Yaaaay, a new Anakin and Cadena one-shot...thing. I'm exhausted! XD It's 1:12 am and I really should go to bed now but it's Friday night and still Christmas break so I'm basically going to break curfew. :P Anyways, despite the fact that I have a couple of stories to update-trust me, I'm well aware of the stories that I need to update...and I'm sooo sorry...it's easier for me to do my daily updates in the summer, after all! :(-I've decided to make a little one-shot to get my mind off of things and such. :/ I'll admit it-things have been rather rocky between certain relationships I have with certain people and I needed to cool off...as most writers would, I decided to vent through a story. I didn't want to make Cadena a Mary-Sue, (which I realized what it meant only a couple weeks ago...-_-) and I read that one of the best ways to make an OC NOT to be a Mary-Sue is to expose his/her faults...and that's what I'm doing now. Plus, I think it's appropriate for me to expose Cadena's faults...after all, today has been all about my own self exposing faults and reminding myself that I'm not exactly as 'correct' as I'd wish to be. :/ What a shame, haha. Then again, there's no such thing as 'perfection', unless it's God...but that depends on your religion and I don't want to drag in religion at the moment. So...if you don't believe in God, ignore that last sentence. -_- Anyways, enjoy the story! As always, reviews are appreciated! I WOULD add one of my (in)famous character rants at the end but again, I'm tired and it's late and I just think this is a story to chew on...but then again, maybe that's just my weird side talking at one in the morning...! XD Enjoy!
"Will you just stop already?" An annoyed voice asked eleven-year old Cadena, which brought her head up from her friends with a puzzled frown.
"Are you talking to me?" She asked, staring at the person who had sought her out.
Sure enough, a young boy was glaring at her with his hands resting at his hips and a stern scowl set on his lips. "That's right, I am talking to you." He said angrily. "Do you have any idea how stupid you look?"
Cadena blinked and asked, "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yeah, there is. Quit with the little princess act, will you? Strutting around like you own the place, always saying that you're not wrong—it's annoying and it's getting on everyone's nerves!" The boy spat and the youngling rubbed her forearm nervously.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, that's just who I am." Cadena explained half-heartedly.
"Then do us all a favor and shut up! The only thing that comes out of that little mouth are lies and uselessness." The boy snapped back.
Cadena crossed her arms, feeling anger finally ebbing itself into her mind. "What's wrong with you? I'm trying to have fun with my friends, that's all! I didn't ask for your opinion, did I?"
"I heard everything you say about your friends—you think that you're the leader, don't you? You think that you can get away with everything, don't you? You probably think that you're always correct." The boy said with a scowl.
Cadena felt hot tears sting her eyes but she refused to give this particular boy any satisfaction in her sadness. "Shove off, then, will you? Go to someone who actually cares to listen."
With a spin on her heel, Cadena walked back to her friends, expecting them to agree with her but was surprised to see that instead of supporting her, they had moved further away from her without looking up to meet her eyes.
"Guys?" Cadena's small voice squeaked out. "What are you doing?"
One of the older girls mumbled something about going to the mess hall and the companions all murmured in agreement. Without a second glance, they stood up to leave Cadena and soon, she was all alone with the boy.
"See? I wonder why your friends left you…maybe they're sick of you bossing them around!" He taunted and Cadena grit her teeth.
"What are you gonna do now?"
"All of your friends are scared of you and you flaunting around doesn't help, you know that?"
"Come on, why are you so quiet? Aren't you gonna do someth—"
Cadena felt blood rush to her ears and she whirled around, letting her arm pop with a punch aimed at the boy's mouth. The boy let out a gasp of surprise and Cadena roared, "Shut up!"
To be honest, Cadena couldn't quite keep track of what happened after that. She remembered hitting something—hitting something rather hard, that is. And screams. Probably hers, maybe the boy's…both sounded very high-pitched and in pain.
She remembered feeling intense anger and annoyance—the fact that someone would judge her so easily infuriated her.
Then she felt hands grab her shoulders and steer her away. She remembered breathing hard, wishing that she could have snuck in another punch at the boy before being dragged away.
"That was wrong of you, youngling." She heard someone scold at her—probably a Jedi Master of a sort, but Cadena's mind was locked into a prison of anger.
"Anger leads to hate, and hate leads to the Dark Side. Keep that in mind. You have not caused any permanent damage to your fellow youngling, but you will be punished." The Master's voice continued. "Do not expect your consequences to be lightly taken, either."
Cadena gripped the hem of her tunic and stared down at the ground.
"In the meantime, please go back to your dorm room. A decision will be reached in short time."
•◊•
"Cadena, concentrate!" Master Skywalker's voice reached the young Padawan's voice with a start and she looked up.
"What now?" She asked, exasperated. "Can't I take a break for five minutes?"
"No, you can't. Your positions are sloppy, Cadena—you haven't been practicing." Anakin scolded. "Come on, up and at 'em."
Cadena sighed but she managed to her feet, light saber hilt already in hand and ignited.
The sound of clashing sabers and heavy breaths slowly brought the young girl back into rhythm. She moved swiftly with her weapon, only once in a while backing away to catch her breath. She was beginning to enjoy herself until a certain movement caught the corner of her eye and caused her to trip and fall onto her back.
"I win this time," she heard Anakin comment unnecessarily from above her but she waved his statement off with a turn of her head.
Standing at the doors was a small youngling, looking at Cadena expectantly and she couldn't help but to moan inwardly at what the next twenty minutes would bring her.
"What is it now, Terrie?" She asked tiredly at the little Twi'lek girl. "I thought I told you to stop visiting me from now on…I'm busy."
"But I'm upset again, Cadena!" Terrie replied, her big, wide eyes staring at the older girl hopefully. "There's a bunch of mean kids and—"
"Then do what I tell you to do, Terrie." Cadena replied, rubbing her brow. "Ignore them and get on with your life. You can't honestly think that every little insult is going to scar you for the rest of your life, you know?"
Terrie's hopefulness slowly faded away from her face and she asked, pained, "Why are you acting so mean? You always used to listen to me."
Cadena shook her head and said, "Please try and understand this, young one—pick your own battles and don't let the others get to you. You can't always cry to others just because something made you feel annoyed, right?"
"What's your problem? She's scared, don't you see that?" A scolding voice came from outside the training room and the doors opened. Cadena frowned when she spotted a Jedi Knight, probably freshly cut from her Padawan braid, glared at the younger girl.
"Excuse me?" Cadena asked. "I'm trying to tell this youngling that she can't always come crying to her peers because of some stupid remark—"
"She's a kid." The Knight replied sharply. "There's bullies everywhere when you're a child so don't act so harsh to her."
Cadena's eyes steeled coldly at the Knight and she asked, "Don't look at me like that, or speak to me like that. I'm not trying to act harsh to her but if she's going to survive in this world, she ought to know that there will always be certain people who just won't act 'nice' to her."
"As the Jedi, we're trying to prevent people from feeling that certain way, yes? Then again, I guess you wouldn't know…you wouldn't possibly understand." The Knight shot back coldly.
Terrie looked nervously between the two and at last, Anakin placed a hand on Cadena's shoulder and said, "Apologies for my apprentice…she's been irritable this entire day."
"I see that," the Knight says, narrowing her eyes at Cadena, who narrowed her own eyes right back. "She should be taught to have better manners around children."
Anakin frowned but didn't reply as the Knight turned her back and walked off into the hallway. Terrie gave Cadena a nervous glance before trotting away as well.
The second the pair were both out of earshot, Cadena fumed, "Who the hell does she think she is?" She let out a scoff and continued, "Did you see her, Master? She was acting all superior and oh-so-mighty and…argh!" Cadena threw up her hands. "She was acting ignorant! She doesn't know me, she doesn't know a single thing about it! Terrie's a kid, but still, I can't believe that—"
"Cadena, slow down." Anakin replied with an amused smile. "You're making my head spin from just listening."
Cadena paused and her shoulders sagged. "Sorry." She muttered and then looked back up. "But you can get at what I'm trying to say, right?"
There was a rather long paused and then her master replied slowly, "Actually, Cadena, I have to agree with the Knight…"
Cadena's mouth dropped open and he says quickly, "Not that it wasn't right of her to judge you, but you weren't exactly being kind to that little girl, either."
Cadena crossed her arms. "She's been bugging me for years now! I think I deserve the right to vent once in a while!" She protested.
Anakin shook his head. "Compassion is the way of the Jedi, Cadena. You weren't showing much of that compassion towards the youngling—everyone needs to listen to whatever someone else has to say, even if you're impatient." He says quietly.
Cadena blinked and she simply hooked her light saber hilt to her belt. "That's a lot coming from you, Master," She said stiffly and added over her shoulder before walking out of the training room, "and I've got other things to do, so ta-ta!"
•◊•
By 'other things', Cadena meant going into the shared quarters and screaming into her pillow, of course.
It wasn't that Cadena got easily angered by this sort of thing—after all, the last 'bully' she's ever had was back when she was but eleven years old…and that was nearly two years ago. All the same, she couldn't help but to feel fire in her veins when remembering the look of disproval that was given to her by her peer.
She almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all—she was a hypocrite to little Terrie. She told her that she shouldn't feel annoyed because of what one little insult given to her from a person—and yet, here she is, fuming about those little remarks.
"Thought I'd find you in here." Anakin said smugly from the doorway and Cadena looked over to her master with a bored expression. "Yeah, well." She muttered, flopping over on her side.
"Don't be mad at that other Knight, Cadena. We all have our faults," her master stated and Cadena couldn't help but to feel her annoyance rise again. She muffed her ears into her pillow and muttered, "I'm tired. Good night."
"You're not tired. It's not even dark yet," Anakin stated, violently pulling the pillow away from Cadena's head.
"Ow!" She cried out—not in pain, more out of surprise, but still whacked her master with a hand. "Leave me alone, will you?"
"Oh, no, I'm Cadena and I must be correct all the time, and I hate how other people judge me! Oh, no!" Anakin taunted in a high-pitched voice and pretended to strut across the room.
Cadena frowned. "I do not speak like that. Give me back my pillow."
"Never!" Anakin stuck his tongue out and continues in a louder voice, "I'm so annoyed that people think they can say mean things to me all the time! Little kids can be so annoying to me and—"
"Shut up!" Cadena growled and grabbed her pillow. She ran back into her bed and plopped in, exasperated.
"See, Cadena? You're so annoyed because you think it's true." Anakin pressed on from his own bed.
Cadena opened her mouth to snap back a retort but instead closed it again, thinking that perhaps if she pretended to be asleep, then her master wouldn't pester her anymore.
However, continued to pester, he did.
"You know, it's not bad for you to confess that you have faults. Everyone has faults, even the best people. I'm pretty sure Master Yoda's wrong in lots of things, but that's a discussion for later. My point is that you have tons of faults, too, even though you don't want to admit it." Anakin continued, apparently oblivious to Cadena's rising displeasure.
"You're too proud…too arrogant…not to mention that you can be a bit bossy and immature, too. You think bending the rules can justify everything but really, it can't—"
"Shut up!" Cadena finally cried out. "I don't need you pointing out my flaws all the time! I've been reminded enough today so please just shut up!"
Anakin was quiet for a minute and then he continues with a teasing smile, "And you're rude sometimes. Oh, yeah, definitely rude and—"
Cadena sat up in bed and threw her pillow at him angrily. "What did I just say?" She growled. "I'm not in the mood!"
Anakin caught the pillow and threw it in the air with a smirk. "Or maybe that's your teenager-y hormones kicking in. I can never tell. Thanks for the extra pillow!"
Cadena threw up her hands in exasperation and groaned, "When will it end?"
"Don't be so dramatic. Ooh, there's another flaw!" Anakin said excitedly, clearly enjoying himself.
"Must you bother me so?" Cadena asked wearily.
Anakin sighed and sat up. "I'm trying to make a point, in case you haven't noticed, my young Padawan. You aren't always in the right, you know." He said softly.
Cadena's shoulders sagged and she mumbled, "I know. I don't like being reminded, that's all. I'm only ever human."
"But you're also a Jedi. Or…learning to become a Jedi." Anakin reminded. A small smile twitched on Cadena's lips and she murmured, "Yeah, that too…"
Anakin grinned and tossed back Cadena's pillow. The girl caught it and she looked up at her master, who was laying himself back in bed. "You don't have to be perfect, Cadena…everyone's got their faults. Just remember that and trust me, you'll stay human."