Second Coming

[HunterOrdo]

Traven hated those two women. It was not fair.. in the span of a few minutes they had managed to destroy the only precious thing he had. It was not fair, they both acted like it was not their fault.. that it did not matter. Even worse the Sith woman had even tried to attempt to repair the globe.

She did it for self-satisfaction.. Not because it was important to him. Broken Glass can not be fixed. Once it cracked, it stayed cracked. He would never forgive that woman. He would never forgive that Sith. She had broken his Glass.. and it would never be fixed.

He had left the Snow-globe in his room.. he could not bear to look at the deformed memento.. What once filled him with hope now only filled him with dread and anger. It was a mockery.. cracked where it had once been flawless.. it even now had a disgusting red tint to it, no doubt in essence with the Siths true nature.

He clenched his fist digging his nails into his legs as he stared at the soft grass under his knees. The sound of running and falling water was all that one could really hear.. here in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, but even in his favorite place.. he could not calm his anger at the woman. The vile wretched Sith.

He needed something to distract himself.. anything.

 

[Master Maverick]

Ayva had meditated all night, and most of the day after her meeting with the Council. They had inspired her to become what she knew, and what they knew she could be.

It was the afternoon as she made her way from her quarters to the library. It took her several minutes, and when she got there, she felt around through the force to see if she could find him. When his presence didn't present itself, she asked the head librarian if she had seem him. She had not and suggested the training areas.

In no real hurry, she made her way to the 'arenas', and did not find her Padawan. There were quite a few sparing, practicing and exercising and she asked if they had seen him. One said he hadn't seen Traven leave the Room of a Thousand Fountains since early that morning. ((if you need me to change the time, just say so))

Immediately she felt something was amiss. The Initiate spoke in such a way that did not seem like Traven had been training or practicing. She walked a bit more hurriedly to the focal point of the Temple.

As she neared the Room, she reached out once again. At first, she was confused; it didn't feel like her Apprentice. It felt like someone completely different. There was anger and sadness emanating from the room. Through it, there were hints of the Padawan, but the emotions were intense and almost overwhelming. She could only imagine how the boy felt.

Silently she entered the room. The soft patter of her feet echoed softly upon the high ceiling and far-away walls. It was truly a magnificent room. She remembered that this was where she first learned the Codes of the Jedi. It was a special place to her, one that would forever have a place in her heart.

He was on the ground, in a patch of grass, obviously deep in though. Something was bothering him, and it was her job to help him.

She walked over to him and sat beside him, saying nothing. She closed her eyes and let herself go upon the waves of the force. The Light side was so very strong in this place. many Jedi came here to seek clarity and guidance in the force, including her.

She was silent for a few minutes, just allowing him to be for the moment. Eventually she asked, "What troubles you my Apprentice?" Always when she called her students 'apprentices', it was a term of endearment, respect and almost motherliness. She had many students as her time as a Knight, but only a few special ones were hers to call 'Apprentice'. She felt a special attachment to them, even if the Padawan didn't feel the same way.

She had her own conflict to worry about, but now had direction and a goal to pursue, so her mind was more at ease than it was before. She let that feeling go along with the other negative ones that may have been there, letting in only Light, peace and harmony. It was invigorating to her.

She didn't open her eyes or turn to him as she waited for the answer. Silently, she suggested that he should do the same; meditate with her.

 

[HunterOrdo]

Traven was not sure how many hours had passed. He had not moved or even made an attempt to speak to the numerous Jedi that stopped and stared at him feeling something was wrong. He simply sat. He tried so long to control his anger.. but he could not. He wanted the woman to suffer..

She had tormented him. She knew she was doing it and had enjoyed it. In her sick twisted mind, she had enjoyed causing pain and discomfort to another. How could she call herself a Jedi? The mere thought made him want to puke and.. to his shame.. the mere thought made him want to hurt her as she hurt him.

He knew it would not make him feel better, but a part of him wanted it. A part of him wanted to break everything precious of hers like she did his. He could not forgive her.. if she had done it on accident.. if she had not enjoyed it, if she had not enjoyed making him squirm.. he could forgive, but not her.

He wanted.. to break her. Why was it that when the vile sith woman was cruel.. it was he who suffered? It was not fair. His knuckles turned white as his fingers bit deep into his knees, his nails even drawing a little blood from the hard clench.

He was not even aware of someones presence, until he heard her speak.. His master. What troubled him? Where did he start? That two woman, apparently Jedi probably Knights had taunted him and teased him? That they had enjoyed watching him squirm under them? That they had found some sick pleasure in dominating another sentient being? That the vile Sith woman caused the only thing he had to shatter? That just to spit on him, she had created a mockery of that object, just for her own self-satisfaction and peace of mind? That they had found it funny to have removed the only thing he held precious to him? That... they did not even care about what they were doing.. claimed it was all his fault.. Where did he start?

"I.. I do not know what to say Master." Traven said his voice quiet and shaky. "I don't want to talk about it.." He admitted. He looked to her.. looked at his master sitting quietly meditating.. He had tried to do that.. but he just could not.

"Please.." He said his eyes almost begging her "Say there is something to do.. something to take my mind off of this. I-I want to forget this."

 

[Master Maverick]

Tears formed in her eyes, but were kept out of site by her closed eyelids. His pain and suffering only amplified as she sat there, feeling the force around her. She empathized with him, not only because she had a natural affinity through the force to do so, but because her Apprentice was deeply hurt and mentally damaged even.

She picked up a few emotions from him and started to try and piece the story together. There were indeed 2 women... they were dark... not Sith, but not quite Jedi...

They had... broken something? It wasn't quite clear and she couldn't know because they had only met yesterday and didn't know such details about his life.

It... shattered... him? It was all quite saddening. But mixed with the sadness was anger and vengefulness. She only hurt deeper with this, and a few minutes after his plea did she speak.

"Seeking such things only makes you stray from your Path." Her voice more echoed within his mind than it did in the immense room that they found themselves in. It radiated calm, peace and serenity. Though she wasn't expecting it to change his mood much, it certainly wouldn't harm anything.

She wasn't going to defend those who had wronged him. As it was, she didn't even know the situation so it would be quite immature of her to sympathize with him. Sympathy only made others feel better, and that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

"Please. Tell me what happened Traven." Her voice was filled with almost as much caring as he was with sadness and anger. She was almost pleading with him to tell her, at least something. she didn't need to know the whole story, but just to know how to talk him through it.

 

[HunterOrdo]

"No." Traven whispered softly. He just wanted to forget it all.. to bury it all away and never think about it again. He never wanted to see them again because he was afraid what he would do. He knew it was not the path of the Jedi to hold such feelings..

He could not get rid of them. He felt he would always hate that woman, so he would avoid it. Bury it, and hopefully let it heal in time. Talking about it would only enrage him.. He was afraid.. so very afraid of what he would do or become if he allowed the emotions to continue.

"I do not want to talk about it.. I am not going to get revenge.. I just want to forget it all." Traven said. He was not strong enough at the moment to deal with it, he was not sure if he would able be able to deal with it, so he would block it out..

 

[Master Maverick]

She let silence prevail for a few moments before speaking again. Of course, she splashing of the fountains broke the silence, but there was no need for her to talk just yet.

Finally she confessed, "We are not droids. We are unable to forget memories. That is but another duty of Jedi; to never forget and to learn from history." She paused, trying to make sense of his feelings and thoughts.

They were jumbled and conflicting, and she could only imagine how they felt to him. He was distraught, it was quite obvious.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, not caring that he didn't look back. "Meditate with me. Use as much time as it takes. Let your thoughts and feelings go, let them flow upon the waves of the force. If you ask questions, they will come back to you, answered."

This was not a simple ploy to get him to feel better. Indeed, she had done this her share of times. While the answers sometimes didn't come back until years later, and others were not answered in such a way that they were comprehensible at the time, they had always come back. The force, in this sense, was beyond her reckoning, and she would often seek out a sage or a seer about such things.

She was ready to sit there for however long it too. Hours. Most of the day even. However long it took, she would stay there with him and guide him through it. She sensed that he was fearful. It took her several minutes to finally decipher that he was afraid of himself. 'Of what he might do'. She imbued upon him a sense of security and strength, hoping that would do something for him.

 

[HunterOrdo]

"What am I to learn? That a so called Jedi is a monster who enjoys feeding on the pain and discomfort of others?" He said bitterly. He had heard of people building walls in their minds and repressing unpleasant memories.. some even altered those memories without them noticing it. He wanted that ability so badly.

He continued his stare into the grass. One hundred thousand eighty-two. He had counted them in his long wait. It was an attempt to control his anger, but it did not work. Every time he stopped he would just become enraged all over again.

He lifted his eyes to his master.. she wanted him to try and meditate again? Slowly he crawled next to her, before sitting down once again and crossing his legs. He could try again.. for his master. He closed his eyes and tried to draw upon the force. To ask it what he should do.. What should he do?

The force flowed around him like normal, but.. he could not find the answers he desired. All he could think of were two answers. He could get revenge like his heart demanded.. or he could forget it. He knew deep down that he could never forgive her. Was he.. Was he not a true jedi? He just could not forgive her.. either of them. He hated them. He wanted them to suffer.. but he knew it was wrong.

The force was changing inside him, he knew that. It was growing stronger and flowing through him faster then it did normally responding to his burst of anger. He wanted to forget it.. and he would. Slowly, he used the force to encircle all his thoughts.. his pain, his anger, his sorrow.. all of it.

It felt like he was doing Tapas again. Using the force he slowly closed it around it choking it.. forcing it into the farthest reaches in his mind. It was so strange.. like pushing a ball around in space.

 

[Master Maverick]

Her mind, being open to his, could sense somewhat what he was trying to do. If it was her nature, she would have gotten angry. However, sadness and disappointment filled her instead.

"Yes, there are techniques for suppressing and even forgetting memories. However, this just makes one weaker. The strong face their demons, mental and physical, head on. Answers shall not come to you immediately. The force shall work in its own time and pace. Know I feel the pain that you feel now, in its entirety. Do not think you are alone. However, suppressing it only makes it that much stronger and more painful when it resurfaces. Do not run from your grievances, my Apprentice."

She chose to speak out loud as she felt he didn't need anything else rattling around in his head. Her voice was full of compassion, understanding, but most of all, truth. At least her own truth; the truth she, in her own experiences, knew to be not only true, but correct.

After a long silence, she finally pleaded with him. "Please, let me help you." She meant that she wanted him to reveal whatever she was keeping from her. She was not about to sift through his mind to find out for herself.

 

[HunterOrdo]

Travens hands were shaking. He was almost done that he knew, but his master wanted him to face them. Why? What could he gain from it? There was nothing to gain.. save pain and anger. He would not forgive them. He would never forgive them, so he would forget. Was that not the mature thing to do?

Instead of hating them. Instead of wanting them to suffer, he would move on with his life. Traven shook his head "No. If I have to face it. I will face it in time." He let out a long slow breath "If the force moves at its own pace.. then it will break the walls down when it believes it is time." He just prayed he was strong enough when that happened.

He would keep this to himself.. He would not spread the anger and sadness. He would not cause more harm from his pain. He would move on.. and when it was time. When he was older, he would deal with it himself. He was a Jedi.. not a child. Jedi do not get to be Children.

 

[Master Maverick]

She would not fight him any longer. He had made up his mind and she was not about to force him to do anything. He would deal with it his own way. She had given her advice and opinion, and it was his choice to heed it or not. While, initially it sounded as he ignored her, she knew he listened and understood. He would heal in time, and she would let him.

"I am always here for you. Call for me whenever you need me and I will be there." That was her promise and she would keep it, as she did all of her promises. That was her duty as a Jedi, a Knight and as his Master. The only way she would break it is if she died, and she could not manifest herself through the force to him, something she had been secretly studying.

With that, she just sat and waited. Waited for him to get through his inner turmoil on his own. She would say nothing and would imbue the area with peace, serenity and calm. It was her way of helping, at least she liked to think she was helping.

She would wait there, with him, for however long he needed. She would stay silent until he spoke, or until she could sense that he was ready.

 

[HunterOrdo]

It was strange. He remembered the incident, but felt nothing on it. All his feelings on it, all his rage, pain, and sorrow was locked away. The cell, itself, was like the snowglobe which he had lost. Delicate and fragile. If it cracked, it would slowly spread until it shattered. If shattered.. it could never be fixed again.

He had heard his master.. but did not know what to say in reply to her. Did he thank her? He was not sure, so he nodded to show he understood. He felt.. strange at the moment. Drained. All the energy he had just moments ago was now gone inside the wall of his mind.

He opened his eyes to the world, the soft sounds of cascading waters, the brush of the grass against his skin, and the smell of life filled his senses. "I am ready." He said with a soft smile.

 

[Master Maverick]

She smiled back at him. Luckily for him, they would be doing nothing particularly strenuous today, as she felt the drain on his body. That was, in fact, what she was talking about. It would always take energy to hold it back, and when he faltered, it would explode worse than before. At least in most cases. She knew he would learn in time to not run away from such problems, but she knew and realized that he was still but a child and would allow him to learn such things on his own. They only meant that much more.

She opened her eyes to look at him. He seemed at peace, if only a bit weary. It was time to learn a bit more about this boy.

"Tell me about the Codes of the Jedi." A relatively simple question with a more than complex answer. It was not only a test of his knowledge, but his interpretation, his thought processes, problem-solving and if he would know everything that the question encompassed.

 

[HunterOrdo]

Traven felt winded. Not tired, nor quite exhausted just winded. Pushing back all those emotions and locking them away took a lot of energy. Holding them back would only take a little bit he reflected, as he was testing it with his mind. Gently, poking and prodding the cell fashioned from the force.

Codes? So she wanted both. He did not enjoy the codes, and he had long ago decided to follow what his Former master advised him to do. Live by his own personal code, but he could recite them and describe them easily enough. It was something the Jedi Masters forced them to do all the time as initiates.

He started with the older code "There is no Emotion; There is Peace, I believe, Master, that it does not mean we have no emotion, but that we need to face them and accept them. We need to have control over them and our actions." He stopped before going to the next line.

He started once again "There is no Ignorance; There is Knowledge. Saying there is no ignorance is a lie, but I think what they mean is that we must go into the galaxy with an open mind. Knowledge can be found anywhere as long as you open yourself to it."

"There is no Passion; There is Serenity, We are Jedi, but passion still exist inside of us. Just like the first one, Jedi need to have control and an even temper." He paused before moving on to the next line "There is no Chaos; There is Harmony, this is the one I had the hardest time with. At first, I used to think it was about emotions, but it is not." Traven said remembering what a Master once told him "Some people look at the galaxy and see chaos.. a place ran by chance and coincidence, but its not true. In the force, all things are interconnected in the circle of life. Terrible things do happen, but we must always look at it as a part of the circle of life."

He took a breath getting ready for the last line "There is no Death; There is the Force, As a jedi we must always be prepared for death. It is not something to fear as it is part of the circle of life. We must not fear for our death or those we love because it is part of the force, part of what touches us all" He finished. He would wait to see his masters response on the old code before talking about the new one.

 

[Master Maverick]

She nodded as she listened to him explain the middle code. She was a little surprised that he picked this one first. However, not many considered the original code particularly worthy of note against Odan-Urr's. While she understood this line of thinking, she also believed it was significantly different in that it was so much more ambiguous and it could mean so many more things than the other 2.

She also noticed that he, while not quite so directly, disagreed with this code. The code was very absolutist with its 'there is no emotion', etc. However, for the first three, he practically, to the trained ear, denounced them. She did not disagree, however, and kept silent.

He had a firm grasp of this code and would motion him to continue. "Good, and the next?"

 

[HunterOrdo]

"Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice throughout the galaxy.
Jedi use the Force only for the pursuit of knowledge, to defend, and to protect.
Jedi respect all life in the galaxy, in any form it may take.
Jedi to not rule others, but serve them for the welfare of the galaxy.
Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge, training, and self-discipline." He repeated it all at once. He stopped not sure how she wanted him to explain them as they were self explanatory. He continued to think on it but came up with.. nothing.

"I am sorry Master, I do not know how to clarify these ones as.. they explain themselves." He confessed.

 

[Master Maverick]

"And you are right. This code is far more straight forward than the other 2. So, tell me the original and what it means to you."

She spoke a bit matter-of-factly as she felt out with the force to see if she could figure out something he was thinking about the codes. She felt as though there was something else, something more (not including the original), but couldn't quite find it.

 

[HunterOrdo]

Traven was now just confused. The original code was just an unrefined version of the one made by Odan-Urr, or so he thought. He was not sure why his master wanted him to recite it, but if that is what she wanted.. and he had not told her about what happened with his snowglobe that effected him so.. profusely just a short while ago, so he could at least do this.

So Traven began reciting. "Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force." He stopped to take a breath before explaining "To me, its simply an unrefined form of the second code. There is emotion, but nevertheless there is peace. Even with emotion, one can find peace." Truly, he preferred the second code to this as it was more.. well, refined.

 

[Master Maverick]

Sensing the confusion, she explained herself.

"The reason I had you tell me the original is because, while it is quite similar to Odan-Urr's, it is also radically different. While the second is absolutist, stating that there is not emotion, etc., the original states that there are, indeed, these things and they exist within and among their counterparts. The middle code is unable to be interpreted as such if taken literally."

She paused for a moment, her consciousness taking over now as she came to the present. She looked at the boy more directly now, her eyes soft and deep, more-so than before. "What abilities with the force do you know how to use?"

They were moving on from philosophy to learning skills and doing something a bit more interesting. Him being a guardian, there were many things in the force that she could teach him. She just needed to know where to start.

 

[HunterOrdo]

He listened to his master... He heard her, but was not sure he understood her. The second code was harsher the first or second, and it was the one he liked the best compared to the other two. The first was too open, not really a code at all. The newest one was too lenient.

Force powers.. he had done this before with his Former Master who had him demonstrate them all. He was ok at the force he found when compared to other jedi padawans. He began his short list "Push, Pull, Jump, levitate, Tapas, and I have a basic skill with Shield." He ended. Tapas had given him the basis for it, and he had been practicing, but he could only really erect barriers not really a full shield.

He could only manage to block small parts of his body with it as if he tried to do more, he would get distracted and lose concentration bringing it all down.

 

[Master Maverick]

Considering what he told her, she looked away from him for a moment as her mind worked. Though it was a short list, she was quite intrigued that he knew Tapas and Shield. They were relatively advanced techniques, she knew, and was quite impressed that he was learning them.

Still unsure of what to do, she asked him yet another question, "Would you like to work on one of these, or would you like to learn something else? What is your desire?" she looked at him, almost looking into his soul, waiting for the answer.