Chapter 21
Team Avatar soared through the sky, their exhilarated faces etched against the backdrop of rolling clouds. Finally, Benjamin, their steadfast friend and the last of the Jedi, had returned from his sojourn in the spirit world.
The Jedi had related the tale of his promotion to the exalted rank of Watchman, of his encounter with the legendary Jedi Master Ulic Qel Droma. But there were parts of his narrative he kept veiled, shrouded in the shadow of his own worry about succumbing to the insidious allure of the dark side. The weight of that revelation already hung heavy over Team Avatar before they met with Aang.
Benjamin's voice carried the weight of their destiny, "So, the vision was true." He ran a hand through his tousled hair as he turned to his companions, his eyes betraying the unspoken concern that gnawed at his thoughts. "I had this Force vision... it felt like a dream, but now I'm sure."
He vividly recalled that haunting vision, the fiery comet, and the hordes of dark side warriors being trained. Could one Jedi, one fragile guardian, truly stem their insidious tide?
"It's all right, Benji," Aang reassured him, his voice a touch wistful. "When Roku told me about the comet, I had my doubts too. But we understand now, we grasp the urgency of the situation."
Benjamin, still reeling from his time in the spirit world, was acutely aware that he needed to regain his composure. He knew that in just a year, a cataclysmic event would unfold—a fiery comet that would exponentially boost the power of the Fire Nation's benders, potentially ending the war. This, coupled with the growing numbers of dark siders, loomed as a threat of apocalyptic proportions.
In the face of this impending darkness, their resistance stood as a feeble flicker of hope—an unseasoned Avatar with limited training, and a Jedi whose faith in his abilities had faltered.
Benjamin longed to reach for his cigarettes or take a swig from his hidden stash of gin, a futile effort to escape the turmoil of the moment. But Katara remained vigilant, and the palpable weight of their destiny bore down upon him.
On days like this, when the world seemed to unravel, the craving to numb the pain gnawed at his senses. He yearned for rest, the kind that had eluded him for far too long. Yet, despite the emotional tempest that raged within, Benjamin couldn't escape the reality that beckoned.
He glanced down at his lightsaber blade and then turned his gaze to Jet, who was still recovering from his ordeal, tended to by Katara.
"Jet, I heard about your..." he began, but Jet, eyes heavy with the weight of his own shame, cut him off.
"Lost to the dark Jedi. Yeah, I know." Jet's voice was laced with bitterness as he looked down, unable to meet anyone's gaze. His recollections of the battle were a torment; the fight he had entered with an overabundance of confidence had swiftly spiraled into a duel he could barely endure. He had been at the dark Jedi's mercy, relentlessly forced onto the defensive and pushed through a stone pillar.
He couldn't help but be swept by a sense of frustration, yearning for greater strength that might have turned the tide in his favor. He was haunted by the memory of being at the dark Jedi's cruel mercy, each movement controlled by an unseen force. His life, almost extinguished.
Sokka, occupied with carving a piece of wood, reclined on the saddle. He interjected in a tone meant to console, "It's not something to feel ashamed of, Jet. Me, Aang, and Katara were thrown around by another dark Jedi too. We can handle benders, but when it comes to dark Jedi, that's mostly Ben's territory."
"Yep… Kiara," Jet muttered, the words carrying a weight he couldn't escape. His gaze drifted to the stubs of his fingers, gnarled reminders of a past he couldn't bury. The specter of his own hesitations, a chilling mist that brought only suffering and death, seemed to haunt his every move. A mistake, a miscalculation, was something he couldn't afford, not in this high-stakes game they were all playing.
"But how is that fair?" Jet's voice rang with frustration, his eyes narrowed as he wrestled with his thoughts. He wasn't alone in this maelstrom of emotions. "How long can we keep this up, just dodging the Fire Nation and the Sith? They're..."
Benjamin raised a hand, his expression silently urging Jet to hold his tongue. The abruptness of his gesture caught Sokka and Katara off guard. Both siblings turned their eyes toward Benjamin in eager anticipation.
"Aang," Benjamin spoke, the gravity of his tone cutting through the air. The young airbender swiveled his head to meet the watchman's gaze. "Where are we headed? I'm pretty sure we're in the Earth Kingdom now... we need to make for the Southern Water Tribe. That's what Ulic told us. I believe we can find you a genuine waterbending master there."
Aang nodded, but there was a distant look in his eyes, a resolve that transcended the immediate course they had charted. "I understand, Benji. I truly do. But there's something I need to check out first..."
Benjamin shook his head in reluctant disapproval. "Aang, seriously... I don't like this," he warned, pointing to the boundless sky. "We have one year, just one. To get ready, that means we have to inform the nations, gain allies, and, most importantly, teach you proper bending. Time isn't on our side. We've already frittered away weeks, goofing around."
Before he could continue his impassioned speech, Katara laid her hand on his shoulder, her grip gentle yet firm. She shook her head, a plea for patience and understanding in her eyes.
"Ben, I know we're on a tight schedule," Katara interjected, "but let Aang do this."
Benjamin heaved a weary sigh, acquiescing as he settled back into the saddle. "Speaking of which, where are we even going?" Jet inquired.
Aang turned toward the tousle-haired boy, ready to reveal their destination. He pointed ahead as the city's silhouette emerged in the distance. "My friend, Bumi... Omashu."
The city loomed large with its towering, sun-baked walls that sprouted from the earth beneath it. As they approached from the city's center, a disconcerting sight awaited them. There was more to Omashu than met the eye.
Upon disembarking from Appa, Ben and Jet grasped their heads in apparent pain. The Avatar trio, caught in the mid-stride, swiveled their attention to the sudden distress of their companions.
"Creepy," Sokka mumbled under his breath, clearly disturbed by the ominous shroud enveloping the city. A heavy fog blanketed Omashu, a veil so dense it obliterated any view past its enigmatic depths.
Undeterred, they pressed forward through the open gates. Ben and Jet, gripped by an unseen force, clutched their heads, their eyes ensnared by the looming fog.
"Guys, what's..." Aang started to say, his words trailing off as he failed to grasp the depth of the predicament that had seized his friends.
The allure of the dark side was as varied as the individuals who encountered it. To Benjamin, it was akin to a deep lake where the temptation lured you to dive deeper into the obsidian waters, to hold your breath, to be carried away by the murky currents, and to emerge on the other side or to drown.
Jet couldn't hide the grimace, the pain etched on his face as he crumbled to his knees. Benjamin moved over, dropping to a knee beside him, urgency in his voice. "Jet, I need you to focus now. I understand what you're going through... but you have to shift your attention to something else."
Through gritted teeth, Jet wrestled to absorb Ben's words. His eyes cast forward, attempting to lock onto Benjamin's intent. "I need you to envision yourself," Ben continued, "like stepping into a stream. Let the current carry you, flowing both forward and back to the surface. Draw from your emotions, your connection to Katara... to your family."
A heavy exhale marked Jet's effort, and after a few minutes, he regained a measure of composure. They could press on.
"The dark side's presence is formidable here," Benjamin cautioned. He turned to face the two, standing amidst the eerie fog that had thickened around them. They couldn't quite grasp the unsettling transformation the city had undergone, but it was evident that something had gone horribly awry.
Ben freed his lightsaber, his fingers tightening around the hilt. "This place... something's amiss."
A discordant sound, akin to a grating, emanated from beneath them. All eyes swiveled to a figure in earth-bending attire who had surfaced through a manhole he'd constructed. He gestured for them to descend. "Get in."
Benjamin's response was a swift and firm refusal. "No way. You think we'll crawl into that hole you just made..."
And that's when it hit Ben once more, that overwhelming wave of darkness, coursing through the air like a ripple across still water. He locked his gaze forward, quickly securing his lightsaber back on his belt.
The man's demand left no room for debate. Team Avatar reluctantly filed into the manhole, which he promptly sealed behind them, swallowing them into the earth's depths.
Split
The walls of the tunnel system were adorned with brilliant green gems that bathed the surroundings in an eerie, emerald radiance. As the guards ushered them through, the luminous gems cast an otherworldly glow upon their faces. Every footstep reverberated through the stony chamber, the sound of their shoes resounding like a grim, unrelenting heartbeat.
They trudged on for what felt like an eternity, the guard's motions steering them through the subterranean labyrinth. Then, with a twist and turn, they suddenly found themselves bathed in a blinding, pure white light, a disorienting flash that enveloped their senses.
Emerging from the light's embrace, they entered a vast chamber, the guard following suit and firmly sealing the door behind them. The room was unlike any they had seen, a grand throne room with a distinct emerald hue that seemed to ripple with an energy of its own. Banners of the Earth Kingdom adorned the walls, their vibrant colors contrasting with the cobbled stone floor, upon which a deep green rug was meticulously laid.
Team Avatar, a group of five individuals, huddled together in the room's center. At the far end of the opulent chamber, an imposing golden throne stood, and upon it sat an elderly man. He was draped in an elaborate green tabard, his gaze fixed upon them with the curiosity of his lazy eye.
Ben's eyes widened as he took in the surreal scene before him. Aang and Bumi, figures from a bygone era, reunited in the midst of encroaching darkness. It was as if time itself had bent to their will. But Ben knew better than to trust the deceptive cloak of joy draped over Aang's face. Beneath the surface, a storm brewed, a tempest of ancient evils and malevolent forces.
"Aang..." he whispered, the word hanging in the air like a spectral presence. The name echoed through the desolation, and Aang turned towards him, a relic of forgotten ages. Aang's cry reached out, resonating through the desolate landscape, drawing Team Avatar into the magnetic pull of reunion.
Yet, as the two embraced, a knot tightened in Ben's stomach. They were remnants of a time he could hardly fathom, and he observed from a distance, a solitary figure in the shadow of their shared history. Aang, frozen in an iceberg for a century, had emerged to find solace in newfound bonds. Ben couldn't comprehend the simplicity of Aang's joy, for he himself had lost nearly everything to the relentless march of time.
A sigh escaped Ben's lips, a weary exhalation of the weight he carried. He turned his gaze toward the aged king, his eyes carrying the burden of centuries. "Aang, I'm glad to see you," he said, the timbre of his voice layered with the echoes of ages past. But then came the unsettling words, a dissonance in the harmony of reunion.
"Are you a fool? What are you doing here?" The king's voice erupted, a thunderous admonition that echoed through the desolation. Ben's eyes shifted to the group, the disparate pieces of a puzzle now gathering under the looming specter of a foreboding king.
"All of you have to leave," the king declared, his voice carrying the weight of an ancient prophecy. "Didn't you feel the darkness that emanated in this place? You fool!"
Nods passed between Ben and Jet, silent acknowledgment of the unnatural clouds and the palpable malevolence that hung in the air like a shroud. A dark force, a sinister presence, wrapped around them in ways beyond the comprehension of mere mortals.
"Holy fuck... Sith alchemy," Ben exclaimed, the words bursting forth like a revelation. The unfamiliar syllables hung in the air, a dissonant chord in the symphony of their reality.
"Sith... Alchemy?" Sokka repeated, the words foreign and ominous on his tongue.
Ben, regaining composure, fixed his gaze on Team Avatar. "We have to leave, right now. That fog isn't natural. A Sith alchemist, a lord of the Sith, is here, meddling with the environment using the dark side of the Force."
As panic set in, Ben shook his head, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "We shouldn't have come here. It was stupid, I was stupid," he muttered to himself, a confession in the face of impending doom.
His eyes locked onto his team. "I could handle a dark Jedi or two with my full strength, but not a lord of the Sith." Memories of encounters with masters of the dark side haunted him, scars etched into the recesses of his consciousness.
"King Bumi, are there any tunnels that lead outside of the city?" Ben inquired, urgency dripping from every word.
Bumi, a relic of an ancient earth-shaping power, nodded solemnly. Rising from his seat, he manipulated the very walls to reveal a hidden passage, reminiscent of the one they traversed before. His wrinkled finger pointed downward, indicating an escape route.
"Bumi, I still don't understand what happened here," Aang questioned, his voice echoing through the corridor.
The old king turned toward the Avatar, his lips parting in a dry whisper. "Aang, you've been gone for years. The Fire Nation found records of our prior relationship. They knew you would come here eventually, so they've been waiting." He paused, leaving the weight of those words to settle in the dimly lit tunnel, a prelude to the impending storm.
"The fire nation, they left a while ago, but they left behind dozens of those dark jedi and a pair of Sith lords. You must leave…quickly!"
Aang nodded, embracing his old friend once again before they left through the opening. Sokka following forward as Ben took a step forward and into the entranceway. Only for Katara hesitating as she looked out of the window.
"Katara, we have to go…" Sokka spoke. Raising his hand as he gestured her inside.
She shook her head. "No, there has to be another way. Just like with those earthbenders that we rescued." She turned back towards Ben, reading his face. "What happens if we take Appa and we try and lead them out of the city. That can give them enough time to create defenses and repel them?"
Ben shook his head, shutting her down. "It's too risky…Katara this is completely different from what happened all that time ago. The time we rescued the earthbenders, I believed would only would involve firebenders, but with Kiara and the other dark Jedi led to an ambush. We got lucky."
Katara still hesitated. Still struggling with the right thing to do…it was easy to do nothing, but was it worth it to risk it all?
Ben's face formed into a sneer. Slamming into the steps as he pointed out of the opening and towards the window. "Katara, we aren't dealing with a dark Jedi like Kiara anymore. They've sent over a dozen of dark jedi and two lords of the Sith…a lord of the Sith is a force sensitive with enough renown and power that has exceeded the rank of a dark jedi. There powers result in the heart of darkness, there will of the force easily outclasses anything I can do right now. Especially one of them is a practice hand of the alchemical arts!"
Ben's voice was rasped and unrelenting. "If we stay here…me, you, Jet, Appa, Momo, Aang, Sokka, and possibly Bumi will die or be captured and tortured in the fire nation. All that we have done and our quest to train Aang and to save the world will all be for nothing."
Katara…she knew that Ben was right, she knew that he was speaking with truths and facts but she couldn't do it. Yet, she felt a pair of warm fingers curl along her shoulder. Jet's face, his eyes directed towards her as she let tears slip from her face. "It's okay." He spoke, leading her down and into his arms as they began to descend the staircase. Bumi earthbending the floor back into place as those green gemstones were the only thing that they could use as any sort of light to know where they were even going.
They descended down that passageway for what felt like hours…emerging into a large cavern that was partially filled with water that went up to their knees. There were little mounds of dirt and stone that jutted out from the water like little islands that seeked solace from the sluggish waters.
They instantly began pushing through the water. They could even see the next part of the entrance way. As Ben craned his neck around he could hear the roaring rapids of water as he tilted his head even further, on the farther edge he could see that the water dropped downwards, that it was the area before a waterfall.
"We're almost there…" Sokka heaved as the sluggish waters was starting to take a toll off everyone. Lifting their feet into the second to last landmass before they were home free.
"No..." The single word hung heavy in the air, a whispered plea that escaped Benjamin's lips. His hands instinctively rose to his head, fingers clutching at the roots of his hair. It couldn't be happening here, not now. They were so close to their goal, and now the looming threat had materialized before them.
Benjamin surveyed the scene near the entranceway, the place where their journey had seemed on the brink of conclusion. There they stood, a dozen figures, varied in age but united by the ominous glow of their lightsabers. The weapons differed in design—long-handled, standard, or curved hilts—and their armor choices varied. Some donned the fiery robes of the Fire Nation, while others clung to heavy or slim robes.
As the blades ignited, a collective crimson shimmer reflected malice, a direct challenge to Benjamin and Team Avatar. Memories of a previous encounter with a singular dark Jedi flashed in his mind, a reminder of the danger that lurked in the shadows.
Gazing past the ignited blades, Benjamin's attention shifted toward Aang, the boy destined to save the world after a century of imbalance. This wasn't the place for him to fall, not in this wretched hole.
Tightening his grip on his lightsaber, Benjamin felt the familiar touch of the alloy metal against his fingers. His gaze locked onto the Sith as he ignited the brilliant amethyst blade. The clash of Jedi and Sith resonated in the force, a dance between the light side and the dark.
"Benji, let's go. We can run for it!" Aang's urgency echoed through the cavern. The rest of Team Avatar moved to follow, but Benjamin held his ground. His golden-brown eyes pierced the darkness, his resolve unyielding. 'After all these years, my head filled with guilt and regret, now in this moment, teetering between life and death, between the light side and the dark side, my mind has never felt so concluded.'
A smirk played on his lips, his gaze shifting to his friends, his family. He approached them, pulling them into a massive hug. "Then go, I'll hold them off. We can't all escape here, and they will surely catch up. It's my duty as the Jedi assigned to this mission to protect the Avatar."
Tears welled in Aang's eyes as he tried to break free, but Benjamin's strength prevailed. He patted the airbender on the back, his voice soothing. "Please, I didn't know this would happen. I just wanted to see an old friend. Please don't go, Benjamin!"
Addressing Sokka and Katara, Benjamin spoke with a mixture of admiration and farewell. "You two are awesome, taking on such a mission at your age is impressive. When I fall here, work twice as hard to accomplish it. Keep to the mission, find allies, reunite with Haru, and tell him what happened. He will become the new Jedi assigned to this mission."
Jet took Aang away, emotions swirling in the air. Benjamin could sense the airbender's hesitation, his desire to stay and help. "Jet, you mustn't," Benjamin implored, the words directed at his friend. Jet hesitated, torn between duty and camaraderie. "Though you've hardly awakened to the Force, a Jedi's life is to preserve others and the greater good. Protect Team Avatar and escort them to safety!"
The final words erupted into a primal scream, a guttural cry that echoed through the cavern. Katara and Sokka hesitated, caught in the haunting wail, as Jet forcibly pulled Aang away. Their figures vanished into the opening, leaving behind a desperate plea.
Ben, with a swift motion, hurled his lightsaber, the blade soaring through the air. With a command of the Force, he obliterated the opening, burying it beneath mounds of rock and rubble. The escape route vanished, leaving nothing but a cloud of uncertainty.
Turning back to face the advancing dark Jedi, Ben summoned his lightsaber, the brilliant beam returning to his right hand. He adopted the defensive stance of Form V, his blade a shimmering barrier between him and the encroaching darkness. A bald man with crimson tattoos etched on his face and draped in deep black robes emerged, his double-bladed lightsaber humming ominously.
He spoke, his voice a sinister melody along the rapids. "This is the last of the Jedi... slayer of Kiara and another armored warrior of the Sith. If we finish him, the Jedi shall once again be finished, and our masters' will shall finally be concluded."
Ben chuckled, lifting his blade with a sly grin. "What? No demand for me to surrender... Sith." His sarcasm jabbed at the bald-headed dark Jedi, who clicked his lips in response.
"No, we shall not make the mistakes of the old Sith. All Jedi must die."
Ben's teeth gritted, hands tightening around his blade as he delved deeper into the Force. "I am Benjamin, a Watchman of the Jedi Order. None of you shall pass!"
Rage emanated from Benjamin in powerful waves of heat. The cavern was filled with the hum of numerous crimson blades, contrasting with the singular amethyst blade—the smallest light surrounded by waves of darkness.
"Come, you fools of the dark side!" he screamed, leaping forward. The Force augmented his legs as he soared, his purple beam cascading along the numerous crimson blades. "Hurl your power at me... give me everything you have!" He clashed with another blade, the energy in the cavern palpable. "I am a warrior of the force... a knight of the eternal Jedi order. I deny you; I defy you!"
Parry, block, forward—he moved with the fluidity of a seasoned warrior. Yet, he was limited, drawing on only his core abilities. The block that Master Ulic mentioned in the spirit world remained, restricting his full potential.
Two dark siders were pushed away with a Force push before Ben blocked a strike from the bald-headed dark Jedi. He kicked another in the abdomen and pulled one forward, their heads colliding with the stone island.
"Do you honestly believe you can stop us?" the bald dark Jedi sneered. He exerted his Force-augmented strength against Ben. "We will kill you here, push through that rubble, and kill them all. We shall take the Earth Kingdom and take what is rightfully ours!"
Breaking the saber lock, Ben pivoted his blade between his fingers, forming a powerful slash. The dark Jedi attempted to block, but it was too late. Ben skewered the blade in half, partially slashing him underneath the armpit.
"Be wary, fool. The dark side and this one... even as the last of the Jedi, the Force is very strong with him," warned one of the female dark Jedi.
Ben gritted his teeth, a visceral response to the relentless onslaught. He blocked and pivoted, riding the waves of adrenaline that surged through him. With both hands thrust forward, he propelled a pair of dark Jedi into the water. The force of his movement echoed in the cavern, a display of raw power.
"I may be the last of the Jedi, but I have been trained by one," he declared with a determined snarl. "Meetra Surrik, Vrook, and Kreia were my masters. I may be the last, but I promise you, I shall kill you and the Fire Nation for all the crimes you have committed!"
His lightsaber lashed forward, engaging in another saber lock by the chest. "Revenge, it's not a Jedi's trait," he emphasized.
"Well... I'm not like any Jedi," Benjamin retorted. He flipped overhead, poised for a lethal blow, but hesitation lingered—an uncertainty that could only result in his own demise.
A Force push sent Ben sprawling along the stone floor, darkness closing in as everything went black.
Silence enveloped him.
His body felt small, palms pressed against his face. A strange warmth surrounded him, and he cried, the tears mingling with the memory of a familiar feeling, though shrouded in the haze of forgetfulness.
"Ben... your father was hard on you today, right?"
'Momma...'
The word triggered a flood of memories. He parted his teary eyes, feeling the physical toll of Mandalorian training and paternal abuse. His mother's warmth surrounded him, but her face remained hazy—an ephemeral memory from the days before she'd protect him and flee, delivering him to the Order.
She turned him over, her face indistinct but marked by small inclines, deep black hair, and golden eyes. Her tanned skin contrasted with his, a milky white hue.
Lifting him to face her, clarity settled in. 'Finally, I can remember her face. I can remember her.'
He stared at her, her lips parting in a whisper. "You are so beautiful to me. I would do anything for you, Benjamin. You are far more precious than you know. I love you more than anything in this world... please do not blame yourself for what is going to come. Live a life that you are proud of."
Tears welled as his mother embraced him. The bitter memory warped, darkness closing in once again.
Ben stirred, blood pooling from the side of his head. The dark Jedi closed in, a suffocating presence like a sickness of shadows. In the midst of the encroaching darkness, his thoughts turned introspective.
'How did it end up like this? When did everything in my life begin to diverge? I just wanted to become the man my mother envisioned... I wanted the strength to protect her and the innocent. Yet, she was already dead. On the plains of Dantooine, I looked out, and that was the day I decided to become the strongest. The strongest Jedi to ever live.'
His eyes softly parted, a subtle emergence that caught the attention of the dark Jedi. The tattooed warrior fixed his gaze on Ben, addressing him with a surprising tone of respect that left the others in a state of mild shock. "Watchman," he uttered, the words carrying a weight of acknowledgment. "You have fought well. Maimed, burned, and scarred for life. I see your wounds... you've fought well, and I shall give you a warrior's death. It is the least that I can do."
Yet, beneath this fleeting moment of acknowledgment, his mother's words echoed relentlessly. Chains of memory and haunting wisdom bound Ben, urging him to gather strength, to recall her face, and the faces of those who had left an indelible mark on his life—both in the old galaxy and this new, strange world. The living and the dead, their embers burning bright within him.
Do I truly deserve to live, someone like me, who has spilled so much blood?
The faces of the living and the dead flashed before him once more. It couldn't end here, not now. A mission beckoned, a mission to save this world, to become the man his mother envisioned when she entrusted him to the Jedi as a child. Not a Sith, not a marauder, but a Jedi.
Ben's fingers unclasped, sparks radiating along his palm as his eye snapped open, blood seeping in. He tuned out the chaotic surroundings, erratic violet lights of force lightning crackling along his palm as he surged forward. The volts impacted the dark side warrior, launching him backward, his body smoldering, screams echoing as smoke rose from the cooked corpse.
They backed away from the Jedi Watchman. His mind concluded, his determination evident. He wouldn't meet his end here, not in this place. Not yet. Eyes focused, he lifted himself up, the Force pulling his lightsaber into his hand as the hilt ignited the violet blade.
He leveled himself forward, the beams of force lightning behaving in ways they had never seen before. Purple energy curled along his palms, his body, and even around his lightsaber blade, playing off him like a freshly powered generator.
"What is the meaning of…"
Before the dark Jedi could finish, Ben leaped into the air, hands curling around the hilt as he swung downward. The dark Jedi attempted to parry, but the false Jedi's will proved overwhelming. Pivoting, Ben swung overhead, his lightsaber blade carving a downward streak, collapsing the enemy along the stone island.
Ben pivoted, narrowly evading another crimson blade. With one hand, he impaled the dark Jedi through the chest, turning towards the rest. The palpable fear emanating from them fueled him. His gaze fell to his blade, a smirk forming as the power of the dark side, of the Sith, of his anger surged within him. Lashing onto the dark side as if it were his birthright, his orange eyes began to dominate.
His left hand trailed behind him, the force wrapping around one of the fallen dark Jedi's lightsabers as Ben's fingers closed around the hilt. The blade ignited, a shimmering crimson bursting forth from the hilt.
He felt the power of both—two opposing sides. Purple and red, the symbols of the Jedi and Sith, creating an ironic paradox. To be one with the dark side while attempting to embody the ways of a Jedi. Ben launched forward, surrendering himself more fully to hate and anger, welcoming the encroaching darkness.
Orange eyes fixated ahead as he hurled himself into the chaos. His purple and red lightsaber clashed with the similar crimson of the dark Jedi, pushing himself further into the dark side, much like a heroin addict succumbing to their addiction. Maniacal laughter echoed through the cavern, a mad symphony declaring his vitality. He would save the world, protect the Avatar, for he was Benjamin, a warrior of the Force.
In joining the Jedi, he had lost himself entirely—a fool who once believed there was no strength in passion, no truth in the hollow words of the Jedi. The teachings of Exar Kun and the ways of the Sith seemed to hold more truth. Cutting down his foes made him feel whole, powerful. Now, in embracing the dark side, he felt closer to who he truly was—a warrior.
Time slipped away as Benjamin immersed himself in the current of the dark side. Surrendering to his passions, he delved deeper than ever before. The screams of the Sith were silenced by his blades, leaving only the rasp of his breathing and the hum of his lightsaber.
He dropped the fallen Sith's blade, the sound of its clatter against the water swallowed by the cave. Retrieving his original lightsaber with both hands, he stared into its amethyst glow. The warmth it radiated filled the close confines of his heart. He wished it was red, the true symbol of the Sith.
"Impressive… Jedi."
Turning around, Benjamin clutched his blade, the faint sound of clapping reaching his ears. An old man, balding, with eyes mirroring his own, stood before him. Another figure who had scaled the heights of the dark side, bearing the true markings of a Sith. "I must say, for a Jedi, those eyes of yours are something else. After killing Kiara and now all these dark Jedi with your hate and skill alone… I must say you have a talent for death."
Ben faced forward, sneering like a rabid dog as he resumed the stance of Form V. His anger and hate guided his movements. Benjamin knew this figure, not by name but by power alone—the Sith Lord.
"Those eyes of yours look good on you… False Jedi." The Sith lord delved into his heavy black robes, fingers curling around a curved lightsaber hilt as he ignited the red blade. "You are better suited to the dark side and the Sith than to the Jedi. Yet, I can train you to harness this power. Become my apprentice, and I shall…"
"Try it, Sith Spawn!" Benjamin's scream echoed through the cavern, the volts of lightning once again curling along him. "I'm going to enjoy cutting you down!"
He snickered, raising his curved hilt as both men leaped into the fray. Benjamin delivered wide and powerful slashes, the Sith Lord skillfully parrying his blows. Pushing himself from Ben, the Sith Lord attempted to parry against him, only for Ben to block and pivot away.
Leaping overhead, Ben brought his blade downward, only for a powerful cleave to rain down, causing him to block as sparks flew from their lightsaber blades.
"Excellent, false Jedi!" The Sith lord beamed, carelessly knocking Benjamin away with the force, throwing him into the water. Shaking his head like a wet dog, Ben gripped the blade with both hands and rejoined the fray. "Your hate makes you stronger... keep trying to cut me down!"
Benjamin raised his left hand, beams of violet force lightning shooting from his palm. The Sith lord reinforced his force barrier, catching the lightning along his crimson blade, smirking with an even bigger smile. His orange eyes stared into the pure fury of the dark side of the force.
"Good! Let the anger flow through you. Strike in anger, take your revenge against the Sith... and then join me as my apprentice. Join me, Benjamin. Give in to the dark side!"
Benjamin's jaw unlatched, spit flying as he pounded his blade repeatedly, brilliant sparks pounding along the crimson blade. Inches away, the Sith lord parted his lips once again. "... it is the only path left for you."
Breaking free from the saber lock, Benjamin swiped in a cleave as the Sith lord threw himself backward in a force-augmented backflip, saber in his off hand. Benjamin finally had enough clarity to speak. "Never... I will never join you! I will die fighting you!"
Throwing himself into the force, into the dark side, Benjamin fixated on his hate and anger, channeling all his strength into his left palm. This time, not force lightning. Following the ability that Exar taught him, he created a powerful beam.
Force destruction—the powerful beam grew stronger in his hand as he shot the orb at the Sith lord. The lord, impressed, merely used the force to redirect it upwards, slamming into the cavern roof, rumbling and shaking the entire cavern.
Yet, Benjamin was too slow...
Beams of force lightning shot from the Sith Lord's hand, blue beams wrapping along Ben as he was thrown backward. Clutching along his lightsaber, he felt the pain of lightning warp around him. Yet, it wasn't his own this time.
He fell off the waterfall, his body disappearing down that chasm. The Sith lord sighed as he watched the boy disappear like a black blip. "Aw... what a waste of a potential Sith."
The Sith lord pushed through the brackish waters, unaware that, in that deep abyss, quite the opposite was happening.
Jet's hand rested on Aang's shoulder, the young warrior staring into the open plains of the Earth Kingdom, at that place where the Sith and the fog reside. They had left the cavern and emerged in this desolate space. Walking over towards Appa, none had the strength to willingly leave Benjamin behind.
But the weight was becoming too much. If they lingered any longer, the safety Ben ensured and was willing to die for would be lost. "It's all my fault," Aang lamented, putting his knees to his chest as tears streamed down his face. "If I didn't take us here. If only I had listened."
Sokka walked up behind him, hugging the young airbender. "Aang, it's not your fault. None of us knew what we were going to find down here."
As they finished speaking, Katara's head shot up, her bright blue eyes widening. She leaped from Appa's saddle, alarming the men as they saw it—a figure emerging from the distance, limping towards Appa.
Katara was the first to reach, tears in her eyes as she gently put her hands around his frame. "Katara," Benjamin slowly spoke, his knees buckling as they fell to the ground. His whole body was wet, his robes tattered beyond belief. Even one of his shoulder guards was ripped off completely. Red splotches, cuts, and deep gashes from the rocks tore into him. His left arm was broken, the bone jutting out nearly from the skin. The young waterbender tried to lift him, joined by Jet and the rest of Team Avatar.
"We have to go now!" She spoke up, her command shocking the team but giving them the will to push on. "He's messed up, and I'll do what I can, but right now we have to go."
"Where to? Our destination?" Her brother asked.
She clicked her lips, lifting Ben up and laying him on Appa's leathery saddle. Her bright blue eyes fixated on her brother. "To the Northern Water Tribe—to heal Benjamin and get Aang a waterbending master."
With those words, Appa rose with a mighty roar, taking them all to new heights. Little did they realize that grand things were about to happen, and a great battle was on the horizon.