* oncejedi.

     COLD — the air vibrated with it. she could feel it at the edges of her vision, growing sharper with ever word he spoke. it was all the answer she needed. no, no, no! she did not want to look at him; she did not want to be here any longer. ( you should not have come, you should have let him remain dead in your mind — would that be better than this cruel truth? ) she did not recognize the man before her, and it cracked her resolve. this was the man who had taught her, trained her, sat with her after nightmares. but now… this was a man who called ruthless destruction PEACE and threatened her with the cruelest sentiment: i don’t want to hurt you. ( was that same SEED of hate planted in the pit of her soul too? ) she swallowed tears. NO, she could not accept this. “you won’t hurt me.” a certainty, shaking but still present. it was the only thing that kept her rooted to her spot.

     “i was never against you — ” until now, if that anger in his eyes enveloped him whole. and it was close, so perilously close. she might be jedi no longer, but she would stand against SITH until she breathed her last. ( sith & anakin were two images that could not connect, no matter the things he hissed to her. ) “the war did TERRIBLE things to all of us, but this? this isn’t peace. this is tyranny and fear and…” a deep breath. their conclusion was drawing close, she could feel it. “you exchanged one war for another. i can’t go with you, anakin — not like this.” neither could she leave him like this. “you taught me to be good, even outside of the jedi. did those things, all that hope, mean NOTHING to you?” 

                      ❛   your master is gone.   ❜   oh ,   how confident rings her statement  !   it is enough to keep her here ,   feet firmly planted in the face of darkness.   there is fear within her ,   that he can taste at the back of his throat   (   bitter and sweet   ;   a caress carefully rising the song within his body.   it overjoys him ,   welcomes bubbles of omnious laughter that beg to escape the prison of tightened lips.   )   but she is strong.   his actions ,   she calls them betrayal   —   they break her youthful heart and still she chooses to stay.   IS SHE A FOOL  ?   perhaps yes ,   just like her teacher once was.   ❛   ——   and i will kill you if i have to.   ❜   ages ago ,   the jedi he had become would’ve cowered from the mere image of her death.   now  ?   now his chest simply thumps ,   threatening to eclipse every other thought with its thirst for blood.

                     golden eyes sizzle ,   embers burning behind enlarged pupils.   how dare she look at him like that  ?   how dare she judge him when she chose to abandon him  ?   ❛   ANAKIN SKYWALKER IS DEAD.   ❜   the words are pronounced in a snarl ,   all will to contain his fury forgotten at her speech.   ❛   and you are stupid if you believe you can bring him back with some heartfelt words about your time together.   ❜   a venom so thick it weights on his tongue ,   the lightsaber rests now between his fingers   :   though it has not been activated.   sudden comes the scream ,   provoked by the blinding anger she has brought.   it rises upon them ,   clouding the room with a red haze   —   one that has become his confidant and friend.   ❛   THE WAR IS OVER BECAUSE OF ME  !   ❜   legs move towards her ,   tone lowering yet still filled with hatred.   ❛   i killed the separatists ,   i killed the jedi   ——   and once i kill the emperor we will truly know peace.   ❜   the last piece of his game ,   the last step before freedom.   SO CLOSE ,   SO CLOSE.   ❛   but you don’t understand any of it.   you look at me as if i’m a monster ,   though i’ve saved padmé and my children’s life   ——   though i’ve saved the galaxy.   ❜   for a moment he seems to deflate ,   gaze wandering towards the setting sun.   ❛   leave ,   ahsoka.   disappear.   don’t stand in my way.   ❜