Author Note: Thanks for reading! Sorry for the long delay. Remember to review, follow and favorite it greatly helps with my motivation. Have a wonderful day!

Ben and Katara both raced ahead. They stopped in front of the camp; the two tribes were not arguing anymore. When Ben left, he left right when they were eating. He didn't expect complete silence. They were all tucked in their bedrolls. Some were already snoozing as their snores echoed through the cavern.

Though, it was all interrupted. The old man had finally woken up…as Ben and Katara were both tiptoeing to see him, his booming voice erupted and began to stir the tribesman. "You damn fools!" He screamed, his roar carrying weight.

"What have you done…you killed us…you killed us!" He screamed even louder. His broken arms were wrapped in a cast, though Ben could feel the earth bending underneath him in extreme rage.

"Old man, what is going on!" Ben screamed. Katara and the rest of team avatar heading towards his position as the old man stirred. The old earth ender slamming face first into the ground, his nose erupting into a torrent of blood as he maddingly screamed. "No!" He erupted as he planted his back against the wall, his eyes scanning the area like a mad man.

Ben moved forward. His strong arms grabbing the man's shoulders as he wrestled with the man, luckily after a minute he was calmed down enough. A steady crowd began to form around the pair as the old man's voice began to stiffen, his voice in a croak as he began to relax. His arms slinking down as Ben removed his own hold from him.

"Now…tell me what is going on." Ben emptied the words from his mouth. The old man staring into the boy's warm golden eyes as he finally parted his lips to speak actually coherent words. He pushed himself to Ben's ears. The old man's lips were dry as he parted his jaw to speak.

Ben parted away instantly as he got up from his crouch. He pulled the lightsaber from his belt, holding the weapon in his right hand. His fingers tensed up as he turned around towards everyone. The young Warrior facing the two tribes and team avatar. "Everyone…it's time to pack up. We're going to make the rest of the trek!"

Benjamin's voice arose. Startling the tribes as they heeded the young jedi's words. He turned around towards his team. He put one step forward as he approached them. "What's going on?" Aang spoke up at first. Peering over Ben's shoulders to observe the still sitting old man.

Ben first went to Sokka. "Sokka, I am going to need you to get all the elderly and children on Appa. I need you on the reigns." He then turned to Katara. "…listen, Katara I am going to need to rely on you today. You're going to be on Appa's saddle defending people."

He then turned to Aang. Signaling for him to follow as he began to rout the people into their respective areas around Appa. The young man when everyone was arranged opened his mouth into a mighty bellow.

"Listen, I am sorry for waking you up so early. Though, something of the utmost importance has come up." He ignited his purple lightsaber, the purple line breaking through the darkness as he held it in his offhand. "The beast of the cavern are in this cave with us…the tour guide alerted me that we were in there nest, we must fight our way out of it now."

He was honestly expecting some sort of argument to break out. Some sort of blame game that would come from the two bickering tribes. Maybe, though he was pleasantly surprised by the fact that they simply followed his command. He then turned around. The young exile following behind Appa as he began to approach the old tour guy.

His boots echoed through the cavern as he…

His eyes widened first. His reflexes were too slow as the dark influence of the cave was far too strong. A leathery tongue shot out from the darkness. It's reddish pink tongue wrapping around the old man's lower thigh. "Old man!" Benjamin screamed. He lashed out with his right hand, his fingers separating as he pulled the old man with the force.

The old man froze up as the tongue tried to pull him. "Aang!" Ben screamed behind him. Team avatar and the other tribe now starting to realize what was happening. The beast was using their tongues to try and steal the old man away.

Benjamin wouldn't let that happen. Still, he didn't have a choice. Multiple tongues wrapped around the exile, there leathery tongues like acid as they squeezed and tightened along his skin. They wrapped around his right wrist, squeezing his hand as he began to lose concentration.

His lightsaber unignited and collided with the floor, the tongues shot out from the monster's mouths. They wrapped around his right shin and his left thigh dragging the false Jedi to the floor with a massive bang. His head slamming into the stone floor so hard that he began to see stars. He could even feel the blood starting to seep out from the gash.

That was what caused it…the exile's eyes widening as the old man collided to the floor. The aid of the force voided as he tried to reach towards the exile, though the monsters were stronger. The old man being dragged from the light and into the darkness of the cave. Ben could hear the sounds of bone snap as the monsters of the Sith seeped into his flesh.

Benjamin heard a lightsaber blade ignite. He raised his head. Sokka's face twisted into one of pain and fury as he held onto the hilt of Benjamin's purple lightsaber. The weapon felt odd within the young warriors two hands although he keenly sliced at the monster's tongues. The burnt nubs of the beast scared them away, beckoning them back into the dark as Sokka produced a war scream that echoed through the cavern.

Ben shot up, pushing the cut off tongues off his frame as he quickly turned towards Sokka side. "Ben…" But before Sokka could produce anything, Ben leaped to his feet. He stared into the darkness only for a second later to throw open his palms.

A blast of force energy slammed into one of the creatures. The power of the blast immediately snapped the neck and broke the bones of the creature, it was launched back into the darkness as a massive splat etched along the cavern.

Another tried to move towards the two boys. Only for a powerful gust of wind to slam it head on and back into the darkness. Aang was about to run towards the darkness, only for two powerful hands to stop his advance. "Ben, what are you doing!" He struggled int the large boy's hold. "The tour guide is in there. He'll…"

"I know…" Benjamin uttered into his ear. Aang's eyes widening as he realized that he was about to let that tour guide die. To be eaten alive by those horrible things. "Aang, what are you going to do in there…huh, save him?"

The confliction of his face was twisted, Aang understood. He just didn't want to do it. Ben was the Jedi, Katara was the healer, Sokka was the warrior…and Aang played the most important part. He would be the boy that would save the world. He couldn't die here, not in such a sad and horrible place. "He's already a goner. Those damn things are everywhere in this tunnel…we don't have a choice; I can't let you sacrifice yourself to save one old man."

"I can…I am the avatar; I have the power too…"

"He's one old man, Aang!" Ben screamed into his face, he wedged the boy around to face Appa and the other two tribes surrounding the large bison. He threw out his finger, pointing to them. "We have men, woman and children that need safe passage through this cavern. They need to be led to safety and need the avatar. Not just them, the world can't allow you to die here!"

He grabbed Aang tighter, though the air nomad lacked resistance, barely even putting up a fight as he dragged Aang back to Appa. Sokka tossed Ben back his lightsaber. The purple blade once again igniting. "How did you like it…swinging this thing around." Ben joked towards the young warrior.

Sokka got up, arming his boomerang in tow as he cocked his head, stifling a smile. "Now I understand why you and Kiara really like that thing, it was a rush."

Sokka climbed up on Appa. Team avatar leading Appa as the tribesmen armed themselves with their weapons, Ben's purple lightsaber blade was almost like a violet torch, leading them and ushering them in forward. It was halfway through there trek where the monsters once again tried.

It leaped through the darkness, aiming for Ben's purple light. Ben felt the tension through the force, his precognition giving him the spare couple of seconds. He gripped the blade with both hands, slamming his hands downwards as the beast from the chest was split in half, a disgusting burn mark ripping through it.

Another leaped, Ben catching it in the air with the force. Pushing it back and into another one. They kept on moving forward, there were a couple of times where the beast would try to attach the tribesmen, even then Ben would put a stop to it. Hacking, slashing, and cleaving the monsters of the Sith.

"Get tighter, create a formation around Appa and don't try to leave!" Ben commanded. The others following the young exiles commands.

After what felt like forever. It was Aang that saw the bright lights of the exit. "Guys, were almost there!" The air nomad bellowed. Ben hacking downwards, the string of violet light following as he cut down another Sith abomination.

That was when it happened…a darkness setting between them. It spread out through the caverns, the terror striking and wrapping around their throats. "This feeling…" Katara murmured, losing concentration of her water whip as it collapsed to the floor.

Sokka and Aang felt it as well. The two boy's movements stiffening as they struggled to take another step, it was only Aang that was able to slightly maneuver his fingers to further urge Appa to push forward towards the exit.

Ben's fingers tightened along his lightsaber. The boy's breathing became shallow as multiple eyes breached free from the darkness. He could see the tint of crimson as the torches and the purple light glossed over the creature's shell. It was the strange one he saw…

The one that was smart enough to target its victims, the one that appeared to be leading and controlling the other members of its pack. The crimson red one with its armored skin. It moved closer towards Ben. Even as his friends and the tribes called out to him to attack, he was so frozen.

The fear welling up and festering in his head, he couldn't stop it. In times past, certain Sith alchemist was able to create creatures with the process of dark side magic, a gift for powerful adepts of the dark side of the force.

Yet, there were some that were so talented on a level that they were able to ingrain the creatures with certain abilities. This one…this sand crawler that was personally modified by an alchemist had its ingrained hardened shell, and the ability to release a pheromone to set fear through the ranks, targeting the minds of the victims.

The more mentally compromised they were, the worse the affects. The victims forced to relive memories or rather emotions. Towards Katara, the girl hollowing in grief from the loss of her mother. Sokka, the young warrior dropping to his knees as the fight left him. Remembering the time where he was too weak to save his mother and was once again too weak to go with his father to war…Aang's form hunched over the bison, the avatar reliving the moment of leaving his father figure and the rest of his kind behind…the guilt he felt for abandoning his people.

Benjamin, he was rewarded with the sins he had committed. He was reminded of how he hurt his friends when he left for war, the horrors, and his fall during the Mandalorian Wars. Then, it was towards that person…the lone Jedi that forced him to truly see what the force was. To make him confront the monster he was…the Jedi that gave up his life so that he could see the truth and what he was doing…

At that moment, the fight left him…and all he wanted was to just die…

The Sith abomination or rather Alpha used its massive claw against Ben's frame. The false jedi too deep in his own thoughts to leap away, instead he flew across the room. The false jedi's body colliding with the cave wall. He slid down, his body motionless as the violet light of his lightsaber once again vanished, being consumed by the darkness of the cave and the sinister forces that seeks solace in the murky abyss.

"Ben…" Katara aimlessly muttered peering over the side of Appa's saddle. The boy wasn't moving, she could hardly see him through the pillar of darkness that was surrounding them. 'No, not now…it's Ben, he's been through worse!' Katara thought. She once again bended the water. Slashing at one of the crawlers that got a tad bit too close.

He was a Jedi Knight, he had defied death many times before. She knew that she could have faith in him. He wouldn't have died that easily.

"Everyone!" Katara screamed, her voice echoing through the cavern. The tribes fought with their spears and swords, slashing as they overheard the young water ender. "Don't give up, we're so close!" Katara once again yelled.

They didn't turn around, for some the attacks of the crawlers were already too much. Even turning away for a quick glance would effectively end one's life. Sokka broke free from his fear, throwing himself off the saddle. Picking up one of the weapons that were discarded due to the ensuing battle. Sokka's fingers curled along the leather of a short sword, swinging wildly as the sand crawlers began to back away. "Yeah…take that!" Sokka screamed, the sand crawlers dodging him, Sokka thought that he was driving them back. That they were afraid.

He was wrong…as they snapped and hissed, they were just waiting for an opening. One of them leaped right in front of Sokka, the young warrior screaming in pure terror. He instinctively slashed with the short sword, recoiling back as he struck the flesh of the creature.

The sand crawler snapped at him once again but it immediately fled into retreat mode as the blood from the slash went along it's lips, it snarled and ravished. Turning itself into one of a frenzy as the young warrior was lost in his very own thoughts. Sokka's hands shook, cutting into skin and breaking along bone.

It was the first the young warrior hurt something fatal enough to draw blood. His hands were shaking, the fingers on the blade even starting to slightly unwind from the pressure of everything around him, the scent of blood filling the cavern. 'I actually hit it…I dug into it's flesh.' Sokka aimlessly thought, though the creatures wouldn't leave him alone. They lunged once again, Aang this time grabbing his staff.

He slammed into the earth, a powerful wave of air slamming into the sand crawlers as he quickly began to use his superior bending style to combat the new foes. He used his staff in a circular motion, producing a tornado that swept through them.

Even then, it was not enough…

A horrid scream rioted through the cavern. Team avatar turning to face the sound of the voice, it was one of the men on the animal tribe. One of the sand crawlers latched their jaws along his abdomen, dragging him further into the darkness as he spat up blood.

With the massive "Alpha" creature and the rest of its pack furthering their pursuit there was no source of help coming. Fear, it began to circulate through the ranks. 'Shut up…' Ben growingly stirred; it was getting harder for him to even think straight. The action of even moving a muscle was sending horrific pain through his brain. He just wanted to sleep, to take a nap.

He began to narrow his eyes open, the effects of the slam rendering the false Jedi unconscious. Yet, it was the people that were getting snatched up that was starting to reawaken the young jedi. The fear, the pain giving him strength within the dark side of the force.

The pain funneled through him; he didn't want that power…he didn't want to draw on the dark side of the force though how could he not?

One of the sand crawlers broke off from the pack. It began to crouch and move closer towards the false Jedi as it snapped its mouth eagerly to devour its prey. Though, the opposite happened. Ben got up, his legs uncertain as the only thing that kept him going was the stir of the power of the force and his commitment towards his comrades.

The creature leaped towards him. He lashed out with his right hand catching the beast midair, its legs kicked up dirt as he began to slowly tilt it upwards. He felt the weight of the force around its neck, he began to apply pressure to it. The creature whimpering in fear as it's movements only proved to become more erratic. Only for a snap to echo along the cavern, it's body colliding to the floor without any movement it once had. He called upon the force as he caught his lightsaber, igniting it once again as he began to walk to his friends.

Even from far away he could see the losing battle. He watched as Aang fought valiantly with his staff, he watched as Sokka wildly slashed and cut into the beast, he even watched as Katara sounded off orders like a true leader.

Even then, the beast was still there. More and more of the tribes were getting attacked and dragged into the darkness, lost causes that couldn't be saved. He tilted his head towards the side, the alpha still in the same position as before, a large barrier that couldn't be crossed.

"Help, mister…where are you!"

A childlike voice screeched through the cavern. Ben's eyes widening as he recognized that voice, it was the girl from before! She needed help, like the other kids and elderly they were on top of the bison. Ben's breathing tensed as he looked around him. Once again, at those bright lights that gave him strength. To those people that needed his aid, the people that needed a jedi more than ever.

Force Lightning…you have quite the affinity for it, false Jedi. Someone like yourself that has been through such emotional pain, such scars run deep and provide great strength in the dark side of the force. This raw emotional power that you called upon; I can teach you how to call upon it truly…to create a powerful storm.

The voice…the same voice Ben heard. The ancient lord of the Sith that was in the cave, or maybe it was the Sith Holocron in his pocket. He didn't care, it didn't matter right now. Light Side or Dark Side, whether it be power of any sort he needed it now. "Fine…teach me!" He grunted without hesitation. The spirits laughter etching in the bowls of his broken mind.

You truly are a lively one. You'll make a truly mighty Lord of The Sith. Force lightning, the ability to electrocute your enemies with pure fury, you've called upon it before, though I suppose you have forgotten those teachings possibly through mental block. No matter. To conjure and control lightning you must fixate on that pain, to produce higher volts you must learn control to will ii cleanly and efficiently. To be the cutting edge…to revel in the insanity and power you shall feel.

Benjamin was enamored, he ravished the teachings like a glutton as he took a deep breath. "Light Side…Dark Side…merely just tools." He softly repeated to himself like a mantra, he dug himself deep within the force.

To believe the force to be so easily categorized by such things…you are truly a fool. Seeing you fall, false jedi. It shall surely entertain me…

Ben, he took in the pain of his life. Instead of fixating on self-loathing, guilt and fear. He took in the trauma's and tried to control the outlet. Now fixated on a singular thing…power and control.

Ben, he remembered the time when his father beat his mother to the brink of death. He remembered the way the tears stung his eyes as his little fingers drew blood from how useless he was. How powerless he was, the fear he felt…the anger he felt, it gave him strength…it gave him purpose.

He fixated on that memory. He fixated on that raw emotional pain as the booming of the Sith Lord's laughing etched through the air of the cavern. Though, he wasn't the only one laughing.

Violet sparks of force lightning leaked from Ben's fingers. The tendrils twined around his hands as they crackled. He stared at his fingers in wonder, grinning. They coiled around his hilt, wrapping itself around his blade, even along the purple beam of his lightsaber. He took in and relished in the euphoria of his newfound power, or rather control of his force lightning.

The beams shot out from his hands and wrapped along the frame of his body. His eyes turning once again into the euphoric orange of the Sith. The dark side of the cave filling him with such power that the purple lights brightened up the whole area of the cave.

I am doing it again, looking for a reason to use the dark side.

The thought was in Ben's head for a second. It worked its way around, though he shook it free. It didn't matter right now, all that mattered was to fight. The lightshow even stunned the battle that was happening. The alpha and the rest of the crawlers staring in awe, even the tribesmen and team Avatar did not see anything like this before.

Ben raised his hands towards Alpha, his right hand still holding the blade as the tendrils of violet lights shot free from his fingertips. It hit Alpha head on, the large creatures frame buckling as it produced a heinous scream that rose towards the heavens itself.

It slumped downwards as the animal screeched in pain. Numerous burn marks riddling along it's body as the creatures in sync with Alpha were hit with the full blunt of its telepathic pain. The tribe's men got the memo, using this to run as Appa followed behind them. They passed through the horde, some even breaching through and being awarded with the sunlight. "BEN!" Sokka screamed, the young jedi did not part. His orange eyes peeking from his hair as he manically laughed along in unison towards the creatures screams. "We have to go!"

"Go…" Ben repeated. "I won't run from some animals!"

"Come on, don't forget. Your mission!" Sokka screamed out. Reminding Ben of his purpose, helping him break free of this influence that controlled him.

Ben's eyes began to turn back to normal. Shaking his head side to side as he began to run with team avatar, out of the cave and into the new light. Even then, as the false Jedi left. Even as he breached as the sunlight glossed over him as he felt the sting of the sun. Ben was further reminded of what happened in that cave.

'Oh, but you already have…'

The voice repeating in Ben's head as the presence was gone. A reminder of what was to come…a reminder of what Benjamin now was.