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THE SONS mocking laughter echoed off the cavern walls, reverberating through the darkness. But Aruna stood her ground, refusing to let his words take root in her heart. She wasn't giving up on Ahsoka. Not while there was still a flicker of hope.
Ahsoka's yellow eyes burned with the intensity of the dark energy that controlled her, but Aruna could still feel her true presence—small, buried deep beneath the darkness, but there. Ahsoka was fighting, even if she couldn't see it yet.
"Ahsoka, listen to me," Anakin said, his voice steady, though Aruna could hear the tightness in it—the desperation. He stepped closer, his gaze locked on his Padawan. "You're stronger than this. Stronger than him."
For a moment, Ahsoka hesitated, her grip on her lightsaber faltering. But the darkness was still holding her, tightening its grip.
"She is mine," the Son hissed, his voice a venomous whisper that sent a shiver down Aruna's spine.
"No," Aruna said firmly, stepping forward. She focused all her energy into the Force, reaching out to the small spark of light she felt within Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, we believe in you. Fight back. You can do this. Don't let him control you."
The Son's face twisted in anger, his hand reaching out toward Ahsoka, as if to tighten his hold on her mind. "You are too late, Jedi. The darkness has already claimed her."
Ahsoka's eyes flickered, her body trembling as the dark energy surged around her, but Aruna saw it—the glimmer of light pushing through.
Ahsoka's grip on her lightsaber loosened, and her knees buckled as she collapsed to the ground.
"Ahsoka!" Anakin was beside her in an instant, kneeling next to her, his hand gently touching her shoulder. He looked down at her with a mixture of relief and concern.
Ahsoka's eyes fluttered open, their natural color restored, though her face was pale and exhausted. She looked up at Anakin, her voice weak but steady. "I... I'm sorry, Master."
Anakin shook his head, his expression softening. "You have nothing to be sorry for."
Aruna stepped back, watching the two of them. The relief washing over her was immense, but what struck her most was the way Anakin looked at Ahsoka—like a brother who had just rescued his sister from the edge of the abyss. His protectiveness, his care, it was something Aruna hadn't seen from him in a long time. She'd known they were close, but witnessing it now, in this moment, made her realize just how deep their bond truly was.
As Anakin helped Ahsoka to her feet, his arm around her shoulders to support her, Aruna felt a pang in her chest—something that wasn't jealousy, but perhaps a deeper understanding of why Anakin sometimes felt so burdened. He cared for Ahsoka like family, and that responsibility weighed heavily on him.
Obi-Wan approached from behind, his gaze scanning over Ahsoka, relieved to see her back with them. "We need to move," he said quietly, his eyes flickering toward the shadows where the Son had vanished. "It's only a matter of time before he strikes again."
Anakin nodded, but his focus remained on Ahsoka. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft but full of worry.
Ahsoka nodded, though her legs wobbled as she tried to stand on her own. "I'll be fine. Thanks to you."
Anakin smiled, a rare, genuine expression that made him look like the man Aruna had first trained beside all those years ago. "We don't leave anyone behind, remember?"
Aruna watched the exchange in silence, her heart both warmed and heavy at the same time. Anakin and Ahsoka truly were like brother and sister. Their bond went beyond Master and Padawan—it was something deeper, something stronger. And in that bond, she saw both the strength and the danger that came with Anakin's attachments.
But as they walked back toward the safety of the ship, Ahsoka leaning on Anakin for support, Aruna couldn't help but wonder—if the Son had shown Anakin his future, had he seen this? Had he seen how much he would sacrifice to protect those he loved? And if so, what would happen if he couldn't save them next time?
The cold air of Mortis brushed against her skin as they moved through the darkened landscape, but it wasn't the cold that made her shiver. It was the unknown—the shadow that loomed over Anakin's destiny, a shadow that felt closer now than ever before.
As Ahsoka and Anakin shared a quiet exchange, Aruna glanced at Obi-Wan, whose gaze was fixed ahead, his own expression unreadable. She knew he felt it too—the tension, the weight of the future pressing down on all of them.
For now, they had rescued Ahsoka. But Aruna knew this was only a glimpse of the greater battle yet to come. And as she walked beside them, she couldn't shake the feeling that the bond she had witnessed between Anakin and Ahsoka—the bond that made them stronger—could also be the very thing that would test them all in the days ahead.
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A/n
Yes I kinda altered the actual plot of this arc just to be able to fit what I had in mind
