A flash of red. A pain in her chest.

As suddenly as it came, the vision she had was gone. It had been happening frequently, ever since her month long adventure and experimentation with god knows what all she inhaled and ingested. Even though the picture was clear as day in her head, the moment it left it was like the memory was gone. All she knew was that she was seeing something play again and again in her head, but she could never do anything to stop it.

She let the water from her shower continue to wash over her as she tried and failed to pull the vision back. As she ran her fingers through her blonde hair, she couldn't help but get frustrated.

She sat in a ball on the shower floor, pulling her knees up to her chest as the hot water rolled over her. Ever since she had been back from her little adventure, she still felt no better about what she did. All the strings she pulled to make things happen, and yet she still felt as though she would still be the outcast in her own race of people. She'd made a few visits, and while everything seemed to be thriving more than it ever had, she still felt obsolete.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but Kylo Ren is requesting your assistance," a voice of a Stormtrooper came over the communications system plugged into her personal quarters.

She furrowed her brow, shaking her head lightly in confusion as she contemplated what he could possibly want with her. For the past week he had been rather moody, either wanting her help or wanting her to be as far away from him as she possibly could be. Even in their training sessions he was either focused and on his toes, or distant and unresponsive to her. Nothing she ever did seem to better his mood and yet

She reached out of the little cube of a shower space and pressed a button. "What does he want me for?" she asked, still slightly confused.

There was no response.

She groaned, well beyond annoyed as she shut off her hot water and climbed out of her safe haven. She quickly got dressed and headed for whatever it was that Kylo was up to, her hair still dripping wet as she walked down the halls.

When she stepped into the control room, everyone turned, staring at her as a hushed silence fell over the room. Ren was no where in sight.

"Where's Ren?" she asked, walking up to General Hux as he smirked in the corner.

"He got tired of waiting," he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Next time, consider waiting to clean yourself up until after he's finished with you? Next time you might save us from having to repair yet another control console," he said, eyeing her still damp hair.

She cocked her head to the side. He could never be nice to her, not even on a good day apparently.

"Next time, tell him not to summon me in the middle of my shower," she said, narrowing her eyes at the red head. Her and Hux never got along, no matter how hard she tried to give him a chance. "Where is he? And what did he want?"

"I haven't the slightest clue where he stalked off to. Besides, if I'm to debrief you about this mission, I'll need the both of you here. He's been angrier than he normally is lately, so please, don't try and anger him more than he already is," Hux said, being somewhat friendly for once and straightening his back as he walked towards the middle of the control room. Emma followed him, listening intently.

"Any reason why he's acting like a child?" she asked, raising a brow in curiosity even though she knew fully well why. She could always hear the voices that taunted his mind clear as day even when she wasn't staring into his head. There was no doubt in her mind that they were out in full force today.

"No. There's never a reason. Kylo is a loose canon. He cannot be stopped, nor can he be controlled. He only ever listens to the Supreme Leader, and even then he seems to have a mind of his own. You must only hope that one day, he'll see reason," Hux said absentmindedly as he watched the stars surrounding them from the glass window of the control tower.

"Who is this 'Supreme Leader'?" she finally asked. That was all she ever heard about anymore.

"It isn't of your concern. I'd advise you stay away from that topic, especially around here," he said, giving her a stern look. "The Supreme Leader is only known to speak with two. Kylo Ren and I have the privilege, and should the time come where he speaks to others, then maybe consider it a concern. Now if you would excuse me."

The General sidestepped her, heading towards a trooper that held some sort of report in his hand. Emma exhaled, walking over to an empty seat at an unused control panel and sitting down. She swiveled the seat towards Hux, waiting patiently for him to be done with whatever business he was attending to. All she could really think about was what the hell Kylo could have wanted her for.

"You could go searching for him, you know," Hux said, returning to her before she had a chance to delve too deeply into her own head. "The longer he has to wait to see you, the angrier he'll become."

"Yes, let's go seek out a very angry Kylo Ren. I don't see how that's a terrible idea at all," she said sarcastically, earning her a stern look.

"I see even after a month of being here, you still have your impeccable dry sense of humor. That won't last much longer. Check either his quarters or his personal training room. He always likes those areas when he's brooding," Hux said, stringing out the final word like it was an annoyance.

"We'll see about my humor. I've been through much worse and here I am, still an utter ass,."

She bit her lip as she headed out of the control tower, boots clicking against the metal as she walked. She made her way to his quarters, only to be met with a locked door and silence when she knocked on the door.

She ran her fingers across the metal walls, closing her eyes as she tried to feel where he was in the ship. She honed in, trying to find the power of his Force echoing in his mind a long ways away. The moment she locked on, she snapped open her eyes and slowly walked through the ship. She could at least give him time to calm down before she made her entrance.

As she approached the door, she felt something...odd. There was an intense, heavy feeling the closer she got to him, almost like there was a weight on her chest. Her chest hummed with uneasiness and as she drew closer, the worse it got. Before she rounded the corner, she stopped, forcing her to do what her mind was screaming at her not to do. She cloaked herself, making her Force undetectable to those around her and crept down the hallway, reaching a door and putting her back to the wall so she could hear inside.

"Have you not made progress in your search for Luke Skywalker?" a dark and dreary voice echoed through the small crack in the sliding doors.

"Ahk'Tabah was our only lead, and even so we were incorrect with our calculations. Jakku is our next destination," she heard Kylo Ren's voice speak back, his voice clinical and hardly enthusiastic.

She raised her brow, still listening intently.

"And what of the girl? Last time we talked a month ago, you still had yet to make your choice," the Supreme Leader spoke again.

Her brow cocked. What choice?

"Abandoned back on her planet," Kylo spoke. "She has caused too many problems within the First Order. She was...incompatible...with our cause."

Emma froze, eyes widening at what was just said. He was lying about her. His master already knew of her being here, and yet he still decided to lie to the person holding his leash. He fought so hard to have her here, brought her through hellfire and back in order to have her on his side. Why would he so blatantly lie to his master?

"You have gone soft, Kylo Ren. You cannot hide the truth from me-"

"Supreme Leader, I-"

"Silence, boy. I gave you a test, and you failed. Not only did you do what was least preferred, you brought her home like a pet and kept her hidden like you are an ignorant child!" The loud roar of the Supreme Leader's voice echoed in the hall. "And what for? Surely you aren't fascinated with her knowledge of ancient arts, Kylo Ren?"

She expected to hear Kylo retort, at least give him some sort of dry humor he was always so quick witted with, but the Supreme Leader's statement was met with silence.

"Killing the girl would have been preferred-"

"You haven't seen what she is capable of. The girl could be our ally and-"

Kylo's words were cut off, and the next thing she heard was something crashing into the doors and then crumpling to the floor.

"She refuses to accept the Dark Side back into her heart. The Force surrounding her protects her, as it always will, from falling for the temptation. No matter how much she utilizes, she will never be on our side, your side," Snoke rambled on, no doubt only speaking to get underneath Kylo's skin. "She saved your life and now you think you must repay her. You've fallen for foolish charm and now, here you stand disobeying your master."

"You saved hers first. To think, had you not gotten into my mind and told me to stop, she would most likely be dead instead of walking around my ship as a comrade," Kylo said, finally making a retort and speaking against his master. "A friend," he finally answered, truthfully so.

The Supreme Leader let out a scoff. "Friend. You know nothing of the word, child. The way you two bicker and fight is not friendship. She is using you, as well as the First Order to accomplish her own agenda that does not align with that of our own plans. How blind must you be?" His words were venomous and vile, and the more he spoke, the more Kylo Ren seemed to believe him.

"Supreme Leader, I-"

"Leave me. Before I get any angrier than you have made me. I know you hide her, trying to protect her like she is something to you; like she is your savior. You and I both know your heart is too far gone for her, and she soon shall see it too-"

She was forced to stand still as the doors opened, Ren storming out of the room without noticing her. She watched him saunter off, his fists clenched and head held high like he was seeking out someone. She could feel him, searching her mind through that damned link almost like he was trying to find her. She pushed him out, forcibly so to the point she was sure he would get the message. She watched him go, still confused as to what she just heard. Things weren't making sense, and the more she seemed to dig into the First Order's inner workings, the more chaos and disorder she found.

As she watched him turn the corner she came from, she slowly slid past the closing door, letting it slam behind her. She was met with darkness, the only light filtering from what looked like a hole in the ceiling. Yet, there was no one left to greet her.

Or so she thought. As soon as she stepped forward and her boot clicked on the metal floor, the room rippled to life. She stumbled backwards into the door as a projection appeared in front of her, filling the room. She watched in a trance as the giant projected humanoid form awoke, blinking his beady black eyes and staring into the otherwise empty room in a state of confusion. The room suddenly became heavy, almost like she could feel the dark energy surrounding him from wherever he was projecting himself from. She stayed silent, horrified at what was before her as she clasped a hand over her mouth.

The beast sat in his throne, searching the room intently as his eyes swept the room. "I can feel your Force child, you cannot hide," he bellowed, his voice more curious at the unknown that stood before him than he was angry. "Come on out. Be not afraid."

She hesitated, not knowing whether she should run or stand up to the beast in front of her. Her body shuddered, and suddenly the vision she had been having for weeks on end started playing again in her mind, this time clear as day and just as painful as the first time.

She watched like an omnipotent force in the distance, seeing what she assumed to be herself standing in front of Kylo, his face torn and scarred from war and she had a billowing cloak tied to her neck. No longer did he wear his helmet, and the lines on his face made him look weary, defeated even. Snow fell around them, and all was quiet for the most part as they stood on a snowy ledge. A slight smile on his face formed and his hand reached out to her, his lips forming words she wasn't able to hear. His happiness was fleeting, and was immediately replaced with rage as he screamed. The sound of a lightsaber erupted behind her. She even felt it pierce through her back and out through her chest as she watched on in horror, seeing her own blue eyes lose their glow right in front of her. She could barely make out the silhouette of the beast that once sat in his throne, now here to bring her to her knees.

The scene changed just as suddenly as the first. As she was brought to her knees in pain, her eyes opened to find she was on a planet made from metal and steel, and as she looked up, she watched as the world around her was slowly consumed by fire. She stood up in the midst of the flames, looking towards the sky and she watched as the Star Destroyer that she called her home erupted in flames, falling to the ground slowly as if it was imitating the fall of the regime it held.

Suddenly she felt as though she was being sucked backwards, and when she blinked, she stood in darkness, feet trapped by something keeping her in her place. She blinked again, trying to gain her bearings. She took a step forward, the floor she thought she was standing on depressing. She screamed, looking down and seeing she was standing on a pile of corpses, all eyes open and staring at her as if it was a nightmare. The faces were all those whom she didn't recognize, yet the sight made her heart hurt as if they meant something to her. As her clouded gaze went over the countless forms staring at her feet, she was met again with the war torn face of Kylo, dead eyes also staring at her as if she was a disappointment.

As her mind snapped her back to reality, she could feel the pain again, this time excruciating as she covered her mouth, trying to keep quiet. Unexplainable tears were rolling down her face and the room grew cold, almost to the point where she could see her breath as she exhaled. She started hyperventilating, staring up at the projection in front of her. As she tried to calm herself down and the more she stared at him, the more she realized this wasn't a warning. This was her destiny. What was stranger still was that it was shown she would fail...

She had been seeing her death play back for the past few weeks followed by the death of the First Order, warning her to run without her even knowing it. She didn't even have enough strength to see it until it was staring her in the face.

She couldn't do this. She couldn't even kill her father when he was out to kill her. How could she kill what she presumed was one of the most powerful Dark Side users in the universe?

As she stared into the ground in horror, the vision now etched forever in her memory still playing back in her head over and over, she couldn't make a noise. She couldn't bring up the strength to stand up, to fight back and challenge the man in front of her. She couldn't bring herself to make things right.

She bolted out of the room, gasping as the tears kept falling and the pain in her chest kept throbbing. The doors slammed shut behind her and she felt her stomach churning. She looked back at the doorway that hid such horror, then took off running, trying to get as far away from that place as she could.

When her legs wouldn't work anymore and she thought she would throw up, she leaned against a wall, crumpling to the floor as she started sobbing. All these questions flooded her mind; why her, why not someone else, how could she do this if she was so weak to begin with, and why would showing her own demise give her the motivation to to in in the first place?

Who were the people lying dead at her feet, insinuating that she was to blame?

The vision played again and again, and every time the lightsaber would pierce her back, her chest would ignite in pain. Her hand grabbed the knife attached to her belt, bringing the hilt up to her forehead as her knuckles turned white from holding it so tightly. She snapped her eyes shut, trying to calm herself and bring herself back into sanity. She hung her head, still horrified as she couldn't stop recalling her own death and letting out a hushed sob every time she watched the blade pierce her heart. She resisted the urge to sink her knife deep into the metal walls just to relieve her anger, her sorrow, her pain. Her heart raced at top speed, and no matter how calm she tried to get, nothing could slow it down.

She didn't know how long she had been there when she felt a hand on her shoulder, snapping her back into reality. She jumped, looking up as she quickly wiped tears from her face, trying to hide the fact she had just broken down and lost her mind. She was met with the sight of Kylo's mask towering over her, staring back at her as his hand held out her mother's old lightsaber.

She stared at him, wildly contemplating how perfectly timed this event was. She was crying, broken, confused, hurt, in the middle of an existential crisis and here he was, holding out the beacon of hope that stood by her in her time of need. The thing that kept her strong when nothing else could, the relic of her mother held in the hand of a man too conceited to feel what she hid so deeply under snide remarks even with a clear pathway into her head...

She exhaled a shaky breath, staring at the hilt in his hand for a moment before slowly reaching out to take it. She expected him to stalk away, as he always did when she would show any sign of emotion. Instead he crouched down and sat against the wall beside her, resting his arms on his legs.

She couldn't stop the tears rolling down her cheeks, no matter how hard she tried to pull herself together. For a moment they just sat in silence, and Kylo froze when she rested her weary head on his shoulder. He didn't protest, and only moved again when she finally sat straight up and began turning her mother's lightsaber over in her hands.

As she fumbled with her mother's light saber, she cracked open the inner core, pulling out the component holding together two white Kyber crystals that powered the weapon. She sniffed, finally pulling herself together and throwing the hilt aside as she reached for her two light sabers, doing the same thing to hers as she did to her mother's.

Kylo watched intently as she ripped the red crystals out, replacing them with the white ones she salvaged from her mother's. As she popped the components back together, her lightsabers roared to life, the red blades replaced with brilliant white ones and the extensions on the bottom swirling a gold and white. She turned them off, returning them to her belt and then handed her hilt of her mother's blade back to Kylo.

This was her calling. Whether or not she would answer to it, she still didn't quite know. With a confident exhale, she decided she would answer the calling; to become the true Gray her mother always wanted her to be. Both light and dark, melded into one. The only doubt she had was could she do so, without knowing what truly lay ahead?

"I know what you did," he said, finally breaking the silence between them.

"Why did you lie to the Supreme Leader about me?" she asked, not even hiding the fact she had eavesdropped. She watched him like a hawk as she sat back down, still wiping the stray tear from her face. He hesitated before he froze, suddenly realizing what she was talking about. "No, don't you go off and panic like you always do. Why am I worth hiding from your leader? Why is it worth risking your life over?"

She couldn't see his eyes from underneath his mask, but she could feel his harsh gaze. "The Supreme Leader does not know your worth. I have seen it, and know that it is invaluable to the First-" he caught himself, taking a breath before he decided to be honest. "To me."

She let out a light scoff, rolling her eyes and glancing towards the ceiling as she wiped the left over tears still rolling down her face. "Since when do you ever care about the lives of anyone else but yourself," she said softly.

"Since when have you decided to get emotionally distraught, let alone in front of the one person who never cares? I feel the answers to these questions are the same," he said, being as cryptic as he always was and cracking his knuckled through his gloves.

"Come to me when you find your strength. I have a mission for us to attend to, one that is rather urgent," Kylo said, standing up and starting to walk off.

"Aren't you even curious as to why you found me crying in a hallway?" she asked, laughing a little as she stood up. She didn't know exactly why she was baiting him. She couldn't tell him what she saw let alone show him, especially since it involved him for whatever reason.

"What we need of you is far more important. I feel as though you will tell in due time, whenever you are ready," he said, waiting up for her as she cleared her throat and began to walk beside him.

"When seeing the future, I've found it's best to not tell those who are involved," she muttered, keeping her head low to avoid anyone else see her puffy face and red eyes.

Kylo turned to look at her, now curious at her words. He could just simply look into her mind, pull the information from her with a flick of his hand. However, if it involved him and his future, he'd rather be left in the dark.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter," she said, lying through her teeth as they approached the ship's control tower. "At least not yet anyways," she muttered under her breath. She had to be strong, especially if she intended to somehow make it to the end and make it out alive. "Where are we headed?" she asked, trying to get off the subject.

"Jakku. We've found who we were looking for," he said simply.

She fell silent. This was the moment where she had to choose what side she was on.

"I'll meet you at the control tower," she said suddenly, making a turn and left him alone.

A/N: Hello again! I'm here to tell you that unfortunately there will be a delay on the next chapter. Life has gotten hectic and I haven't been able to write as much as I usually can, and I can tell I may not be able to write to the quality (haha, this isn't quality at all) I want. SO! I'm putting a four week delay on the next chapter, just so that I can get some chapters ready and edited and backlogged so I can get ahead of myself again.

HOWEVER. I'm also looking for some ideas/prompts that I can use in my stories. Have an idea? Want to see something in my story? Review or even message me, and I may include some ideas given to me! I want to draw this story out longer than I intended it to be, just to make sure it isn't just a cut and dry story. I want some meat to this thing, ya know?

Anyways. I apologize for the delay! I'm so so sorry, but I just want to make sure I'm putting my best (haha) out there.

See ya soon guys! Thanks to all those who have reviewed and such! It means a lot!