"Rey, you must bring balance to the Dyad. You must turn to the Dark Side," Luke said, softly.
Rey couldn't breathe for what felt like an eternity. Her eyes were wide, but she didn't see the man standing before her. His words choked her with fear. Turn to the Dark Side? Over and over those words whispered in her mind. How could he ask that of her? He… a Jedi Master, one of the greatest to ever live, was asking her to turn to darkness.
"Do you think this is some sick joke, Uncle?
"No, there is nothing funny about what I'm asking. It goes against everything I know," Luke answered.
"Then, how can you seriously be asking this of Rey?"
Ben was furious, his body slightly shaking. He stared down at his uncle with eyes as bright as flames and just as dangerous.
"Because, this is the only way," he said, softly.
Ben shook his head, turning his back to his uncle. His eyes roamed over Rey's frightened face, their eyes meeting for just a moment, before he walked away. He didn't go far. Rey could feel him in the shadows, could feel that he needed a moment to himself. She slowly closed their connection, giving him privacy.
"The darkness will consume me," Rey said, low.
"No…" Luke answered, surprising her. "The darkness would consume someone like me… or any other Force sensitive, but not you. And not Ben. Remember what I told you? Every Force user pulls from the same source. They either choose the Light, or they choose the Dark. But, the power comes from the same place. The Dyad will allow the two of you to pull both at once, Rey. In fact, it demands it! You are one with Ben in the Force. It will see the light and the darkness. It will allow you to only pull as much darkness as it takes to match Ben's light. The Balance. You cannot be consumed with either side, but you can choose darkness without losing yourself."
"How?" she cried. "You've seen what I become when the darkness takes over. It's someone else, someone I can't control. My mind opens to outside sources… namely my grandfather!"
"You allow yourself to meld with that part of you, Rey. You become it. You control it! It does not control you!"
"This is madness!" Ben screamed at his uncle. He walked past Rey right up to Luke. The men were inches apart, and Rey feared Ben would strike his uncle when he clenched his fists.
"That is your fear talking," Luke said, softly. "Search your feelings. You know that I am right."
"What I know is that I'm taking Rey as far away from this island and you!" Ben said.
He walked back to Rey, grabbing her hand and trying to pull her away, but she dug her heels into the ground. Her eyes were on Luke, his words echoing inside her head. Rey searched inside herself, searched her feelings for the truth.
"How do I control it?" She whispered.
Ben stopped trying to pull her away from Luke. He froze, tightening his grip on her wrist, but she ignored him. Her attention was drawn solely on the older man.
"You can't," Luke answered. "Not without the other half of the Dyad. If Ben isn't willing to walk this path with you then there is no hope that this could work. You need an anchor."
Rey looked up at Ben. He barely breathed, his eyes staring out into the darkness. She could feel conflict within him, could feel a war raging inside his mind.
"Ben," she whispered.
"Do you know what I dream of, what I see in my mind sometimes?" he asked, his haunted eyes finding hers. "I see you," he whispered, tears shimmering under the light of the moon. "You're dead in my arms, so please do not ask this of me," he begged.
He let go of her wrist and walked away, disappearing into the shadows. This time, he didn't stop somewhere close by. She, too, dealt with visions of his death. But, instead of that being the reason she turned from Luke's crazy idea, it made her hope that he was right, that maybe she could stop the vision from happening if she were powerful enough.
"Will you train me?" Rey asked.
Luke looked unsure as he stared off in the direction that Ben had gone. "It won't work without him," he said.
Rey bit her lip, her mind working fast and furious. "We can start. Ben will come around… I know it," she said.
Luke sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. "Rey, what I'm asking of you is very dangerous. No, you can't be consumed by the darkness, but it will change you. Once you go down this path there is no stopping it. Once you let the darkness in you must face it head on, and all that comes with it."
"I can't do this on my own," she whispered, her eyes begging.
"Tomorrow, before the sun rises, meet me back here," Luke said.
Rey nodded her head, slipping into the darkness and back towards her small hut. She walked inside, her body aching from head to toe. Her head pounded with the strength of a thousand drums. Had she really just agreed to go dark? She sat down on her bed, her head falling.
"We are leaving. We are going back to the Resistance. We will find some other way to defeat Palpatine."
Ben spoke from somewhere in the shadows, his voice barely above a whisper. She closed her eyes to his pain, to his fear. There was no other way. She knew it… and so did he.
"I'm staying," she whispered.
"Why would you even consider what my uncle is suggesting? Turning to the Dark Side… it's crazy," Ben said, stepping out into the small light.
"I don't know," she said, honestly. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to control that beast inside me. I haven't been able to up to this point. But, I do know one thing, though… I can't do this without you."
Ben didn't speak for several minutes. The silence was as deafening as a scream. She could see the different emotions fighting for control inside him.
"You're asking me to stand by as you allow the darkness to take hold of your soul. I can't do that, Rey."
"Then, I guess there isn't anything left to say," she said, her voice breaking.
"Nothing left to say?" Ben said, angrily. "I'm leaving, Rey, and you're coming with me!" he said again, as if that would change her mind.
Rey stood from the bed, finding herself at a crossroads. Be the person she was always meant to be. Or, be the person people thought she should be. "All my life, people told me who I'm supposed to be, like they know me… the true me. Well, no one does!" she spat.
Ben took a step back, as if she had hit him. Hurt crossed his features at her words. "I do, I know you," he whispered. "And I can't watch you destroy yourself!"
"Then leave, but I will not go with you," she ground out.
Ben turned and stormed out of her hut, leaving her to fight against her tears. She wanted to go after him, to hold him, but she couldn't move. She laid down on her bed as the first of the tears streamed down her face. She felt alone inside her head, for Ben had cut the connection.
Rey hadn't slept much the night before. She'd reached out for Ben, but he kept his walls up. He wanted nothing to do with her. Her headache was almost beyond what she could tolerate, and Luke was late meeting her as they had planned.
She sat down in the damp grass, her legs crossed, and closed her eyes. She tried to relax her body and mind, tried to make the pain in her head go away, but nothing seemed to work. She was a ball of tension.
A rumble in the distance made her eyes shoot open. She watched the Millennium Falcon slowly ascend towards the heavens, her heart dropping with the ships movement. Suddenly, it shot upwards and out of her sight. He was gone.
The world around her grew quiet again as the first sign of the sun's rays kissed the sky. A lone figure walked towards her, and for just a moment she hoped it was Ben. It wasn't. Luke took a seat in front of her, his face looking worn. Sleep had evaded him as well. For the first time since she had met this larger than life figure he looked… nervous.
"Close your eyes," Luke commanded softly. Rey did as he said, her eyes slowly shutting. She waited as the seconds ticked away... and waited, but nothing happened. She opened one eye, and then the other to find Luke staring at her.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, worried.
Luke slowly shook his head, as if coming out of a daze. "Forgive me, Rey. I'm fighting my own battles within me. This goes against everything I believe, so I am struggling a bit."
Luke was her last hope. With Ben gone it was up to him to lead her through this change. She winced against the sudden sharp pain in her head, and for a moment she thought about calling the whole thing off. She just wanted to push her head under the quilts in her hut and make the headache go away.
"Let's try again. Close your eyes. What do you know about the Dark Side of the Force?"
"Evil," she said, low. "It destroys the user, turns them against goodness and light."
"No," Luke said. "If that were so, the ones through history that turned their backs on their dark lives would never have been saved. A father would have never chosen to save his son. The Dark Side of the Force is emotion at its rawest level. Hate, fear, greed, jealousy, aggression, unrestrained passion. The Light Side of the Force is like a flowing stream, soothing and calm, a—a hidden strength. The Dark side is a roaring fire, powerful, seductive… potentially dangerous. You have both of the flowing stream and the fire within you. Neither can claim you. Neither can consume. You must find a way to take that flowing river and set it on fire!"
"How do I do that without Ben?" she whispered.
"How does it make you feel that he's not here?"
Rey thought about this for a moment. She felt sadness and loneliness. She felt fear and betrayal. The greatest emotion she felt was anger and she told Luke so.
"Grab onto that anger and let it grow within you. Let it build slowly, starting that fire within your soul." Rey felt her anger begin to build, fanning it like flames of a fire. It only grew to a slight ember before going out completely. She tried several times to no avail.
She opened her eyes, sighing in frustration. Luke patted her hand in understanding. "We both are new learners here," he said, chuckling.
"I can't be angry with him for leaving," she admitted. "Not really. He doesn't want to lose me, and I understand that feeling completely."
"Okay, let's try this. Close your eyes again and tell me what your biggest fear is."
"Ben's death," she said, her eyes closed. She didn't even have to think about it.
"I want you to imagine it," Luke whispered.
Immediately, her mind fought against her. She didn't want to imagine his death, didn't want to see the vision of him collapsing from her arms. But, the image assaulted her mind's eye. Over and over again Ben fell backwards, his eyes closing to never open again. The fear within her grew higher than embers, until it licked the very back of her subconscious. The headache she'd been experiencing for days now quieted under the awe of power swimming from her fear.
"Grab it, Rey. I feel the power within you. Let the fear drown you, let it awaken even the furthest reaches of your mind."
She whimpered, her eyes slammed shut. The fire grew and grew until she could feel the heat upon her very soul. Suddenly, her body came alive, her mind awakening from some dead sleep. She could feel the power at her fingertips, could feel it burning through her veins.
"Do not let it control you," Luke hissed, his voice miles away from her now. "Rey, do not let it control you!"
The feeling was too strong. She tried to grab a hold of it, but it pushed her back as if she were nothing. Around her feet a dark mist began to take shape, slithering in circular motions up her legs, up her hips, up her chest and arms, until she felt it pierce straight through to her mind.
"Rey, come back," Luke said, worried. "Rey!"
It was too late. Her instincts told her to fight against the darkness, to fight against its power, but it threw her into the void like rags. Her black eyes shot open, staring straight at Luke. He jumped to his feet, his hands reaching for his saber, but she flicked her wrist and the saber went flying across the ground. She reached for his neck, as if to choke him. He clawed at invisible hands, his mouth open and desperate for a gulp of air.
"Don't… let… it… control… you…" Luke ground out.
Rey was about to end this man's life when she felt a presence behind her. Her hand dropped from Luke's neck as she slowly turned to see who was watching her from the shadows. Her black orbs searched the area, but she didn't see anyone.
Suddenly, Ben stepped into the morning sunlight, his face a hard mask. "Rey!" he called. She dipped her head to the side, as if fascinated. She reached out to feel the boy's fear, but there was no fear to feel. He did not fear her in the least.
"Bring her back to the light," Luke said, coughing.
Ben did as Luke told him, pulling Rey back to the surface. She fell to her knees, her headache returning more furious than before. Ben crotched down in front of her, his hand softly touching her cheek.
"You—you didn't leave," she breathed, a small smile breaking out on her face.
"There's no other place in the galaxy I'd rather be than here with you, Rey," he whispered.
She closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. Her hopes fell as they sat watching her in silence. "I can't control it," she said, turning to Luke. "I lose myself in the darkness, in its power."
"Because you're fighting against the Force, Rey. I felt your struggle as if it were my own. You… you have to willingly give yourself to it," Ben said.
She turned back to look at Ben. She saw the truth in his eyes, saw that he had changed his mind and was going to help her. He looked like a man torn apart, but he wasn't going to fight the inevitable anymore.
"Again," she said, rising to her feet. Ben stood with her, his eyes never leaving hers. For the rest of the morning, they pushed her towards the darkness, and every time she would fall straight into the void.
By the time the late afternoon rolled around she was more frustrated than she'd ever been. "Okay… okay," Luke said, a little red in the face and breathless. "We all need a break. Let's call it a day and try again tomorrow." They watched him stand to his feet, slowly stretching. He walked the path back to their huts, holding his lower back.
"What if I can't do it?" Rey asked, after some time. She stared out into the ocean, her worries rising. What if she couldn't accomplish what they wanted her to?
"You can do it, you just don't realize it yet."
Ben placed his hand upon hers, squeezing softly. "I didn't think you wanted to be a part of this?" she said, looking back at him.
He sighed heavily, his face looking worn and tired. "It seems I've let you down again. Can you forgive me?"
Rey leaned towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "There's nothing to forgive," she whispered. "And I was wrong too. You do know me."
He squeezed her softly, kissing the side of her head, allowing his lips to linger upon her skin for a few seconds. "There isn't much in this world I'm certain about, not much I'd put my faith in, but there's no doubt in my mind that you can do this, Rey. And I'll be down in that darkness with you. You don't have to fear it. You don't have to fight it. You know who you are, you're goodness and you're light. You're my goodness and light."
Her eyes slowly came open as the last piece of the puzzle slid into place. It wasn't as she expected, like some ground shattering realization. The answer was as clear as the sky above her and as soft as a cool breeze. She pulled back from Ben, searching his face. She'd tried several different emotions today but one. Fear and anger weren't the answer. Jealousy and rage wouldn't serve her in this. Her overwhelming passion for the man sitting in front of her, though, was the strongest feeling she'd ever felt. If he was to be her anchor then it made sense that her feelings for him were what held her sane when the darkness took over.
She stared deep into his eyes, finding the place meant for just her in his soul. There, she found untamed possessiveness, passion in its rawest form. She would live for this man. She would die for this man. It consumed her so suddenly the very breath was taken from her body. Ben felt it too, sucking in a breath, his eyes wide.
This time, when the darkness came, she didn't fight it. She allowed it to slither up her body, and at the last minute she grabbed a hold of it, claiming it as her own. Power, as mighty as flames, exploded throughout her whole being, tearing her apart and stitching her back together.
She was vaguely aware of the island vibrating, as if cowering in the face of such power. She was vaguely aware of her body rising into the air, and Ben's arms around her. Light and darkness swirled around them like a dance, flowing within them, covering them like a blanket. The sun hid its face behind clouds at the sight of such power coming together as one. Darkness rose within her and light met it.
Her mind found the balance, the space between both light and dark. Her headache stopped at once, not a single trace of pain remained. Power, like none she had ever felt filled every part of her soul. It pulsed Ben's name like a dying prayer. She became the darkness to his light, felt it transform within her, and realized she was still herself. The answer had always been the raw passion and fire between them. The Dyad itself. She could feel his transformation as well, could feel him change as the Light soaked into his soul.
"Oh my God," she heard Luke breathe somewhere on the ground below them.