The Edge of the Universe

I

(A/N: The picture above is what Anakin looks like for this chapter but it will change. Anakin is 20 and Obi-wan is 36)

Anakin's POV

"We're asking you back Ahsoka. I'm asking you back," I said stepping forward and holding out her padawan braid to her.

She looked down at the padawan braid and paused, she wrapped her arms around her stomach and looked directly into my eyes. I moved my hand further towards her and she reached out to take the braid and stopped, she closed my fingers around the braid and pushed my hand back towards me. My heart dropped and my anxiety rose several notches and I stared at her trying to figure out if she was serious.

"I'm sorry Master, but I'm not coming back," she said.

Her blue eyes were filled with guilt, tears but also had a steely look of determination. She turned around and quickly walked out of the room and the doors shut behind her. Guilt welled up and I looked down at the braid in my hand and then at the closed doors that she just walked through. I took a few steps forward and then ran out of the room after her.

She was already outside and Coruscant was bathed in a golden light from the setting sun making the shadows contrast against it. Ahsoka had just reached the stairs and I ran faster.

"Ahsoka wait!" I called.

She continued walking and through the thinning bond we had I could sense the sadness and guilt in her.

"Ahsoka, I need to talk to you!" I yelled.

She stopped and I finally reached her and I was determined to try and change her mind or to try and understand why she would do something like this.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"The council didn't trust me, so how can I trust myself?" Ahsoka asked turning away and folding her arms loosely across her chest.

"What about me? I believed you, I stood by you!"

"I know you believed in me Anakin and I'm grateful for that, but this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer, not now," she said looking away.

"The Jedi Order is your life, you can just throw it away like this! Ahsoka you are making a mistake," I tried to reason looking down at the ground.

I couldn't look at her, I knew that Ahsoka was stubborn and wouldn't change her mind but I had to at least try.

"Maybe, but I have to sort this out on my own. Without the council. And without you," she said turning her back away from me.

"I understand more than you realise. I understand wanting to walk away from the order," I sighed.

"I know,"

Ahsoka began to walk away and part of me wanted her to stay, we had been through a lot together and we had formed a bond quickly. I watched as she walked down the stairs and disappeared out of sight.

I stood there clutching her padawan braid so tight in my hand that the diamonds on it cut into my hand but I didn't loosen my grip on it. I mixture of emotions built up in my chest, it was like a mixture between, anger, frustration and sadness. The sun had set leaving Coruscant in slight darkness, lights on the buildings and speeders turned on and horns blared up in the sky.

I stood there until the stars came out looking down at the padawan braid, through the bond I could sense that Ahsoka was crying and she felt guilty for leaving but it's what she thought was right. I looked at the stairs once more hoping that somehow she would run up the stairs and said that she's made a mistake, but, she had made her decision.