Rey's eyes slowly opened when she felt Ben move beside her. She remained still, letting him think she was asleep. He sat up on the side of the bed, a low sigh escaping his lips.
"Kill him," a voice whispered in her head.
She slammed her eyes shut, glowing eyes staring at her behind her closed eyelids. The voice whispered at her nonstop since the events of yesterday. She and Rose had been trapped when the Stormtroopers found them. Rey was desperate, grabbing onto the power within her, but it was power she knew nothing about. It was a darkness that overtook her.
She had cut them down, hatred scorching her veins. Whatever power she tapped into had stuck with her. It had been such a rush. She had felt so powerful, where before she felt helpless, but there was something terribly wrong with her now. She had enjoyed watching the troopers die, had enjoyed watching the blood seep from holes in their armor. She remembered laughing. That memory is what made her shiver in the dark.
"Yesss… I feel it within you, Rey," the voice whispered again… Palpatine's voice.
She flinched, her head pounding. She'd had a headache since Ben had saved her from Hux's grasp. Ben had made love to her hours ago, but it was as though she wasn't present. She protected her thoughts from Ben, and he hadn't reacted to her change. His hand slithered over her waist as he laid back down behind her. She grabbed a fistful of the covers to keep from pushing him away. Something was desperately wrong with her.
"Rey," Ben called softly. His lips kissed her ear. She scooted away from him, rising from the bed in a hurry. "Hey, what's wrong?" he called out to her.
Rey didn't answer him. She stood above him, just staring at him. How easy it would be to end his life. How easy it would be for her to watch the light go out in those eyes of his. She could see it in her mind, could see her cut him down where he laid. Rey took a step from the bed, her eyes growing wide in the darkness. How could she think those things about Ben? She'd never hurt him, would give her life for him!
"Kill him and the darkside will consume you completely! You would be more powerful than anyone before or after you! Take his life," the voice whispered.
She turned and ran towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and locking it, pressing her back against the cool surface. The memory of the troopers dead at her feet swallowed her whole. Her laughter echoed in her ears. She slammed her eyes closed, her stomach rolling. She saw the cave, saw the figure of herself in black with the sharp teeth smiling at her. Rey felt the pull towards that figure, as if all she needed to do was reach out and touch them and her transformation would be complete.
"Rey," Ben called, concerned. He knocked on the door, the vibrations running through her body. She turned her head, coming face to face with her reflection in the mirror. The eyes looking back at her weren't her own. Black orbs stared at her. A smil with large, pointed teeth finished the reflection. Rey groaned, stumbling away from the mirror. It was the face she had seen in the cave. She fell to her knees over the commode right before dry heaving into the porcelain pot.
She heard a crash behind her as Ben knocked the door in to get to her. She couldn't stop as the dry heaves rattled her body. She couldn't shake the bodies, couldn't shake the sound of her own laughter. She couldn't shake the darkness swimming just below the surface that she wanted to grab onto. That was the terrifying part. She wanted the darkness to consume her. She wanted to be powerful, so that no one could ever hurt her again. All of this she hid from Ben's thoughts.
He touched her lightly on the back. "Don't touch me," she hissed. Ben jerked his hand away.
The dry heaves slowly died down. She wiped tears from her eyes. Her headache was worse than before. The vision of her dark self was right at the surface, reaching for her… barely touching the back of her mind.
"Rey, what's going on? Talk to me," Ben said, softly.
Rey didn't look up at him, fearing he would see those black eyes she had seen in the mirror. She kept her eyes closed, taking deep, slow breaths. She was losing her mind.
"G—give me a minute… p—please," she whispered.
Ben hesitated, not wanting to leave her, but he finally got to his feet and walked out of the bathroom. The moment he left her she pulled herself towards the mirror. The black eyes were gone, leaving her wide eyed. Her face looked pale. Large bags hung under her eyes. Still, she could feel the darkness close. She had tasted its power, had reached for it so easily, that it left her soul split.
"Blood of my blood," Palpatine hissed.
"Shut up," she whispered, frantic. But, as the seconds rolled by the darkness grew, until the light within her diminished. She felt it slipping through her fingers, felt it falling in a void. She closed her eyes, her hold slipping.
Rey mouthed Ben's name, but no sounds came out. Her hand gripped the sink, her knuckles whitening. Dead Stormtroopers. Laughter. Power so raw it licked upon her bones like flames.
"Rey…"
Her eyes came open and she turned to Ben, smiling. "I'm okay now. I'm sorry if I scared you," she said softly, the lie rolling off her tongue so easily. The boy stared at her, his eyes searching her face. She could see his mind working, could see him debating if she actually was okay. She pushed love towards him, pushed happiness. The feeling blinded him from the truth. The concern in his eyes melted away as a slow smile grew upon his lips.
Rey slowly walked towards him, reaching on her tiptoes and kissing him deeply. He responded without question, wrapping her in his arms and picking her up. He took her to the bed, but she stopped him. She crawled out of his arms, pushing him roughly. The boy fell onto the bed, his eyes looking at her in surprise. She didn't give him time to think about her change, but climbed on top of him and kissed him roughly.
"Rey…" he said, around her rough kisses. She ignored him, kissing him harder. She could feel his own power. A darkness within him. The boy fought it, but she would bring it out of him. She grabbed his arms and pinned them down, her hooded eyes staring down at him. She could feel his response immediately. She wanted this boy's power.
She thrusted into him, making him groan. He tried to get free from her hold, but she clamped down. Rey kissed his bare chest, working her way to his shoulder. Sharp teeth sunk into his skin, making him cry out. His blood ran over her tongue, making her moan. She wanted him to bleed!
"Rey!" Ben said louder, bucking her off of him. She felt his presence in her mind immediately.
Rey tumbled from the bed, hitting the floor with a loud thud. The room around her spun, her head exploding in pain. She grabbed her head, pushing her forehead into the cold floor. Suddenly, her eyes jerked open.
Rey slowly sat up, looking around the room as if waking up from a deep sleep. Her eyes blinked in rapid succession as her mind tried to process how she got down on the floor. Ben watched her from the bed, his chest rising and falling fast. She hissed, grabbing at her head again.
"M—my head," she whispered in pain. "Ben…"
Ben slowly slid from the bed to kneel beside her. She leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her. Rey couldn't remember how she ended up on the floor, or why her head hurt so bad. Ben's hand slowly moved up to her face, holding it as his eyes closed. Rey sighed loudly as the pain began to disappear. Ben was healing her.
When she opened her eyes again the pain was gone. All she could do was smile at him from the bliss she now felt. He didn't smile back. She noticed blood on his shoulder. She reached a shaky finger over the wound. It looked like teeth marks… sharp teeth marks.
Ben stood up and walked towards the lights, turning them on. Rey shielded her eyes away from the brightness in the room, almost having to swallow a hiss. Anger surged inside her from nowhere and she pushed it down. When she lowered her hand she noticed how Ben watched her. He stood by the door, as if he were about to bolt… or keep her from bolting.
"Rey, who am I?" he asked, slowly.
Her forehead wrinkled in confusion by his question. Why would he ask her that? And why did he look as though he were scared of her?
"Because he is… he fears your power. He doesn't trust you anymore! You killed those Stormtroopers in satisfaction. You loved it. He will see the darkness in you now," a voice whispered. Rey never flinched, never gave away the fact a voice whispered in her mind. Her walls were up immediately.
"You're shutting me out again," Ben whispered.
"You're acting strangely," she whispered back.
He took a step towards her, but stopped. She watched him back away towards the door again. The pain crept inside her head as the voice laughed again.
"Rey, I need you to open up your mind to me," Ben said.
"Why?" she said, low. "So that you can judge me for what I did to those troopers? Ben, they would have killed us!" Rey cried. It was his turn to look confused.
The sun was coming up. It's rays slowly danced through the open window right onto Ben. Rey felt the cold fingers of darkness touch her veins, crawling up her spine like a dead corpse. It swallowed her whole, locking her deep within its grasp.
"That isn't true, Rey. I'd never judge you," the boy said to her. Rey lowered her head, only to snap her eyes up at him a moment later when he took a step towards her. "Rey, I can't feel you. I can't see your thoughts. You're… you're hiding something from me."
Her face grew dark, the anger drowning her. The pain in her head drove itself to new heights as the voice in her head laughed louder. She grabbed onto the pain, to the anger, and power soared through her. Rey slowly rose to her feet, her teeth bared to the boy in rage.
"Oh God," he breathed, but he was too late. She stretched her hand out towards him. Rey grabbed him, throwing him towards the other side of the room. The boy hit the wall with a loud crash and fell to the ground.
Rey slowly walked towards him, her smile growing. She stood over his still body, her head leaning to one side as she watched blood trickle from a wound on the side of his head.
"STOP!" a part of her screamed, but with the flick of her mind she pushed that part deeper into the darkness.
She turned to leave the room, but caught her reflection. Her eyes were black again. Her face was pale and the circles under her eyes had grown darker. She threw her hand at her reflection and electrical sparks hit the glass. Shards flew all throughout the bathroom. She pushed the boy's side with her foot, but he didn't respond.
"Now, come to me, Rey. I will teach you how to truly weld the darkness within you! We will rule together and all in the galaxy will fall before us," her grandfather whispered.
Rey walked out of the room down the hallway. She was about to go towards the hanger when she came to a sudden stop. She changed her direction, heading back down the hallway. She passed the room where Ben lay unconscious and walked towards the last room. She entered, walking straight to the bedside table.
Rey picked up the lightsaber, her black eyes inspecting it. She turned it on, feeling the vibration in her hand. She left the room, the saber still pulsing.
Someone walked out into the hallway, smiling at her. His face looked familiar, but his name escaped her. "FINN!" a part of her screamed in warning. She flinched, pushing the voice away again.
"You're up early. Ready for training?" he said.
She flicked her wrist at him, never slowing, sending him flying out of her way. The boy named Finn flew from her path, crumbling on the floor. She passed him without a second look.
In the hanger, someone called out to her. She slowed, turning to see a girl running up to her. Rey's first thought was to cut the girl down with the saber, but something within her fought for control. The hand holding the lightsaber shook.
When the girl got close her smile slowly fell. "Rey… your eyes," she whispered.
For just a moment the darkness lost control. Rey's face drew up in fear. "Run, Rose. I can't control it," she hissed.
Rose didn't hesitate, but ran from Rey. "Ben!" She screamed.
Rey lost control again, the darkness sucking her back down. "Stupid girl!" Palpatine screamed.
Rey ran after Rose, her face a mask of fury. She wouldn't let her get away and run towards the boy. She would kill her first.
"Someone help me!" Rose screamed. She stopped, gasping when she saw Finn lying unconscious. Rose ran towards the exit. Rey followed. Both girls ran out into the morning sun. One, for her life. One, for the kill. Rose turned, her hands raised towards Rey.
Rey skidded to a stop, her eyes staring at the barrel of a blaster. "Rey! What are you doing?" Rose cried.
"I'm trying to kill you like I killed those troopers. Remember, Rose? Remember how powerful I was?"
"You—you were laughing," Rose said, her hands shaking.
"And I'll laugh when I kill you, too," Rey said, smiling to reveal long, sharp teeth. Rose screamed.
"Kill her!" Palpatine yelled in her mind.
Rey took a step towards her, but stopped. The danger was not coming from this girl, but from behind her. Rey turned swiftly, the lightsaber raised to strike. The boy was there but out of her reach. Behind him, several people ran out to see the commotion. The boy she had thrown out of her way came hobbling outside, being helped by another man.
"Rose, back away," the boy said.
Rey had lost interest in the girl. She didn't care about what she did. The true danger was before her. The boy could make the darkness go away. He could make her weak, make her lose control of this body. Rose ran past her, but she didn't react. Her eyes were solely on the boy.
"Rey, open your mind," he said, low… angered.
A smile slowly crept up her face. Her black eyes danced in amusement. "You think you can save me?" she asked. "I have tasted power, Ben Solo." She reaches out her hand. "Join me," she whispered.
Pain exploded in her mind, causing her smile to drop. Rey bit the inside of her lip to keep from screaming. She grabbed a hold of the pain, letting it turn to fury. She pushed back against the boy, causing him to cry out in his own pain.
"Let… me…. in…" he ground out through clenched teeth.
Rey stepped back, as if pushed. She felt a stirring within her, felt herself reaching for him and the light. The boy was winning.
"Kill him…" Palpatine hissed.
"NO!" a part of her screamed.
Several people stepped forward, as if they would come for her. "No!" Ben yelled, making them stop. "Everyone behind me, now. This isn't Rey. Someone is controlling her…"
The people stepped back, but their blasters remained pointed at her. Someone slipped something in Ben's hand. He looked down at it, his head slowly shaking. Rey saw it, which made the fury inside her grow. A lightsaber like the one she had.
Ben whispered something to a woman standing beside him. Her eyes grew wide, fear etched in her features, but she slowly moved backwards. As she did, the group followed her movements. They lowered their blasters and walked towards the building, disappearing inside. She and the boy were all that was left.
The lightsaber in his hand came on. It was the same color she held. His eyes slowly raised to meet her own, anger and fear swimming within his orbs. The boy began to slowly walk towards her, the whole way trying to open her mind.
"You can't have her," the boy whispered, his tears glistening in the sunlight. "She's not like you. She's good." With every word he spoke he drew closer. "Rey, I know you're in there. Fight. Fight for me. Fight for us."
"She is weak," Rey whispered, taking her own steps towards the boy. "She has tasted true power. The power of the Dark Side. She longs for it! I will be her teacher now, boy."
"You have no power over her!" Ben said louder.
"I will show you power!" Rey screamed, running towards the boy.
Their lightsabers raised at the same time and collided in a thunderous roar. Sparks flew between them as both tried to gain the upper hand. Rey drew back, striking out at him again. He was ready, blocking her blows. She twisted the saber around, coming in the opposite way, but he met her strike. She unleashed her assaults upon him, one blow after the other, but he was always ready to knock them away.
Rey turned around, coming at him blindly, but his saber was there, knocking her backwards. She reached out with her free hand, but he matched her. She felt her body move backwards as she pushed towards him. He matched that movement as well. She bared her teeth, screaming in fury. Her lightsaber swung towards him, but he was ready. Their hands outstretched, their lightsabers touching… they were in a stalemate.
She drew back, dropping her hand and he followed her movement. It was as if she were fighting herself. She couldn't get past his defenses, as if he could read her every move. But she could read his as well. What power they could weld together!
"There is nothing for you here, boy. Join me, and I will make you more powerful than you've ever dreamed of!" she hissed.
"Rey, if you can hear me… fight," he said, breathless.
The darkness shook, as the part of her the boy called for tried to take control. Her black eyes widened, and she took a step back from him. The boy saw the change, slowly smiling.
"You don't have total control, yet," he whispered.
Rey swung at him, but her movements weren't as steady as before. He easily blocked her assault. She went for him again and again, but to no avail. This fight was useless. She would try a different tactic.
She turned the saber on herself, holding the blade inches from her neck. The boy froze, his eyes growing wide. "You fool," she spat.
"Please," he whispered.
The lightsaber in his hand slowly retracted until the blade disappeared. He threw it at her feet, lowering himself to his knees in front of her. His arms stretched out, giving himself up to her totally.
"If you kill her you kill me," he whispered.
The darkness within her shook again, this time more violently. Something was fighting to get free, something the darkness despised. The lightsaber shook, coming dangerously close to Rey's neck.
"Rey, open your mind… please," he begged.
Rey stumbled backwards, the lightsaber falling to the ground. Her entire body shook, her head exploding in pain. She grabbed at her head, wanting to rip the pain from her body.
"Rey," Ben said, desperate.
Her furious black eyes stared at him. She wanted to rip him to shreds. She wanted to hold him. She wanted to watch his blood flow from his body. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to take the life from him. She wanted to protect him.
Rey took a step towards him, but she ran into something invisible. She couldn't move, could barely breathe. Her entire body was rooted to the very ground she stood upon.
"You have no power here."
Rey slowly turned her black eyes towards the man walking towards her. His hand was stretched out towards her, holding her in place. She could no more fight against his hold than she could move from the spot she was standing upon.
"Luke… Skywalker," she growled.
"Ben, now!" Luke yelled.
The darkness was distracted by the presence of Luke Skywalker. Ben penetrated Rey's mind easily. His presence consumed every part of her, the light within him making the darkness scream. He found Rey, pulling her out of the void, pushing her towards the front of her mind. The darkness, and all within the darkness, could do nothing but flee from such power. The last thing Rey remembered was falling into Ben's arms before she knew no more.