The doors to the drop ship opened, and a stream of people walked out. A few aliens towered over the group, while a few other races scampered between feet. Among the group, a hooded and cloaked figure pushed their way through the crowd. Their black clothing giving them an air of intimidation, most just simply moved out of their way. Once out of the crowd, the black clothed figure made their way through an empty building, stepping carefully around assorted boxes and materials. The figure paused, before removing her hood. Sunset Shimmer stood with a small scowl across her face. She shrugged off her black cloak, revealing jedi robes underneath. It was too hot in the temple to wear her cloak. While most jedi did, she wasn't about to burn up just to fit in.
Stashing her cloak in her pack, previously hidden by said cloak, she continued on to the Temple, nodding to a few other padawans as she made her way up the steps. Stepping into the main hall, she was greeted by the sight of her master, Macedon Folly, patiently leaning against one of the pillars.
“traffic must have been heavy today, you look a little angry.” He commented as she walked up. Sunset huffed.
“you have no idea. Some drunk called me ‘bacon haired’, I swear if one more person calls me that, they will get a lightsaber up their-“
“Sunset! What have talked about?” Sunset sighed at her masters interjection. She had almost lost her cool again. She could feel the stare of a few close by people, and hung her head.
“I know, I know, ‘control the anger, master over it and it will never take hold’ I've heard it enough times.” Sunset grumbled the last part. Unfortunately, Macedon heard her.
“Sunset…” she knew that tone. Another lecture was coming. “…aren't you forgetting something?” With a bucket full of relief, Sunset set down her pack, and rummaged through it before finding what she was looking for.
A small container full to the near top with soup. But not just any soup. Think of your favorite meal. How it just tastes like heaven. Now times that by ten. That was this soup. And she only had to travel a few hours to get it.
Sliding half of the container apart, it split into two equal sections, one for her, and one which she begrudgingly handed over to her master. Lecture averted!
“Ah, and there is the prize. You know, I should have gotten a padawan a lot sooner, nothing beats having someone bring you this little drop of perfection!” Macedon said with a warm smile. Sunset smiled back as she relinquished a spoon to him as well.
“your brother sends his regards. And wants you to stop by to get it yourself sometime. I kinda agree with him, being the errand runner wasn’t exactly in the job description.” Sunset joked. It was also a bonus Macedon’s brother ran the soup shop. Macedon laughed back.
“I’d rather not repeat what happened last time. He nearly had to close down! I just couldn’t help it, his soup is too good…” he trailed off as he took his first spoonful. Sunset did the same, and immediately forgot all frustration about the traffic she had encountered earlier.
“We better finish this pretty soon. I have a new training routine I want you to work through, so we will need most of the day that is left. If you don’t mind, I also need to go talk to a few of the other jedi about getting it introduced as a certified and official training course. Sound good?” Macedon cast a questioning glance at Sunset who merely nodded.
“ok, go ahead and stop by your room. Just be in our usual training room in thirty minutes. Got it?” He asked again.
“Got it!” Sunset assured him as he set off, looking rather ridiculous as he shoved another spoonful of soup into his mouth as he walked. Shaking her head, Sunset continued to her room, before realizing she probably looked just as weird.
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Sunset slipped into her room, setting her pack on the floor without ceremony. Opening it with slightly more care, she tossed her cloak onto her bunk, and checked the clock. Without looking back into the bag, she reached into the pool of different things. She had exactly ten minutes. Her hand closed around something cold and metallic. A strange feeling washed over her, and she was suddenly very glad that her robes were a bit loose. Sliding the object up her sleeve, she heard a click, and began vigorously shaking her arm. No movement, perfect. Sunset double checked that her saber was on her belt, and stepped out her door, slowly sliding it closed.
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“Focus, Sunset!” Macedons voice cut through the buzzing of the drones circling around Sunset. The six orbs were flying around at random, shooting out barely destructive bolts of energy. They still stung however, and Sunset had a number of singed dots on her robes. It didn’t help that she was standing on one leg either.
Balancing on a raised platform took skill, and focus. Blocking blaster fire took skill and focus. Blocking six targets and balancing? Nigh impossible. Yet that is where Sunset found herself currently. And she was blindfolded. Even better. Someone could have thrown a rock at her and she wouldn't be able to do much.
A slight change in the force around her made her listen to her masters words. Focusing and using the force, she located five drones, and expertly blocked all five bolts. Sunset smiled.
“I think you made this too easy! C’mon, I need a challe- hey!” the sixth, and mostly forgotten drone shot the back of her leg she was standing on, and it buckled. With a loud thud Sunset hit the floor, her Lightsaber going dark, and just for effect, one of the drones shot again.
Her anger growing rather steadily, Sunset ripped off her blindfold, and used the force to send all six drones towards the wall rather harshly.
“Ugh! I'm done! This is getting stupid! Tell me why I have spent the last two hours doing that again? I've failed six times! Six! What am I supposed to learn from that!?” Sunset exploded at her master, who had an annoyingly smug look.
“For starters, I wanted to see how long it would take for you to get angry. Second, it is to keep you focused in a strange situation, for a long period of time, as well as test your limits with the force, and your physical balance. Would you like to give this unchallenging course another go?” Macedon watched as his padawan went from angry to defeated. Sunset sighed. She shook her head and stood up, rubbing a burn mark on her arm.
“No. I don’t feel like humiliating myself again today. Thanks.” Sunset replied drily. Feeling a bit dejected, she re-clipped her purple saber onto her belt. She felt Macedon’s hand on her shoulder.
“Don't look so down, you kept your anger in check for longer than I thought you would, and when you did let it out, the outburst was shorter, and you voiced a rather good question. As a good friend once said, ‘Don't question the means, question the motives.’” Sunset looked up at Macedon, and nodded. Still feeling down, she stepped out of the training room silently.
After saying goodnight to her master, she wandered the halls. Sunset finally made up her mind, she needed to meditate. And she knew just the place.
