The Pivotal Moment

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A/N-thank you for the kind reviews and for following this story!

Chapter Thirty-Anakin Skywalker

Rey's heart and mind were caged by a wall of fear. She watched as her dark counterpart twirled her lethal double-bladed saber expertly, the red plasma blades hummed violently, sending red sparks flaming across Rey's vision. Temporarily blinded, she lashed out, unexpectedly scoring a hit. She heard Rey Palpatine hiss, her angry response was a vicious swing, which Rey barely had time to parry. She was struggling to keep up with the Empress 'quick movements, she was constantly on the defensive, always the one in retreat.

"You're weak just like he was." Empress Palpatine sneered; her mouth twisted into an ugly scowl. "I'm going to kill you just like I killed him!" She taunted Rey with Ben's death. "You'll be on your knees, just like he was…. begging for mercy."

Her cruel taunt sent a sudden gush of pain jolting through Rey's body. Her heart ached with renewed guilt and indescribable grief. She wasn't even allowed to mourn Ben's death at the hand of this vicious monster. Her stomach ached with grief and her arms lost tension, and her legs began to weaken. Sensing her despair, Rey Palpatine renewed her attack, her destructive weapon poised to strike Rey right through the heart, just like her cruel words.

Kylo's voice was suddenly in Rey's head. "You're not alone. I'm right here."

At the sound of his voice Rey felt hope bloom inside her like a star in the blackest night. Through light years of distance, the brightness filled her inner self, pulsating strongly as he reached out to her through their dyad bond and loaned her his strength. With renewed energy, her hand shot out in front of her, teeth bared as she used the force to stop the empress' evil weapon from finding its mark. The two women engaged in a battle of wills, each striving to break the other. The air vibrated madly between them. Rey felt perspiration coat her skin as she used all her energy to push back against the dark power raging from the angry Sith Empress.

Rey gritted her teeth as her dark counterpart's hatred burned the very air they were breathing. There was so much force coming from either side, it was like the very atmosphere struggled to contain it. Suddenly, Rey and the dark empress were blown apart as a burst of electrical energy flew from their hands at exactly the same moment. The Force lightening burned a bright blueish purple, highlighting the cavernous throne room on Exegol in an array of garish colours as it crackled madly.

There was stillness in the air as both females tried to recover from the viciousness of the assault. Rey landed heavily on the cold stone floor of the throne room. Pain throbbed in her guts, deep and warm, but not in a nice way. It felt like someone had their hand in there and were squeezing her internal organs as hard as they can. Every breath was agony, movement was impossible. When Rey's shaking fingers touched her abdomen, they came away soaked in blood. She was injured, badly, maybe fatally.

There had been hope before. Just a tiny flicker against the wind. With the naïve innocence of a child, she had reached out, fingers extended when she had heard Kylo's voice in her head. Now that dying ember of hope brought the cold winds of despair as her silent suffering became too much to bear. She was too weak to reach out to him, mentally or physically. Her life force was draining away as surely as the blood seeping from the gaping wound in her stomach.

Kylo lay on his back on the cold stone floor as his blood pooled beneath his head. A paroxysm of agony triggered a guttural cry from the back of his throat as he rolled onto his side in an attempt to rise. The deep wound on the back of his head throbbed and burned. He had been knocked unconscious for a brief spell when Rey Palpatine, angered by his betrayal, used the force to send him slamming against the hard rock on the opposite side of the throne room. He had awoken a while later to a world of pain. Every desperate attempt to move and get to Rey had been useless. His head span, black spots encompassing his vision every time he tried. He was unbalanced, physically weak. His head injury more severe then he wanted to admit.

All around him Kylo could hear the sounds of a furious battle raging as the woman he loved fought for her life against a vicious monster. He was powerless to help her. It was like the battle in the throne room all over again when Darth Sidious had thrown him into the dark pit, leaving his sweetheart alone to face down her evil grandfather. They were supposed to have defeated him together, but bolstered by the strength of all the Jedi, she was able to block Palpatine's Force lightning with his mother's lightsaber. By combining Leia's lightsaber with the Skywalker lightsaber, Rey managed to reflect Palpatine's Force lightning back onto him in order to disintegrate her grandfather, destroying his throne and collapsing the chamber they were in on top of the cultists of the Sith Eternal.

In desperation Kylo reached out to Rey through their Force bond. As soon as he opened himself up to her he felt her despair leaking through to him like a heady blackness. Their bond, the one that kept their hearts beating, felt thin, like they were being crushed under the heavy weight of their dual despair. Rey was being crushed, slowly, cruelly as the evil empress twisted the knife, dangling the knowledge of Ben Solo's sad death in front of her. She felt lost and alone. She was losing all hope. Kylo couldn't let that happen. Hope was not just an emotion; it was the tangible promise of a peaceful future that was just beyond reach. Hope is what allows a person to see beyond the present defeat, beyond the moment of being cast down. He couldn't let her lose that hope. Even if he couldn't help her physically, he could show her that she was not alone. That he was right there with her.

Like a bright star shining in the darkness, Kylo sent that unwavering hope directly into Rey's mind. "You're not alone. I'm right here."

Immediately he felt the boost she got from the strength of his emotional support. She was energised by it. Their Force bond flowed between them, strong and true. He revelled in it as Rey attacked her evil counterpart with renewed vigour. She fought for dominance against the Empress by sheer force of will. Then something went wrong, terribly wrong. Rey and the Empress lost control of their powers, the Force lightening sparking from their fingers as it blew them apart, causing devastating injuries to both of them. Kylo cried out in anguish as he felt Rey's life force slipping away. It was happening all over again. He was losing her. He couldn't bear it.

Just like before when he had dragged himself out of the pit to reach her, Kylo forced himself back onto his feet through sheer willpower alone. He stumbled as nausea overtook him. He was lightheaded, sick and unbalanced. The ground seemed to swallow him up as he fell hard onto his hands and knees. Black spots appeared in his vision. Rey swung in and out of focus as he dragged his protesting body toward her. Blood caked his hair and face. His skull felt like it was splitting apart with every tortuous move he made. His fingers bit into the cold stone as he pulled himself along the cold ground in a desperate attempt to reach her.

Kylo was forced to pass the fallen empress. He gave her a cursory glance, feeling sickened at what he saw. Half her face had melted off where the Force lightening had struck it. She looked like a grotesque gargoyle, what was left of her features twisted into a hideous mask. Her one good eye focused on him, her fingers twitching in an attempt to reach out to him.

"Help me, lover." She pleaded thickly through swollen lips. "Help me!"

Kylo was sick. He doubled over, retching over and over again until there was nothing left to bring up. Rey Palpatine continued to beg, her words becoming increasingly slurred. She was driving him mad. Hatred bubbled up in his throat at all that he suffered because of her and her manipulations. He gingerly touched the back of his head. Blood was still oozing out of the deep wound, his thick, inky black hair was matted with it. Gritting his teeth, Kylo forced himself back onto his feet. He swayed back and forth as he tried to maintain his balance.

"Come to me, lover." Rey Palpatine's one good eye lit up with hope as he finally managed to drag himself over to her side. He loomed above her, staring down at her ruined face. She raised one hand, eager to reach him. "Come closer. You can heal me. I know you can. Then we can rule over the universes together, just like it was always meant to be."

Kylo called for his saber. It flew in to his opened hand. He felt nothing as he ignited it and stabbed Rey Palpatine right in the heart.

Kylo fell onto his knees beside Rey. His midnight black hair hung around his face in blood-soaked tendrils as his dark brown eyes turned black with anguish. He touched Rey's icy skin with trembling fingers.

"Rey." He said huskily. "I'm here."

Kylo picked her up, cradling her against his shaking body. Black filled the edges of his vision and the only thing he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat. His breaths came in ragged, shallow gasps. It had all come full circle. He knew what he had to do.

"I love you, sweetheart." He whispered softly as he placed his hand on her abdomen and slowly closed his eyes.

Suddenly he felt Rey's fingers close over his as she pulled his hand away from her stomach. Kylo's eyes flew open to find hers staring desperately up into his. Her life force was ebbing away. She knew it was too late for her to be saved. She was thinking of her vison on Ahch-to when she had been faced with nothing but multiple images of herself in the mirror cave. It had been a warning, but she had misread it completely. Her greatest enemy was the darkness within her, she could see that now. But she had defeated that darkness. She had killed the empress. The cursed Palpatine bloodline would end with her. She would not allow Ben to sacrifice himself for her all over again.

"You have to let me go, Ben." She rasped. "You are the last Skywalker. You must live." She inhaled a trembling breath, sweat accumulating on her skin: icy cold. Death wasn't as beautiful or peaceful as she had previously imagined, with her stomach turning in on itself and eating away at her insides. It was painful, terrifying. "I love you, Ben. I will…I will always…be…with…y…" Her words faded away as she went limp in his arms.

"NO! REY! COME BACK TO ME! COME BACK!" Kylo's anguished screams echoed off the stone walls of the throne room, stealing his breath, tormenting him. His surroundings blurred. He couldn't think. He couldn't see. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US?" He sobbed to the empty air as he cradled her body tightly against him. He rocked her, feeling empty, numb inside. He had nothing left to exist for. If he couldn't bring her back, then he would die, too. Death was preferable to an empty life without her. She was already becoming transparent in his arms. He clutched at her, forcefully trying to stop her from fading away. "NO! NO! WAIT FOR ME! WAIT!"

"Ben."

This wasn't another voice in his head. Kylo froze, every hair on the back of his neck rising as he turned his head to find a man standing a few feet away from him. The man was dressed in a white tunic, and long light brown robes, similar to the Jedi robes that his uncle, Luke Skywalker, used to favour. There was something about the man's face that was familiar, the shape of his eyes, his nose. There was a shimmering aura around the man. It was like he was glowing.

"Who are you?" Kylo demanded hoarsely.

"Deep down you already know." The man answered gravely. "But I'll tell you anyway. My name is Anakin. Anakin Skywalker…."

A/N-thanks for reading!