Okay guys! Back for part two (I think)!

I feel so bad about how long its been between chapters and stories, and I know you guys are probably sick of hearing my excuses, but I will tell you anyway. Its been a combination of a crazy busy schedule, writers block, and summer classes online. For the future, I can't promise any dates, but just know that I am doing the best I can, and that I promise I will finish all this stuff.

Anyway, thank you for your patience, and enjoy the chapter.

Ezra woke suddenly, sitting up with a start, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Panic still raced through him

"kid you okay?" It was Zeb, who had taken first watch of the night, was now sitting up from his place against a tree, a surprised concern written across his features.

Barely hearing the question, Ezras trembling hands searched around in the dirt for...something, though he wasn't quite sure what it was. His lightsaber maybe? No, that would be hooked securely to his belt, where it always was, not flung carelessly into the soil around him. But the thing he was looking for...whatever it was...was equally important, if not more so.

Or rather it was important. That is, in the dream he had been having, the object, or more accurately, the acquisition of the object seemed to be of upmost paramount. Though the more he searched the area around him, the less he could grasp the reason for finding said object. Part of him registered that the need to hold the object was purely a result of the leftover feelings from his dream, and that there was no such object in the conscious world. Still there was still a visceral longing that clawed at the back of his throat, which had Ezra digging into the dirt around him with his bare hands, his jagged breath dissolving into desperate sobs.

"Kid!" Someone was shaking him by his shoulders, calling his name, though the voices seemed distant "Ezra!"

Hands tried to grasp at his own, to hold them still, but he yanked them away, "N-no! I hav- I have to f-find it!""

C'mon kid, snap out of it!"

"Ezra please! Find what? Whats wrong?"

Find what? For a moment his purpose was forgotten as these hands tethered him to reality, then a burst of furious energy shot through him "No! Let go! I have to….i have…." but this burst was short lived. All his energy seemed to suddenly evaporate, leaving ezra reeling. He slumped to the side, leaning against what seemed to be a warm, sturdy body, to which the arms steadying him were attached. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple at Ezra attempted to quell his racing heart, with deep, albeit shaky breaths.

"..Ezra?" he peered up, his gaze meeting the worried eyes of Sabine, who was looking him over as he had spontaneously grown a second head.

"Yeah..i'm alright" with this she seemed unconvinced, her worried expression unwavering. He sat up, no longer leaning against what appeared to be Zebs chest, running a hand across his face, "yeah.." he spoke quietly, though he didn't like the way his voice shook "..it was just...a dream."

"Yeah? A dream that had you clawing through the dirt like an ash-rabbit" Zeb seemed mildly annoyed, though he still held a concerned gaze on ezra.

"You woke me up," unlike Zeb, Sabine seemed to lack any trace of irritation, despite her accusation.

"I did? Oh, uh...sorry" Ezra shook his head lightly, trying to sort out his thoughts, but his mind was still clouded. What had he been dreaming about? He still felt the echo of desperation as he filtered through the events that just unfolded. He had been searching for something, though he remembered neither what it was, nor what is was for.

"you look pale, are you sure you're alright?" Ezra nodded, though he couldn't really feel confident in his answer.

"What were you looking for?"

Zebs question caught ezra slightly off guard, but he managed to stutter out an answer. "I-I don't know..I can't remember.."

Zeb looked disappointed, but didnt press him further. Sabine sighed, "you should try to go back to sleep."

It was tempting, his body still trembled, and exhaustion weighed heavily on his limbs, but his mind was now wide awake, anxiously trying to piece together the past five minutes in a way that made sense. "No, i'm fine. Its my turn to take watch anyways"

"Suit yourself." Zeb smirked as he stretched out on his back.

"You should sleep too," he said nodding at Sabine, "im fine, really. Besides it was my fault you woke up in the first place."

The mandalorian was hesitant, but she settled back into her bedroll, still eyeing Ezra with uncertainty. "Okay, but wake me up if you need anything, and when its time for my watch."

"I will"

He lied. Ezra didn't wake Sabine when his watch was over, or even when the first light began to filter through the trees, over their makeshift camp positioned on the edge of the path. She would probably punch him for disobeying her, but he was to engrossed in his own thoughts to care much.

At first he tried to remember anything of what happened in that dream, though he soon decided that any effort he made would prove to be fruitless, so instead his mind moved to the forest. It was a strange place, he decided, and these weren't just any trees. It almost seemed that they were not only conscious beings, but that they were force sensitive. For Ezra, his feelings seemed to mingle with another looming presence, and it weighed heavily on him, pressing on his mind like a voice from the back of his head.

Ezra squeezed his eyes tightly in meditation, as he tried to isolate this feeling, but it seemed slippery, like trying to chase a heatwave. It always sat, just out of his reach, teasing him. There was something not all right about it either, something dark around the edges, as if the presence was a deep hole covered with a sheet, daring him to pull back the sheet and unleash whatever nightmares awaited release behind it.

A sudden chill crept up his spine, and goosebumps prickled on his arms. The cold, i've felt this before, he pondered to himself, this is the work of the dark side. This thought seemed to hang in the air for a moment and the forest murmured in agreement. Ezra knew he was right in this assumption, because all of a sudden everything began to slide into place, it was like taking off a pair of dark colored glasses. Suddenly vibrant color assaulted his eyes from leaves and flowers around him, a resounding energy swirled in the humid air, and the forest seemed to buzz with life. But there was something unnerving about the abrupt beauty of the place. It occurred to him that it was the strange inconsistency that unfolded before him, in that the dark side of the force was all dimly lit rooms and sinister red light casting angular shadows on ancient stone walls, not this forest teeming with life and color.

"What is this place.." the question was more for himself than either of his awakening companions.

"EZRA BRIDGER" Yep, Sabine was awake, and she was livid.

"Yes, I know, I know. Why didn't I wake you up, blah blah." He sounded a good deal more tired than he felt, which was not helping his case in the slightest. "Really Sabine, I wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway..." He remembered the panic racing through him as he woke up from the dream earlier, and he could feel the color drain from his face "but..sorry for not waking you up."

Sabines hard expression softened slightly and she breathed in a heavy sigh, "Its alright," then more stern, "just don't do it again."

He smiled and nodded, opening his mouth to speak again but Zeb interrupted, "Alright, if you two lovebirds are finished, I'd like to get a move on before the temperature gets back up."

They packed their gear, sprinkling dirt over the smoldering remains of the fire, before grabbing a ration bar and setting out. Once again, the air was thick and hot, and it was almost hard to breathe as the trio made their way further into the forest.

The morning passed, remaining relatively uneventful. Little snippets of conversation would rise up in regards to the miserable weather, or the latest news of the rebellion, but it wouldn't last and the three of them would soon find themselves walking in silence. That is until…

"Hey, look at that!" Zeb was pointing off to a place about sixty yards off the path, where sat a glittering boulder, "Isn't that the rock we're looking for?"

Sabine pulled out a pair of trusty looking binoculars and scanned the area through the viewport.

"It looks like it," She said "But I cant be sure"

"Well, it's not that far off," Ezra reasoned, "we could go check it out, if it is, it would save us a lot of time."

"Yeah, the kids got a point, and even if it isn't it, it'll only take a couple of minutes."

"I don't know, guys," nervous apprehension was apparent in sabines voice, "they said not to go off the path."

"Come on Sabine, its not far"

"Yeah, don't tell me you're scared." Zebs tone was mocking, but was fondly intended.

Sabines Mandalorian pride, however, was far stronger than any sense of skepticism she had held moments before, "scared? Please."

A grin spread across Ezras face, "Race you!" before taking off into the brush.

Okay so I made this chapter quite a bit longer than normal, but I really felt bad for it taking so long. Anyway heres some replies to your reviews!

Midnight Luna: Yesssss! You got it so right! Yes im back (sorta) and its great to metaphorically see you again! I missed y'all as well!

Rebel Spectre 6: Yes thank you! Im glad to be back! Btw, dude, I would like to applaud you because you are a WRITING MACHINE! Not only are you cranking out those fics but they just keep getting better and better! And for that, I bow to you!

Guest: Thanky you!

Mana: Yes, thats pretty much what I was going for, and I really like your interpretation! It actually helped a lot in my planning for the forest itself

Guest: Fear not! It is very unlikely that anyone will die in this one, though Idk about my future fics…

Alrighty! Hope you have a great day!

-L&E Doodle