Upon drawing her last breath, Rey had known that it was okay to let go. Evil had been vanquished. Her friends would be safe and the galaxy would be at peace. She never even closed her eyes, but then woke up from the darkness, unbeknownst to how much time had actually passed since she fell asleep for what she thought would be forever. It could have been hours. Maybe even years. Then she saw his face and in that moment, time stood still. It was completely insignificant compared to what she was feeling inside. She thought she had lost him forever. But there he was, right in front of her. Like he had always been.
She held in her breath as she studied every inch of his face and then let it out in the sound of his name. "Ben." As it came off her lips, her mouth shaped itself into an open smile. He smiled too, unable to believe that he had actually brought her back. Seeing her smile at him, seeing her eyes so full of life, made him feel like it had all been worth it. All the pain he had ever suffered and endured had led up to this beautiful and sacred moment. That's how he knew he had done the right thing. That's how he knew, as he felt his own life drawing to an end, his sacrifice had been worth it.
Rey watched his smile fade and his eyes shut closed as the light was leaving him. Too weak to hold himself up, Ben Solo fell back to the floor. Rey's heart began to race, beating fervently inside her chest, as if desiring to jump out of her and into Ben to help his own heart beating. He was slipping away. She could feel it.
"No," she whispered, leaning over him and placing her hands on his face to keep him from leaving. "No, no, no, Ben… Ben! Open your eyes! Please look at me." The panic and desperation she felt inside reflected in her voice. He couldn't leave her. Not now. Not when they were finally together.
Hearing her calls, he managed to open his eyes and reach out to her one last time. Tears streamed down her beautiful face. He wanted to dry them all away. He didn't want her to be sad or cry for him. He had given her what was left of his life so that she could live on and be happy. With a shaky hand, he reached up to cup her cheek and she placed her own hand over his to keep it there, leaning into his touch.
"It's okay," he said, his voice weak and hoarse. "It's time for me to go. It was meant to be this way." Rey closed her eyes tight to stop the flood that was threatening to break through, shaking her head in denial.
"Don't say that. We're meant to be together. I don't want you to leave. I don't want to live without you." He gave her an apologetic look, as if to say he was sorry.
"I'm afraid you'll have to. Rey..." At the sound of her name, she steeled herself to look at him. "I need you to be strong. I need you to promise me that you'll move on and live the life you always wanted. Promise me you'll be happy." She shook her head again, but he was persistent. "Promise me." He was pleading; his voice so weak, it was breaking. The sound made something inside her break as well. He needed her to promise him.
Still fighting to hold back the tears, Rey slowly nodded, whispering her promise. With that promise made, he could finally let go. One last smile was all he had strength left to give before Rey felt his hand go limp in her hold and watched his eyes close for the very last time.
His heart ceased to beat, but she would not let go. Still clutching his hand, she leaned down over his face and, despite knowing he could not hear her, she softly spoke to him. "Please, no. Please don't leave me. I love you." Another tear rolled down her face and she tasted the saltiness of it as she placed a kiss on his lips. Then she laid her head on his chest and wept.
Somewhere in the dark, there was a breath of air. A sign of life. Controlling her sobs, Rey raised her head to peer through the hot tears. Her vision blurred, all she could see was a warm, blue light. Warm. Not cold. Could it be?
She sat up straight and wiped the tears from her eyes to see not one, not two, but twelve ghostly shapes appear one by one in a circle around her and Ben. She didn't have to ask who they were. She knew. All around her were the faces of the voices she had heard inside her head only moments before to help her stand and defeat Palpatine. But the one face she immediately recognized was the one standing right in front of her.
"Leia," she breathed and the old woman smiled in return. She had been like a mother to Rey. Always there to guide her and give her comfort. And now she had become one with the Force.
"Rey. You've been so brave. You faced your fears and you overcame them. I am very proud of you. We all are." She glanced around at her fellow Jedi knights who smiled and nodded in agreement. "But…" she continued and stepped forward to kneel down at her son's side. With a sad, yet loving smile, she placed a hand over the top of his head. "…we are also proud of Ben," she finished and looked back to Rey. "Rey, I want to thank you. Thank you for never giving up hope on him. You saw that there was light in him and you never gave up. You helped him find his way back home." Rey dropped her gaze and shook her head.
"I'm so sorry, Leia. I'm sorry I couldn't do more." She felt the warm touch of Leia's hand on her cheek and looked up.
"You've done enough, my dear. Leave the rest to us."
Rey blinked and frowned in confusion at Leia's words. Then, one of the other ghosts stepped forward. He was a young man with a handsome face and his hair reminded her of Ben's. He smiled down at her with love and pride. "Hello, Rey." His voice was warm and inviting. "I'm Anakin Skywalker."
"You're Ben's grandfather," she said and he nodded.
"Yes. I am." He, too, went down on one knee and placed a hand on Ben's head with a look of regret. "I could hear him trying to reach me several times through the Force, asking for advice, but somehow I was blocked and couldn't reach back to him. Palpatine's hold on him was too strong. The only other person who was able to reach through to him was you." He looked back to Rey and she could have sworn there was the shimmer of a tear in his eye. "My wife Padmé once tried to do the same for me, but I was too blinded by power to see it. All she wanted was my love and I couldn't give it to her. And because of that, the entire galaxy suffered. I let my hatred and anger consume me. But you didn't. And neither did Ben." Once again, he locked his eyes on his grandson, but this time he did it with a smile. "Both of you chose to save what you love."
Now it was Luke who stepped forward to join them at Ben's side. Rey knew how much guilt he carried from failing his own nephew. She could see it in his eyes. "There's been too much pain in this family. Too many regrets." He paused for a moment until he regained new breath. "But it's time to leave all of that behind and let the past die." Rey's heart skipped a beat at those familiar words and she looked up at Luke in anticipation. He caught her eye and the look he gave her was filled with promise. Promise and hope. "It's time to pave way for a new and brighter future."
Leia and Anakin rose back to their feet and the other Jedi stepped in closer, forming a tighter circle. Before Rey could even begin to comprehend what was happening, they all reached out with one hand each towards Ben and closed their eyes. All she could do was stare in awe as an ethereal glow began to surround them and slowly enveloping Ben. The Force was humming with energy, like electricity. It was something that couldn't be seen, touched or heard. But Rey felt it to her very core.
Soon, the glow faded and the old Jedi knights took a step back to give them some room. Rey looked around at them, confused as to what they had just done. Something told her she already knew the answer, but she didn't dare hope for fear of being let down. But then she felt something stir beneath her.
It was Ben.
His breath returning, Ben's chest began to rise as his lungs filled with new air and Rey watched his head turning where he lay and his eyes starting to open, as if he was waking up from a deep slumber. He must have been feeling the same way she had, because he frowned, looking around at his surroundings as if he didn't know where he was. Then he saw her and his face went blank for a second before reality dawned on him and he pushed himself up on his elbows. Rey helped him sit up straight, pulling him to her so that their faces were close once again.
He reached out with his hand to touch her face anew, wanting to make sure she was really there. "Rey." She smiled and nodded in confirmation.
"It's me, Ben."
"But how…?" He stopped himself, sensing their presence at last. This time, when he turned his head, he was not met with emptiness, but with a group of gentle, smiling faces. Faces of past generations of Jedi. His eyes eventually landed on his mother. Leia beamed at him. "Mom."
"Hello, Ben."
He made to stand and Rey helped him up, supporting his weight. She followed him to Leia and when Ben eased himself away from her, she let him. This was their moment.
Leia did not hesitate to welcome him into her warm embrace. She circled her arms around him and he reciprocated the gesture, her form so small it was practically engulfed by him. It was hard to believe how much he had grown. The last time she had seen him, he had been a little boy. But now he was a man. He reminded her of Han. They were so very alike.
As he held her, Ben let go of everything he had kept pent up inside and allowed himself to cry, pouring it all out. "I'm sorry," he said in between sobs and Leia shushed him.
"No, Ben." She pulled back a little and looked straight into his warm, brown eyes. "I am sorry. I never should have sent you away. I should have faced my fears and kept you with me. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Of course I forgive you." He said it without so much as flinching. "Mom…" She smiled knowingly, the way only mothers do.
"I know. I love you, too."
From the corner of his eye, Ben saw another figure making its way up to him. "Hello, Ben." The ghost of Anakin Skywalker smiled.
"Grandfather?" Ben asked. He wasn't sure what he had expected. Maybe someone older. But this spirit was the image of the man Anakin had been before he became Darth Vader.
"I'm sorry I couldn't reach you," Anakin said. "The dark side was keeping you from me." Ben nodded to show he understood. The dark side had been strong as it had surrounded him, from the very beginning. "I could only hope you wouldn't repeat my mistakes. That you would see the light before it was too late. And you did. I couldn't be more proud." He placed a hand on Ben's shoulder. "You were lucky to have someone who believed in you, the way your uncle believed in me." He glanced back at Luke and Ben followed his gaze to finally confront his uncle again. Luke stepped forward, his face grave and sad.
"Ben, I was wrong. I'm sorry I didn't believe in you. You deserved better from me. Thankfully, there was someone who inspired me to step up and do the right thing." Luke looked past Ben to meet Rey's eye and she was encouraged to come closer. She took Ben's hand in hers and they smiled at one another. "I knew I couldn't save you," Luke went on, "but hopefully I could help you save yourself. And you did, Ben. It's never too late to change. Always remember that." Ben gave his uncle a thankful nod.
"I will. Thank you. All of you," he added, addressing the other Jedi. "For giving me a second chance."
"Everyone deserves a second chance," one of the men spoke up. He had a beard and long hair flowing down his back and a dignified face with two kind and wise eyes. "And you have truly earned it. Your sacrifice was selfless and born out of unconditional love." Ben could feel Rey squeeze his hand tighter and he returned the gesture. The ghost regarded them with great fondness as he remarked, "You are a dyad in the Force: one soul shared by two individuals. That sort of bond is very rare. Something that must be cherished and protected. Neither of you will feel entirely complete without the other. Together, you make balance in the Force."
"The future lies in your hands now," Luke continued. "Carry on the legacy. Teach a new generation the ways of the Force. Maintain the balance."
Their fingers intertwined, Rey and Ben truly felt like one and the same. Like two pieces of a puzzle, they belonged together; made each other whole. Looking into each other's eyes was like looking at a reflection of themselves. Nothing was missing. They had everything they needed.
Rey looked up into Ben's face and a smile from him was all the promise and confirmation she needed. Looking back at Luke, she made the promise to him and all the other Jedi that they would do their best. There would be no more Sith and no more Jedi. The dark and the light would come together and be as one in perfect balance. For there can be no light without the dark and no dark without the light.