Ilum was colder than she'd been preparing for.

It settled through her layers and deep into her marrow. Her and Anakin were the youngest of the group of Initiates being considered for padawan training, and it was partly that, and partly the comfort of having one of her best friends there with her.

She was nervous, nervous about what would happen inside the caves, and what would happen when she left. She'd been summoned to the Council chambers as was routine before the trip – and had been connected with her new master.

Plo Koon was known for his level-headedness and his wisdom, as well as his private, yet deeply emotional connection to the Force. Part of her had been disappointed when Mace Windu had left the room. But it was clear, even to her, that Plo Koon was the best choice for her, especially considering her tenuous connection to the physical Force. Plo Koon had been mostly quiet when they had been left alone, but behind his unreadable visage, Raiko could feel him inspecting her. She'd been unable to hide her emotional Force bonds with Obi-Wan and Anakin.

"Interesting. It's a strong bond you share with each of them."

Raiko had nodded reluctantly. "I could feel them. On Naboo. I felt Master Qui-Gon…"

She was unable to finish her sentence, and felt the familiar wave of sorrow and confusion rise in her. Plo Koon had only to reach out and touch her hand – and for the first time in weeks, Raiko felt settled, as his Force signature intertwined with hers, cool and soothing, like a menthol balm. She had stared at him in wonder, and she got the sense that behind his mask, he was smiling at her. "I will teach you to control it."

Raiko turned to look at Master Yoda, who was smiling encouragingly at them all. She was not the only one to look for comfort. Anakin – as was his nature – has already climbed the steps into the temple. Ice was already creeping over the door above, the threat of being trapped for twenty days in the freezing dark, looming. She hurried after her friend, who had paused in the central temple room, and was frowning.

"What's wrong, Ani?" she felt the odd pressure to keep her voice down, as the other padawans began to skirt around them and head further into the temple.

He was squinting down the darkest passageway, into the dim misty beyond. "Can't you feel it?" his voice was loud, echoing off the walls – and she realised they were alone.

She shook her head, but went with him anyway.

As Anakin walked with purpose, through the winding rocky caverns as if he had memorised the route, Raiko became aware, with a sudden pressing panic – that she felt nothing. No pull, no whisper from the Force.

"In here!" Anakin's voice was gleeful. She followed him into the dead end cave, to see him standing in front of an ice structure, containing a small chip of what Raiko assumed was crystal. "Wow…" he breathed, his breath fogging in front of him. "Look how bright it is!"

Raiko frowned. "I don't see anything." Anakin shrugged, and pulled out his miniaturised ice-pick, and set about freeing the small crystal. Nervously, Raiko eyed the ceiling of the cavern, where the shards of ice dripping from the rock were starting shiver with the force of Anakin's efforts. She moved backwards, further into the cavern as they shook with more intensity. "Anakin, be careful – the ice-"

"YES!" Anakin pulled the shard free with a triumphant cry – and the ceiling collapsed around them. Ice fell in huge spear-like shafts, and Anakin leapt backwards, the air filling with icy mist and dust from collapsing rock. Raiko backpedalled quickly, as the ice structure crumbled, bringing rubble with it. The hard surface behind her cracked with the force of her collision with it, and Raiko turned as the ice crept closer. The ice wall behind her was cracked slightly, and Raiko pushed at it experimentally – watching as the cracks webbed outwards, before it shattered – revealing another cave, dark and ice-free but for another wall at the back. The dust settled as she backed into the cavern, too high for her to see over. "Raiko! Raiko! Are you alright?"

Raiko could dimly hear Anakin's voice, over the top of the pile of rock and ice. "I'm alright!" she responded

"Can you get over? I think I could climb it-"

A gust of wind rushed over her, blowing her hair around, come free from it's braided constraints in her mad struggle. She turned sharply – the faintest edge of something coming from beyond. "I-I'll catch up with you." She responded faintly, squinting into the darkness. "I just want to… check this out."

"Are you sure?" Anakin still sounded worried.

"Yeah. I'll meet you out there." Raiko took a step into the cavern. At her neck, her skin began to tingle where her pearl sat bracketed in its immovable durasteel clasp. Her fingers went up absently, rubbing at where the necklace sat under her thick jacket. Her awareness of the Force seemed to not extend much further than emotional contact, or when she was deep in combat. So feeling distinct apprehension from within the cave confused her. "H-hello? Is someone there?" her voice echoed back at her, and the feeling of apprehension grew.

Something was shining in the flat wall of ice. Could it be… her crystal?

Raiko took another step forwards, reaching out and touching that apprehensive feeling coming from deeper in the cave. It seemed focussed now, fading in the face of her approach. Her pearl was itching again, pulsing with heat against her throat – and Raiko winced at the sensation, unzipping her jacket slightly, and retrieving the necklace, tugging it off to stare at the pearl. It swung, teasingly, on the end of the silver chain. That sensation of was back, confusion tinged with irritation again, sharper and clearer than ever – and Raiko regained her nerve, and rushed towards the source of the emotion, hoping to catch whoever was projecting their emotions so fiercely.

A shadowy figure was moving quickly, she could see them in the ice – and so she charged.

Raiko resounded off the solid surface with a thud. As she nursed her forehead, she felt a faint flicker of pain – and looked to the ice again.

Her own face looked back, her own emotions reflecting off of the icy mirror. Raiko stared disbelieving at her own wide lilac eyes, tangled mess of violet hair and developing Arcturian marks, so familiar to her – yet so alien at the same time. In the ice-mirror, something was glowing. Raiko squinted at her reflection, watching her eyes narrow in the mirror. Something in her hand was gleaming, beaming with white light.

Raiko gasped, and looked down at her own hand.

Her mother's first and last gift to her lay nestled innocently in her own grip – the Krayt Dragon pearl that must have cost a fortune. In the mirror it still glowed brightly, even as Raiko raised it to eyelevel – trying to find something different about it. She looked from the real pearl to the glowing reflection in confusion. "What?" she asked the reflection. "Where's my crystal?" she felt the pearl in her hand twitch, and she looked back – in complete disbelief, as the pearl fell from the unbreakable clasps that usually held it so secure. It dropped to the ground and Raiko yelped, darting for it before it could roll away. It resounded off the ice mirror and came rolling back to her. She stared at it – watching herself in the mirror as she bent to pick it up, the glow fading in the reflection as she picked it up, holding it tightly. "But… that's impossible." She said weakly.

Believe.

It wasn't an actual word, no real speech – but Raiko understood what the brush against her awareness meant. She needed to trust in the Force.

Stumbling over herself, she backed away from the ice-mirror, watching herself grow smaller and smaller in the reflection until she disappeared. Climbing the ice and rock pile up was difficult still clutching the pearl – but she was too afraid to let it go – grip tightening around it as she reached the top of the pile. She slid down the ice on the other side, paying the hard rocks no attention as they bruised her little body. She didn't know how long she had, but she knew she had lingered too long – and she needed to find Master Yoda, needed an explanation for what had happened, why she hadn't been led to a crystal.

She was afraid. Afraid that this was confirmation that she wasn't supposed to be a Jedi at all.

To her surprise, Anakin was waiting for her still, at the foot of the destruction.

"Are you alright?" he asked, eyes wide and worried.

Raiko took a shaky breath. "No." she whispered. Anakin made a wordless noise of distress, and threw his arm around her shoulder, and with all the confidence that he had led them there, sped their way out of the winding maze of rock. By the time they had reached the man-made structure of the ancient temple, the door was nearly frozen over. Anakin just picked up his pace, dragging her with him.

Out in the fading light of the day, Raiko felt some of the strange atmosphere that had settled over her lift. Now, embarrassment crept over her and even as Anakin urged her towards Master Yoda – she found herself shoving the pearl deep into her pocket and shaking off his concern.

Later that night, the moonlight staining everything a brilliant silver, Raiko found herself in front of a door that was not her own. It was late, but he wasn't asleep either, she could feel his awake mind.

She didn't know who else to turn to. But she had to know if she would be kicked out of the Order for it.

She didn't have to knock. The door opened and a familiar face appeared. Raiko held out her pearl. Under the moonlight, it was glowing, with the same luminescence it had in the caves.

"What do I do?"

To be continued...