By My Side

Chapter 2 - Discoveries

What is happening? How is this happening? Anakin jolts to his feet with a start, on high alert. This – how is he here? He's almost tempted to believe this is a dream, but it can't be. Everything feels far too real. He's wearing his armor again, even though he distinctly remembers taking it off. And the Force feels different, lighter. Obi-Wan even looks different, younger, and he feels so much lighter as well. Anakin hadn't even realized exactly how much the war changed him until this very moment. And Ahsoka... a chill runs through him when he suddenly realizes he doesn't have a bond with her. It didn't break. If it did, he would have felt it, so what's happening? Why isn't it there?

It must have taken him a full moment to register that yes, Obi-Wan is talking to him, and looks rather concerned. "Are you alright?"

He blinks a few times before the question sinks him. "Yes, of course." Most definitely not. He has no idea how he got here, or why he's... is he missing Ahsoka so badly he's even having a detailed dream about when they met again? Or did he fall off a cliff and get stuck in some sort of... something?

"No, you're not. What's the matter?"

Why does his mind have to make Obi-Wan act like this even in his sleep? He can't possibly miss – yes, he can, and he does. Anakin scrambles to find the most logical explanation, trying his best not to freak out at how non-dream like everything is. People aren't supposed to have such a hard time figuring out what to say in a dream! He can hardly start babbling about how he was supposed to be on Coruscant, though. "I had a dream," he spews out finally.

"Oh?" He looks so skeptical. It makes Anakin wonder how long it took for him to answer. "I've never seen you so shaken up from a dream before."

He's hardly sure what to say to that. Why is he hardly sure what to say to that? He can't say he's dreaming. He doesn't want anyone to know something's wrong, but it's like... it's like he got teleported two and a half years back to when it all started. Which he has just finished deciding is impossible, so he has to be dreaming, or... The Force wouldn't have sent him back to where it all started, would it? None of this makes sense, but if it did, he's not about to blurt that out to Obi-Wan, or anyone. Not now, maybe not ever.

"It was detailed," he supplies lamely, and from the pointed stare he's being given, he knows he took way too long this time. Besides, he has absolutely no desire to explain to Obi-Wan that he may or may not have gotten himself killed by falling off a cliff.

Thankfully, Obi-Wan doesn't call him out on the not-exactly lie. "Alright, let's get going."

Go? Where to? He doesn't even remember what was supposed to be happening! Anakin scrambles to remember what exactly happened on Christophsis. The battle must be about to start, which means the might've already fought Ventress – that happened here, right? It's almost embarrassing how all those little details slip his mind right when he needs them the most. Ahsoka isn't here yet, so it must be before that last battle... it didn't stick out in his mind. The later part was what did, when he met Ahsoka, and he dares not think about meeting her again yet. Not when he needs to be focusing on the upcoming battle when he doesn't even remember what's happening.

Oh, right. They had all been keeping watch, knowing the droids were heading their way. Anakin had gone to the lookout post and gone out there as soon as they were spotted to wait near the cannons. One of the clones had notified Obi-Wan, and he came in just in time for the battle to start.

So... he needs to go find the lookout post. Just to check up.

Yes, he had wanted to get a chance to change things, but he didn't realize that it would be like this. He doesn't even remember what was happening half the time.