Ahsoka Tano (imnojedi) wrote in valloic, @ 2020-10-07 22:49:00 |
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Not that she would know what a normal life was if she could even think of it. Ever since she was a child and she'd first joined the Jedi Order as a Padawan, it seemed as if she was always fighting in a war. She'd spent the majority of her formative years fighting in the Clone Wars, and even after she'd left the Order following her trial, found herself drawn back in. And then, after faking her death and trying to start a new different life for herself, found herself helping the Rebellion, as Fulcrum, or in any other way that she could. War had become such a part of her life, that she almost didn't know what it was like not having a war in her life to fight. Though Obi-Wan was helping with that. It was nice having him around. She missed his wisdom, and it was good having someone familiar around that she could trust.
One thing she'd at least tried establishing since arriving in Vallo was something resembling a routine. Every morning when she would wake up in her room at the Jedi Temple, she would meditate for twenty minutes, and mentally prepare for the day ahead of her. Then, after doing some stretching, she would go for a run. And since Vallo liked to occasionally throw dangerous things such as dinosaurs at them, she would secure her lightsabers in their holsters, just in case.
Ahsoka exited the Jedi Temple, taking a moment to bask in the rays of the morning sun before setting off, jogging into the forest ahead of her. She liked to just focus on nothing but the path out in front of her. This was probably one of her favorite things to do. In her morning runx, Ahsoka found that she could just relax and let her mind go blank.
Today, however, did not appear to be one of those moments. As the forest did sometimes, it shifted, pulling Ahsoka to an entirely different location, away from the Jedi Temple. When the forest stopped shifting, Ahsoka found that she was no longer in the forest itself, but rather on the cliffs at the edge of the forest, a large building looming in front of her. A chill went down Ahsoka's spine. Almost as if there was a negative energy associated with the building itself. Ahsoka's eyes darted to the sign, reading Overlook Hotel. She pondered for a second, wondering why that name sounded familiar. Then it dawned on her. Dan, the man that resembled Obi-Wan had spoken of it on the network. And if Ahsoka remembered correctly, he had also said that it was dangerous.
Ahsoka turned, going to leave. Though she was tempted to investigate, Dan had warned of the dangers of the hotel, so it would probably be best if she heeded those warnings. Unfortunately, the hotel seemed to have other plans for her. The ground beneath her almost seemed to move on its own, sending Ahsoka through the suddenly open doors of the hotel, as they slammed shut behind her. Ahsoka heaved a frustrated sigh, before going to pull on the doors. No matter what she tried, they appeared to be shut. Ahsoka turned around, facing the lobby in front of her. If she was stuck here, she might as well try and find another way out.
Instinctively, Ahsoka pulled her lightsabers out of their respective holsters, activating them. She carried them at her sides, as she travelled down the halls, keeping herself as alert as possible. Her skin was tingling, and every nerve in her body was standing on end. She hadn't felt like this, well since, she'd faced Darth Vader. Everything about this was wrong. But she apparently couldn't leave yet.
"Ahsoka...Ahsoka..."
The disembodied voice sent a shiver throughout her entire body. There was something familiar about it. Ahsoka knew that voice. It was a voice that she'd heard many times before. A voice that she once associated with someone who she considered to be one of the most important people in her life.
Anakin Skywalker, her former Jedi Master, stood in front of her, as she once remembered him. Not as the former shell of himself that she faced. This wasn't the Sith Lord known as Darth Vader, this was Anakin Skywalker, as she once remembered him, before he fell to the Dark Side.
Ahsoka deactivated her lightsabers, her face softening as she locked eyes with him. Though something about this Anakin seemed...off, she couldn't help but feel as if she was standing in front of the man that mentored her when she was younger. "Anakin," she said, her voice shaking, as concern and hope flooded through her.
"You failed me, Snipps." Anakin sneered at her, his face hardening, and Ahsoka felt as if he was glaring right through her very soul. "You left me. You could have come back to the Order. you were cleared of charges. It's your fault I'm like this. You left me. You could sense that something was wrong with me. All of you could. But you didn't care. You never did."
Ahsoka's fists clenched around her lightsabers, as she narrowed her eyes at Anakin. This wasn't Anakin. No. This was the hotel playing tricks on her. None of this was real. It was just a cruel trick of the Hotel, preying on Ahsoka's fears and bringing them to life. She'd faced this once before. She could do it again. Ahsoka inhaled, letting the angry emotions she was feeling bubble to the surface and calm before locking eyes with Anakin in front of her.
"I made my choice," she said, her tone firm and confident, not breaking eye contact the entire time. "I had to leave. There was nothing for me at the Jedi Order after my trial. You knew that. You understood that. You and I resolved that. It's not my fault that you fell, Anakin. It's not mine, not Obi-Wan's, not Master Yoda's, no one's. No one knew what Palpatine was doing to you. I'm sorry you fell, I am. But I am not taking responsibility for what happened to you. Not anymore."
Anakin's form twisted in front of her, turning into the form of Darth Vader that she'd fought. His helmet cracked, his eye looking into hers, rage and sadness in it. "Of course you would say that. but you've always been a failure. Failure of a Padawan, failure at a Jedi, failure at being a friend."
It took everything that she had not to scream at him, to lunge forward with her lightsabers. But no. This is what he was trying to get from her. He was baiting her. She knew that. And she was better than that.
"No," she said, her voice still firm, but with plenty of venom in it this time. "You're not Anakin. You're just a shell of him. And I feel sorry for you. I'm sad that the man that mentored me that I admired is gone. And yes, I wish that you were in there somewhere. But this? What you became? Ultimately, that's on you. Yes, you were manipulated, but you fell, Anakin. You ultimately chose to take the path that you did. It's not my job to try and fix you. The best I can do is move forward on my own, and stop blaming myself."
Ahsoka inhaled, turning away from him. "Goodbye, Anakin," she said, walking away as Darth Vader faded into the background/
The hotel shifted in front of her, and Ahsoka found herself in the lobby again. She pushed the doors open, finding herself back on the cliffs again. It seemed to be a little bit later in the day from when she set out on her morning run. And though she was shaken from her experiences, there was something about it that was almost cathartic. Ahsoka knew now, she needed to stop blaming herself. While there would be a part of her that would feel great sadness for what happened to her former Master, she knew that she could no longer hold herself responsible for something that she had no control over.