Spark of Hope

Chapter XVI

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Rey assembled her new lightsaber according to Ben's instructions, beside her on his knees.

Neither Finn, Rose, nor Poe and BB-8 came to see her yesterday in the Medical Ward. Once General Organa explained that they were all gone on a supply run, Rey didn't feel so hurt from their no-show.

But now she didn't mind their absence—she had the freedom to spend time with Ben and speak with him openly without fear of being overheard.

They had already discussed going to see Leia after she finished crafting her lightsaber. Ben seemed unfazed about seeing his mother for the first time in years. He hid his emotions well; Rey had to focus hard to feel the slight waver in his nerves.

Completely finished, Rey pressed the button to unsheathe the lightsaber. The purple light shot out of both ends of the double-bladed hilt and lit the room. Rey stood to whirl the staff-like lightsaber around.

It felt completely natural in her hands, much more than Master Luke's single-bladed lightsaber she had been using. Not everyone could pick up a staff and use it effectively. Since she had grown up with using her staff, the movements required to fight with such a weapon were muscle-memory. Keeping her hands on the hilt so the energy beams wouldn't cut off a limb wasn't hard; Rey wouldn't have to train at all to learn how to wield the lightsaber.

Rey stopped to admire the purple double-bladed lightsaber. At first, she had been worried about the color—she feared she wouldn't like it. Trivial, yes, but the color of a lightsaber gave an immediate impression of the wielder's soul. Red represented anger and blue, calmness; being a combination of the two colors meant she embraced both, like a Gray Jedi is supposed to do. And, plus, it invoked a sense of serenity.

So, not only did the double-bladed lightsaber feel perfect, but the color also fit her as well. She sheathed the lightsaber with a smile.

"You wield it beautifully," Ben said when she sat back down beside him.

"Are you trying to give me a compliment, Ben?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"Trying, implies I'm not sure—I am giving you a compliment. A well-deserved one, at that."

She turned her red face down to look at the sheathed lightsaber in her lap. "Thanks."

"You're spoiling me with all these thanks. It's starting to make me feel like a good person."

"You are a good person, Ben. As Kylo Ren, you weren't, but you're Ben Solo now. You're different; you see things differently. You've changed for the better."

Ben didn't say anything, contemplating her words.

"And get ready; I'm going to spoil you again. Thank you for helping me in crafting the saber."

He shrugged. "My enemy needs a weapon."

Rey turned to him. "Are we still enemies?"

Ben looked at her. "We're supposed to be, right?"

His question threw her. If he had answered with a definite yes or no, she would've gone with it. But him asking her what she thought meant that he was confused, too. "I don't know any more either."

Their faces were so close she felt the heat of his breath. A flurry of emotions flashed through his eyes as they drifted down to her lips.

Rey's pulse skyrocketed. Ben was supposed to be her enemy; someone everyone hated, including her at one time. But ever since she had gotten to know him on Ahch-To and more here as he trained her, her view of him had changed. Her feelings of hate and disgust had transformed. It was hard to believe that she had fallen in love with her rival.