The soft crackling of the fire had long since become the only sound between us as we sat there, watching it keep the night away. Even with the forest calming down and easing my own mind, none of us were in a headspace to just rest and sleep. Vila sat closer to the dwindling flames than I, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. I watched her from my position, not even a meter away, my fingers juggling my crystal as my mind was thinking about what she told me about herself. I almost chuckled because the contrast between her current appearance and how she was while we sparred was day and night. But I understood why... I don't think I would be any better off in her place, either. When the first sign of morning was coming, the sky lightening and our fire going out, I stood up, stretching, jolting Vila out of her stupor.
"We should start moving," I said, my voice calm and still hushed. "If we follow the Force, it'll lead us back to the others."
I watched as her lekku twitched, but she didn't move. Leaning forward, I saw that her violet eyes remained fixed on the dying fire, a storm of emotions swirling within them. It wasn't about fearing the forest anymore; this was... something different, so I sat down beside her, touching her shoulders.
"Vila," I began, my tone as gentle as possible, "what's wrong?"
"I haven't found it yet," she admitted, her voice barely audible. "My own kyber crystal. Everyone else is finding theirs, I am sure of it... Just look at you. But... not me."
"It's not a race. The Force guides us in its own time. Maybe your crystal just hasn't revealed itself yet." I murmured, trying to soothe her mood, "Maybe you were too afraid to pick up on it until now."
"..."
"Let's try it while we walk, shall we? I am sure it will show itself to you!"
"What if it never does?" Her voice rose, tinged with frustration and fear. "What if I'm not meant to be a Jedi? What if there's nothing for me out here?" She buried her face in her knees, her words muffled. "What if I fail?"
Hearing her desperate voice and how she spoke, my heart ached at her vulnerability. I didn't know she could be like this, but I understood it. Being a slave, she built up a strong front... To not allow her to doubt herself or show weakness. So, to reassure her once more, I gently squeezed my hand on her shoulder, my voice steady but kind.
"You won't fail. The fact that you're here, that you've made it this far, and that Ben Skywalker chose you to come with us means the Force has a path for you. We'll find it together."
She didn't respond immediately, but I felt some of the tension leave her body. After another silent moment, she finally nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, and stood up, letting me pull her to her full height.
"Okay," she said softly. "Let's go."
We extinguished the fire, stamping out the last embers before setting off, the sun quickly rising on the horizon. The jungle was less foreboding in the pre-dawn light that was chasing away the darkness and replacing it with a much calmer mood. I led the way, stopping occasionally and trying to get a feel for our path or maybe lock onto Ben Skywalker's presence in the Force, without much success yet. Vila followed closely, her gaze darting nervously to the shifting shadows around us, snapping her head toward every foreign noise.
The path we soon found ourselves on was treacherous, overgrown with roots and vines that seemed intent on tripping us at every step. I kept moving carefully, using my training to sense the safest route through the dense undergrowth. Vila, though still shaken a little, finally began to focus on her movements, her natural agility helping her navigate the terrain much better than I did.
Hours passed as we trudged through the jungle, and no matter which direction I took her, the path became increasingly harder as we traveled. It was as if the Force was putting us through another test, guiding us into another obstacle to show how well-prepared we were. I paused at a clearing at the end, scanning the area for any signs of danger.
"We're heading... I think... Hm... We should be going towards where we landed. At least, from what I remember, when I left, we were towards the north. But... We may have managed to take a big detour because I don't remember the terrain being this difficult when I was traveling following my call..." I said, glancing back at Vila. "However, I think we—"
A sudden rumble interrupted me, the ground beneath our feet shaking violently. Both of us stumbled, grabbing onto nearby trees for support. Earthquake? Or...? The tremor subsided as quickly as it had begun, but the sound of cracking earth persisted. Following its origin, I turned toward the source, my eyes widening in disbelief at what I was seeing.
"Oh no," I muttered.
Just ahead of us, the ground had given way to reveal a massive chasm, separating, its edges jagged and unstable. The gap stretched wide, cutting our path into two with one swift motion. This was either a joke or... indeed, a test by the Force. Or by the planet? I couldn't tell. A bit wary of another quake, I approached cautiously, peering over the edge, surveying our sudden obstruction. The chasm plunged deep into the earth, its bottom obscured by shadows and faintly glowing crystals embedded in the walls.
"We need to cross it," I shrugged, scanning the area for a potential route. But this bastardly change came out of nowhere and stretched in both directions without an end. "There's no other way."
"How?" She asked, grimacing, "It's too wide to jump, and the edges don't look stable."
She was right, so I nodded, my mind racing. Turning back and finding a new route could take us all day again. While searching, I spotted a fallen tree nearby, most likely knocked out by the previous quake. Its trunk was long and sturdy, inlaid with thick crystalline rocks. "We can use that!" I exclaimed, pointing at it. "It's not perfect, but it will hold until we cross it."
Together, we worked to maneuver the tree into place, dragging it upright with great effort before letting it fall a second time to connect the two sides of the chasm. It was heavier than it looked, probably thanks to the crystals growing around and inside of it... But we managed to finish the work using all our strength and Force. When finished and it didn't fall into the massive hole in the ground, it took us at least fifteen minutes to just sit there, panting, regaining our strength before we even tried to cross over it.
Stepping onto it, the trunk groaned under its own weight, and I watched cracks appear on its barks.
"I don't like the sound of that," Vila grunted, and I had to agree, but... It should be fine.
To ease her mood, I tested it first, stepping cautiously onto the makeshift bridge and pushing my leg down on it. It held firm, though it creaked ominously with each step. Then I noticed it. Since the tree was embedded with crystals connected to the planet, the moment it was torn out of its place, it lost that kind of connection. The organic part of it was disintegrating, visible to the naked eye if you looked hard enough. This won't hold for long... that was now evident.
"I'll go first," I said, looking back at Vila. "We need to hurry because it is coming apart! Stay close, but not too close. If something happens, we need to be ready, and I don't want to drag you down if I fall."
"You won't fall." She corrected me, and there was a bit of anger in her voice because of my suggestion.
Still, she nodded, her fingers balling up into a fist, following along. With a long, calming breath, I began to cross, my movements slow yet firm. I took measured steps, trying to stand on where crystals jutted out of the tree, knowing those parts had to be more sturdy than the flaking barks.
"Pace your steps exactly where I do!" I yelled back to her while continuing over the chasm. The tree swayed slightly under my weight when I had to stand on parts of it where no crystals were visible, but I kept my focus, using the Force to maintain my balance. It felt like hours, but it was barely a minute until I reached the other side, allowing myself to let out a long, relieved sigh.
She was a few steps behind me, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She moved cautiously, her eyes fixed on the other side, on me, not daring to look down. Then, just as she was at arm's length, the tree shifted slightly, and she froze, her body tensing while quickly keeping her balance atop it.
"You're okay," I said at once, my voice steady, ready to jump and try to grab her if the trunk snapped. "Just a little further."
She nodded, chasing out her fears and taking another step. Then another. Suddenly, the air around us seemed to shift, picking up speed for a moment. Wind? Right now?! Really?! I almost said something nasty when I saw Vila's eyes widen as a wave of energy surged through her; unlike anything she had felt before, I could tell it. It was raw, powerful, and undeniable. She stopped, her gaze drawn downward, without any apprehension visible on her face this time around.
"Kael," she whispered, her voice filled with awe. "Do you feel that?"
I frowned at the answer because I did. Although... I felt it through her, not by myself. Stepping closer to the edge, looking down, trying to see and feel what she was locked onto like a hawk, but it was kept vague before me.
"Only for a moment," I muttered.
"The Force," Vila continued, her voice trembling. "It's... it's calling me."
Before I could respond, she knelt on the trunk, causing it to creak while peering deeper into the chasm. This made my heart jump because she was almost falling over its edge. Finally, after many long-feeling seconds, her eyes locked onto a faint glow far below, a light pulsing with an unnatural rhythm, one that only she could sense.
"It's there," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "My crystal. It's down there!"
My eyes followed hers, spotting the faint glow amidst the darkness, but I wasn't... sure. There were many like it. But, if I ignored what she was feeling, I would ignore all of our teachings.
"Can you get to it?" I asked, concern lacing my tone, but Vila nodded, determination replacing her fear.
"I have to."
"That's a long way down," I said again, my worry evident this time. "We'll need to find a safe way for you to descend."
Vila's gaze remained fixed on the crystal, not answering for another few seconds, almost making me repeat myself.
"I'll do it," she said firmly. "I can feel it. The Force will guide me. Isn't that true?" She smiled, finally glancing at me.
What could I say to that? Except agreeing... But if the Force put me together on this path, I am not going to let her do it alone.
"Okay. But we do this together!"
She didn't refute my offer, not out of pride or any other stupid reason. She excitedly ran over to my side, just so when she jumped off, the tree finally crumbled and fell apart, plunging into the chasm... making us look at each other, gulping at the same time.
Pushing down what just happened, we worked quickly, using vines and roots to fashion a makeshift harness and rope so she wouldn't need to descend without anything there to catch her. I had trust in her abilities, but I did not trust the land that just cracked apart under our feet! Not after the tree's disintegration.
I secured one end to a sturdy-looking crystal while Vila prepared herself for the descent. As she lowered herself into the chasm, I held the rope tightly, my heart pounding with every inch she sank into the abyss. I did my best to make it into a smooth descent, careful so the edge of the chasm wouldn't cut our makeshift rope.
The air grew colder as Vila plunged into the earth, her breath becoming visible, and the glow of her crystal grew brighter with each meter she neared it. I could feel through her how the Force surged around her body, and her crystal's presence became a comforting embrace. Reaching the correct altitude, she landed softly on a patch of crystalline shards sticking out of the earth's wall, the light of her kyber crystal twinkling in her eyes.
I felt it as if I was there with her, watching her approach it slowly, her heart pounding. As she reached out, her fingers brushed its surface, and a surge of energy coursed through her; I just hoped she wouldn't faint as I did.
"I've found it," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "It's mine."
"Are you okay?" I shouted down, knowing she had said something, but I couldn't hear her.
"I'm fine," she called back, her voice happy beyond question. "I've got it!"
I sighed in relief before shouting again.
"Let's get you back up here before something unexpected happens again!"
"On it!" She yelled as she began climbing. I kept pulling, speeding up her ascension, matching her rhythm.
As she reached the top, warm rays of sunlight broke through the jungle canopy, bathing us in a golden light just at the right moment. It felt as if this was indeed preordained. I watched as Vila held up her crystal, its warm glow reflecting the strong light.
"Thank you," she said softly, her eyes meeting mine. "For everything."
"That's what friends are for," I answered with a grin, feeling just as happy as she did. I couldn't help but compare this feeling to my own success, and... it felt just as good. I just wish my family could also understand how it feels when you succeed in helping someone...