Fading

Chapter 11 - The Dragon

Author's Note: In which Anakin and Obi-Wan are saved by a dragon. :)

WARNING: Too many mentions of Mustafar, perhaps? xP

~ Tirana Sorki

Obi-Wan helps pull Anakin to his feet, doing his best to force his overwhelming emotions to the back of his mind to focus on later. Anakin is standing unsteadily and leaning against him, face pale and drawn.

Sidious stands as well, looking towards the approaching dragon. They need to move, and fast, or they're all going to die here. And Obi-Wan did not go through all of this only to lose Anakin again. "Get to the ship," Obi-Wan orders, shoving him forwards.

"Right," Anakin says, shaking himself out of a daze, and they break into a run.

Obi-Wan never paid much mind to the proximity of the ship, and it's closer than he thought. Anakin somehow makes it to the pilot's seat first, even though he literally can't walk straight.

Obi-Wan closes the ramp the moment they enter to prevent Sidious from getting aboard. The engine fires and Anakin takes off, not a moment too soon. Sidious is doing a good job distracting the dragon from them, albeit accidently. It all happens so fast.

And as he watches the dragon eat all Dark Siders below them in one bite, he can't help thinking about how fitting it was.

They came close, so close to dying – both of them, and he's exhausted. He hasn't dealt with battle and everything that comes with it for long enough that he doesn't much remember how to, even if his body from this point in time thankfully does, or he wouldn't even have made it this far. That was much of the problem he was struggling with in the future.

Next to him, Anakin is still breathing hard, expression wan.

It takes another few minutes for Anakin to take the ship back to their cave, safely out of the way of the krayt dragon that Obi-Wan didn't even know lived in this area. Anakin lays his head on his arm on the dashboard with a soft groan. "Is he dead?" he questions.

He thinks of the rapidly fading presence belonging to Darth Sidious. "Yes. Yes, he is."

"Are you okay?" Anakin asks, voice muffled by his arm.

Obi-Wan hesitates for a moment – he isn't, but he's more worried about Anakin. Anakin is the one Sidious was hurting most. "Are you?"

"I – I will be. Thank you."

Neither of them is brave enough to touch on what they saw from one another's memories. Obi-Wan has no idea how to... mention it. He doesn't know how to apologize to Anakin for everything that happened.

Obi-Wan finally reaches over, laying his hand on his shoulder. He doesn't know what can be said now. Anakin leans into it but doesn't otherwise react. "Come," Obi-Wan says finally, standing, ignoring the exhaustion and lingering pain. He hasn't been electrocuted in a very, very long time.

Idly, he suspects Anakin may be too overwhelmed to react. He is, too. He has no idea how to deal with everything he just witnessed. "Can you... tell me what happened in your time?" Anakin asks, lifting his head. He looks exhausted. "I want to know exactly what I did that you judged me for."

Obi-Wan's heart clenches. He has no idea how to start explaining all of this to Anakin. he doesn't want to, either. But Anakin is asking, and it only seems fair. "I saw the recordings," he replies, "I saw the destruction in the Temple. I saw everything Vader did there."

Anakin pulls back, rubbing his flesh hand over his face. "Why," he asks roughly, "Why did you do that?"

He saw. He knows, and Obi-Wan doesn't know what to think about that. He had to help Anakin, regardless of the consequences. He never thought about the aftermath until right now. "I couldn't kill you."