Disclaimer: Nothing's mine.
Prologue
Rey wiped off the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes never left the enemy, her steps never faltered as they continued to circle each other slowly. Her good arm was steady, and the broken left forearm was pressed against her stomach. Rey's breathing and heartbeat were calm. There was no emotion, no fear, that had become her mantra and she had promised herself years ago never to be afraid of dying.
Death was her lover tonight.
As she was gazing into the cold, red-rimmed eyes of her Sith adversary, she suppressed a shudder. The yellow of his corneas chilled her to the bones. The hate radiating from the figure was enough to choke on, the power of the Dark Side was so tightly wrapped around him that she had troubles discerning where the man began and when the aura of malevolence ended.
"Rey!" a faint shout of desperation echoed through the forest. "Rey, damn it! Where are you? Rey!"
He's going to be late, she knew. She felt it in the Force. The tremor ran through it with all the intensity of a dying sun. There was no denying it. She was going to die – and if this was her end, she would go as all Jedi went.
"REY!" The hoarse cry sounded slightly closer but still so far away. The blood loss would get to her soon if the red blade didn't do its job first.
"I'll leave your body in one piece for him to find," said the Sith, his lips lifting in a small smirk. "He'll appreciate it; to hold you one last time, to steal one last kiss from your cold, bloodless lips."
"REY!"
That voice. Never before had Rey thought that this would be the last thing she would ever hear and that a Sith lord's smile would be the last thing she would lay her eyes upon. Her concentration broke, just for a moment, but it was enough. Emotions flooded her, and Rey's lips trembled as a strangled gasp left her mouth. Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision of the man who was going to kill her, and the light inside of her that would be denied the opportunity to grow and shine.
Rey reached into the Force, seeking guidance and strength to fight but found only a soothing comfort instead. Fighting was pointless. This was her fate. Blinking, two salty drops trickled down her cheeks.
So be it. Rey straightened her posture and turned off the lightsaber, defiantly raising her chin. "I won't fight you anymore. Strike me down if that's your wish. By doing that, you won't reach your goal. Spilling my blood will bring you a hollow victory for we are one with the Force."
The Sith's eyes flashed, and he bared his teeth, lunging forward with a growl. As the red blade sung about her imminent end, Rey closed her eyes and let go of everything, her other hand coming to rest on her stomach, perhaps subconsciously protecting the life inside. Her last living moments wouldn't be spent in fear, or pain, or sorrow. She wouldn't be pretending or hiding anything. She wouldn't leave the world defeated, nor broken. In her life, Rey Kenobi had been many things but most of all, she had been loved, and she had been happy, and that's how she chose to depart. Loved and loving.
