Dark Reflection
"Hehe," Emma chuckled as she stared at her reflection in a large crystal.
Emma's search for her crystal had brought her to a new large chamber. One full of larger crystals that came from the floor, ceiling, and walls. They came in a myriad of colors and formations. They were dazzling to look at, a beautiful sight that she couldn't begin to put into words.
And their singing.
All around her came a melodic tune that continuously carried on the air. It came from the crystals. She wasn't sure how she knew that but she did. She was enraptured exploring the room and looking at all the crystals, each of which sang their own uniquely beautiful song.
She also got a light laugh as she took in the sight of herself in the crystals' reflection. The crystals altered her form like a funhouse mirror. Elongating or compacting her body. Or making one specific part of her look disproportionate to the rest of her.
But she hadn't forgotten the task at hand. She was still on the lookout for her crystal. She was sure it was here somewhere. Among all these crystals surely hers had called her to this room. She felt confident she'd definitely find it here somewhere.
As she rounded a rock formation and swept her gaze around a yet unexplored portion of the room her eyes briefly skimmed over a unique crystal. Her eyes flicked back to it quickly and she fully took it in.
The crystal was dark. Almost black. It stood alone with no other crystal within a good 20 foot radius of it. It almost seemed like a large black thorn that jutted from the ground.
Emma stared at it, it's song suddenly muting the sound of the other crystals. She blinked before taking a step closer. Then another before she was walking toward it at a slow pace. She was curious, simply wanting to inspect this crystal that appeared one of a kind as far as she could see.
Soon enough she was before it. Up close she could see that the crystal was more of a dark grey than black. And with the way the light moved over and through its surface made it look like it housed a smokey substance within. She could see her reflection in this one as well. But she couldn't help but feel a little unsettled by what she saw.
The crystal's color made the skin of her reflection look like a charcoal grey. Her hair too appeared less white and more like a lighter ash color. She stared into the eyes of her reflection, and was confused at why it looked like amber orbs were staring back at her instead of the brown one they should have been.
She tried a smile to ease her nerves. Her reflection smiled back. But instead of the gentle smile she felt like she was giving she was met with an eerie and malicious one. She dropped her smile immediately and to her unease her reflection kept it.
She stared at her reflection that held its smile before blinking and taking a step back.
"Ok, time to go," Emma said nervously. She just suddenly had a feeling she should go. She turned her body, holding her reflection's gaze, becoming more perturbed as it didn't appear to move or mimic her actions like it should.
Emma closed her eyes and shook her head, sure she must be seeing or imagining things. When she opened her eyes she looked to her reflection to find it was thankfully mimicking her posture. Though meeting her gaze with that same smile.
"And I'm going," Emma said as she finally took her eyes off her reflection and turned to leave. She immediately felt like there were eyes in the back of her head but felt no desire to turn around, dead set on leaving and now.
"Emma."
Emma froze and gasped. Her eyes widened, not sure she'd heard what she had. It sounded like someone had said her name.
"Emma," came the small voice again.
Emma whipped around to look back at the crystal. Expecting to find her reflection looking back at her. Only to find it nowhere in sight. The crystal suddenly devoid of anything but an ominous black void within.
She stared at it in confusion and shock. What she was seeing was making no sense. Nothing about what was happening appeared possible.
Her train of thought was interrupted as she felt a presence behind her. She whirled around again to come face to face with amber eyes and the same chilling smile from mere moments ago.
"Hi Emma."
Emma shouted in alarm before leaping back. She raised her arms up with clenched fists and moved her legs and feet into a battle stance as she stared at...herself?
Before her was...her. Or more like a reflection of her? It looked exactly like her reflection in the crystal. With grey skin and hair, wearing her exact outfit, and staring at her with yellow eyes.
This other Emma stood before her. Posture relaxed, arms behind her back, and an unnerving smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Hi Emma. It's good to see you again," her reflection said as she flashed her a toothy grin.
"Who are you?" Emma demanded as she kept her stance. Her mind raced. Could this be a shape shifting species she'd heard existed in the galaxy. But that wouldn't make sense. Why would something like that be here?
"Don't you remember me Emma?" her reflection said as she cocked her head and gave a light giggle. When Emma didn't respond she continued. "I suppose it has been a while. Since the Dark Academy I guess," she elaborated.
Emma's eyes widened as a horrible realization coursed through her. One she didn't want to believe. Yet...her feelings wouldn't let her deny.
"Yes Emma," her reflection said with an excited smile and an affirmative nod, as if she could read Emma's mind.
"I am your dark side."
Emma's breath was stolen by the revelation she'd already suspected. But to hear it said and confirmed out loud. She stared in horror and couldn't deny the thing she recognized before her. One she'd thought she'd left behind.
She kept her fists up even as they began to tremble. Her reflection's eyes flicked down to the shaking fists before going back up to meet Emma's.
She shook her head, "I'm not here to fight you Emma."
Emma arched a brow. Her mind was still trying to process all that was going on. After a beat of silence she finally responded. "You're not?" she asked suspiciously.
Her reflection shook her head again. "Nope. I'm here to help you."
"Help me how?"
Her reflection smiled wide. She produced a hand from behind her back. Emma watched as her reflection brought a closed fist up before outstretching it to her and then opening it.
"This is what you want right?" the reflection said as she presented a red crystal sitting in the palm of her hand to Emma.
Emma stared at it as it glowed at her with a ruby light. A light she couldn't help but find...pretty.
"Here. This is what you came for right?" the reflection said as she held her hand out to her, offering the red crystal. "You need this to make your lightsaber right? So you can be a jedi right?"
Emma stared at the crystal as her posture relaxed. She dropped her hands and straightened up before taking a step closer. She raised a hand up to take it.
What could be the harm?
This was what she was here for right? To find a crystal for her lightsaber? It wasn't like the color mattered right? The color didn't make a jedi.
And so she reached a hand out, transfixed by the ruby light of the crystal. Preparing to take it and pass her test.
"That's right Emma," her reflection said. "This is what I'm here for. I just want to help you."
Emma's hands froze a few centimeters from the crystal. She looked up to meet her reflection's eyes. Her reflection was smiling, eyes shining with excitement and eagerness. That made Emma nervous. With her eyes off the ruby light she felt like a fog was lifting in her mind. She could sense a...wrongness coming from the crystal.
She remembered the things she'd been taught by her masters. She remembered their warning about the dark side of the Force. They told her and her friends how tempting the dark side would be.
They told them that it could give you what you wanted. That it could be a shortcut to quick results. But it would all be to entrap you. For once you gave in and took the easy way, what was to stop you from doing it again? And again? And again and so on until it turned you into a person you didn't recognize.
A dark...reflection of yourself.
"No," Emma said as she curled her fingers away from the crystal and drew her arm back. She took a step back and shook her head. "I don't want that one."
Her reflection furrowed her brows, looking slightly annoyed and confused. "What are you talking about? It's just a crystal. What are you so afraid of?"
"I don't want that one," Emma repeated, firmer this time.
"You're being weird Emma," her dark side said with a laugh. "Just take it," she pressed as she moved her hand toward Emma.
"No."
Her dark side's smile became a deep scowl. "Just take it Emma," she ordered lowly.
Emma took a step back in rejection. "Take it," her dark side said with a growl. Emma didn't bother to respond, only took another step back.
"TAKE IT!" her reflection shouted angrily.
"NO!" Emma shouted back. "I don't want that one," she turned to walk away. "And you can't make me take that. I'm leaving. I'll find my own crystal," she said before beginning to walk away.
Her dark side stared at her retreating form with a look of pure resentment on her face. "Don't turn your back on me Emma!" the reflection snarled.
Emma ignored her dark side's shout. She kept her eyes fixed ahead of her.
Then she heard the sound of rapid footsteps from behind. She looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened.
Her dark side was rushing at her, teeth bared and eyes blazing with fury and rage. She leapt forward and high into the air, heel straight up.
Emma's snapped to and quickly darted sideways as her dark side brought her heel down on the spot she'd just been in. She had no time to think as her dark side was on her. Fists and legs flying in a flurry.
Emma blocked, parried, and dodged what she could. She backed away while on the defensive, shocked by how her dark side seemed to fight just like her. She finally decided to go on the attack herself. She threw her fist forward while blocking her counterpart's punch. Like a mirror her counterpart did the same.
Emma narrowed her eyes while her reflection smirked. With a grunt Emma pushed her opponent's fist away and drew her own back. She threw her leg up for a kick and her leg collided with her counterpart's.
With a growl Emma threw more blows, and with each and every attack her dark side did the same. It was like literally fighting a mirror. Same moves and same tactics. Their fight was at a stalemate, neither getting the edge or a decisive blow.
Until that is Emma narrowly avoided a finger going into her eye. She looked on in shock as her dark side's eyes became darker. Her smile became more twisted and bloodthirsty. Her dark side's attack started becoming more vicious. Aiming for vitals that Emma would never attempt to strike.
Emma was forced back, barely managing to block her opponent's more ruthless assault before she finally took a blow to the stomach. Her hands flew there instinctively as the air was forced out of her. She coughed before taking a dizzying punch to the side of her face.
She nearly stumbled to the floor, partly hunched over, the world spinning, and still trying to get her breath back. She was suddenly sent sprawling as her dark side brought both her clenched fists down on her back.
As she was splayed out one of her arms was forced back and yanked upward. She cried out in pain as her dark side kept her on the ground, one knee pressing into her back and threatening to break her arm.
Her dark side extended her hand over Emma's shoulder while keeping her pinned and uncurled her fist.
"Just take it Emma," the reflection snarled. Emma looked to see the red crystal from before resting in her dark side's hand. "Just take it! Let me help you! You're weak! I just want to help you! You need me!" her dark side shouted in her ear.
Emma grit her teeth as she eyed the crystal. It was tempting. If she accepted all this would likely stop. Plus she'd have a crystal for her lightsaber.
All she had to do was say yes.
Emma took a breath to focus. She closed her eyes and reached within.
"NO!" Emma shouted. A powerful, invisible force threw her dark side off her.
Emma's dark side collided with the ground and slid across it. She groaned in pain before picking herself up. She looked up to see Emma had picked herself up as well.
Emma stared at her dark side as she rubbed at her shoulder and wiggled her arm. It was sore. But thankfully not broken. She met her dark side's glare, psyching herself up to continue to fight.
"Why are you fighting me Emma?" her dark side shouted in frustration. "I saved you at the Dark Academy! You needed me!"
"No I didn't! You were forced on me! I was forced to become you!" Emma shot back.
"You liked being me!" her dark side retorted. She smiled darkly at her, "You liked feeling powerful. Unstoppable. Invincible. Like you could take on anyone. We liked having power over someone else."
She held out the crystal again. "We could be that again," she insisted. "Just take the crystal. Accept me."
"And be like Dagur?" Emma demanded hotly. "Or the Inquisitor? The people who tortured me and took children from their homes and families?"
She began to march toward her dark side, much to her darker half's surprise. She stopped right in front of her reflection. "I will never be like him!" She paused to smack the crystal out of her dark side's hand. "I will never accept you! I will never be you again!"
"So you can stay here for all I care," Emma spat all while looking at her dark side right in her amber eyes. After a beat she turned on her heel and began to walk away.
Her dark side stood there stunned at the defiant rejection. Then she narrowed her eyes at her back to glare. "Get back here Emma!" she demanded angrily. When Emma made no move to comply she charged with a cry.
Her eyes were wide and bloodshot in fury as she closed the distance with amazing speed. She made to tackle Emma. She wasn't going to be thrown away and left behind in this place like she was nothing. She'd make Emma accept her, one way or another.
Before she could collide Emma whipped around with a raised hand. Her dark side came to a halt, her entire body being held by an unseen force.
"This fight is over," Emma said calmly. "You can't make me accept you. I refuse to be like Dagur. I'm going to be like Elsa," she said with a smile as she thought of the Jedi she admired.
"I'm going to be a Jedi. I'm going to stop people like Dagur. So I don't need you."
Emma's dark side felt herself being pushed backward. Her feet slid across the stone floor and she was helpless to stop it.
Her back bumped into something. She looked over her shoulder to see herself pressed against the black crystal. Her eyes widened and she began to flail and struggle. A black haze began to seep out from the crystal, surrounding her, threatening to return her to where she had come.
Emma approached while she continued to focus her power on her dark side. She was going to pass her test here, find her crystal, leave this place, and become a Jedi. She'd leave her dark side here and move forward and shape her future with her own hands.
She stopped before her darker half who continued to struggle in vain as the haze from the crystal was beginning to engulf her. "NO! Nononononononononononono! NO! I don't want to be locked away!" she screeched.
Emma stared with her face firm and eyes narrowed resolutely. "Goodbye my dark side," she said before pulling her hand back. Then she threw it forward. Her dark side was thrust back against the crystal and swallowed, disappearing into the black haze. Emma's palm continued its path even after her dark side vanished and collided with the crystal's surface.
Emma's palm rested against the crystal as she took a breath to settle her nerves. She took a moment to bask in her victory over her dark side. She withdrew her hand only to find a small crack where her palm had just been.
She looked at it only for it to begin to spread. She took a step back in surprise to watch as cracks spread all over the crystal's surface. From the cracks a blue light began to shine through. From the cracks a sound also filtered out. She heard a beautiful new song that rose to fill the entire cavern with its sound.
With a great burst of light the crystal exploded. Emma was blinded by the light that had been housed within. After it faded and her eyes had a chance to adjust she looked to see a thin remnant of the black crystal remaining. It came up from the ground like a thin plant stem with a glowing blue peak.
She eyed it as she reached out and gingerly plucked the top portion off. She held it in the palm of her hand as it sang to her. She smiled at its beautiful ice blue light. This was her crystal without a doubt.
Her moment of admiration was interrupted by a red light out of the corner of her eye. She glanced to the side to see the red crystal a few feet away. She hummed curiously as she walked over to it before reaching down and plucking it off the ground.
She held it between her fingers and stared at it. It felt warm between her fingers. It gave off an energy that seemed to resonate with negative emotions. It reminded her of herself. She'd been corrupted but had managed to overcome.
So maybe…
She let it fall into her palm and closed her eyes. She focused the Force on her hand. Trying to direct the Force into the crystal.
Her Force.
Slowly she felt the energy of the red crystal fade and be replaced with her own. She opened her eyes as she felt the crystal pulse in her hand. She spied a new light leaking from the cracks in her fingers. She opened her hand to see a cyan colored crystal.
She glanced between her palms at her two crystals and smiled. Then she closed her hand and set to return to complete her test. At the entrance to the cavern she paused and glanced back. A lingering sense of apprehension in the back of her mind.
She'd faced her dark side and won. But she'd believed she'd left it behind before. She'd consult with her masters and maybe they could assuage her trepidations.
Still, for today she'd conquered her dark side.
That was something she could be proud of.
Still alive. Pandemic and stuff
