Yoda stood before Obi-Wan, his eyes closed as he scanned the young man's mind. Such an emptiness in his mind, a great whirlpool where the training bond between master and apprentice had once been. He could still feel the training bond there, torn and weak, but it seemed that Obi-Wan was keeping his mind shut off from his fallen master. Yoda felt darkness centering in that area, held at bay by the purity of Obi-Wan's heart. Still, Yoda was worried. Even the purest of hearts can become tainted with darkness.
"Test for you I have. Pass this test you must." Obi-Wan reached for his lightsaber, Yoda struck his hand hard with the walking cane. Being made of durasteel he felt no pain, but was surprised by Yoda's actions.
"Master won't I need my saber for your test?"
"You need only what you take with you." Obi-Wan stared at, wondering of the old Jedi's sanity.
"Ok, so what would that be." Obi-Wan was answered with a sharp wrap to the head. Gently massaging his scalp he was pretty sure he had seen the troll smile.
"Only the cloths on your back you need.The rest will be provided." Yoda motioned for him to follow. The two went down a corridor that Obi-Wan had not seen before. He felt a strong pull in the force currents, drawing him to the door at the end of hall. A chill creeped up his neck making his hairs stand on end. It was there, the darkside, it lay just beyond the door reaching out for him. His instincts told him to run, only Yoda's painfully encouraging staff keep him from fleeing. Yoda stopped in front of the door, his head resting on his cane as he softly gazed upon Obi-Wan.
"Is this where I am to have the test Master Yoda. I don't mean to complain, but I sense the darkside on the otherside of this door." Yoda nodded.
"Face your greatest enemies you must. Beyond the door does your answer await. Go in alone you must. Come out on your own you will. Gain great knowledge you will or suffer terrible fate you will." With those final words the door swung open. Obi-Wan hesitated turning to Yoda and looking back down the hall. Yoda pointed to the door, this time with great insistance. Obi-Wan walked through the door, feeling a rush of air as it slammed shut behind him. Yoda sighed, his ears drooping. He fingered his cane and prepared to wait for Obi-Wan.
"Done it is, Force guide him."
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The only sound he could here was that of his heavy breathing. Then there was something that sounded like the pounding of feet. He turned in the direction of the noise, but all he could see was darkness. This darkness made him uneasy, it was not ordinary darkness. It was the blackness of your scariest nightmares, the ones that you wake up screaming from trying to tell ourself that it was just a dream. Obi-Wan was trying a very similar tactic.
"Its not real, this just a test. This isn't real, its just a test." Though his mantra quickly failed him as he felt himself being knocked down. He felt a hard floor beneath him, voices echoing around him. They encircled him like a swarm, calling him a failure, a loser, and a disgrace. All the things he'd feared as a young Padawan. His mantra of 'this isn't real' now had no meaning. He felt like he was drowning. Then it all fell away. He cautiously looked up, a great vault of stars hung overhead. Obi-Wan felt mesmerized as he looked at them, seeing all the familiar constellations, Orion, the Seven Sisters, Little Dipper, Big Dipper, and Gemini. A warm hand placed it self on his shoulder. He turned to see an elderly Jedi standing behind him. He was quite old and his hair was a soft silvery color, yet his eyes still shone with a vibrant fire. Obi-Wan felt instant kinship with the man.
"Where am I Master.." The older put up his hand, his face fixed in a warm smile.
"Please, call me Ben, let there be no formalities between us."
"Alright Ma..uh, Ben, where am I?"
"The answer to that is quite simple. You are in a place between places, a rare place in thegalaxy where both sides of the Force work together to create a perfect balance. Often a person who is especially sensitive to one side of the Force will go into a trance state. Once in that state they can find answers to problems within. Though a Force Sensitive who is perfectly balanced will be able to control if they want to go into that trance or not, if they are not perfectly balanced they have no choice. Also the one who is balacanced can tap into the power of the place far better than one who serves either side." Obi-Wan tried to comprehend what Ben was saying, tough he found it a bit difficult to swallow all at once.
"Are you saying that I'm dreaming right now?"
"In a way yes, in a way no. This is to a degree like sleep though while you do your questions are answered and you can find ways to reach your goals and even tap into power you didn't know you had. I sense you have more questions."
"Yes, Yoda sent me here for a test. I need to know why." Ben scratched his short beard, looking far more serious now.
"You wish to jump right from shallow wading pools to firaxo shark infested waters then. Your test is one of spirit, mind and body. Within even the bravest heart there is fear, within even the purest minds there are dark thoughts, and there is evil within the purest soul. To pass this test you must face these trials and win."
"Where do I go to face these trials?" Ben pointed into the shadows where no stars shown.
"You will face only one trial, but remember, not all is as it seems. Go forth and may the Force be with you." With that Ben faded away and Obi-Wan found himself alone again. He continued forward, shallow light guiding. He wished he had his lightsaber with him, this sense of helplessness was nauseating. A voice was surrounding him, he remembered the voice from his childhood, for he had heard it many times. Warm and loving, a voice that had filled his soul with contentment once, now only filled him with disgust. He saw a mirror before him, very old looking with a great wooden frame and when he looked closer he saw that it was split in half. He looked into and what he saw shocked him. Half of the mirror was him, the other half was Qui-Gon. He placed both hans to the mirror, both hands moved. Both parts of the mirror functioned as one. What did this mean, he thought, placing both hands on the mirror again, this time the mirror shattered and fell to pieces. Now they were nothing but ordinary mirror pieces. The sound of a lightsaber quickly registered in his mind. A blood-red blade shown brightly in the darkness. A pair of yellow eyes shown like a panther's. Obi-Wan felt his lightsaber in his hand, somehow it had gotten here.
"Prepare to die" the figure hissed as it lunged forward. Obi-Wan met the Sith in a swift charge. He tried Vaapad on the Sith, the Sith used Vaapad as well. With a greater amount of dark energy the Sith began to overpower him. He switched to Makashi, a good technique for combating the dark side. Even then he found him and his opponent to be perfectly matched. Sparks flew from the lightsabers as they clashed over and over. Blue on red, red on blue creating a strange violet light. The man's hood completely covered his face. Obi-Wan wanted to see what was under the mask, thinking it might be Qui-Gon. Seeing a momentary open he slashed at the hood. With a harsh ripping sound it fell. Obi-Wan found himself looking at his mirror image, only darker and sinister. The fight instantly stopped, Obi-Wan reached out for his other self, but it vanished. He suddenly found himself in front of a door. He opened it to find Yoda waiting for him. Yoda seemed most pleased.
"Faced your inner darkness you have. Defeated it you have. Still there it is, but control it you can. What learn from this you did?"
"I have a darkness in me master, but I am able to serve the Lightside of the Force still."
"In light there is shadow always, in darkness is light always. Be pure evil nothing can. Still saveable Qui-Gon is. Understand this you must if face him you will." Obi-Wan knelt before the diminutive Jedi Master.
"I understand Master Yoda. If ou have more to teach me I am ready to learn."
"Much to learn you still have."
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Please Review, I won't update till I get five more reviews. Come on, five reviews, its easy. Just click the button and write something. I'll take it even if its criticism.
Qui-Gon: Please review or I'll shock you ith Force Lightning! HAHAHA!(recieves shot in neck. Falls down limp)
Obi-Wan: Uh sorta what he said, but without the Lightning. I still like you guys, its just I want to get on with my life, so could you pleasee review so the story could get updated.
Anakin: I'll give a kiss to every girl that submits a review, even a Jedi can show he cares.
Yoda: Shut up you will, handsome Jedi am I, Ugly Jedis you are. Review for pictures of me in a Speedo they will(Crickets chirp in the background, Qui-Gon come to, only to faint again as a picture of Yoda in a Speedo is shoved in his face. Anain runs to barf. Obi-Wan edges away.)
Obi-Wan- See ya next time on 'Soul of the Jedi'!