Option C

[Aika Kawakami]

A starry night sky, lit by the blaze below. The screams and cries of men, women, and children of all ages and species fill the air. A city, home to so many, turned into a gruesome battlefield. What was once a battle between two opposing sides has become nothing more than a massacre, a bloodbath that no longer serves purpose to either side. As civilians are dragged into the fray, they are forced to become accessories to either side, and at worst, they forced onto the front lines as if a solider themselves. A buildings crumble under blaster fire, and the streets run red with blood, all hope seems to be lost, as if this is inevitable future all must accept. However, a short distance away from the ongoing fray, there is another. A being standing upon the roof of a barely standing building, hands clasped at the small of her back as the wind blew white strands that hung before her face. Her lips were curled into a small smirk, almost as if approving of the scene that laid before her.​

"Some people have no rhyme or reason or causing such chaos. Some people...just want to watch the world burn."​

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Her eyes blinked twice as she snapped back to reality, eyes glancing up towards the the stars that littered the night sky above. The twiddling of her fingers continued as a small sigh escaped her lips. In truth, there was no telling how long Aika had been sitting upon the ground just a few feet from the entrance to their Temple. The girl had awoken in the middle of the night without a possible reason as to why. Barefoot, and wrapped by a small blanket around her upper body, she'd sauntered outside, where she now sat.​

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This was only the latest in several nights that she had found herself doing this, and found herself lost in the same vision. Yet, could she honestly call them such? Since she became a Jedi, visions and glimpses of things to come hadn't been things that she experienced. So why now? Why would such a thing surface now, after she'd dealt with the strife of the months past. Her own thoughts seemed to cloud and fill her mind as she continued to stare aimlessly.​

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[member="Sochi Ru"]​

 

[Mother Askani]

There was a soft pitter patter that made up the sound effects of her footsteps. She had only recently returned to her life of a full time jedi, she had been away for a very long time, and had been restless ever since. Getting use to the silence, and minimal whispers of the temple was a rather uncomfortable process. Though, however, Sochi tried her best in all she participated in. She gracefully walked down the formation of steps that led to the entrance of the temple. She had been craving fresh air, and since this was the nearest exit; well you know why.

Closing in on the door, she was getting weird vibes, and these were just her intuition; no force sense needed. There was already a slight breeze and yet a non threatening ominous feeling about the air. Upon further examination however, she did feel a familiar presence about.
She walked through the doors, and peeked over the ledge of the multiple stairs the accompanied the entrance. She saw a figure below and so decided to go forth. She slowly descended the stairs with the most curious expression.

As she closed in the presence started to unmask itself, she knew who it would be, and with her last steps she spoke her thoughts into existence.

"[member="Aika Kawakami"], what are you doing out here? Are you alright?" she said in her more concerned voice.

 

[Aika Kawakami]

The sounds of steps that never made it to her ears. Too lost in her own world of thoughts to even realize the goings on around here, or to even notice the approach of one of those closest to her. Yet. such were her days as of late. Fighting with herself while the galaxy around her continued to turn on itself. That is, until that all too familiar voice reached her ears.

Her eyes blinked, as if clearing her mind and returning completely to the moment at hand. Aika leaned her back, simply to confirm what she already knew, though the sight she found still drew a large grin from her. That redish skin and twin head tails. There were so few of the type she knew. "Ah! Sochi! Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise. It's been so long since we've seen one another. So long since I though who are like family... The turmoils of the galaxy keep us apart all too often, my friend..."

The grin faded only slightly as she spoke, though one thing about her expression remained the same. Her eyes. One normal as can be, bright and shining in the night. The other, however, seemed as if it were glazed over. As if the woman was here, and yet not at the same time. "I think the better question, my dear sister, is what are you doing up at this hour? It's late. The only ones who are up at this hour are..the ones with something on their minds.. Or those doing something they want to keep from others..." Her words came with a low, eerie tone, as if questioning yet making a firm statement all at once.

[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Mother Askani]

She took a deep breath and smiled, as her long lost friend spoke. She seemed fine, although it was rather odd, but so were her circumstances. How could she ask Aika what was going on all while avoiding the question herself? She couldn't. It had been entirely too long, and Sochi missed her friend the entire time she was gone.

"Yes a very pleasant surprise, though really it was my fault. With me leaving I created a gap between us my dear sister. Though its nice to know that our friendship hasn't swayed since." she said lowering her head for a moment, and then raising it with a smirk attached when she came back up.

She smiled, and titled her head as a signal that Aika's words were right in every sense. She knew what category she fell into, though it was a question she could ask Aika, though she knew that the woman hadn't an evil bone in her body; or so she assumed. No one was ever safe.

"Well the jungle life and temple life don't mesh as well as I thought. Its much to quiet around here, and so i've been restless since my return. Though for a very long time things just haven't felt right. Something just feels off, and so thats why I left. I fighred it was the force calling to me. Though, i'm quite curious as well dear, what is it that you are doing at this time. I hadn't figured you the one to lose sleep Aika?"

[member="Aika Kawakami"]

 

[Aika Kawakami]

"Call her sister all you want to. but she'd probably drop you at the first sign of something not light.."​

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Her head shook slightly, as if trying to remove the voice within her mind. Of course, to anyone watching her, it would look more like she were disagreeing with someone or their point of view. "A gap.. Yes. I suppose you did disappear for quite some time. Though, it wasn't you alone that did such.I guess, that is to say, the even the closest sisters.." The corners of her lips extended again, that seemingly warm smile stretching across her face. "..Drift apart given enough time and distance. And there certainly has been such between us, hasn't there?"

"Just my opinion, but I don't think you two have ever really been that close. But that's just me.."​

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Once more, though far more rapidly than before, the grin dropped from her face, leaving but a straight, near emotionless look towards the woman she called sister. "What's done is done, and placing blame at this point would serve no purpose. As far as sleep is concerned, unlike my former master, such a thing does not come to me quite so easily. Matter of fact, I'm not sure I can remember the last time I had a rest that one could call peaceful. Then again, nothing has been peaceful since the day I departed the temple on Coruscant, and the Jedi Order as a whole. Though, I'm quite sure that word about tat day made it back to you. Honestly, I'd surprised of you hadn't heard such exaggerated stories about it."

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[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Mother Askani]

She raised an eyebrow, but then nodded slowly. Aika was right, being Jedi Masters wasn't all glitter and sparkles. They had much to do, and sometimes getting away from it was necessary, beyond other things. However she knew she could always return and find a friend in Aika, Rasu as well, though she was gone. When she looked back up to cast her view on her friend she saw a n emotionless face. Nothing too significant about, the giggling and chuckling had ran its course. She stood straight up, fixing her posture and interlocking her hands as they rest just above her waist.

"Oh the stories, yes we've all had our share of fabricated and over exaggerated stories about our departure. I think it rather unnecessary the hate we've been met with because of our decision to move on, for our own reasons, however thats the very reason most of us left in the first place, to finally get rid of the infighting there was. However lets not dwell on that, I wouldn't talk bad about the Jedi Order nor the Republic as what they do is also Noble. But tell me Aika, has things felt....a bit...off to you?" she said.

[member="Aika Kawakami"]

 

[Aika Kawakami]

"Odd you say?.." The question caught her off guard, in a way. Sochi was always a perceptive one, but to have sensed something already? No. Even she wasn't that good. A small sigh escaped as she sat still, seemingly pondering on the question, and how one would answer it. It should have been a simple yes or no, perhaps followed by an explanation. Yet, that did not jump from her mouth. With a slow, steady inhale, Aika rose to her feet, hands moving to dust the lite amount of dirt from her rear.

"I guess, in a way, you could say that. Though, more than likely it's a manner far different than your own. Things within the galaxy are changing at quite the rapid pace if I do say so. Many have fallen to the dark side. Few believe in the light. The line between friend and foe, which once upon a time stood so clearly, is now nearly lost, faded into memory of days past. In these times, I've come to realize something quite obvious to me.." Aika spun, pivoting on her heel to face her friend of many years, their gazes connecting. "The Jedi are flawed, as is everything in this time of ours. Is this what you mean by odd, my dear sister?"

[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Mother Askani]

She listened to the words coming from her mouth, so simple, yet cryptic all at once. It was odd, and it almost seemed as if Aika was different in the moment. Even Sochi didn't catch when her personality shifted just now. Though Aika was always the more crafty one. The Jedi were flawed she said? Oddly enough there were many reasons for Aika to believe in such things, she wasn't the first to come out and make such claims, though but it was the simple fact that it was coming from her mouth, and asochi wondered how long she felt like this.

"The Jedi are flawed you say? she asked in a more confused tone. She crossed her arms, and her right hand came up slowly to rest a single finger against her chin. She wasn't sure what was really going on, but she knew her abilities had been off lately.

"What makes you come to such a realization Aika? Where is all of this coming from?"

[member="Aika Kawakami"]

 

[Aika Kawakami]

The question in itself made Aika stand in silence as she eyed her long time friend. In truth, she didn't understand how such a question could even be asked. Then again, Sochi had been back and forth in her time. Aika, however, always had remained at the temple. Watching, noticing, remembering things as they happened. As the shadows of those which she believed to be a part of finally revealed its true form. It was at this moment that she realized something for the first time. Between them, they had truly seen it all. There was essentially nothing in the galaxy that had been able to hide itself for both their eyes. Still, hearing the question made her scoff. And loudly at that.

"Really, sister? Was your vision always this clouded? Or is it the constant travel that has blinded you to what lay before your very eyes?" Her head canted towards the side as a soft chuckle escaped her lips, eyes remaining fixated on her. "So many seated right within the Jedi ranks, and not one was ever brought to light. Such a perfect society that its leads decided that nothing could ever possibly find its way in. Master...Knights...Padawans... All of those ranks had Sith in disguise. They were fooled by themselves... How can you not see that?" Her head rolled back once more, eyes gazing towards the stars in the night sky above, an almost pleasant sigh quite easily heard.

" This galaxy of ours is not what we believed we were protecting when we began this journey those years ago. There isn't any black or white, light or dark... Everything is, and has been, in shades of grey. Sith.. Jedi... They are but two halves of the same coin, and you would do well to embrace such a lesson, my dear sister. That day at the temple. It was... unlike anything I had ever experienced."

[member="Sochi Ru"]