All the Colours of the Rainbow

White

"What is it?" Anakin peeked out of the doors to the Jedi Temple gardens. White powder fell from thick clouds in the sky, drifting to the ground in sparkling layers. Bushes, flowers, and trees were soon carpeted in the strange substance. Anakin shivered, ducking back inside and blinking at Obi-Wan with big eyes.

"What is what?" Obi-Wan seemed confused and tired, with bags under his eyes as he rubbed his face. He peered outside, adjusting his Jedi robes to perfection once more. "What are you looking at, Anakin?"

The boy pointed outside, then squealed in horror as a flake of whiteness landed on his finger, melting from freezing to warm water in a second. He shook his hand violently, inspecting it for burns. "What happened?"

Obi-Wan was singularly perplexed, gazing at Anakin with uncomprehending eyes. "Do you mean the Jedi gardens?" he asked blankly. The unspoken "I know plants are new to you, so which one have I forgotten to introduce you to this time" was clearly written on his face.

"It's snow, Anakin," one of the young padawans said, pushing past him as she and her friends ran outside. "I'm surprised you don't know what it is."

Anakin flushed bright red, turning and dashing away, missing the sudden look of realization on Obi-Wan's face. He went straight to his room, shutting the door behind him and burying himself under his bed. This was his favourite hiding place. He would come here every time he missed his mom, every time he couldn't understand these strange new classes, and every time the other kids spoke to him like he was an outsider. He was an outsider. He didn't grow up on fancy Coruscant with fancy food and fancy knowledge. He didn't know what snow was, and why should he? He was just the stupid little slave boy from the desert planet Tatooine. He didn't belong here. He missed his mom.

He didn't know how long he had stayed there, cowering under his bed and crying very un-Jedi tears. It felt like an eternity. He was hungry.

"Anakin ...," the gentle voice of Obi-Wan cooed, and he instantly felt safe. His head spun as Obi-Wan brushed the baby bond between them, but it was a good kind of spinning. It was safety and comfort. Besides, he liked spinning.

Obi-Wan's face appeared in the gap between the floor and bed, and he looked worried. Not disappointed or mad, just worried. "Hey, do you want to come out? I've got cooking some of that rice dish you like, the one with chicken strips and —"

"And that yummy sauce?" Anakin asked excitedly, wriggling from his den. "I couldn't smell it; I didn't know you were making it!" A small part of him wondered why Obi-Wan hadn't come to see Anakin right away, but that was quickly forgotten when Obi-Wan took him into the kitchen and sat him down at the bench. He swung his legs under the countertop, perched on the high stool, watching greedily as Obi-Wan strained off the rice. He hopped off his stool and raced to the cupboard to grab two bowls and two forks. Setting them neatly on the bench, he grabbed a couple of glasses and held them under the tap, then hesitated.

"It's okay, Anakin," Obi-Wan coaxed. "We've got plenty of water on Coruscant. You don't have to worry."

Anakin filled them, gazing in wonder at the clear liquid that poured into them, bubbling and splashing jovially. He placed them next to the bowls, then scrambled onto the chair again, resting his chin on his folded elbows as he stared at the cups. This was the second time today that Obi-Wan had reassured him that no, they weren't wasting water, and yes, there was more and to spare than Anakin could ever use. But Anakin wasn't blind; he knew he wasn't the only one whose life had been turned upside-down. Everything had changed the day that Obi-Wan's old master had died. Anakin was being trained by Obi-Wan, instead of Qui-Gon, which he didn't mind, but it was strange. He was so sad .... That made Anakin sad. He would often catch Obi-Wan staring into the middle distance, frozen like a statue, no matter what task he had been doing. When he approached him, Obi-Wan would startle and smile at Anakin, though sometimes he thought it was more like Obi-Wan smiling through him.