Author Note: Thanks everyone for reading this story. Please remember to follow, favorite, and REVIEW. It greatly helps with my motivation and frequency of updating new chapters. Have a wonderful and awesome day!

Chapter 63

The deep green fire of the Royal Palaces fire brightened the room. The odd smell of century old books, manuscripts, and scrolls filled the room as the Earth King passed the notes to each member of Team Avatar.

"My parents are alive…"

Toph shook slowly. Hearing the words that came from Katara's lips as Sokka helped her into a chair. The rest of the group watching her.

"How," She murmured to herself. "I thought that…"

"We didn't know. Lord Ruin and that battalion came and I guess we all just assumed," Sokka spoke. But his hand went to her shoulder as she raised her gaze to where he would be. "Isn't this good new though?"

Toph slowly nodded her head as the rest of the crew whirled with the new information. "Dad's alive as well, the note said that he was with a Water Tribe fleet."

"A fleet of WaterTribe ships…" Sokka slowly murmured.

The old memory streaming along his minds eye. Of a young boy, a young warrior hoping to follow his father and his fleet in battle. Only to be told that he was far too young, and he had an even greater responsibility.

"You can see him again." Katara said.

Sokka instinctively smiling, but it just as quickly fading away. "Me," He shook his head. "No, Katara. That's just…"

"I know, Sokka, but you've been waiting to see dad for so long. I'll be able to take care of everything," She tossed a glance at the sitting Earth King and the general by his side. "Someone must stay behind to tell the Earth King of what is going to come. The Commit is coming, and we need everything to beat the combined forces of both Sith and Fire Nation."

Sokka hesitated, his lips parting to speak another couple of words but just as quickly shutting. Taking a deep breath as he glossed back towards his sister. But instead of speaking, he wrapped her in a big hug.

Aang took the final note from the box and parted it open. His eyes going along the strange text as he began to speak. "It's from a guru or a monk. He wants to meet me…and Ben."

They gave a quick glance towards Aang as he smiled in response. "Another monk." He murmured, but his gaze traveled towards where Ben was.

He sat slouched on the stairs that lead down to the library. His eyes narrowed as his arms were on his knees. His eyes were nearly closed, and at first glance they thought that he was sleeping.

"Ben," Ty Lee called his name. Causing him to slowly stir as he turned to face the girl. "There is a note for you and Aang. Did you hear what he said?"

Ben slowly rose without uttering a word. His movements lagging as he began to walk towards Aang. Taking the parchment from his fingers as his golden eyes locked along the text. He took a deep breath.

"Alright, but who's going to deal with the defenses. Arya, Rowan, and who knows what else was able to get into Lake Laogai. Should we all really be leaving when…"

"Master Jedi, I know that Long Fang was able to infiltrate and manipulate me, but you can be rest assured that will never happen again."

The Earth King had interrupted him. A steel glare etching and aimed at Ben as the boy just shrugged his shoulders. "We bombed, blocked, and barricaded every entrance way possible. There is no way for them to get in, only out the way they came. I have not only the Dai Lee, but Earth Kingdom commandoes that are seeking out these Sith."

Ben only sighed. "Fine." He murmured. Walking back and up the stairs as the faint sound of the door closed behind him.

Odd glances traveled throughout the team. "Ty Lee, can you…"

"It's okay," She spoke. "I already know."

She followed Ben as her footsteps clapped along the wooden stairs. Her eyes locking to his back as she was greeted by the cold draft of air and the star filled sky of the night.

"Ben, don't walk away from me," She said.

Her fingers went along his false arm. His body stopping in it's near unconscious state as he didn't turn to face her. Her other hand locked along his false arm. Bringing him around as her head went to his chest.

"I know, it hurts, but you don't have to suffer alone."

Ben didn't move. He didn't speak. She could only hear the rise and fall of his breathing and the beating of his heart. But then something happened, his touch.

His right hand, the one not covered with the glove pushed away a lock of hair as he brought her chin up. His lips going towards her own as the action caused her to sway slightly, but then giving herself fully into the kiss.

Ben released from her as he stared down at her. "I think I love you, Ty Lee."

The words caused a bright blush to spread along her cheeks as her fingers went towards her lips. "Do you still wish to speak, or do you want to…"

She nodded her head. But Ben only sighed.

There was no strength in hiding his emotions anymore. He had learned the lessons from his past and he promised to honor them, no matter how hard they were.

Because he refused to speak to Katara about his fears and grievances with the lost of his arm. Exar Kun, the Holocron was able to use his newfound grief and self-loathing as a weapon to turn him further into the dark side. His lust for revenge, his arrogance, his pride had brought him to darker paths…and one of the main reasons for this, was because he refused to speak to those that loved and cherished him.

"I don't feel anything anymore, Ty Lee," He spoke. Taking a deep breath as he looked into the dark grey of her eyes as she peered at him. "Jet, he's dead and I just don't feel anything about him anymore…I loved him, but he's gone and there is just an emptiness and…"

Her arms wrapped firmly along his waist as he followed along her own. "Your grieving Ben. It shows that you have a soul."

"Exar Kun, he told me before that when I did the process to create this limb of machinery and false nerve, that I would lose parts of myself."

He bit his lips. His fist began to shake as he slowly whirled his head towards her. "What am I, Ty Lee?" He asked. "I failed him, Ty Lee. My apprentice, my best friend…my brother. He died within my hands, I felt him die within he forces and now I just can't…"

She cupped both of his cheeks. "Your Benjamin Wilum, the Grandmaster of The New Jedi Order. A powerful and great user of the force that is going to change the world for a better," She slowly stopped speaking. The blush only darkening in red. "You're the man I love."

They held hands for a second. There eyes locking along the other as Ben stared at her, his heart hammering along his chest as they locked along the other. His sense betraying any sort of reasoning he had, the only reasoning he felt…was the love he held for this girl, and the will of the force.

"Ty Lee," He spoke her name.

The girl's eyes rising to mee this own as the cloak and lightsaber he had gifted her swayed within the breeze. Her face a deep crimson as she locked along his own gaze.

"Marry me…"

It felt good to ride along Appa once again. The wind cutting through there faces as there eyes clung to the expanse. Ben and Aang, after recently dropping off Sokka were now venturing to the ruins of the Air Temple.

Aang hoped that this monk or guru would give them something…not a physical thing, but clarity. He glossed over to Ben.

His golden eyes alert as his arms were draped over the sides of Appa's saddle. His golden eyes locking to the sides as he gazed at all directions that surrounded him. "They had been flying for a very long time. Deep within Earth Kingdom territory, possibly a weeklong trip due to Appa, but it was worth it for what they could gain.

Aang knew deep down, that Ben was hurting. No matter how much he tried to hide it, there was this darkness within him, the loss of a friend had left a hollow place within his heat.

But still, Aang was not as worried before. Ben had changed. They had all seen it…the Ben after the loss of his arm and being healed from the brink of death was different than the man, he looked at now.

The Ben back then, he didn't even want to imagine what he would've became if that Ben was still around. He would've lost him and been rendered more of a beast than rather a man. But this Ben was different…

Aang could tell deep down that he was not angry, but the loss had impacted him. There was an air of melancholy, the tiredness within his movements, but Aang knew that this was grief impacting him.

"Maybe, just maybe…he'll help you with that." Aang murmured underneath his breath.

Appa giving off a small roar as they began to move in a downwards arch from the clouds. That was what caused Ben's eyes to snap wide open, recognizing the place or rather getting hit with a horrific pain of reminiscing.

"Aang,"

Aang turned towards him. "What's going on, Ben?"

Ben rose, stretching out his limbs as his hair and lightsaber violently swayed along the harsh wind current. His false arm rising as he pointed at the valley below. "Was this the place in which we escorted those two tribes?"

Aang's eyes widened. "Yeah, it is, but why are you…"

"Put us down near the entrance of that cave."

Aang's eyes widened as he heeded Ben's command. Even though, deep down he knew that it was foolish. What was the point of this? They'd been out here for days just flying to the ruins of this temple for clarity…they didn't have the time to waste.

Maybe, that was even more of a reason for Aang to be shocked when Ben leaped from the bison. His boots kicking up a small cloud of dust and sand as his golden eyes took in the surrounding. The sun was not up, and still pitching this place in darkness. But he was slowly getting used to it, and the lights from the moon and the stars helped illuminate the way.

Ben, even from this far from the entrance could still see the remains of what had happened. The torn and left behind pieces of weaponry, the leather and padded armor stripped away, and even the skeletons that were not covered or eroded from the passage of time within the canyon.

"Ben, what are you doing?"

Ben didn't answer at first. His eyes locking ahead as he stared at that deep dark entrance of the cavern. The hum of the dark side was still in there, the malevolence eking out a sinister ebb that tried to draw him in. But Ben did not feel afraid or coerced into going there, rather he felt disgusted. He was mature, and such simple trickery of power would not consume him. Never again.

"Did I ever tell you or the rest of the gang where I got that Holocron?" Ben asked as he turned to face Aang.

Aang shook his head. "I found it in there," He pointed at the cave. "It was within this secret hall. I believe that there is a good chance, that the spirit of Exar Kun still lives within there. He uses his dark side powers to keep himself alive…and he corrupts everything within the cavern."

Aang's eyes widened. "That's why the creatures were so violent this whole time!" He proclaimed. His eyes going towards the entrance himself as he stared at it. "It needs to be destroyed. You've told me about Dark Side Nexuses, we can't let it…"

"Aang, you can't help me with this."

The suddenness of his words caused Aang to stutter. "What…" He aimlessly muttered. Only to shake his head. "What are you talking about. There are a ton of Dark Side Creatures, and what about that mutated monster?"

Ben only nodded. "I'll deal with them."

"No, Ben," Aang shot off from the bison. Rushing to his side as he looked upon his friend. "This is crazy, Ben. Come on you got to admit that this is just…this is insane!"

Aang's teeth gritted from the lack of words that flowed from Ben's lips. "So, you're telling me that you intend to go into that cave. Kill all those Dark Side creatures and confront a century old Sith Lord with who knows what he's got in his sleeves."

Ben only nodded again causing Aang to facepalm. "I need to do this, Aang."

"Alone," Aang spat. "You're starting this again. This whole macho, I can do this all by myself!" Aang gritted his teeth. "Grow up!"

But Ben only shook his head, Aang even shocked by the fact by Ben's movements or rather the aura he had generated. He had truly changed.

There was no display or will to fight. There was no anger, no hate, no wraith that once followed within his movements. But Aang could still see it, the motivation to do what must be done. 'Without hate, without anger.'

"I was the one that took Exar's teachings, I was the one that became his creature." Ben spoke.

Aang staring at him as Ben continued. "I know that it sounds foolish, but there is something strange right now with me. It's not the grief making me think things, but this was a trial of mine."

"A trial?" Aang repeated.

"A trial," Ben reaffirmed. "A trial I had failed…"

He took a deep breath. "Exar Kun lured me into this cave. I was too weak back then, and my will was tainted by the dark side. But I still knew what I was doing was wrong, no matter how I rationalized it, I still took the Sith Lord's teachings to use against my enemies…it was my fault Aang, that Exar was able to spread his teachings."

Aang shook his head, but he saw the steel glare of Ben's own eyes. "Exar Kun will forever keep doing this. You know that?"

Aang's head dipped but Ben continued. "There will be another force sensitive, another young man or woman that will be hurt and broken like myself. They'll be tempted by Exar's honey laced words of power. And they'll be made into his creature…just like how he did to me."

He thought back to the time in which Jet had spoke to him. The time in which they all had warned him of Exar's teachings and how he had changed. Within his arrogance he had dismissed them all, but now it made him feel disgusted.

Those were the people that loved and cherished him. What was he doing looking for power…when he could've relied on their own strength?

Never again.

"I failed my trial, Aang," Ben spoke. "But I intend to rectify my mistakes. Go and meet the Guru, this is my journey."

Aang stuttered, his eyes hovering towards Ben as the young Jedi Master made his way towards the entrance. Aang could only watch on as he felt the will to act, but right before he could take the next step forward. He heard it.

"Go, Avatar. This is Ben's test…and whether he succeeds or fails, you must learn the lessons from the Monk. It is of both importance, that you shall face each trial."

He heard the familiar voice of Ben's master; he felt the strange presence that soared around him as he snapped his head in multiple directions. His breathing echoing in his ears as he locked around him.

But only to be rewarded with the dimness of night, and the strange sounds of creatures nestled within the darkness. He gave a final glance back to Ben, only to find him at the entrance. The slinking of the shadows wrapping around him like tendrils. Ushering him forward and into it's sinister and dark embrace as all Aang could do was just watch.

But…he was reminded of the master's words. This was a trial for Ben, and he would have to face this alone. So, begrudgingly, the young Avatar made his way along his bison. Taking a deep breath as he made his way forward. Continuing the journey, as all the members were faced with ever growing threats.