Death is only the Beginning

[Garza]

Netherworld
Field of Blades

Time was no longer existent. It flowed ever so slowly. There was no such thing as time. Men fought and died time and time again over the span of centuries, eons, and even forever. Death had become something more. It was a cycle of fighting, and dying. There was no end. No release to which I could see an end. I stood upon a battlefield of blood and swords. Rags barely clothed me. Holding two swords in my hands. One a short sword, the other a standard form. Swinging both with speed and accuracy to kill any man here. I fought with every ounce of strength I had. With the Dark side of the force flowing through the Nether, I could feel it all flow through my veins.

The forever setting star shone upon the fresh blood upon my white skin. The swords shone with their bronze and steel shimmer. Standing there panting as man after man charged me. All ending with their death swiftly as they could blink. Their bodies forming a mound at my feet. Each fight wore me. As many now came, I perished under the might of many blades.

Darkness.

Pain.

I felt utterly alone. A single voice within my head speaking over and over again. The same phrase echoing within my head. Shutting it out once more, I forced myself to wake. The brightness of the star once more shone through my eyes. A sharp intake of breath as I rose to a sitting position. Garbed in very old Sith Armor, I stood. Clanking and feeling the weight of the durasteel, and the flowing of cloth upon my groin. Hefting my hand up to see myself once more. The skin ashen white through the force. Veins popping through the skin. Dark and black. I could feel the darkness within my skin. The wind grabbed at my hair as the screaming voice of a man came closer. Quickly I threw my arms up to release a torrent of purple lightning upon the man. His bones visible through the tendrils of the force.

His body fell to the ground. Bubbling from heat under his skin. Shaking from convulsions. The man was long gone. Arms flailing like a chicken with its head cut off. I stood there. Smiling as he slowly stopped moving. Reaching down, I grabbed upon his hand. Ripping his hand away from the crude sword he carried. No point whatsoever. It was a giant cleaver of a weapon. Brutish and meant for slashing. I didn't have enough time to test it out as a second man ran at me. The grip made only of leather wrapped around the tong, I let my lightning infuse with the sword as I cut the man across the chest. His body sent off to my right as he convulsed upon himself, and was left to bleed out.

The sword grew silent as I sauntered forward. Breathing in as I passed one more man. Slitting his throat by dragging the blade across and letting my wrist flick the blade forward, I then charged forward once more into battle. Fighting my way once more to the center of the fray. Fighting many at once. I once again perished under the might of steel, and sharp weapons.

Once more the voice spoke to me. The same words as before. Echoing within my ears. I fought the pain. I pushed past the darkness. Never letting myself become enveloped within. I once more woke. Breathing in. I lay there. Feeling the dirt between my fingers. Feeling the rock pressing into my back. I opened my eyes. Looking up. I could see I was within a maze. Standing up, I looked around me.

"Why am I here?"

Standing up, I then looked around. I could see walls the size of mountains rise on either side of me. I then turned to my left. Seeing a shield. Light reflecting from it, I could see myself. I smiled for a second. Before seeing myself. My hair no longer white. My skin a peach tone. My face completely different. My eyes. Green? My hair was thick raven black. Long.

I picked up the shield. Looking at myself in the reflection. I began to yell. My voice coarse as though I have not spoke in thousands of years.

"WHO AM I!"

 

[Garza]

The ground shook beneath my feet. I roared with hatred for this change. I was confused. I was scared. I felt my body coursing with the strength of the force as i snapped the shield in half. I couldn't look at myself. I couldn't face who I had become. Falling to my knees, I groveled, I yelled, I cried over this. I fell to the ground. Pain in my entire body as though it were on fire. I leaned over myself. Punching the rock solid ground over and over again till my hand was bleeding. Till my knuckles were broken, and I could no longer feel pain in my hand. I rose up. And began to ran.

Sprinting as fast as I possibly could. The force pushing me as I came closer and closer to a wall. I pushed myself to the limit. And with one bone crunching slam, My world went dark.

​

---------------------------------------------------------------------​

I floated in the darkness. Mirrors all around me. Seeing my naked body as I was. Muscular, formed. Detailed. I still had the black hair and the green eyes. My skin no longer damaged by the dark side of the force. My body... perfect. No scars. No marks. No impurities. Even after breaking my hand, it was mended back together as though the dream never took place. The voice once more speaking. I could hear every word in my ear. I could make out every sound.

Yo̮͙͎̫̙͇u̪r̠͙ ͘b͞o̙̖͈̰̦͕͓͡d̹̞̥͚y̖̠͖̻̮ ̜̲h͓̳͝a͕̪̖̰̥̳s̢͔͚͚̪ ̵͉p͔ẹ̟r͉̝̝͓i̖͉̗͖͙s̱̱̺͍̤̗h̦̪͡e̶̙͉̪ͅḏ̷͎̙̼ͅ
​

I looked around in the mirrors. Seeing my old self. The scars. The pain. The white skin begin to crumble and crack. The hair shrivel and become singed. My bones began to crack. My body crumpled upon itself. Bursting into a black and purple flame, the body began to melt and fall away into the darkness below. Suspended, I stayed. The voice speaking once more as I could hear the thrumming within my ears.

Y̼̪̣o̹͘ụ͇̞r͉͔͎͙̀ͅ ̡̫̦̼̻͓s̷̠̲͉̬͍t̹̹̩̯͉r̤̩̝̮̙̳̭͡e͏͎͕͓͎̙n͓g͖͔̀ͅṭ̮̼͝h͏͙̣͔̯͉ ̻̤w͍̹͖̭̻̜͢a͓͞ͅv̧̩̲̭̻e̡̤̜͔͓̭r͖̯̲s̶͖͇̣̗̜̫.͔̤̬̥̠̀ͅ ̪͇̪́​

​

​

​

I could slowly feel myself began to fade. I could feel my strength fade as the voice spoke the words. My arms went limp. My legs fell. My head slumped upon my chest. My eyelids felt heavy and fell to close. I could feel myself lose within the force. It abandoned me. It left me. I was stolen. Chaos had taken what it wanted from me. My very soul. I could feel myself fading. Leaving as one last sentence was spoken within the force. One last taunt to prove that I was wrong all along.

Y͔̯̬̖̮ͅo̠̬̞u̢̠͕̞̲ͅ ̠͇̻̪̞̮a͠r̨̟͎̥͚̹̩e͙͖͕͍̫̹ ̢̖̘̻w͉e͕̼̻͉ͅa̕ḳ!̯̳͇̰̳͎
͕̹͜Y̤o͔̼̰u͜ ̤͚̖̖̝̹w̸͍ͅi̩̠̬͓̻͓l̢͈l ̶͖̘̠b̵̠͓ḙ͎̹̜̘̱̫ ̯͍͘r͘e͓̪͔̺̬̫m̤̱̟̭͖̪͕a͚̣̙̯d̙e̘̻̰̟̠̼​

 

[Garza]

The walls rose.

The sky was dull.

And I knew nothing.

I woke up. I remembered what had just happened. I moved onward. I was walking. Ever going and never stopping. Clothed in a simple set of boots, slacks, and a shirt that was torn, I shuffled my way past over grown vines. Sifting through the wide halls of the maze I stood within. Lost within its madness. I needed to get to the center. A dark voice I never heard before rang out in my ears. Calling me. I heard a name. One I have never heard of before. Shaking my head of the thought, I kept moving forward.

Along the way, I found a spear. Simple in design. Yet crude and battle worn. I reached out with my shaking hand. Grasping the cold steel between my fingers and my palm. I looked at my hand. No scars. No marks. Why was that? I forgo the thought, shaking it off once more as I used the spear as a walking stick. Keeping the point in the air as I leaned against the weapon of old. I felt weak. Old. Forgotten. I pressed on as one thought echoed in my head. Over and over.

"Reach the center."​

​

My feet hurt. My body was tired. I moved around the corner of a maze. Feeling a little less tired as a reached a second corner. Gradually becoming stronger. Walking around corner after corner. I had been walking for ages. My mind wandered. Where had I been before this? Why was I not in armor? Would I ever reach the center of this maze? The cold spear was no longer needed as a walking stick. I carried the weapon as I would become stronger. I could feel my body thicken. I could feel my muscles move. My arms could easily carry the long polerarm. My legs carried me. They were strong. Build like a rancor. Built to withstand anything. I stopped.

Feeling around me, The vines coarse and almost fuzzy. The walls solid and rough. The spear smooth and cold. The wind gentle yet imposing. I turned and looked around me. Nothing but sky. Only, to one direction, one solid built mountain. Never leaving my sight. That was where the center was. That is where I needed to head to. Lifting the spear off the ground, I began to trot. Making my way ever closer to my destination for some unknown reason.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Garza]

I looked around me. My body shook with exhaustion as I walked around corner after corner. The walls staying still. I could hear the crying of men. Their screams of pain and fear. Their last breaths were wasted. I was confused. Why were they screaming? In a place like this, you were bound to die. Only, I knew that these men were hysterical. I had found the body of one. he was ripped to shreds. I was surprised to see the body. Or even enough to tell that it was a man. Continuing on, using the spear as my walking stick, I didn't even know if I could use such a weapon. Still, I kept it. Wondering when I would have to use it.

I could taste iron in my mouth. Dried blood. I had kept the taste with me. Confirming I was alive by biting my cheek and tongue until I bled. Making sure that I was alive, and not in some dream. Time was fleeting. I didn't know how much time had passed. There was no indication of day or night here. Grey walls, grey smoke, and grey skies. I don't know how I could, but I knew that a star would tell me about what time it was. But even now, I couldn't do that.

Coming up around the corner, I could see a man. Standing there with a sword clutched within his hands. Shaking much like a tremor, I knew by sight he never used a sword before. I could see fear within his eyes. I surprised myself with this information. How did I know this? I could see how the man's stance was wrong. How his entire form was off. His footwork was in the wrong stance. I could see that he was scared of something. As he heard my footsteps, He turned around. Sweat fell from his face. His entire body was wet with blood, sweat and tears. His face was badly scratched up, and that't when I saw a little girl fleeing from him. She was backed into a corner. Holding onto her knees and crying. Hiding her face from her would be attacker.

"Sir, why are you doing this?"

There was no response from him. He turned back and forth between the two of us. And as suddenly as a coin could flip into the air, he began to yell and scream.

​"Back off you Fiends! I won't go down without a fight!"

The man had clearly lost his marbles. and was off of his rocker. I held up my hands trying to show that I wasn't meaning harm, but he ran at me. Sword raised high, Time seemed to slow down. I could tell exactly how he was going to attack me. Raising the spear, I blocked the telegraphed strike. He was surprised at my speed, in which I spun the staff around and smacked the butt of the weapon against his face. Sending him sprawling to the ground and losing his sword.

He started to scoot back as I walked over towards the sword. While I was reaching down, I tried to grab at the sword, and with a flash, the weapon flew to my hand. I was so surprised, that I had dropped the sword. The man took that as a chance to attack me. I wasn't prepared for it, and I shoved my hands out at him. All of a sudden, he was thrown back with such force that I could hear a cracking of his bones. His entire body crumpled to the ground.

Looking at my hand, I then looked at the child who was still crying. Huddled in the corner. Dropping the spear, I ran to the child. Leaning down, I could see her cringe. Stop. I slowly leaned down. Getting onto one knee, and setting my hand out towards her, Gently placing it upon her arms. She looked up. Revealing her cute face. Red with fear and tears.

"Its okay. I won't hurt you."

 

[Garza]

The air was still thick with screams when the child looked at me. Looking me up and down, She scooted away from me. shushing her, I uttered again that I would not harm her. She was still scared. Backing up away from me. Deeper and deeper into the corner that would not leave me. She was scared. She feared me. I knew she would. Considering last I had seen of myself, I had dark hair and a clean face with no scars. However, I had been growing a scruff that may seem a little scary to a girl who looked to be in her teenage years. I could only tell by how her body was showing signs of maturing. Her breasts were a clearly there, her hips were more in the shape of an hourglass figure. She was still in her teens, but not old enough to be an adult.

Lowering my head. I backed up from her, and then sat myself down. I was roughly a foot away from her as she sat there. Cocking her head. Looking at her, I offered my hand. She shook her head. Why was she not speaking? We continued to sit there. Feeling like hours had passed when she was looking down into her lap. Deciding to try something, I lowered my own head. Covered my mouth with my hand, and spoke into it. I moved only my eyes to see she made no reaction. Only the second time, I got louder. Speaking loud enough to almost be yelling. And that is when I realized what was wrong.

She is Deaf. She couldn't hear me. That's why when I walked up to her, she didn't see me coming. Because she couldn't hear my footsteps. Now could she hear the fight I had with the man. I so badly wanted to talk to this girl. I so badly wanted to speak to her and to find out what went wrong. Why she was so scared. Sure, I was scared, and I was an adult, but she shouldn't be here. Why was she here? I just looked at her. She would stay looking down at her feet for a few minutes, and look up to see if I was still there. When I would catch her eyes looking at me, she would look away in fear.

And thats when I started to communicate with her. Reaching behind me, once more the sword that was dropped, I had picked up. Expecting it to come to my hand, it had done so. I brought it around me, and flipping the weapon over, I then touched the girl's knee with the pommel of the sword. She almost jumped out of her skin as I scared her. Making almost growling sounds as she stood up and away from me in the corner. Only now could I see, that her body was damaged. She had scars. Her clothes were torn around her waist. She may have been wearing slacks or pants earlier, but it was clear. Someone took advantage of her.

I winched as I saw this. She had no reason to be here and experience this. However, she saw me and my cringe. Instantly she rushed forward. pushing aside the sword and began to pull at my shirt. Getting up, and backing away, I pushed her hands away from me. Shaking my head no. She stopped. Raising my hands, I showed to her that I wasn't meaning harm again, and slowly began to reach for my shirt. Pulling the clothing off, I revealed that I was not injured. Slowly turning around she could see that I had scars on my body, but no wounds. She sighed and then backed up.

Pulling my ragged shirt back on over my head, I then walked forward, and grabbed the sword blade. And once more handed it to her with the hilt facing her. She realized what I was trying to do. I was showing her the sword. Intending that she could protect herself from me if necessary. Honestly, if I wanted to hurt her, even if she had the sword, I still could, but it is the thought that counts here. She knew that I was handing her a weapon to show that I was not going to hurt her. Slowly inching her hand forward, she grabbed onto the leather wrappings of the weapon, and then pulled back. I released the sword to let her.

She clutched the weapon as though it were her life. Backing up, I reached for my spear, and then stood up. She looked to see the blood on the weapon, and when I pointed to the man who was dead, she saw the blood spatter on the wall, and how he was no longer breathing. She looked at the body with disgust. And then spat at it. Nodding her head, I then began to walk backwards. Indicating myself. She nodded her head. And I indicated coming to me, and then pointing at myself again. As though she were going to follow me.

I received a smile, and a nod.

 

[Garza]

I smiled in return. She was going to be following me. At least, she knew that I meant no harm. Walking back around the corner, I then looked behind me to see that the girl was still there. Walking about five feet away from me. I could understand. Someone who just killed another man, who you didn't know, in a maze with no other people to save you, it was scary. Even thinking that, I realized how bad it would have been if the man had injured me. I could have bled out, get the wound infected. It would have been very painful. Looking around me once more, we came to a fork in the path. We could choose to go one way or another. Looking behind me, I could see that the girl was getting tired. She was dragging the sword and was almost stumbling over herself.

Walking over, I was going to stop her when she was about to fall over. Before I could think, I was in front of her. Catching her from falling. She collapsed into my arms. I hadn't realized that she was so tired. She kept up with me instead of just stopping. She didn't stop me from continuing to walk. I was so foolish. I had forgotten that she could not call out to me. I felt such an nerf herder. Slowly, I sat her against the wall. Taking the sword and sliding it to be next to her instead of in her hands. I moved myself against her. And as much as this may seem weird, it was to make sure she would stay warm.

Wrapping my arm around her, I then leaned her head against my chest, and I leaned back against the wall. Letting the cold stone upon my back, and her not have to feel it. I could feel her breathing. I could feel her essence within the force. She was strong. I gently ran my my fingers through her hair as she made some sounds as though she were in a dream. A nightmare. Shushing her, I decided to try something. Influencing my mind upon her, I thought of all the nice things I could remember. The feeling of eating a hearty meal. The love from a family member. The warm soft pillow to lay down to on a hard days work. I began to feel my self slowly drifting. Thinking with our minds still linked.

"I am sorry I pushed you."

I could feel silence. Only, it was when I could hear a soft voice in my mind. Soft, scared, and caring all at the same time.

"Don't be."

 

[Garza]

Falling asleep, I had memories of my own hands killing people. Ashen white skin and a reflection of white hair that flowed like the river. Power coursed through my veins in this form. Strong within the force, I would kill person after person. Slaughtering them all. it was only when I saw a man standing before me, only I was scared. I couldn't see the man's face. He was garbed in clothing that resembled some that I would wear. A hood covered his face. And in his hand he held a lightsaber exactly like the one that I was using. He was using my lightsaber! Charging at him, our lightsabers clashed.

I woke up. Feeling movement, I got up to see the girl leaning over me. She had pressed her body over myself. Only she was all wet. There was blood everywhere. I started to get up and see if anything was wrong, but she placed her hand on my beared mouth, and pushed me back against the wall. Taking the sword, she slid it through her armpit, and through her shirt to make it look like I had stabbed her. She laid over the top of me, and I could hear the sounds of armored men coming towards us from one of the halls.

She looked at me, and we both understood we would be trying to survive this. Even if that mean't fighting. Reaching out, the spear turned itself through my will of the force to be pointing at one of the two halls. Ready for me to throw it with the force if necessary. She knew I could fight, and would likely let me deal with all of it. I could hear them getting closer, Pointing to her, and then showing to stay low, she nodded her head. I pushed her head to rest on my shoulder, and my own on the other side, I kept one eye slightly ajar as I could see them coming down the left hallway.

One man called for the all to halt, and from what I could see, they were a small squad. Carrying rifles, and two carrying swords. One with a gun came closer, and aimed the gun at the two of us. He slowly inched forward, I couldn't whisper in her ear to let her know what was going on, so she would just have to deal with it.

The man came over and prodded her with the barrel of the gun. Luckily the girl stayed limp. The man motioned for them to come closer. Two more came and they both had swords. he then spoke out. I could hear what was happening, and would act accordingly.

"Make sure they are dead. I don't want them following us."

As soon as he finished that, the spear flew through the air and impaled through his chest, and into the wall behind him. Shrugging the girl off of me, I rolled myself over her, and brought the sword up and around to be behind me as the two swords came to smack against the flat of my blade. I stood up and with a force push sent the two flying and smacking into two more of their comrades. The final one who was still standing fired his gun on me. Blaster fire, I raised my off hand, and absorbed the blaster bolt to be used as energy. I threw the sword letting it impale through him, and ran forward. I could see to my side the girl getting up and running down the empty hall the other way to stay away from the fighting. But only a few steps.

I ran forward, and jumped into the air. Coming down, I slammed my elbow onto one of the four on the ground. Breaking his back, and causing his screams to echo in the maze. They started to get up. The second man I rushed to and snapped his neck as he was pushing his body up. Grabbing his sword, I then cut the third man who was trying to get up. Cleaving his arm off. I then pierced the sword through his chest. The fourth man got up, aiming his blaster at me. He fired a shot at me, and I barely blocked it with my own skill, when suddenly he was lifted into the air.

Looking around, I could see the girl. She was staring intently at the man. Her eyes burning with a hate I had never seen before. I watched the man as his neck snapped from the force. Turning to the girl, I ran over to her as she collapsed once more. She used too much energy to do that. Slowly I turned her around and leaned her against myself. She began to cry. Curling up into my lap, she sobbed and cried.

She had just killed someone, she didn't even think about it, but it was after, the consequence of realizing you ended someone's life, it scared her. Running my hand through her hair once more, I hummed. Letting her feel the rumbling of my chest as she leaned against me. Shushing her even if she couldn't hear me.

 

[Garza]

Her body shivered and shook. She cried. Audible cries came from her. She was grabbing fist fulls of my shirt and pulling me closer as the bodies of the men were strewn around us. Standing up, and helping her up to her feet, I placed my hand over her eyes. I then walked to the bodies. Grabbed my own sword, and the two others. Wiping them clean from the gore on the men's uniforms, I then pulled the spear from the wall. Taking it out of the man, I clean it as well. Making sure to look back at the girl who covered her eyes. She was scared. But we needed to move. The yelling was sure to attract attention. And she didn't need to see this.

I had taken the belts off of the men. And garbed myself in their boots, and new pants. Sure their kevlar armor was sure to help in a pinch. So I kept the ones that didn't have holes in them, nor had too much blood on them. I only needed two. I put the two swords I carried through the loops of the belt meant to hold a pistol, and had them sling one around my waist, and the other on my back. Walking up to the girl. I placed a soft hand on her shoulder. Raising her head, and showing for her to pay attention to me. I turned her around so she wouldn't see the dead bodies.

Attaching the belt to her, I showed her how to do it, and showed her the sword. She nodded her head. I also handed her the spear, after getting her to put the vest on, and new pants on. Her shoes were torn, and these boots would fit fine. We were all decked out now, and I indicated to hold my hand. keeping her face covered, I led her through the corpses to avoid any more outbursts, and led her in the direction opposite to the men who came at us.

After we had walked around a few more corners and turns, I could see that we were getting closer and closer to the center of this maze. There were times when we had to turn back around because of a dead end. Using one of the swords to mark the stone in case we had to come back, we knew which hall we came down from. Stopping for a few moments, I turned around and looked at the girl. She was still quivering and still had tears leaking down her face. Stopping, I turned and let her walk into me. I wrapped my arms around her. Trying my best to comfort her. I once again melded my mind into hers. Thinking to myself.

"It's going to be alright."

Only when I spoke to my mind, I could hear a small whisper of feminine words within my mind.

"I'll be fine."

I was surprised that I raised my head. She did as well. Looking at her. I then spoke again. And as I did, she too, spoke once more with the same words that I had.

"Is that you?"
"Is that you?"

We stood there for a moment. Unsure if we were really speaking to one another. She smiled and hugged me.

"It wasn't all in my head. You were talking to me the other night!"

I realized now what I had done. She was a Force Sensitive. Not only that, but she could use Telepathy as well, I knew how to. From this, we could talk to each other without even uttering a real word. I was surprised by her strength in when she hugged me. I was sure she might break some of my bones when she finally released me.

"Yes. I did. Do you remember your name?"
"Not really. I remember people calling me Mayra, but that's it."
"Well then to me you are Mayra. I am so glad I can finally talk to you. Been kind of difficult to explain stuff when you can't hear me."
"Nobody else has been able to do that! I am glad you did though. I never thanked you for saving my life. I didn't know how."
"Hahaha don't worry about that. You returned the favor."
"I know....."
"I.... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up."
"it's okay... What is your name?"
"People call me.... I.... "

I bowed my head. First of all, it was rude of me to bring the part up about her killing someone. It hurt her, and I knew it did, but she was a tough girl. She was strong. I knew she would get past it. She already was beginning to do so. But her question... it scared me. Nobody had called me anything. Since I had woken up, I was not talking to people. I was either killing them, or seeing dead bodies. She was the first one who I stopped to help. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry. I don't know."

 

[Garza]

Her face was visibly sad as I said I didn't know. She knew what was happening. I lowered my head almost to my chest. It killed me. I didn't even know my own name. I knew I had the force. I knew how to use it. I had skills that men would kill and die for, but I couldn't remember... anything.

I stood there. Thinking. Wondering. Wishing that I could remember what I had last been called. Running a hand through my greasy hair, I took a few steps back. Backpedaling away from her, it looked like I was trying to keep the monster side of me away from her. Gripping my hair on my head, I began to pull on it and cringe from pain. Pain of not remembering anything. I could hear her come closer to me and I held a stop hand out. Turning away from her, I could feel myself well up.

My stomach hurt. I felt sick. My head pounded. I didn't know who I was. No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't remember anything. Tears started to fall down my cheeks. My jaw was tight as I tried to keep them from falling. This girl was leaning on me, depending on me to keep her alive. If anyone should be crying, it should be her. not me!

I walked over towards a wall and away from Mayra. Tears were falling now. I couldn't hold it back anymore. My breathing was heavy and raspy. My chest shook. The crying shakes were hitting me hard. Releasing my hair, I placed the same hand on the wall. Yelling into it. My hands shaking. I was scared. Angry. Afraid. My hand balled up against the wall. My knuckles feeling the cold stone.

"I CANT REMEMBER!"
Slam
"I CANT KARKING REMEMBER!"
Slam
"WHY!?"
Slam
"W-Why!"
Slam
Slam
Slam

I couldn't stop myself I kept punching my fist into the stone. Punching it hard enough to break and crack it. I was about to to it for another time when I felt someone wrap their arms around me. Pulling my head back, my face was bright red and wet with tears as I looked through the blur of my anger to see a girls arms wrapped around me from behind. Her body against my back, She just hugged me. No words. Nothing. My fist came down once more on the stone, only to sit there. Not punching it, just resting. My head hit the stone. Softly I stood there. Crying.

I couldn't do anything. I had been alone for so long, I never thought about what I called myself. Now that I did... It killed me.

I could hear within my head, the soft voice of a girl. So sweet, so caring, kind and filled with... love.

"It's okay. Let it out if you need to. I'm here to listen."

I felt so much better just knowing that. I started to cry again. I loosened the grip she had on me only to turn around and hug her. Her head resting just at my shoulder, her arms around my waist as she squeezed. I could almost hear the smile in her voice that came to my head.

"You helped me, now its time to return the favor."

 

[Garza]

I was no longer crying. We had stood there for ages it felt. Standing and crying together. Slowly the situation simmered down. We were just holding each other. Trying to comfort each other just from the single fact that we were there. Eventually, I had a hold of her head against my chest. We were breathing easy, our crying had ceased, and I felt all the much better from it. I knew she did as well. Her body shivered a little from some chill down her spine, and then pushing me back a little, she spoke to me while looking up.

"Thank you Aramir."

I was about to thank her as well, but then I realized she had called me Aramir. I smiled a little, and she did as well. I had no clue what it meant as a word, but it sounded good, and well, I liked it.

"Aramir it is."

I had pulled her in again and hugged her tightly. it was a small squeeze, and it felt good. We released each other and then pointing to our right, I started to walk off in that direction. We now, once more, had the task of trying to get to the end of this maze of horrors.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

Closer and closer we got to the mountain at the center. Larger and larger the mountain was beginning to look more like a wall of dirt and stone. I could see the many formations within the side. It was so large that it took up almost our entire field of view. Continuing to move on, we could hear a rabble ahead of us. Looking her her, I nodded my head. She did as well in return. I began to jog, and then go into a sprint, She did as well. Following me after the time I had showed her how to use the force to increase her speed.

"I know you may not want to, but you need to be prepared for whatever happens. If you have to do it a second time, don't be afraid to do it."
"Yes, I am ready."

I knew the girl was saying that more for herself than for me, but I wanted her to know that it was alright to kill, it was fine to protect yourself with whatever means necessary. She had a spear and a short sword to do so. I myself having a short sword as well, and one that had a rather wide guard. I looked behind me to see that she was right on my tail. Ready to fight, she looked strong. She looked fierce. She was ready.

The yelling, and clashing of swords was loud. Increasingly so every stride we grew closer. We turned around corner after corner. Following the sounds of men and women falling in battle. Only, as we turned one last corner, we came into a giant courtyard. At the very end, was a large door. Closed shut from unseen forces, and in the yard...

Stood nothing but a field of grass, broken blades, blaster rifles, and the bodies of a battle long ago.

 

[Garza]

After turning the corner, there was nothing. Absolute silence. It confused me. There was fighting, people dying. Only now, they were gone. Stepping out slowly, I drew the sword from my belt. A simple short sword, I turned around. Holding the sword tightly with my right hand, and my left open and right next to it should I have to grip the blade with both hands. Spinning slowly around in a circle, I looked to see that nobody was here. Nothing. Absolutely dead. The feeling of nothing there when you had thought something was... scared me. I didn't know what was happening. I looked around me. Seeing many bodies that were older than dirt itself.

Mayra came up to me. Resting a hand on my arm, her voice entering my head once more as she couldn't physically ask me the question.

"What's wrong Aramir?"

Letting my arm drop, I then reached down. Grabbing an old blaster pistol. Shoving it into my waist band, I then grabbed two idencical ones and handed them to Mayra.

"I thought I had felt something, I guess I was wrong. Grab a rifle and lets get out of here."

She nodded her head and reached over to one of the old Clone War era blaster rifles. Hell, even the armor was here as well, But it would take a while to put it on, and I didn't want to stay here for that long. Looking to the other end, there was a door that was closed. A large door that felt like the end of the line. Walking towards the door, I could feel the darkness. I could feel the power radiating from it. I knew she could too. Her face was contorted and looked quite afraid on what would be happening behind these doors.

I closed my eyes,

and pushed the doors open.