About You || Anakin Skywalker x OC ||

(32) The Gathering

"She couldn't care less, and I never cared more."

-Lana Del Rey

The icy winds of Ilum pushed against me as I exited my ship. It's been about two days since Anakin and I have become Jedi Knights and during that time I've been assigned my very own regime of clone troopers, The 7th Legion, or the 7th as we called ourselves. We were set to be deployed along with Anakin's troops the 501st in a few weeks, but in that time frame, Anakin and I both needed new lightsabers.

I haven't seen him since our... moment and honestly, I've been avoiding him. I can't stand to look at him without guilt consuming me.

Both Anakin and I's lightsabers had been lost on Geonosis, which means we had to come back to Ilum to partake in yet another gathering. Younglings stood around Anakin and I, their eyes trained on us as the group followed Master Yoda towards the ancient cave.

"I never though I'd have to do this again." Anakin muttered from next to me but I ignored him as we stood in front of a waterfall. If I'm being completely honest, I tuned most of Master Yoda's speech, instead focusing on the beauty around me. The ice glistened in the dim light and a smile tugged at my lips. It had been many years since I had last been here, and even then, I had been with Anakin.

The younglings around us gasped as the waterfall began to melt, giving way to the cave behind it. Nostalgia tugged at my stomach as I began walking, the cold walls of the cave greeting me. A faint ringing filled my ears and I took a deep breath, allowing the force to completely enter my mind.

Anakin walked beside me but as he opened his mouth to say something, I interrupted him as a tugging sensation filled my body.

"See you later." I smirked, giving Anakin a little wave before dropping to my left, a slide of ice waiting for me. I could hear Anakin yelling something behind me but the sound was lost as the slide deposited me on the floor of a cavern, the ringing in my ears growing stronger. It took me a moment to realize that those were the first words I had spoken to him since the other day.

The last few days have been pretty nerve racking. They had been filled with training with my new troopers and Anakin trying to get my attention. The things inside of me that yearned for him were wrong, I am a Jedi now, others came before myself, even if it was the last thing I wanted to do.

Forcing thoughts of Anakin from my mind, I took a deep breath, trying to steady the pounding in my heart. The ringing in my ears grew louder as I stood, following the sound through the caves. It was a lot stronger than last time. I felt more.. power as I drifted closer.

As I turned yet another corner, a large cavern greeted me and in its center, encased in ice, were two kyber crystals. My heart stopped as my gaze snagged upon them. They were beautiful, calling to me like a siren's song. Before I knew it, I was in front of the ice, my palm pressed against its cold surface as I studied the crystals before me. Their ever steady glow seemed to become brighter, like they were greeting me.

"Leora." A voice whispered and I jumped, my hand falling from the ice as I whirled to look around me. But I was alone, no one in sight, "Leoraaaa." The voice was ancient and soft, something told me that it was beyond my understanding, beyond anyones.

When finding their kyber crystals, jedi were faced with challenges that were centered around their greatest weakness. The first time I had been to Illum, I had been terrified of heights and I was forced to climb what seemed to be a thousand feet.