This is a longer chapter! I hope that you enjoy. PLEASE PLEASE review. I desperately want to know your thoughts. The good or the bad.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars Story. Just a fan wanting to write.

Chapter 5

Understandably I wouldn't sleep that night. I knew I wouldn't hear from him, but I did have hope. I lay awake in my bed for hours, rampant thoughts running through my brain. Where could he be? I would know if he had died on Exegol, but I do still feel his presence, only weakly though. He said he was weak, how weak? Was he alright? Would he survive long enough for me to find him?

I pushed myself out of my bed knowing that I would not get any rest this evening. I grab a shall and wrap it around my body hoping it would keep me warm in the night. The sky is black, while the stars shine a bright light. I was hoping that a short walk would help pass the time until morning when I would prepare to leave the island.

From the moment I walked out the door, I could feel the same gravitational pull at the center of the island. I felt it almost every time I walked outside my hut, only this time it felt a tad stronger than before. Under normal circumstances I ignored its call, going about my daily routine, only something has changed. It was almost like I couldn't control my body, and I started on towards that cave.

I remember the feeling I had entering the first time; it was gut wrenching. I remember not fully understanding what was happening. I begged to see my parents. "Please" I remember calling out, devastated when I saw only my own reflection in the mirror like wall.

I make my descend towards the cave. I felt a cold draft entering the cave, and my now much longer hair blew over my shoulder. I shuddered in the cold. I stand there and see the same wall as before. I hesitate to approach it. I still hear faint whispers around me, presumably the dark side trying to make contact. I turn around and see that no one is there.

Suddenly, I see a shadow shift across the mirror wall. I jump ever so slightly feeling anxious about the unknown. Another shift of the shadow flies across. Someone is there. I do not move from the place I stand but pull out my saber. I ignite it, the gold shines bright in the cave. It will provide both light and protection.

I start to proceed towards this dreaded mirror. As I come closer, I start to bring my saber down to my side, keeping it ignited in the event that I need it. Again, I only see my reflection shining in the mirror.

"Silly for thinking something was there" I chuckle at the thought of another on this island. I breathe a sigh of relief.

Again, I see the slightest movement behind the wall. I ready my saber prepared to strike the mirror and defeat whoever was behind it.

"Who is there?" I question. I feel agitated at the thought of someone hiding on the island.

Another flash of the shadow, it stops dead center in front of me. It proceeds to move closer and closer, the shadow becoming bigger and bigger. I am ready. I am ready for combat, saber in hand. I grip the handle tighter and tighter.

Slowly I see the shadow start to disappear and it begins to morph into a face. An all-familiar face. "Ben?". Its him, I can see his blurred face starting to become clearer and clearer. My heart pounding at the thought of seeing him, also pounding at the thought of the trickery this place had done before.

I had only seen him smile once, just after we kissed on Exegol. It was as big as I remembered. It must be him, this couldn't be some ruse that this place was doing. "Hi Rey" he said happily. Reaching his hand and placing it along the wall.

I lift my hand to his, fingers in the same place his was. I couldn't feel his touch, but I was still amazed at seeing him. "How are you here? On Ahch To?" I ask.

"I am not. I am still here" he says looking all around himself.

"… wherever here is…" uncertainty in his voice.

"But you can see me? You couldn't see me before." I exclaimed.

"I know. I am not sure why now thought?" his hand slipped off the seemingly glass wall. "Rey, where are you?" he questioned.

"I told you, I am on Ahch To" I take a step back and begin to pace back and forth. "I came here after the war, after I laid the Skywalker name to rest" I say.

"I'm not dead yet Rey, I still have the Skywalker blood" he chuckles.

"Well, I couldn't have been sure. I mean I could still feel your presence but not as strong as before. I held on to hope that you weren't gone" I utter to him.

"Rey… Your hair… How long has it been?" he inquires.

"A little over a year" His expression changed when I said this. His eyes shift towards the ground, almost in a state of confusion.

"A year? What happened? I remember looking into your eyes after we kissed… then nothing after that" he said.

"You drifted away after that. After our kiss. Disappearing from my arms. You sacrificed your life, for mine... I wish you didn't." It was the truth. I did wish he wouldn't have sacrificed his life.

"If given the chance to do it over again… I would not have changed a thing. I was a terrible person when I was Kylo Ren. I murdered innocent lives" he wasn't wrong. I couldn't imagine the life he would have been subjected to had he had been the one to live over me.

"But you weren't Kylo Ren at that point…" he cut me off.

"It doesn't matter, I was still Kylo Ren in the past. I still did all those dreadful things". There was grief in his voice. I felt sorry for him, wanting to just embrace him.

Neither of us spoke for what felt like an eternity. We stood in silence just starting at one another. Eyes locked.

I was exhausted, finally feeling the weight from the long day. My eyes started to feel heavy, and my body became weak. I wasn't fully recovered from the previous nightmare. He finally broke the silence between us.

"You look tired" he said.

"I don't sleep much. The nightmares keep me awake…" I fold my arms over my chest and my eyes shift to my feet.

"Of me?" he questions.

"Of you yes" I speak.

"I'm sorry…" he apologizes. "Rey you need to go home and get some sleep" I couldn't leave him. I was afraid that if I left this place, I wouldn't ever see him again.

"I can't leave, what if I come back and I can't see you?" I ask.

"Then we will find each other again... somewhere else. Rey you need to go get some rest" he wasn't backing down. As stubborn as I remembered him to be. I would never win with him.

"I'll come back after I sleep for a few hours. I promise" I said.

"I look forward to it" he smiled at me.

"Goodbye Ben" I smiled back at him. I give him a little wave as I turn to leave. I walk slowly in case he changed his mind. I wouldn't object to staying all night, even if I grew even more exhausted then I was now.

"Goodnight Rey" I am sure he watched me until the very second I left the cave. I make the trek back to my hut. The smile never fading from my face. The air was cold, but I only felt warmth, my heart fluttering thinking about seeing him.

I finally reach my destination and open the door. I remove my shall and climbed into my bed. It felt warmer and more comfortable than I remembered. I feel myself start to drift and I close my eyes not knowing if I would wake shortly to a terrible dream.