Shadows of our Past

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Obi-wan's POV

I felt a massive disturbance in the force, I stopped deflecting bolts and took a deep breath to try and steady myself. What had happened? Ahsoka who was next to me had felt the same disturbance and we both shared a look of confusion, what was causing this massive disturbance? I reached out with the force and traced it back to Anakin, I reached out through our bond and felt that there was something wrong with his force presence. It was almost like it was slipping away and shrinking, his force presence was usually loud and strong but I felt it wavering now. 

I took off running towards the Jedi Temple without telling anyone where I was going or what was happening. I had to make sure Anakin was okay. I ran through the hallways of ruined Jedi Temple and light shone through the massive windows of the main hallway in the building, the one red floor was covered in dust and parts of the ceiling had caved in and were lying crumbled on the carpet. 

"Anakin!" I shouted.

My voice echoed around the building but I didn't hear any reply. I ran forward and that's when I saw him in the shadows cast by the pillar between the broken windows, he had one arm wrapped around his stomach and the other holding onto a piece of wire that was poking out of the ceiling wreckage. 

"Anakin," I whispered.

I ran forward and caught him as he fell and gently lowered him to the ground, I pulled him into my lap and wrapped my arms around him so his upper back was against my chest. 

"O-Obi-wan," he choked out.

"It's okay, you're gonna be fine just hang in there for a little bit longer," I mumbled tapping my comm on my wrist, "Rex, we need medical evac on the bottom floor of the Jedi Temple immediately,"

"Yes sir, we're on our way," came his reply.

I gently lifted Anakin's hand that was covering his wound and gasped slightly when I saw the blackened lightsaber stab wound in his stomach. I placed his hand back over the wound and tightened my arms around him.

"It's going to be fine Anakin," I said.

Panic and fear gripped my heart and my stomach was doing frontflips from anxiety. This couldn't happen, not again, Qui-Gon's death was still in my mind and I was right there as he died from a stab wound in the stomach. I wouldn't lose Anakin, I couldn't, not now or ever.

"Obi-wan," he whispered.

His eyes were glassy with tears and he shook his head. Tears burned the back of my eyes and clouded my vision slightly but I wouldn't let them fall, not now. Anakin brought his free hand up and he placed his lightsaber into my hand, I took it but didn't loosen my grip on Anakin, I could sense the force holding its breath around us and I was determined not to lose him. 

I heard hurried footsteps and I prayed it was the medical evac but Ahsoka appeared, she spotted us on the ground and I sensed her fear and worry rise as she quickly hurried over and knelt down beside Anakin who was still in my arms. 

"Master," she cried, "It'll be okay, you'll be fine. You just need to hold on a little longer, I could go get-"

"Ahsoka."

Ahsoka looked back at her Master with tears streaming down her face and she let out a shaky breath. Her breathing hitched slightly and Anakin reached up and wiped a tear away with his thumb, she grabbed his hand in both of hers and squeezed it.

"You'll be okay," Anakin whispered.

A tear rolled down my own cheek and I sniffed. This is what Master Yoda was talking about, Anakin was going down I path I couldn't follow, not this time. He was right, I should've let him go earlier rather than having to do it when I least expected it. 

"No, I-I can't- I wo- I-just," 

More tears streamed down Ahsoka's face and my own and she looked up to me to clarify if this really was the end. As much as I didn't want to admit it, it was the end. I could feel his life force trying to leave into the peacefulness eternal sleep of death but the only thing holding him back was his slipping determination to make sure Ahsoka and I would be okay after he was gone. I shook my head and Ahsoka's bowed her hand and rested her head on her hands which was still clutching Anakin's. 

Anakin's breathing was becoming shallower and shorter and I felt his life force drain a little bit more. He was fighting with all that remained of his strength to stay but in the end, we all knew it wouldn't be enough. 

"Anakin," I whispered through my tears, "We'll be okay, you can rest now," 

Seconds later Anakin's body went limp in my arms and I heard his last breath leave him, his head fell back onto my shoulder and I looked at his closed eyes and more tears rolled down my face. I buried my head into his shoulder and hugged him as tight as I could, I felt his life force draining away and our strong 13-year bond being ripped and pulled away from me just as Qui-Gonn's had all those years ago on Naboo. I desperately tried to cling onto the last strands of the rapidly fading bond but they were ripped away from me until I had nothing. 

I began sobbing right then and there. All those times when someone I loved died I kept it hidden until I was alone in my quarters, but this time, I couldn't do that, even when I had no one I had Anakin. He was always there for me and I was there for him, our relationship had gone from Master and Padawan, to father and son, to brothers. 

I felt the Force completely disappear, it vanished then and there but I didn't care about that. I wasn't worried if the force came back or not, I was just absorbed in my own pain and grief. Ahsoka was sobbing as well and I could imagine what she was going through as I lost my own Master when I was still a Padawan.

There was nothing, no force, no sith and no dark side. But none of that was important to me right now. The Force came back with a rush but it was full of grief and sadness, it was radiated everywhere and didn't feel as powerful as it once was when Anakin was alive.

It wanted the whole universe to know and to feel Anakin Skywalker's death.