Lethe (n.) a river in the Greek underworld, that when drunk from, made the souls forget the sufferings of life; oblivion

The power flowed between them, their opposing desires finding common ground in the physical contact, and the emotions they both held became shared. He staggered, overcome with their shared forlorn sensitivity. He forged through it, gripping her wrist now, trying to ground himself, as he struggled to keep his mentality in check. Their same-ness was unnerving, and the part of himself he has kept hidden away for so long, buried deep within his heart, rears its head with a thousand hungry voices. The visions pass between them, shared and new alike. Like an old echoed dance, the played between them.

...these are your first steps…

They came too fast, drowning in the ever-faster exchange of information, of emotion. A young boy reaching out to his mother, crying. A young girl, hiding from a sandstorm. A pair of men, shadowed as their sabers clashed one felled, then the other. The loss, the emptiness… the loneliness they both suffered. An endless stream.

Ren was struck, unable to move, overwhelmed by the numinous encounter. The combined powers of them both, in her aching loneliness, had opened her up, and in joining, he'd reopened his own wounds alike. She recognized it to. They could both see within each other, hopeless to prevent the other from seeing their true desires, their darkest secrets.

You still want to kill me…

Compassion? For an enemy of the order?

The two phrases came almost simultaneously to the other's heads, the reality of their manipulations. Ren faltered at her contempt for him, though he should not have been surprised to see it so clearly. She desperately wanted to be away from him, for his presence to stop invading her mind, as she had his. Perhaps, she did not know that this connection was a mutual one? That he, too, was haunted endlessly. It did not matter - her raw anger was too much. She would not be open… she only stayed her hand at what she thought was the right thing to do. A Jedi doesn't kill, unless in defense of the self or another.

Rey felt the bile raise in her mouth, that he had gone against his only true master, with the intention of keeping her. What Snoke would have done to her… she could only imagine, based on the images she received from Ren's previous encounters. She suddenly remembered that they were touching. That she could end this agony. But at the same time, the fulfillment of their bond, in the flesh for the first in such a long time, she felt the ragged edges of her emotional emptiness soften. Their union, despite what it has revealed, gave her a measure of relief. As much as she wanted to tear her hand from his, the closeness of their bodies, the skin-to-skin contact gave her the wash of relief like she had not known since her journey off Jakku had begun.

But there is another…

The desert was not forgiving. The heat of the day upon them, and Rey's precarious use of her resources, her capacity began to fade. Despite her body's long ago adaptation to such a forbidding climate, the time spent on Ach-To had lessened her resolve. Both she and Ren finally pulled away, the world around them spinning from dehydration and heat. Rey knew exactly what to do, and pulled herself into the shade of the rocks, grasping her canteen in both hands, to allow herself a ration of water, so she would not faint. She watched as Ren stood in the sand, his black cloak covered in a thin sheen of pale dust. He did not take another step, but from the residual pulse of their bond, she could feel him aching to make contact once more. As much as she wished she could deny it, her own self desperately wanted the same. She could also sense the heat getting to him, and it would soon affect him more intensely. The black robes were a poor choice for such climate.

"What are you waiting for…" Rey kept her eyes on him. Her hand on her light-saber.

"We both know you aren't going to use it. Why bother?" He looked at the gesture, a sardonic smile on his face. But his tone changed. "It's no use running. Even if you escape right now, I will find you again. I will always be able to find you."

Her breath caught in her chest, Rey gripped the staff to quell her fear. He spoke the truth, as he always had with her. She gritted her teeth, steeling herself. "You cannot just take me to be yours. If you try to do… those... things to me.."

The images from his dreams came again to them both. Her gasping for air as he constricted her throat, as he fucked her against the wall of a cell...from behind… while her hands were tied… and he was both repulsed and excited by such visions, desiring to have her body, mind and spirit; consume her in every way she could be.

They blurred together and Rey found herself on the verge of retching. Both man and woman were approaching physiological breakdown. Ren's tall, looming figure no longer able to stand up straight. His dark eyes reflected his dark thoughts. His eyes, separated by the thick, gnarled scar. "You.. belong with me. You need a teacher."

She couldn't muster her usual response but the intent was there nonetheless. "I will never join the dark side!"

A battle of wills, perhaps, but Rey could see the blood slowly draining from his face as he stood, sweat accumulating on his skin. He could die without her interference. His eyes bored into hers, until finally he sank down, no longer able to stand, and knelt in the sand. Intuition told Rey that he would lose consciousness soon. Her ability to sense his thoughts confirmed it. Ren would be in the throes of heat stroke in short time. She said nothing, and barely noticed the glaring light in the sky. A few sluggish moments, and she realized that Ren's master had not let him come alone.

She had to act quickly.

Thoughts flew through her head, as she allowed herself another gulp of the precious water. She would have no compunction about leaving him here, after all his underlings would nurse him back to health, but he knew where she was. He would always know where she was. Maybe, if she could keep the first order from finding him...she could disappear too. There was, too, and unbidden, unwelcome part of her that wanted to have him near. Her feelings toward the man were negative, but the Force bond gave her a sort of strength that gave her solace. The decision was made what felt quite quick, but her own fatigue made it difficult to focus, as she used her arms to stand, and shuffled to his form, using the vestiges of her strength and the Force itself to pull him the short ways to her ship. He came willingly enough, though she had to half-drag him, and stopped several times. Her eyes darted skyward, seeing evidence of a full search party in progress. They likely had tracked Ren's ship … she anticipated it would not give them much time to make their escape. She could only hope they would halt pursuit if there was a risk that they would fire on one of their own.

At the ramp, he completely collapsed, and she had to pull him the last few meters without any assistance. The moment they entered the ship, she left his body lying on the floor, hurrying to the controls to pilot their way out off the planet… out of the system. Somewhere safe. Rey felt her own concentration numbed, as she licked dried, cracked lips, and thrust the engines forward and up, rising above the cloudless sky, into the swirl of stars.