Rey held Ren an extra few seconds before stepping back. His deep eyes looked into hers, and his face was a blank slate. Inside though, she sensed him attempting to hide his worry. He said nothing out loud, but mentally she heard him. Focus Rey. I love you, you can do this. Come back to me. She nodded to him and sat down, again under the tree. They agreed to have her meditate in the same place before, the Force's presence was strong there. Even though she had rested the night before and relaxed today, she still felt tired... weakened almost. Rey didn't say anything to Ren though, she didn't want him to worry even more. She watched Ren turn and follow Poe and Finn out from the jungle.
It was almost evening, the nocturnal creatures were starting to chirp and call overhead. Rey thought back to the prior evening, it was uncomfortable when Poe and Finn showed up. Rey felt frustrated with herself. She shouldn't feel that way about Poe and Finn, they were her friends. The Dark Side writhed at her frustrations and she exhaled slowly. The Nightsisters still remained, although they were quiet. Rey felt them, like she was being watched, waiting for her to make a mistake. Thankfully Poe and Finn were supportive of her. They spent the day on the small shore and in the water, relaxing. Rey thought of the waves, despite her anxiety of water deeper than her waist she still enjoyed the sound of the ocean.
Rey pushed the thoughts aside and focused on the Light Side. Feeling the living tree, the jungle, the humidity, and every living creature near by. It came easier this time, she felt the Light Side within her. She felt warm, calm. Ready. Last time she meditated something pulled her towards the jungle for the test. She would wait until she felt the pull again.
I
Rey moved as stealthily as she could. She walked quickly along the corridors, the black tile reflecting under her. A few stormtrooper patrols passed by and by luck she felt them with the Force and evaded them. Why was she doing here? Her body kept moving... compelled to it's goal. Rey was alone, only she could do this. She finally found the door she was looking for, the faint memory of the base map appeared in her mind. Rey looked behind her and ducked in.
Snoke flicked his hand, and the door closed behind her. Rey stopped, and walked confidently to him. Neither said anything, they knew why she was there. His pale skin reflected the sole light in the chamber, but the scar was a dark contrast. And his eyes, dark and full of hate. She stopped a few steps before him, and shrugged off her robe. Rey's hand rested on her lightstaff at her waist.
"You think you can defeat me. You are not a Jedi. And still naive." His voice rasped, like leather over gravel.
"No, I am not a Jedi. But I am ready." Her voice echoed through the chamber.
The hum of a lightsaber sounded behind her, and she turned igniting her staff. The jade staff hummed in her hands and the Force strengthened her resolve. Rey felt it in every breath she took, in her tense arm and leg muscles. A ruby saber appeared, held by a tall man. Tevoth. He walked forward under the skylight and to her surprise, Ren was holding the lightsaber. His eyes were yellow and focused on her. Seeing him, the Dark Side seething with him shocked her. Her chest felt tight. She felt with the Force- she couldn't feel him!
"Ren, no." Her voice was quiet. Snoke behind her chuckled. Ren said nothing and continued to walk toward her, his stride reminding her of a predator. He lifted his saber and attacked, she parried and the blades hissed and crackled.
"Ren please. I'm not you're enemy." She begged him, evading his swing.
He clenched his jaw. "No, you're not. But the galaxy needs order. The rabble and so called New Republic is a ship without an engine and no captain. If you're not going to join our cause then you will be removed!" The last words ended as a shout. Again the lightsabers met, crackling with the strikes.
If the bond was broken, as saddening as the thought was to Rey, maybe she could disarm Ren and kill Snoke. He wouldn't be able to detect her feints. She felt the calm within herself. She could do this. Sweat soaked through her shirt and on her brow, and she breathed heavy to deflect Ren's hits. She attempted to feint, but he knew and his blade pushed back to her, almost causing her to stumble. He paused a moment, and summoned Force Lightening from his free hand. Rey positioned her lightsaber and stopped the Sith magic. Her staff vibrated violently in her hands from the strength of his lightening. Rey couldn't move or be hit by the lightening, so she Jumped back. As she landed, she was Bound. She Pushed Ren to break his concentration and he fell to his knee. But she couldn't move a limb.
Snoke chuckled behind her. "Ren. You know what you must do." Rey's heart beat faster.
Ren arose and walked to her purposely. "Ren. No please. I can help you." She begged. He stopped infront of her, and he looked down into her eyes. He leaned down and his lips touched hers before backing away.
"You should have joined me." And he swung his blade. Her left arm laid on the ground, twitching as she she screamed. The pain rushed to her head making her dizzy and she wanted to vomit; Rey clutched on the Force to steady herself. The Dark side tried to grasp for control within her, from her physical and emotional pain but she breathed deeply and suppressed the feelings. She collapsed on the ground as Snoke dropped the Binding, the fall jarring her body. Her eyes focused on Ren. Tears streamed as she studied the face of the man she loved.
The raspy voice spoke. "That was not my order Kylo Ren." Ren started to walk up towards Snoke.
"I may have use for her yet." Ren's cold voice snarled. Rey tried to stifle her sobs and reached for her lightstaff. Her fingers touched it, and grasped it tightly. Ren was still speaking. "You are right about the galaxy needing order, but you are unfit to do so." Rey turned, as she tried to raise herself and Snoke blocked Ren's hit with his own crimson blade. He sat on his chair, only his blade moving. Their blades met and hissed savagely, crackling echoing over the chamber.
Rey's blood trailed down her torso, hot and sticky, and she knew. She was going to die. She stood unsteadily and walked slowly up to the pedestal. Blood dripped with every step, she drew upon the Force, willing her body to move. Rey bit her cheek to stifle the desire to cry in pain. She couldn't let Ren go down this path, or let Snoke continue his reign of tyranny. Each step threatened to send her tumbling but with the Force she kept her balance. She couldn't hear what Ren was saying to Snoke. Rey focused all of her energy on moving and keeping Ren and Snoke in her sight. Rey at last stood behind Ren, and she heard herself call his name. He turned, surprise on his face. She saw for a moment, his beautiful liquid brown eyes, his pale skin. How his dark hair curled at the ends and how much she loved running her fingers through it. Remembering his strong lithe body holding her. Making love to her. Rey had her lightstaff up to her chest, the dual chamber facing to her, and to him. She activated it and felt the heated blade enter her body. Rey clenched her jaw from the pain, and she heard him gasp. The smell of singed fabric and burned skin permeated her nose. It entered his chest at the same time, and he caught her as she fell into him. They fell onto Snoke, she felt the resistance of the blade as it drove through him. Snoke cried in pain and she felt him slump into the chair, with Ren and her weight pressing on him.
There was no sound. Just the hum of her blade until she turned it off. She felt with the Force. She only felt Ren's presence, it was flickering with his approaching death.
It was getting hard to breathe, Rey felt herself coughing. The metallic and salty taste of blood emerged in her mouth.
Rey heard a voice behind her. "Fool girl. You don't want power?" She clutched onto the Force. "What makes you think that destroying Snoke will erase all the so-called evils of the galaxy." Ren started to choke on his blood, the air rattled in his chest.
Rey kept her eyes opened, and Kailiss leaned over to look at her. Her blonde braids hung near her face. Rey mustered enough air to answer "No..."
"You're courage is admirable. My sister Pharryne didn't think you'd lift your blade to your lover... but you would if you had to. She was hoping you'd join Ren and the Dark Side as his queen." Kailiss knelt next to her, her red eyes staring intently into Rey's. "You defeated her. And with killing Ren and Snoke, you intended to sacrifice yourself as well. I am positive that you didn't know... if you die here, you will die in the real world. Right now, you hang by a strand. And me with you." The Nightsister hissed angrily.
Rey's mind raced. The real world. Suddenly, she was in both places at once and she saw herself laying on jungle floor, lightstaff through her chest. Memories flooded into her. She was here to defeat the Nightsisters and their presence within her.
Ren's body started to go cold against her chest, he had stopped breathing. Rey's eyes looked into the Nightsister's. "I'm keeping you alive right now, with the little strength I have available to me. I no longer exist, if you want to call it that, if you are dead." Kailiss looked agitated, and something else. Worried. "I have an offer. I can sustain us for a while if you can call Ren to our aid. You get to live, I get to live, albeit through you..." Kailiss hesitated.
The words came hoarsely out of Rey's mouth "What else..."
The Nightsister clenched her jaw and her eyes flashed crimson. "It will weaken me, but you will never be able to get rid of me. You will never be able to be a full Jedi, not like how Skywalker is." She sneered. "The Dark Side will always call to you." Rey felt her chin tremble. Kailiss looked down at herself, and through her hide armor, blood started to soak through, and trailed down her exposed abdomen. From the same place the lightstaff entered Rey's own chest. The Nightsister snarled. "I will not try to seize control, you will have to fight the Dark Side on your own if that is your choice. But, if you do want to know what I know, the night spells... they will come to you. I can teach you them. You will need to make up your mind girl. I do not have much power left." She coughed into her hand, and blood spattered on her lips and palm.
Rey thought as quickly as she could, she could feel the coldness in her limbs, her hands, her legs. She used the last of her strength and lifted her head. She looked at Ren, his eyes closed and sticky blood dribbled from his lips down his chin. A tear welled in her eye. She made her choice.
Ren felt Rey's life dwindle. "We're leaving. Now."
Poe cautiously spoke while picking up the medpack they agreed to take with them. "Did she contact you Ren?"
Ren couldn't restrain the heat from his voice as they quickly made their way out the door "Her presence is flickering. She is dying." He ignited his blade. It was mid morning. As expected, the jungle had grown over from the path he cut before. Ren ran cutting the branches in front of him. Poe and Finn kept up behind him. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his free hand and kept running.
Ren had told Poe and Finn what happened with her prior trial, and what Luke had said when he left Ossus. That these trials could possibly kill her. Although with her last attempt, she only felt weakened. Not near death like right now. Ren willed for her to stay alive, to keep breathing. Poe shared with him that Luke primarily sent the pilot and Finn as he was not sure how far along Rey was on her trials, and that the Jedi's presence may do more harm than good. Ren's heart beat heavily in his chest, his lungs burned for air when he finally reached the clearing.
Finn gasped and Poe cursed when they arrived. Rey was curled against her lightsaber, and it went straight through her chest. Ren ran and turned off the blade, and stripped off his shirt and balled it and applied pressure to area. "Finn!" he heard himself scream. Ren tried to keep his breathing calm. "Hold that on her and make one for the other side." Poe knelt nearby, unpacking gauze and antiseptic salves for her wounds, awaiting direction from Ren. Ren laid his head next to her chest, her heart beat faintly and the air in her chest wheezed. He debated with himself of what he could possibly do when her eyes fluttered open.
"If you want to save Rey you will read her mind. I will show you how to save her." A Nightsister was using Rey's voice! Did she lose her trial? Fear gripped Ren's heart. Finn almost backed away with fear but Ren grabbed his hand and forced him to keep applying pressure.
"How can I trust you?" He yelled staring into Rey's face. Rey's eyes narrowed and she grimaced.
"Our time is limited. She agreed to this!" Ren swore, delving into her mind and he watched. This wasn't Rey's memory. This was Kailiss's memory. Ren gasped as he saw what the Nightsister showed him what to do. Kailiss spoke again through Rey. "It will work. You must fully embrace the Dark Side. Do not doubt it. She can..." Rey coughed, and blood spattered her lips "...explain. Do it!" Rey closed her eyes, her body shuddered as she exhaled.
"Finn, Poe. Back away." They quickly moved, taking the stained cloth and gauze with them.
Ren submitted to the Dark Side, it was not difficult with his fear encouraging him. He felt the heat envelop his entire body, his blood , his muscles, his mind. He stretched his hand over the partially cauterized lightsaber wound and focused.
Dark filaments, finer than spider silk and stronger than durasteel formed between Rey's wound and his finger tips. He held his hand there, but the strings moved, obeying his mental commands. They twisted and weaved, and he concentrated. Kailiss told him how to delve into the wound and see every piece of damaged tissue. He could see it all, every muscle, every fiber. The strings knitted her tissue together, slowly at first. His hand started to feel a burning sensation. The Nightsister had advised him to anticipate the feeling. Dark-side healing causes pain to the user. Ren drew upon the pain as well, and used it to heal Rey. The healing tissue approached her chest, he saw the spongy and pink lung coalesce together, and over it red striped muscle knit back into place. Ren breathed heavily through a clenched jaw. His hand felt as though he had grabed onto his lightsaber bare handed. He blinked away the tears in his eyes. It was working. Finally, the skin joined together. It was pink... it would scar. He ripped his hand away from her when it was done, the dark strings fading. Ren looked to his hand, it was red and blistered. Rey coughed, and inhaled as if it was her first breath.
"Rey!" He grabbed onto her, ignoring the pain in his hand. She blinked and looked at him.
"Ren. I..." Tears filled her eyes. "I had to make a deal."
"I don't care. You're here." He pressed her into his chest, she weakly held onto him. Her breathing slow and she trembled in his arms. Ren murmured into her ear "I don't care what you had to do. I need you." Ren felt his heartbeat slow down, knowing for the most part, she was unharmed.
His hand throbbed from the pain and he winced. Rey could feel his pain through the bond and she withdrew from him. "You're hurt. How?"
"Kailiss spoke to me. And I read her memory on how to heal you, with the Dark Side. Such an act doesn't go unpunished, even if it is selfish in nature, you are still healing and helping another." He said slowly. Her brown eyes flashed in recognition and darted behind him. Poe and Finn moved closer, and Poe knelt next to Ren, taking his hand. The hand was angry and red, and blisters oozed a clear liquid and milky yellow puss. Poe's jaw clenched and he looked up at Ren.
"I'm going to have to sterilize this." Ren nodded, and the pilot started to dig in the med pack for the burn salve and the antiseptic. Ren looked away and clenched his jaw as it stung his hand.
"Rey, what happened?" He grunted trying to take his mind from the pain.
Rey's brown eyes looked at all of them. "It... was the worst test I could possibly imagine." She started quietly. "I was on a First Order base, and I working towards a goal, but I had no idea what it was until I arrived. It was a huge chamber with a single skylight. Snoke sat upon his pedestal. I went to defeat him. Behind me, a tall figure ignited a red blade. I thought it was Tevoth... but it was you Ren. Our bond had been broken and you had a new desire, to become the new leader of the First Order."
Ren shook his head. "No. Neither of those will happen." Poe was applying the salve, and the cooling agent in them felt welcomed on the burn.
Rey nodded. "The mental traps they prepared were to test me, and test what I felt for you. You cut my arm off and I was bleeding out. You started to challenge Snoke and I walked behind you, while you were distracted. I called to you, and ignited my staff between us. We fell onto Snoke, killing him. We were both dying, when Kailiss appeared. She said the Nightsister who set up the trap hoped I would spare you, but instead I killed all of us. Kailiss said I was dying and she could keep us alive long enough for you to arrive..." She took a deep breath, and paused. "She will always be within me, and the Dark Side will always call to me. She said I'll never be a Jedi because of it. It was that, or I would die. " Twin tears leaked down Rey's face and she sniffed.
Poe had finished wrapping Ren's hand with gauze and he pulled Rey into his chest. "We don't need a title. We have each other." Rey nodded into his chest, and she let out a sigh. His words comforted her, he felt her begin to accept her choice. Ren meant them. "Lets go back to the villa. Luke will probably come in a few days and we'll tell him what happened."
Luke arrived using a shuttle service and embraced them before motioning to Ren and Rey to the villa. It had been several days, and Rey felt mostly at peace with her decision. She felt the Dark Side as she always had, but it wasn't flaring when she saw Luke thankfully. Kailiss appeared to keep her end of the bargain so far. Poe and Finn took the moment to walk down the beach while Luke, Ren and her walked inside.
"I found no information on Coruscant for the type of trial you would have to overcome Rey. Although, I feel you have made progress already." His blue eyes stared intently into hers.
"I have, and I won't be able to go further than where I am now. I almost died." Rey said simply. Ren stood behind her and placed his hand on her back.
The Jedi nodded. "It was possible that could happen. I told Ren of it, but I didn't want to discourage you and have you fall prey to doubt."
Rey understood, and she didn't feel anger toward him. "Kailiss lives on within me. In the last test, I didn't do what was expected and sacrificed myself. To save Ren from his path and to kill Snoke. She kept us alive long enough for Ren to heal us. Kailiss showed him how with the Dark Side."
Luke's eyes flickered to Ren's bandaged hand before murmuring. "Both of you, controlling the Dark Side within you, and the Light. Doing what is right." His blue eyes took the both of them in. "Grey Jedi, if it could be called that. Rey, I will tell you what I told Ren when you first brought him to me. You must balance within yourself. When you feel hate or fear or aggression, you need to think with calm, with your heart, with empathy. No doubt it will have it's own challenges. Meditation can help stabilize your Dark Side leanings."
Rey lifted her face to Ren. His eyes met hers, and a smile crept on her lips. "Grey Jedi. We'll do what is right." He nodded and his lips twitched into a smile. Ren embraced her and she felt relief in his arms. They would train, and she would learn what skills she could from Luke, Ren, and Kailiss and prepare. They would right all the wrongs in the galaxy. Together.
Author's Note: Thank you everyone for reading the sequel of Conflicts and Resolution! I immensely enjoyed the plot of this story, and Rey coming full circle with Ren as Grey Jedi. I do feel I'll be writing another sequel to this one, much further down the line. I have some other ideas for 'first meeting' stories concerning Rey and Ren, my OTP.
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