Okay, PLEASE don't kill me... I'm entering a singing competition and I've been working on that. *Silent stares* Unfortunately, I'm currently dealing with a sore thoat, so I have some time to update! Yay! I hope everything's spelled correctly... I can't find the spell check on my computer. Um, also, this chapter was written in November... Heh, I've greatly improved, I believe... So...
Return to Mortis
Anakin stirred to the chill of wind blowing on him. It was morning now. He looked over and jumped up. "Ahsoka and Rex are gone!"
Obi-Wan, who was sleeping uncomfortably on a rock, sat up. "Maybe their looking for something to eat, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, annoyed by Anakin's worry.
"But what if they were taken?" Anakin protested.
"By whom? There's no one else here!" Obi-Wan said, looking at the ashes of the fire.
"What about the Daughter, the Son and the Father?" Anakin asked. He knew they were dead, but Ahsoka had seen the daughter.
"They all died," Obi-Wan insisted. "We saw each one. The Daughter was murdered, you killed the Son and the Father killed himself."
"True, but Ahsoka saw the Daughter in her quarters," Anakin told Obi-Wan. "I know it doesn't seem possible, but―" He stopped short. He had no point and no proof. He sighed an hung his head, disappointed in himself.
"Where ever they are, their fine." Obi-Wan assured him.
"I just can't seem to realize that." Anakin admitted. He knew Rex would be fine, but Ahsoka was different. Despite having more experience then when he met her, she was still young and could make a few reckless decisions. She had gained his trust in battle, but this was different; they were on a planet that had nearly killed them all the last time they were on it and now it was dying.
"If you're going to worry so much, just use the comlink," Obi-Wan stood up and stretched..
The thought hadn't crossed Anakin's mind, that was clear. He pressed a button on his wrist and spoke into the comm, "Ahsoka, Rex, Can you hear me?"
Ahsoka heard Anakin's voice and pressed the comm, trying to ignore her massive headache. "Master?" She mumbled. She sounded somewhat weak.
"Are you okay?" Anakin's voice sounded fuzzy.
"Uh, something like that," She replied, rubbing her head.
"Is Rex with you?" Anakin wanted to make sure his Captain hadn't wondered off.
"Yes, Master." She confirmed. "At least, he's here somewhere."
"Good. Now, where is Here?" Anakin thought aloud.
"I can't say for sure," Ahsoka sat up. "I hit my head and it's all a little blurry." She confessed. She waited for the worried reply, hearing a staining noise in the background. "Master?"
"Alright, Snips," Anakin's voice was on the brink of wanting to shout. "We'll be there soon."
"Rex and I will keep moving." Ahsoka stated, getting up fully and hanging up. "Rex?" She walked outside. "Rex?"
Rex climbed down from a large boulder. "It's safe enough to climb, but not very steady. We'll have to be careful."
Ahsoka nodded and leaped up the the first rock, clenching the stone tight. This is crazy, She thought. Whatevers on this planet is more powerful than me, and I'm trying to face it?
She scaled the wall, going quickly up it, Rex close behind.
Ahsoka pulled herself over the last edge, taking heaving breaths. It had taken them over four hours to get to the top. She collapsed to the ground as Rex put his hand on the edge of the cliff.
"We're... almost... there..." She panted. What was I thinking?
"G-good." Rex could barely get the words out of his mouth.
Ahsoka turned her body over and gasped. The monastery was in ruins, blown up by the explosion that had been created by the crystal that once hung over the building proudly. The ground around them was burnt to a crisp.
The Force sent a wave of warning toward the Togruta Padawan.
Ahsoka closed her eyes, sliding into an uncontrolled vision.
The dry air around her, choked her as she stepped into what remained of the monastery. She looked down in horror. Two mutilated bodies laid there. Insane crying echoed off the walls and a shivering Togruta girl holding a blood-stained lightsaber hilt stared wide eyed at the cut up corpses. Her own body was covered in blood as well, her eyes blood shot. The gore of the scene made Ahsoka's stomach churn. The other Togruta, looking much like Ahsoka herself, gave a maddening, chilling laugh. "Where are you?" She cackled evilly, sounding more than crazy. A blue lightsaber suddenly drove up through her chest. She dropped to the floor, shock on her face, the wet red liquid on her checks spilling onto the floor. A man with a hood raised in the dark stood a step behind the girl's form. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka," He said, his crying heard in his voice. "But you... went..." His voice faded.
"Ahsoka, snap out of it!" Rex yelled in her face. She had apparently been screaming, but stopped now.
"I-I..." Tears rolled down Ahsoka's cheeks. "I'm sorry..." She was shameful.
"What happened?"
"I can't say." Ahsoka looked away.
Rex nodded and offered a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. "Let's go."
Ahsoka forced herself to move along, even as the vision replayed through her head. Why am I seeing such horrible things? She questioned herself. It's not normal for a Jedi Padawan, and I don't even have the gift! Mortis must bring out a deep Force connection.
The dark, broken walls of the structure creaked eerily and Ahsoka could still hear the laugh of her insane self. Her face contorted in an odd expression.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
The two kept heading forward. "Some thing's not right," Ahsoka stated, looking around. There was a difference in the Force, vibrating and shimmering in a frightening way. "I just can't place it."
"I don't suppose there's a manual for that thing?" Rex joked, trying to lighten her mood.
"Nope." Ahsoka replied seriously. She knew what Rex was trying to do, but with the levels of her insanity on the line, she'd rather not joke.
Rex placed a hand on a glowing crystal at one side of the wall. It snapped off of where it sat, upsetting the delicate balance of the shrapnel.
"Watch out!" Ahsoka yelled, jumping and knocking Rex out of the way just in time. "That was close."
"Thanks," Rex said, still holding the crystal.
Ahsoka stood up. "Can I see that?"
Rex place it in her palm, getting to his feet.
"This is a power crystal," Ahsoka recalled her Jedi studies thoughtfully. "It's used in lightsabers to enhance fighting abilities, Force powers and such. Each one varies, but I can't tell what this one does." She looked it over thoroughly then looked at Rex. "Can I keep this?"
"If it's Jedi related, I don't see any reason for me to keep it," Rex shrugged.
Ahsoka smiled. A true smile, vision temporarily forgotten. "What I don't understand is, what's it doing here?"
"I wouldn't know." Rex adjusted his helmet.
"Maybe I should teach you Jedi religion, so you can give me some sort of answer." Ahsoka joked, laughing. Her cheeriness filling the walls so, Rex expected the whole place to light up. "Jurir a jetii'kad darasuum." She recited from a text she had read.
"Mando'a?" Rex seemed surprised when Ahsoka nodded.
"Some Jedi did write in Mando'a," Ahsoka explained. "It's just interesting considering Mandalore's history with the Jedi."
"Your starting to sound like history they taught me on Kamino," Rex chuckled.
The Padawan shot him a laughing, but warning look. "I don't like it when I get left out of battles for studying, so I'm not to fond of history. Of course, they're was once it turned out to be a good thing. In the end, I got shot. I thought Anakin was going to explode when he saw me and Padmé with arm injuries!" She suddenly remembered the visions. "That was the first time I had a vision."
"I don't know a lot about visions, other than what you've told me, but I'm sure they'll get better in time." Rex assured her.
"Do you sleep in the room next to Anakin?" Ahsoka held a hint of sadness. "There are times I hear him yell in his sleep. I don't dare ask him what his dreams are about."
Rex wanted to attempt sympathy, but as a clone, he wouldn't do well.
Ahsoka reached behind her head and ran her fingers against her Padawan braid. It was so small, it could break easily, yet it withstood so much.
Ahsoka pulled her lightsabers off her belt and they shattered in her hands. "What?" She gently tapped another Togruta on the shoulder and she splintered like broken glass. She gasped, touching her face. She felt a thousand swords cut clean through her body, although they weren't there. She fell to the ground.
"I'm a monster," She mumbled without any knowledge of what she was saying.
Rex looked at her glazed over eyes. "Ahsoka?"
The floor lurched and she was jerked out of it. "What's happening?" She asked.
"I don't know." Rex struggled to keep his balance.
Ahsoka used the Force to jump upward onto a bar a little ways above her head. She turned upside down, legs holding on, and grabbed Rex's arm. The floor jerked out from under him and Ahsoka's grip tightened. He looked up at her. Her face was red and sweat was falling down her concentrated face. Ahsoka's hands started to slip. "Find... something to... grab!" She said voice strained.
"We're in the middle of a large room," Rex said, eyes searching relentlessly. "There's nothing to grab."
The bar bent with the weight and Ahsoka's legs started to lose their place.
"Just let go of me." Rex told her.
"No! There's got to be another way out of this!" Ahsoka insisted, knowing what Anakin would say. The pole bent further, threatening to break. She spotted a ledge. "Look! Over there! Maybe if I swing you, you can reach the ledge!" She rocked herself back and forth, getting Rex closer.
"Now!" Rex shouted. Ahsoka let go. He flew and landed safely on the edge.
She breathed a sigh of relief as things went silent. That, to her, was a good sign.
A REAL cliff hanger! ;) Well, stuff like those visions are about as bad as it will get. ;) And I'm sorry this is short and took so long... So.. see you after the competition or when I post a new chapter.
Ciao!