Star Wars: Find Your Way to M (Ren+Rey)

Okay guys bare with me since this is my first fanfiction in a long long time. As usual I do not own any characters in the Star Wars universe. All rights go to George Lucas, JJ Adams and Disney.

Part I:

Rey's body ached and her heart was heavy. Outside the walls of her borrowed sleeping quarters the Resistance still celebrated their victory over the First Order. Music played, drinks were passed around, and laughter rang out loudly through the air. Rey had narrowly wriggled free out of Poe's bear hug and turned away several offers of ale from a few frisky pilots. It should have been a time of celebration for everyone, only Rey did not feel like celebrating. All she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep and cleanse her mind of everything that had happened to her since finding BB8 on Jakku. The borrowed sleeping clothes and blankets given to her were softer than the ones she had come accustomed to but at that moment she would have given anything to be back in her familiar little bunk tucked safely away from the world. The aches in her worn-out were tolerable compared to the images playing through her mind. Finn still lay in the infirmary unconscious. Han falling into an abyss. A pair of dark brown eyes staring into her soul. A lone tear trickled down her cheek; it was the only one she would allow herself to shed.

Sleep…..sleep…..sleep…sssssleep.

The humming vibrations that had been gentle pulsing within her body ever since she had tapped into the Force now felt as if they were snuggly wrapping her into a warm cocoon. The pains of her body were soothed and her memories became quiet. With a sign of relief and exhaustion slowly she allowed herself to be pulled into the arms of sleep.

Rey was standing in the midst of a billion stars glowing bright blue and white. Stars danced and flew around her in a brilliant whirl of color. It was chaotic and stunningly beautiful. As the stars glided by in their dance of light Rey could hear a chorus of faint voices echoing around her. The chant of a thousand voices scattered across the universe melding to form a single voice of beauty. Her body felt lighter than air but she did not float away. An abyss of blackness laid out beneath her feet but she did not fall.

"What is this place?" Rey wondered out loud.

"It is a placed called Somnia or the Dream," answered a deep voice from behind her.

Rey turned around to see that the voice belonged to an old man in long brown rob over a cream colored tunic. The cowl of his robe had been thrown back to reveal his slightly shaggy gray hair. A thick leather belt wrapped around his trim waist and at his hip a lightsaber rested. He was a tall man though time had done its best to stoop his broad shoulders. His weather worn face held the gentlest smile that caused his steel gray eyes to twinkle. His hands were folded in front of him as he stood there watching her. His demeanor gave off a sense of innocence but Rey had learned long ago to not let her guard down too quickly.

"Does that mean that this is a dream?" Rey asked.

The old man slightly tilted his head, gazing at her intensely.

"Yes and no, in a way. This is where the Force connects the minds, memories, and pathways of all creatures, passed and living, within the galaxy," the man answered. "I am impressed that you are able to access it at such a young age with no prior training from a master. Only those who are the most in tuned with the Force have been granted access to this place."

"But why am I here? Who are you?" Rey could not shake the feeling that something was very familiar about this man though she could not recall meeting him. What was it?

The old man gave her a little bow. "I was once called Obi-wan Kenobi. Back when I too carried a lightsaber as a Jedi Knight. Or if you would prefer something a little more informal, I was also called Ben once upon a time."

This last comment caused the old man to chuckle softly and the edges of his eyes crinkled.

His eyes. There was something about his eyes that felt familiar.

Eyes had a tendency of opening a window into a person's soul. Ren had seen countless stories told through the eyes of her fellow scavengers. Pain, abuse, hatred, despair, and occasionally deception. Obi-wan's eyes only held a gaze of serenity and wisdom that she had never witnessed before. Obi-wan's voice as well was calm and soothing; it made Rey imagine him telling stories to younglings around a camp fire. His overall presence made her relax and drop her guard.

"You still have not told me why I am here," Rey insisted as she took a step closer to Obi-wan.

Obi-wan let out another short chuckle and walked up beside her.

"Will you walk with me, my dear?"

Obi-wan offered her his left arm and after a moment's hesitation she took it. Patting her arm gently with his free hand Obi-wan guided her forward into the swirl of stars. Waving his free hand in front of them a path was cleared for them.

"Ren, I understand that you have been through so much. If it were in my power, I would lift so many of the burdens that have been placed on your young shoulders. Though, unfortunately, life has a tendency of asking much of us without asking what it is we want in turn."

"I do not understand." Ren replied.

They paused in their walk as Obi-wan again waved his hand through the air. Immediately the nearest stars paused in their motion and melded together to form moving images. Planets burning, storm troopers firing blasters into crowds of people, a stooped dark figure sitting on a throne, Rey as she struggled to pull Finn's unconscious body to safety.

And Death. Rey thought. So much death.

"Evil has fallen upon the galaxy once more. The Dark side has unbalanced the stability of the Force greater than it has ever done before. Since the beginning of time there has been darkness, and since there has always been darkness, then there has always been the Light."

Rey listened silently as she continued to watch the moving images.

"For generations the Sith have fought to dominate the Light while the Jedi have fought to defend it. Now, however, that balance has been disturbed. Without a warrior to bring forth the Light side of the force, I fear the very worst."

"What could be worse than what is already happening?" Rey's voice had become icy as she watched the image of a small girl clinging to the still body of her mother.

Obi-wan shook his hand sadly.

"What is worse is a world without hope. A point in time when good men stop fighting for what is right and decent. When desperation and fear wipe out any flicker of what is means to be free and fight for one another. However, Snoke has not been able to bring that about yet. You have already shown him that the force has not deserted the hearts of true warriors."

The images of death melted away and were replaced by new images. Warriors of every species wielding lightsabers battled against foes. Children sat in a group listening to a teacher. Men joining together to fix a broken damn. A city in the throes of a celebration. Without knowing how, Rey recognized them all as Jedi.

Obi-wan turned to looked directly into Rey's eyes. "I believe you, Rey, have been chosen to stop Leader Snoke and bring order back to the Force."

Disbelief filled Rey's empty stomach. "How could you possible know that I have been chosen? I do not know anything about Jedi and Sith, dark or light sides of anything! "

"Are you not currently standing here with me? How do you believe that you beat a well trained Sith Lord in combat? Mere luck?"

Rey was only more confused and slightly terrified at the very idea of such a large responsibility placed unwillingly on her young shoulders. "But why me? I'm not a great Jedi or know the ways of the Force or anything! I was just trying to save my friends."

Obi-wan took one of her hands gently into his. "Your friends will still need you on your journey but in order to truly save them….you will have to embrace your destiny. As for being a Jedi? Oh my dear, I believe that you are destined for something more."

Rey's body began to quiver slightly; it was all just so much. Obi-wan brought her hand up to his mouth and gave her hand a gentle kiss.

"Never think you are alone, my dear. I believe in you, as so many others that you save, will too." Obi-wan looked out amongst the stars ahead of them. "And there is another who is in great need of your saving too."

"Finn?..." Rey asked, thinking about her new friend.

"No, my dear. He is the other key to ending this evil. Without you, however, I do not think he will survive."

The stars scattered once more and melded again to form a large glowing sphere. The sphere elongated and smoothed to become a large window. They came right up to the window and Rey realized that she was looking into a darkened room. Inside the mirror was the interior of a large cave lit by torch light and a small fire burning in a rough-cut hearth on one side of the room. The walls were jagged and marbled with white veins. In one corner of the cave was a sleeping pallet and a few meager possessions tucked up against the wall.

On the other side of the cave there was a large smooth wall and Rey silently gasped at the sight. The wall was completely covered with stunningly vivid pictures. Rey leaned in closer to see that the largest pictures in the center of the wall were actually portraits of men, women, and creatures: two of them she recognized immediately.

General Leia Organa and Captain Han Solo.

The General's portrait did not look like the Leia as Rey had last seen her. She was younger, happier, and her face lacked the strained lines of responsibility and stress. Next to her, Han Solo grinned with his crocked smile and mischievous eyes. Time had not been able to take that away from him.

Directly underneath this portrait, in a heap on the floor, was a man. Powerful sobs shook his body as he lay weeping on the stone floor. Rey did not need to see his face to immediately recognize his long black locks and robes.

"Kylo Ren!" she hissed.

Hatred burst through her like a hot flame, making her fingers twitch to reach for her lightsaber. This was the monster that needed to be destroyed! This was the monster that had hurt her and her friends. How dare he weep for the father he had gladly slaughtered.

"No," Obi-wan answered calmly. "The man before us is not Kylo Ren, he is Ben Solo."

Tearing her eyes away from her enemy, Rey looked at Obi-wan in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"That," Obi-wan replied, pointing to the young man. "Is the true son of Leia Organa and Han Solo. Look closer… empty your mind of hate and let the Force speak to you. Please."

Rey frowned in disgust but she listened to what Obi-wan said. Closing her eyes she steadied her breathing and allowed the Force to flow freely through her and guide her eyes. She looked down again at the man she wanted to hate but this time she truly saw him.

The black robe he wore was dirty and torn in places. His hair was uncombed and appeared like he tried to pull tuffs of it out. His skin was even paler than it had seemed when she battled him, and when he lifted his beautiful she saw the trail of tears down his cheeks.

Then she noticed his hands.

Strong, long fingered hands that were shackled in red and black chains. He wasn't a threat, he was a prisoner.

In between his forceful sobs Rey could hear words mingled among the tears.

"Forgive me, father," Ben moaned. "I couldn't stop him. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry. So very sorry."

His words became incoherent again as he wrapped his arms around his body. Rey could not feel hatred when pity was pulling at the strings of her heart.

Rey looked away in confusion. "I don't understand, how is this possible? If he's the real Ben Solo then who is Kylo Ren?"

"He is he but then he is not he," Obi-wan explained. "The Kylo Ren you fought is the side of Ben that was corrupt by the dark side. Arrogance, thirst for power and achievement, it all morphed into a unique identity of its own and took possession of his mind and body. Very much like what happened to his grandfather."

Obi-wan sighed sadly at a memory long since passed.

"A sort of…multiple personality if you will. Kylo Ren has locked away the good side of him deep within his consciousness, hoping it will weaken and stay dormant."

"Can you help him? Can he not free himself?" Rey asked.

Obi-wan shook his head again sadly. "I can do no more than be a guide to those who will listen to me. I have tried to reach out to Ben but I can not breach the walls Kylo Ren has placed around him and his own self-loathing has made him deaf to me."

Obi-wan turned and placed his hands on Rey's shoulders. The touch was gentle but with that one action Rey felt as though she had taken a heavy responsibility onto her shoulders.

"But I believe that you can reach him. Help him Rey, bring him back."