Chapter 5: Compassion

When, my, time comes around

Lay me gently in the cold dark earth

"Where is Kylo Ren? It has been three days and you still have not located him!" shouted General Hux. Less than half of the First Order crew had made it off the doomed the Finalizer without serious injuries. But there was still loss; with the Finalizer being destroyed half of the Storm Troopers went up in flames, files and data were lost, and with Ren gone the surviving crew had to watch their backs for Snoke.

"Sir, when Kylo Ren's ship was hit it disabled his tracking beacon. I'm not saying we won't be able to find him; it will just take longer than expected General," replied one of the crewmen working at the computers. Hux wanted to slap him; with Kylo Ren missing Hux's job was at stake. Supreme Leader Snoke was not pleased about the Rebel attack, but with Ren, his best Knight missing, Snoke was to be feared more than usual.

"Well hurry up or you will wish you perished on the Finalizer," Hux hissed. That was not a threat but a warning; Hux knows first hand what Snoke was capable of.

"General Hux, the Supreme Leader wants to speak with you," said Captain Phasma, approaching Hux. "I'll watch over the crew and report to you if anything happens."

Hux nodded and walked off leaving the control room. The First Order was taking cover at an old abandoned Empire Base on the forest moon Endor. A base, which too, had seen the devastation the Rebel scum could cause. But it they were safe for now so that's all that Hux cared about.

He made his way into a projection chamber, holding his hands behind his back so Snoke wouldn't see them shaking. The Supreme Leaders projection was smaller than what it had been on the Finalizer, but intimidating none the less.

"Ah, General Hux, how are you with locating the missing Kylo Ren?" asked the towering projection.

Hux relayed the information he had heard earlier from one of his crewmen, "His tractor in his Tie Fighter was damaged in the attack. But we are doing all we can to locate him, Supreme Leader," said Hux doing his best not to have his voice shake in front Snoke.

"Hux, I suggest you hurry up, my patience is wearing thin."

"Yes Supreme Leader"

"Good. You are dismissed," and just like that the projector flicked off, leaving Hux in the dark chamber all alone. He let out a shaky breath, turned on his heel and walked out the door. Kylo Ren, if you are not dead, so help me I will kill you myself! Hux thought.

Back on Rey's island the sun was beginning to rise above the tangled jungle. The previous night had worn the two out beyond belief; sparring most of the day and practicing the force hours into the dark night. Exhaustion took over the second both of them laid their heads down. A peaceful nights sleep had been a gift to them, no nightmares, just sleep.

Kylo was the first to wake up that day, he looked for her in the sand where he found her yesterday, but he didn't see her. He used the force and stretched into her mind and nothing but sleep in her head.

Ren found himself incredibly thirsty and decided to go into the jungle in search of water. Getting up he took of his robe and scarf leaving him in his undershirt and trousers. Walking into the lush jungle he followed some of the tracks Rey left the previous day. He found a small stream and stuck his hands in the cool water and brought it up to his mouth.

The water was a cool, refreshing shock waking him up completely. He drank from the cold stream, never had he ever been so dependent on nature, not even in his training with Luke. Most the food had been shipped in by his father, that was the only time he would see his dad. When he brought food because Luke asked, not because he missed his young son. Missed Ben.

Anger started boiling in Kylo, an anger never forgotten; an anger towards his father, his mother, Luke, the First Order, the Resistance, and Rey. Rey the scavenger, the girl with the staff, the girl with the droid, with the map. The girl who called to the light in him, who made him feel peace, the girl who was slowly bringing back Ben.

He felt unease slip into her mind, his frustration most have awoken her, he thought. Rey got up and looked outside not seeing the castaway she rescued. Kylo? she called in his mind. Kylo? She called again, panic and fear beginning to set in. Where was he? She wondered, mostly fearing her own safety. Kylo?!

"I'm right here," he said emerging from the jungle. "I was getting water. I'm sorry I frightened you." Sorry? He was sorry? Rey's fear passed but the unease slipped back in. He was Kylo Ren, why would he be sorry?

She dismissed the thought and nodded then turned back inside, not practically wanting to be in his presence. He could feel the confliction radiating off of her as she left him. Did he do that to her? What she did to him, happened with her because of him? Did he call to the dark in her? Or was it something else?

Rey gathered some food and water she got yesterday and came back outside. "If you want, I can show you were I keep the water in there, so you don't have to worry about walking out into the jungle every time you are in need of a drink."

"Alright," he said. She wouldn't meet his gaze. He tried going into her mind to find clues of what was going on.

"What are you doing?" She questioned looking him straight in the eyes. Anger was rising in her. What made him think that he could just pry into her mind whenever he wanted?

"You seem distant, I only wanted to see what was bothering you," he said sympathetically.

"And you couldn't have just asked?" she snapped. He didn't say anything, he knew she was right. He could have just asked, but it seemed as though he never did the right thing.

"Fine, what's wrong then?" he asked.

"Nothings wrong," she replied quietly, turning her head away from him.

"Then why won't you look me in the eyes?" he questioned. She turned her head back towards him meeting his gaze. Is this better? She asked. "Now why don't you tell me what is going on?"

"I said nothing is wrong. Why do you care anyway? I thought caring was weak. I thought caring was for Ben." She said. She read his thoughts and fears, and she knew just what to say to make him hurt. A wave of anger came off of him, as strong as the afternoon tide. But it went away as quickly as it came. Had he not down the same to her many times before?

"We are both stuck on this island and the way I see it we might as well watch out for one another, or one of us is going to go down without a fair fight. Now is that what you want?" She glared at him and answered in his head, No.

"Good." He smirked looking down at her; he honestly had never noticed how small she was or how tall he must be. He loved how easily he could make her see his way, if only he could turn her to the dark with him, they could rule the galaxy side by side.

"I will never join the dark side with you." She sneered. She must have seen what popped into his head. "Why do stay with the dark, with Snoke, with the First Order? What have any of them ever done for you?" They saved me, he answered. "They saved you from what?" she practically screamed. "A loving home? A family? Everything you need when you needed it? Where those things not good enough for you?"

"I trained with Luke most of my life," he shouted back. "My parents never loved me, they where never there. And Luke was afraid of the darkness in me. Nobody loved me."

"Well you are not going to get any love with the First Order. You will only be feared and hated across the galaxy."

"Yes I may be, but I am respected," he said his voice close to normal.

"You are a fool. You think yourself not loved by your family, but how wrong you are. Han and Leia loved you with all their hearts; they just didn't know how to show it. Luke was not afraid of you, he was afraid for you; he knew Snoke was entering your mind but didn't know how to stop it. You hate all that you had growing up but I never had anything, so be thankful. You were loved and had a home, and that is way more then I and a lot of people will ever have. Do you think you are doing good by destroying the galaxy and all the families in it because you never liked yours?" She started sobbing but didn't stopped yelling at him.

"Rey…" was all he could say. She wasn't looking at him anymore but she wasn't leaving either. He reached out and wiped away a tear with his bare hands, his gloves long gone. She turned away as if burned, Don't touch me, she said, please.

She walked away back into the hut not wanting to be in his presence anymore. In the safety of her house she cried; she cried more then she has in a long time. How could he act like this? Why did he think that he wasn't loved? How could he be so selfish? she pondered these questions she might never get the answer to.

What had he done, he wondered. He hurt her, he caused her so much pain, and he hated himself for it. The girl who was brighter than the sun was now a dark storm cloud because of him. This girl made him feel again, feel anger, serenity, and so much more, and he had just hurt her. All he could feel was sorrow.

Kylo Ren walked into her small cabin, hands shaking at his sudden sympathy. He didn't want her to suffer because of his arrogance. He saw her on the ground leaning up against the cabinets in the makeshift kitchen with tears streaming down her face like a rushing waterfall. She looked up at him feeling all the emotions raining off him, sadness, and embarrassment. She could feel all his emotions crystal clear, but hers were a labyrinth even she could not figure out.

He sat down in front of her, feeling smaller and more vulnerable than he would like, but this was for her. Kylo reached over grabbing her face, his long fingers going into her soft honey brown hair, his thumb wiping the tears off her face. I'm so sorry, I never meant to cause you pain, he said in her head. He never felt like this before and he was scared, he had compassion for Rey and he didn't know what to do.

She nodded, more tears streaming down her face, what was wrong with her, she thought. How could she accept his apology, how could she be allowing him to comfort her and hold her head in his hands, how could she like it? Why did she too have compassion for this beast who wasn't a beast anymore but a broken boy?

He pulled her close to him, draping her across his lap. She didn't stop him in fact she obliged, putting her head on his shoulder he put his arms around her. He caused her pain and he wanted to make it right, for she was his light that he needed to cherish.

"I never had a home or a family, so hearing you hate yours just made me mad, I'm sorry," she said her voice cracking while the sobs racked her body.

"No, never apologize when you are right. I was selfish and mean and I'm so sorry," he said. She sniffed letting his words sink in. She chuckled. "What's so funny?" he asked slightly confused.

She was now laughing, "Never in a million years would I have ever expected Kylo Ren to apologize for anything he had said or done." He laughed too. They laughed together, Rey's tears fading away along with Ren's sadness. He held her closer not wanting her to leave his side. She noticed this, a smile graced her lips. She let him pull her in closer, feeling his warm body close to her.

Eventually they left their spot on the floor and started training outside again, and as the hours passed they became a pair. Light and dark, sun and shadow, they were opposites yet completely the same. Ren never felt the way he does with anybody the way he does with Rey, when he is with her he is calm and not afraid of the dark for she is his light. Rey, too, has never felt the way she does; he brings out so many emotions in her that she never thought were possible to have. With him she feels balanced.

After hours of endless training they sat in the sand staring up at the stars, their minds at peace. Kylo had wrapped his robe around their shoulders to guard them from the chilly sea air. They sat there till they eventually fell asleep in each others arms, yet again dreaming of the stars.

Authors note: Again I'm so sorry it took so long to update and sorry to inform you I will be taking longer to update, life has been getting in the way. :( But on the bright side I hope you liked this chapter and please review I love hearing what you have to say, good and bad. More coming later! :)