A.N: So I'm back! So after today I'm going back to updating this story on Fridays, because switching to Sundays lost me a lot of readers so….. Anyway that aside, Star Wars Celebration was amazing! I got to meet the voice of Zeb and then Pablo Hidalgo who loved my Depa cosplay! But most importantly that Rebels Panel, I was crying! All the friends I made from online like Lorna Ka and Xennad, We all cried together! The fourth and last season how will we survive AGH! I'm in so many emotions! Wolfs! Kallus! Hera talking in past tense!

I don't own Star Wars

Chapter 24: Falling

Kanan followed Demira's hidden tracks making his way through the deep undergrowth. He had left the group a while ago. He was already getting close to the edge of the forest where the trees met the edge of the canyon that dropped to the river for bellow. He could hear the sound of the rapids echoing along walls of rock. As he continued, he thought about how the crew had acted with him since Demira ran.

He should have figured that once Hera caught on to him, the others would to. But he had a reason. Demira was being stubborn and childish. Ezra had better sense then her. And especially towards Depa? Kanan was Hardly going to let that happen. His master deserved better. Kanan looked up from his trek and stopped. He saw that he had made it to the edge of the forest meeting the edge of the canyon, but what else was there made him freeze.

There was a hug tree trunk that had fallen by the looks of it a couple years ago. It was hollowed out by time, all the rotting left on the outside of the tree. It was still rooted to the edge of the canyon, and only made it half way across to the other side before it was cut off. There at the end, Demira sat hugging her knees to her chest. Since her back was to him, Kanan couldn't see her face. He guessed though that she was still upset.

Upset about what though? Depa answered a simple question, and Demira took it too far. He was going to approach her quietly but when Kanan walked out of the forest, Demira said out loud, "Go away."

Kanan stopped at the root of the tree, crossing his arms as he forced himself to stay calm. He went searching the entire area for Demira just to be rebuked. Kanan was so glad he was doing this for Depa, or his reaction would have started out a lot more tense. He didn't want to deal with this so he went straight to the point. "Look, instead of making things harder for the both of us, just come along and I'll take you back—"

"Leave me alone."

"I- hughhhh—" Kanan grumbled and rubbed his left temple. "Geez…Demira please. Depa is worried about you."

"She's not worried."

"What do you mean she's not worried? I was with her less than an hour ago and she had been screaming your name. She wants to know if you're ok."

"She wouldn't have said she wanted to go with you if she cared." Demira finally turned her head to look at him. Fury in her eyes.

"Go with me—What no— That wasn't what I was asking of her." Kanan shook he head. "You shouldn't make quick judgments like that."

Feeling like she was being challenged, Demira stood up and faced him, "So I am the one who is doing something wrong? What about when Depa was about to be shot by that Neyoho? You did nothing."

"She—she—" Kanan remembered the look in Depa's eyes when Kallus had the bo-rifle on her. Kanan took a deep breath, then said, "She didn't want me to."

"But that doesn't mean you should," She said harshly. "Why don't you care for her?"

"I do."

Demira stomped on the trunk making pieces of bark fall far down to the river. "Lair! When she told you to run, you ran!" Kanan froze. She was talking about…. That ….. Night….

Kanan lost his temper. "Hey!" He stepped on to the trunk and began to march towards her.

That didn't stop Demira. "I had to protect her. Even when I was young and I barely knew who Depa was. She was going to get killed. I stepped in, I saved her. You had run the night of the execution!"

Depa had told him what he did back then was all Depa wanted. Kanan was right. Demira was wrong. Kanan growled, "I did what I was told, something you seem to lack in." He leaned into tower over her, his weight making the trunk begin to tip forward a little.

"I knew it! You don't trust me with Depa!" Demira yelled, now going up on Kanan's face.

"Of course I don't! You're everywhere, you're not focusing on your Master's needs. Her wants. I mean like right now you ran because she had said she had thought of leaving. It's something she had wanted, why can't you let her decide."

Demira's fears rose, but she kept it at bay. She kept her stance. "Because she knows she can't go!"

"And why not? She's trapped here."

Demira slightly stumbled. Eyes going wide. Depa… she could never… "You know nothing of her, of me."

"Try me. I hear you're not even doing what your Tribe is asking of you. Finding your Mark? Can't seem to sit still can you?"

Demira's anger burst. She lunged at him like an animal and pinned him down on his back. "Not true!" the sudden weight loosened the roots of the tree on the edge. It made the trunk tilt more but again the fighting Jedi didn't notice.

Kanan growled and tried to push Demira off him, "Argh! Get off!"

"No!"

"I said OFF!" Kanan kicked Demira off him by the chest and she landed on her back at the edge of the trunk. That's when they heard it. SNAP SNAP SNAP! Both looked up in time to see the last of the root of the trunk snap off from it's hold on the edge of the canyon. They both tried to scramble to their feet to get off the tree but it was already too late. They both gave a yelp as they began to drop. They made a free fall towards the water below with the trunk. The two managed to think fast enough to cushion their fall into the water using the Force.

The plunge was quick but icy. Kanan, who wasn't used to swimming in the cold river had to push himself harder to get himself to the surface. He broke through with Demira just next to him, coughing up water. Then the two dispersed quickly as the trunk came down almost on top of them. They took to the sides, away from the impact point. But the splash and the churning water forced them under into a current below. Demira and Kanan regained their bearings and broke through the surface again. They swam to keep their heads up over the water but it was getting hard to with the rapids threatening to push them down. The problems only escalated when they realized the river was pushing the down river away from the waterfall…. And farther from where the crew and Depa were.

Another wave forces them underneath, but Kanan and Demira pulled themselves back up. Demira coughed up water before yelling, "We need to get out! There must be a shore nearby!"

Looking around, Kanan tried to find a way out. Even though it was dark, the light of the three moons managed to give enough light for Kanan to see something. Up ahead, far ahead, the canyon wall had suddenly ended and instead had a shore along the river. It was far to the left but if they swam towards it they could make it in time before it blew past them and the shore would turn back into the canyon walls again. And there would be no way out. Kanan yelled to Demira, "I found it! Come on!"

Demira was going to follow but stopped. The trunk that had fallen with them was coming towards Kanan. It was on its side with the trunk spinning around and around with the current. With the branches that struck out of it along with the speed of its spin, the trunk crushed other debris that got in it's way. Kanan was next. "Kanan!" Demira yelled.

"Just swim!" Kanan yelled back without looking back. He probably thought she was complaining. Demira grumbled and instead tried to use the Force to hold back the trunk coming towards Kanan. The water around her brought her quickly out of focus as it splashed and moved her around. Demira grumbled and knew she would have to do this physically, and possibly face certain consequences. But it was the right thing to do, no matter what. Demira swam as fast as she could towards Kanan, just as the trunk was getting closer.

When it was just next to Kanan, the man looked up in time to see it come over him, and then someone from behind push him far down bellow the water's surface. Demira had to jump on him from behind and push him far enough down so that the trunk wouldn't hit him, but Demira was in the way now. She too tried to get far bellow the water, but the trunk's branches managed to impale her. She gave a muffled scream under water as she felt something tear into her skin deeply on her left side. She braved through it though, waiting few moments before pulling Kanan and her back up the surface. As they both breathed air, Kanan managed to say, "Did you… did you just—"

"Just swim!" Demira pushed Kanan forward and they both swam to the shore. They made it to a small pool which made it easier to get to the shore from there. They trudged up the dry bank and fell on their knees to get their breath back. Demira held her side in pain, regretting it when she realized Kanan was next to her on the same side.

He saw her wince and hold her wound. He said slightly sympathetic, "You got hurt… by the trunk."

"Doesn't matter." Demira hissed. She sat up so that when she was sitting down her back was too Kanan. She leaned over and held her side but made no noise or complaint. She didn't want to show Kanan that she was weakened. She could still watch over herself.

Demira heard Kanan scuff, "If that's not treated right—"

"It will become infected and fester. I know…" she said again with a hiss, but more forced now that she was trying to hold back small boughts of pain. She looked down at her hand and saw between her fingers blood was began to come through. Demira then looked up. "But not here." She pointed to a slope up ahead. Instead off being straight up and down like a wall, rocks were scattered all around to make an incline that was angled enough for anyone to climb. "We must go up there."

"Why? We can wait here for the others to find us. Hera will bring the ship around and then we'll medical supplies."

As she stood up slowly, Demira said, "To treat the wound right I must treat it right away and not wait. The forest will provide the medicine I need. As for the ship, it will be easier for them to find us up top then down here. There is no place to land your Ghost."

Kanan insisted, "Wait, those rocks look unstable."

She looked around and said. "I've been here with Depa. The first time when we were chased by Neyeho off the cliff on the other side." She pointed behind them, specifically to the wall of the canyon across the river.

Kanan looked and then set his eyes to land at the top of the cliff. "You've fallen off before?" he almost yelled.

Almost relinquishing the memories, Demira smirked. "Twice. But when not falling off, we come to the shore to play by the shallow bank." She pointed back to the rocky slope. "We come down from there."

"Huh…" he said sounding impressed as he stood up.

Demira snorted and stood straight, for once feeling she had accomplished something that Kanan understood. "Yes, I know how to get around—agh—" she closed her eyes, leaned over, and held her wound tighter. "Haarte!" She cursed.

Kanan looked and this time he reached out but she hissed again, "Don't…" Then Demira started to walk to the slope.

Kanan was going to make another comment but something told him to just…. hold back. So far Demira had kept a level head since the drop. She recognized the situation. They had dropped far, so they needed to go up. She had been here before so she knew going to the rocks were ok. And better yet she knew medicine can come from plants and due to her people living off the land. Demira knew where to find it. She had great observation skills and… she saw the trunk coming…. And she warned him.

Kanan face palmed. And he had ignored her. She had just been trying to help, and in addition, she took the hit for him. With no complaints, Kanan followed behind her. The two began their trek up the rocky slope. Yes, the rocks were definitely stable but soon Kanan realized the best way to climb was all four limbs. Kanan was doing fine with both hands secure on the rocks at all times, but then he looked to Demira. She was struggling. With one hand on her wound, she only had the other to keep herself grounded. He didn't say anything about it, but he waited. He had a feeling…

Demira continued to climb but she started to get a little worried when Kanan started climbing fast enough to be right next to her. She scowled. Was he trying to get to the top first. She would she show him…. She tried to reach farther up the rock than usual but when she grabbed hold of the rock her fingers slipped. Her momentum going back made her right foot give way so that she fell on her side… her wounded side. She finally couldn't hold in the pain she had been keeping back. She let out a strangled cry. She forced herself to take a deep breath and pull herself together, but it was hard when at the same time she was slowly slipping down the rocky slope. Kanan on instinct scrambled up to help her. She started getting up and saying weakly, "I'm…. fine…."

Kanan didn't say anything, but he just did what he knew he had a right to do… help. He grabbed her hand that wasn't holding her wound and put it around his shoulders. Even though she continued to persist that she was ok, Kanan didn't stop. He put a hand around her back and said, "I know you're fine, now climb."

Demira opened her mouth to argue but then shut it. She didn't want to admit it, but really she was in a situation she couldn't climb up on her own, even if she knew her way around better than him. Besides, when she looked up, the slope looked a lot farther up than she usually thought it was. Perhaps it was her draining energy making her feel this way. She accepted Kanan's help and the two continued their climb.

Depa had brought the crew to the edge of the canyon where Depa last felt their calls for help through the Force. Ezra was practically inches from jumping off the edge, worried for his master. He too felt the call through the Force as Depa had. But Depa wasn't crazy. She reached a handout and pulled Ezra safely away from the edge. The crew looked around, Sabine saying, "There tracks end here." She pointed to a part of the edge of the canyon. There was freshly broken tree root and parts of the rock edge were gone.

"What happened here?" Hera asked.

"It finally gave way…" Depa said. "A tree that grew on this edge toppled over many years ago but it didn't fall all the way. It stayed rooted but created a sort of half bridge. She must have come here, and Kanan followed her… they both got on top…. The trunk wasn't strong enough to support them."

"Then they did fall!" Ezra yelled, getting nervous and going to the edge again.

This time Zeb pulled him back, saying, "Ok, I don't think Kanan would want you to follow right behind him."

Hera came next to Ezra, "If anything they used the Force to cushion their fall. They'll be fine…" Then Hera muttered, "He's not that stupid." Sabine and Zeb looked at each other. Hera did have a point, but they knew she was still worried, for Kanan especially.

"But we got to still try and find him. If they survived then they must be out in the wilderness somewhere" Ezra insisted. He turned to where Depa once stood next to him and began to say, "Depa can you—Depa?"

She had unbeknownst to them walked little ways away from them. She was still by the edge and stopped so that she got a better view of the where the river went. It was still hard to see the end since the canyon curved. That's when the Kuru and Kuri came out from the forest. They slowly walked up to the master, Bele putting his head down to rest on Depa's shoulder to comfort her. She stroked him back without looking. Sar Sar was a little more nervous. She kept making squawking sounds, flicking her tail back and forth, and turning her head every which way. Depa pulled away from Bele and went up to Sar Sar. Sar Sar brought her head down so that Depa could give her a comforting pat on the head.

That's when Depa finally spoke, "I claim to know my Padawans well, clearly, I am mistaken."

"Depa it's not your fault," Hera said, coming up to her. "Kanan is a little more stubborn than you remember."

"You may be right," Depa said, "He used to get jealous every once in a while, at least when his experience was questioned, but he never did let his jealousy be the fault of creating ties with people. Yes, he's more stubborn now, but he has matured in more than I could ever hope."

"You weren't talking about just Kanan…" Zeb began.

Depa sighed. "Demira learned a little while ago how to block her emotions and her Force signature from others, especially from Kerchec and Bruton. She's done so better than me, but I never knew…. She would willingly block me" Depa closed her eyes and held her staff tight in hand. "I answered that question and therefore her blocking me is not entirely her fault. She doesn't want me to find her she doesn't want even Sar Sar to find her." Said creature gave a squawk and stepped back away from Depa.

Depa was shaken out of her distant behavior. She knew right now she couldn't act lost, not in a situation like this she had to assure the crew. She said confidently, "And so, since Sar Sar can't pinpoint her then it won't be safe to go looking for them tonight."

"Why?" Ezra asked. "Even if Sar Sar can't track them, and Demira is blocking you, I can still find Kanan."

"And I'm sure you can, but that would require you to go on foot. And in the jungle… like I said before there worst things then Kuru's and Kuri's out in the jungle. Kanan wouldn't want you to get hurt looking for him."

"But of those things are out there, then won't they find Kanan and Demira?" Ezra asked, worried now.

Depa put and assuring hand on Ezra's shoulder, "Demira knows the land. If there is one thing I can be certain of she and Kanan will be fine with her survival skills. And knowing Kanan has is own survival skills. They'll both be fine, and then will search for them first thing in the morning." All Ezra could do was a nod, acknowledging her word.

.

A.N: Things escalated hahahah! AHHHH! So Demira went too far and then Kanan followed just behind, now they're struggling to just get along while surviving. Meanwhile everyone just has to trust that Kanan and Demria know what to do. Next, will being alone give Kanan and Demira a time to talk or will they forever hold a grudge. Find out next, I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!