Down in the Dark (O'vala)

[Hatoful GM]

Letting out a relieved breath, Orgus nodded. "Yes. Please. That would be incredibly helpful. In the meantime..." he looked around, "-I think we have what we need. Thank you."

As the group began to split up, he stepped closer. "Walk with me a bit?"

[O'vala Aeser]

"Sure. What seems to be the problem?" O'vala assumed at least that something had to be wrong. That's usually what alone time meant.

[Hatoful GM]

Orgus shook his head. "Nothing is wrong." A brief chill seemed to sweep through the air.

He led the way out to the gardens, by the reflecting pool. Light bounced off the water, the surrounding plants visible in it.

Orgus looked at her as they walked, smiling gentle. "I wanted to tell you what a pleasure it's been working with you. You've really come a long way, you know."

[O'vala Aeser]

"It's a pleasure to work with you too. It's been a rough journey, but I think I've really gotten the hang of being a Jedi." O'vala placed her hands on her hip. "I hope I've been an inspiration to the younglings."

[Hatoful GM]

Orgus gave her a kindly smile. "I'm sure you have been."

His expression grew more serious. "I know the loss of your sister was difficult for you." He said. "I hope you've been okay since then?"

[O'vala Aeser]

"O'nera? I still miss her. One day, I'll rejoin her in the Living Force." O'vala patted her hip for lightsaber and looked back at Orgus. "I must have broken it again. I can't seem to find my blade."

[Hatoful GM]

Orgus frowned, confusion washing over his expression. They stood close to the reflecting pool now, their images visible in it.

"Sorry." He cleared his throat. "I must have misheard you. I was talking about your younger sister, O'vala." He shook his head sadly. "I don't know that she would ever have been made a knight. But, well, it's always sad when family dies."

[O'vala Aeser]

The miralian looked closer at the pool and then back to Orgus. "I, hm." She too seemed confused. She looked at her body and it was unfamiliar in ways. Bustier, more capable. Not her clothes. "I think she could have done well. Or maybe not, I'm not sure. She..."

[Hatoful GM]

The reflection in the water was so very familiar.

Orgus shook his head. "Maybe. Some people are destined for greatness. Others... aren't." He looked at her. His lips pulled back, smiling, but there was something decidedly unsettling about the smile.

"You're definitely the former. Thank the Force that you lived, O'nera. I don't know where we'd be if you'd been the one who died, instead of her."

The light seemed dimmer now. Somewhere in the garden, the sound of someone weeping could be heard.

[O'vala Aeser]

"Master Orgus, you're speaking about my sister." It was something both sisters would point out.

O'nera living over O'vala was better, though, for the galaxy.

That kind of thinking wasn't going to help. She grasped her head and pivoted herself towards the crying. Whatever strangeness was going on in her head had to wait. "I'm going to help them," she declared and went forward.

[Hatoful GM]

Master Orgus wasn't there anymore. In fact, the gardens seemed to be empty of people. Except, of course, whoever was weeping. Perhaps it was a trick of the wind that suddenly rushed through, but it seemed to grow louder; wracking, painful sobbing.

The path wasn't clear; the garden seemed suddenly overgrown. O'vala, or O'neera, or whoever she was, had to push past vines and bushes to approach the weeping. Some of them had thorns, biting her skin as she went past.

[O'vala Aeser]

"Master Orgus?" The miralian looked around, puzzled by the lack of people. She could have sworn there were more earlier. But it didn't really matter.

"Where are my damn sabers?" O'nera had carried two of them before. Even just one would be able to cut through the vines. But the Aeser sisters weren't the sort to let anything get in the way of helping someone in need. "It's okay, just wait a little!"

[Hatoful GM]

It took time, and it wasn't easy, but she fought her way through. Blood streamed from her hands where the thorns had cut her.

Finally, she found the source of the weeping. It was Avilea, of course.



She sat on a bench, her face in her hands. He shoulders were shaking as she sobbed.

[O'vala Aeser]

"Hey, uh, are you okay? Alright, stupid question. What I mean is: what's going on?"

[Hatoful GM]

He shoulders continued to shake. "I can't believe it... I can't believe she's gone."

[O'vala Aeser]

"No. No, no, no. This is not what she wanted...

"You can't get attached to anyone, Avilea. I made that mistake too many times and I lost it. Cause something always happens to them. Something takes them away.

"Just let go. Don't even think about it. Cause that's the only way to... Keep it together."

[Hatoful GM]

"I didn't." Avilea looked up. Her eyes were red from weeping. "It would have been fine. I would have been okay."

She rose unsteadily to her feet. "All I needed was a little compassion." Her face twisted. "Why did you have to hurt me so much?"

[O'vala Aeser]

The miralian stepped back. "I was trying to help you. I was trying to help me. Us. Don't put this on me."

[Hatoful GM]

"But you didn't help." She hissed, stepping forward. "You made it worse. You didn't have to. O'neera wouldn't have, if she'd been in your place."

She rushed forward suddenly, hands gripping O'vala's arms, squeezing tightly into the flesh. Her face was a mask of pain. "The wrong sister died!" She screeched.

Her form suddenly turned grey, and then vanished like a puff of some. In an instant, the world plunged into darkness.

THE VISION FADES

O'vala found herself standing in a cave, alone. The exit was just behind her.

[O'vala Aeser]

The miralian sat in the cave for awhile. Did something happen to her? She reached her hands out in front of her, where Avilea had just been. She was just there. Angry, sad, there had to be a way to fix it.

Unless that was all fake. It was easier to pretend that all of Avilea's pain was fake.

Maybe it would be better if I just stayed in this cave forever. She hugged her legs close to her and buried her head into them. "What was this supposed to accomplish?" she asked the cave out loud, not expecting an answer.

O'vala. O'vala got back to her feet and finally looked at her hands, wondering if those cuts had been real. It certainly had hurt.