Sorry for the insanely long delay. I have been feeling a bit unispired and I am not entirely happy with the current place of the story.
I have also been editing the older chapters, specifically one and five, but I made some significant edits to others, I also intend to edit a couple other chapters(specifically fixing Rin's inconsistent personality). Not heavy edits, just a grammar fix here and a plot hole patch there. When I first started writing this I did any crazy funny thing I came up with making it seem much more lighthearted than it now seems to be. I am not the best writer so I hope my lack of proper balence and development doesn't hurt your enjoyment of the story.
Around me I saw the Jedi Temple buring, one by one my friends, mentors and comrades, fell. I was at the center, I knew I had the power to stop this, to beat them all... but instead I found myself running. I ran through a doorway filled with smoke. Bursting out of the smoke I found myself in the village of Spree, I watched in horror as the villagers were slaughtered, there were many Dark Elves, I felt I should be able to fight them. I knew this time I would not run away. I reached for my Lightaxe, but once i did I fell to my knees, my arm in such pain. When I looked at it I found it had been almost entirely crushed. I squeezed my eyes shut as I was certain I would black out...
I stood in my throne room, surrounded by Dark Elves, but my wounds were all healed already. That meant I could fight agai... my body was suddenly struck with a volley of musket-fire and I found myself flung out of the main window of the Tower. As I fell the Tower crumbled, I could feel my Minions' anguish...
The Plains of Falling were infamous in this world. If you fought there at a disadvantage you were almost guaranteed defeat. My wounds were all healed again, but this time there was an unending legion of the Dark Forces pouring into the ravine. This time I could stand and fight, but this time fighting rather than fleeing meant a certain and pointless death.
I wanted to finally stand. I knew I was far more powerful than any my age should be, I knew I could destroy countless of them if I stood, but... it would mean nothing, there were people still counting on me, people I needed to run to, yet I am so tired of running away. 6In my torn mind I stood there far so long trying to choose that the legion surrounded me...
Chapter 17: Haunted
I was awake. Cold and only half covered by my blanket and the half open sliding door let in much moonlight. My eyes felt especially could. I raised up my hand to my eyes to rub them, but when I touched them I felt a wetness. Tears?
I sat up and looked around. I was still in the small room within a tower of Leonar's palace that he had given me, nothing else was in here that could have gotten my eyes wet, no leaks in the ceiling.
I grabbed a simple robe and stepped out onto the balcony. Leonar had this whole floor restricted for just me, not that Rin or Akio's companions paid any mind. I leaned against the railing. From here the view was beautiful, I could see the moon shining over the sea, and much of the town and within sight. This architecture was some of the most beautiful I had seen in all of my galaxy and on this world.
"I take it you didn't actually get up just for the scenery."
I nearly jumped off the tower in my surprise, but luckily it was a familiar voice, "Hello Edward." I greeted him in a solemn manner.
The spirit took form and stood to my right emitting a faint blue light that was reminiscent of a Lightsaber. "Nova." He responded, but in a kind manner, "So then, apprentice, what has you up at this hour."
I contemplated for a minute whether or not I should tell him. Instead I chose to answer him with a question. "How strong would you say I am." I asked honestly, with no prideful idea.
"Hm. The strongest Overlord there has yet to be! At my peak I could control half a hundred Minions at a time and set ablaze an army with a flick of my wrist. You, with your preexisting conection and trainning in sensing and manipulating this living entity of the Force granted you a before thought unattainable connection to magic. It only increased with your taking of the mantle of Overlord."
Not to put down Edward's great accomplishments, but those words felt like nothing with empty praise, still I had no interest saying something i felt was an insult. "Then why have I never done anything but lose and run?"
This question Edward was less quick in answering, "Lord Nova, you are still yet so young..."
"Is that really the reason? Just because I'm 'young'?" I asked not sure what to think at this point.
Edward inhaled, not in frustration, but in thought. "Even the youngest Overlord was sixteen, a year ahead of what you are now, yet his whole life was not filled in war and bloodshed like our lives. Your predecessor, my... son, was but a small child when he was chosen, yet when the Empire came he was forced to flee and hide for years until he could fight as a true Overlord."
"Master, I... don't get the point of what you're trying to tell me."
Edward looked out toward the sky, "Each Overlord has had a much different reign and fought much different challenges. I fought all of my enemies head on in straightforward battles, my son was a cunning master of subterfuge. I battle against once great heroes who had become incarnations of sin, defeated my predecessor for a second time, and struck down a god. My son wagged war on an empire that spanned much of the world further than my domain ever reached." Edward saw that I still didn't fully grasp it, though I was starting to understand, and continued, "Now you face something far more powerful than anything we have ever faced, far more ancient than the mantle of Overlord itself and a with hunger for domination that exceeds it. All of us have faced great threats stronger than ourselves. You are no different, only your opponent is stronger yet."
Having it all laid out like that really gives you a better sense and perspective on it. "Thank you, master." My mind wasn't truly eased by all of that, it didn't tell me how I could surpase the reasons I was always forced to run, yet I still felt a lot better having spoken a little about it.
"Any time you need me." Edward said returning to orb form and vanishing from my sight.
After standing there for a couple minutes longer I looked back into my room, to my bed. I knew it would probably serve me best just to get some sleep, but I felt I would simply be tortured by more nightmares if I tried to rest again. Still I went back to my bed and sat down, but rather than lay down I reached out with the Force and pulled my Lightaxe to me.
I looked at the hilt I had built several years before. It had gone through a lot. When first I built it the blade was blue, then it inexplicably turned yellow over the course of the Clone Wars, and now, as Overlord, it has had a quite radical change, the blade is white, and at the end it shapes to an axe head. I had to wonder how that happened, the axe is much more iconic to the Overlord so perhaps the magic shaped it that way. I might not ever know.
I set it down in front of myself, crossed my legs, closed my eyes, and started to clear my mind. Working on ones Lightsaber has always been a good point of focus for Jedi who have a hard time meditating. Right now I wanted to clear my head of all of the regret I was feeling so I...
A Twi'lek with green skin stood next to Grandmaster Yoda.
"Take care of this Youngling, you only, can do. Unique to the Jedi, his traits are. Free, his mind is." The Grandmaster explained.
"Master, you want me to teach him Jedi disciplines? I am not sure I am the right pick for that." The Twi'lek tried to understand.
"To discipline, a Master must always do. Yet no. Nurture these traits, only you can do." Yoda clarified.
"Nurture?" She asked further confused.
"Against change, many of us are. This boy, great freedom, his heart has. Powerful it is. Supressing it, break him it would. Other master, do this, they would." Yoda told her as she knelt down, "Strong in the Light you are, even though strong attachments you have. Attachments this boy has too. You only can guide him."
Qualified Jedi often chose a Youngling to take on as a Padawan, picking the one they feel would be a pefect match to pass on their teachings to... there was no one else in the Galaxy that I felt I had more in common with than my Master.
The Twi'lek looked over toward a white-haired young boy standing at the other end of the room levitating a ball between his hands. She was unsure if it was the right choice for her to train him, but she trusted Yoda. She had yet to know how deep their bond would be.
Most Younglings are chosen sometime around the age of fifteen or older, though the Togruta named Ahsoka Tano was officially given the rank of Padawan when she barely was fourteen. I was actually far younger than Tano when Master started training me. I was not officially her Padawan till a couple of years later, but she taught and mentored me as though I was. Attachment may have been forbidden, but even still she at times felt, even more than a master, like a mother to me.
I could see could see her face so clearly.
"Nova." She said in her gentle voice.
At first I thought she was talking to the young me, but when I realized it was just Master and I in the room I was shocked when I looked back to see she was looking directly at me. My eyes were wide, I opened my mouth wanting to speak, but no words came.
She chuckled at my confusion and smiled, "You've grown a lot." She said, "It hasn't even been a year has it?"
"Master..." I wished I could think of more things to say, but I still just stood there in shock. She just stood there patiently waiting for me get a hold of myself. I didn't understand if this was a dream or a vision, but I knew there was one thing I had to do. Before she could see all of the tears welling up in my eyes I ran over to her and threw my arms around her, "It's really you, Master!" I said holding back tears as I held onto her.
As she also embraced me she laughed, "Now who else would I be?" She joked, as she always did. She let go of me and ran her fingers through the mess of white hair on top of my head.
"Master, I don't understand. How are you here? Are you really here?"
"Now that depends on where here is?" She said, but knowing that was to cryptic she decided to explain, "Yes, it really is me. But yes, this is also really a dream. To the Force it doesn't make a difference. I suppose being 'one with the Force' means whenever it wills something anything is possible." 2My joy at being able to see her did not vanish, though my smile did, "So you really are dead?"
She closed her eyes for a moment, she didn't look at all saddened by this. "Yes."
I took a deep breath, "I am really really grateful and so happy to see you again, but why are you here? The Force would not have done this if there was not some kind of lesson to be learned from all of this. What is the message it is trying to send me?"
My Master looked at me and smiled, "I have no idea whatsoever." She said surprising me yet again, "It makes sense to think the Force had some great masterplan for sending me here that'd involved me telling you how to overcome your fears and bring balance, but now that I'm a part of it I don't think that is how it works anymore."
"What do you mean?" I asked her about his new understanding she seemed to have.
She chuckled, "You'll see one day. Hopefully that day is a long way off though."
I stood still for a while, unsure of what to say. I felt like there should be a million things I have to say to her, but honestly nothing felt right to say in this moment.
Something I couldn't understand was how happy she seemed, even though she died. In noticing that I felt a heaviness to my heart. "Master... I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." I finally broke into tears, "I'm so sorry I didn't stay and fight with you. If I... if I..."
"If you stayed you'd of just died too. I was the one who told you to run, remember?" She said, "We both saw how many clones there were, how quickly they were cutting down the other Jedi, I knew we couldn't win, so I told you to run while I chose the stay and fight."
It was true. There was nothing I could have done. It was the right choice that at least one should live, yet he still felt like a coward for being the one to escape. If anyone deserved to have lived it was...
"Don't even finish that thought." Master said suddenly and quickly, surprising me, then softer, "Nova, I was your master. Your teacher. Your mentor." She leaned down a bit to eye level, "And you, were my responsibility. Years ago I made a choice to dedicate myself to training you. From then on I promised myself I would do everything in my power to keep you safe. I made my choice and I couldn't be happier with it." She said with a tearful smile as she brushed her fingers through my hair.
I didn't know if I should feel happy about how much she cared or guilty for what happened, all I know I felt was unworthy of such care from such wonderful people. Overwhelmed, I again fell to tears to which my Master responded by pulling me close and placing my face on her shoulder. "Why? Why am I so special? I was born with great healing power. You gave everything for me. I was chosen as a powerful Overlord and a prophesied Warrior of Light. People respect and count on me and Rin loves me. What about me makes me worthy of any of this?" I asked as I cried.
Master held me close, "I think I know." She said as she stood up a little bit and looked at my face. I looked to her wanting to know the answer. She chuckled, "It's something only the people who love you can see. It's your heart. Your wonderful heart." She said as she placed a kiss on my forehead, "I've wanted to do that for a long time." She too loved me like family, like a son. 2We held each other in an embrace that lasted long.
When at last we let go Master spoke first, "As absolutely happy to be here and see you I think it is about time for you to wake up." 2I felt a sad to part with her, but she was right, I could actually feel myself waking.
"Next time we get to see each other I want to hear all about this Rin girl." She said with a smirk. I couldn't help but blush knowing that I had essentially told my "mother" about my girlfriend.
Rather than think of finding some kind of comeback I chose to say what I couldn't say the last time, something I I finally had the chance to properly say, "Goodbye Master. I love you."
"I love you too."
Kuro, Midoriya Mountain
Akio sat on a mountainside a distance from the capital. Leonar told him to go there, giving him exact instructions on how to get this one spot overlooking a large green forest and the ruins of an old city, but he had only been told to stay there, and nothing more than that.
For the first dozen minutes he had waited for someone else to arrive, but when it was clear that wasn't going to happen he looked all around for anything of importance that might tell him why he was there. When, after a good wile searching brought about nothing he was beginning to get very frustrated. He was told to go to what seemed like a completely insignificant spot on the other side of a mountain in the middle of the night and was given no explaination.
His annoyance was only growing by the minute as still nothing happened. He was almost ready to run back to the palace, punch Leonar in the face, and demand answers, but he managed to restrain himself knowing how much trouble it would cause his crew. Instead he sat down.
He never really meditated much since his fall when he absorbed the Dark Side power. Instead he'd grow his power with rage and hate and if it ever was to much he'd burn it off in battle till he clams down. Yet now they had been here on these islands for a couple of months. Without some way to really let off some of his built up power he knew he'd need to get a handle on it so it doesn't overwhelm him. So he sat there trying to clear his mind. For him though, such a thing was far more easier said than done.
Inhale. "Akio." Exhale. "Akio" Inhale. "You know what you can do." Exhale. "You've never suppressed your power before now." Inhale. "Don't let that old fool tell you what to do." Exhale. "Why not just let it all out?" Inhale. "Why not give into your rage? You know how strong you become." Exhale. "This is your power. You're a Sith." Inhale. "Just let yourself..."
"Shut up!" He yelled, his eyes snapping open and any concentration he had formed breaking. His breathing was heavy in his anger. After a moment he sighed, "This isn't going to work."
Akio's P.O.V.
I knew this growing frustration could only have disastrous consequences, but that's the thing about being enraged, your mind is to overtaken to stop. Maybe... maybe that is why Leonar told me to come out here? To release my anger in a way that can't harm anyone? "Well if that's what you want!" I yelled throwing my hands forwards into the sky and releasing a storm's worth of lightning, illuminating the sky.
I couldn't feel my rage dissipating. If anything these action were only throwing me further into a frenzy. I stopped for a moment when I heard the call of a bird. Turning in it's direction I saw a large crane-like white bird flying right at me, diving directly toward me. "You don't want to mess with me, bird!" I warned it, but knowing it wouldn't understand I released a barrage lightning upon it.
A cloud of smoke had appeared from the lightning, but when it cleared I was shocked to see the bird still flying, "How the Hell?!" I yelled in surprise and anger. My lightning never missed! With a single hand I sent another volley of lightning at it, but the bird was still unharmed by it. Frustration and rage growing I again unleashed my power upon it. "Just die already!"
"Normally I have to do more to provoke people in testing to see if I must use my power, but you are one of the few who needed none."
I whipped around to find a tall man, about 7'2", standing there. He wore shining armor and a radiant white cloak with countless white feathers adorning his shoulders. His skin was pale as snow and his hair, of the same color, completely hid his face.
"Who are you?" I asked, my tone being very aggressive still from the rage.
"Strange, such power seems so similar to another young man I met years ago. The conditions of this yellow eyed warrior was even the same."
I had no idea who this man was, where he came from, or how he snuck up on me, but what he just described had me shocked, "A Sit..."
"Another quick to anger, foolish, powerful, alien brat who has no control over their own mind."
"Look here, big guy!" I snapped in response to his insults, "I have no idea who you are or what you want, but I'm..."
The statement and threat I was about to make ended up cut off when suddenly I found myself lifted off the ground! I hadn't seen him move an inch, yet somehow he was now holding onto the top of my left shoulder and lifting me off the ground without causing any pain from his strong grip.
"What the Hell are you doing to me?!" I asked in a very enraged voice. I sent a bolt of lightling from my right hand at him, not strong enough to severely hurt him, but enough that should have forced him to drop me, but to my surprise the bolt just arched around him with not even a spark touching his clothes.
"Hm. It seems you have some serious demons to work out. Why not go and meet them?" He said in a very serious tone as he released me letting me fall into a massive stone well that I swear was not there before.
Yuka suddenly found herself jolted awake by a strong feeling that something bad had or was about to happen. Frantically she glanced about the room for any sign of danger, but she found nothing moving. The only other living thing was he companion Luka, who was laying fast asleep on the mattress next to her.2After a minute of silence she decided she must just be feeling uneasy from a nightmare she must of had and forgotten about.
Quietly and carefully she laid back down to rest. Still though, she couldn't shake the feeling, even as she closed her eyes.
I didn't remember landing, yet I found myself standing up on some kind of floor. It was pitch black and unfortunately I had left my Lightsaber behind. Fortunely, in an odd way, with how frustrated I was I had plenty of energy. I lifted up a hand in front of myself and slowly red smokelike clouds emitting light appeared giving a crimson glow. It wasn't much, but I could at least see my feet as I walked. I explored for a few minutes finding nothing, no walls, and the floor was mostly level, if a bit rocky.
After much more time walking the idea that this was pointless was creeping into my mind. I tried pushing it aside, but it only came further into the front of my thoughts. I tried ignoring it, but instead it became my minds focus. More time resisting this idea I grew more frustrated, my rage beginning to boil over again.
I yelled out in anger and from me crimson light illuminated the rocky floor, but revealed no walls or ceiling. I spent a minute breathing heavily and trying to regain my focus. This proved harder than I had thought. My head wouldn't just clear, I couldn't just put my head back together. As I kept failing to calm I felt my rage grow worse. My fists were clenched and I was again ready release my anger, but... I released my hands, no lighting or fire, no shockwave, I simply let go. I knew getting so mad would solve nothing, and wasting my strength could only make things worse. Of course it wasn't so simply, I still felt the frustration from the situation clouding my thoughts, this I couldn't simply let go of. Instead I sat down and closed my eyes, not that it made a difference with the lack of light. If any good would come of this situation it would be that I finally managed to meditate. My focus was not on a single thought, nor was it something so ridiculous as the absence of thought, rather on everything as a whole, taking in the situation and everything plaguing my mind. The frustration, the exhaustion, restlessness, and the immense regre...
"Brother?"
My eyes were open and I could see a light, not one so bright that all of the darkness would dissappear, but one like a luminescent grain of sand. I reached out to it as it slowly floated down. I cupped my hands below it. The moment it touched my hands I felt immense melancholy, tears welling up without reason. As the light got a little brighter I saw in my mind a young girl with pink hair, and the only girl I know with such a sweet looking face and such a silly color of hair was... "Akemi?" I felt something in my heart, like the feeling you get when you see a loved one genuinely smile for you. I found myself smiling as well as I held it close to my chest.
"Now what a surprise. I haven't encountered another entity in this plane for a long time, but feeling such power and seeing such a beautiful crimson. Only beings so greatly in tune with their inner dark magic could dislplay such power."
This voice chilled every bone connected to my spine. I felt a pressure, such an intimidating aura, upon me. Not even Dooku had such an aura of malace and darkness.
Two massive crimson eyes appeared in the blackness and began circling me, a motion accompanied by loud footsteps and the ground shaking, this creature definitely did not walk on only two legs. "Speechless? Oh. I suppose it has been so long since I have met another person on a physical plane. I am sure many come done here, but I never would have seen you if not for that little light show. Haha."
I made sure to keep the tiny light hidden, held to my chest, but careful not to harm it.
"Hm, maybe I really have forgotten my manners in all these years. I am Mercignis Lamothier! King of steaming metal and true wielder of fire. Now mortal, I want your name as well!"
The pressure intensified and I had a strong feeling that if I didn't respond that this entity would surely destroy me. "Akio." I said in a surprising strong voice considering the fear I felt.
"Hm? Just Akio? No people? No clan? ... Not even a title?"
The crushing intimidation of its power kept me from answering.
"Hmph. Figures my first visitor in the last decade would be the quiet type." It grumbled, "No matter. I'd like to see again that power of yours. That dark magic."
Slowly I moved one had away from my chest, still making sure to hide the light with my other hand. In my palm I focused the energy of the force, trying to focus on any thoughts of anger, yet I felt surprisingly few. Still, in my palm came a red glow. From the glow I could see the some of the entity, just a small red reflection on black scales.
"Hm? That is not it. That power is far to weak to be what I sensed. I felt a warrior of the blackest of magic fueled by pure rage. Your anger is much to weak. Even my presence should not weaken you this much. I suppose you must not be what I felt. A pity, I had my hopes I'd finally be freed of this accursed relm." It turned its gaze away from me and as soon as it did I felt its entire presence dissappear.
Immediately, without that terrifying power crushing down on me, I vomited. I knew that creature... no, not a creature, even beast would be to gentle a name to describe it... I knew that monster had more power than any other entity I had ever faced. No Jedi, Sith, or even Dark Lord had that kind of power. For several minutes after it had left I was still just sitting there trembling.
Once I had a grip on myself I moved my other hand from my chest. Slowly I opened my hand and sitting safely there in my palm was the little light. Just knowing it was there helped to further calm me, enough to stand up. "Time to find a way out of here." I took one step forwards. "Brother?" There light in my left hand began to shine so brightly that I raised my hand to shield my eyes, but with even that not being enough to block the flare I turned away from it. I didn't look back towards it even after the blinding glare had fadded. I only turned when I heard a voice I hadn't heard in a long time.
"Akio? Is that you?"
Nordhaven
Emily stood wearing full, very thick looking armor and a fur cloak. At each side of her was a similarly dressed knight. Before them was a massive crater.2I apologize again for the long, long time between chapters.
If you have a moment I'd like to ask you to listen to what I have to say.
I have been having trouble finding inspiration over the last few months (or has it been a year?) and I just don't feel like I have nearly the imagination I had when I started writing this years ago (Nearly four years? God. It has been a long time). This story is the one I have enjoyed writing the most of any fanfic I have made and I fully intend to see it through to the end. I just am not sure how I will continue it. This may sound selfish, but I'd like to ask you to leave some reviews telling me what you think of the chapter, where the story is at, and maybe where you think it should go.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for listening to me.
