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...
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The morning was very chill and blustery. Ben found Rey standing in the midst of the burned tree, staring at the place where the Jedi texts may have been if she hadn't rescued them from the crazed despair of Master Skywalker. Ben had quite the lineage to confront, and in his own way was a very rare bird. No one was qualified to teach him what to become. She shivered in the wind and impressions of the future started to flash in her mind again. The images halted when Rey heard Ben approaching the tree.
"I couldn't find any remnants of the texts," said Ben.
"Did you ever read a copy in your training?" she asked, avoiding his suspicion.
"Yes," said Ben. "But the content will be irrelevant when all things are made new."
Rey received another flash of insight as Ben spoke, full of confusing personal images, more struggle, and posterity.
Ben gestured to the ground where he stood. "She was right here when it happened."
"Tell me," said Rey. "I want to know everything."
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It only took Ben a few minutes to tell Rey of his prodigal journey, including his perspective of each fatal encounter with his family members. Without the Force to rely on, Rey was very careful to observe Ben as he told the story. Although he expressed intense pain and shattering guilt for what he had done, Ben's tone was more curious, like it had all happened to another person in the distant past. Rey started to believe that this was an accurate way to understand it.
"Do you believe me?" asked Ben.
Rey shivered and struggled to answer.
"I don't know what to believe anymore," she said. "And you're shielded from the Force...I can't perceive clearly."
"All the better to sneak up on me," said Ben with a smile just a little more ambitious than the night before. "What does your heart tell you?"
His question rang of Leia's final words to her. Leia was right. Rey knew all the truth that mattered, and she knew it in this moment with all the certainty she required. All that remained was the fear between her and her destiny.
"You're cold," he said, extending half his cloak in his hand. "Come with me."
Rey took a deep breath and huddled beneath Ben's arm as he wrapped the cloak around her. He led her to his hut and invited her in from the cold. She saw Ben slip Leia's ring into a pocket hidden in the folds of his robes and pulled Leia's grand, black coat from the reverent mantle.
"No, Ben, I couldn't possibly," Rey said.
But the next thing she knew, his arms had swept over her head and laid the coat on her shoulders. Relenting to the warmth and the smooth, fine wool, she slid her arms through the sleeves. Ben's strong hands still rested on her shoulders. A forlorn expression fell over his face.
"It suits you," he said. "My mom would have said, give her the coat--I'm not using it."
And he laughed. Ben's face was cut with an involuntary smile full of teeth. Tears streamed down his face.
"She was so wry," laughed Rey, and cried also in deep sympathy. She pulled her arms around Ben, laid her cheek on his chest. "I believe you Ben."
"You do?" he said.
Rey looked up at him, sliding her hands from his back, over his chest and up to his face. Her fingers coaxed his chin ever closer.
"Yes," she said softly, and kissed him.
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Given she had run off the last time they touched, Ben suspended his hands at her shoulders. But a moment later, Rey's elbows hooked over his neck and her kiss quickly escalated. Just as he started to pull her body closer, Rey broke the kiss and looked at him with a light in her eyes.
"I have an idea," she said, proudly pounding through the door. "Follow me."
