Chapter 7
Eron's room
Eron sat on the floor cross-legged, with his eyes closed, in absolute stillness. Despite the late hour and his tiredness, he was not sleeping... he knew that this was not the end of the conversations... He felt someone's presence in the force.
"What I did was right."
A ghost appeared next to Eron, sitting down next to him.
"I do not deny the rightness of your actions... but rightness does not always go hand in hand with wisdom."
"So you accuse me of stupidity?"
"Stupidity? No. Lack of self-control? Yes. The Dark Side does not distinguish between justice and anger. In that camp, you acted out of a sense of duty... but were your later threats necessary?"
"I did not threaten them without reason. I showed that I was ready to defend myself."
"You did not want them to take you away. You were ready to kill them if they tried to arrest you.... Tell me... would you kill All Might too?"
Eron was about to answer that he did, but the spirit got ahead of him.
"And Tiger? Mandalay? Kota? Would you kill them too if they tried to stop you?"
Eron opened his mouth.... and closed it after a moment.... Anger gave way to a sense of shame.
"Eron... if you don't use the dark side of the force in moderation, you will soon stop distinguishing reason from fear.... I know you are stronger... but also weaker than you think.... Today you used the dark side of the force. You controlled yourself, but look what you did. You scared the people you had previously protected. Is that what you want? Do you want people to live in fear of your power?"
The boy lowered his head. For a few seconds he didn't say anything.
"I didn't want to... scare them... but I also didn't want them to take me away... I will never let my freedom be taken away again."
"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering"
"More Jedi wisdom?"
"No. That's true. Your fear of being arrested caused your anger. Anger caused you to hate anyone who stood against you in that moment....for a moment you hated All Might too. Now....the hatred has caused you to...suffer. You feel shame for what you've done."
The spirit was silent for a moment, letting the silence fill the space between them. Eron clenched his hands in his lap. His breathing was shallow. His expression was neutral, but there was a struggle going on inside his thoughts. Finally, he faintly whispered.
"I am not....Sith..."
"No...you are not. You don't become a Sith in the blink of an eye. The dark side of the force is like water wearing away at a rock. If you're not careful, you won't even notice when you become addicted to it...and then you'll be a mere slave to the dark side of the force."
"So...what do I do?"
"Eron.... I have seen many Jedi who claim to be fighting for a just cause.... but their lack of knowledge of the Force caused them to often become victims... and executioners of the dark side. The Jedi Order told them to reject their emotions... but any living being with even a modicum of intelligence will tell you that this is nonsense. The Jedi were unable to cope with anger, grief, the pain of losing something or someone... and they fell to the dark side.... the Jedi Order only teaches the light side, forgetting the other aspects of the Force.... that is why so many Jedi fell to the dark side.... that is why so many died, because they were convinced of their own greatness."
"So... the point is to learn all aspects of the Force.... while not allowing themselves to become its slave?"
"The point is to find balance. The Jedi never really sought that.... and the Sith never understood that concept."
"Have you found your balance?"
"Over the course of my life, I have had the opportunity to delve into the light and dark sides.... Darkness is not evil, just as light is not good. What is evil is radical dogmatism. True power, Eron, is choice. It is the knowledge that you have the power. Now the only question is... what will be your choice. No one will make it for you."
Eron thought.... he remembered how during the war he had used his abilities to save innocent civilians.... he had the power to save them and he did so... not out of compulsion... but out of a pure desire to help.... then... for that one moment... he felt like a true Jedi....
"I think.... that if I use my power only for myself.... I will become a tyrant."
The spirit nodded slowly, appreciatively. He was pleased that Eron was able to look at his actions in the third person.
"People will fear you if they don't understand you. And they won't understand you if you don't talk to them. Give them a chance to get to know you. Don't follow the Jedi path. Don't follow the Sith path. Find your own way. Now go and do what you see fit."
Eron felt the spirit leave, leaving him alone... not for long.
*Knock knock.*
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.
Eron didn't turn to the door. He simply said.
"You may enter, All Might."
All Might opened the door, stepped inside. He looked at Eron, sitting in the semidarkness, still as a statue. He closed the door behind him... he didn't come any closer.
"Young Eron... I came because... we need to talk"
"I know All Might... Actually, I was just going to look for you..."
All Might frowned slightly, surprised. Eron sighed heavily.
"After what happened in the camp....I didn't have time to control myself....I didn't see the negatives of using the dark side of the force before it was too late. I want to apologize to you for my behavior. You saved me, you stood in my defense, and I insulted you."
All Might stood for a moment, motionless like a stone statue....he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Young Eron...it's me who should apologize to you. For a moment I forgot that you were a soldier and had to...you probably had to make hard choices to protect yourself and your people. When I looked into your eyes, I understood that you were suffering....Tell me, young Eron...do you know what PTSD is?"
Eron turned to All Might.
"I don't know."
All Might approached and carefully sat down opposite him. He slowly reached out his hand, placing it gently on the boy's shoulder. Eron felt something...strange.
"It's... something that often affects people who have been through hell. Soldiers. Rescuers. Victims of violence. Sometimes even heroes. It's not a wound that can be sewn up....
It's a wound that can't be seen, but it bleeds every day. Inside. In the mind. In the heart"
Eron stared at him intently, not interrupting. All Might continued in a gentle but firm tone, like a master of the Jedi Order.
"What you felt when they tried to arrest you... that sudden outburst, that feeling that you have to fight, that no one understands you... that could be PTSD. It doesn't mean you're sick. It means that your soul is screaming because it didn't have time to heal"
Eron swallowed.... lowered his head.... he said with shame.
"There was a moment... that was a moment... when I hated everyone who stood in my way. Even you."
All Might slowly hugged the boy to himself.
"It's okay, young Eron.... I'm sorry I didn't save you earlier.... that you had to fight in the war.... but now... I... I'm... Here..... We won't leave you... not Mandalay... not me, Ragdoll, Tiger, Pixie-Bob and Kota...."
Eron froze in All Might's embrace. After a moment, his shoulders shook and a quiet, ragged breath escaped his lips... it wasn't crying... or at least not yet... he tried to say something, but he couldn't... All Might sensed it..... and said in a gentle voice.
"You don't have to say anything... You're not alone. And you don't have to prove to anyone that you're strong by saving others at the cost of yourself."
After a few minutes, when Eron's breathing had calmed down, All Might pulled away slightly, holding a hand on his shoulder.
"I have to.... talk to Mandalay... and the others.... I have to apologize to them. Have a nice evening, All Might."
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Living room.
The members of the Wild Wild Pussycats were talking in the living room. Tiger was sitting at a table with Mandalay and Ragdoll. Pixie-Bob was walking around the room. Ragdoll was wiping away her earlier tears. Pixie-Bob couldn't stand the silence anymore.
"Hey... is it just me who feels like... we failed Eron?"
Tiger put down his tea cup.
"Failed? We failed completely. We shouldn't have gone to that interrogation of the villains... all it took was one person there..."
Ragdoll didn't look up... she was staring at the liquid in the cup.
"He's not even from this world. He lost everything he knew. He went to a place where no one understands his power, his faith, his pain... and we... expected him to adjust to us in a week."
Tiger patted her on the shoulder.
"Here he is a teenager... but out there among the stars... he was a commander in the army... leading men into battle. His concept of family and safety has all but disappeared. It's my fault. I should have spent more time with the boy."
Mandalay looked at Tiger and said firmly.
"No Tiger. It's my fault. I could see he was carrying a burden... more than anyone his age should have to bear. But I didn't ask. I foolishly thought he was okay... I hoped he'd open up when he was ready."
Pixie-Bob replied bitterly
"And I thought that if we just laughed with him, played Mario Kart... that if we gave him some normalcy, everything would be fine. But that wasn't normalcy for him. It was an illusion."
Tiger bowed his head.
"I think... he intimidated those policemen because he didn't want to kill them.... he was afraid they would take him away... that they would take away his freedom... and in his world that probably meant death. Then his fear... turned to anger... because he didn't want to seem weak."
Pixie-Bob finally sat down hard at the table, clenching her fists on her knees.
"So what now? What do we do now? He won't trust us now... what little trust he had in us is gone."
Mandalay nodded.
"We won't regain his trust with one gesture... but I really want him to stay here... Look how Kota reacts to Eron... Kota has already grown attached to him... he sees him as an older brother."
Ragdoll finally raised her head.
"Then we have to try. Not only to regain his trust... but to give him a real home... besides... what's up with that license he got?"
Tiger sighed heavily.
"A big shot from the HSPC. His granddaughter was at the camp during the attack. The guy used his powers to give Eron a license, but also to issue an order to protect the camp by any means necessary. Thanks to that, the boy was not arrested."
Mandalay shook her head.
"Either someone is doing him a favor, which I do not believe... or someone wants to take advantage of him."
"I sincerely doubt that anyone will be able to control me."
Eron silently opened the door and entered in the middle of their conversation. Everyone turned to him as he began to speak. His tone was calm, but there was tension in it. He looked at each of them in turn.
"I allowed the dark side of the power to cloud my judgment..."
Eron looked at Pixie-Bob.
"I am sorry that I made you cry. My words were... too harsh."
Then, he looked at Ragdoll.
"I'm sorry for you too. You're afraid of me... and it's my fault."
Ragdoll looked at Eron with wide eyes. She stood up slowly, walked over to him and stopped just a step in front of him. You could feel her sympathy.
"I wasn't afraid of you Eron... I was just afraid for you. For what might happen to you if you never came back from this darkness that was consuming you."
Eron nodded. He was... tired.
"I know... but I should control the Force, not be controlled by it."
Tiger shook his head.
"This is our failure Eron. Our mistake. Not yours."
"Yes, but the reaction to your absence was mine. It was my decision to use the dark side of the force."
"So what are you planning now, boy?"
"Now... I must learn to control the emotions that the Jedi Order has ordered me to suppress. One cannot wield the Force without mastering oneself."
Ragdoll smiled.
"We will help however we can... besides... Eron, we would like you to speak with a psychologist."
Eron's eyes tightened.
"I see no reason to do this."
"Eron... please. You're not at war anymore. Talk to him at least once. The psychologist is Hound Dog and he works for UA. It's a school for future pro heroes."
Eron narrowed his eyes, his demeanor becoming more closed. Mandalay joined the conversation.
"It's normal... most people don't want to talk to a psychologist. You said you need to learn to control your emotions. We'll go to UA when you're ready..."
Pixie-Bob added quietly.
"Hound Dog won't tell you what to feel. But he can help you understand what you feel. Even the greatest heroes need that."
Eron shook his head.
"No. I already have someone to talk to."
Tiger raised his eyebrows and looked at Eron with slight concern.
"Do you have someone to talk to...? Who do you mean?"
Eron hesitated for a moment, as if weighing every word. Now he had to answer in a way that wouldn't scare them, while also withholding some information.
"I'm talking to a Force spirit that speaks to me through the Force."
Silence fell over the living room. Mandalay and Ragdoll looked at each other with concern, and Pixie-Bob froze in mid-motion. Tiger put down his tea cup and leaned in slightly.
"So... you're talking to the dead?"
"That's not it... some powerful Jedi are able to live after death... without a body. Such a person becomes one with the Force, but at the same time retains consciousness and the ability to interact with the living."
Mandalay looked around.
"Does that mean that this spirit can see and hear us now?"
"I don't know. It's an art that the Jedi Masters have kept hidden... if they knew about it. It spoke to me when I was trapped in the fire. It told me what to do... how to do it."
"Can you... call him?... Invite him to talk?"
Eron lowered his gaze. He was silent for a long moment, as if he himself was still unsure of the answer.
"I don't know... it will be his decision... think of him as a man who makes decisions for himself."
"Can you at least try?"
Eron slowly sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes. He began to meditate.
Silence filled the living room as Eron sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes. He breathed deeply, his concentration almost tangible. The members of the Wild Wild Pussycats watched him silently, not knowing what to expect.
The air thickened. The temperature seemed to drop by several degrees, the lights in the room dimmed, although no one touched the switches. In the corner of the living room, next to Eron, a subtle glow appeared..... from which a figure slowly emerged.....
A tall man, dressed in a simple, long-sleeved coat with a deep hood, which was now pushed back. His dark hair reached his shoulders, falling slightly over his face. He had a beard, sharp facial features, and a calm gaze. He had an aura that inspired both peace and deep respect.
Ragdoll took a few steps back. Pixie-Bob stood like a statue... pale as a sheet of paper. Tiger had accidentally crushed a cup. Mandalay watched with wide eyes....
The spirit spoke. His voice carried quietly through the room, but everyone gathered felt his authority.....
"This boy... has been through more than anyone should. He has seen death and betrayal. He knows the taste of loneliness and the burden of responsibility. And yet he still tries to choose the good. Not out of duty... but out of his free will."
Tiger swallowed hard. He could hardly dare to ask.
"Who... who are you?"
The spirit looked at Tiger seriously.
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Tiger."
Tiger frowned, embarrassed. He looked away for a moment, as if trying to gather his thoughts.
"I apologize.... I didn't mean to be rude. My name is Tiger.... This is Ragdoll, Mandalay, and Pixie-Bob. Can we have your name?"
The spirit looked at each of them in turn. His gaze was gentle but piercing, as if he saw much more than anyone would like.
"My name carries with it much controversy... for now, call me as you see fit."
Mandalay, despite the concern in her eyes, gathered her courage and spoke.
"You are... one of the Jedi, right? Like Eron?"
"Once yes.... I was a Jedi.... but I have come to understand that the Jedi Order has become a shadow of what it once was. The Jedi Masters taught us to rid ourselves of emotions. Anyone who is a rational being knows that this is foolishness. Fear, anger, hatred.... if a person holds these emotions in for too long, they will eventually explode with increased force."
Ragdoll swallowed nervously, her voice quiet, almost a whisper.
"So... how did it happen... that Eron had to fight in the war?"
"It is not my story to tell... but the Jedi became pawns in a game called politics. It led to their downfall."
Tiger cleared his throat quietly.
"So... why did you decide to contact Eron?"
The spirit looked at Tiger with a seriousness, but without a hint of haughtiness. His voice, although calm, carried with a power that penetrated walls and hearts.
"As a young Jedi, I went to war. I accepted violence and darkness. Later, I found redemption. It took me many years to learn balance... but I became what I am today. I fought against the armies of the dark and light sides of the force. For thousands of years, the Siths sought dominance, only to have the Jedi eventually repel their invasions... it happened many times. The conflict I was involved in was not the first nor the last... Eron is no different... this is not the first time the Jedi Order has fallen."
Eron's eyes opened slowly. He was still sitting in a meditative position, but his face was tense. There was more than simple curiosity in his gaze. He was searching for an answer that no one else could give him.
"Master... why did you choose me?"
The spirit turned to Eron. He looked at him for a long time and silently. He smiled slightly when Eron called him master.
"You have fear, but you don't give in to it. You have doubts, but you still choose good, even though no one tells you to. Not because you have to. Just because you want to."
"But... I can't always control it. Sometimes I feel like I'm on the edge. That if I take one step in the wrong direction... I won't come back."
"Eron... you managed to turn around today. You may think it was my doing, but no. I told you before that the choice is yours. Balance is not about rejecting the dark side of the force, but controlling every aspect of the Force."
The spirit walked to the window. He turned to Eron.
"Do not look for the answer in me, but in yourself. You are the voice of a new generation that will speak yet."
Revan's figure dissolved into the mist.....
The light returned to normal, the temperature as well, but there was still a spiritual presence in the air, as if the spirit had not completely left, but rather had left a part of itself in the minds of those who heard it.
Ragdoll shook her head.
"We talked to the spirit....."
Everyone's eyes were focused on Eron.... The boy sat cross-legged, absorbed in meditation. Mandalay asked him with concern.
"Eron? Is everything alright?"
"Yes.... it's late.... I'd better go to bed."
Mandalay nodded slowly, still not taking her eyes off him.
Eron stood up. He nodded to them and headed to his room.
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.
A few minutes later.
Pixie-Bob looked at the others uncertainly.
"Should we be worried? That he's listening to a... ghost and not us?"
Tiger finally let go of the remains of the cup he had crushed earlier.
"We should be worried that he trusts him more than us. This... ghost, whatever it was, has an influence on him. A lot of influence. And we don't even know who he is. We don't know what he wants."
Ragdoll nodded slowly, clearly shaken.
"He just appeared. The voice, the light, the atmosphere... Wasn't it a trick? Wasn't it a hallucination?"
"Ragdoll? Did you sense him with your quirk?"
"No....I didn't..."
Tiger stood up and began pacing back and forth, his shoulders tense, his hands clasped behind his back.
"We don't know the intentions of this... spirit. We have no idea if what he was saying right now is true or a lie."
Mandalay finally tore her gaze away from the door Eron had come through and looked at Tiger with deep concern.
"But he didn't sound like a liar..."
"That's the most dangerous part. Charismatic guides who know more than the rest can wrap people who are more experienced than Eron around their finger. And him? He's young. Hurt. Lost. An easy target for someone who knows how to use people."
Ragdoll sighed deeply.
"Even if his intentions are good, Eron shouldn't just be under his influence. We need to talk to him. We need to be present. Show him that he can trust us too."
Mandalay nodded slowly.
"We have a secret weapon this spirit doesn't have."
Pixie-Bob asked.
"Yes? What weapon?"
Mandalay smiled broadly.
"Kota."
End of Chapter 7