"Don't cry, Anakin." His mother said again, putting a finger underneath his chest and lifting his chin up so that he would face her, "You must be strong." Anakin shook his head frantically, "I can't Mom, I can't do it."
A loud bang echoed outside the door, signaling someone was trying to enter. They had found them. They were coming. Anakin dropped his gaze back towards his mother's chest and his arms snapped around her. He snuggled hard into her chest as his tears fell onto her shirt.
"I want to stay with you, don't let them take me." Anakin cried loudly, and instantly his mother latched onto him as well, pulling him tighter into her chest.
"I wish I could, my love" She cried into his blonde hair, "Be strong. I love you, Ani. I will always be with you."
Anakin did not respond; he didn't have time to. The door broke open behind him as a red skinned, black-clocked man entered. Anakin turned his gaze away, as he snuggled closer into his mother, frantically trying to keep his hold around her.
"You will fail." His mother spit at the man, "Whatever you want him for, he is not the man you want him to be."
"Oh, he will be." The red skinned man laughed, kneeling down as he rubbed his hand across the woman's face, "You should be proud. Your boy will be the most powerful –"
His mother kicked the man hard, knocking him backwards with a loud groan. She threw her son forward, "Run, Anakin!" She screamed, "Run! I'm right behind you!"
Anakin pushed himself from the ground stumbling forward as he tried to find his footing. But before he could make it through the doorway, a strange sound sounded from behind him. He couldn't help but to glance behind him, and froze instantly at the sight he saw. "Mom!" He screamed… but it was already too late.
"Ani!" His mother screamed at the sight of seeing her son stop, unaware of her own fate. His name was his mother's last word before the red blade was pushed through her chest. Anakin saw the entire scene happen before him, and watched as his mother's body fell to the ground, lifeless.
"No!" Anakin screamed, running towards his mother's murderer, hitting him frantically, trying to cause some damage.
He did none, and the man threw him back onto the ground effortlessly.
"Come on, you little brat." The man hissed, grabbing onto Anakin's arm and pulling him up from the ground.
Anakin tried to resist, but couldn't. He was too small, too weak compared to his captor. Still, he refused to give up. He hit the man in the side repeatedly, all the while screaming, "You killed her! You killed her!"
The man threw him to the ground again, towering above him as an evil smiled played over his features. "If you're so powerful?" The man spit, "Why didn't you save her? You might as well have just murdered her yourself!"
"No!" Anakin screamed, "I'm not a monster!"
The man smiled, an evil sinful smile as he lowered himself to the boy on the ground. "Oh, you will be," he laughed, "You will be."
Vader threw himself forward, panting hard as the sweat rolled down his face. A nightmare. It had all been a nightmare.
If only.
Nightmares weren't real. This was. It had been a nightmare of a time long passed, but never forgotten. The time in which his mother had died before his eyes… and he had been taken from the only home he had ever known.
He had let his mother die. He could a very well killed him himself. He was just too young to do anything, or so he had told himself. The nightmare was a time when he was foolish, a time when he was weak, a time when he was just a poor child slave. It was when he was a mere human, … but not anymore. He wasn't that person anymore. He wasn't a person anymore.
The boy is dead. They boy is dead. Vader repeated to himself inside his head.
But then why did the memories remain? Why did the pain remain? Why was he destined to be tortured? Why did the past still haunt him? He wanted to move on, but something wouldn't allow him to. Something was holding him back… but what? He didn't know. He didn't want to know. He wanted to forget. He wanted to move on.
Vader groaned quietly, as he looked at the clock, noting the very, very early morning. He had only gotten a few hours of rest, but he knew that was all he would be given. The nightmare had made sure of that.
He dressed slowly, covering himself with his black garments that hid him from the galaxy. Walking to the kitchen, he found some kind of substance, not really caring what it was as long as it was edible. Survival and war had trained him to eat anything as long as it was edible. When you are staving, you can't afford to be picky. Still, Vader couldn't help but remember a time when he had been a picky eater.
As quickly has the thought started, it stopped. Vader pushed it away, far into the back of his mind, trying to forget the memory all together. Trying to ease his mind, Vader began working on various mechanical projects, just odds and ends; most of them just the droids that he had destroyed in his rage. Usually, fixing things brought Vader some relief. Life seemed so much easier when he was fixing things. It made it easier to forget, easier to move on, easier to live. But as usual, today was not the day for that. Today, Vader found no relief, and had to turn to something new.
.
.
.
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