Not surprisingly, both sides of the Force relied on intense physical training as a means to channel the riveting energy.
At the first signs of dawn, they headed back towards the pond, finding the winding path crowded with fallen rocks and boulders from the recent sandstorm which were not only a convenient challenge to sort through, but a perfect start to their morning training. Despite the obstacle course that had been created along the path of destruction, they had made it to the small oasis in record time. And, even though it was starting to get hot, the twin suns were not yet at their highest peak, making the arduous task of racing over the fallen debris a bit more bearable.
By the time they got to their destination, they were both sweating profusely and, while Rey's light, gauzy attire managed to keep her body reasonably cool, Ren had ended up peeling off his darker robe once the scorching rays began beating down hard on that side of the moon.
Rey half knelt, half collapsed by the shore, where she began to splash cool water onto her face and neck. She made a cup with her hands and took several greedy gulps, both relieved and grateful the storm hadn't completely destroyed that remote little corner of the desolate rock. She remembered how close she had been to drowning the day before, but refused to let anxiousness overtake her. Everything would be fine as long as she stayed by the beach line. So, as welcoming as the crystal water was, she wouldn't be setting foot in it today. Instead, she took a bit of time to admire the pond in all its beauty, submerged in the serene sensation of its quiet landscape.
Kylo Ren walked up behind her with two long branches in the form of unevenly shaped batons. He threw one in her direction, which she caught midair, while he absently twirled the other one in his right hand without major difficulty.
"I've seen you use these. You seem very proficient with them," he said, tucking the long stick under his right arm and tilting his body sideways in a guarding position. "Now use your skill, focus on the Force, and attack me."
It was a trait of the Dark Side, Rey began to realize, to plunge right into business. But it still felt odd after several months of training with Master Luke to not, at the very least, use some quiet time to clear the mind.
"Shouldn't we—?"
Ren didn't allow her to finish the question. He charged without mercy, lowering the weapon on her with a vicious blow, which she managed to clumsily block at the last second. Her brief hesitation had put her on the defensive right away, and her adversary wasted no time to use it to his advantage. In less than five swift moves Ren had her flat on her back, his makeshift baton digging into her neck with enough force to make her wince, his boot coming to rest on her abdomen—not hard enough to hurt her, but firmly enough to immobilize her.
He took a step back, his expression severe. "Attack first whenever you have the chance," he said looking down at her, "or you'll be forced to stay on the defensive for most of the fight. It's hard to gain the upper hand when you're trying to not get struck by your opponent."
Annoyed by the ease in which he had beaten her using her weapon of choice, Rey stood up determined to pay him back. Her fingers tightened around the wood, and this time she lunged forward without a second thought, applying everything she had learned from a young age fending off abusers and thugs looking for trouble. She lashed out, fiercely swinging the baton, frustrated with his ability to block even the most elaborate moves. At least, Rey thought, she was on the offensive now, as futile her blows appeared to be against him.
She swung the baton over her head and brought it down with all her might. Ren held his over his head, using both hands to block the vicious blow. They remained in that stalemate position for several moments, their faces just inches apart, eyes locked in sheer defiance.
"Is that the best Skywalker could teach you?" he gritted, gradually gaining the advantage. "Where is the warrior I met not that long ago?"
His words angered her enough to push back, but he sidestepped her, releasing them from the prolonged strain of their connection in one agile maneuver. Not expecting his sudden move, she stumbled forward several steps, mumbling a nasty curse before turning around to face him once again.
"You're not using the Force, Scavenger," he accused. "You're a good fighter, but I can anticipate all of your moves, and that makes you an easy target."
Breathing heavily, Rey pondered on his advice for a moment. "I still can't control it enough to—"
"You don't need to control it. You just need to release it. Tap into it, use it against me! Your pain, your anger, your hatred..." he spoke quietly, the richness of his voice curling around the words. "You've done it before."
"The Dark Side," Rey breathed, fear swimming through her veins.
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Ren said. His half smile belied the darkness within. "There are no sides to the Force. You either embrace it fully, or you spend your days meditating, hoping to be the almighty keeper of some elusive universal balance that keeps the light shining brightly. You can harness the power within, Scavenger. I'm daring you to eclipse that light."
Rey stood at the edge of the cliff, felt the urge to succumb to it, fold into its immense power. She felt the irrepressible attraction to the other side, to the shadows, to him!It was downright perverse! He was the person she probably hated most in her life, the one who had caused her the greatest amount of grief, the one she so desperately wanted to kill…
"You've lost so much already," Ren said, circling around her slowly, like a snake getting ready to strike. "All those villagers in Jakku… If you had only heard them screaming..."
Rey pulled her hands into fists as she tried to erase the gruesome images that were forming inside her mind.
"Don't look at me like that," he said slyly. "It's not like I killed anybody in your family." Her tight frown prompted him to continue. "You were abandoned in that piece of crap planet, weren't you? Forgotten by people who didn't want you. You've been lying awake at night, hoping for their return for years." His words were burning a hole in her heart, cruel and agonizing. "Then, you met Han Solo and he magically became the only father figure you ever knew."
There was a calmness in his voice that unnerved Rey, dragging her down to the very place she had been trying to avoid. Ren knew the effect he was having on her, and continued to rub salt in the wound.
"Just be glad he wasn't around long enough to disappoint you."
"I don't think he could have ever disappointed me as much as you disappointed him," she gritted out between clenched teeth.
A quick shadow flashed over Kylo Ren's features.
"You're probably right," he said evenly. "Perhaps you could have filled in that void. I'm afraid we'll never find out." He came to a stop, blocking the beams of the suns that peeked just over the canyon, effectively turning into the silhouette of the monster he was portraying. "But your grief goes beyond that…"
Rey glared at him, hot rage bubbling up to the surface with every passing comment. As much as she tried not to fall into his blatant provocations, the feelings attached to his words were still too raw to ignore.
"I must say, it felt… right to slice the spine of a traitor," he crooned, clicking his tongue in reproach. "I have to give him credit, though. He showed a great deal of courage confronting me. Back in your sad, little planet I pegged him as a coward."
"Stop talking about him!" Rey warned, fury slowly morphing into hatred.
"He means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Another evil smile sent a cold chill up her spine. "That's unfortunate. You deserve so much better than an ordinary deserter."
"Shut up!"
Kylo Ren had slowly backed her into a corner. His soft, deceivingly peaceful voice wrapped around her emotions, her nerves now stretched to the limit. Her loathing for him was now all consuming—searing and viral…
He frowned with feigned chagrin. "So hard to find good sanitation workers these days."
His last words detonated over a dozen adverse emotions that made Rey burst into such a brutal attack Ren was forced to retreat several steps, using the Force to thwart them. She advanced on him, encouraged by a surge of unprecedented power that was rooted in a deep sense of hostility and raw emotions.
Scary as it was, the more she gave into it, the stronger the Force grew inside her.
Ren appeared to be working hard at blocking and returning her blows. He moved swiftly and with the grace that comes from a more advanced fighter, but her spirit matched his skill. They battled fiercely, their reflexes sharp, in tune with the Force and absolutely worthy of their heritage.
At one point Kylo Ren got a clear advantage over Rey, advancing on her until she was backed up against the wall of the canyon. Feeling trapped, she dove deeper into her pain and focused all her power on the center of his chest. Enraged, Rey released all her hatred in one deathly thrust.
She was partly shocked to see Kylo Ren fall to the ground. In an instant, her rampant emotions evaporated into a cloud of guilt and regret as she stood on the spot, observing his motionless body with a mixture of shame and surprise.
Unsure of what to do next, Rey made her way over to him, a reluctant apology on her lips.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled, kneeling beside him. "I didn't mean to—"
A strong arm pushed her to the ground, making her gasp. Kylo Ren then rolled on top of her, fully awake and alert as he pressed her body to the ground, pinning her down with the weight of his body. She squirmed under him, helplessly trying to free her hands from his tight clasp above her head.
"Never give into compassion!" he hissed. "It will irreparably lead to your death!" Looking deep into her eyes, Rey noticed something undefinable flickering across them when he added, "Trust me on that."
She stopped struggling, focusing on his face instead. He was close enough for her to notice the almost imperceptible difference between the iris and the pupil in his eyes, to feel his soft breath on her cheek, to follow the diagonal path of the scar with which she had branded him...
Rey was rendered speechless by the disconcerting intimacy of his proximity. She tried to protest, but found she was incapable of uttering a single sound. A peculiar warmth began to spread throughout her entire body—primal and completely unfamiliar. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, and responsible for the increasing speed of her drumming heartbeat. She attempted to control her ragged breathing as a jumble of conflicting emotions swelled inside her chest.
The situation was almost surreal. Rey made an effort to process what was happening, make sense of it, only to realize a lot of what she was feeling didn't stem from within herself. As Ren kept staring down at her, a bright ray of an undefinable color seared through the dark energy of his soul, betraying what his expression so easily concealed. And, when his gaze trailed down to her lips, she cursed the sudden rush of heat warming up her cheeks.
"Get off of me," she said, her voice too weak to be remotely commanding.
Kylo Ren slowly released the grip on her hands, resting his elbows on either side of her head to support his weight while he kept regarding her in steadfast silence for what felt to Rey like a small eternity.
"You're still afraid of me," he finally whispered. His furrowed brow left little doubt that he believed that to be the case; the softness in his tone denoted that he understood her fear. He clenched his jaw and said, "You should be."
With that, he rolled off her and got up, making his way over a pile of fallen rocks that lay scattered along the shore. Rey tried to wrap her head around what had just happened between them, trying to find an explanation for the mismatched clutter of emotions that had left an inexplicable ache in her chest. She walked quietly to where he stood overlooking the pond, wondering whether training for the day was over, or…
"Shall we continue with the training?" she asked, feeling very much like an intruder.
"In a minute," he growled, making her feel as such.
She knew better than to push him, whether by instinct or wisdom, so she retreated to one of the nearby dunes and sat on the warm sand while she tried to organize her scattered thoughts. Amid all the confusion, one thing became perfectly clear:
Whatever had just happened between them, should never happen again.
[TBC…]