It was night time now. The sun on Bakunyuu had set and the dark clouds and fog got only darker with the lack of sun.
Kanan yawned, rolling the stiffness out of his neck as he walked down the Ghost's halls. It had been a boring and mostly uneventful day for himself, but that didn't mean he didn't need to sleep at night. He pressed the button to his cabin.
"Wh- what?" his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked into his cabin - already occupied by trespassers.
A little holo projection showed two little pod racers. One side danced with confetti with the word 'WINNER' displayed over it.
Ezra leaned his back up against the lower bunk as Athena lied across it on her side. She was already asleep and Ezra was just about there. His remote controller barely clasped in his hand as his eyelids drooped.
"What are you two doing in my cabin?" Kanan questioned, stepping further into the room.
The boy padawan looked up to Ezra and spoke in a soft voice, "Zeb kicked us out of my cabin. We just came in here to play pod racing."
"Isn't it late for you two to be playing holo-games?" Kanan chastised in his dad-voice.
Ezra groaned and yawned, "Yeah...but we kept getting ties."
Kanan looked to Athena who was already deep asleep. Her controller by her head as drool poked out of the corner of her mouth. With Ezra having reclined his left arm back onto the bunk, Athena took his arm captive and tightly held it like a pillow.
Kanan chuckled as he looked to his sleepy Padawan, "What? You can't win at your own game? Athena never even played holo-games before."
"They - they got games on Earth," Ezra could barely keep his head up. He turned to the girl who held his left arm captive. "Athena, you gonna play another round?"
"I think she's asleep, Ez," Kanan said. "Good luck getting your arm back now."
"I just…" Ezra leaned his back so it rested against the metal side of the bunk. His eyes closed and he mumbled. "Sleep."
"Wait, are you two seriously going to just sleep here?" Kanan questioned.
Ezra mumbled something but it was so mixed up that Kanan couldn't even decipher it. The boy was so out of it. Sleep took him captive.
Kanan rolled his eyes and turned off the holo-game console. He turned around and shut off his lights, figuring the two wouldn't wake up even if he tried.
He saw what happened when someone woke Athena. He didn't want to repeat the mistake Hera made. For all he knew, she was in the middle of training with the Ones.
The male Jedi climbed up the ladder and reclined on his top bunk, letting out a sigh.
He glanced down to the two and chuckled. Athena cuddled Ezra's arm just as she had Ahsoka's when she had returned after the whole Jalo-kidnapping fiasco a few days ago. Ezra didn't seem to mind.
Kanan turned back onto his bed and looked up to the ceiling above his head, his hands holding each other in a worried clasp.
Ezra didn't know any better. He didn't know this kid was so deeply connected to the Bringer of Chaos. He didn't know she could be so dangerous. He just saw a cute girl who shared a similar background with him. He didn't see the pupil of the Gods. He saw a girl.
Kanan wanted to see Athena as a kid more than anything - that's what she deserved. But, he couldn't help but be reminded of the whipping winds and crackling lightning in the desert. He couldn't help but be reminded of the devil shadow that had clung to her feet for so long.
He saw a possible vessel for a demon when he should've been seeing his little sister. No matter how hard he'd try - he couldn't help but be reminded of her destiny. To destroy the destroyer.
His eyes slowly closed as he drifted gently into sleep just as Ezra had.
Athena wasn't so lucky.
She was yanked into a fiery Hell as if a chain was wrapped around her throat - forcing her to go wherever the Gods wanted her to go. The girl tried to claw her way out, but the fire was too intense on her delicate fingers.
Tears of fear ran down her face as her feet sizzled against the black and orange ground. She ran but seemed to go nowhere.
This was the first time she was given such a physical touch in her training with the Ones. And, of course, it was Son's turn to train her now.
She was dressed in rags with no shoes as she sprinted with no speed across the fiery scape around her. Just mere centimeters to either side of her was a river of boiling lava, rushing past her with an unholy speed. She ran across a beam of sizzling rock, praying that each step would land true on the skinny strip of rock.
The girl could even feel the air around her enter her lungs. Though, it brought nothing but more pain with each agonizing breath. It burned her nose and throat every time she gasped for what little viable air was around her.
Though, not even her feet being boiled alive and her lungs burning from acid could compare to the horror that filled her.
She knew not to look back, but she couldn't help it.
Behind her sprinted a monster of a being.
Tall, skinny, and far too quick. Eyes that glowed red and fangs bigger than her head. The monster chased faster than what any human could ever hope to sprint.
Its body looked to be somewhat humanoid but distorted in unholy ways. A body as thick as a twig, a mouth far too large with too many fangs, and limbs stretched out like a bug's skinny little legs with claws on the ends of them. Its glowing red eyes locked onto the girl as it effortlessly balanced on the beam of boiling rock while sprinting. The elongated limbs helped launch it further with every gallop.
She couldn't help but scream out in horror at the deadly beast's presence. Tears streamed down her face as she ran through the warped world around her.
She couldn't run fast enough. It was getting too close.
The greasy and red-stained fangs glinted in the lava's light as the monster let out an unholy screech.
"Get away!" she screamed in terror.
There's a difference between fear, terror, and horror.
Fear is worrying that something bad is going to happen to you when you enter Son's realm.
Terror is realizing he had already sent a monster after you while you balance on a rock surrounded by lava.
Horror is when that monster is less than a meter away and you can see its last victim's bloodstains against its ghoulishly white skin.
An ice shield only held the monster off her for a moment so she could continue running across the sizzling beam of rock. The world around her was made of fire, so ice meant nothing.
Horror rushed over her as its claws dug their way into her shoulder - burning her skin in with sort of acidic venom.
Her hand flew out to the side of herself as she clenched it in both anger and fear. The lava shot up from the river and listened to every command. She threw it onto the skinny body of the monster. Her ears bled when it screeched in pain. It let go of her and she was able to sprint for just another moment. Somehow, someway, the girl gained enough courage in that split second to turn around and face the monster. Both her hands now flexed out - making the lava around her rise like fingers that mimicked her own.
This wasn't like going from water to ice. Ice was completely stagnant and shattered when dropped. Lava moved like sticky syrup, but it did not break. She did not have to break up this lava like she had the ice to be able to freely manipulate it.
The monster brushed off the specks of its burning flesh and glared back at the girl, hissing with its fangs bared.
"COME AT ME!" she screeched, tears streaming down her face with a hot passion. "COME ON! BRING IT!"
It had been a while since she screamed with such passion in her voice. Flames engulfed her now. Her rags became hardened pieces of armor and her hair glowed brighter than the sun. Her eyes were completely made of a fiery rage.
Never had the fire in her soul burned so hot.
It lunged at her.
She stomped her foot onto the beam and brought her hands upwards. She brought the lava made hands around the monster, clasping it in her grasp.
She watched as the monster screamed in agony as the lava boiled its skin. Its skinny arms were the first to wither and disintegrate into ash.
It caught on fire and began to fall apart.
She ripped it apart, black ooze exploding out of the monster as if it were blood, and took each half into the river of lava.
The screams of bloody murder no longer hurt her anymore. The monster now bubbled under her feet in the river of lava.
Her heart nearly beat out of her chest. So much adrenaline filled her body. She just faced death head-on and won.
Even as she felt the cool air of the Ghost hit her skin and fill her lungs, her heart couldn't stop its war-drum beat. Even as she saw the familiar walls of Kanan's cabin, she couldn't keep control of her breathing. She clenched whatever was in front of her with an inhumane amount of force as her muscles trembled.
Ezra yelped in pain as he felt his arm nearly get torn off by Athena. He woke up and saw the girl's petrified eyes look into nothing.
"Athena! Hey, Athena!" Ezra called out for the girl to snap out of it. She was panicking. She couldn't tell what was real.
Kanan heard this and leaped down from his bunk. He saw Ezra sit up and claw at Athena's hands, trying to get the girl to release him from her petrified grip.
"Kid, hey, kid!" Kanan's worried eyes looked over to the two Padawan's. He knelt down by the two and put a hand on Athena's forehead, trying to see if she could even be calmed down. "Athena, hey! You're here! With us. We're not going to hurt you."
She couldn't talk. Her body lightly shook as her eyes glossed over. Her heart refused to slow down. The room was spinning.
"Athena!" Ezra pled. He looked to his Master. "What's wrong with her?"
"She must've had a nightmare," Kanan's body filled with dread as he realized which of the Ones must've visited her. "A bad one."
"Can we snap her out of this?" Ezra looked to the petrified girl, still clasping Ezra's arm in fear. The dark energy surrounded her again. This time it wasn't working with her and seamlessly flowing around her. It seemed to be attacking her now. Ezra's eyes widened as he saw Athena's black ring glow a deep red on her right index finger.
Kanan twisted his torso to face the other side of the room and used the Force to turn on the lights. He looked back to his sister to see her eyes could shift a little now. She looked terrified as she looked up to him.
"K-K-an…" she couldn't even muster a syllable. Her mouth tingled and her muscles continued to shake.
He put a reassuring hand on the side of her face and met his little sister's eyes, "Kid, are you okay? What's wrong?"
She let her grip loosen on Ezra's arm and the boy was free again.
Then she felt her stomach finally catch onto everything. Her stomach muscles began to push and pull on her guts and she clutched her stomach as she began to dry-heave.
"We gotta get her to the 'fresher," Kanan wrapped his arms around the girl. One arm behind her back and the other under her knees. He quickly picked her up and headed out of the cabin, Ezra following close behind.
They thankfully made it to the 'fresher just before she threw up. Kanan held her ponytail back as she retched. Ezra put a reassuring hand on her back as he worriedly looked at Kanan.
"Is she sick? Was it something she ate?"
Kanan shook his head, "No, too much adrenaline can make you puke after a bad dream."
Ezra's eyes widened, "Wait, a bad dream caused this? I've had bad dreams, but never had something like this happen."
Kanan sighed. He looked to his sister as she continued to vomit into the toilet. With one hand he held back her hair, with the other he gave a reassuring pat on her back. "Sometimes dreams can be too intense for the body to handle."
He felt the muscles on her back continue to tremble in fear. Whatever the hell Son put her through must've shaken her to the core.
Ezra worriedly looked to see Athena's hands grip the fabric on her knees. Her black ring was now orange. It began to smoke.
Kanan saw this and looked to Ezra for answers. "When did she get a ring? Why is it glowing like that?"
"We got it from town. Some guy gave it to us for free," Ezra looked to his Master. "Said it was made of hardened lava."
"That means she's heating it up!" Kanan realized with worried eyes.
Athena picked up her head from the toilet bowl, out of breath. Kanan put his hands under each of her arms and picked her up to stand.
"Ezra, turn on the cold water in the sink. Maybe we can cool her off before she burns herself." Kanan ordered.
Ezra stood up and did so. Cold water soon rushed out of the faucet. The boy took the girl's right hand and stuck it under the cold water.
Steam billowed off the girl's hand and the orange ring slowly cooled enough to where it turned back to black. Ezra winced in pain as he quickly took it off her finger to set it on the sink's ledge. As soon as Ezra did that, Kanan lowered the trembling girl back down onto the ground so she could sit.
Kanan sat her next to the wall, her back resting against it, as he knelt down next to her.
She began to regain some grip on reality, a little thanks be given to the cold water helping remind her that she was no longer burning in Hell.
"You good?" Kanan questioned, even though he knew she was far from okay.
"I-I…" she let out a shaky breath, soon looking at Ezra. "Sorry about your arm."
Ezra gave a crooked smile. "It's fine. I didn't mind."
"Do you need anything?" Kanan asked. "Do you want me to get Ahsoka?"
Athena shook her head, "No...I...I'm sorry I woke you guys up."
"Athena, it's fine," Kanan put a hand on her shoulder. "We just want to know you're okay."
"Thanks," she gave a half-smile.
"Do you think holo pod racing will help you feel better?" Ezra suggested.
"I'll beat you," she let out a weak chuckle. Her muscles still tingled.
"We'll see about that, Blondie," Ezra joked as he sat crisscrossed in front of her.
She smiled a little, seeing the playfulness in the boy's smile. He was so kind. Kanan was so kind. They took the time out of their sleep to help her. Though she wasn't all that good at the moment still, she was grateful for what they did for her.
Her finger still burned in a circle from where that obsidian ring had heated up, but it compared nothing to the fire she had just conquered in her dreams.
"I'll sit here with you until you want to go back to bed," Kanan sat next to the girl, leaning his back on the same wall as her. "I know it's difficult to be alone after scary dreams."
"I'll stay too," Ezra promised. "I don't want you to feel alone."
"You guys don't have to sit on the bathroom floor all night for me," Athena assured. "I'll be fine."
"Nah, you can't get rid of us that easy," Ezra joked. "We're here until you feel all better."
"You wanna sleep in the common room or the closet tonight?" Kanan asked. "Or do you just want to sleep here?"
She pondered for a moment, not very sure if she wanted to be alone or not after that.
"What about your cabin, Kanan?" Ezra suggested, then looking at Athena. "We can play holo pod racing until you fall asleep again."
She smiled and nodded.
Ezra stood and offered a hand to the girl.
She took it and stood up with him. Kanan soon stood with them and waved for them to follow him back to his cabin.
Kanan sat next to the two Padawans on his lower bunk as he watched them play a round of pod racing on the holo-console. His eyes were tired and droopy, but he didn't want to leave Athena alone after all that.
She was so scared. He hadn't seen those kinds of terrified eyes in anyone for a long time.
Athena smiled and chuckled as she crossed the virtual finish line just ahead of Ezra. Usually, she would throw her arms and cheer her heart out, but this was good enough for now.
Seeing the rest of the crew was asleep, Ezra had to whisper, "Aw, no way. How'd you do that?"
"Just be faster," Athena joked.
"Oh, Ezra, you can't be that crappy at this game that you lost to an Earthling," Kanan said in a whisper.
Ezra handed Kanan his controller, "Here, you try to beat her."
"I beat him at Dejarik, this'll be nothing," Athena remarked in a soft voice.
Kanan took hold of the controller and restarted the game.
After a while, Kanan couldn't remember who won and who didn't. His eyes were half-closed as he felt a head lean against each of his shoulders. Having sat between the two Padawans, Kanan soon became both of their pillows as they drifted back to sleep. He leaned his head back onto the wall behind him and his eyelids slowly closed. The Jedi couldn't help but smile a little as he felt the Padawans hug onto the sides of him.
Oh boy did he adopt some trouble making kids.