//------------------------------// // Mana Caves // Story: The Twi'lek // by Gallants //------------------------------// The badlands were hot, and it took a few days to reach where we were, "Okay, so students will be split into groups of 3, Blueblood, Sasha, and Twilight will be in my and Corporal Cereus' groups," I didn't really listen to the Princess after that I just moved to my group, Cereus went over some rules and she pulled out flashlights passing them to us, "So students do you know why these caves are so unique?" the Princess asked having finished splitting the younglings into their groups, "some two hundred or so years ago, a few groups of mages got into a battle, many spells backfired that day and has left these caves saturated with mana, legends say some of the mages absorbed so much mana that they still roam the caves to this day, spooky huh?" I began to chuckle soon followed by Blueblood which evolved into bellied laughs, Twilight really tried to hold it in, but she too devolved. When we entered the caves proper it became clear we probably wouldn't need the lights there were glowing Crystal's lining the walls and ceiling the Princess was more happily giving off facts about what we passed. As we went deeper I slowly became uneasy, something was wrong here, only I seemed to be aware, however, chalking it up to nothing I continued to walk, "Sasha, did you hear, the Princess said these crystals were popular for making new mana focuses maybe we can snag one on the way out?" After I shrugged the suggestion off with a maybe, we continued through the caves for a while longer when the floor broke beneath me with a yelp I began to slide down a crystal tunnel I was shortly set down at the end. Sighing I stood up and dusted off my new clothes before I was pushed back down to the ground, "Sorry about that, but you were in the way," Blueblood had landed on me, Looking back up the slide we came down I could see crystal quickly forming. "Well looks like we're stuck together, and there's only one way to go," Blueblood attempted to take the lead, placing a hand on his back I told him, "If the legends are true I should take the lead," he had no objections to that, taking the lead we headed down the tunnel slowly the glowing crystals began to disappear, drawing my flashlight I noticed the surfaces changed from crystal to a gnarled black. Moving further into the dark corridor I heard a small whimper and felt a pull on my robes, turning around I saw Blueblood facing away from me, "Sasha where did the tunnel go?" his voice was shaky, shining my light past him I saw a wall from where we came from. Soon after my light started to flicker Blueblood pulled his out and attempted to turn it on, eventually the only illumination we had was the icy glow of Bluebloods' horn. Heavy steps reverberated off of the walls, mechanical breathing reached our ears, I saw Bluebloods ears lay flat across his head, then I heard the voice. "I said I would find you Jedi, I already killed the other three now it's just you two," the sound of a saber igniting was what I needed to jump into action turning around I drew my saber but was pushed back against the wall before I could flick the switch, then I saw the red going for my companion. I lept to my feet and forced red to meet magenta, the sound of sabers making contact made Blueblood snap out of his stupor and he ducked between us running further into the cave, I quickly pushed Anakin away running after the colt. I caught up to him before he ducked into a split. "We need to keep moving we'll go down the left," he nodded before his hooves jumped and to his neck and he began to struggle for air, looking behind me I saw him holding his hand out, I brought up my saber and rushed Skywalker, I swung and he blocked, thankfully I heard the exasperated coughs and inhales from Blueblood, Anakin and I continued our duel his strikes had more power behind them so I dodged he would block, I realized our duel had led down one of the paths. I was becoming exhausted and he continued to attack without so much as a hint of stress. "You are most impressive, now release your anger and embrace the dark side it's the only way you'll defeat me," Anakin was toying with me this entire time, trying to tempt me into falling. He thrust out his hand forcing me back I lost grip of my saber and slid across the ground before I slipped off the side of a cliff gripping a rock a few feet down Anakin stood at the edge looking down on me, "A fitting end for a failure of a Jedi and a coward to boot," I blinked away tears and felt the stone I held onto become slick with my blood, reaching out with force I felt where my saber lied pulling it towards me I forced myself up the side of the cliff and flipping over Anakin I grabbed my saber mid-air landed and turned around to strike him down only to make contact with his saber. Keeping the pressure against him I used the force once more to reach the switch of his saber and deactivate it, "what," that was the last thing I heard out of him before his head fell to the ground, his body collapsing shortly after. "A fitting end for a traitor," I said turning my saber off and hanging it off my robes once more. The black material shifted into the glowing crystals once more and I saw Skywalkers' body slowly dissipate, I followed the tunnel back to where I left Blueblood still sitting there his head came up slowly. Upon seeing me standing there he galloped to me and wrapped his forelegs around me. "Thank harmony you're okay Sasha," I stood still my hands above my head, "what not much of hugger Sasha?" I laughed a bit, it seemed that maybe he would be my first friend. "No, I just don't want to get blood on your coat," he started to laugh with me, "come on let's get out of here," his laughing stopped a few tears rolled down his cheeks. "Do you think he was lying about what happened to the others?" his fear became more evident as he fell to rump. I aimed to dismiss those fears. "Yes, I think he was lying," I'd tell the Princess what happened when we got out, as I stood there feeling for whichever path would lead us to safety I felt the blood flowing down my face, one thing at a time though, "The center path is where we need to go, come on Prince," Blueblood followed close behind me soon the blood was rolling over my eyes. When we finished marching we had come out of the cave. Wiping some blood from my eyes I saw the rest of the class on the surface, a group of guards exited from one of the mouths shaking their heads, then I saw her sitting on the ground shaking and crying. I ran to her only one word came to mind, "MOM!" her head shot up before she galloped to me and swept me into a hug. "Sasha, sweetie you're covered in blood what happened to you?" she asked as she nuzzled me, "Was it Blueblood did he hurt you?" I began to laugh and cry. "No, mom Blueblood and I were attacked, by-," I was cut off by Blueblood. "It was a black monster with a glowing red sword and Sasha pulled out a glowing sword too and fought him off to protect me," for a colt who was so scared before he seemed excited now, "it was so cool, he was all like 'I found you' and she was all like 'no you don't I'll defeat you' and then they fought and I ran before she found me and told me which way we were going when I started choking the big monster was using magic to use it," all I wanted to know is if he was going to breathe, "she ran at him with her glowing sword and then they fought down a tunnel and I got scared she wouldn't come back, but then she did and she was bleeding and was nice enough to not get blood on me," mom just sat there blinking before her mouth opened. "Perhaps we should talk to the Princess about this," she said, looking at the rest of the approaching group approaching a worried Princess Celestia following just behind a medical guard. The stallion stopped and asked my mom to step aside so he could check my injuries. "Sasha my name is Quick Clot and I'm going to make sure you're okay," he said quietly while looking at my head," don't worry despite how much it's bleeding it's superficial," moving his inspection away from my head to my hands, "There are pieces of stone embedded in your hands, we'll need to flush them," he told me while lifting a squirt bottle, "this is saltwater so it's going to sting a little," the first spritz did sting but I saw the blood and black stone flow out when the last pieces were flushed out I saw the golden glow of the Princess wrapping my hands in gauze as my head began to sting from the saltwater the gauze lifted and began to wrap my head drying as she wrapped. Enjoying the sensation of not being attacked by a Sith I froze and swatted at the gauze as she began to wrap my lekku, a look of worry crossed through everyone. "They're really sensitive, it's a special thing all Twi'leks have," my statement didn't seem to calm them all that much. I grabbed the gauze and finished gently wrapping the top of my head avoiding my lekku, "Princess I need to talk to you about what happened in the caves," her worried look shifted to one of curiosity, as she glanced at the shards of rock that were flushed behind out of my hand, picking a shard up in her magic she placed it in a bag. "I have a theory as to what happened down there, but we'll have to wait till we get back to Canterlot for me to confirm it," she looked back up, "do tell me later when we have some privacy, alright my little ponies it's time for us to start heading back to dodge junction," when I got up to follow the rest of the class, I was suddenly lifted into the air before being settled on my mom's back. "You've been through enough sweetie, I'll carry you for the rest day, ok?" I just leaned foward and let my arms go limp around her neck. The March to the camp was a blur, as I drifted to sleep.