The Boy who didn't belong had grown and been broken. The Man had found a place where he seemed to fit in; a dark room filled with shadows to match his outfit and his soul. Dark within, dark without. Everything was coming together.

"You are ready."

Kylo Ren didn't look around. The Supreme Leader's presence was a constant, whether in physicality or in the rushing current that was only inches away.

Snoke prowled around his student, shoulders hunched as they always were when he walked.

"You have the same blackness in your soul that Vader had," he said, coming to a halt beside Kylo, who felt a stir in his stomach.

Almost, he reached out into the current, to search for that elusive other who sometimes came to him. His grandfather wasn't always there, but he always came again eventually, with a touch that was surprisingly soft to carry so much power. The softest thing Kylo could remember feeling.

"What is your destiny?"

"I will take my grandfather's place, and bring about Vader's vision for the galaxy," Kylo intoned, the words slightly garbled by his mask, but eligible nonetheless. He felt their truth resonate through him. His destiny... A goal, a purpose, that could not be denied.

"What have we taught you?"

Kylo didn't even notice the plural.

"The light is a lie. Power can only come from darkness. Luke Skywalker... is the enemy."

The red anger that pulsed through him was tinged with blue.

Memory of a dark hut, being pulled from sleep by a green light and a familiar sound. Even his own uncle...

"What must you do?"

A flare in his chest. Not just something he had to do—something he wanted to do, something he was longing to do.

Black leather cracked as two gloved hands formed fists.

"I must kill him."

.

.

Outside, with a toss of overly-greased ginger hair, another man turned away with disgust marring his already twisted face. He hadn't been broken by external forces; he'd formed wrong all by himself.

Ren, Ren, Ren, he snarled to himself. Everyone thinks he's so special. Don't they see? One little thing goes wrong and he throws a tantrum like a toddler. It shouldn't be all on him.

Scowl hidden behind a clenched jaw, he strode the corridors.

Lucky it's not then, he thought smugly. There were other targets, other paths to take, other people to lead the way along them. People like him.

And if he wasn't going to be given a chance, he was going to make one.

He would leave Ren to his mission. He had his own plan.

.

.

A/N: Short, but hope you enjoyed! Thanks to Scarlett Barnes (go check out her Star Wars fics – they're amazing! User link: [usual ff.n] /u/2109494/ ) for giving me the push to re-watch Lion King 2, which lead to many pages of notes and a full-blown plan for this fic. The number of parallels astounds me, and I'm really excited to write and share this with anyone listening.

So... is anyone listening? Please leave a review!