The Light That Leads You Home
a/n: okay peoples so this idea was sitting in the back of my mind and i had to get it out.
hope ya'll like it.
Shadow
Kylo Ren sat down on a crumbly piece of building. The sun was baking the ground around him and the heat was a bit obnoxious for him considering he was from a forested state. Sometimes the heat made him grumpy and at this point he was starting to feel the irrational feeling coming on. His team were shuffling around the former court yard waiting for their next orders from higher up. The wind blew hotly creating a small dirt devil that swirled around in front of him. As he stared at the same point his vision tunneled to the object in front of him. Dark boots shuffling in their approach to his seat made him shake his head and look up.
"Hey Ren we have to get moving soon."
"Yeah, yeah I hear you."
"Don't you yeah, yeah me Kylo, or I'll come out there and beat your ass."
"Only in your dreams could you hope to beat me in anything."
Something reflected in his eyes among the rubble. Getting up he went to investigate what had caught his eyes. Reaching down he picked up a dog tag it looked like but it wasn't a standard issued one. One side had a horse head on it underneath the head was a horse shoe facing up beneath that was etched the name 'Imperial Rebel'. Flipping it over there was the picture of the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen staring back at him. She had a smile that made his heart race. Her hand was on the face of a pure black horse. He figured he'd find the owner of this item later he stuck it in his pack. He turned to go back to his platoon when a loud explosion rocked him off his feet and darkness was all he knew.
When he came to a medic was leaning over him checking things off on the chart in his hands. The man was set his clipboard aside and sat it down on the side of the bed and then started checking him over. His ears were ringing a bit and a massive headache made itself known.
"Glad you're finally with us again Sargent Ren."
"What…" he said in a dazed manner.
Before he could croak out his question on what had happened the medic spoke up;
"A bomb went off where you'd been sitting. A few guys didn't make it."
He hates the fact it was a thing about war that people died but it still rocked something inside of him. A solemn nod was his only reaction to the doctors news. Then something shiny in the medics hand flashed in his eyes. It was the dog tag he'd found in the rubble. "I'll have to say this thing saved your life. If you hadn't gone for it you would've probably died. You should find this girl and thank her."
He took it back and stared at into her deep brown eyes. He couldn't explain it something about the girl in this picture calls to him. Closing his eyes, he wanted to find who this belonged to. He held the chain up and watched it swish back and forth.
"Hey you!"
A voice startled him outta his deep thoughts. He turned his attention to the guy in the bed next to him. He had to close his eyes to fight off the feeling of being nauseous. Once the wave passed he looked over at the other man. The guy next to him had his arm wrapped up. His eyes were trained on him and the dog tag he was holding. For a moment he looked back and forth between the man that called to him and the tag in his hand. "Where did you find that?"
"It was laying in a pile of rubble where we raided last night. Do you know who it belongs to?"
"Yeah it's mine. That's my twin Rey."
Kylo was reluctant to hand the tag over to him, but he did anyway. There was a thick silence between them. Kylo didn't like the tense silence so he decided to ask about the horse. From the high arch of its neck and the higher pointed ears told him that this horse might be an Arabian horse if he remembered his horse breeds correctly.
"So Imperial Rebel?"
"He's a black Arabian stallion. My sister trained him to be a champion. In a year or so he'll be ready to run in the major horse races. We're going to go for the Triple Crown."
He knew for a fact the Triple Crown was a hard thing to achieve for any horse and there hadn't been that many since the debts had started long ago.
"So your family owns a horse farm?"
"Yes, in central Kentucky."
Kylo couldn't help but see this guy was totally proud of being from Kentucky. The man reached his uninjured arm to hold out his hand. Kylo took his hand and shook it.
"Staff Sargent Ben Kenobi."
"Sargent Kylo Ren."
"Nice to meet you Kylo."
He nodded his head at the other man. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime."
"Maybe but hopefully not here," Kylo joked softly.
"Yeah hopefully not here."
Ben held up the tag before reattaching it to his own dog tags. "I owe you a drink sometime Kylo for finding this for me. Rey would kill me if I didn't bring this back. She worked so hard on it."
"She made that?"
"Oh yeah. She trains horses, works with metal and occasionally takes commissions to make jewelry."
Kylo hummed in interest. "She does some work for a military organization by making these tags to commemorate the fallen."
He looked at Ben for a moment. Kylo rose.
"See you around Ben."
The man smirked at him which he didn't quite understand before leaving the tent to return to his unit.
Kylo had his gun trained ahead of him waiting for something to happen but at the same time hoping nothing does. He turned a corner suddenly and was face to face with another unit. His gun came up but his hand came up to halt his squad. Someone on the other squad called out that they were faced with friendlies. It took him a moment to recognize Ben.
"Didn't think I'd see you this soon Kylo."
"Me either."
"Sarge we need to keep moving," someone from behind Ben muttered.
"Right, see you around Kylo."
Before they could walk past each other a man sprang from the shadows and had a knife trained for his face. Blooming pain washed through him before he could get his bearings enough to shoot the man. Going to his knees he felt the blood running down his face in rivers. He vaguely heard Ben call for a medic to attend him before he blacked out.
When Kylo came to Ben was leaning over him. He fought the urge to jerk away from the other man. A groan of protest escaped him as he tried to move. It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing him in the face.
"Thought for a minute you were going to kick the bucket on me."
"Why would I do that?"
Ben was silent for a moment.
"What?"
"That guy kinda sliced your face before you shot him. The medic said it was deep enough that it would scar."
His eyes narrowed as he remembered the incident. Reaching up he could only feel the bandages. "You're lucky he didn't carve out your eyes."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence."
"Just saying man. Besides you still need to come to Kentucky for a visit. My sister wants to meet you."
"Meet me? Why?"
Ben smirked and shrugged his shoulders. Kylo didn't like that smirk one iota.
"I told her that you found the dog tag and it saved your life."
Kylo blushed at those words. He didn't think it was necessary for her to know that information.
"And she wants to meet me because of that?"
"I normally don't question my sisters antics Kylo you shouldn't either."
The both of them just laughed like old friends. Ben reached into his pack and threw him an envelope with his name on it. Her handwriting was neat and flowed like water across the paper. The envelope was lightly scented with perfume that smelled good to him.
"What's this?"
"Rey sent it for you just encase we crossed paths again. "
Kylo looked at him in confusion. Shaking his head he opened the envelope. A dog tag fell out into his hand. The tag was black and had the Marine insignia on it and underneath it was the words 'BeSafe Marine'. Flipping it over was a picture of her sitting on an old stone fence with a smirk on her face. For a couple minutes he stared at her picture smirking back at him then looked up at Ben.
"Is this her way of flirting with me?"
"Probably is. My twin is weird like that."
"Are you trying to say…"
"Easy Kylo I sent a picture of you to her."
"How…"
"I have my ways and besides she wanted to see what you looked like."
Kylo was at a loss on how he'd possibly gotten a picture of him to send to his twin. A blush dusted his cheeks. He'd never been good at the dating game so he'd been single most of his adult life.
"Was it before or after my face got cut up?"
"Don't worry about it Kylo. She doesn't make tags for just anyone. Yeah, she's definitely trying to flirt long distance. I look forward to you meeting her face to face when you visit."
"Who says I will?"
"Curiosity says you will."
There was a shit eating grin on Ben's face. Kylo grumbled under his breath knowing Ben as probably right. He grumbled softly under his breath as he placed the tag with his own dog tags. He looked at her smirking face. Shaking his head he put his helmet on. With care Kylo tucked the tags under his body armor before he went to his rounds. Explosions rocked their encampment. Kylo struggled to see through debris that was raining down all around him. His mind was racing as he tried to find Ben. His heart was pounded as he searched through the rubble trying to find his friend.
"Ben?!"
"Kylo," he heard a weak gasp.
His team and Ben's team rallied around him to dig out the other man.
"Guys I found him."
They moved around him. He was pinned underneath a bunch of rubble. Team started trying to pull the rubble away from Ben's body.
"Stay with me Ben," he said.
Ben was struggling to get a breath and laugh at the same time. "Keep digging guys!"
Ben caught Kylo's arm and tugged on it to get his attention. Their eyes met and Kylo had that feeling that Ben wasn't going to allow them to keep fighting for a lost cause. He was trying to keep his pain hidden from his friend.
"Let me go Kylo."
"Over my dead body."
Ben grabbed his arm and tugged harder to make him stop digging. He'd waited for a joke about that statement but nothing came and the seriousness in Ben's pain fogged eyes made him stop.
"Kylo," he breathed softly. "Let me go."
"Ben…"
"Do me a favor."
"What is it?"
"Take care of my twin she won't understand."
"You'll make it."
"Don't kid yourself."
Kylo could see him struggling to stay awake to tell him what needed to be said. Ben reached up to his tag and tugged on the chains. Ben tucked his duplicate tag and the one Rey made in Kylo's hand. "Just check in on her once in awhile."
He couldn't find the words to say to this dying man so he just nodded his head. He could feel the trembling in Ben's hands. A heavy breath escaped Ben before he went still. Bowing his head he reached forward and closed Ben's eyes. His team finally lifted the last rock.
"Is he…" one of the soldiers asked.
"He's gone."
They nodded and helped him pick up the body. Kylo didn't know how he was going to face Rey for letting him die. Though, he wouldn't forget his promise to Ben to look after her once in awhile. But he wasn't sure how long it'd be before he forgave himself enough to face his friends twin.
Taking a deep breath he stood and figured he'd face the last two tours in the Middle East with his head held high. He wasn't one to pray but he hoped that one day he'd find the courage he needed.
After two years of war he finally made it back to the states. With a heavy breath he waited for his Mother to come get him. When he keep showed up he couldn't help but smile. His black German Shepard Aries was sitting in the back seat barking at him. He threw his bag into the back and went and loved on his dog a moment before he was attacked by a bear hug from his mother. The returned to the ranch house. His step father was working out in the corral with a new horse.
"New horse?"
"He's been fooling with that mustang for the last two months. She's a handful."
The dun mare was throwing her head around and lunging around his step father. Kylo rolled his eyes at the mare.
"What's his fascination with duns?"
"They're beautiful creatures."
He couldn't disagree on the matter as he watched the mare dance around. Shaking his head he went inside and sat his bag down. With a thump he leaned against the kitchen table. His mother frowned as she sat beside him.
Kylo looked at his mother with sad eyes. He'd come home after his third tour was over and felt restless even though he'd just gotten home. He knew where he should go, but he couldn't justify going that far away in his head. That and the guilt that was sitting inside of him even though he knew damned well there hadn't been anything he could do about the situation.
"What's wrong?"
He sat down heavily at the table. Aries laid down beside his chair and whimpered softly. "Kylo…"
"Ben made me promise to look in on his twin from time to time, but I don't know how to face her. I couldn't save her brother."
"Kylo I'm sure she knows that it wasn't your fault."
He didn't voice the fact that he felt like it was his fault. His mother would try her hardest to convince him that this wasn't his fault. "But you should at least meet her just once."
"What if she hates me?"
"Then you'll know, but I think you're over looking something my son. She knows you looked after her brother to the best of your abilities."
"I want to meet her Mom but I'm nervous."
She smiled at him which made him squirm just a bit. He never liked when his mother was smiling like that it meant she was up to no good. His mind started leaning towards his Mother trying to play matchmaker. It wasn't that he hadn't entertained the idea of trying for a relationship with Rey but he wasn't going to throw himself at her like a hormonal teenager.
"What are you smiling at me like that Mom?"
"Bring her here sometime so I can meet her."
Kylo blushed so hard he could feel it creeping up into his ears. He hated it when his mom was able to make him blush like a school boy with his first crush.
"Mom," he protested.
His mother gave him that stern look that told him he'd better listen to her right quick. Knowing he couldn't ignore what she was saying he gave her a lopsided smile.
"I know you well enough Kylo. Go she probably is as anxious to meet you as you are to meet her."
"It's been almost two years," he said softly.
"Kylo stop freaking yourself out. You're a Marine face your fears with courage."
He shook his head and stared into his mothers eyes. "You're fathers old pick up is sitting in the garage with a full tank."
"Kicking me out already?"
"I know you Kylo as I've said. You'll mope around here until you go meet her because I know you want to."
Kylo felt like an idiot and shook his head. He went upstairs to pack his duffel bag. Once he was done he stood at the door with mixed feelings. When he'd left the last time to go to war he knew his purpose but now… Aries looked up at him at his side and wagged his tail. A shove from behind made him start.
"Stop over thinking things Kylo. It'll be okay."
"She's right son," his step father said softly. "Stop over thinking things. Ben wanted you to meet his twin. At least you should go and thank her for the gift she'd sent you. A gift that safe guarded your journey in the Middle East."
Kylo looked at Han and nodded his head. He hugged both his parents long and tight. Pulling back he smirked and walked out the door with Aries beside him. Pulling the army tarp off the dark green ford. As an after thought he folded the tarp up and put it away. Throwing his bag behind the seat he let Aries in on the passenger side.
"Are you ready for a long drive Aries?"
He barked in agreement as he looked forward as if ready for the journey they'd make. Kylo got in and started the truck up hearing the engine run smoothly. Taking a deep breath his began his journey to Kentucky from his home in Montana.
It took two days to reach the Kentucky boarder and it would be a couple more hours before he reached the gates of The Gray Jedi farms. He stopped outside the stone gates and just stared at them. Knowing he couldn't stall anymore he got back in his truck and drove towards the main house.
