AN: Saw some version of this on reyloprompts, and sort of went with it.

Into the Dark

"You shall not have him." Without a weapon, with just her bare hands and teeth for protection, Rey stood at the mouth of a great cave.

"And will you make me? Will you take him back to the existence which brought him nothing but pain and suffering? To a time when he was manipulated by others? Abandoned by his parents?" The voice, so like hers, was pitched lower. The cadence was different, more polished - where had she grown up? Had she been left on Jakku like Rey had, or had this strange woman been raised in another environment?

Against everything that seemed possible, Rey had made the journey into the world between worlds. The entrance - the cave on Ahch To - had been a jumping off point and she was frustratingly close to Ben. She felt his energy in this strange upside-down place. It had been her beacon, and she did not know how much time had passed. The bond was there, but with only the barest of energy.

In the darkness, of all the entities she expected to encounter, the last person in the universe was...herself.

But not her.

She knew this version of herself, had glimpsed it in the past. The pale skin. The sharpened teeth. The red eyes. The weapon, glistening scarlet - sparking with energy.

Finding her voice, Rey answered, "He is coming with me."

"And what are you prepared to offer in his place?" Her dark self's question was bored in nature.

Swallowing, Rey said, "This isn't a negotiation."

"Shame, I find I'm not ready to let him go. We still have so much more...fun to have together." The tone was knowing, smug.

Could she fight herself?

"You don't have to."

"You can hear me?"

"We're the same person, and this place doesn't allow for such privacy." Her dark self nodded behind her, and there he was. "But do you still want him?"

Ben, dressed in the same dark sweater he'd left her in, stepped forward.

Rey swore she heard the Force sing.

It was him. Exhausted, paler than usual, but the man was Ben Solo.

She thought she would never see him again.

She couldn't find her voice, and neither, it seemed, could he.

"We had fun together, didn't we, Kylo?" Her dark self asked, letting a finger trail over his broad shoulder.

Ben twitched but didn't correct her.

Rey watched as her doppelganger moved closer to Ben and lightly kissed his lips. He closed his eyes, but had no further reaction. "We had fun. Perhaps we'll see each other in some other reality." Red tinged eyes met hazel, and the woman in black said, "Send him back if you get bored, or if you can't handle him. Kylo can be quite naughty when he wants to be."

Rey walked forward and took Ben's hand, so much larger than hers. It was cool to the touch, but then grew warmer.

They did not speak as she led him back. Back to their world. Back to their future. The future she had seen when they had first touched hands.

As they found their way together in the new reality - a Palpatine and a Skywalker - there was love, tenderness, and belonging. And yet, some nights - in the early hours, Rey would listen for his easy breathing and wonder. There was darkness always lurking at his corners. Had Ben Solo returned from the World Between Worlds or was it Kylo Ren? Was Kylo waiting for a time to attack? To bring her dark self forward?

Ben drew a breath in his sleep and tucked her closer to the warmth of his body.

Would she see herself again in the world?

Or the next?