Entwined (A Reylo Fanfic)

The Birth and Death of the Force

   It was a long, silent walk, and Luke had tried several times to engage in conversation with his student... but to no avail. A very confused, very hurt, Rey had shut herself off from him. After this morning's turn of events, she didn't know who could or couldn't, trust. The only thing she felt certain of was the nagging feeling in her gut, like something bad was about to happen and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake it.

The further from camp they walked the more her anxiety grew, her gut twisting and her stomach roiling more intensely with each step forward. Even her fingers were beginning to tingle.

Luke turned to find his student white in the face. He unconsciously reached a hand out to her, and she froze, her feet planting hard on the ground underfoot. Rey's weary eyes narrowed suspiciously at him, causing Luke to withdraw his invitation of help from her.

"Rey,'' He began with a voice filled with blatant concern, "—I think we should take a look at your head." But his enthusiasm shrank back under the 'I dare you to try' look she shot back at him.

Though Rey could tell, Luke was safely keeping his distance, most likely for her comfort, she could feel his calming influence reaching out to her through the Force. The last thing she needed was to let her guard down, even if this was still the Luke that'd she'd spent the last several months seclusively living with. She could see the concern in his eyes, but when he stepped forward, supposedly to extend his help to her, she couldn't help but rear back in defense of her personal space. It was impossible to deny that she'd noticed a drastic change in him these last few weeks, but what had transpired between them this morning was like witnessing a complete and utter metamorphosis. She was rightly more cautious of him now.

Ignoring any signs of his guilt and the outreach of concern for her, Rey took a long, deep breath in hopes of settling her nerves before speaking to him.

"How much further is it?" She griped, impatiently.

Wishing she had her walking stick with her, and sore through her whole right leg, she stepped heavily on her left foot, shifting the weight unevenly to support the injury on her right side. There was an ache spreading over her right thigh and hip that she surmised must have happed when she'd clipped a good sized rock while rolling under the pressure of his Force wave.

Luke eyed her carefully, taking note of her condition, but he didn't press to examine her further just yet.

"We're not far now." He spoke quieter then usual and his eyes were doleful.

Rey couldn't help but picture the way her, Master had looked at her when she'd been struggling to keep, Kylo Ren from using her body to execute him. She knew looking down on him, while he regrouped in the shoreline of the salty sea, that if he wanted to, he could have fought her back, but instead he'd looked up at her in personal defeat, his usually serene demeanor, contoured by remorse and shame. He had that same look now.

Prompted by his pathetically, sorrowful state, Rey suddenly asked, "Why did you do it? Why did you attack me?" After her inquiring outburst, she anxiously awaited his response, her own eyes reflecting a similar pain as she scrutinized him.

Luke took a deep breath and let his eyes momentarily flicker to the ground in thought before returning to hers. The first thing, Rey noticed when the blue of his eyes reached her hazel gaze, was the steel resolve that had hardened the cloudy sky of his irises to a solid azure. He suddenly appeared more serious then even her now. "I had to push you!" He exclaimed, matter of factly, and she could feel the genuine sincerity in his words.