Rey's dreams were peaceful and quiet that night, doused into submission from the wine her and Ben had shared.
Slowly, she began to wake, blinking the sleepiness away from her eyes and letting the shapes and colors of her surroundings come into view. The sunshine was beaming through the window, illuminating the inside of the hut with a shimmering golden hue.
Rey could sense she was alone in the quiet hut, the sounds of the ocean bouncing through the open window. She could hear the Porgs beginning their afternoon calls and the Caretakers chattering amongst themselves outside.
Her lips stretched into a smile across her face as memories of the previous night flooded her head. The Caretakers had finally given their blessing. She felt a deep bond to this place, so to have earned the admiration and respect of its inhabitants meant more to Rey than the creatures likely realized.
She was thankful then that Lando has sent her off with C-3PO in tow. The protocol droid could come in handy as she learned to communicate with her new friends.
A heat built in Rey's chest and her heart began to quicken as she recalled her night with Ben. They had shared an incredibly intimate evening, filled with stories, laughter, and sweet nostalgia. She thought she knew everything about him, having delved so deep into his mind in the past, but she realized last night that there was still so much to learn about this man. The cloud of the darkside and mask of Kylo Ren was gone and she was finally able to get to know Ben Solo personally.
Rey could have listened to him speak for hours. She relished in the way his deep voice filled the walls of the hut, so gentle yet strong. She had never heard him speak as much as he had last night and she was glad he could be open and comfortable with her.
Blood flooded her cheeks as she remembered the kiss they shared, replaying every detail out in her mind. It was the second time she had felt his lips on hers, and the second time she had kissed a man, ever. She hardly knew anything about human desires and affection, but she knew what she desired. And the way she showed affection towards Ben felt right to her, and he seemed to respond satisfyingly under her hands and lips.
And he had kissed her this time, and his words that accompanied his actions solidified that the way she felt about him was mutually felt, which made her heart sing in ways she had never experienced.
She sighed happily and rolled over onto her back, raising her arms over her head and stretching them until her hands met the cool stone wall behind her.
Rey threw the wool blanket to the side and turned to swing her legs off the bed. She was eager to freshen up and go hunt down Ben, wherever he was.
She padded over to the satchel and dug around for a few of the belongings she had brought from Ajan Kloss. She brushed through her hair, then fastened it into a tight braid across her head. She tied the end at the nape of her neck with a leather tie, and let the rest tumble freely down her back. She walked over to the water basin and splashed cool water onto her face to wash off the previous night's sleep.
Her white and grey tunic and cloth wrappings were still on from the previous day. She straightened up the leather belt around her waist, fastened the NN-14 blaster pistol to her hip and clipped Leia's saber to her other hip. She snatched up her staff from the wall and headed outside into the warm air.
Rey took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and inhaling the salty air. It was a beautiful day, the sky filled with massive white clouds.
She turned her head, scanning the village. Ben wasn't anywhere in sight, the Caretakers the only ones bumbling about their afternoon chores. She closed her eyes again and reached out with her senses, probing the force to give her a hint of his whereabouts, but was met with a black wall as if he was closing her off from their bond.
Interesting...
"Um, excuse me?" She asked politely to one of the passing Lanai, "Have you seen...the man I'm with? Tall, black hair, brooding?"
The creature just looked at her and smiled, unable to understand Rey's common galactic tongue and proper accent.
She sighed and looked off to the sea, "Thought not."
Then, she felt a presence appear and heavy footsteps approach behind her.
"Brooding? Really?" the man's voice said.
She spun around, and spotted Ben, sauntering down the stone steps. He still wore the dark shirt he had changed into last night and First Order grade boots, but he had put on the pair of resistance pants she had brought him. She was pleased everything she brought him had fit his large frame. That was lucky.
He must have taken a hike up the mountain.
She smiled, ruefully, "Brooding charm is in your blood."
He closed the distance between them and she expected him to stop in front of her, but instead he kept walking until he grasped the tops of her shoulders and planted a warm kiss on her forehead.
Something felt...off. She felt relief flowing off him in strong waves through their bond.
Before she could question him, he spoke. "The Jedi Temple. I'd like to see it, but I wanted to go with you."
Hmm. Maybe he's just relieved my sleepy butt is finally out of bed so we can poke around the island.
She beamed up at him, "Let's go."
Rey led the way as they hiked the short distance to the top of one of the main mountain peaks. The Ahch-To Jedi Temple was carved into the rock, molded and shaped permanently into the island.
They were silent on their ascent, only the sounds of their breathing to fill the space between them.
They approached the main entrance, a crumbling, rocky void in the rock that was flanked by two ancient statues of some Jedi past. Rey could feel the force radiating through this place, as she had before when she was there with Luke.
They entered the temple and were immediately engulfed by the large, main room. The area was massive and omnipresent, but simple and void of any decor.
"Luke mentioned this place was the first of many Jedi temples built throughout the galaxy," Rey said, her voice echoing off the enormous walls.
Ben looked up, his hair falling back behind his head as he scanned the ceiling.
Rey continued, "One of the few not demolished by the Empire."
"Interesting. And the Empire was known for exploring the unknown regions. This planet really has been well hidden, even from the Sith." Ben responded, walking around the large room, gazing at the walls that had been smoothed down from thousands of years of erosion.
Ben turned and walked towards the mosaic on the center of the floor. Water trickled slowly onto the image and formed a small pool, echoing the only sound in the room.
Ben knelt to his knees, studying the mosaic.
"The Prime Jedi." Rey walked forward and knelt beside him.
"The first Jedi..." Ben mused, dark eyes scanning the image. He reached a large hand out, and touched the pool of water. Tiny waves rippled slowly at his touch. "The perfect balance between light and dark."
Ben moved his hand away and Rey turned to sit on the ledge of the mosaic.
"Can I ask you something? About the force." Rey said, quietly.
Ben's head snapped up to her and he shifted to sit next to her. He slung his arms on his bent knees and stared at her, giving her his full attention. "Anything."
Rey didn't know why, but she was suddenly nervous. Would she sound foolish? She had only just come to understand the force this past year, but Ben was a master of it. He had studied it his entire life.
"When you're...well, I know it hasn't been that long since you, um, turned but...do you use all aspects of the force? When we were fighting the Carja - were you using the dark side and the light?" Her eyes searched his, eager for an answer.
His eyes narrowed and his lips became a hard line as he contemplated his answer.
"I believe all aspects of the force should be accessed." He shook his head. "I think the Jedi and the Sith both got it wrong, only trying to use one side. I mean, look at where it got them."
Rey was silent as she nodded.
Ben looked down at the mosaic figure and continued, "Take the Prime Jedi for example. He's made of both sides of the force, dark and light. Somewhere over the years, the Jedi and Sith lost sight of that." He turned his eyes back to her, serious. "So, yes. I still use the dark side." He paused, looked down, then continued, "But also the light. The key is balance. The force is a whole, not two separate sides."
She nodded, "I understand." She hesitated, then continued, "I-I do too...use both sides." It was the first time she ever admitted it outloud, though she always knew it to be true. "It's always scared me, tapping into the dark, but..." she trailed off, and shrugged.
He shifted his body to face her head on, "I know. You've always been afraid of the darkness that is naturally inside you. I get it. You just have to keep the two in balance." He smiled and motioned to himself, "We both know what happens when you don't."
Rey looked up at him and nodded. She shivered. Even though she knew he was right, his words still chilled her.
Ben looked off to the wall in front of them, moving his jaw in thought as silence filled the large room.
Then, he turned his head back to her, eyes a dark, piercing brown with shimmering light reflecting from the afternoon light. "So, you're saying you do use the dark side? And the light?"
She nodded, staring up at him. "Not well, but I try...when I have to."
He smiled, "Show me."