Alrighty y'all, I'm back! Summer vacation has officially begun. /Cheers/
Okay, so I was inspired to write this after watching the movie The Forest (you know, the one about the suicide forest in Japan), so this fic is HEAVILY inspired by that. I am relatively happy with how this first chapter turned out, but it might tend to seem a little boring. Please know that this chapter is purely exposition, and there is much excitement still to come.
I own neither Star Wars Rebels, or The Forest...please don't sue me...
"Alright you three, this is your mission," Hera spoke as the holo map projection of a planet cast a bluish glow across the ghost crews faces, "this planet, called Coreenage, is home to a particular mineral that can be used in a large number of different medical vaccines, something that the fleet is in dyer need of right now. So, were sending you three, Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra to go retrieve a sample. You will have seven days to get it, and then get back to the pick up location"
"Seven days? Wait," Ezra spoke up with a perturbed expression, "if the source is on the surface, why not just fly a ship down there, scratch up some rocks, and be on our way?"
"Because," the projection of the planet zoomed in so displayed was what looked like a dense gathering of massive trees, "the actual source is located about 120 kilometers deep into the forest, the canopy of which is too dense even for the phantom to get through, and we can't blast it without risking destroying the source."
"So our only option is to get to it on foot?" Sabine spoke resentment creeping across her features.
"Well, not exactly, we'll give you the bikes, to speed things up a bit." Hera looked at the dreaded expression on the kids faces, highlighted by the blue light illuminating the otherwise dark room. The projection switched again, this time showing what appeared to be a crystalline structure that reflected little flecks of light. Even through the blue projection, the minerals beauty was reflected in all its brilliance. Still the three other faces in the room seemed unimpressed, "look," Hera seemed almost exasperated, "I know its not the most exciting assignment, but the fleet really needs hose vaccines, and you guys are the only ones available to get it."
"Alright." Ezra spoke up with a sigh, "When do we leave?"
=SWR=
"So how do you suppose they turn a rock into a life saving vaccine?"
"I don't know, kid. Lets just hope we find it soon, so we can get back to smashin' buckets."
All three had been crammed into the phantom for about an hour, while en route to Coreenage, with Sabine at the controls, Zeb both lounging against more than one seat, and Ezra across from him, bored out of his mind.
Ezra fidgeted with his lightsaber, switching it on and off again for the umpteenth time. Blue eyes illuminating with the intense glow of the blade as it activated.
Zeb interrupted with a growl, "Kid, you light that thing one more time-"
"Beginning decent onto Coreenage." Sabine quipped, then sensing the growing tension in the small ship, "keep your pants on, you two, were almost there."
Zeb rolled his eyes at this, but didn't continue with his warning. Feeling slightly threatened, Ezra got up to sit next to Sabine in the copilots chair, and watched as the planet below grew bigger as they began their descent into the atmosphere.
The planet itself was relatively unassuming. It was mostly green, but marbled by blue water, that cut through the green areas like a spider web. In some places, belts of clouds masked the surface so thickly, that it would seem as though parts of the planet had simply been erased. The windows on the phantom fogged up with humidity as it plunged towards the surface, and Ezra wrinkled his nose at the thought of having to spend a week trekking through the soupy air. It wasn't the heat itself that bothered him, but rather the thick, moistness of the breeze, or lack therof. On Lothal, the summers could grow to be very hot, but at least then, it was a dry heat. A less intense heat. Not the kind that made your clothes adhere to your skin, and makes your hands and face sticky with moisture. The kind that immediatley greeted them as they opened the ramp to the outside.
It would seem that Zeb and Sabine had the same feelings towards the climate, as they gained the same mildly disgusted expression as they walked off the ship. Once their eyes had all adjusted to the gray light emitting from the semi-overcast sky, the trio was greeted by a small, hunchbacked man, with bluish, wrinkled skin like old paper, and two pairs of sunken, jet black eyes.
"Good morning!" his tone was unexpectedly cheerful, and his bright, billowing tone didn't match his appearance in the slightest. "you must be Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra!"
Sabine looked at Ezra with a confused glance, "yes, but how did you-"
"Oh I'm Regor Ancind. I have just been in contact with your Fulcrum, you're here about the rosynth aren't you?"
"The what?" Ezra felt a little stupid asking a question the old man seemed to expect him to know already.
"The rosynth," the three just stared, "you know, the mineral"
"Oh! Yeah, that" Ezra mentally kicked himself what else would we be here for?
"Ah good!" The mans cheerfulness seemed unfazed by their momentary lapse of memory. "Well follow me this way, and we can get you rounded on the ways of the forest before go along your way"
The three just nodded in reply.
=SWR=
The mans house seemed out of place in the midst of the overgrown woods. It was small, but cozy, filled with the warm smell of spices. His wife, Weppen, bustled about it, fussing over her guests, making them as comfortable as possible.
"I'm so sorry the place isn't in a more presentable condition, we get very few guests all the way out here." her face matched that of her husbands, and her face was flushed with a darker blue that colored her cheeks happily.
"Now now, Wep," the man spoke tenderly to his wife, "lets not pester them with questions, after all, they are on a tight schedule."
"Oh of course! I'll refresh the tea kettle then."
As soon as she toddled from the room, a strange wave of earnestness settled in the smoky air. "Now theres some things you gotta know, about the forest..." Regor paused in the middle of his statement as he seemed to collect his thoughts, "its been known to do strange things to you. It pulls you in, tricks you into getting lost." He stared intently at the three of them, ignoring their disturbed expressions, "You must understand, this forest... it wants to claim you for itself. So you kids have to promise me one thing..."
Ezra looked around at Sabine and Zeb, both who seemed entranced by the man. "Sure," luckily his voice did not betray the uneasy feeling that clawed at his insides "what is it?"
"You have to stay on the path." he put great emphasis on these particular words, tapping his hand purposefully with each syllable. "Do not stray from it, especially at night, no matter what. The path will lead you to the source safely. You get there, you get back, okay?"
The three just nod in unison. "Right, no doddlin'. Easy enough." Zebs confident statement roused them all out of the cottage and back into the damp heat. Ezra almost immediately felt moisture gather on his forehead. As they assembled the three speeder bikes, he could feel sweat already sliding down between his shoulder blades. Glancing at Sabine, who was grumpily trying to put together her bike, he noticed the same shine coating her face, which she forcefully wiped away. Zeb, who was covered in fur, was only scowling at his own discomfort.
Shortly thereafter, they were all speeding through the forest along the winding path. The air whipping past them aided a little bit in providing a break from the relentless heat, but the way the trees blurred together around him made Ezra feel slightly nauseous. This seemed odd though, nausea wasn't something he was accustomed to, and he certainly never suffered from motion sickness. But there was something else. Something...off, strange, unnerving about the forest itself. Whatever it was, it sent a chill down his spine.
And as they traveled, deeper, and deeper, the forest seemed to welcome them...with open arms…
Guys...i am so excited to write this, I have big things planned…
Anyways, please have a nice day and I'll see ya next time ;)
-L&E Doodle