The Darkening: Chapter Five

You must be strong now. You must never give up. And when people make you cry and you are afraid of the dark, don't forget the light is always there.

Jysella has a smile on her face as she returns home from her date with Jacen Solo. She comes around the corner, and starts up the walkway to her house. With a sudden tingle in the Force she stops and looks around. A frown replaces her smile for the first time in hours, and she turns back to the house, just in time to be smashed in the face with an egg.

She screams at the shock of being hit with something as another egg comes flying out at her from the darkness. She ducks letting the egg fly over her head, and as she straightens gets hit in the back of the head by an over ripened redfruit.

The laughter erupts from the three girls as they run from their hiding places, and Jysella watches them and falls to her knees, crying. The door opens, and Corran steps out, seeing his daughter covered with food, kneeling in the walkway crying.

He walks down the steps, towards her, his eyes flashing yellow and red. As he speaks, his voice is harsh and cold. "Get up."

Jysella looks up at her father, startled by his presence and tone of voice. "Daddy?"

"I said, get up."

Jysella stands, the tears still streaming down her face. She can feel her father's eyes boring into her, and she keeps her head bowed slightly.

"Why didn't you fight back? Why did you just sit there and accept it? Are you some type of weak-minded fool?" Her father's voice cuts her to the quick of her soul, especially how they seem to repeat back the taunts her classmates spat at her earlier in the day.

"But Daddy, Master Skywalker said that I should learn to control my anger, and not strike out."

Jysella lets out a short, sharp scream as her father strikes her face, knocking her back to her knees. She once more lowers her head and starts to sob. Then she has to bite back another scream as her father grabs her hair and pulls her head up by it. "Stop crying."

Then he pushes her over, so she's lying on her side in the dust. "Get inside and go to bed." He turns from her, and without looking back at her disappears into the house. For a moment, she stays where she is at, crying, desperate in the pain and misery. Finally she picks herself up, and walks into the house, and goes to her room.

She steps into her room, dropping her food and grass stained robes to the floor. As she is about to climb into her bed, she sees her puzzle box laying there on the bed. She cocks her head, as she notices that tonight it shines with an odd internal light, causing the sigils carved on its sides to glow red. She picks up the box, and the box thrums for a second.

Then the space above the box flickers, as a red hologram resolves itself into existence. Jysella peers closely at the man that appears above the box, smiling as she has never seen a red-tinged hologram before; just blue or full color ones.

Then to her amazement the hologram speaks to her. "Greetings young one, I am the Custodian."

"What are you?"

The hologram smiles at her. "I am the Custodian. I guard access to the knowledge contained within."

"Oh, you're like a Jedi Holocron."

The Custodian smiles for a second as he nods his head. "Something like that. Now, how can I assist you? You appear to have been crying recently."

Jysella hesitates a moment, and then tells the Custodian everything that had happened between herself and the other girls, and ending with what happened with her father this evening.

The Custodian strokes his chin for a second. "And this makes you angry?"

"Yes."

"Then you need to learn to harness this anger, and learn from it. Nurture it, and let it give you the power you need."

"But Master Skywalker-"

"Is scared of letting you know the power you truly wield. Trust me, your emotions, anger chief among them, can give you power and abilities which you have only dreamed of. You are strong, and can control this power. I can sense it."

Jysella sets the box on her nightstand and sits on her bed, thinking hard. "But what of the Dark Side?"

"The Force is one, light, dark, they are both just meaningless labels applied by those who are unable to understand the truth. It is all a matter of your abilities and what you are able to do. Light, dark, they come from inside of you."

Jysella smiles, and leans closer to the box. "Tell me more."

The Custodian returns her smile and does.

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Jacen is walking back to his house from his date with Jysella. With a lopsided grin plastered on his face, he is not paying attention to where he is walking as he is mentally reviewing the entire evening. As he enters the small yard that surrounds his quarters, he sees Ben sitting on the steps that lead up into his house.

"Good evening Ben."

Ben doesn't look up. "Master."

"What's wrong Ben?"

"She's half your age Master."

Jacen laughs, and can feel Ben's anger flare in the Force. "Is that what this is about? Jysella?"

Ben stands up, and glares at his Master. "Yes! You knew through our bond that I liked her, I know because I felt you poking around in my feelings for her while I was dueling her earlier today."

"So what are you going to do about it? Are you going to fight me for her? A grand duel to the death? Or are you going to offer yourself to her, and let her decide who she wants?" Jacen's eyes narrow, and he allows a smirk to cross his face. "Or are you going to sit on my doorsteps pouting?"

"This is all a game to you isn't it? You're using her as a training device to see how I respond to things."

Jacen smiles and brushes past Ben entering his house. "Maybe, or maybe I just think she's an amazing, fascinating woman."

Jacen closes the door on a fuming Ben, and sighs as he leans against the door. Giving his face a quick rub, he wonders just how he managed to find himself in this situation. Deciding he could use some advice, he quickly comms his sister.

A bleary eyed Jaina answers. "Do you have any idea what time it is Jace?"

"Sorry sis, but I have a problem."

Jaina's eyes open slightly wider at that. "A problem the great and might Jacen Solo can't solve himself?"

"No need for the dramatics Jaya."

"Sorry little brother can't help it. So what seems to be your problem."

"I took a girl out on a date tonight."

"That sounds like a problem for her."

Jacen glares at his sister a second before continuing. "It was Jysella Horn, and I had a great time. The problem is that Ben likes her too." Jaina's laughter interrupts him, so he stares at her until she gets herself under control once more. "I know you have that whole love triangle down between you and Kyp and Jag and Zekk, I was wondering about any advice you could give me."

Jaina shakes her head. "Just good luck." Then her hologram flickers from existence as she cuts the connection, leaving Jacen frowning irritably at the empty air in front of him.