Hey everyone! I've got a new chapter ready to go! Let's Start!
The Dark Fairy
Chapter 38
The chamber was dead silent. Not a noise, not a single breeze of air whistling past the metal plates that formed the large circular room. There was no light. Only the dull red glow of the holocron on it's pedestal illuminated the chamber. Sitting beside the pedestal was a young man. His brown hair had grown long due to him not focusing on keeping it tamed. He wore a black shirt with black pants, making it so that you could barely make him out in the dark room. Only his pale skin illuminated by the soft red glow from the holocron was visible. He sat quietly beside the pedestal, eyes shut and face like stone. Not a single muscle of his body moved. His face didn't even twitch. The darkness that hung in the air seemed to swirl around him, as if being bent by his will. He was barely breathing. The young man was in a state of total zen. All of his energy and focus was on what was occurring in his mind.
Inside of his mind, lightsabers flashed and whirred around him. The crashing of waves nearby filled his mind as he fought with Maul yet again on the beach. Only this time, he was alone. There was no one else there to fight with him. And he wasn't a boy anymore. He was the age he was now. And he had Maul on the ropes. The Zabrak's aggressive fighting style kept him on his toes. He danced lightly in the sand, utilizing his prefered fencing style of fighting with his crossguard styled lightsaber. He then saw the opening. Deftly twisting his wrist he felt the red blade slash through Maul's left arm before digging into the Zabrak's torso and cutting him in two. He grinned triumphantly down at the body before he was dragged away from the scene. His mind switched to a different battle. One that had a very different outcome. It was the battle with Maul as it originally happened. In the past, this battle would stir up hatred in him unlike anything he had ever felt. But that explosive, uncontrolled hatred had turned to a slow burning anger, focused and precise, like a deadly knife. He could thank his years of training for that. His master had taught him not to give into hatred and anger, but rather to use them as one would use a tool. He remembered his Master's words as he watched Maul stab the red haired woman that ran towards his ten year old self.
"The Dark Side will consume you unless it is controlled. You do not want it to devour you. If you allow that, then you are nothing but a slave. And the force shall not free you. A true sith, controls his anger, controls his fear, controls his hatred, and focuses it on a target. Then, and only then, does the explosion occur. This is how the Sith have survived for centuries. This is how we have stayed hidden for centuries. And that is how we will be victorious."
The young man's crimson eyes shot open as he heard the deadly hum of a lightsaber bearing down on him. In one lightning fast motion he tucked into a roll and somersaulted to his feet, dodging the deadly red blade that thundered down and pierced the metal patch he was previously sitting on. The young man's head rose and he saw Ventress jumping towards him, twin blades drawn. The man grinned. He just loved these little practice sessions. They were always entertaining.
His right palm opened and a large, black lightsaber hilt lept to his open hand from his dark belt. The young man gripped it with expert care and immediately activated the sword. The red blade boomed to life and it's loud unstable, crackling echoed around the cavernous chamber. The young man instinctively brought it over his head and caught Ventress's two blades. He then kicked Ventress away and rolled backwards to gain some separation. He finally was able to jump to his feet but he had not time to breath as Ventress was once again on top of him. Her twin blades hummed around him and he dodged and blocked the deadly red glows.
"Form three, very good." Ventress acknowledged as she swung and the man deftly blocked it once again before shoving her away.
He shifted his feet, going to his preferred fighting style. Ventress smirked at him. He may like Makashi a lot. He was very skilled in it. However, it was her preferred form of fighting as well. And as far as she was concerned, they were equals. Ventress twirled her blades and danced forwards. They young man gracefully blocked the various swings and stabs despite his strangely crafted saber. He had learned to use it to it's fullest potential. Adapting to it's cross guards and changing the three forms of combat he knew to accommodate them.
The two swordsmen continued to dance around the pedestal, the red glow of the holocron continuing to illuminate one side of their bodies while the sinister red light of their sabers revealed the rest of their features. They were evenly matched, neither one was gaining an advantage and neither was doing anything the other hadn't seen before. The young man knew it would be foolish to change to form one. That was useless in one on one combat. If he shifted to form three he'd be put on the defensive, and against a Makashi user that was always a risk. His long red blade locked with Ventress's shorter two blades. The two muscled against each other each trying to overpower the other. Ventress saw the young man's lips part into a slight grin and a sparkle formed in his eye. He was planning something. She felt a large force push hit her, causing her to slide backwards. Ventress snarled and looked at her opponent angrily.
"Cheater!" Ventress saw his approach had completely changed.
He stood with his left side facing Ventress. Both hands gripped the lightsaber as he pointed it at her while holding it in front of his torso, parallel to the ground. His right leg bent and his weight shifted backwards onto the bent leg. His eyes narrowed at her. His face scrunched into a nasty snarl as the dark side billowed out of him. He then propelled himself forward at a speed that shocked Ventress. But what surprised her the most was the animalistic roar that came out of her opponent's mouth. The roar was terrifying and made her spine crawl. She barely had time to sidestep the twirling red sword. Just before she could catch her breath she had to block an incredibly powerful strike towards her face.
What is this!? Ventress thought as she blocked another powerful blow.
Then another and another. All of them viciously thrown at her and sending her off balance. She felt his blade slam into her two once again, but this time the sheer force behind them sent her sprawling on the ground. Before she could get up she felt an enormous amount of heat beside her left temple. Her opponents red blade was buried in the floor, centimeters from her face. Ventress's face sagged.
"Gotcha!" smiled the young man before he deactivated his lightsaber and stepped away from her.
Ventress groaned. She had just taken a thrashing. She rotated her head as she shook out some cobwebs from her mind and then popped her neck a couple times.
"What did you just use there?" she asked.
"I picked it up from meditating on my fight against Maul." The young man replied as he walked towards the holocron and casually picked it up from it's pedestal, "Every time I fought him in my mind, I studied how he moved and how he fought." He placed the holocron down on the floor before sitting down cross legged in front of it, "After all, he was the most powerful opponent I have ever faced. I figured I may as well learn from the person that beat me like a drum."
Ventress nodded, "And what did you learn?"
The young man took a deep breath as he began to recover from the short duel he just had with Ventress, "Form seven."
Ventress's eyes widened, "H-how? That is the most complex fighting style. Very difficult to learn, and few have mastered it!"
He shook his head and laughed lightly, "I never said I mastered it. Far from that. I think I've just picked up some of the basics from observation." He stretched his right arm, "But it is damn exhausting to use. A little overaggressive for my taste, but it sure caught you by surprise."
"I wasn't surprised." Ventress defended.
"Liar." he snorted back, "I don't think I've ever seen you look more stunned. I mean, other than the time I hit you with my lightning."
"I told you we don't talk about that." Snarled Ventress.
"It's still funny to think about."
"For you." Ventress replied as she cringed at the memory of being shocked by some of the most powerful sith lightning she had ever felt.
The young man waved his hand over the holocron and the corners of the small red and gold pyramid twisted. The sides slowly descended and the ethereal form of Count Dooku emerged from the holocron.
"How were your exercises this morning, Joshua?" Dooku asked immeadiately.
"Good morning to you too, Master." Joshua replied sarcastically. Dooku glared down at him but the young man shrugged the glare off, "They went well."
"Meaning?"
"He's figured out form seven somehow." Ventress interjected causing Dooku to raise an eyebrow at the teenager that sat down before him.
"How did you manage to do that?" Dooku asked.
"Observation. I watched Maul do it over and over again as that memory continues to torture me. Figured I may as well try to figure it out instead of getting pissed about losing all of the time."
Dooku couldn't help but smile a little. Joshua noticed. A genuine smile from the crabby old man. Was he dreaming?
"You have grown very powerful my apprentice." Dooku glanced away from Joshua and seemed to be thinking hard about something before nodding, "I think… the time has come."
"Time has come for what?" Joshua asked.
"I am running out of things to teach you my young apprentice." Dooku admitted surprising Joshua, "My own training in the Dark Side was incomplete. I can't teach you what I don't know. And I've already taught you almost all that I do know. Now you are passing me up in knowledge. Your quick learning of a completely foreign fighting style is proof of that." Joshua smiled proudly, "It is now time, for your last trial."
Joshua heard Ventress audibly gulp behind him, "You want me to take him there."
"Yes. Take him there."
"Where?" Joshua asked.
"Joshua, you have been my apprentice for nearly seven years now. You've overcome every obstacle I have thrown at you. But this will be unlike anything you have ever faced." Dooku explained, "Do you know why this ship crashed here?"
Joshua shook his head, "I'm not going to say by coincidence. There is no such thing after all."
"Correct." Dooku took a breath, "This planet is not an undiscovered one. It has only been intentionally hidden. Why and by whom I still do not know and never will know. I only learned of it thanks to the holocron of an ancient Sith that I discovered while I was still alive. In the days of the old republic, this planet was part of the ancient Sith empire. It was a remote outpost for the ancients. Used primarily for training." Joshua sat with his mouth agape as he heard this, "Hidden in the northern tip of this valley, is a cave. That cave contains within it, an ancient Sith Temple. The immense amount of dark side energy coming from this temple is what drew my holocron to it when the Supremacy lost power in the unknown reaches of space. That is how this ship came to rest on this world."
"I'm going to take a guess and say you want me to go to this temple for my last trial." Joshua said.
Dooku nodded, "Correct. This temple most likely contains a holocron of great power and knowledge at it's heart. As did all other sith temples of the era. Your last trial is to venture into the temple and retrieve the holocron. Come back with it alive, and you will have passed. If you never return then-"
"I'm dead." Joshua finished, "Sounds about right for something like this. I knew a final trial wouldn't be easy."
Dooku nodded.
"Anything else I need to know about this place?"
Dooku shook his head, "Be prepared. And may the force be with you."
His essence faded back into the holocron and once again the chamber was shrouded in darkness. Joshua closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was it. The final test was here. He had trained for nearly seven years for this moment. If he passed this, he will have completed his training. Joshua gulped and rose to his feet.
"We should get going." he said to Ventress.
The night sister from Dathomir nodded and Joshua followed her out of the ship and into the snow covered valley. Their feet sank into the deep snow around them as they were met by the snowstorm that raged outside of the ship. Joshua wrapped a balck cloak around his muscular shoulders and raised his hood over his head as he fought against the elements along with Ventress.
"He picked a hell of a day to do this!" Joshua shouted at her through the howling winds.
"Ha! He's been going easy on you from the start!" Ventress scoffed.
"What do you mean by that?"
"What I mean is, he's been going easy on you. He's been almost parent-like with you. With me he was a cruel master. I recieved no praise nor sympathy from him. You've gotten both."
Joshua stopped walking and let Ventress's words sink in for a moment.
"I'm worried that because of that you will fail this trial." Ventress said over the wind as they continued to trudge forwards.
Joshua grinned at her as he pushed his thoughts to the side. He'd discuss this with his Master later. "Aw, you're worried about me. How sweet!" Joshua chuckled.
"Open your mouth again and I'll shut it with my sword."
"You can only try." Joshua laughed while Ventress huffed irritated and stopped in front of a large cave.
Joshua stopped beside her. The cave's mouth towered over him and the shadows inside refused to pierced by any light.
"Is this it?" Joshua asked.
"This is it." Ventress replied.
"How did you know about this place?" Joshua asked.
"I had to pass through it as well. Only I just had to survive it. I didn't have to search for something. Dooku wouldn't let me teach you until I had proven myself to him."
Joshua nodded, "What'd you see on the inside."
He saw Ventress's eyes go blank and her face lost some color.
"Don't worry about it." Joshua said quickly, "You don't need to tell me. I'm about to find out anyways."
Joshua stepped towards the cave mouth but felt a strong, thin hand grab his right shoulder.
"Kid…" Ventress sighed, "Don't die in there."
Joshua smiled at her, "I've faced death already. It wasn't very fun, I don't plan on going through it again."
And with that, the seventeen year old disappeared into the cave's deep shadows. Ventress clenched her jaw as all sight of him disappeared almost instantly as he entered the ink like blackness. All she could do now was wait.
….
Damn, it's dark in here. Joshua thought as he walked calmly through the blackness that had engulfed him upon entering the cave.
He couldn't see anything in front of him. He even had his lightsaber drawn yet it's red glow failed to penetrate the darkness around him. Joshua narrowed his eyes before slowly letting the dark side ebb out of his body. It's invisible tendrils spread out around him as he tried to sense where he was in the cave. But all his senses came back empty, as if he was being blocked out. That's when a dull red glow filled the air around him. The glow became a rust color and soon Joshua realized he was treading on rust colored soil. He glanced around and saw towering statues around him, all made of the same red stone that was now under his feet. Joshua breathed some of the air and coughed. It tasted almost poisonous, like ash had completely filled the air around him.
"Having trouble whelp?" said a disembodied voice around him.
Joshua stopped coughing and stood up straighter. He spread the dark side out around him as he searched for whoever was speaking.
"Your power…" The voice said, "It's remarkable. Dangerous too. To think that the Sith have advanced so far in the thousands of years since I was alive."
Stepping out from the swirling red dust around Joshua was a strange looking creature. He wore rich purple and blue colored robes with gold trimming. An equally opulent hat was atop the creature's head. This creature could almost pass for a human if it wasn't for the red colored skin and skin flaps on his cheeks that looked almost like antennae but weren't. He was roughly the same height as Joshua was as well. Joshua raised an eyebrow at the strange being.
"Who are you?"
The being seemed offended by Joshua's question.
"You do not know of me?"
Joshua shrugged, "Should I?"
The creature snarled at him, "I am the pinnacle of human sith hybrids! I am the greatest of the dark lords! I am Naga Sadow." He shouted.
Joshua tried to keep a straight face as he watched the flaps of skin on this guy's cheeks flap as he talked. But he couldn't help it. He felt some coughs of laughter burst from his lips.
"WHAT'S SO FUNNY!" shouted Naga Sadow.
Joshua gasped, "You're cheeks. They keep jiggling. And your name." Joshua put his hands on his knees as he continued laughing, "It's hard to take you seriously."
Joshua then saw the world around him suddenly change. The grass turned into sand and he saw a large tree towering above him. Joshua's eyes widened. This wasn't a vision, he was actually here. But how? He turned and saw this Naga Sadow staring at him triumphantly.
"You fear this place don't you whelp?" Sadow said with a sinister smile.
Joshua then felt his heart reach his throat as he saw his worst nightmare. Erza, Wendy, Natsu, all of them were in a heap in the sand. All of them were dead, their blood running in rivers in the sand towards the shore. Joshua dropped to his knees as he saw who was standing over them. It was him, it was his ten year old self.
"Your fears are fuel for my powers whelp!" roared Naga Sadow, "I was once the greatest Sith Sorcerer in existence!"
Joshua closed his eyes and felt a tear drip down his cheek. He opened his eyes once again. The hazel color was gone and crimson glowed in his irises. He looked once again at the bodies of his friends before rising to his feet.
"Do you take me seriously now!?" roared Naga Sadow.
Joshua turned and Sadow felt an ominous feeling take over him. He saw the crimson glow in the boy's eyes. Joshua raised his right hand and pointed his fingers at Sadow.
"My worst nightmare came true seven years ago." he snarled lowly, "And you have managed to piss me off by reminding me of it."
Lightning raced across the sand towards the sith hybrid across from him. Sadow's eyes widened and he quickly dodged the lightning as it slammed into the sand, turning it to glass where he once standing. Sadow glared at the teen and sent his own barrage of lightning towards Joshua. Joshua frowned and ducked quickly underneath the lightning. He could feel the static in the air above him. He then quickly rolled to the side as Naga Sadow redirected his powerful lightning. Joshua rose to his feet and sent a powerful force push at the ancient sith lord. The creature grunted as he was flung across the sand. Joshua's face gave off no emotion as he stomped forwards in the sand. He raised his hand into a fist and lifted Nada Sadow into the air, gripping the creature's throat with the force.
"Joshua…" He froze. That voice, it couldn't be. Joshua turned his eyes and saw Erza standing behind him. "Why did you do it?"
"Erza…" Joshua dropped Sadow as he lost his concentration.
"Why did you kill us?" Erza asked, "I thought you were my brother. Yet you killed me."
"Erza!" Joshua whispered as he felt tears building in his eyes, "I-I didn't mean to. I didn't want my darkness to hurt you. I-"
A flash of steel and Joshua was sent flying backwards. He tumbled in the sand and landed next to the water's edge.
"Well done woman." growled Naga Sadow, "End this whelp for me."
Erza's eyes glazed over and she charged at Joshua as if she was a mindless drone. Joshua quickly dodged her sword strike.
"Erza! Listen to me! He's controlling you!" Joshua shouted at his big sister.
"She can't hear you." chuckled Naga Sadow, "And neither can the others." he pointed a red finger. Natsu and Wendy rose, brandishing swords of their own.
Joshua was now dodging three swords simultaneously. He didn't want to raise his saber against them. That would damage them beyond hope. It would most likely kill them. Natsu's sword arced through the air and clipped Joshua's mechanical arm. Joshua grit his teeth in pain before jumping high over them and landing outside of the deadly circle they had created around him.
Since when was Natsu so good with...a...sword. Joshua stared blankly for a moment before he began to curse himself mentally. DAMMIT JOSHUA! You are an idiot! Natsu wouldn't use a sword! Neither would Wendy! He ducked and dodged more slashes and he stayed on his toes and bounced around the beach, This isn't a vision, so that could mean only one thing. Joshua glanced over at Naga Sadow and saw his hands moving like a puppeteer's. This is an illusion.
Anger boiled up in Joshua. This creature dared to use his friends like this. Joshua's crimson eyes glowed and he roared in anger. A wave of dark side energy pulsed out of him, shattering the illusion and sending Naga Sadow tumbling in the rust colored dirt of the strange world they were on. Sadow groaned as he raised himself onto his elbows. He shook with fear as he saw the teen stomping towards him. Naga swallowed his fear. This whelp couldn't defeat him, he was Naga Sadow, the Dark Lord of the Sith. He roared defiantly at Joshua and drew his force infused sword. He quickly jumped to his feet and raised the sword over his head.
"DIE!" he shouted as he sent the sword thundering down at Joshua.
His eyes widened as his sword was stopped by the boy's left hand. He saw the force infused blade digging into the leather glover. Beneath the leather glove, Sadow saw only metal. His eyes were bulging from his skull as Joshua continued walking forwards, backing the ancient Sith lord. He then saw his sword crack down the middle before it shattered into a million pieces. Only now did he notice the dark side swirling around the human like an invisible cloud.
"Wh-what are you?" stammered Sadow as Joshua placed his right hand on Sadow's red face and gripped him tightly.
"I am Joshua Scarlet." He said lowly, "And I am the Sith apprentice who defeated you."
Lightning jumped from Joshua's hand straight into Sadow's skull. The creature screamed out in agony before his skull began to smoke. With a final crackle of blue lightning, the great Naga Sadow fell on his face, dead. Joshua let his hand fall to his side as he stared grimly down at the fallen Sith lord.
"You tried to use my fears against me." The red rust covered world began to fade around him as darkness began to envelop Joshua once again, "I always feared losing them. And you're plan would've worked." The statues disappeared with the poisonous air, "But you lacked knowledge of my friends. And," Darkness engulfed Joshua's vision once again, "That fear has already come true."
Joshua stood silently in the darkness as he quietly pondered what had just occurred.
So this is the trial. I must pass through these little… scenarios, in order to reach the temple.
A deep chuckle echoed around Joshua. It had a menace to it that made the teen's hair stand on end. Was it Naga Sadow? Did he not kill him?
"I am not that weakling young one."
The darkness faded and was replaced by a large room. The room was lit with several rows of electric lights high above Joshua's head. Joshua looked around and his eyes widened as he saw the see through blue walls far to his left and right. Outside of the glowing blue barrieres was outer space. Stars twinkled outside but the serene appearance was soon interrupted by a flaming wreckage plummeting past the room he was in. It was then followed by the entire room shuddering and green blasts of energy bouncing against the blue shields as several ancient fighters whizzed by the ship. Joshua's eyes widened in realization. This wasn't any normal room. He looked around and saw several small ships docked around him. This was a hangar on a star ship.
He then heard the low, deadly hum of a lightsaber nearby. Joshua clenched his jaw and turned around to see a hulk of man slowly walking towards him with a red lightsaber activated. This man looked war torn. He had deathly pale skin and a bald head covered in veins and scars. On his face was some sort of respirator that covered his nose and mouth. Piercing crimson eyes starred Joshua down as the man stopped marching towards him. He was heavily armored and had a small primitive control panel on his chest. Joshua could see that he was also very muscular. The man was easily two of him.
"You are the physical opposite of the last guy."
"Indeed, Naga Sadow will always be remembered for his knowledge." said the man with a rasping, deep mechanical voice, "But he was a weakling compared to me."
"And who exactly are you?" Joshua asked as he slowly grabbed his own lightsaber and readied himself for his next trial.
The man narrowed his eyes as Joshua activated his red blade.
"You are prepared for a fight young one." the man said, "Good. Maybe you will provide me some entertainment."
"Who are you?" Joshua demanded one more time.
The massive man chuckled lowly, "I am Darth Malgus."
Cliffhanger! Sorry about the slight delay on this update. I've been pretty sick lately and it makes writing a little difficult. Anyways, Joshua has entered his trials. What do you guys think? Let me know. As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!