As the last embers of the Rebellion begin to fade, Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) and the brave, budding Jedi Rey continue to wrestle with their mysterious connection. Rey remains disgusted by Kylo Ren's murder and darkness, but holds hope that Ben Solo will e...
After a few days, Rey finally started to eat again, but still refused to leave the hut. She couldn't mingle herself with Ben in any way. One night, freshly-steamed fish accompanied the usual seaweed and gruel, and she was sure it was Ben's doing. Rolling the delicious meal in her mouth, Rey considered for a moment feeling differently about the situation.
She cautiously lifted her eyes to peer out the window toward his hut, and caught him slipping inside for the night. The nights since she arrived had been so peaceful. The sky was still and the ocean calm. As she considered this change of heart, a soft, blue glow emerged in the corner of the room and a familiar voice asked over the crackle of the fire,
"You gonna thank him for that fish?"
Rey's face lit up, and she came to her feet with a gasp. "Leia!"
As soon as Rey spoke, the apparition was gone. She was disappointed that Leia would say no more, but greatly comforted to know that something of her survived beyond death. This gave Rey hope that in their own time, the Masters would reveal what they knew.
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The next morning, Rey was determined to speak to Ben. Leia's soul didn't seem upset, and Ben's behavior was radically different. In her contemplation, it occurred to her that she had misjudged Ben's drastic actions once before. Perhaps there was more to this situation than what she thought was true.
Rey suffered a moment of nostalgia as she knocked on the metal door Luke had made for the hut from pieces of his submerged x-wing. There was no response, so she took liberty to step inside. Ben was not there. His effects were arranged near the bed. Most notably, Ben had assembled a small stone mantle beneath the window, and there was Leia's black coat, neatly folded, topped with the lapis ring.
Ben was right where the Caretakers indicated she would find him--at the precipice of the temple, meditating as still as the rocks beneath him. Rey stood and watched his hair toss in the breeze for several minutes. She marveled that he didn't stir at her presence, and at the eerie sensation of seeing him with her eyes, but not feeling his existence. Perhaps he was ignoring her?
I can't see you, she thought, but no answer.
Rey figured it best to offer him privacy. Turning to leave, her feet scattered a few loose stones and their rattle echoed through the cave. As she walked out, Ben's voice halted her.
"Rey," he said gently.
She turned to face him. Morning sunlight drifted into the temple hall and haloed his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt..."
"You're not interrupting," he said. "How long were you standing there?"
"A moment," she whispered.
"Your footsteps are quiet," he said, and lingered in awkward silence. "Are you well?"
