Chapter 26 Disclaimers: God and the Angels come from the Bible. Bacchus is one of the Greek Gods from Greek Mythology. Perseus comes from Greek Mythology. The Whills come from George Lucas and Disney's "Star Wars." The five pillars with their elements comes from Disney's "Frozen 2." Helen, Jock, Janus, and Ellvara Suns are my original characters.

Chapter 26 Inspiration: Druid Dance scene from Season One of "Outlander." The opening arena scene from "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" live-action film adaptation.

Warning! This chapter is Rated M for sensuality and dark, intense themes.

Sorry for the over-seventh month delay. Fear took over just as I was beginning to write this chapter, but also that I ended up with huge writer's block, and spent time reposting fanfics over on Archive Of Our Own and this site. There was a lot going on in-between writing and posting this chapter!

Fortunately, this chapter finally got written. :) So, I'm happy about that. :)

This chapter feels between Dark Side and faeries. So, it'll be interesting what shows up here. :)

That said, enjoy. :)

Janus approached the gigantic cave with a hollow, deep opening. The cave was made from brownstone and looked like a gigantic cut into the cliff. Already, the Dark Side swarmed all around her. She couldn't believe how soothing it felt to her to be here. She welcomed the Dark Side, embraced it, and felt more relief than she did with the Light Side and the Grey Side of the Force.

She sighed, relieved to have found her place there. Surely, the Dark Side Cave wouldn't be too much of a problem.

She turned her head to Jock, Helen, Ellvara, and Perseus. Janus already didn't feel comfortable near them, not after their behavior towards her. Perseus she could trust. That's right! But Ellvara, Jock, and Helen… she wasn't sure if she wanted to accompany them.

She closed her eyes, stopping upon feeling paws rubbing against her shoulders. It was Jock! Of course, it was!

"You feel the Dark Side here? How does it feel?" Jock asked, already asking a question Janus already knew.

Janus sighed, breathing deeply with satisfaction. "Good. Really good. Didn't you know that?"

Jock stared at her, stunned. He hadn't thought of this before.

Janus looked at him now in wonder, telling him, "I know the LORD told me to become a Jedi, but this feeling that I've been having for months now… I can't help but wonder if he wants me to join the Dark Side. It's just that simple."

"Hm hm," Helen chuckled behind her teeth, leaving Janus gulping. What did she want?

"Helen?" Janus asked the purple dragonoid, unafraid of her now. "I'm going in there. This is right! I'm meant for the Dark Side."

"You say that now," Helen said, shaking her head. "Well, whatever is in there, you're going to have to face it alone. I cannot help you. Ellvara cannot help you. Even Jock and Perseus can't help you. This is your test. All Jedi must pass through caves like these, on their way to becoming Jedi. Let's see how you fare."

Jock sighed. He didn't like this, but still… even Helen was right about this.

Jock closed his eyes. He faced Janus again with slight intrigue. "She's right, you know. You have to face this alone. It's part of your training. I cannot go in there with you. Find those three Ravens' feathers. Bring them back to me, to us, to all of us. We need you."

"You're not coming?" Janus asked, confused.

Jock shook his head. "The student must learn. Therefore, I cannot accompany you." He sighed, kissing her on the temple, before releasing her to the cave. "Good luck. We'll speak again very, very soon."

Janus regained her footing, almost tripping the moment Jock released her. She sighed. She really had to do this alone? She sighed, returning her attention to the cave. "Okay. Here I go." She approached the cave, entering its black abyss in no time.

~o~

Janus walked a good couple of feet through the cave's entrance. A crackling sound protruded from the walls. Janus turned around, right as a massive amount of boulders clogged up the entryway.

Oh great! She was on her own.

Janus returned her gaze towards the tunnel. A passing red glow reached her vision. At first, Janus didn't know what to make of this glow. Then the glow grew wider and larger until it revealed one of the first fae folk to wander throughout the First World.

It was a fairy and she was beautiful. Her short, cropped silver hair shone from her head down to her shoulders. Her silver dress illuminated the area, while her skin glowed brightly in the darkness of the cave.

"Come on!" the fairy piped up in a high-pitched squeal. She flittered her way through the cavernous entrance, calling out to Janus to chase after her. "This way! Hurry! Hmhm! I know the way around here!"

"Wait! Do you?!" Janus chuckled, dancing merrily down the cavernous entrance, before realizing what she was doing was silly. She quickly stopped dancing, unsure what had befallen her to dance inside a dark, winding cave.

She came out of the tunnel and into a wide space with grey stone walls and a grey stone floor. The ceiling was covered up with rocks, with a light piercing through the ceiling's broken opening, revealing the spacious display set before her very eyes.

The fairy had all but vanished within the cave. Even Janus didn't know where she flitted off to now.

The second Janus stepped onto a circular brownstone platform, she was welcomed by a strange green fog. The fog lifted off from the brownstone floor, dazzling her as it circled around her. All around Janus, she was witnessing an event like no other! Various women in long gowns parading around her.

Janus didn't know what was happening to her.

Was this how the Dark Side was meant to be?

Janus soon turned to the fog, wanting to dive into it. She nearly touched it with her paw. Her paw was soon caught by the LORD, who stopped her from entering the fog.

"You enter this fog, you won't resurface!" the LORD proclaimed to her. "Trust me on this one."

Janus looked at him now in confusion. Oh, she wanted to dive into the fog now. Just to get a glimpse of what was going on in there.

"What is this place? The Whills said this is a Dark Side Cave," Janus stated in wonder, cautious now if this was truly the right path for her.

God leaned towards her black furry ear, saying to her in a mere whisper, "You've got this. Look within the fog. Find the three Ravens' feathers. You will know what they look like."

"How?" Janus asked, right as God vanished, releasing her paw in an instant.

Janus faced the fog and its brownstone pillars, lifting up through the fog. The pillars... they were the five elements. Their symbols proved this as much.

Earth.

Fire.

Water.

Air.

And a final symbol... it was the symbol that united all four of them.

Janus understood now. This was no ordinary test.

"You mean the Dark Side plays with the elements?" Janus asked, contemplating what she was doing here.

The pillars soon disappeared, as did the fog and the women dancing through the fog. The fog returned, rushing back as it protruded an open aisle, and a maze that befell Janus.

Janus stared, wondering what to do now.

"You must go! Go now, Janus!" Janus listened to the jolly voice that spoke, belonging to the god Bacchus. He was determined she won, while he drank a whole bottle of red wine without delay.

Janus huffed, hearing Bacchus laugh at her.

Janus couldn't wait.

She breathed.

In and out. In and out. In and out.

She could do this. Yes, she could.

She stepped off the platform for a second, watching the area change in a flash. The walls started moving towards her. She ran towards the maze, about to reach the next platform, when a massive mace smacked her across the chest.

She flew several yards away from where she landed. She huffed, not knowing what to do.

She had to do something... and then, it hit her!

She pressed her spotted paw against her chest.

Breathe. Remember to breathe, Janus, she told herself, taking deep breaths.

She closed her eyes, imagining a green flash press against her chest. To feel her heartbeat as it found healing from her paw.

To her surprise, and delight, the green flash came, pouring over her chest and healing it. She felt some of the Force breach her heart. She felt a little drained, but the wound healed up nicely.

She paused, taking a few deep breaths, opening her eyes and observing her chest.

No way! Her chest was new again, the wounds healed.

She breathed a sigh of relief, wondering if she was truly a Jedi.

She looked up, hearing clapping sounds coming from a darker, shadowed version of Jock.

"Well done, Janus," Shadow Jock told her, impressed, "So God is right: you are a Jedi. You just needed to prove it to yourself that you are a Jedi."

Janus stared at the floor in confusion. No! She felt sure she was a Sith! So, why then did she heal herself?

Shadow Jock laughed loudly. He admitted to her, "Haven't you figured it out yet? Your heart is simply too pure to be a Sith! You don't have the Dark Side in you. What have you to prove now?"

Janus snarled, wanting to fight him. But somehow, her heart wouldn't do it. She closed her eyes, giving into the inevitable. She felt her heart become brave.

A red glow waved over her. Then nothing.

She opened her eyes. Shadow Jock was gone, but in his place, and right in front of Janus, were three Ravens' Feathers.

Janus sighed in relief. She picked up the three Ravens' feathers, watching her landscape change, showing her a vision of Heaven.

She saw herself then and there, young and vibrant. An angel wearing a spotted dress and brandishing vibrant, feathered, angelic wings. She sighed, admiring her angelic appearance.

Her gaze turned sour. Something wasn't right. Her angelic self snarled at her in wicked delight.

Her angelic wings turned from translucent to dark and shadowed. Her spotted dress became torn and tattered.

Janus closed her eyes, tears ready to shed.

Tears? Did she cry? She was an animal. She thought animals had their own way of crying!

The vision collapsed. The cave's room resurfaced.

She sighed, nearly collapsing on the brownstone floor, the three Ravens' feathers staying in her paw. She breathed, wanting more than anything to leave the Dark Side Cave alone.

She glanced up, facing the entrance tunnel, the one leading out of the Dark Side Cave.

Her path was set. She knew the way out.

Voices called out to her, pushing her to stand up.

She did, finding herself walking back to the cave's entrance tunnel.

~o~

Janus set her feet past the threshold of the cave. She went back outside, trembling as she approached Jock with the three Ravens' feathers.

Jock took the feathers, storing them with the other angelic feathers they already collected. As soon as he put the feathers away, Janus embraced him, holding him tightly, and not letting him go. Jock smirked, loving her hugs.

Jock shushed her, trying to calm her down. "It's all right. See? God is right. You are a Jedi."

"I still feel like I should be a Sith," Janus stated, emotional now. "I just can't..."

"...why can't you accept who you really are?" Helen stated, appalled at Janus. "God knows who you are! We do, too! So, why can't you figure it out? Your soul wouldn't be guiding you down this road, if you would just listen..."

Janus stared at her, hotly, still clinging to Jock in wonder. She told Helen, flat out, "...I know which path I belong. There's no doubt in my mind. Can't you see that now? Yes, I healed myself, but I can't..."

"...Janus," Helen said, stopping Janus from arguing, "walk with me. Now." She pressed on, leading Janus away from their companions.

How was that?

It seems Helen is going to give Janus a lesson, a lecture, or both. So, it'll be interesting seeing their banter again in the next chapter. :)

That said, thanks for reading. More chapters to come. :)

~Aria Breuer