A/N: Alright, so here's a quick one-shot for ya guys! I recommend having seen the Clone Wars Season 5 finale to understand this. It was written VERY QUICKLY, and I do intend on going back and reposting because it is quite rushed but I wanted this general idea posted so here it is :)
oOo
"You cannot be serious."
"Something has to be done."
"It's wrong!"
"It's our only option."
"Mace, how can you even…"
"Obi-Wan!" It was the first time Mace Windu had raised his voice during their hour-long conversation, and it caused the other Jedi to reluctantly silence himself, biting back the hundreds of other arguments that longed to flow from his tongue.
"You have to realize that this is our last resort," the dark-skinned Master continued, wearing a look of regret. "If there was another way…"
"Let me talk to him again…"
"You have already done that. And it has done us no good. If we had the time to spare, we would avoid all this, let time do its work; but we lack all of that. We are in a war, and we need Skywalker. This will be for the better…"
"How, Mace?" Obi-Wan shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Is this what we've come to? Have the Jedi changed so much…?"
"Obi-Wan, please." A hand found it's to the other Master's shoulder, and gripped it tightly. "I need you to be open minded on this. I understand your concerns, but please, at least let me explain it fully to you…
…trust me."
oOo 3 months later oOo
The blaster fire sent adrenaline spiking and shooting through her veins, a familiar feeling she desperately tried to shake off. No, no, no… She ducked lower behind the tree stump shielding her, body longing to jump into the clone vs. droid fray before her, mind torn. Why here? Why would the war even come to Shili?
Ahsoka Tano had come here after leaving the Jedi Order to escape her old life, to leave it behind and start anew. If had been nine months, only nine months. How was she supposed to look into the future if the past was battling it out in her backyard?
Yet she couldn't deny the stinging heartache that came as she heard the clones' shouts, the droids' mechanical marching, the sound of the blasters… it all brought back such longing. Such desperation to reach down to her waist for lightsabers that were no longer there, and to jump into that fray. To feel the clones' trust and her master's pride surging at her through the Force.
Anakin.
His face, his pride in her and trust, the familiar bond that linked them as only a Master and Padawan could understand…
She shoved those thoughts away too. It hurt too much to remember.
So it didn't help when the familiar buzzing of a lightsaber filled her ears, setting her brain afire. She grasped her lekku – which had grown with her growth spurt three weeks ago – and bit her lip, trying to stay low, fighting off the urge to look around. A mortar exploded somewhere nearby, a clone's pained scream, and then he heard a young man's voice call, "Rex, get a medic over there now!"
Please no… She would never forget that voice, slightly hoarse by war but still young and full of life and excitement. There was another round of explosions, nearly deafening her; and then she heard several whoops and hollers. The all-familiar clone's shout of, "Victory!" and then the usual celebratory shouts from the men. The acrid smoke was now drifting towards her from the battleground, smelling of motor oil and grease and burnt flesh.
She pressed herself against the ground as she heard laughter spreading across the small platoon behind her. Keeping her eyes shut, hoping that the homesickness in her gut would just go away already…
"Ma'am, are you okay? Hey, guys, someone's over here! Ma'am, are you…?"
The voice, like the millions of others she'd heard throughout her lifetime, was familiar and standing right in front of her. "Commander Tano?!" Eyes flew open, and she looked up, paling, at the unmasked face of Hawk, the pilot that had served her and Anakin throughout the war. "Commander Tano?" the clone repeated, brown eyes wide. And then something crossed over his face, a darkening shadow, as if he knew something that she didn't as she heard approaching footsteps.
And then he was right in front of her, the young man that she'd met on Christophsis, traveled the galaxy with, learned from, laughed with…
She felt like she couldn't breathe. All the guilt and regrets and pain from that day she'd walked away from the Temple came crashing down on her as his blue eyes locked onto her once more.
Anakin stood in front of her, staring, completely silent. Not moving, not talking. She frowned, waiting with arms crossed. Say it, Master. Yell at me, or at least say something. Don't look at me like that, as if you don't even know me…
The clones had all backed up or gone away, sending fear churning in her gut. It was just her and Anakin now, standing in the middle of the Shili forest. Finally, she couldn't take the silence anymore. "Don't just stand there, Skyguy," she said quietly, lowering her eyes. "Say something."
His expression changed; and he didn't yell, or demand answers, or have that look of utter hurt and rejection like he had the day she left. Instead she looked… confused.
"What did you just call me?"
The tone of his voice sent a confusing kind of fear and dread into her gut, and she frowned even more, tightening her grip around herself. He was staring at her blankly. Anakin? What's going on? Are you this upset with me? Skyguy… "Anakin, I…"
And then his next words came like daggers. "Am I supposed to know you?"
No. She gaped at him, shaking her head. His expression she could now read as utter confusion. Not a single spark of recognition.
He didn't remember her.
And suddenly, she saw all their good times, teasing and laughing and butt kicking and joking and being brother and sister all disappear from those two blue eyes she'd always found so bright and full of compassion.
The compassion and caring were still there.
But, somehow, someway, she knew it wasn't directed towards her. Not anymore.
What the Force?!
How could he not remember her?!
She was ready to break down or scream at him or tell him it wasn't funny and to snap out of it or do something when she heard another familiar voice drinking in the situation. "Anakin?"
Obi-Wan stepped onto the scene, and Ahsoka could only watch helplessly as the Master shot her possibly the saddest look he'd ever seen before turning to his partner. "Anakin, maybe you should go help Coric with the wounded."
"Master, do I know this gir…?"
"Anakin." He was using that tone that left no exceptions. "Please, just go. There's been a minor mix up, this is Ahsoka, we saved her family from droids once, and I'm not sure why she is here so go to Coric and I'll settle this, alright?"
Anakin shot him a weird look even as Ahsoka's heart shattered, and then after giving her one last empty glance, he walked away.
Ahsoka stood there, rigid, hot moisture clouding her eyes as Obi-Wan turned to her reluctantly. "Ahsoka, I'm sorry," the Master whispered. "After you left… Anakin had a breakdown. He was falling apart, and the Council…"
"You took me from him," she breathed, shaking her head in disbelief. Barriss had told her about that technique once. "You used the Force to wipe all memory of me from his mind… how could you do that?!"
"Ahsoka…"
"Did you think of coming to find me?!" How could they do this? They couldn't! No! "Y-You can't do that! H-He doesn't remember me? How can he not remember me!"
Before the Jedi could say anything, she ran. Ran over to where Anakin was with Coric. She ran right up to him, angry that tears were now running down her face because this is all a dream, just a dream. And she stared up into his face, and forced a smile, and choked out, "Skyguy, it's me."
He raised an eyebrow; but not in humor. More like complete bewilderment. And maybe a bit of an look that said Is this girl crazy?
"Anakin?" She gave him her hardest look ever, begging him to just remember her, or laugh and say "gotcha!" and then either hug her or at least tell her how badly he'd either hurt for her or missed her or hated her for leaving.
Anything but this.
But instead of speaking to her, Anakin turned to an approaching Obi-Wan. "Master, the girl is back. What does she want?"
It was gone. Their time as Master and Padawan – gone. Everything just gone. He didn't even know who she was.
The Jedi. The Jedi Council took him away from her, and her away from him.
It wasn't fair!
She turned and ran, even as he heard Obi-Wan calling her name and Anakin's questions. She ran into the forest, and didn't look back; this time not even fighting off those scary voices that whispered maybe Barriss was right about the Jedi after all when she had bombed the temple.
*end*