Rey watched, wide-eyed, as Kylo slowly turned in her direction. Large black eyes stared at her, hatred and anger pooling inside black orbs. His lips parted, baring rotted teeth to her. The jagged scars upon his face split opened and black blood ran down his face. She had never seen anything so monstrous. He moved like lightening upon his hands and knees, ready to strike at her.

Laughter filled the large room, causing her to shiver. She knew his laugh, yet this was someone else. A deep, menacing rumble exploded from his lips as his body shook. Rey felt her fear begin to choke her, but she forced it down, forced herself to look upon the Beast. This was not Kylo, not the man who had held her so tenderly moments before.

She watched the smile disappear from his face as horror took over. "Run," he whispered. Kylo turned away from her, hiding himself and allowing her an opening to the door. Rey took it, running from the room and into the hallway. Tears blinded her path as she ran down the hall towards the stairs that lead to her room.

She reached the first step and froze. Slowly, she turned back to look at the Great Hall. Her heart hammered hard against her chest, her fear choking her, but she realized she could not abandon him. Something had him trapped. Something was hurting him. She would not be able to look herself in the mirror if she did not do something. A voice in her head reminded her of what happened the last time she stumbled upon him like he was now, but she ignored the voice. She could not allow her fear to win.

Rey took slow steps back towards the Great Hall, running into Finn, Poe, Rose and Maz. Their eyes looked upon her with worry, but she paid them no attention as she passed.

"Rey, no!" Maz called.

"He needs me," she answered, softly.

"There is something else wrong with him. T—This is not the curse," Maz said, her words confusing Rey.

She had no time to ask her to explain, for a hideous roar of laughter floated from inside the room. Again, Rey realized it was not Kylo's laugh. The servants shivered and drew together in a protective stance as the laughter continued.

"Oh my goodness," Maz said, her eyes wide and in shock. The woman knew who the laugh belonged to. "Rey, you must not go in there."

It was too late, for Rey's mind was already made up. She slowly walked into the Great Hall as Maz and the others begged for her to come back. No, to save him she had to step into the darkness. The rainbows were gone, leaving only the darkness.

"Give me strength," she whispered, as she walked completely in the darkness.

The door behind her slammed closed, trapping her inside the darkness. Rey closed her eyes, listening for where Kylo was. To her left she heard him move. She turned in that direction, taking a few steps. The laughter returned, it's deep menacing sound sending chills up her spine.

"So brave," a voice said, mockingly.

Kylo moved, circling around her. She could hear him, feel the wind of his movements. Rey begged to see something, anything, but all she saw was darkness.

"Let—" she tried to speak, but her fear choked her. She thought of his face, his real face. She thought of Kylo's smile and his laugh. She thought of the fear and self loathing in his eyes. He needed her as she had needed him the night she was taken by the militia. He never let fear stop him. Kylo had risked his life for her, and now it was her turn to save him.

"Let. Him. Go," she said, low. She tried to push as much anger in her voice as possible.

More laughter, more movement. "Let him go? I am a part of him, dear girl. I am the darkness he wants, he needs."

"No! He does not need you," Rey spat.

She turned in circles, desperate to see. If she could only let Kylo see her perhaps he would fight whatever held him. Instead, the darkness grew thicker. She froze, feeling Kylo come up behind her. He stood close to her. His breath fanned the back of her neck causing her heart to speed faster.

"I can taste your fear," the voice whispered in her ear. "You think you can save him. There is nothing to save. He is a child of darkness, and I will show him his full potential. I have had control of him since he was a boy. What makes you think you can change him after all this time?"

"Because he wants to change," Rey answered, tears filling her eyes. She slowly turned to the voice, the darkness thick around them. She could not see a thing, but she could hear him breathing. "You have no power here anymore. I will fight for him, fight you and the darkness," she whispered.

There was a shift in the air, an unsettling in the darkness. Her words affected the one holding Kylo. Hope surged within her, hope that she could save him. He circled her, growling and hissing. Yes, she affected his control.

"Stupid girl. I have more power than you could even possibly imagine. If I wanted to I could kill the boy and you in one swift move!"

Rey waited. She closed her eyes once more, the tears slipping down her cheeks. With one deep breath, she calmed her nerves in what she was about to do, and prayed it would work. When Kylo stepped in front of her, her arms shot out to him. She grabbed a handful of his shirt and pushed herself towards him. Long fingernails grabbed her arms, digging into her skin. She sucked in a breath as pain shot through her, but she refused to scream.

"Let go!" the voice screamed. Rey heard a tinge of panic in his voice.

"You have no power here!" she screamed back at him.

Suddenly, she heard the door open and light began to fill the room. Every servant of the castle stormed through the door and circled around her and Kylo. The ones who could held a candle high above their heads chasing away the darkness. The monstrous face appeared before her, yet there was no smile this time. Anger and fear stared at her, his eyes growing wide.

"No," he breathed, slamming his eyes shut.

Rey raised her hands, grabbing his face as his blood mixed with her own and ran down her arm. Kylo's body began to shake underneath her hold, and she realized she was winning.

"Come back to me," she begged, her tears coming faster. "Please, Kylo, come back to me. Come back to the light."

His mouth opened in a silent scream. His teeth changed back to their perfectly white shape. The scars on his face closed up before her eyes. When his eyes opened, she watched the blackness disappear and his eyes clear once more. Kylo stood before her as whatever held him fled from the light.

"R—Rey?" he said, his voice weak.

His body slumped forward and she did not have the strength to hold him up. She staggered to the floor, trying to be as gentle as possible. Kylo's eyes rolled in the back of his head as he passed out.

"Kylo, please look at me," she begged, yet his eyes remained closed.

Maz walked towards her, her eyes wide and unbelieving. "How, child?" she whispered, stunned.

Rey did not understand what she meant. She was not even sure what she had done. All around her the servants stared with large, stunned eyes. Had she hurt him by driving the darkness away? Rey looked back down at Kylo, suddenly fearful. Why had he not woken up?

"Kylo," she said, softly. She shook him, yet he did not respond. "Please, wake up."

"Let him sleep. His body needs to strengthen. His fight is not yet over for the night," Maz said. She looked upon Kylo with sadness and love.

Rey positioned Kylo's head into her lap as gently as she could. She did not care that the servants were watching. After what had happened she needed to be close to him. "C—can someone get me a wet cloth," she asked, barely able to talk over the rawness of her emotions.

A wet cloth was put in her hand and she began to wash the blood from Kylo's face. As she did her tears slid down her face, falling onto his skin. What had happened to him?

"Everyone back to your chores," Maz commanded. "Our work here is done."

Rey continued to wash the blood from Kylo's face as the servants left the room leaving just Maz. It was time for answers.

"What was that?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"That was someone by the name of Snoke. I have not seen him use Ben's body in over 8 years. It worries me to think why he would show himself now," Maz answered, her eyes slowly looking up at Rey.

"Snoke? Who is that?"

She saw Maz hesitate. "You need to leave. It will be midnight soon and the darkness will return."

"He will go through this again?" Rey asked, horrified.

"No, not what you just witnessed. That was something completely different, something far worse. Now, he must go through pain for the choices he has made in his life."

Rey looked back down at Kylo, her head slowly shaking. How could one person endure such things? "What happened to him to cause all of this? What happened to you and the other servants?"

"That is for—"

"No! No more lies and secrets. I just came face to face with a monster and I want to know why!" Rey said, angered.

Maz looked unsure for a moment before sighing. "When Ben was eight years old he met a man named Snoke. Prince and Princess Solo invited this man into their home to help their son, but this man was not here to help. He corrupted Ben's mind, turning him to the darkness. By the time his parents realized what had happened it was too late. The man murdered both of them in front of Ben, which sent him further into the darkness. He became—"

"Lost."

Rey and Maz looked down at Kylo. His eyes were opened and staring at his parents' hidden portraits. He looked empty, tired, as he stared without blinking.

"He told me of strength beyond my wildest desires and I followed him. He murdered my parents in this very room and I just stood and watched."

Kylo's face crumbled as he let out a animalistic cry. Rey tightened her hold on him, not knowing what else to do. She wanted to comfort him, but his cries rose.

"When he was ten, he was cursed to live a life of darkness and pain for turning his back on the light. We were turned into the things we are for allowing him to slip," Maz said, above Kylo's cries.

"A curse?" Rey asked, shocked. "What can we do to break it?"

"Nothing," Kylo answered. "There is nothing we can do."

Maz opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but when she met Kylo's eyes her mouth clamped close. They were still hiding something. Kylo slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and grabbed his head.

"What did he want?" Maz asked.

Kylo shook his head. "I do not know. He did not say a word to me, just held me down while he took control." He got to his feet, staggering. Rey jumped up and stopped him from falling back down. He threw his arm over her neck, leaning his body in to hers. She took his weight as best she could, but she struggled to walk to the door. He towered over her as they walked from the room. His head bent down until his cheek was resting upon her head.

"No, not to my room," he said, his voice strained.

"It is almost midnight," Maz said, worried.

"I know. Take me to the cells."

Rey stopped. She was not going to take him to the cells. "I am not going to lock you up like an animal," she said.

"Yes, you will. I have no strength left in me to fight the darkness tonight. When it comes it will have free reign to do what it wants. There are others in this house I must think about. Please, Rey. Do this for me."

She heard the plea in his voice, the desperation. She turned them towards the cellar and they took the stairs as slowly as possible. He pointed towards the cell across from where her grandfather had been kept.

Kylo untangled himself from Rey and walked into the cell, keeping his back turned to her. "Lock it," he whispered.

Rey did as he said, her hands shaking the entire time. She locked the lock and stepped back. He had turned towards her and watched her work. Now, they stared at each other. She saw the hurt and pain in his eyes, saw the loneliness he felt.

"You do not have to do this. Not here," she said, low.

"I do. Snoke could not touch you, but I can. And I do not know what I am capable of after fighting against Snoke. I would rather die than to hurt you." His voice was sad, and it made the tears reappear in her eyes.

Rey looked around the dark cellar, a chill setting in around them. She shivered, realizing the battle was not over this night.

"Rey, look at me," Kylo whispered. She looked at him. "I need you to leave me. I—I do not want you to see…"

Instead, Rey sat on the dirty floor just outside of his cell. She had battled the darkness once. She would do it again. "I am not going anywhere," she answered, her voice leaving no room for argument.

"This was not the evening I had planned," Kylo said, laughing softly, yet his laughter held no humor.

"It was amazing," she whispered, giving him a small smile.

He opened his mouth to answer, but what came out was a scream instead. Rey watched, horrified, as the scars opened back up on his face. He fell forward tearing his shirt from his body. All over him the scars began to open.

Rey grabbed the bars of his cell, her face crumbling as she watched his torture play out in front of her. Powerless. Or was she? Somehow, she had had the power to help him before. Did she possibly still have that same power?

"Kylo," she called to him.

His head shot up, black eyes staring daggers at her. She remained still, even when he slammed into the bars to get to her. Even as his hand shot out and grabbed her throat, she remained still. The hand upon her throat shook, as if weighing it's options to squeeze. She took advantage.

Rey reached inside the bars and grabbed his face like before. "I am here," she whispered. "I am right here."

The hand holding her neck shook worse as over and over she whispered to Kylo. Slowly, he let go of her neck and slid up her skin towards her cheek. As gentle as a feather he held the side of her face in his hand. Mesmerized, she watched his black eyes turn to normal, watched the pain disappear from his face. The scars upon him slowly closed, leaving behind red skin.

"Rey?" he whispered, confused.

"There you are," she said, smiling through her tears.

Kylo raised his free hand towards his face, his eyes growing wide. The scars were closed, yet it was midnight. He let go of her, scooting away, but the moment she let him go the pain exploded within him. He screamed, falling onto his back. His scars burst open.

"No!" Rey yelled, grabbing at him. He had fallen out of her reach. She was on her feet in a instant. With shaking hands she freed the lock from the door and tore it opened.

She fell to her knees behind him, pulling him into her lap and grabbing his face. "Come back to me," she whispered.

As before, his eyes cleared. His scars closed. She circled her other arm around him, holding him tightly to her chest. His body shook violently, but she held on. Softly she whispered words to him. Rey had no idea what she was saying, but she just talked to him. Mostly she spoke of her childhood in the dessert of Jakku. Anything that popped in her head she spoke it. For the long hour she battled the darkness with him, though something was different about this night. He never screamed, never lashed out.

She peered down at him and noticed his eyes were half open and staring ahead. Sweat ran down his forehead plastering his hair to his face. Rey softly pushed his hair back, a soft sigh leaving his lips. It was finally over.

"Can you stand?" she asked him, softly.

He shook his head no, "No strength."

Sometime later Maz appeared. The teapot looked amazed to see Rey inside the cell with Kylo, as if she could be anymore amazed than what she already was tonight.

"I cannot get him up, Maz. If you would be so kind as to bring pillows and blankets. He is too weak."

Maz disappeared and a while later several of the servants brought blankets and pillows. She gently laid his head on a pillow and threw the large blanket over his shivering form. Rey scooted in behind him. She laid her arm across his chest, pushing herself against his back and holding him tightly. She closed her eyes and began to hum the only lullaby she knew until sleep came and took her under.

When she woke up, her surroundings had changed. She no longer was down in the cellar, but back in her room. How had she gotten here? Rey sat up, her confused eyes looking around, until she saw Kylo sitting in a chair beside her bed. He was watching her, his face unreadable. He looked so tired.

"Hello," she said, quietly.

He leaned forward, taking her hand in his and laying his forehead upon her hand. She waited for him to gather himself enough to speak. Rey needed answers, and she would expect them now.

"When I was a boy I never cared about anyone. All I cared about was me and what I could get. I was spoiled and rotten to the core. My parents could do nothing to help me, though they tried. That is when Snoke came into my life. I was eight, and he showed me what the darkness could do, how powerful it could make me. I thrived in the darkness, giving myself over to hatred and pain. By the time I realized my mistake it was too late."

"He murdered your parents?" Rey asked, softly.

"As I watched," he answered, nodding his head against her hand. "I never tried to help them."

Rey closed her eyes, could only imagine what that was like for him. To watch your parents murdered at such a young age.

"Snoke disappeared that night, and I locked myself away. I turned my back on my duties as Prince and allowed many of my servants to leave or starve. The ones that did stay I lashed out at them, making their lives a living hell. Until, one night an old woman came to my door and demanded an audience with me. I denied her twice, but the third time she forced me to come to her and revealed herself as an enchantress of Light. She demanded payment for my darkness and cursed me to live this life. Every night I have had to atone for my sins and selfish ways."

"At midnight?" Rey asked.

"Yes," he answered, slowly looking up at her. "But, last night was different. I do not know why or how, but you chased the darkness away. There was no pain, no darkness… just peace. There is no way to repay you for that."

She squeezed his hand, giving him a smile. "I do not expect payment. I am glad I helped."

For a while, they stared at each other. Rey felt something growing in her heart for Kylo. It scared her, for she had never felt it before. She needed time to understand it, time to allow it to grow.

"Is there no way to break the curse?" she asked, a while later.

He looked away from her towards her open window. He did not answer her at first, and she suspected he was trying to figure out how to answer. "No," he said. His voice was so soft, so sad.

"Maz said this Snoke took over your body. What did she mean?"

Kylo shook his head, as if to rid himself of some horrible memory. "It has been years since he used his power over me. Not since I was a boy. His thoughts were shielded from me, and he never spoke. It was if he was just wanting to have a look around."

"I do not think he liked me very much," Rey said.

Kylo slowly looked at her, his face hard to read. He was deep in thought, as if what she said made him realize something he was missing. She saw several different emotions running through his dark orbs, but he never explained what he was thinking. Finally, he blinked and looked away.

"Let us not talk about Snoke anymore. I would rather talk about what an amazing person you are," he said, looking back at her.

Rey laughed. "There is nothing amazing about me."

"I beg to differ, ma'am. Tell me how to repay you. Anything you want, it is yours," he said, squeezing her hand.

"Honestly, I do not expect you to pay me back. I will always be there if you need me."

Kylo raised her hand to his lips, his lips touching her knuckles lightly as he kissed her. "For the first time in ten years I felt peace. I will spend the rest of the time I have with you showing you just how much that means to me. Starting today. Get ready. I must leave for a while, but I will return shortly."

Kylo jumped to his feet, an excitement taking over. His face lit up into a gorgeous smile, and she suddenly realized how truly handsome he was. She did not see the scars any longer. She just saw him.

"What are you up to?" she asked, laughing.

"You will see!" He said, winking.

Without another word he left her room, leaving her with more questions. She jumped from her bed and hurried to put her clothes on.

By the time she made it down stairs Kylo was gone. She asked every servant she ran in to where he had went, but none of them knew. She busied herself in the garden as the hours ticked away. When her thoughts floated to Kylo she felt a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. Things between them were changing rapidly, and it scared her. At first, he had been cold and unfeeling, but he was changing. And so was she. They were changing together. What she had witnessed last night scared her more than she would admit, but she was willing to fight to save him. Rey would show Kylo he was worth saving, curse and all.

Rey heard his speeder approaching from the other side of the castle. Excitement shot through her at the thought of seeing him again, which surprised her. She stood to her feet, wiping her dirty hands on her apron and walked around to meet him. As she came closer, she heard voices. Someone was with him.

When they came into view, Rey froze. Her eyes grew wide, a gasp leaving her mouth. Tears sprang to her eyes as she covered her mouth in shock.

"G—Grandfather," she cried.

When he heard her voice his head jerked in her direction. Obi-Wan ran towards her, his arms outstretched. Rey let out a small cry, running towards him as well. When they cut the distance to each other Rey jumped into his waiting arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. The man held her tightly to him, his own cries falling from his mouth. How was this possible? Her grandfather was here, alive and well.

Rey opened her eyes and Kylo was there, watching them. He wore a soft smile on his face, and as their eyes met he bowed his head to her. This was his payment for what she had done for him. He brought her grandfather back to her.

"T—t—thank you," she whispered, barely able to get the words out.

"No. Thank you," he whispered back.

She watched him turn and walk into the house. There was no denying it anymore, those feelings in the pit of her stomach. Rey was starting to fall for Kylo Ren.