Settled

Practice

Rey held the new lightsaber in her hands as she carefully inspected the weapon. It was a good fit for her husband, though once activated, she slightly disapproved. "Why would you do this?" She sighed as she held the weapon closer, inspecting the hilt.

"Why is hers this color?" Ben asked as he inspected his wife's new lightsaber in his own hands. "Rare." He activated and deactivated several times, assuming it would change to a recognizable color. "Mom? Mom?"

Leia, standing next to Rey, gave a disapproving look towards Ben's new lightsaber. "Ben, why in the world would you do this?" Leia asked, ignoring her son's own inquiry.

Ben swung Rey's yellow lightsaber, testing its weight. "What do you mean?" he asked oblivious to the women's judgmental glances. Rey deactivated Ben's lightsaber and activated it in front of him. A bright blue light protruded out from the hilt, along with two small extra flames coming out from the sides; a cross guard lightsaber. A crackling sound was heard as the unsteady lightsaber ignited. "I tried to bleed it like I had it before but no matter how many times I tried, it kept coming out blue. There was nothing else I could do about it, but I did manage to make the hilt exactly how I had it before."

"What? No. Why would you attempt to bleed it?" Rey asked her husband. Ben deactivated his wife's and swamp hers for his. "Do you still think of yourself as a bad person?"

Ben hitched his lightsaber onto his waist while staring out into the open glass doors towards the balcony where Jade and Han were training with their own lightsabers. "I...", Ben sighed, "I don't know."

Though his time in the dark side had diminished over the years, Ben could still feel it within him. When his new lightsaber had been completed, the blue light ejecting from it, baffled him. He had destroyed many innocent lives throughout his time as an aspiring Sith and yet, his energy was that of a Jedi. Where the two energies in him finally balancing out?

In the meantime, Ben and Rey had discussed retiring Anakin Skywalker's famous lightsaber. The artifact had seen many duels and had been passed on in generations. Rey thought it best to have a lightsaber of her own and so, with Ben's help, had built one. The empress was pleased to have something she could call hers and when the yellow light expelled from the black hilt, she was bewildered.

Rey approached her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You are a good man, Ben Solo. Never doubt it." She tiptoed and gave Ben a quick peck on his scarred cheek. "You are an adoring husband and one incredible father." Rey raised her arms and encircled them around her husband's neck. Ben, in turn, snaked his arms around Rey's waist. "Your journey to the light may not be done for you but when you fully get there, know I will always be with you."

"'I'll help you.'" Ben chuckled as he reminisced. He recalled his once churning emotions in that elevator long ago. Ben could not believe a stranger, an enemy, wanted to help him and could not possibly come to terms of how she saw good in him. The only thing he knew at the time was, he wanted help but was to coward to admit it, and how much he wanted to take that scavenger girl into his arms and kiss her.

His brown eyes met her hazel ones, both showing admiration and pure love for one another. "I think," Ben softly whispered, "we are making mom uncomfortable. Can you feel it?"

Rey's cheeks turned bright red. She could feel Leia's discomfort in the force, and she slowly buried her face in Ben's chest. "Ah, I'm sorry, mom." Rey mumbled in embarrassment. "I forgot you were here."

"I should be used to it by now." Leia teased the dyads. "It's as if you two go into this secret realm and everything around you fades away. It is no wonder I am having another grandchild." She laughed. "All jokes aside, listen to your wife, son. When you wholeheartedly forgive yourself, no lingering doubts, you will see how far you have come."