The Revival of The Force

epilogue

epilogue

One last time, Rey looks at herself in the mirror. Dressed in her usual darker clothes, she leaves her hair opened like she often did lately. She walks down the stairs. The house is alive as always. Some play in the living room, while others prefer to sit outside and talk. A few are certainly training in the cellar. Rey sometimes sees the vision again and recognises the faces that she is currently teaching.
"Hello Rey," many say when they see her.
"Good morning everyone. Do you remember that we have visitors today?" Rey asks to the ones inside.
The majority says yes while Randal asks his friend Anton who it is again.
"I don't remember too. Let's pretend we know it," Anton responds.
Yugantar and Shana join Rey from the kitchen.
"Do you know when they are coming?" Yugantar asks.
"In the next two hours, I think, I don't know more. Are you excited?"
"Yes, it's been so long," Shana exclaims. Her voice got deeper but she still has that contagious childish energy.
Rey takes the lightsaber out of Shana's pocket and turns it upside down.  "How many times do I have to tell you to put the lightsaber in direction to the ground? You don't want to lose your shoulder and arm, right?" Rey angrily remarks. She walks into the kitchen and serves herself a drink to wake up more. She takes the metal mug outside where the sun is shining. The house is twice as big than when she first daw it. She remembers the young man who showed her around, but she can't think of his name. Rey sits down on a bench next to other students and she enjoys the rays of light. Some Padawan have volunteered to take care of the garden. Flowers grow out of the ground. Winter is over, there was coldness, but now the vegetation takes the advantage to blossom again. Connor and Magdalene come out of the house to talk to Rey.
"Where's Ben?" she asks.
"He's still sleeping. Let him sleep. Why?" Rey asks.
"We want to fight. Both of us against one of you," Connor explains.
"And you prefer Ben? I'll remember that," Rey jokes.
"No, that's not true. He trained us," Magdalene justifies.
Rey stands up and leaves the cup on the ground. She takes her lightsaber in her hands. Teaching Jedis and watching them learn to wield a lightsaber helped her grow her inventory of different moves. She searches in her mind what both of them like to use so she can adapt. Magdalene turns her green saber on and Connor his blue one. Other students gather around them to watch the fight. Even with few years of training and despite being two, Rey has the advantage all the time. If someone is hit – not really, of course –, they have to leave the fight. Connor is the first one to lose. The fight against the two woman takes longer. The ones who have Ben as a teacher encourage Magdalene while the ones who are taught by Rey call out her name. Rey notices movement behind a window in the first floor and dares a glance. Ben is watching them carefully. Magdalene takes the chance to hit Rey and "cut her in two", stopping right before it touches her clothes. Rey laughs and turns her lightsaber off. She looks up to Ben who with an ironic, but competing way tells her that his student is better. He opens the window and screams: "Bravo Magdalene," but he stares at Rey while that. She puts out her tongue and he laughs.
"Okay, I lost, I admit it. I hope that you will all be better than me one day," Rey says loudly.
Ben has lost his smile and gives her a sign to come up. When Rey climbs up the room, she finds him standing in front of Pascale's room.
"She's not feeling better," he announces whispering.
They open the door and find her sleeping. Her chest lifts up slowly when she breathes. Her short hair glue on her forehead which is covered in sweat.
"We have to call a doctor," Rey says.
"I'll go to the city. You stay here," he leaves her with Pascale.
After some time, her eyes open.
"Hello," Rey softly whispers and Pascale answers with a gentle smile. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm tired. And hot," she answers weakly.
Rey lays her hand on her forehead and notices that it's burning. "Ben left to find a doctor, the best one from the city."
"I don't think it's worth it, Rey, it's too late."
"Stop saying that, Pascale. If you think you're not going to heal, you won't. There's still hope." Rey fills up her glass with water and hands it to her.
After drinking, Pascale says: "Poe, Finn and Rose are coming today, right?"
"Yes, they are. I'll send them here to see you."
"Just greet them for me. I don't want to put them at risk."
"That's nonsense. Ben and I have been visiting you for the last weeks and we haven't got sick."
"I'm too shy, Rey. I have talked to them once, I don't know what I'm supposed to say."
"They remember you perfectly, I'm sure of that. They told me you were really kind after they met you."
Pascale laughs weakly. "I think I hear them coming."
Rey stands up and looks out of the window. Indeed a car is arriving.
"Go down, I'm good on my own," Pascale says, but Rey looks unsure back at her. "C'mon, go. I promise."
Rey sighs and leaves, carefully closes the door and rushes down. As the car stops, Poe gets off first. He runs towards Rey and hugs her.
"It's so good to see you!" Poe exclaims.
Finn arrives running too and takes her in his arms as well. "Wow, there are so many people. You all have grown so much!" Finn looks into the mass of people.
Yugantar and Shana get out of the crowd, causing the smile of both of the boys to grow wider.
"Yugi, Yugantar, my friend!" Poe yells.
They jump into a strong and long hug while Shana runs to Rose and embraces her too. They have grown friends before the training started.
"Come in, come in. Do you want a drink?" Rey proposes.
"Oh yes, after this long trip, I'd love to," Poe says.
"I think they all want an autograph from you," Rey whispers into his ear, Poe laughs loudly.
They sit down on the table in the kitchen, get some snacks plus drinks that Rey serves.
"Warren has opened his bar in the city. I go there once a week," Finn says.
"They still taste so weird?" Rey asks, sitting down.
"Yup, it's amazing," Poe answers.
"Oh wait," Rey stands up to get some water.
"REY!" Finn suddenly screams.
Rey rushes to the door and closes it. "What?" She looks through the five people sitting, the guests mouth opened and smiling, Rose covers her mouth with her hand. Yugantar and Shana both seem confused as much as Rey.
"Why haven't you said anything?" Poe questions
"What is it?" Rey asks again.
"You didn't tell us that you are pregnant!" Poe finishes.
"What?" She looks down to her stomach, it's rounder but because she ate too much lately.
"No guys, I ate too much. Many students here are great cooks and – "
"You're pregnant," Finn interrupts.
"Uh huh," Rose adds, eating a nut.
Rey looks down to her belly again, places her hands in front of it and then above her mouth. "Holy shit."
"You didn't know?" Finn asks amused.
"No, I had no idea," she exclaims.
"Congratulations," Finn says with a huge smile.
"Where's the father?" Poe questions.
"He is in town. Pascale is really sick, she needs a doctor," she explains, her face more serious.
"Pascale? The one with the constant smile and the cute eyes?" Finn interrogates.
"Yeah. She's upstairs. She's greeting you."
"Can we see her?" Poe asks.
"She doesn't want to, but maybe it will make her feel better."
The door opens and she enters, speaking of the devil. Rey runs to her to give her a support.
"Give me a chair," she orders and Yugantar gives his in a second.
Pascale sits down and smiles. Her face is paler than ever. "I wanted to see you actually," she whispers.
The three guests come closer and kneel down next to her.
"Rey said you would remember me."
"Of course we remember you," Poe and Finn say together.
"I've heard that you all noticed Rey's tummy," she chuckles softly.
"You knew. Why didn't you tell me?" Rey laughs.
"How is it at home?" Pascale asks.
As Poe describes, she closes her eyes to picture it. "Well, there are more and more big buildings. Your favourite market is still there, Garden Market, right?" She weakly nods. "The streets are fuller than before. New shops open instead of elders. We drove in front of your house when we left. It's still there too. It was renovated, it shines even more now. The bakery on the ground floor has the same owner since so many year. I looked up to the sixth floor and I felt like you were still at the window. You lived in the sixth floor, right?"
She doesn't respond this time, her breath has stopped. Rey feels her heartbeat and it stops. Her eyes fill with tears, she lost her. She turns away from the body and stares at the wall, her palm against her forehead.
"I found files about her," Poe starts. "They said that her parents didn't want her because she has an illness. She wouldn't live very long, a virus could have a triple affect on her. A doctor wouldn't have been able to help."
They stood silently and weeped for the loss of this angel. Rose who didn't know her well also has tears in her eyes.
"Did she like it here?" Poe questions.
"Yes, a lot," Rey answers in tears.
"Let's dig a hole and bury her here," Finn proposes. "Do you have shovels?"
"Yes, in the cellar."
"I'll get them," Shana takes the responsibility.
Yugantar lifts up her body and they carry her outside. The Jedis throw glances at them, murmurs parkour the tables, but they keep walking. Shana arrives behind them with three shovels. They get out, maybe a hundred meters away from the house and start digging. When the midday sun drowns them in their own sweat, the hole is dig. Poe gently places Pascale's body. Rey decides to cover the body after Ben had said goodbye to her one last time.
"I'll send a gravestone," Finn declares.
"I'll pick some flowers," Yugantar adds.
"Let's go back," Rey says.
Shana stays longer in front of the hole with her friend.
"I'll show you your rooms. How long do you plan to stay?" Rey asks, wiping her tears from the cheeks.
"Around three days. I mean, a General can't take a vacation for too long," Rose says in intention to Poe.
"Yes, I can imagine. It's been a year or something we haven't seen each other."
"That's really long," Finn remarks.
"Too long," Rose corrects.
"And about my pregnancy, I'd like to tell Ben myself," Rey adds.
"Of course," Poe responds.
"I can't believe it," she says for the child she carries and the death of Pascale.
Later, while all the friends talk together, Rey hears Ben come back. She rushes out and brings him to her friends. He's alone. "Hello everyone," he smiles and hugs the tree friends. Turning to Rey, he says: "Rey, I'm sorry, he moved, the doctor."
"She passed, Ben," Rey announces with a sad look.
Ben stays silent. "Shit," he swears.
"I think we all need rest now. I'll show you around some more tomorrow. Good night," Rey declares. "We buried her next to the forest," Rey whispers to Ben. "We haven't put the soil over her body yet, you can still visit her."
"I'll go. Did you talk to the Jedis?"
"I was about to do that. I'll wait for you in bed." Rey gathers all the Padawan in the first cellar and announces the loss of one precious student. She then sends them to sleep.
Pascale was Ben's student. She always managed to smile and comfort people. She was of a rare kindness. Rey lets some more tears out of her eyes when she waits for Ben to come back. She hears his steps and watches him enter the chamber. He disappears in the bathroom for some time and comes back in pyjama. When he lies down next to her, she tells him what Poe found out about her illness she was born with. He understands more, but still feels guilty for not calling a doctor earlier. Rey leans herself against him.
"Do you want a child?" she asks carefully.
"Why do you ask that?" He looks at her with a frown.
"I'm wondering, tell me," Rey answers.
"I'd love to have on from you," he admits.
She slowly moves the blanket off her body and shows her tummy to Ben. Now, she also sees that it does not look like fat. His eyes start to fill with tears and he smiles. He lays his hand on her belly and tries to feel the child inside. Ben doesn't say a word, unable to express his happiness. Rey looks into his shiny eyes, losing herself in them.
"I'll have to take your students over at some point," he notices.
"Yeah maybe. That's a great number. Or we can send them in holidays while we raise the child."
"That will take more than two years, Rey," he remarks.
"Then we give them missions. Or get another house next to this one."
"I'll take the sabers in case they do something stupid," Ben decides.
"You're really protective. Even with some who were Siths, it doesn't mean they will start killing each other."
"Just because someone was a Sith doesn't mean they will want to kill. Look at me, do I want to kill you?"
"Yeah, because of what I just said," she smiles.
"I would never harm you, Rey. Or this baby," he promises and kisses her forehead.
She kisses his lips in return. "The light is still on, I'll turn it off," Rey notices, ready to stand up.
"You stay in bed, I'll do it." Ben climbs over her to do so.
"I'm not near giving birth, Ben, I can switch off light," she laughs.
"I don't care." He giver her a kiss again. "Goodnight, love."
"Goodnight," she smiles and closes her eyes, ready for the future.

Last chapter ever. I might be a little emotional.