cuda

AO3 Link | Anakin's Not So Imaginary Friend (1636 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace [1999], Star Wars: Rebels
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Characters: Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Timey Wimey Stuff, The Force is Weird [Star Wars], Ensemble Cast
Summary:

Ahsoka makes a choice to give up embodiment and become a shoulder angel.

Anakin's Not So Imaginary Friend

"If someone was whispering poison in his ears all those years, shouldn't he have a different point of view?"

The bird and the woman stared each other down, before Morai fluffed all of her feathers, and Fulcrum smiled, winning the debate.

~You will give up your place here/now and all you became. The girl will be different.~

"That is not a drawback. If I do this well, he will make true choices, not be played out in the game as a pawn."

~So certain he did not choose his destruction.~

"Maybe he did, but did he do it with enough knowledge?"

Morai remained silent, and Fulcrum touched the last rune in the circle, imbuing it with all she was, letting existence change.

~How have you survived so long, Skykid?~

The amused, gentle voice that Anakin had been hearing for the last year was actually something to steady him as he came down from the high of winning.

~I do understand that people said I was like you a little better.~

That was almost sobering. Anakin had realized the ghost in his head had lived a life, but come to him as a protector. Already, she had helped him recognize his 'luck' and 'sense of things' was actually the Force, that thing that Jedi had. She was coaching him in how to use it more actively.

She liked Mom, a lot, and she never asked him to do anything he didn't want to do.

When Master Jinn said he'd only been able to buy Anakin's freedom, she was the one with the words.

"If you take me from Mom, with Watto so poor, she's got nothing, and might be sold," he said firmly. "Can't the Jedi do something about that? How can you expect me to learn how to be a Jedi if I worry about her being here, alone, maybe bought by a mean master?"

Master Jinn frowned, considering. "When we get to the ship, I will send a comm to someone in the Temple that I trust, about what happened here. Will that be enough?"

~He will ask a good person. We can make sure it happened, later.~

"Okay, Master Jinn."

Anakin was afraid, even with Master Jinn and Padmé both promising that his Mom would be saved. None of these people — he hadn't even seen some of their species before! — liked him.

~They didn't always like me, either. Yoda doesn't get on the best with anyone but the little kids. Master Windu has some very bad things in the Force hanging on him. Master Plo is grieving a man that was his partner in all ways. Master Mundi has to analyze everything through logic.~

Anakin felt that knowledge, realized that his friend in his head was still with him, still able to give him pieces of information. That… that made things a little better. He drew himself up as tall as he could, considered navigating this as to be like a pod race course with explosives, and focused intently on how they asked their questions.

"Yes, Masters. I am afraid," he said calmly. "My mother is a slave, owned by a man that lost everything in Master Jinn's attempt to get things done. But I can't help her there. I can only trust that people who have the ability handle that, since I was taken from her to live free. It would be fair, after all, to give something back to her with value.

"I may be older than the ones you accept, but I can learn. I like learning. And I do want to help!"

~Oh good job, Skykid. You just needed a little support, but you did that all on your own!~

The absolute joy of being able to help, the exhilaration of taking the droid control ship down mingled and made Anakin feel like he was walking on air when they all landed.

~Just, remember. We survive. That means we must remember those who don't.~

The words were gentle, but laced with a pain that knew loss, and Anakin looked, mentally tallying how many ships had landed against how many he'd seen earlier.

~You lost lots; I can tell. How do you remember?~

~I say their names, when they're close to me. I remember what they did to live, how they lived outside the fighting. When I didn't know them well… I live harder, for the ideas they held strongly.~

~Then… I'll have to ask Captain Olié to tell me about the ones that don't make it back,~ Anakin decided, still up on a pilot's shoulders in their shared joy at living.

Anakin kept his smile on his face, but he was worried. Why, with all the good things happening, did he feel empty inside?

He didn't want his ghost friend to leave him! She had helped him so much!

All through the rest of the events, he kept hoping to hear her, kept wishing for her to give him something to go by when the Jedi elders said he was not a padawan yet, but he would be.

It wasn't until he was in his room that night, with Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi talking so quietly in the main one, that he could feel her again.

~You left me!~ he accused, fear and worry mingling in the words.

~I cannot be present when my enemy is near, apparently,~ she said, all apology and a feeling of being nettled by the restriction.

~Who?~

There was a long pause, but he could still feel her.

~I don't think I can tell you that without putting you in more danger,~ she said, raw honestly in the words, and the feeling of a hug all around him.

~Maybe when I am older, stronger? More able to protect others and myself?~ he asked, having caught worry for the Jedi in those words.

~I think so,~ she said softly.

~Tell me something about you,~ he said, changing tactics, not liking the sadness he could feel in her.

~How about a name? They used to call me Fulcrum.~

~That's an engineering thing! The point you balance on to shift heavy weights!~ Anakin told her, before his quick mind raced ahead. ~The weight of why you are sad, and you want me to be the lever?~

~No, I want you safer,~ Fulcrum said, rejecting the idea that Anakin Skywalker was a tool to be used. ~I want you to make your own choices, but with a little advice that others don't know how to give to you.~

~What makes you sure you do?~

Her presence grew lighter, playful and teasing, at that. ~Because, Skykid, I knew you in a different life. Now rest; we're leaving tomorrow for the Temple.~

He started to protest, but it had been a long day, and now he had a name for his friend.

Anakin's skin was crawling as he came back to the Temple after the meeting that Master Gallia had arranged at the request of the Chancellor. He'd been doing so well in his classes, and Knight Kenobi was actually considering him as a padawan.

But.

He was way too smart, running over who had been at the Naboo celebration versus who had been present in that meeting. The Chancellor had been kind, speaking well of Anakin's daring and skills —

— and Fulcrum had been silent, no longer sitting in his mind. He wondered how long it would take her to come back (she had to come back, she'd promised to be there and keep helping him with his lessons and his temper!) this time.

There was something he could do, as he reached out to lightly tug on Master Gallia's sleeve hem.

"Master, may I speak with you?"

She ushered her friends along, and crouched to be more on a level with the Initiate. "Go ahead, Anakin."

"I don't want to meet with him again." Seeing her begin to muster all the reasons for trying to be their diplomatic gesture, he shook his head firmly, and she held them back. "I am just a kid. I might have done some big things with the Force, but where I am from?

"People with power only reach out to those with skills but no leverage when they want to use them for something. I have a bad feeling about this, and want to focus on my lessons, so I can be a good padawan."

She let her face show her acceptance, and nodded. "Very well. I hope Obi-Wan makes that choice soon, once you have all the basics down, Anakin."

~How do we beat him?~

It was three days past that meeting and Fulcrum had been back in his mind for two of them, when he finally asked, and she could see who he meant.

~Patience, observing everything, fixing as many little things as we can,~ she answered honestly. ~I wish you did not know, but at the same time… now he can't take all you are and push it into his plans of destruction.~

Anakin's lips thinned to tight line of anger, glimpsing the future in the Force, the one she had lived, the one where he hadn't thought of motive before pride.

~I have you, you have me, and we're going to make sure he doesn't win.~

Fulcrum gave him her love, her pride in him making that choice, and settled back to teaching him, going over his lessons, to draw him away from the kindled anger for now.

Later, once he had more training, they could try to push. For now, Fulcrum intended to help Anakin ground in the here and now of learning how to be a Jedi that wasn't so mistrusted, or too far on the outskirts.

That, and his knowledge of who the enemy was, just might set them on a better path for all.

Event: Traumatic Experiences
Event Link:

traumaticexperiences
Pinch Hit Link: Current Pinch Hit Post
Due Date: March 1st at 8PM PST

traumaticexperiences is a (psychological) trauma themed multifandom exchange. We have 1 returning pinch hit and 7 previously unclaimed pinch hits! You must write a fanfiction that is a minimum of 1000 words and include a requested fandom, relationship or solo character, and freeform in your fill. The collection will not reveal until everyone who requested 3 unique fandoms has received a gift that meets the minimum assignment requirements.

Assignment Requirements

PH 2 - Dredge (Video Game), Trigun (Anime & Manga 1995-2008), 間の楔 | Ai no Kusabi (Anime)

PH 6 - Given (Anime), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime), Wind Breaker (Anime), Outlast (Video Games)

PH 7 - Four Assassins (2011), RoboCop (Movies 1987-1993), Half-Life (Video Games), Crossing Jordan (TV 2001)

~~PH 8 - The Defenders (Marvel TV), Charmed (TV 1998)~~

~~PH 17 - NoPixel (Web Series), 仙王的日常生活 | The Daily Life of the Immortal King (Cartoon), 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs, Undertale (Video Game)~~

PH 18 - 你却爱着一个傻逼 - 水千丞 | In Love with an Idiot - Shui Qian Cheng, 火焰戎装 - 水千丞 | Huǒ Yàn Róng Zhuāng - Shuǐ Qiān Chéng, 职业替身 - 水千丞 | Professional Body Double - Shuǐ Qiān Chéng, 小白杨 - 水千丞 | My Little Poplar - Shuǐ Qiān Chéng, 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon), 老婆孩子热炕头 - 水千丞 | Lǎo Pó Hái Zi Rè Kàng Tou - Shuǐ Qiān Chéng, 附加遗产 - 水千丞 | Fù Jiā Yí Chǎn - Shuǐ Qiān Chéng, 人渣反派自救系统 - 墨香铜臭 | The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 谁把谁当真 - 水千丞 | Shéi Bǎ Shéi Dàng Zhēn - Shuǐ Qiān Chéng, Crossover Fandom

PH 19 - Winx Club, My Little Pony Generation 4: Equestria Girls (Cartoon 2013), My Little Pony Generation 4: Friendship Is Magic (Cartoon 2010), SK8 the Infinity (Anime)

PH 20 - Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Firewall (Book)

For more details/to claim, view the pinch hit post.

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