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The first time Maul sees the Ashla, he is a child and he is drowning.
His Master had taken him on a trip to Mygeeto to train in the snow, and he remembered being excited in spite of himself. Proud of his accomplishments in the grueling training exercises his master had set him to, expecting praise from the man who raised him in spite of the fact that he should have known better.
Maul understands that his Master is wise, and knows that Maul is still not ready. that Maul must prove himself worthy of his Master's grand designs
of his trust
his love.
He fleetingly remembers the boy in the window of his first room. His reflection that was also his imaginary friend, and the adventures they had had in his mind as they jumped over the lava flows and across the equipment of Mustafar. He’d imagined back then, what it would be like to swim. Not in lava, but in something cool and blue, like the oceans on Glee Anselm that the caretaker droid had told him about.
This was much different. It was so cold, it ached. The water was eerie and white like the snowy landscape of the planet, save for the dark black ice that he was currently trying to break through to breathe.
Maul screamed in frustration, kicking and punching at it, already out of air.
“I’m not going to die here, I’m not going to die here, i’m not going to die here”
The mantra was pounding in his mind, his hearts, his lungs. His vision was starting to go dark around the edges He was suddenly aware that he was crying for all the good his tears did underwater. And became more angry at himself for being afraid, for being so weak.
And that's when he saw her. She was full of light, life. The flowing green hair that went past her waist was streaming in all directions. She was smiling.
Maul cried out in terror, choking as the cold water stole what little breath he had left in his lungs. She only smiled more warmly, took his small face in her hands, and kissed his forehead.
His mind was full of a sweet warm voice that echoed both “Brother” and “Son” and "Dark" all together somehow. He felt it in the very fiber of his being. She felt kind.
Suddenly, he realized that there was no water in his lungs, he had air. He felt strong. She was gone. But there was no time to waste.
He still had to get out.
“Fear is my ally” he thought to himself as he drew in the uncertainty of what he had felt from the strange woman’s affection, the terror of where he still was, the pure wellspring of anger he always had inside himself and lifted his hand to the ice again.
Maul closed his eyes and just felt the darkside of the force swirl around and through him.
“Fear is my tool”
He shaped the darkness, pushing it outward through his hand like a spike
“Mine”
There was muffled but loud cracking sound as the ice gave way to the force’s power. Spiderwebs of white shooting though the black of the ice.
Maul shot up through the now broken surface and scrambled carefully onto it. Keeping his weight spread out as he carefully made his way back to the bank with the wind sending bursts of air through him that felt like daggers.
His Master said nothing and turned to walk away.
The soaked through and freezing boy followed him