Author Note / Very Important: Yo, hey guys sorry for this chapter if it was a little bit late. It's over 9k words but I think it came out alright. Part 2 is going to be insane. Listen guys. Please remember to follow, favorite and review it greatly helps with my motivation with writing. If people don't review or comment I may stop. Its not due to you guys but I don't want to put a lot of time into a fic that isn't going to be read. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful and awesome day.

The Divide

Purple streaks of plasma sliced through the air. Benjamin stood on top of Appa's leathery saddle as the Bison maneuvered over a large canyon. The red and yellow of the large overreaching cliffs stood so large that they could touch upon the sky.

The long and winding caverns of the canyon were spread out, some areas were burrowed in and completely succumbed to the overreaching darkness that surrounded them.

Ben, sweat doused his face as he held the blade with both of his hands. The cold metal gracing his fingers as he swirled around. Form V, the shien form. Form V was one of the many lightsaber forms of the Jedi Order.

A form that he studied during his time as a Jedi apprentice and used widely during his time during the wars. It was his most common form, though he did pick up on Ataru when Meetra taught it to him.

Though, that lesson had been forgotten. Shien, the form relied on the duelist personal strength. With power attacks and mighty cleaves, Benjamin with his muscular athletic build was able to rely on it and eventually master it.

Although, it has been a long time since he had last picked up a lightsaber blade, he had been making leaps and bounds in progress. Relearning was easier than learning, though Ben still had to put in the time and effort.

Ben's hands felt clammy, he gripped the blade tighter as the swirl of the purple blade heightened and twirled. The purple streaks emanating and turning into a hurricane of strikes as Benjamin let the force flow through him.

'Not good enough, not fast enough!' His thoughts hammered into his head as he kept on going with the motions. He planted his boot down, his gaze fixated ahead, the twirling of the purple blade as he produced clean slashes and overhead slams.

While his thoughts of inadequacy pounded into his head, the young jedi was immune to the whispers coming from the top of the bison.

Sokka watched amazed. Amazed at the skill Benjamin was able to execute his sword moves. Yes, his form was not flawless, but he watched him these past couple of days. It was even more impressive how he was able to fight with only eight fingers.

He has noticed the change; it was inspiring in its own way. Aang fixated on something ahead. His eyes narrowing as he began to steer Appa downwards. The sudden descent causing Ben's lightsaber to fly from his hands, he even collapsed onto his back as the silver gleam of his weapon began to fly upwards.

"My lightsaber!" He screamed. His right-hand lashing outwards, the metallic hilt gleamed as the sun strike it. Benjamin threw out his right hand, the blade stopped midair as he thrusted his hand downwards as he pulled it towards him.

The blade came spinning towards him as he unclenched the fingers on his right hand, grasping along the blade as he called it back with the force. "Nice!" He murmured as he began to swiftly crawl towards the top of Appa, Momo running towards him and slinking his tail around Ben's shoulder blade to keep himself tethered.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Sokka and Katara turned around towards him. Confusion littering their faces as well. He was about to shake Aang's shoulders so he could explain what was going on, even then. As they parted through the clouds that was when they saw it.

Many figures were arranged in one of the areas in the canyon. They stood out like dark dots from far away, though. Benjamin's hands went to his head, he groaned in pain as he began to feel sick. "Benji?" Katara spoke, her calming and soothing voice easing ben. He waved her off.

"I'm fine…" He spoke. He wasn't honestly lying, though just one or two seconds ago he felt this strange ping in the back of his head, it hurt for only a fraction of the second and now was just dulling. Even then, a strange feeling began to well up inside.

As they further approached the canyon. They could see it…people were fighting these strange creatures. "The fuck…" He whispered underneath his breath; the creatures were massive in size. They had four log legs that were curved like a spider, there face, and snout were shaped and elongated like a rat. There held four gleaming crimson eyes on each side of their face, it back was long and bushy, almost like the body of a massive bat.

'What is this…this fear?' Benjamin thought, his body stiffening as he stared down at the creatures. They were a culmination of disgusting animals, almost like a child that would tear off his toys and put them together again. Mixing and matching into horrible and disgusting abominations.

Ben's hands shook, though it was a scream…a childlike scream that filled the air. Its scream was ghastly and rang through the caverns. They all heard it, Aang and the rest glanced downwards, a girl was clutching onto her mother.

One of those large monsters were approaching them, its long jaws unclenching as it's crocodile like teeth were arched and spread out like long steak knives.

"We're coming!" Aang screamed out. His hands forcing Appa downwards. Even then, they would be too late.

"Benjamin!" Katara shrieked. Aang turning around, where Benjamin was meant to be only held Momo, that was when his eyes widened as he saw something cut through the air in front of them coming down at rapid speed.

"What happened!" Sokka squealed, his gaze going downwards as he nearly passed out in pure shock.

Benjamin was freefalling through the air. His arms to the side as his legs stuck straight up. 'No…not like this!' His thoughts cried inside of his head. Yes, he was very afraid…the creatures were disgusting and repulsive, he didn't want to know how their teeth would feel clenched along his chest or arm.

Though, that was a little kid…a child. The thought of letting a child die…out wayed the fear in his heart. So, he lashed out with both of his arms outward to slow his fall, the force welling around him as his legs strengthened with the force.

He pulled his lightsaber from his belt. The purple line igniting as he gripped the blade with both hands, the creature didn't expect it. With a mighty roar Benjamin slammed into the back of the creature. His purple blade stabbing into its back as the creature tried to fight him off.

Even then, it couldn't. The overall blast of the sword and his strengthened legs snapped its spiderlike legs and it collapsed to the floor. With a couple more movements and a tad bit more snapping as it tried to bite Ben, its movements ceased.

Benjamin didn't have the time to glance back to the girl and her mother, he could feel them through the force, and they were still alive. He wrenched the blade of plasma from the creatures back, he spun it around with his right hand to get a better grip.

The rest of the creatures sneered in his direction, there gazes now fixated onto the Jedi with the purple blade that had slaughtered one of its brethren. Ben smirked as he gripped the blade even tighter. "Aw whatever…I needed the practice anyway!" he screamed loud, the other creatures now diverting their attention to him.

They began to approach. The young jedi glancing at the people around. It seemed that they were apart of two massive groups, a group that worn pristine white robes and the other wearing armor and clothes of leather and other animal products.

They were fighting the creatures though they were from differing groups. Together, they were luckily able to hold off the onslaught. Benjamin jumped off the creature, his blade in his right hand as he began to walk forward. He took a deep breath.

"I am Benjamin, a guardian of the Jedi Order." He declared, his voice trailing through the canyon. The people looked at him like he was crazy, he let out another breath. "Everyone, form a perimeter. Keep together and aim for the creature's vital points. Don't separate and fight the creatures one on one…"

Now, they seemed to get the message. Maybe it was from fear of getting eaten or comradery, but they formed up together. Benjamin began to run, his boots clamping onto the reddish sand of the canyon as the creatures screamed at him, there long spiderlike legs coming towards him. Three began to approach to meet Benjamin's challenge.

Benjamin gripped the blade with both his hands, he leaped into the air with the force. The first creature didn't expect that, his blade went downwards as he once again repeated the same movement. He stabbed straight downwards into the back of the creature.

It created a horrific screech. Though, right before Benjamin could rip out his blade, the second creature lashed out at him. "Oh crap!" He shrieked. His body launching upwards as he leaped away, even then his lightsaber was still embedded into the creature.

The lightsaber blade sizzled as the first creature began to move towards him, it's massive jaws unclenched as it tried to charge with its mouth open, possibly hoping to catch Benjamin in its open mouth and to snap his body.

Benjamin lashed out with his right hand. The tension of the force wrapping around his lightsaber blade, he pulled. The still ignited lightsaber blade ripped through the creature, smoke streaks and its charred corpses split in two as the blade flew back into both of his hands.

The second creature tried to catch him unexpected. His purple blade forming into a hurricane of hacks as the creatures two legs on its left side were sliced off. With a mighty overhead slash, the creatures head was separated from the rest of its body.

The head sloshed along the sands as Ben twirled the blade. 'Alright, I killed two of them…but where is the third?'

Benjamin got his answer. The third one was smart, poised and waiting for the young exile to be distracted. Its long skinny tongue shot out like a viper. Benjamin raised his blade to deflect, but a blast of air knocked the creature away.

"Aang!" Ben yelled. The airbender twirled his staff, he could hear the whipping of water and the whipping of a boomerang skid through the air, even the tiny dull it made when it connected with flesh.

The blast of air knocked the creature backwards. It's red beady eyes staring at the two boys as it snarled at them, though somethings strange happened…it began to fall back. Not only that, but the other creatures as well.

Maybe, it was due to Benjamin cutting through them. Maybe the creatures were intelligent enough to realize that they were going to get slaughtered by the Jedi Exile and his comrades if they stayed.

Ben unignited his lightsaber. The purple line going back into the hilt as he reconnected it back to his belt. He turned around as he began to observe the people. There were bruises and some were wounded, though it didn't look like it would be anything fatal.

"No casualties…" Benjamin smirked as he spoke those words, it was a tough battle. Hell, without Aang he may have very well been food to those monsters. Even then, Benjamin was proud of himself.

He saved people…just like how a Jedi should, he had only started relearning the force and his lightsaber skills, but he was able to still function well. With more training he would continue to make leaps and bounds, though there was still something within himself.

An uneasiness, a desire to learn more and to get stronger. Meetra, yes, she had been retraining him though there would be very little he could still learn from his master. He couldn't learn the light side techniques of his master, he still had to learn the higher mysteries of the force or at the very least try and resolve this problem with him and the light side.

"There dead…"

Aang's sudden voice caused Benjamin to turn around, the young avatar was kneeled at the head of one of the creatures Benjamin killed. Ben began to approach as the young avatar didn't turn away. "I…it's just they were trying to do what they had to do, they are just animals, and they didn't have a choice." Aang continued to speak.

Ben's eyes narrowed, as worry began to fill his chest. 'Is Aang actually…pitying these monsters?' He thought as he continued to listen to the airbender.

"Benjamin, next time…if you can. Would you try and not use your lightsaber, use the force and knock them out? All life is sacred."

Ben couldn't believe what he was hearing, he could partially understand Kiara, he was in a dark place and taking her life could of caused him to further fall to the dark side, even then. "What…Aang. I am a guardian of the order, the whole point of this path that I followed was due to me prioritizing my lightsaber and dueling skills. Also, these creatures are maneaters, if I didn't interfere back then. A woman and her child would be dead!"

"I get that…though you spared, Kiara." Aang spoke back to Ben, reminding him of his mistake.

"Psh, it was a mistake…she's nothing more than an animal, I should of put her down while I had the chance." Ben argued back. Wrapping his arms around himself as he spoke, the bile of her name disgusted him.

Aang's eyes widened, even Ben's own eyes widened as the words left his mouth. They came out uncontrolled as he unclenched his fingers. His right hand even nearly tracing his face to make sure he said them.

'Kiara, she's a monster that cut off my fingers…she murdered innocent people and committed to the dark side. She murdered those guardsmen and I let her live after defeating her, she killed more innocent people and cut off my fingers and again I let her live! What does everyone expect of me to do, let a monster like that keep drawing breath!'

Before Ben could say anything, he felt it. His legs moving on his own as his precognition of the force began to swirl in his head. 'Danger!' Practically screamed in his thoughts as he saw the large rocks come down the canyon hills. Aimed for the area where the young girl and her family were.

"Move!" Benjamin screamed. Both of his arms lashing outwards, the tension of the force wrapping around the large boulders. They began to slow down, then come to a sudden stop a mere meter away from the girl and her family. They stared at it. Frozen and in shock.

"What the fuck are you doing!" Benjamin yelled at the pair, his voice hoarse as mounds of sweat poured down from his face and dropped from the center of his chin. "I said move goddamn it!"

They got the message the second time, diving away as the mother wrenched her daughter away from the area. When they were gone, Benjamin dropped his hands. The boulders collapsed with a mighty smash. Sand and wind both flew and cut Ben's face as he shielded his eyes.

However, he felt something. A distinct shiver ran down the base of his spine as a distinctive cold fell all around him. It nearly suffocated him within its vice like grip as he felt it through the force. He trailed the face of the cliff edge where he thought he felt the disturbance.

He saw something…it was another one of those strange creatures. Yet, it was different. It was slightly larger than the rest of the other creatures of its kind. Its furry back was now replaced with flat red scaly skin, it's overall body which the other creatures had were both black and brown was now a heavy crimson.

Its red eyes were now the color of pure darkness, it was like staring into the void itself. They stared at each other for a second, the creature backing up as it disappeared. 'What the hell was that?' Ben questioned.

He glanced at the edge of the cliff for a second. The animal left him with a bad vibe, it was stronger than the rest and its body seemed to have mutated or evolved than his lesser brethren. What could have caused such a rapid and volatile change?

Although, that wasn't what worried Ben. It was the stare it had caused and how the creature was right above where the cliff edge was, the place where the rockslide came down on. 'No, I got to be going insane. There is no way…there is no way that creature was intelligent enough to do that. It's just some dumb big rat. It means nothing.'

He shook the thought out of his head almost like he was trying to convince himself. He turned around to meet with his friends. He was shocked to find out that Aang had just finished speaking to the groups and as Ben joined them, he was in the process of explaining.

Turns out they were two groups with two differing cultures and heritages, they were once located in the mountains but now due to war they were driven from their mountains and forest and were trying to find a new place to begin again.

Due to this dangerous trip the tribes had no other option but to fight together, though there constant bickering and fights has only been getting worse lately. There was a tour guy, an earth bender that had been leading them down through the great canyon. Though, they were intercepted by those things and the old man was rendered unconscious after one attacked him. Katara summarized that he may very well have a concussion.

"How long will the old man be out?" Sokka asked. He wrapped his arms around himself, nodding his head towards where the old man sat.

Katara opened her mouth. "I don't know…could be hours, maybe even days."

Benjamin noted the information. This canyon was a death trap, they got lucky and scared those damn beast away, even then he doubted that they could just keep beating them into submission. Aang, even himself shown pity to such monsters.

His eyes went down to his lightsaber, the metallic hilt and the purple blade and the way they cleaved through the monsters were still fresh in his mind. The feeling was exhilarating, cutting through those beasts!

Ben groaned as his fingers traced his face. These were powerful emotions…emotions created in the field of battle, they wouldn't aid a jedi…they aided Sith. His eyes glossed over towards the two arguing tribes, they were fighting again.

"Listen, the avatar is meant to be a mediator. Maybe, I can help them reconcile their differences." Aang said. Nodding his head as he spoke, heck he was about to walk away right before Ben grabbed his shoulder.

Ben led Aang back to the group. "I don't think that's a good idea, Aang." He spoke. The other three shooting off a confused glance at him. He took a deep breath as he began to offer his explanation. "Listen, I want to help these people too. Though, we got our own stuff we must deal with. We have hardly any idea where the next step in our journey is meant to lead us, we haven't even gotten Aang a water bending teacher."

Sokka and Katara both looked down, Aang on the other hand did a quick glance behind him. The people were still arguing. "Also, we have the fire nation and the Sith that have been following us. We don't have the luxury to just stay in one place for too long, I say that we escort the two groups back, and they take the long way around. If we get ambushed here people will definitely die."

"Benjamin, I get what you mean. But there are people here that need to get out of this canyon, the old man has a map that leads to the other side. There is even a shortcut that goes straight through the canyon, it's one straight shot." Katara informed, she pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to ben as he grasped it. "I took it from the tour guides pockets."

Ben nodded his head. His golden eyes soaked in and watched the contorting paths of the canyon. Right in the middle where they were located held a red line cutting through everything, it must of have been a massive cavern.

Still, it didn't sit right with him. "If there is a shortcut around. Then why are there so many other pathways?" He said, turning the map around and pointing towards the other paths. "It just feels weird, what's the point of a short cut if he's going to go all the other ways around. Also, all the other paths have numbers and words attached to it and are all dipped in black ink. The only red line voided of everything is the shortcut."

Sokka shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe he found it last, the red could just mean that it is his go to area now, heck for all we know he could be conning people this whole time into taking larger routes so he could get an excuse for charging more."

Katara as well spoke up. "There are a lot of injured and sick here, I could help them recover." She spoke, another honest and good point. Benjamin began to scratch the back of his head. 'Sokka and Katara both make good points, maybe I am just overreacting. I don't know why, but this place just makes me feel paranoid or something.'

He shook his head. Aang opening his mouth to speak. "You're a jedi, it's your job to help the innocent. You're a knight."

Aang's words came out forceful, though he was a child. Maybe he was trying to be commanding due to being the avatar, or maybe he was just trying to remind Ben of his duties. Even then, it didn't sit well. "Aang, that's enough."

Benjamin spoke, his voice voided of the neutrality. Katara took a step forward though Ben was quicker as he began to speak. "Yes, I am a Jedi Knight…the only Jedi Knight that is in this world. It is my duty to fight the Sith and the Fire Nation that hound you, my duty is yes to help the innocent and those that need it. Though, my goal…my goal that stands before all others is to protect the avatar and to aid him in his quest to restore balance."

Ben lifted his arm to continue speaking, he could tell that Aang was trying to interject. "Yes, I get that you want to help these people and I want to help them to. But Aang we have spent so long walking aimlessly in this quest, you haven't mastered water or the other elements. How are you going to defeat the fire lord?" Aang didn't say anything, he looked downwards as his gaze went to his shoes. "I am a Knight of the Jedi Order; I have made many mistakes Aang and I am far from perfect. Though, know this. I would die for you; I would get hacked and ripped to pieces if it meant for you to live. You are far more important than you know."

Sokka and Katara's eyes widened as they both went to Benjamin. His face was still neutral, even Aang was shocked to hear the final parts of that statement. The part where Benjamin said that he was willing to die for him if the need arise.

Even Aang himself, didn't know what to say. He let the airbenders die for him and another one of his friends would die for him? He didn't say anything, his thoughts overpopulating his head as he turned around and began walking towards the two groups.

Katara followed, her hand resting on Aang's shoulder. Ben didn't see the small tears that went down his face.

Ben suspected that Aang was going to tell them that his team was going to aid them, it was a one to three vote. It would make Benjamin an asshole if he went against them. So, he bit the side of his cheek and joined them.

The tribes loaded there wounded, elderly and children onto Appa. Benjamin and Sokka led the way ahead, the path easing as they followed the shortcut. The two groups with the help of Aang were able to at least stay neutral towards the other, even then there would be one or two insults that would fly from the differing groups.

For Benjamin it was getting annoying. He let out a groan as he continued walking, they were going to embark through some tunnel system that cut straight through the canyon. He would have to keep watch of everyone around, especially the young and the old. They could get lost or snatched up by the monsters, they had to be careful.

"Benji…you got a minute to speak?" Sokka's voice erupted near his ear. The young warrior now walking in the same pace as him. Ben nodded his head, the back of his head was now pounding into him, it was beginning to agitate him.

He thought before that he was free from the pain but now it was starting up again. "I just want to talk about what you said before." Sokka babbled, even then Ben could tell that he was picking his words carefully, trying to tread on safe ground.

"Oh, I get it. I will admit I was hard on Aang, but I do think that it had to be said…we're fighting a war Sokka, we don't have the luxury to just be messing around. We've got to get serious." Ben spoke, his eyes fixated ahead.

Sokka, he noted the intensity of them. Ben when he locked onto a goal, Sokka began to understand that he wouldn't let it go. The commitment made him happy, having someone like Ben with the abilities of Kiara and having him on their good side made him actually happy.

Though, it was what Ben said that had him worried. "No, that's not what I'm trying to say…I can understand your reasoning, but that's not what I'm here for. It's the way you talked about your life…"

"Sokka, not now…"

"No, I think we got to talk about it now." Sokka cut him off. Walking closer to the jedi exile. "You're our friend, Benjamin. You saved us from Kiara…you sacrificed nearly your whole hand for us. You're a good friend and one of the most important people on our team, I don't understand how you would say that to Aang?"

Ben didn't know what to say, he took a heavy breath as he went to face Sokka.

"Sokka, for the longest time…I've felt like I have been drowning underwater. I spent my whole life fighting in battles, it got to the point where it became all I've ever known." "I gave it all up…and all I've ever wanted was peace, even then the things I did and the things I've seen still haunt me. For the longest time, I've wanted to die."

The confession rang in Sokka's ears, he didn't know what to say. He didn't realize that they had that hold over Ben. It worried him, it made him worried about the young Jedi's past and the hell he had to go through.

"That was when I met you and the rest. I felt included and happy, all I wanted was to help others and to do good things, and now I can. I've been healing and now I have reconnected to the force; I am truly a Jedi Knight…all I've ever wanted to be." He turned away from Sokka. His gaze fixated towards the light blue sky. "There is no death, Sokka…only the force." Benjamin declared.

For the first time, it only lasted a couple of seconds, but Sokka felt it. He felt peace coming from Benjamin…maybe it was acceptance or something else. Sokka, he didn't know. He simply shook his head, a massive slap echoing as he slammed his hand against his back.

"Damn it!" Ben leaped up, rubbing his back as the pain began to wash over him. "What the hell was that for!" He erupted.

"Don't be talking like that." Sokka said. He pointed behind him, seeing Aang and Katara walking. "You aren't dead yet, and I don't want you to die. We'll all make it out of this, I promise you…"

Ben took in the young warriors' words. Sokka himself watched into ben's face to see if he understood and took in his words. Though, Sokka wasn't sure. "Though, there is another thing we have to speak about. It's about Aang again, he felt bad for the creatures I killed."

"Yeah, Aang's a monk so what." Sokka shrugged.

Ben shook his head, combing through his hair in annoyance from how Sokka tried to push it off. "Sokka, he's the avatar. With the tensions of the Sith and the Fire Nation they will send more and far greater enemies at us, Aang has got to prepare himself."

"…I know."

"How are we going to tell him, I'm a Jedi and if I have to cut down enemies that threaten my friends I will. While, I can't have Aang interfere or distract me in doing so."

Ben and Sokka stopped. They finally reached it…

It was a tunnel system which the map had them all believe would be one straight line, from the start to the end. They would emerge after a long walk and be home free. The long and winding tunnels that would either be earth bended away or abandoned in favor of a different route, this shortcut would rectify all issues.

Ben turned away from Sokka. His eyes staring at the entrance of the cave. The cave was very wide, and the height of the cave was the size of two Appa's stacked together, there bison would be able to move through it with ease, though he would be rendered flightless.

On the ceiling, there were these strange green indents. It almost looked like dried spat out green throw up that leaked from the top of the cave entrance, Ben took a knee as he stared downwards at the floor. Some sand would leak into it, though the whole floor of the cave was stone.

'This is kind of weird, I read about how mountains erode and stuff, for there to just be a straight path…it has to be impossible. Why, I just…I don't know…' Ben thought. His eyes softly narrowing, his palm going to his face as he felt his vison warp.

That was when things started to change…

Horror and Fear

"Mister, where are you going?" It was a child that spoke those words, Sokka as he was about to speak to his sister and Aang he heard it. The little girl, he recognized her, the same girl that Ben saved only a couple of hours ago.

He turned around. "Oh no." He murmured as he began to push through the crowd. His eyes fixated towards the entrance of the cave, he was moving so rapidly and nearly pushed people down.

"Ben!"

Sokka screamed. Benjamin was in the cave; the darkness was slowly engulfing him as he was walking in. It was like a black hole, Ben's red robes starting to lose their color as the darkness welcomed him. Wrapping around him like chains as they tried to drag him further in. Almost like it was urging him to put one foot in front of the other.

Sokka ran into the cave, his shoes pounding along the stone floor as he ran in front of Ben. He planted both of his hands on the boy's shoulders, Ben's eyes were dilated as the golden began to lose their gleam.

"Ben, wake up!" He yelled into the Jedi's face. Ben's golden eyes going back to their standard gleam as he instinctively took a step backwards. Sokka's hands were still on his shoulders.

Ben stared downwards at his friend. He tilted his head at him like a confused bird, he then glossed around his surroundings. "Sokka, where are we?" He asked.

"What?" Sokka said. He pointed towards the entrance; the shine of the sun still visible but now was starting to decrease as the light was slowly being smothered by the horizon. "You just walked in here. Without telling anyone…if that girl you saved didn't notice you."

Ben moved out of Sokka's grasp. A shudder ran through his body as the words finally reached him. He didn't get, he couldn't understand how the heck that happened. He was there right in the entrance after Sokka went to talk to Aang and Katara.

It felt like something was calling to him for a second. He didn't know how to explain it, but it was almost like hands, or rather lying down in the ocean. It was like lying down as hands pushed you underwater, whispering to you to just accept and to just close your eyes.

He blacked out…he didn't know how to explain it, but he had never felt anything like that before. He had visions but he always collapsed to the floor or just lost consciousness, this was different. The closest example he could compare it to would be how his body was coerced, his connection to the force overloaded and probed through to the point where he nearly gave up all of his free will.

He was just there and then he felt…he felt the weight of the force, though that was it. There was nothing here, it almost felt like someone, or something was trying to block it out. Even then, Benjamin couldn't provide an answer that would suit Sokka. Appa and the rest of the tribe members followed in suit. Ben got up; he shook his head.

He didn't have the time to think, he had to do his job. So, he followed them all, it was a long trip through the cavern. The tunnel as Ben noted was both unnatural and he began to realize that it would be impossible for the earth to create it.

The floor, walls and the roof were unnaturally smooth. It could of have been compared to stone slabs, it was unusual, and Ben didn't like it. He could feel the force here as well, though there was nothing. He couldn't feel light side or dark side.

Ben kept his feelings to himself; he didn't want to bother the others. He felt that he would only sound paranoid, which he was. Though, he was also still racking his brain around this whole thing. He took a seat with Aang and the other tribesman, the avatar would try and settle their disputes while ben would simply stare off into space, or even sometimes shut his eyes.

"Hello…" A child's voice erupted near his ear, he moved to the right as his eyes opened wide. It was a little girl. Her brown reddish hair went past her neck. She held onto some strange little animal; it was a stuffed animal that looked to resemble a dog.

Ben got up. The girl instantly looking smaller as his large frame casted a shadow over the girl. "Hey…kid." He awkwardly spoke as he rubbed the back of his neck. He could hear Katara snicker from how awkward he was being, he was awful with kids.

"Thank you for saving me." She said with a large and toothy smile. Ben could see how she was missing one of her lower front teeth. Then unexpectedly, she dropped the stuffed animal. Her arms colliding with Ben's left leg as she held onto him. "You're my hero mister."

Ben stared blank faced into the wall. Though, on the inside he was happy. 'She called me a hero, she actually did it!' He couldn't help but smile. The girl eventually parted himself from him as she went back with her toy to her mother. Benjamin, he was glad.

He scratched the back of his head as the others looked at him. He was still with his small smile. 'On those bright fields of dantooine…at the enclave where I would stare out of my window and into the galaxy, I wanted to always be called a hero. I wanted to protect and save others, I have made many mistakes but now, I can finally be who that little boy wanted to become.'

The pain returned, Ben's right hand going to the back of his head as he gasped for air. The pain did not take time to build up anymore rather than come at him in full force.

"Benji, are you okay?" Aang asked. Concerned for his friend, though ben just nodded. Getting up as he dusted his pants from the stone. He cracked his neck as he began to walk away. "Listen, I'm going to go head out and use the toilet. I'll be back in ten minutes!" He screamed to make sure that his team could hear him.

He didn't want everyone to hear him publicly say that he was going to take a crap. Though, he had to make it one hundred percent sure that they knew to not follow him. The camp they had constructed was right in the middle of their path, it held large torches implanted and held up with supplies that were meant to keep the rats out.

Ben took one as he began to descend downwards. His footsteps echoed through the cavern, and he even felt the wind along his face, the dusty reddish sands. He reached out with the force as he turned around. He had been walking for at least five to ten minutes but as he turned towards his side, he didn't see anything.

He laid down his torch, the orange flames still dancing as Ben's palm went to the flat stone wall. He began to tap his hand along it, only to feel the strange hollowness that echoed from it. He took a deep breath as he backed up, using the force as he pulled the wall to the side. There were a couple of cranks, and the wall began to split, opening as the wall began to get consumed to the inner wall.

Ben took a step forward, shocked to see the massive amounts of light that generated in the ceiling. It didn't look real, rows and rows of bright gemstones of green, red, blue and orange splintered from the ceiling. It casted the room into a harsh but decent glow.

Ben walked into the area, his mouth opening in pure shock from how massive the whole room was. Where he opened the door led a bridge the length of a football field but the width of a bus. It was as well-crafted from the strange smooth stone.

He walked over to the sides, he could hear the rumble of water and sure enough he could see a massive waterfall that had generated. It came from all openings and bellowed bright blue water, it emptied into a massive dark hole that Ben couldn't see the end of.

Though, it was the massive fortress at the very end of the bridge. It was like one of the castles on Onderon that he visited during the battle of Dxun. It was ancient and eroded. It was maybe once beautiful through the cracks and moss had been growing over the stone for what it seemed to be nearly a hundred years.

'How could someone…anyone make anything like this?' Ben thought. He was amazed, rather astonished from how pristine and utilitarian everything was. It didn't make any sense to him.

While he was observing the fortress, it was like a ping. The pain was back, the feeling was back…this time Benjamin didn't turn away from it, this time he didn't question it. He already knew what it was. The dark side.

Ordinarily the dark side to Ben felt like the manifestation of hate, it's touch a storm of anger at times, but this felt more subdued, an anger mellowed by patience and suffering. Standard Jedi, would feel themselves weaken, being in such a place would erupt in fear and could even make a Jedi pass out from the severe weight of the dark side.

Though, to those bearing strong affinities to the dark side like Benjamin. He felt the complete opposite. Power surged and ebbed in him, like being blasted with an electrical current. His connection to the force felt deeper, more profound than it ever had in the past.

Force lightning had leaked from Ben's fingertips, twined around his arms, crackling. Ben felt the dark side, it was strong here. He didn't curse himself; he didn't succumb to self-hate and blame himself for not picking up the dark side energy, there wasn't time for that and he knew it.

There was something or someone here that was able to hide the large presence of the dark side of the force. It wasn't like the air temple where Ben didn't realize due to his damaged connection to the force, someone had to be doing this!

They lured them down here, it had been a trap to…

There was a series of scuttling and shrieks. Ben used the force as he called his lightsaber into his right hand as he turned to his left and right, there were massive holes ingrained into the walls like a beehive. Those rats came out of it.

Ben ignited his lightsaber. The purple blade of light breaking through the darkness as he gripped the blade with both of his hands, the dark side fueled his strength here but if he drawn on it far too much he would fall.

Ben's breathing echoed; the creatures didn't make a sound…there were maybe a hundred of them that came out of there little holes. The whizz of his blade centered him; the purple plasma line cut through the air as he began to walk forward.

That was when he saw it…

The red one, the massive one was the last to come out. Ben stared at it, his legs shaking in fear as he saw it. Those little spider legs were not little, they bulged and pulsated with jet black veins. Its muscles pounded and created cracks in the stone.

It was the largest one. Hell, it was maybe the size of Appa or maybe even was taller. Ben noted the strange features of all the animals, especially the red one. The Alpha of the group it seemed.

'The power of the dark side, these strange abominations and this place…it couldn't have been man made. There are no dark jedi or Sith around, but…' Ben's thoughts were cut off as he began to understand.

His fingers tightened along the lightsaber, the purple line one of the only tethers keeping him to the light side. "Didn't think that in this world that there would still be Sith Alchemist and Sorcerers." Ben tempted, the creatures snarling in his direction as he took another step forward.

Sith Alechemy was the dark side ability to be able to change creatures or imbue weapons with the dark side of the force. People like Exar Kun and Freedon Nadd created their own abominations with the power of the dark side.

Ben, he had seen the effects of their residual or escaped experiments on Korriabn and on other dark side worlds. The creatures here were proof of that, none of them looked natural and seemed to have adapted to the canyon.

The Alpha, it had to be the Sith Lord's favorite for it to be engineered in such a way. Ben wanted to leave, he wanted to slay every single one of them. Though, how could he?

He was able to take out two but the third one nearly killed him, without Aang he would of have been killed or gravely injured. He was getting ready to fight, ready to lash out and destroy.

That was when it happened…a figure shrouded in blue shining light, it faintly resembled the light of his master. Though, it was wrong…filled with hate and corruption. The figure was large, it stood stoic like a statue.

He was maybe five meters in height. Its dark black robes blended like a mirage under the blue light, the weight of the dark side pounding into Ben's frame, but he didn't let go of his blade. His breathing was hollow and coarse, though he kept his lightsaber stance strong.

"Benjamin, the blood of great warriors flow through your veins. Your legacy, a false Jedi…your power uncontained but held back by measly chains."

Its voice was rough, it came out like a trombone that filled and echoed through the massive cavern. Ben's lightsaber cut through the air as he held it in his right hand, he took a step forward. "How…how the fuck do you know my name, Sith!" His left hand cut through the air like a sword. "Back Sith revenant. I have nothing to say to a monster such as yourself…"

"I am here to warn you…exile of the Jedi."

'A warning?' Ben questioned as he stopped advancing. He didn't turn off his lightsaber blade but kept it in his off hand.

"The Sith, the false Sith number in the hundreds, great lords have been grafted from this one-hundred-year war. Though, you already know of this…you and those people you wish to protect will be smashed and torn, ripped to shreads…You know in your heart that you will never be one of them. Friend…Comrade…Jedi, you are none of these things, you will forever stand alone."

The Sith continued to speak, Ben averting his gaze from the ghost. He tried to not let the seeps of doubt fill his mind. "Though, with your strength…your true strength you can protect your friends and kill the false Sith. You know the avatar is too weak, you are all that remains."

"The Sith…the true Sith, are destined to rise again. Nothing can prevent that moment."

"What are you talking about, the true and false Sith. The Sith in this world, I've fought against them. There just like the ones back in my universe." Ben lashed out.

The dark spirit clicked it's lips. "They are false, they are merely an iteration…a jagged mirror, though you will be the one."

"What!" The hum of Ben's blade whizzed as it cut near the spirit. "Quit it with the lies, Sithspawn!"

"You, Benjamin…you will be one of the greatest of the Lords of The Sith, I can already see it."

"I will never fall to the dark side, unlike you. I already know how it feels like, I've been on both ends and on both sides. Never again!"

"Oh, but you already have…you already have!"

With those parting words. The spirit disappeared, it's faint light dispersed, all that remained was Ben's right arm outstretched as the blade of amethyst pulsated. The sith abominations were gone, even the alpha as well.

Ben unignited his lightsaber blade. He was about to leave, to tell his comrades of what he found but he stopped, his eyes locking towards something in the center of the room where the dark spirit once was. He began to push his feet towards it, the only sounds were his footsteps and the strange waterfall that funneled through the tunnels.

Where the spirit once was, he left it behind…Ben already knew that it was a gift for him. Ben stared at it for a second, he couldn't believe it, but his eyes didn't widen, or his body didn't clench up. His breathing was stilled like a statue.

His right hand went out in front of him as he felt the tension of the force wrap around the object. It softly hovered towards him. His fingers wrapped around the item, it was cold and heavy. He drew it out and stared in wonder at the artifact in his hand. It was slightly larger than his fist, it had the shape of a tetrahedron.

There were faint golden lines implanted into the tetrahedron. Forming into weird golden glyphs and hieroglyphics that decorated the sides of the shape. Benjamin had seen and read of such things before, he recognized what it was.

"A Sith Holocron…"

The ancient masters of the dark side used holocrons to store all their wisdom, knowledge, and secrets. A holocron could contain ancient teachings of the dark side of the force, teachings of devastating powers, or even the key to unlocking the magics of ancient Sith Sorcery.

Ben didn't say anything…his eyes fixated down below at his feet as he held the holocron in his palm without looking at it. For a second, nothing happened. Only…as his ghastly smile spread from ear to ear, his white teeth throwing off light.

His red orange eyes broke through the darkness. The empty halls of the temple trembled with the reverberations of triumphant and booming laughter. The Jedi were so weak. Trying to hold back Benjamin due to his strength, trying to hide the secret of his true power.

The holocron…the dark side energy of the temple, warped Ben's mind. It corrupted him nearly instantly as the edges of the holocron began to twist, it glowed a brighter crimson as the sides pulsated. The power was too addicting as he soaked in the residual energy of the dark side.

Power…

Power to protect his friends and to destroy the Sith. That was all he wanted, he wanted them all gone. He wanted them destroyed. With this gift…he would be able to accomplish his wish. He snickered as the holocron's bright crimson glow danced into his eyes.

The fools on the council…the fools of his order would try to restrict him, to hold him back from taking in this power. Though, Benjamin knew better…he knew how strong he was compared to them. He soaked in the power and was ready to savor the knowledge the gatekeeper would grant him, because he knew that he was far more than just an apprentice.

"Benji!"

It was Katara, her voice echoing through the cavern as she screamed his name. Ben's eyes went back to normal as the holocron sealed and twisted back to normal, it thumped onto the ground as he lost his concentration.

'Oh god, what have I done…I nearly…I nearly!' Thoughts of shame overpowered him, though it was the thought of getting caught that made him grab the holocron and start running towards the entrance. With the power of the force, he was able to run quicker, he leaped into the tunnel and quickly flicked his wrist, the door slamming shut and hidden from outside eyes.

"Ben…where have you been, you've been gone for a long time?" Katara said. She began walking closer to him. Ben quickly dusted himself off. He didn't take deep breaths due to how exhausted he felt from running.

Though, Katara's eyes went downwards to his right hand. "What's that?" She asked, she inched closer as Ben's eyes widened.

"Ah, nothing…just found this thing when I was walking around." Ben shrugged his shoulders, throwing quickly a lie to hide his sin. Katara glanced back to Ben and the thing though she didn't say anything. She shrugged her shoulder.

"Yeah, maybe you should get rid of it. It's kind of creepy."

Ben nodded his head, maybe too quickly. "Yeah, I'll just hack it with my lightsaber."

She began to walk away. Ben igniting his purple blade as he rested the holocron to the floor. He held it with both hands as he raised his lightsaber into an overhead strike, though he stopped.

He unignited his blade. He used the force to pull the holocron into his right hand as he stared at the sides of the tethrahidron. 'Yeah, maybe I should just hold onto it for just a little while longer. I won't go into it or anything like that, but God forbid if a Sith or a Dark Jedi finds this. I'm a Jedi so I'll be safe. Heck, maybe I can even sell it on the market. We can't last off my gambling money forever!'

Ben awkwardly chuckled, turning his head towards Katara as he didn't see her anymore. His flame was gone so he reignited his blade. The purple light in his offhand was the only illumination he was granted. He pocketed the holocron as he began to head back to camp.

As he walked, he felt strange almost like he was being watched. He chalked it up to paranoia and kept on walking ahead, unbeknownst to him. There was a darkness in the cave, a darkness mounded from the dark side as the spirt laughed.

"You will be one of the greatest…" He repeated, the rats and Alpha were sinking their claws into the roof and into the walls as their master disappeared. The abominations were sick of waiting and now they were ready, they licked their lips as alpha pulsated an aura that helped neutralize him and his pack's presence in the force.

ALPHA IS HUNGRY

With that command they all moved in sync, ready to use their jaws and razor-sharp teeth to rip everything to shreds, the hunt had begun and one of Benjamin's greatest challenges had just began.