It was dark. The darkness was absolute. There was no sound, no feeling, no color. Only the sheer, suffocating darkness. And then the dreams began. They were slithering all over him, and around him. Hideous black snakes with glowing eyes of red. They hissed with lust for his blood. Ben screamed as they tore into his flesh; though he used all the resources he possessed, he felt himself fading away. With every bite, his strength waned, and he knew he could take no more. Suddenly, the serpents withdrew and drew together, forming an image of Padme. "You could never have defeated me, brother. You are too weak, and you know it. You have always been too driven by your heart; it will always sway you from doing what is necessary. Give up now, brother, and rest. You will never win."
Just then, a glimmer of light appeared in the darkness..."Rey..." He muttered weakly. "She can't save you. She will die in the darkness with you!" Suddenly, the darkness redoubled and surged for the pinprick of light; soon, it was utterly surrounded. The light put up a good fight, but soon it was overwhelmed, and it seemed that it would go out completely. Just as Ben began to despair, another light joined the first...and another! Together, the three lights drove away the darkness. He heard Padme's feral scream of rage echo through his head. "It doesn't matter, my twin. I will return, and you won't be able to deny me a second time!" Padme's insane cackle rang in his head, and he felt himself sink lower into the darkness, losing sight of the light that had rescued him, however fleetingly.
There was someone in his head. They were looking for something...trying to save him. Ben knew they had to succeed, no matter the cost, but he sensed a great trepidation coming from them. "Forgive me, Ben, but I must protect you, even if you hate me for it later." His Uncle's thought came through, clear as day.
"Help me, Uncle." Was all Ben had the strength to send to Luke. Ben felt Luke's surprise, then his determination as he found what he had been searching for. Ben sensed Luke reach for the Force-Bond Ben shared with Padme, take hold, and pull with all of his considerable strength. No, not that. But, he wouldn't if it wasn't necessary. I'll accept any amount of pain to be free of her influence. Ben's resolve hardened as he felt Luke cut the Bond between himself and his beloved twin. The pain was instantaneous, and all-consuming. Ben felt his consciousness sliding into the void, and knew his time was near.
A voice in the dark was all that sustained him. "It's alright, Ben. I'm still here. Find our Bond; it's still there. Please, my love, fight it! I can't do this without you." Ben grabbed hold of that voice. Rey, came the thought. I can't leave her. Ben sensed her presence remain with him in the dark; for how long he stayed there, he could not recall, even years along. But as time went on, a pinprick of light grew and grew, until at long last, Ben felt himself begin to stir.
Ben's eyes flew open, and he shuddered in a gasp. Rey cried out and flung herself at him; he brought his hand up dazedly, trying to remember exactly what had happened. Rey caught his hand, bringing it to her chest. "We were so afraid you wouldn't wake up. Your mother's been obsessed with the damn wedding, insisting that you'd be fine. I guess I should know better by now than to go against your mother. I've been here with you since she poisoned you; that was nearly four weeks ago, now. You've been in a coma ever since. I was so afraid, Ben." Rey could say no more and dissolved into tears.
"Shh. It's okay. I'm awake now, my Light. Don't cry, shh. I'm here. I was out nearly a month?Really?"
Rey nodded, "We were starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up. Finn and Poe told me not to worry, but I couldn't help it. I haven't strayed from your side since that awful day. Even Chewie was worried about you." Just then, the door to the medbay wooshed open to admit Chewie, Finn, and Poe.
"You're awake!" exclaimed Finn, rushing to his friend's side. Chewie roared with joy, and everyone laughed. "I'm glad you're gonna be okay. Rey's been a real mess. You'd better be ready to get married, though. Your mother's been working like a woman possessed for the last four weeks. The wedding is set for tomorrow! Makes me wonder if she didn't have some kind of vision or something. She sure seemed to know a hell of a lot more than the rest of us!" Finn finished with a laugh.
"I hope you'll let me be your Best Man," said Poe. "Luke's officiating, so I hope you'll let me..."
Ben grinned at his friend, "I would be honored, my friend. Thank you."
As the happy group chattered away about how ridiculously lavish the wedding was bound to be, since Leia had handled every last detail herself, the door wooshed open to admit Ben's beloved mother. "You're awake. Good. I knew you would be." Leia rushed over and wrapped her arms around her son. "I hope you're ready to marry this woman. If not, I can postpone the wedding a few days..."
Ben reached up and took his mother's face in his hands, "Mother; I don't want to wait any longer to marry Rey. I am ready. I was expecting to be nervous before my wedding, but I find that I am excited, instead. I already belong to Rey; tomorrow will simply make it official."
"Well said, my son. You should eat something and rest. You'll need your strength tomorrow." Ben nodded as she rose to leave shooing Finn, Poe, and Chewie before her.
Rey chuckled, "Your mother is a force to be reckoned with. She may be small, but she's terrifying."
Ben chortled, "You should have been raised by her! Then, she'd really make your knees shake!."
The pair laughed for a moment, with their arms wrapped lovingly around each other. Just then, a droid entered with a tray of food for the two of them to share, and a carafe of wine. They ate their fill of meats and cheeses, and drank a few goblets of wine each; finally, they decided they were ready to take some rest. Rey climbed into Ben's bed and together, they drifted into a dreamless sleep.
The morning of the wedding dawned bright and clear. Two Tagorians entered before the sun had fully risen over the trees. "We're here to make you ready for the wedding," they said. The pair took Rey and Ben to separate rooms and set immediately to work. The next two hours were a blur of fabric and Tagorians doing...something with Ben's hair. At long last, when he felt that he had been pinched, pulled, and decorated as much as he could stand, they stood aside, watching him with approval and pride in their eyes. Ben walked over to the mirror and stood, staring at his reflection. He could hardly believe the elegant figure in the mirror was him. Elegant...there was no other word for it. He was clothed in a tunic and soft, flowing trousers of a dusky, charcoal gray. The trousers were tucked into boots of deepest black, and his waist was adorned with a leather belt of midnight blue, his light-sabers clipped to it, one on each side. To tie everything together, around Ben's neck was a bright silver chain with a gem the size of an egg, the color of deepest sapphire. His hair had been bound at the base of his neck with a midnight blue leather cord, allowing it to fall softly around his face, covering his rather substantial ears and softening the severe features of his face.
At last, the Tagorians led Ben from the room to a large chamber, which had been lavishly decorated with white and pink roses, spilling luxuriously our of their stands. From the walls hung silver curtains, stretching from ceiling to floor. A grand chandelier had been hung; it was made of silver rope and great beads of crystal. Crystal hung from the chandelier in ropes, giving the impression that someone had frozen a waterfall. Light glittered off the crystal and refracted into a thousand different colors on the walls, floor, and ceiling. At the end of the chamber, a great dais had been raised, and an arch had been installed at the top of the dais. The arch was adorned with more roses placed artfully within vines of a deep green, and trailed down the railing of the stairway leading to the dais. A long rug of shining silver had been stretched from the great double-doors of the chamber, all the way up the staircase. Ben thought he had never seen anything more elegant or beautifully suited to his and Rey's personalities. He was completely overwhelmed as he spotted his mother, overseeing a few last-minute details. As he strode over to her, she turned just in time for him to wrap his arms around her. "Thank you, Mother. It's beautiful." Leia smiled and patted her son's cheek before turning back to her details.
Ben made his way to the top of the dais and waited patiently; Poe climbed the dais shortly after and too his place beside Ben. Finally, the crowd began to slowly file in, gazing about themselves in amazement at the incredible job Leia had done decorating the place, and taking their seats as quickly as they could. Ben even spotted his father's glimmering outline in the very back. He thought he also saw his Grandfather and, unless he was very much mistaken, Obi-Wan Kenobi had come to see his Granddaughter's wedding. Ben smiled to himself; he thought he had never been so happy in his life.
At long last, there was a great trumpet fare, and the double-doors swung wide open. Poe clapped Ben on the shoulder and chuckled slightly. First, a line of bridesmaids came floating down the aisle, wearing gowns of flowing silver, scattering rose petals as they came. Finally, Rey herself entered; Ben felt his jaw unhinge and his heart stop. She was wearing a gown of purest white; the neckline scooped low, stopping just at her breasts, leaving her shoulders and collarbone exposed. A thin cord of midnight blue was wound around her waist, and left to trail down the front of the gown. The gown itself flowed away from Rey's body like water. The skirt was so massive that he wondered in a distant corner of his mind how it was that she managed to walk in the damn thing; the voluminous skirt stood out at least a foot from Rey's hips, falling in many-pleated folds. Her hair had been piled on top of her head, leaving her throat and jawline bare; a delicate veil of sheer lace had been secured to her hair with sliver combs that were set with small blue gems. The veil fell down her back, stopping just short of the ground, and in front it fell to her breasts, giving her an air of other-worldliness. One her feet were a pair of silver high-heeled slippers. Finally, there was a pendant hanging just between her breasts that matched the one he wore himself.
Ben watched as she glided down the aisle towards him; they could have been alone in the hall, for all that he knew or cared. She was his world, and all that mattered in the entire room. He took three steps down the staircase, holding out his cybernetic hand to help her the last few steps. His Uncle (when did he arrive?) smiled and took one of their hands in his own as he began to speak.
"Today, we have gathered to be witness to these two as they bind themselves evermore in the Force, and in love. I have personally witnessed the change in my nephew at the hands of this woman. I had little hope that Ben could ever be saved from himself, until she met him. So, today, I ask all here assembled if there is any reason that can be thought of why these two should not be so joined." The hall was silent, "Good; then with no further ado, I will ask these two to declare themselves, one to another." With that, Luke handed a ring to Rey, and a ring to Ben.
Ben spoke first, "Rey, when first we met, I was drowning in my own hatred, and I didn't even know it. You had no reason to help me, but you reached in and plucked me from the darkness that I had nourished in myself. At your hands, I felt my old self die, and a new self take control. I have never known such strength, beauty, and light as I have known this past year with you by my side. Never have I known such love, nor will I ever again. Where you go, I go. When you weep, I will weep. And when you laugh, I will laugh. I have irrevocably bound my heart to yours, and I would not change a single moment. You are my Light, my Love, and my Life, and I will never stray from your side." As Ben finished, he slipped the ring onto Rey's finger.
"Ben, when first I met you, the only thought I had was how to escape you. I was terrified of you, and with good reason. But as time went on and I began to know you deeply, I found that you were, in fact, a kind person at heart. I discovered that you have a fierce loyalty in you that has kept me alive many times that I should have died. I have never known a man like you, so full of life and energy; some days I wonder where you get it. My heart and my life were empty before you. But now, I will never again be lonely. You are my Light, my Love, and my Life, and I will never stray from your side." Rey slipped the ring onto Ben's finger, and the pair glanced over at Luke.
He was smiling at them, sheer joy emanating from him as he turned his empty eye sockets towards them, "With the power that is vested in me, and the will of the Force, I name you husband and wife. What are you waiting for? Kiss her!" The hall erupted into laughter as Ben reverently lifted the veil and kissed his beloved gently, holding her face in his hands as though it were made of glass. Ben took Rey's arm in his as they made their way down the staircase, grinning like a pair of fools. The crowd around them surged forward to clasp their hands or to pound them on the back. Two Tandorians led the pair to an anti-chamber which had been heavily decorated to match the wedding ceremony. There was one long table laden with food along one side of the room, while smaller, round tables were interspersed throughout the room. A long table was a the front of the room, and it was to this table that the wedding party was led.