Author Note: Here is chapter 33. It's gonna be a double chapter week so expect chapter 34 to come out soon. Thanks for reading. Please remember to follow, favorite, and review because it greatly helps my motivation in writing more chapters. Have a good day!

Chapter 33

They ducked, Appa's roar traveling through the wind as the fire balls were thrown in their direction. Dodging and weaving as all team avatar could do was grab ahold of Appa's leathery saddle. Wrenching themselves to the bottom as Aang struggled with the reins.

"Holy fuck!" Ben's voice rippled through the wind, his hands locking along thick leather bracers of Appa's saddle. "Omashu, the fire nation actually made a fucking outpost here. What the hell!"

Ben was infuriated, steeping within rage. Foolish, honestly to believe that the Sith would just allow such a place to be left behind that was vital for the war effort. Ignorance, his ignorance making him believe that such things could stay the same.

They loomed over the domino like city as Appa twisted and turned through the air. Aang trying his hardest to get out of the fire nations targeting range. "Help!"

Ty Lee, Ben's eyes widening as his neck craned, his eyes locking forward as the force funneled into his movement. The girl losing her grip, flying away, but right before she could scream. She felt strong fingers lock along the calf of her leg. Glossing down as her cloak whipped with the wind. "Got you!" He screamed over the roaring winds.

Yet right before they could even sigh for relief. It happened; a large whirling fire ball launched from one of the fire nation mechanical catapults funneled towards them. The large boulder casting rock and vibrant orange flames towards them.

No hope of direction, no hope of curving away…it was heading towards them. "No." He muttered. His eyes deepening along the orange glow of the true Sith. His free hand shooting out as he barreled a mighty orb of dark side energy, force destruction.

A second later the beam casted from his hand, striking and breaking the boulder in two. Separating it with a mighty boom that crackled along both the team and the fire nation soldiers ears. With their senses discombobulated and their ears ringing.

His eyes going back to normal as Aang whipped them around. Digging into the base of the walled city as Appa roared, touching down as team avatar funneled from his back.

Ben looked around, his eyes gazing in every direction as he tried to make sense of everything. Lightsaber in hand as he began to formulate a plan.

It seemed that they were in the slums district of the earth kingdom city. Ruins of buildings, sparce population, and the area rippled with dark side energy, of misery and raw emotion.

"There, we can hide Appa in there!" Sokka yelled. His finger aimed at a medium destroyed warehouse complex. The door creaking open ominously as they began to funnel Appa inside, instantly shutting the door behind them as the only thing that could be heard was the rasped exhausted breathing of the teenagers.

After a couple of minutes, Sokka broke open a pair of torches lighting up the half-destroyed warehouse as they began to get a good look at their surroundings. Ben taking a seat on the floor as he sat his lightsaber to the side. "What the hell was all that? The fire nation is already here…"

Aang turned towards his friend. Leaning on his staff as his eyes went to the floor, another sign of his failure at the spread of the fire nation corruption. "Bumi…" He spoke the singular word, his staff collapsing to the ground as his hands shook. "We've got to find him!"

Katara was on him in an instant, her eyes tracing along Ben as the boy combed through his locks of hair. Jet moving towards him as both master and apprentice began to speak. "How does it look, Ben?"

Ben combed through his hair, parting his lips as he sized up everyone in the room. They stirred and shook from the brush of death, but the call of the dark side saved them. "I don't know Jet. All I know is that we got to find Bumi and get the hell out of here."

Ben rose from his seat, offering his apprentice a hand as Jet took it, lifting himself up. There journey would start here and now. They would need to locate any source of Bumi and hopefully decide on what to do next.

He knew that it was partially foolish to go after the old king. But he recalled what happened prior…the old man risking it to give them an escape route through the caverns. He glossed down to the lightsaber along his thigh, he wasn't doing this for the vaunted Jedi code or too even things out like a Sith. No, he was doing this because it was right.

"Ben…"

Ty Lee's soft voice tickled his ear. Her fingers lightly touching the base of his back as he turned around to meet her gaze. Her brown, grey eyes peering at him as their eyes locked along the other. "Thank you, for that save."

Ben turned around to her. He liked the way she looked at him, he couldn't explain it. But as a faint blush spread across his face, lightly gazing at her as he played with the long curls of his own hair. "Yeah, don't mention it." He muttered back in response.

Jet clicked his lips at the girl, Ty Lee nodding as she turned away. "Guys, me and Jet are going to go stake out our surroundings. We'll be back in a couple of minutes."

Shutting the door behind them, both boys began to walk through the neighborhood. Tasting the smoke that was already being generated from the fire nation factories. Eyes tracing along the destroyed huts and the uplifted tents.

Leaning against the wall in an alleyway. Ben snapped open a match, popping a cigarette in his lips as he brought the match up. Tasting the smoke in his lungs as he blew the smoke out like a bull.

"You're smoking again?" Jet questioned. His apprentice staring at him with parted lips like he had committed a horrific crime.

Ben nodding his head, taking the smoke from his lips. "When the whole fate of the world is on your ass and after losing your arm. Don't give me shit for having one or two vices." Ben muttered back, plopping the smoke back in his mouth.

He had hardly any sleep, yet he was revitalized. Maybe it was the force, hell it was better than dealing with any of the cooked-up shit that would bug him while he slept. They stayed silent for a couple of minutes, letting the stress roll from them.

The fire nation hadn't come or investigated this area making it appear that they didn't know where they docked. Lucky, they were fortunate. Ben dropped the smoke to the ground, crushing the light beneath his boot.

"Ben." Jet said. Turning towards his master. "What's up with the girl. She's fire nation and we are still taking her with us."

"Jet, we don't have any other choice. Her father is paying us, and we will get more when we stop by Ba Sing Sai. We're looking for an earth bending master anyway and I honestly doubt Bumi is going to teach Aang. If he's alive that is…"

Ben didn't' want to admit it, cracking his neck as he spoke those words to try and show off to Jet that he was relaxed and that he was calm. Unknown to Jet, Ben was stressing. The whole reason they came to his place was because Aang was going to have a quick access to an earth bending teacher. Now, it was over…

His mind went back to how all the earth benders were picked up and transported away. Aang needed a real Earth Bending master and he needed it soon. They couldn't afford to waste time here.

"Jet, this girl. Deal with her…she's not a fire nation soldier or one of the Sith that hound us. Don't get me wrong I hate the fire nation too, but never use your hatred towards the fire nation and aim it at a civilian."

Ben turned towards his apprentice. Towering and stronger as Jet and him both stared at the other. Jet bit into his lip, his fingers clenched as he watched his master. "Jet, you have a right to be angry. But don't use that anger as a weapon. Come to terms with what the fire nation has done to you…and move on with your life!"

Jet stuttered, his memories going back to that burning village. His hand going to his head as he slinked his back on the wall. "I don't know if I can…I got all this anger, Ben. I thought it would be gone when I became a Jedi, but it's still there." He squirmed as he wrapped his arms around himself. "I know, I know it's wrong to be angry at Ty Lee but just seeing her fills me with such rage…"

"Jet, let go of your anger before it consumes you. There are good people, I promise you in the fire nation that are just like Ty lee. Don't let your anger or your hate blind you to that…your still young and your mind is still healthy, don't be like me and hold all this hate."

"What do you mean…Ben?"

The wind rode along his face, his hair flaying in the wind as he took a deep breath. "Jet, I am not a good person. I've fallen to the dark side before; I've hurt a lot of people. Innocent, enemy, civilian. I've fallen from grace and became a Sith Marauder."

"What…"

Jet felt his throat lurch, his heart in his throat as he felt himself grow dizzy. He kenw that Ben had been through shit before, but to be a Sith…to have fallen to the dark side!

"I gave it up, when a Jedi came, and they saved me. Showed me what I was doing, and I couldn't do it anymore." Ben took a deep breath, resting his hand on his chest. "I am not telling you this so you can feel bad for me. I am giving you a warning, the dark side for you does not give you strength, it isn't stronger and will only consume you if you don't let this anger go, don't do it for the force or for your friends. Do it for you, so you can find peace…"

With those words, with Ben's hands on his apprentice's shoulder. He could feel it recoil through the force, jet letting out a gust of hot air. The anger was still there, but it felt more…timid and smaller than before. With time, Jet would handle his anger and learn to forgive himself. He was a good man, and an even finer Jedi.

Ben letting the wisdom leave his mouth…even though he tuned out that advice and could apply it to himself, the hypocrisy and delusion still reeling deep within him.

With those parting words. Ben patted his apprentice. The demons inside of Ben would warp and contort him, he would live with that misery and the memories of his past forever. The sins will always hound him, and he would never be free of them.

Yet, Jet and the rest of his friends didn't hold such things. They were pure and innocent, and he would make sure that they wouldn't be forced to go through the hell he had to pave a way through. Even if he had to embrace the dark side of the force, even if he died at the end of this journey. To protect his friends, he would do anything…

As both boys began walking. Unknown to Ben, he failed to understand the scope of the force. Always listening to power, but never to sense. Ignoring the lesson Aunt Wu taught him before. That the dark side didn't power itself on just evil acts.

Acts of nobility, charity, compassion…such things could become warped by the dark side of the force. Unknown to team avatar…unknown to even Ben himself, the young man had already begun to be warped by this ambition to delve into the darkness for power to save this world and his friends. His mind was set, but he was far deluded.

Split

Ben and Jet cracked open the door. Bathing in the fresh light of a stocked fireplace. Only for their eyes to widen at a lone figure. Wearing a heavy grey cloak that covered him head to toe.

"Relax, it's one of the earthbender guardsman. A revolutionary member." Sokka's voice rung. Stopping the two Jedi's from grabbing their blades to deal with the unknown threat. They walked over to the center of the room. The earth bending guardsman giving them a quick summary of what had happened.

After the Sith failed in capturing the avatar and Darth Ruin casted Ben off that ledge, they believed that they had killed the last of the Jedi. Leaving Omashu to gain further plans, the fire nation quickly invaded.

The already weak city was taken in less than a day. Yet, the call for revolution still rung true as the revolutionaries already had a plan set up.

"So, hit an armored transport and save Bumi…" Ben spoke up. His eyes dangling along the cinders of the campfire as the revolutionary merely nodded his head with the statement.

"We know the exact time and place…" The revolutionary unbundled a faint map as he pointed through the trail. Team avatar following the man's finger as he traced along the lines. "He shall be ushered on horseback around mid-morning. That is when we'll strike, luckily the Jedi will be here to aid us."

"I suppose you want us to use our lightsabers to hack through the metal plating." Jet assumed, the revolutionary nodding his head.

Ben glossed over to Aang. The young avatar not saying anything for a long time, something that was very unlike the young boy. "Aang, you got anything you want to add here?"

Aang's head shot straight up, uncertainty that was once there was thrown away. Slowly shaking his head as he nodded. "I'm ready, to save this world I need a proper earth bending teacher…we also need to repay Bumi for that quick save."

Ben smirked as he quickly patted his friend on the shoulder. The revolutionary rising from his seat as he turned away from the lot. Leaving them behind with a quick farewell as he slowly shut the door behind them.

"So, what do we do now?" Sokka spoke up.

Katara lightly bumping her brother with the side of her elbow. "Sleep, it's been a long day and we're rescuing Bumi tomorrow." Her eyes danced closely to Ben. "I mean it, all of you."

Ben knew that today was not a good time to dabble within one of his holocrons. Especially knowing full well that soon Katara and him were going to eventually continue their conversation on what she had saw. So, he picked himself up…

Closing the door behind him as he planned to run over some drills. Dabbling with the force while following through with the training that Exar Kun taught him, the niman form.

He was a watchman of the Jedi Order…and whether he liked it or not he was the unofficial Jedi Grandmaster of the Order. Due to there not being any living members of the Jedi Order, he was the de facto grandmaster.

Meaning, that he would have to learn all he could from both light, dark, and lightsaber skills. Sure, he figured that he couldn't use said abilities, but he could sure as shit teach them. So, for a good couple of hours, as the dulling of his head and the pains of sleep began to ride along his sweat soaked frame as his muscles tightened.

As that dark blue blade felt heavy as it's rhythmic and brilliant hum splintered into his ears. He knew that his workout was done. Gazing into the brilliant sky, seeing the faint dark clouds that rode through the night as they blocked out the fresh allure of the pale moon.

Faint droplets tickled along his bare chest, his eyes slowly narrowing as he felt his muscles revitalized under the pure droplets of rain. His heartbeat starting to regain a sense of slowness as he let out a chilled-out breath.

His hair matted out from the waves of prickling rain he began to make his way towards the…his eyes widened at the sight. "Ty Lee…" He slowly murmured the girl's name.

Her cloak clinging to her petite frame as it was enveloped by water. Her eyes half closed as her hair was unbraided. Uncontrolled straight hair fell past her neck and down the base of her back. He approached her, his boots pounding along the puddles as he lightly gazed around her.

He reached out with the force…his eyes widened as he felt it. Fear, terror, confusion…coming at her in brilliant waves as she struggled to understand it. That was when he began to understand, she truly was force sensitive.

A powerful one in fact…his hand coiled along the base of her shoulder. Her eyes hazily going towards him. "Ty Lee, what's going on…how are you feeling?"

"It's fine…I'm fine, you'll just think I am some freak or something if I explain it to you."

Ben quickly shook his head, his eyes fixated on her as he quickly dismissed her claims. "No, absolutely not. I would never do that."

Ty Lee stared at him for a second, her eyes drawing on him wondering if she could trust him. Still, she took a heavy breath. Her back resting along the pillar as she began to part her lips. "I don't know how to explain it, I can feel auras in people, and sometimes it's tame. Sometimes I can just relax and deal with it…" Her throat hitched, her hand going to her face as she struggled to pull out the words. "But here, Ben. I can feel their anger…there sadness…there fear."

She ran her fingers deep into her shoulders. Her eyes closing as she slowly parted her lips. "I'm a freak, what sort of person can feel the emotions out of others!"

"Ty Lee, relax…"

The command stirred her, his voice a mixture of calmness and authority as she had the strength to part open her eyes. "Listen, I think there is a way for you to control the number of emotions or feelings you are taking in…just close your eyes and try to focus."

She followed his command, emptying her mind as Ben began to close his own. His fingers on her shoulders as he tried to draw back on his teachings, remarking on what Ulic did to him back then. That spark, that flame of awakening force energy inside of someone…but he was doing something different, instead of reawakening he was trying to bring Ty Lee into a state of calmness.

His skills were mundane in this art of mind trickery, but it was working. Both of their eyes began to slowly unclamp. Her head lightly leaning along the base of his chest. "It's quiet, really quiet, for the first time since I came here…"

Ben's chin rested along the base of her brown hair. His eyes on the beam as he began to feel the weight of the force around the girl, then he began to understand why the girl's father didn't want to employ the help of the Sith.

'That old fool, should've told me that his daughter was a powerful force sensitive.' He thought to himself. Still, he discounted the words the father spoke of, alluding to the fact that his family held ties to the Sith and the Dark Side. "What did you do?"

"Nothing much, I just helped you with the force find a state of calmness. When young force sensitives that are naturally powerful with the force are exposed to high stimuli, there heads don't know what to do with it…there are techniques and mediations that can be learned to deal with this."

She smiled, her hands coiling deeper along Ben as she held onto him. "Thank you, Benjamin." She slowly parted her words. "You want to know something strange, Ben?"

Her eyes slowly traced along his face, her dark grey eyes catching the gleam of his golden ones. "I feel so warm right now." The words tracing along Ben's head, his cheeks reddening as she slowly chuckled at her own words. "I realized how super calming it is when you hold me tight like this…"

So, he did that. Resting along the other as Ty Lee slowly fell into sleep, her body on his chest as her faint breathing tickled the base of his neck. Ben's own eyes starting to slowly shut, his body far too tired from training and too many sleepless nights.

Yet, as he looked down at this girl, he felt something strange. It was almost…all the fear he held in his heart was gone, and for the shortest of times he could forget about the man he once was. So, he gave into himself.

His eyes slowly shutting. His own breath hollowing and matching the other, as two broken people held the other as the rain pattered along the ground outside.

Split

"Why is your face so red?" Katara spoke up. Ben, obviously flustered as he snapped his neck towards the water tribe girl.

They sat perched along an apartment complex. A large three-story building that loomed like a shadow over the road. The morning sun has already risen, and the people of this city had begun to day's work. Fire nation patrols filtered through the crowd, easily able to tell from the contrast of their deep red armor.

The morning sun glistened along there faces as his head lurched forward. His eyes snapping to his side. Katara instantly sitting up as she saw the change of his expression. "What's wrong?" She slowly murmured.

Ben's blade already drawn in hand, his thumb hovering over the ignition as he pulled his head to the right. The brilliant ocean to his side as he saw the strange fire nation war ships that were docked to the side.

"Strange, I feel a disturbance within the force…"

His eyes snapped open, dark jedi. His head tracing all around the other rooftops as he sweat began to bear down his face. Jet, Sokka, Aang…Ty Lee. His heart hammering along his chest as her face brightened up in view, the echo of what her body felt like against his own.

They knew something was up, they had to. Not a singular second later the armored transport barreled down the road. The gleam of the metal cell catching Ben's golden eyes as he thrown himself off the road. Landing in the center as he stared at the approaching cart.

A powerful blast of force energy funneled from his right hand. The cart and the horse buckling. The horse's bones shattering into mush as the fire nation soldier was flown forward, the man colliding into mush as the crowd screamed, instantly pushing themselves away from the ensuing battle that was going to approach.

Ben ignited his weapon. The beam of plasma following his movements as he made his way to the back of the carriage. Yet right before he could plunge his weapon into…

Two crimson blades sliced cleanly through the opening with such power that the door was hacked away in seconds. Ben taken aback, his force precognition spinning as he whirled his blade upwards, blocking the opposing Dark Jedi as he lurched backwards, somersaulting on top of the prison crate as the two dark jedi peered into his own.

"Oh, so the false Jedi Watchman still survives!"

Ben didn't let him speak anymore. Cocking the blade with both hands as he thrown himself into the shien form. Throwing himself with a force augmented leap into the fray as the two dark jedis fell into a flurry of attacks.

They were on even ground now, the dark jedi dazed from the first attack as he threw a side kick to Ben. The boy pivoting his feet as he barreled with force energy, welling it inside of his palm as he launched the false Sith backwards.

The young man colliding into a messy roll. His pale ghostly pale skin sickened as he clutched onto his red blade. Throwing himself back up they were back in the stream of battle. The flurry of quick attacks following as Ben thrown himself outwards, this was a good time to practice his new lightsaber form.

Changing stances as the dark jedi huffed. His dark eyes peering into his own as the sweat droplets leaked from his skin. "Come on then, false Jedi." Ben gibed, funneling his own quick attacks, blending the moderation form into his own stream of fighting style.

The dark jedi was back on the defense, his red lightsaber sparking and clanging as Ben would merely attack him. The Dark jedi was practically a fish, and Ben was the cat playing with his food. Both men moving back and forth as they followed the hum of Ben's tune.

Pivoting as he thrown himself overhead, landing behind the dark jedi as he force pushed him away. The pitiful dark jedi slamming into the dirt as his lightsaber fell from his hands. Shutting down the moment it touched the ground, clattering away.

Infuriated and seeing red the dark jedi lashed with the force. Drawing his blade into his hands as he barreled into a powerful run, funneling with force augmentation as he stabbed towards Ben, trying to impale the lone Jedi Watchman.

Yet, he was far too slow. Ben pivoting his feet as he followed through with a parry, both blades dancing with an array of sparks that decorated the others face. Never letting him get balance his knee flew forward, the false Jedi dropping his weapon once again as he clattered, spit flying from his mouth as his hands collided to the floor, trying to keep himself alert as he failed…

Katara had watched it all. Widened eyes as she was frozen in place, he was acting like an animal. Ben murdered that soldier, and now he was practically toying with the false jedi for no apparent reason. His eyes following along the dark jedi's face, his left-hand unclenching as it looped along the young dark jedi's neck, ripping him from the ground as Ben began to apply pressure.

"Darth Ruin, where is he?"

Right before he could speak the answer, Ben began to apply pressure. His cybernetic squealing in alarm as the man's air began to silence. Yet, he was still able to produce a faint sound. "I don't know…"

Ben huffed, his eyes locking at the dark jedi. His heart hammering along his chest as he gave in. A powerful snap echoed through the street as the dark jedi's body collapsed to the floor. Ben stepped over his body, leaving it behind like it was some sort of trash on the road, not like it was once a human being.

Katara's hands clamped along her lips. Her eyes widened as she witnessed the brutality she had only heard of through rumors. She never truly believed what Jet and Haru spoke of, how they were able to cleave through the fire nation. Yet, it was proof.

He didn't even blink, he didn't even care. Still, as he made his way towards the opening in which he hoped to find not only the king but an earth bending master he…

"He's not here…"

He slowly spoke the words, the disbelief starting to kick in as he began to gloss around. Had the old man snuck out while he was dealing with that dark jedi? No, Ben quickly shook the thought out of his head, how could he have missed such a detail.

That was when he felt it…his ears ringing beforehand as a mighty explosion enveloped one of the streets to his left. His eyes funneling as he felt it hit him like an echo, a scream, his friend screaming in pain as Katara ran towards him. "Sokka…he's…"

Ben grabbed Katara's hand, wrenching her alongside him as they bolted down the street. Something was going on; something wasn't right and this plan had went astray. He felt it through the force, he knew that something had gone terribly wrong…