Until Death Do We Part

Chapter 2 - Disaster

Anakin watches with fascination as the necromancer finishes laying out a number of items in the center of a circle she drew in the sand. He can feel the power slowly growing as the dark magic comes together. While she explained the basics – she's using certain objects which have been imbued with the Dark Side to draw together the energy in a certain way – Anakin still feels rather lost. All of this is totally new to him.

He can't quiet the niggling feeling of guilt deep in his chest, either. He shouldn't have lost his temper like that on his master or snuck off. But what choice did he have? Staying would only have resulted in even more strife between them. Better that he comes back after his mother is alive again instead of waiting and wondering what might have happened if he'd acted faster – because he knows that Obi-Wan would never let him do this.

The necromancer sits on one side of the circle, gesturing for Anakin to sit opposite her. A small bowl rests in the center, filled with a smoldering herb that is meant to aid in the ritual. Now that they're here, now that it's begun, nothing and no one can stop it. "Do you have something of hers?" she asks.

Anakin nods mutely, withdrawing a lock of his mother's hair from his robes and tossing it into the bowl. He had known from the start that he would need something which is physically tied to her to make this possible. And so, he had taken a lock of her hair. He carried it with him, never putting it down or taking it out, until now.

"Let the magic flow through you," she instructs, lifting her hands, a weird greenish mist beginning to rise from the bowl as the hair burns, "And follow my lead."

Anakin does. He does, even if he hates the feel of the Dark Side flowing through him so freely, cold and slippery and wrong. He reminds himself that stopping would mean giving up on his mother. She sacrificed everything for him, and this is such a small thing to give for her, in turn. The necromancer begins a chant, uttering the strange, foreign words slowly enough for him to repeat after her, each one increasing the power which flows through them. Anakin can feel it, emanating from deep within the planet's core, rushing up to obey their every command. It's unsettling, to say the least.

She already explained to him what he has to do when he feels the gateway between the living and dead, and he's prepared. Soon, very soon, he will see his mother again, even if she's only in the spirit. Then, he can bring her back with him. Everything will be alright again.

That's when he feels the presence, a distant part of his mind crying out with panic as he senses Obi-Wan's approach. No. It's too soon. How did he get here so fast? It doesn't matter anyways. It's far too late to stop the ritual. The necromancer warned him about it, cautioning him against trying to end it suddenly, lest the power backlash and destroy everything. The balance between life and death isn't something to play with. It's something he – and every necromancer – must approach with utmost caution.

"Anakin!" he hears Obi-Wan yell his name, horror and disbelief in his voice, but he doesn't let go of the threads of power coiling between his fingers. He can't stop now. It's far too late.

Anakin repeats the final word, the power coalescing around him. It feels like he's being caught in the center of a storm, and if he reaches out far enough, he'll find what he seeks. Just a little farther now. In a moment, he'll find what he's seeking. In a moment –

"No, stay back!" orders the necromancer, and Anakin's eyes fly open as he reflexively tightens his grip on the Force, willing it to remain where it is. He's sacrificed far too much to stop now. Obi-Wan is closer than he realized, far closer, and he –

The moment the edge of the circle is disturbed, the bubble of power inside bursts. The Dark Side is ripped from Anakin's grasp, exploding outwards. He's thrown backwards from the force of the explosion, slamming hard into the stone behind him as he gasps for breath. This wasn't supposed to happen.