Remember this one? ^^^ I literally made it 2 years and 8 months ago, and now finally the scene is here. Only further proves that patience is the key to everything.

"Now, where were we?"

Obi Wan reached out his hand, offering it to me. Without even a second of contemplation I took it, relishing in the feeling of the coarse skin of his fingers enveloping mine. I felt a connection deep within me responding to the touch, as if awakening from a deep slumber. Warmth spread through my arms as he pulled me up alongside him, his gaze fastened to mine all the while.

His eyes spoke a thousand words, from are you okay? to I love you, and I'm so very glad you're here. They darted over my body, noticing the dirt covering me and the soft bruises blooming on both my throat and wrists before they connected with mine again. I only had to nod and smile at him for the tension to leave his shoulders, and his gaze to dart towards our enemy.

"Kenobi." The sith drawled slowly. "Good of you to join us." Maul's eyes had settled on Obi Wan's figure, inspecting his body, his stance. Trying to assess his weaknesses, no doubt, trying to find one he could exploit. "Trying to save your damsel, I take it?" When his gaze went to mine and a smirk started to play around his lips, I knew he'd found it.

I wasn't going to accept it, no, I was going to show him how very wrong he actually was. "Obi, the Aether!" My vision went red as I charged straight towards the sith, my fingers clenched tightly around lightbringer's hilt as I lifted it for the assault.

Maul quickly settled into a defensive stance, deflecting my first attack with ease and already preparing for another, swinging his double bladed lightsaber the other way around as his whole body turned with the motion, putting the full force of his body weight into the attack. I was just in time to catch the other side before it could've cleaved me in two. Our sabres flared as they pushed against each other, golden against red, our eyes meeting in between the sparks.

"I'll make you regret humiliating me." I hissed, my voice barely overpowering the buzzing of our lightsabers. My vigour overpowered the tearing feeling of his poison running through me, the saber in my grip making the drag a little bit less.

"Doctor, doctor." He grinned widely. "Have you learned nothing?" His eyes stayed connected to mine, but when he saw a figure in the corner of his vision darting for the red light his attention was quickly snatched away.

But my goal had already been reached. Obi Wan's hands closed tightly around the Aether, snatching it from the floor. At the first touch of his fingers the red flared brightly, almost angrily, and pulsed. "Obi?!" Both Maul's and mine' hold on our sabres weakened as our attention darted his way, just in time to see the blast coming and prepare for it. The power seared through the room and threw all of us backwards.

I had managed to lodge myself on my two feet and shielded my eyes from the brightness with my arm, only lowering it when the energy had dissipated. As my vision recovered, I spotted the Aether laying between us and Obi, who was thrown against the wall. He was dazed, his hand massaging his temple as he tried to stand back up, eyeing the artifact with more resentment than before.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Maul reaching out to the Aether again, fingers outstretched and the air thrumming with the force he used. It bounced and then quickly shot our way and out of Obi's reach. "Watch out!" He yelled in warning as he pushed himself off the floor and after the object.

Without thinking I jumped towards the sith, ploughing my armoured elbow into his nose. He stumbled back with a pained groan, hand flying up to stop the blood that now flowed down his face. I pushed him further backwards with a subsequent kick, out of the range of the Aether's trajectory, and snatched the artifact from the air as it neared.

I held in my breath as I waited for whatever was coming, fearing that the Aether would explode and take us all with it. But this time it didn't push me away as it did Obi Wan, no, it was as if it extended its tendrils and wrapped around me. The red power circled around my arms and torso in the same way it had clung onto Anduin's figure in the vision. It seemed as if it seeped into my very skin, making dark tendrils visible amidst the pale hues, dancing amidst the freckles and birth marks.

At first it felt as if I was endless, an infinite well of power that was only further expanding. All that seemed impossible before was now right at my fingertips, ripe for the taking. Arthas, Sidious, Ragnarök, I could beat them all without breaking a sweat. All I had to do was use that artifact, and I would be unstoppable, Valeria would be unstoppable. I stood perplexed for but a second, eyeing the strange essence, before I snapped out of that trance and forced those thoughts out of my head.

"Watch out!" Obi Wan blurted. Maul had aimed another strike right at my neck. I barely even heard Obi Wan's warning as I darted through under the attack, dodging nimbly and dancing on my feet as I darted backwards.

I knew the Aether's powers, the way it could extract someone's force ability, could remove any curse, illness or affliction. If I wanted to, I could leave Maul powerless. I just didn't know how to use it, and I didn't have the time to figure it out with him already readying another assault.

With one swaying motion I scooped power out of the artifact, as much as I could reach in the deep pit of energy it contained and directed it all at Maul. At that exact moment Obi Wan had wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me from the range of Maul's saber while his other hand used the force to push away the enemy. The sith yelled in anguish as the combination of Obi's power and my beam connected with his chest, his lightsaber grazing my neck as he was then thrown back against the distant wall.

Obi's hand settled on my hip, the other curled through my hair at the nape of my neck as his upper body shielded me from the blast. I settled my nose into his tunic, if only to smell the familiar scent of him, to finally feel his warmth seeping through his clothes.

My hand instinctively wandered to his side, to the place where he'd been impaled, to the wound that had almost taken him from me. When all I felt was his warmth and smooth skin, I sunk deeper into his hold, into the embrace I had longed for ever since I had left him behind on the floor in Adrena.

Stone crumbled and fell to the floor, and it was only when I opened my eyes and looked over Obi's shoulder that I saw the crater in the wall that we'd created, a hole through which Maul had been blast away. The edges burned with red power, the smoke curling on the ceiling, but the sith himself had disappeared into the darkness beyond.

After making sure the sith wouldn't be coming back for a few moments, he turned to me fully. "Are you okay, my darling?" While the grip he had on my waist tightened, the one in my hair pulled me back so he could look into my eyes. His thumb settled against the corner of my jaw, drawing me up so I could face him.

No matter how hard I tried to fight it, butterflies still danced in the bottom of my stomach. My breath stocked in my throat as my eyes settled on his, relief flooding my senses as that steely determination shone there brightly, the warrior's heart of a jedi, but also the empathy and kindness of the man underneath that I had come to know and love. I almost forgot about the ancient artifact in the palm of my hand, the one I'd been searching for ever since I'd gone to Coruscant.

The bliss was short lived, for I knew we were still in the midst of danger. With pain in my heart, I tore my eyes away from his. "We have to hurry." I whispered as I snatched his wrist from my cheek and sprinted towards the exit. He quickly matched his pace with mine and darted with me, glancing over his shoulders to the gaping black hole we'd left behind.

"I don't doubt you've met his friends?" I questioned as I pulled him with me, our fingers threading together after I'd lowered my hand from his wrist. He squeezed the moment our grip had settled. The previous fear that had had me running through the halls was now quickly replaced by a sureness, a sense of safety. It all emanated from that very spot we stayed connected, to the place where his warmth was now seeping through my skin.

"You mean those gigantic hounds, the wolf-god or the Mandalorian soldiers?" He sounded exasperated as we squeezed through the entrance leading to the Aether's resting place. His hand unconsciously touched my waist as we passed the entrance, readying for another attack. "Because, yes, they seemed very... delighted to see me. Received a rather walm welcome, even."

I had to fight the chuckle that had tried to bubble up. "Great, then you know what we're up against." I spoke but came to a quick halt when Fenrir jumped into our path. Obi Wan basically collided with me from behind, his grip falling to my waist to steady me.

The wolf lowered his head, growling low in his throat as his eyes glared at Obi Wan. Or rather, his single eye. The other was now bloodied and closed, a single slash running down his eyelid and dripping blood onto his face. But it wasn't the only wound he'd sustained. The wolf had his left paw lifted from the floor, his fur above his ancle smoking. From the furious look in his eyes I got the impression he didn't hurt himself with his own claws.

Obi Wan lowered his lips to my ear, pressing up against me. "Maybe now is the time to summon your fire, my love."

A shiver ran down my spine at the deep rumble of his voice. "Would if I could." My voice shook as I stared down the wolf, but quickly shoved down that fear. "Fenrir." I matched the low timbre of his growl as I pushed Obi Wan further behind me, his grip instinctively tightening.

The wolf followed the movements and darted to the right, so that he could keep him within his sights. It was clear to me that while I remained no threat to him, in his mind the man behind me definitely was. "He's a friend."

"You befriended a god?" Obi Wan murmured. While his free hand reached out to his lightsaber, mine was calmy motioning towards the wolf. When the beasts seemed to calm down, he added with a hint of pride. "I'm impressed, princess."

I couldn't help the warm feeling in my chest that his words awakened. "Not befriended, exactly." I whispered as I grasped onto that strange power within me and lifted it to the surface. My eyes flared red, shadows playing around my shoulders as I pulled on that strange and dangerous cord. "He serves the Blackwings. It just so happens that I, -"

"- am bound to one." Obi Wan finished. I quickly glanced at him over my shoulders, thunderstruck for a moment, widened eyes meeting his as my heart stilled in my chest. "I know." He continued, not even fazed by the red glow my eyes now emanated or the darkness waving around me. "I figured it out."

I quickly tore my gaze away from his, mind running over everything. "Right." Ignoring the stabbing feeling within my chest, I returned my gaze towards the beast. "Be a good wolf, and focus on the other one, please."

The beast stilled as he watched that power, his fur again lining up with his mince body. When I let that power flare angrily he quickly pulled back and lowered into a bow. Fenrir seemed to have understood, for he calmly stalked around us and faced the entrance Maul would soon appear from. Judging from the way growls were already rumbling in his throat as he watched the darkness, he wasn't far behind.

I let out a deep sigh of relief before resuming the path towards the exit of those halls. "Then you know why we have to get this thing out of here." As my fingers tightened around the artifact, I felt it pulsing beneath my skin, felt it reaching out towards me. It seemed as if it was trying to engulf me within it, like it had almost done the moment I'd touched it.

Suddenly Obi Wan pulled on the arm that was holding the Aether, making me halt in my tracks, and spun me to face him. Had I not placed my free hand against his chest I would've tumbled over. "Obi!" I whispered harshly, eyes narrowed in confusion as they darted to the entrance behind him, hoping that Maul hadn't yet caught up.

"No, I know why we have to destroy it." He spoke simultaneously, eyes peering into mine to make me understand.

"Destroy it?" I took a moment to make sure he was being serious, studying his expression closely. The halls were dark, now only illuminated by the Aether's red light. It cast eery shadows on his face, but it was enough for me to decipher it. "Obi Wan, it's the only thing that can save me."

"It will kill you, Lyanna." He protested as his hand rose to my cheek and planted a free strand of hair behind my ear. "And it's too dangerous to keep around."

I stumbled over my words as I watched him, heart hammering within my chest. The artifact was dangerous, I knew that. It had corrupted my father before and turned Arthas even more mad. But I needed but a single thing from it. I knew that it would entail risks, but not enough to make me turn away from it. I had been searching for too long to give up.

"No, no, you don't know what you're talking about." Turning around to the exit once again I pulled on my arm, trying to free it from his grasp but he wasn't even giving me an inch.

"Arthas is keeping you alive right now, keeping you here. You need him as your anchor."

"No, I don't." I stopped trying to pull myself free and faced him once again. It was no surprise to me that the jedi had figured it all out, as I had but mere hours ago, but he didn't truly know what he was talking about. He wasn't a Valerian; he didn't know the Seidr like I did. He didn't have that damned curse wreaking havoc in his mind. "I have you, Obi, and that will be enough. Now, let's go."

"Do you not remember everything that's happened the last few months?" Obi Wan interjected, referring to the numerous fights we'd had, to the way my scar had deteriorated so badly it'd almost consumed me. To the infinite amount of emptiness I'd felt when he'd shut me out, a void I had almost become lost in.

I closed my eyes against the memories, trying to chase them out of my head. The squeeze of his hand brought me back to the present. "I'm not planning on repeating it, but it is not a risk I'm willing to take, Lyanna." He waited for me to respond, watching me as I slowly opened my eyes again. "We have to destroy it."

I clenched my jaw and avoided his intense gaze. "This is no place for a discussion, Kenobi." He wasn't going to give up, I was sure, but I couldn't either, not at that moment. I pulled on his grasp again and turned us away. "We'll have your debate when we're out of here."

"There is no time, -" I yanked on his grasp in the direction of his thumb, freeing myself in one move. "Blast it, Lyanna!" He cursed and quickly ran after me.

I ignored him and fastened my footsteps, having the exit in sight. It was when flashlights suddenly lighted up those far away walls that my steps slowed. As he came within reach, Obi's hands quickly found my upper arms and pulled me behind him.

"There they are!" Commander Saxon, one of Maul's troops, emerged from behind the corner with more of his soldiers behind him, their blasters pointed straight towards us. With us holding the only source of light in the large cavern, we weren't hard to spot amidst the darkness. "Subdue them!"

I quickly glanced backwards as the rain of fire started, knowing Obi would take care of it, only to see Maul facing the wolf at the other end. His red saber outlined Fenrir's black silhouette but hid his own figure. "We're pinned." I cursed while Obi Wan easily deflected the shots pointed our way. My eyes scanned the entire area as my hands held onto both Obi's upper arm and the aether, trying to find another exit amongst the darkness but finding none.

Before, I could've driven that darkness away with but a single wave of my hand and revealed the vast underground hall. I could've burned them all to a crisp without breaking a sweat, if it hadn't been for that damned poison.

Remove any curse, illness or affliction. I could definitely use that fire within me, the very power that was still flooded by the deathshot running through my veins. Surely, it could deal with something as simple as a sedative.

While Obi Wan concentrated on making sure we weren't getting shot I directed all my attention towards the Aether in my hand. "Come on, how do you work?" Mumbling under my breath I twisted it around between my fingers, feeling the strange power running up my arm from where it connected with the metal.

"Lyanna, there's no time, destroy it!" Obi Wan caught onto what I was doing, continuing his defence as he inched us backwards towards the middle of the cavern while the mandalorians neared. Their fire didn't slow even a bit, giving him no time to take the aether from my hands. He'd managed to reflect some of the blasts back towards the soldiers, but most still inched closer thanks to their impenetrable armor.

Instead of plunging my saber through the core of it as he would've wanted, I myself dove into its depths, exploring the vastness it contained, like a well that plunged so deep I couldn't ever try to find the bottom. It opened up to me, and soon flowed all around me. The very cavern we were in trembled with the power that surged through the air, dust falling from the ceiling as cracks started to form in the ancient structure.

Mingled with the wolf's cries and the sound of the blaster fire, the noise was almost deafening. Still, I managed to shut it all out as I tried to find a way through the vastness, a way to extract the poison numbing me. I could feel the tendrils clinging onto me, and instead of succumbing to their hold I willed them to find the poison. Willed them to grasp onto it and pull it out of me.

They seemed to follow my commands. With every second that ticked by, the numbing feeling tore away, pulled into the flaring orb in my hands. It felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders, as if I could breathe again and taste the air. Still, I was caged, but by another thing entirely. While the poison was still being extracted my mind already wandered to the bond that existed within me. Commanded the power to reach that as well and tear it apart.

With that very thought another massive surge of power emanated from me that shook the entire cavern, made those cracks explode and collapse the ceiling. The entire mountain roared in protest, as if what I was doing was blasphemy of the highest order. If it hadn't been for Obi Wan's arm wrapping around my figure and pulling me out, I would've been buried underneath miles of ruins.

But it also pulled me out of my concentration and made me let go of the Aether. It was flung away with the blast, scattered a few feet away from us. We both landed on the ground, hard, the air forced out of our lungs and dust settling on our limbs. Obi Wan had taken most of the impact but was able to keep us from being buried with the force, creating a cocoon around us with his hand lifted.

As I returned to the surface I could still feel the poison trying to drag me down. With my face laying in the dust, and Obi Wan's body shielding mine from above the first thing I thought about was that source of power that was laying there, unprotected and ripe for the taking. I didn't even notice his strangled groans as he fought against the tons of weight trying to bury us.

"Dammit!" I cursed and pulled out of his arms, already reaching out to the artifact once again, not caring about the Mandalorians that were nearing us and searching the rubble. I didn't even look to see where Maul was after all this, or if Fenrir had survived the collapse.

"Lyanna, don't!" His words fell on deaf ears and he wasn't able to reach out to me while holding up the weight off all the rubble that would otherwise bury us alive.

I basically crawled towards the flaring orb as it lay amongst the debris, fingers trying to reach it as I neared. When my fingertips barely grazed the surface black ones suddenly grasped around it, snatching it right out of my reach.

"No!" My eyes followed its path and realized Maul himself had gathered the artifact from the floor. It took but a second for him to spot me and deliver a kick to my stomach with his metal leg. I doubled over and fell to the side, groaning against the pain as it tore through me.

His red eyes watched it madly, his lips widening into a grin as the shadows devoured him, the tendrils sweeping around him chaotically. "Finally, it is mine." Maul whispered above me, raising the Aether into the air as I could only watch in fear.

When a huge chunk of debris was suddenly flung at him I had to cover my head with my arms to be shielded from the blast, eyes closed as the explosion rang through my ears. When I opened them, I saw Maul still stumbling backwards and the essence of a red shield disappearing into the air.

"Now, now, Kenobi." He grinned as he recovered, regaining his footing. I followed his gaze to the single man standing behind me.

Obi Wan's chest heaved with effort, numerous lifted debris held in the air, eyes arrowed at the sith standing before us. "Drop the Aether, Maul." He threatened as he spun the rocks, all at his command.

Maul actually laughed as he watched the jedi and the possible avalanche he could send his way. "It is time for my revenge, Kenobi." He drawled as his eyes narrowed, the mad grin widening. "Are you ready for your end?"

Obi Wan only huffed angrily, his face contorting into a scowl, before he send all the pieces of rock his way one by one. My eyes widened at the display, momentarily thunderstruck as I crawled backwards from the chaos. Maul groaned and yelled as he tried to shield himself from the onslaught, inching backwards with every single collision that rained rocks everywhere.

A red shield sparked from the Aether, protecting him from the worst of it, but it was clear that it was straining to hold. He didn't notice that with every throw Obi Wan himself had stepped closer, and after he'd thrown the last piece had taken his saber into his hand. If it hadn't been for the shield still covering him, the next blow would've pierced the sith in half.

Maul was thrown back as it succumbed to the attack and evaporated, snarling angrily as his hand snatched his saber from his belt and ignited it. "You've grown stronger with the force." He growled under his breath and lifted his weapon, blocking the next attack aimed at his head. "Is it anger that drives you, jedi?"

Obi Wan groaned as he pushed and pushed, their weapons straining against each other as the sabers slowly neared Maul's vulnerable skin. Sweat was beading off Obi's forehead, his muscles straining with the effort. Even against all that, Maul grinned. "I'll enjoy taking it from you." Then, with one push he sent Obi Wan flying backwards, the force no doubt enhanced by the artifact in his hands.

My eyes narrowed and flared with power, fury filling me from within, my skin heating up and my hands balling into fists. He had no right to use that power, no claim to the eons of legacy it held. Fuelled by that rage I lifted myself off the floor in one move and darted forward, fingers stretching towards the Aether to snatch it right out of his grasp while he was still distracted. But Maul had noticed it before I could.

He dropped his saber, pointed the Aether my way and with one motion summoned a beam that went straight towards me. It connected with my chest and forced me to a halt, pushed the air out of my lungs and then proceeded to take it all. It tore on me, tried to extract everything it could touch. The dark tendrils wrapped around me but this time they weren't aiming for the poison, no, they were aiming for me.

"No!" I yelled in anguish, forced to my knees, as the only thing I could think to do was to hold on. The fire crackled and sputtered, trying to cling onto its home but it was a doomed fight. "Stop it!" One by one those tendrils found something to hold on to and wrapped tightly around it. Pulled and pulled, until luminescent golden cords appeared all over me.

"Hold on!" Obi Wan's yell echoed over it all as he made his way back towards Maul over the rubble, trying to distract him. But the sith only extended his free hand and held him there, in place, unable to do anything. I could see his muscles straining, fighting against the hold he had on him, but with the power of the Aether in his hands there was no way Obi Wan could break through. "Maul!" He yelled furiously.

"I'll take your fire, -" Maul's eyes brightened with what seemed like lust as he looked back at me. "- and that beautiful darkness you keep locked up so tight, and use it to destroy him." His fingers twisted, and with that I felt another mighty pull tearing at my heart. My back arched as it pulled at the organ, tearing my very essence out of me.

I could only gape. Any sound I tried to make got stuck in my throat, held there by the tearing pain. The fire was leaving, the last cords almost snapping, but there was one last weapon in my arsenal. A single tear glided down my cheek as I realized what I had to do, what I had to accept.

"Arthas." Mouthing the words, I prayed to the gods he'd hear me. That he'd accept the simple invitation I'd send out. My eyes darted to those golden threads, to the way they almost snapped. They glowed with the fire they held, lighting up my skin as they burned ferociously, holding on for dear life.

"I'm right here, little dragon." He spoke assuringly, his haunting voice echoing through my head. Soon the dark joined them, flowing out of the depths of me and wrapping around the cords as if trying to pull them out of the hold. The beam turned to shadows with it, the blackness being sucked into the Aether like it was nothing.

Arthas's power, that ancient thing I'd dreaded and resisted for so long, it was protecting me.

"You want power?" I hissed, tears of anger appearing in my eyes as I gritted my teeth. Maul cocked his head to the side, his eyes turning vibrant red as more and more power seeped into him. "Fine, you can have it!" Instead of trying to hold onto that burning power, I traded it for another. I threw all of the darkness within me towards him in one mighty blow.

It was too much for him to take at once. The tendrils retreated instantly, letting go of their hold on me, and instead snapped backwards to protect its home. The blow that followed had Maul flung backwards through the air and the cavern roaring, dust falling as the ceiling groaned. With the same force I had sent it out, the darkness bounced right back, within its grasp the Aether that had tried to claim it.

Just like with Maul, the power sent me flying. The darkness wrapped around me, surrounding me with its dark tendrils until all I could see was it shadows. It tore with it everything in its vicinity, making the rocks and debris fly with me through the air until we collided with one of the walls of the cavern. It couldn't take the brunt of the force, the power of the fire and darkness combined, and caved in with a mighty crash.

I was flung through the hole that it had made. Through 20 feet of stone the power tore, until finally I collided with rocky ground that was cast in starlight. The passage I'd gone through collapsed as soon as I had fallen, blocking the way through. The dust settled as I groaned, trying to get up on my elbow and take in my surroundings. I was outside, in one of the deep mountain passes, surrounded by towering barren cliffs on both sides.

"For the love of..." I cursed, limbs trembling as I tried to stand up until my eyes caught sight of the Aether lying 12 feet away. Halting in my tracks, I studied it, watching the power flare in what seemed like frustration.

I was conflicted. It had tried to take my power before, almost torn me in half, but it was also my only salvation. It was the only thing that could make me whole again, but it was also the thing that could destroy me if in the wrong hands.

So, I just had to make sure I was the only one to obtain it. My jaw clenched, my fingers itching with the need to take it, to use it in the same way Maul had used it against me. To take his power and use it to end him once and for all, to show him exactly who he had dared to mess with.

As my lips pulled into a snarl and my legs took the first step forward, arms wrapped around my waist to keep me back. "Lyanna, please." I hadn't even noticed that Obi Wan had been caught in the blast too and taken outside with me. His light tunic was covered with the dust and dirt, his fingers coated with grime and drops of blood. His usual scent of mint and pine was now clouded by the iron of the blood and dirt. "It's too dangerous." His voice was strained with pain, laden with anguish.

Without a second thought I pushed against him and forced myself out of his hold, my vision solely focussed on the Aether, its redness overtaking my entire vision, its song filling my head. "It's the only way." I hissed and stepped forward, only to have fingers wrapping around the back of my head and his thumb pressed under my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"There is always another way." He protested, clinging onto me and trying to pull me back towards him.

"Get off me!" With the palms of my hand placed firmly on his chest I pushed him backwards. I darted past him as he regained his balance with only one goal in mind. "I am done with feeling powerless, done with being insufficient, done with this damned curse driving me mad, -"

"Lyanna, stop!" As his hand tried to grasp mine again to hold me back, I quickly dodged the attempt and instead flung my other fist at his chest, the force sending him to the ground hard. A loud huff escaped his lips as he collided with the surface, but I was already on my way again without sparing him a glance. I would apologize to him when all this was done.

The moment I reached the Aether it shivered for a moment until it was taken by another force and flung right out of my reach, pulled to the jedi now on his knees behind me. "What the, -" My fingers graced the surface but was too late to grasp onto it as it flew away.

He caught it, his fingers covered with his tunic to shield his skin and thus himself from the tendrils that tried to attach to him. For a moment he started at it in bewilderment, but quickly recovered as he wrapped the remainder of the cloth around it. "This isn't you!" Obi Wan stepped back and held the Aether behind his back when I pounded towards him with a scowl, eyes darkened with anger.

"Give that to me, now, -" I growled and reached for the artifact, only to have him feigning backwards.

"Can't you see it's corrupting you?" He let me reach around him, only stepping away when I neared close enough, letting me press up against him. "Try to think!"

"I said GIVE IT TO ME!" With the anger making my vision turn red, my fist flew, aimed right at his nose. Obi Wan caught my hand mid-air, twisted it around me and pulled, making my back collide with his front as he held my wrist behind my back. He flung the Aether away and then used his free hand to wrap around my torso, keeping me tightly locked against his chest.

I needed a moment to even process what had happened, how easily he'd caught me in his grasp. "Obi Wan, let me go, now." Growling, my voice lowered to a low hum that seemed to echo through the passage.

"No, I'm not letting you go. Not now, not ever." He spoke against my ear, his hold tightening and pushing me against him. "I will not watch you destroy yourself."

I growled furiously and thrashed in his hold, trying to summon the fire. It played all over my skin, not as powerful as it used to be, but it should've burned the parts of him touching me. Yet, even as that fire burned around us, his skin remained unharmed. The flames only licked against him, harmless and useless. Even after everything, it still recognized him as a part of me.

My own fire had turned against me. "You wanted this." My voice turned into a whine as desperation grew, eyes trained on the Aether. The cloth had unwrapped, revealing the crimson core to the outside world.

It was so close, my final salvation, the remedy for all my problems. I could've torn out of Arthas's grasp and finally destroyed that infernal bond binding us together, free myself of that damned curse that haunted me, maybe even prevented Ragnarök before it had a chance to break out.

I could've kept Valeria safe from whatever prophecy haunted it. Something is coming to tear the earth; something is coming to scorch the ground. Nothing would even dare threaten us if we'd have that artifact. No one would dare lift a finger to my planet if I was the one holding the Aether.

"I only want you." The air that left his lips as he whispered caressed the skin of my cheek. I could feel his lips softly moving against me, the tenderness almost making me surrender.

"Liar!" The cry that left me had his hold tensing, his fingers digging into the skin of my hip. I didn't even notice the tears running down my cheeks until they hissed and evaporated into smoke as they met the flames. "You told me from the beginning that a darkness had taken a hold of me, that we needed to get rid of it. The entire jedi council told me so, that I needed to fight it, that it was dangerous. That I was dangerous, that this part of me needed to go."

Obi Wan clenched his jaw, burying his nose in my neck as he tried to hold back his own cries. "And now that we finally have the solution within our grasp, now that we can get rid of that part of me, you hold me back?!" I pulled against his restraints but only managed to force us to our knees, making me cry out in frustration. "You're an asshole, Kenobi!"

"Princess, please, -"

"You're an asshole and a hypocrite!" I cried, the tears blurring my vision as they ran down incessantly. "Let me finish it, let me have this chance, or I'll never forgive you, -"

"Listen to me." He interrupted me harshly, pulling me against him when I'd gained a few inches. "I don't care what the council thinks. I don't care about that darkness, Lyanna, because it's a part of you. It was always a part of you."

My sobs filled the passage as I thrashed in his embrace. "And I know it can be scary to have it, I know that it frightens not only the council but you yourself sometimes too. But it doesn't matter what they think of it, because while they may not realise or even accept it we all have it. We all have a part of us that we try to hide, a darkness within our deepest corner that we try to forget about."

My attempts to break free surrendered to the soft lull of his voice. "No, you're wrong, -" My voice wavered with sadness while his remained sturdy.

"There's a balance to all things." He released my wrist and instead used his arm to wrap around me, keeping me secure within them. "There's a galaxy's worth of good in you, more than anyone else I've ever met, and there's darkness to match it. It isn't light, it isn't dark, it is true. It is all you and I won't part with a single ounce of it."

My hands folded over his, my eyes pressing the tears out of my eyes as I doubled over, trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to escape, taking one last chance to try and break free. My teeth dug into the skin of my cheeks while my nails pressed crescent shaped wounds in the palm of my hand.

"I love every single part of you. Please don't take it away from me, don't change anything about yourself for anyone." He whispered against my temple and brushed his lips over the skin. "You are enough, Lyanna. You always were and always will be."

I didn't know how long I'd been waiting for those words. I only knew that it hit home so hard that I felt the walls within me caving in. A void opening up, a small spark lighting up in the midst of it that turned into a wildfire. A raging wave of emotion that both overwhelmed me and fulfilled me.

"You can fight this." Obi Wan pleaded.

"Obi." I sighed and released all tension, and instead of fighting just sunk into his hold. "I don't know how to."

He buried his face in the crook of my neck, planting a soft kiss on the vulnerable skin. "Then let me help you."

I smiled through the tears, a broken and simple but true smile that drove away the desperation. "I, -"

The passage behind us burst open. Stones flew through the air, pounding against the walls of the cliffs or against the force shield Obi Wan had quickly summoned to protect us. The entrance opened, revealing Maul with his hands outstretched.

But that wasn't what shocked me the most. Hellhounds gathered around him, Fenrir standing behind him protectively, while the skeletons we saw gathered around his nest now stood at attention, their red gazes fixed solely on us. Only the dark magic strung their bones together and held them upright, only that ancient power made them into such horrendous creatures that couldn't be killed or stopped by anything but fire.

"No, no, no." I mumbled under my breath, eyes widening in fear. This was Arthas's power, and part of it had transferred to Maul when I'd flung it at him. Flashes of the battle at Eagle's fall appeared before my eyes, to the countless dead that had risen, like a tide that couldn't be broken. He'd killed hundreds of innocent people without breaking a sweat, and there was no guessing what Maul could and would do with it.

I couldn't let him obtain more power. I couldn't even let him keep this, lest the entire galaxy succumb to his wrath. As if he heard that thought, his gaze quickly snatched to the Aether lying there, out in the open. Maul's face contorted into a scowl as he then focused on the artifact and tried to summon it his way.

Obi Wan quickly turned around and grasped for his lightsaber, his hold on me releasing, while I quickly darted forward. The moment he let go he realised his mistake and turned around, gaze following my figure as I darted for the Aether. "Lyanna, no!"

My fingers closed around the artifact without any hesitation. It opened, lowering its boundaries, letting its tendrils sink into my skin, seeping its power into me and trying to pull me within it. All of that power, all of it that it had taken and conquered laid bare before me. For all that power, snapping a bound like Arthas's and mine would be like cutting a thread. Entire planets would bow before it or be destroyed like ants before a fire.

For centuries the Aether had taken power from force users, from all different species and civilizations. Corrupted its leaders and turned them into power hungry people that turned against their own. That made my father mad with greed and made him betray his own wife and brother. It had fed on his fears, on his deepest desires and his anger, and turned it into a weapon. By the time the edges of him dulled and his power had lessened, it'd called out to another.

After what had happened on Coruscant, after all we'd been through ever since then, I decided I wasn't going to be a weapon to be wielded again. I wasn't going to be another one of its victims. No matter how easy the task seemed, how little time it would take, the Aether would always find a way to corrupt its wielder. It would always need more.

But, as it had shown me when I had flung the darkness at it, it itself couldn't always handle more. Not when given in one blow.

Instead of trying to snap the cord that bound me and Arthas together I pulled on it and let all of his remaining power flow into me. It mixed with that endless fire and turned it into a new kind of essence. One that was all-encompassing, a balance of all things, pure and raw life, light and darkness moulded into something new. Silver light surrounded me as my eyes lit up with it.

It would be enough to destroy anything. Both my hands closed around the artifact, trapping it within its own cage. In one surge I send all towards the Aether, let it be filled with it, overcharge it until it would combust with it. The fire danced around the edges, the darkness threading through it, the silver threads binding it all together.

Each ounce of power attacked the core and penetrated it, forcing itself upon the orb. A piercing noise came from the Aether, like a shrill shriek as it fought against the tide, trying to cope with the raging waves that fell over it. It rang through my ears as the light brightened. I didn't even know if Obi Wan or Maul was yelling or nearing, all I knew was that the power before me was expanding exponentially as I threw everything at it.

A shattering sound came as if a line was forming in glass, expanding over the surface of the orb, threatening to break under the mounting pressure. When it felt like I'd given all and my legs started to succumb to the feeling, everything exploded from within. A tidal wave of force emanated from it, throwing me to the ground as a roar tore through the earth around us. The very mountain castle Borovia stood upon trembled. A light flashed that burned stronger than any of the stars in the night's sky, rivalling even Valeria's sun.

Through the silver light, I watched as different colours escaped from the Aether's hold. All different souls, all different orbs of power from multiple families fled their prison. They darted from the broken object and fled over the cliffs, going to their home. The wave knocked over anyone near, forced us to the ground, made Maul cower backwards into the cave with his army. It looked like an entire rainbow full of colours streamed out until only a broken casket remained.

A red light flickered dully amidst the broken pieces. I watched it, incredulously, not believing that it was over. That I'd just destroyed a decennium's worth of power grasps and misery, with only my own powers to do it.

As my jaw clenched, I inched closer over the ground, a single finger nearing the last remainder. As I got close it lost its colour and turned a faded white, making me flinch back. I looked at it, mind running as my eyes widened, realizing that the Aether was created with but one power, at the hand of but a single man. Whether it was a test, a last option to fight or simply a way to entertain himself, we would never find out.

"Odin." I mumbled, eyebrows furrowing as I watched it fade amidst the broken pieces.

"Lyanna." A hand wrapped around my upper arm and pulled me upright. As I rightened, my eyes darted to newly gathered Mandalorians on the other side of the passage, the ones who'd stayed behind in the ship. Twelve or more had come, all their gazes fixed solely on us, their silence weighing.

Obi Wan's hand intertwined with mine as I looked the other way, towards the man that would with no doubt do anything to kill us now. The one who's fury I'd probably only further heightened.

I let out a deep breath as I watched it burn within his eyes. During all the time I'd spent with the sith, I hadn't ever seen it this bad. I hadn't felt the anger burning around him like an infernal halo, saw it reflected in all those corpses that he controlled.

"We're pinned." Obi Wan whispered as he pulled me against him while his other hand wrapped around the hilt of his saber. "Do you have access to your power?" He wasn't going to go down without a fight, as was reflected in the sureness of his voice. He was already doing what he did best as a general, making a plan in impossible situations.

"Not as much as I'd like." I answered, summoning the most I could and watching the meagre flames lick at my skin. Around the other arm the darkness played, wrapping around it, pulsing weakly.

Obi Wan hummed in response. His eyes went over the ones gathered, assessing the situation, calculating our chances. When he sighed deeply I had the feeling those chances were slim. "We can take some down with us." He at last spoke, igniting his saber as his eyes narrowed.

Thunder roared through the sky. Clouds gathered, darkening the cliffs and the passage. Thick raindrops fell down on us as the air suddenly charged with power. Flashes of light blinded our vision, quickly followed by the ear-splitting clap.

I smiled as I closed my eyes, face pointed to the sky, letting the rain fall down on my face. "Hmm." Humming curtly, I directed my gaze back to the sith. He was pacing with barely controlled anger, his lips pulled up into a feral snarl as water poured down on him. Behind him the corpses shifted on their decayed feet, the wolf sitting back on his haunches to ready for a charge while his fur flatted against his body

My fingers wrapped around lightbringer's hilt and summoned the blade with a flick of the button. The golden light soon illuminated the space, creating a soft green hue together with Obi's Wan's saber. The smile widened into a grin as I bend through my knees only slightly, getting ready for a fight.

"How about all of them?"

Me: disappears for a whole month without a word

Also me: returns with a chapter with the combined length of 4.

Heheheh. How are you doing? ;)

We have something to celebrate! The Valkyrie, the first book of this series, just reached 200k reads! WOW! 

Man, that's crazy. Especially because this started as just another random fantasy I'd think about before going to sleep. Now, we're 5 years further and I'm almost finished with writing the sequel. Crazy how life can be sometimes.

I hope you've been enjoying it as much as I have!