Notes: I don't own anything from Star Wars. If I did, there would have been several more seasons of The Clone Wars, a spin off involving just Obi-Wan and Anakin, and what happened on Rebels last week would never have happened.

The Funeral

The morning dawned, suffused in colors of rose and gold and deepest black-violet. Rey was awakened by the mournful tolling of a single, deep, sonorous bell, ringing from somewhere out over the capital city. She got up and went to sit cross-legged on the balcony attached to her room, watching the sun rise over the elegant silver and white spires of New Aldera; glinting off the snow-capped mountains surrounding them, until it bathed the winding stone streets and the quiet people hanging garlands of flowers along the way their princess would pass.

Today Leia Organa would be sent to her final resting place.

The last princess of Alderaan, the queen of New Alderaan. Rey had been told that the princess had chosen well the new homeworld which would harbor the remnants of her people. Rey had listened, over the past few days, to the warmth and respect and grief in the voices of the Alderaanians as they spoke of Leia and she knew that the general would be honored and missed for as long as any remnant of Alderaan endured.

Quiet tears of her own slipped down her cheeks as the road below her was festooned in white and purple and blue blossoms. Someone was singing quietly, and several other voices soon joined in, the melodious sounds of the sad song mingling with the lonely bell until Rey could listen no more and she fled back inside.

Later, she stood next to Poe, just behind the coffin, as the party moved down silent, crowded streets, from the palace to the Masoleum which was built to honor the rulers of Alderaan. The day was warm and balmy, and she could hear birds chirping over the soft tread of their shoes and the whisper of moving cloth.

Between one heartbeat and the next, Ben appeared on her other side. He kept pace with her for several steps. "Where are we?" he asked at last, his voice echoing strangely like it always did across the bond.

Rey reached over and grabbed his hand, clinging tightly, as she raised a tear-streaked face to his, and he knew then. "Look," she murmured, as quietly as she could, willing the Force to let him see his mother's funeral.

At his small, shocked intake of breath, she knew that he could see Leia and she gave his hand a squeeze, trying to offer what comfort she could.

Poe was watching her from the corner of his eye, gaze darting to her hand, which clenched the empty air. He leaner close to her. "He's here?"

Rey nodded.

Poe attempted to discreetly and nonchalantly lean across Rey and almost fell over. He cursed volubly. Admiral Miara Laerte, who was in charge of the princess' Honor Guard, gave them both a look of profound dislike. "You get that bastard Hux, Solo?" he demanded. Poe Dameron, Rey realized, wasn't good at either subtlety or tact. She sighed. Ben shot an unreadable look over at the pilot. His face was pale, his eyes bloodshot and his palm was sweaty against hers, but he nodded once, sharply.

"Yes," Rey breathed to Poe, unsurprised.

Poe nodded once, decisively. "Good."

Later, as they stood by Leia's bier and watched her peaceful, beautiful face surrounded by flowers, as Ben reached out and insubstantially brushed his mother's cheek, Poe – in the mistaken belief he was being quiet enough Ben could not hear – whispered, "Maybe he's not so bad after all."

Rey felt Ben's shock flare across their bond. She rolled her eyes and elbowed Poe in the side but felt, for the first time since Leia died, a bit like laughing.