Commentary: They're deep down in The Pit, following tunnels that Cole knows leads to the sewers. He knows The Pit and all its winding passageways and secrets like the back of his hand, having lived down here like a ghost for so long. Right now, the only thing he cares about is Rhys. That wound in his stomach is bad, and he has to help him walk. He has to help him escape, and keep him safe. He won't let anyone hurt Rhys. Nothing else matters.
Templars are coming, but he knows what to do. He's figured out how to take more control over his invisibility, knows how to make it cover someone else too… in theory. He can sense Rhys beside him too in a way he didn't used to, can tell that despite his wound he's still alive, still holding on, for now. He doesn't question these new senses. Helping Rhys is all that matters. He reaches into the darkness inside him where he knows the power he needs is waiting, knowing that it could swallow him up. He used to be too afraid to look that deep inside himself, but that doesn't matter anymore. He'd do anything to help Rhys. It won't consume him. He won't let it.
It comes close though, filling him up with a sickly feeling like before, but he pushes it back down. He doesn't know how to answer Rhys and there's no time, so he just pushes on, helping Rhys along as best as he can. He has no ability or skills for healing, so all he can do is guide him and make sure he keeps moving.
Then he appears. Lord Seeker Lambert. Evangeline and the others were supposed to find and destroy Rhys' phylactery, but it looks like that didn't happen. Still, he keeps Rhys hidden… until he reads from that book and he's suddenly cut off from that power, like a door slamming shut in his face. He doesn't understand what happened, but Lambert can see them now, and he's drawing his sword. He wants to hurt Rhys.
Cole rages, his need to protect Rhys burning in his chest. He's no trained warrior but he's fast with strong reflexes, and he uses that to his advantage. But Lambert is big and strong and skilled, and it's not enough. The blade sinks into his shoulder and the agony burns away any and all reason, leaving only one thing. I won't let you hurt Rhys. I'll kill anyone who hurts Rhys!
Even as he takes too many blows and can barely stand, much less fight, he forces himself to get back up, both terror and wretched determination driving him on. Rhys is his only friend, he won't let anyone hurt him-
He doesn't understand what Lambert is saying, at first. Why would a chant to dispel demonic influence work on him?
But as Lambert holds him by the throat, he comes to a terrible understanding. Did you try so hard to pretend you were one of us, pretend you were real, that you forgot what you really were? Repressed, fragmented memories come rushing back, of a boy lying in a cold dungeon cell, alone, forgotten, starving to death. Despair washes over him. All this time, he was afraid that he wasn't real, that he really was just a ghost, abandoned by the Maker and doomed to be unseen and forgotten by everyone. But on some level he knew this wasn't right, that he wasn't right. He'd just been too afraid, of everything, to open his eyes to any of it.
But Lambert is right. He's not real. He's not even a ghost. He's a monster.
And in that moment when he locks eyes with Rhys, his only friend in the world, he knows that must be exactly what he sees, too.
Something inside him breaks. For the first time, Cole wants to disappear. And so he does, once again turning invisible, even from the sight of the one person who had always been able to see him.
Ahsoka
Commentary: They're deep down in The Pit, following tunnels that Cole knows leads to the sewers. He knows The Pit and all its winding passageways and secrets like the back of his hand, having lived down here like a ghost for so long. Right now, the only thing he cares about is Rhys. That wound in his stomach is bad, and he has to help him walk. He has to help him escape, and keep him safe. He won't let anyone hurt Rhys. Nothing else matters.
Templars are coming, but he knows what to do. He's figured out how to take more control over his invisibility, knows how to make it cover someone else too… in theory. He can sense Rhys beside him too in a way he didn't used to, can tell that despite his wound he's still alive, still holding on, for now. He doesn't question these new senses. Helping Rhys is all that matters. He reaches into the darkness inside him where he knows the power he needs is waiting, knowing that it could swallow him up. He used to be too afraid to look that deep inside himself, but that doesn't matter anymore. He'd do anything to help Rhys. It won't consume him. He won't let it.
It comes close though, filling him up with a sickly feeling like before, but he pushes it back down. He doesn't know how to answer Rhys and there's no time, so he just pushes on, helping Rhys along as best as he can. He has no ability or skills for healing, so all he can do is guide him and make sure he keeps moving.
Then he appears. Lord Seeker Lambert. Evangeline and the others were supposed to find and destroy Rhys' phylactery, but it looks like that didn't happen. Still, he keeps Rhys hidden… until he reads from that book and he's suddenly cut off from that power, like a door slamming shut in his face. He doesn't understand what happened, but Lambert can see them now, and he's drawing his sword. He wants to hurt Rhys.
Cole rages, his need to protect Rhys burning in his chest. He's no trained warrior but he's fast with strong reflexes, and he uses that to his advantage. But Lambert is big and strong and skilled, and it's not enough. The blade sinks into his shoulder and the agony burns away any and all reason, leaving only one thing. I won't let you hurt Rhys. I'll kill anyone who hurts Rhys!
Even as he takes too many blows and can barely stand, much less fight, he forces himself to get back up, both terror and wretched determination driving him on. Rhys is his only friend, he won't let anyone hurt him-
He doesn't understand what Lambert is saying, at first. Why would a chant to dispel demonic influence work on him?
But as Lambert holds him by the throat, he comes to a terrible understanding. Did you try so hard to pretend you were one of us, pretend you were real, that you forgot what you really were? Repressed, fragmented memories come rushing back, of a boy lying in a cold dungeon cell, alone, forgotten, starving to death. Despair washes over him. All this time, he was afraid that he wasn't real, that he really was just a ghost, abandoned by the Maker and doomed to be unseen and forgotten by everyone. But on some level he knew this wasn't right, that he wasn't right. He'd just been too afraid, of everything, to open his eyes to any of it.
But Lambert is right. He's not real. He's not even a ghost. He's a monster.
And in that moment when he locks eyes with Rhys, his only friend in the world, he knows that must be exactly what he sees, too.
Something inside him breaks. For the first time, Cole wants to disappear. And so he does, once again turning invisible, even from the sight of the one person who had always been able to see him.