraid of it, but it's not like he likes it either. It isn't cold, it isn't warm. He feels nothing from it and he wishes for that.

To feel nothing.

To be nothing. Even his thinking and awareness is slow and heavy, but somehow light as well, as if he would be under the strongest of spices. Locked between his unconscious and conscious, yet only a step would be enough to trespass to the other side. Or a push. Neither is his will and Obi-Wan doesn't see any wrongs with that. Then again he knows instinctively that it shall not be like this. The lack of his feelings, his will and awareness of himself is not natural. But he doesn't...care? Strange. It sounds wrong again. Yet anything that he could have to argue against it, is missing.

Yes, something is missing. Not just something, everything. There's nothing left for him, in him. He's hollow, he's numb... is he dead? Not that it matter.

For him... and for others? That isn't an agreeable thought, he doesn't want to wonder about anything that right now..

There's no one that would wait for you.

That seems right... and wrong, both. If right when all the better...

But what if he's wrong? What if there is actually someone waiting for him. Someone dear, someone important. Someone that needs him, who would be hurt if he stays here. Someone that would call him out, but there would be no answer back for them...

There's a small nudging pierce somewhere inside of him and it's... unpleasant. No, the word is too mild for the sudden wave of unease washing over him.

But...but... he can't hear anything. There's only the now disturbing quietness that lets no sounds reaching him. Even if there would be someone calling him, he wouldn't be able to hear that.

Obi-Wan doesn't like that. He... he must be sure. Right, still... how does he do that? He strains his ears, yet nothing. Should he look for it? He focuses his mind and tries to reach further with it, or so he thinks he can, as wide as he could.

For a long time, there's no change. However, at long last something catches his attention. He heads to it and upon approaching it, Obi-Wan concentrates with all his being at this one point in infinite blind vastness and finally he hears it.

Thump - thump -thump.

It sounds dim and low, yet muffled like through dozens of layers of glass. Still, he recognizes it. It's a heartbeat. Steady, passionate, determined, strong though fragile too in a way. And gentle. Obi-Wan just listens to it for a long while. He finds it the most beautiful and pleasing sound he has ever heard. He could listen to it forever. It's familiar, like a warm distant memory, a very precious one. He wants to embrace it, so he comes even closer and curles himself around it. It's good. It's perfect. He inhales its murmuring warmth and fills his whole being with it. It's enough, yet he finds himself wanting for more, so he reaches out deeper, his hand blindly seeking for... he himself doesn't know what, still he's trying more and more, further and further, the need to have it in his hands pushing him to cross the whole universe, if he shall.