Point of Light

Chapter Eight: Nightmares

Disclaimer: I own nothing here but you were right, the negotiations were short.

Point of Light

AN: Admittedly, I think I may have rushed the pacing in this chapter, but I'm at a loss as to how to fix it... Then again, maybe I'm just being overly critical on myself. x.x

Chapter Eight – Nightmares

Rey knew she was dreaming the moment she tried to run but found herself bound in place amid a field of tall grass that nearly reached her waist. Something large and ill-tempered had roared and her initial instinct had been to turn and run, but had quickly come to terms with being unable to do so.

The creature roared again, sounding guttural and vicious, the noise accompanied by thundering footfalls and the swishing of grass as it closed in on her location. She reminded herself again that she was just dreaming as the towering creature stomped into view above her. She recognized it as a Rancor, a truly hideous monster and one that she had only just recently learned details about.

"H-Hello there," Rey squeaked out, her options limited, she hoped maybe it wasn't too hungry and would settle for pleasant conversation instead. This was a dream after all, anything could happen, right? "You're a big fella, aren't you?"

The Rancor studied her for a moment. Saliva dripped from its closed maw, its huge prong-like tusks defined it as a male and somehow, its beady eyes alluded to a peculiar type of intelligence. Rey tipped her head at him, curious, and went so far as to reach out a hand to him. "You, aren't here to hurt me," she spoke softly, attempting to influence his primal mind with a slight touch of the Force and not knowing if such a thing was even possible in a dream.

The hulking creature bent his neck down to give her hand a sniff and rumbled low at her when it felt her gentle touch of the Force. Rey was so close to touching his gnarled face, why she felt compelled to do so wasn't a concern for some reason, but the beast suddenly reared back and snarled, his attention drawn away from her and towards something else, something out of sight in the field beyond.

"What is it?" Rey asked, not really expecting an answer but feeling the need to ask anyway. The beast turned back to her and roared but when she didn't move to run, he rounded back on the other threat and charged off to meet it. Rey watched him go, baffled. If she didn't know any better, she would have guessed he was protecting her. But that was silly, he was a bloodthirsty monster, with very little brains inside such a smashed-in face.

A sudden, terrible cry of pain reached her ears, and her eyes went wide with a horror she didn't understand. She had only just met the creature, why did his screech of agony horrify her so much? She was impelled to go see what happened to him, but was still unable to move from her spot, the grass too thick and tall for her to see anything. Frustrated, Rey focused her thoughts on waking up.

Feelings of dread only seemed to multiply as the Rancor's cries faded but were suddenly replaced by a man's voice. Ben's voice! He's in pain!

Bolting upright in bed, Rey threw her covers off and lunged for the door of her small room. She called her saber to her from the floor as the door opened and she stepped out into Kylo's chamber.

It was dark except for the dim white light shining from small panels in the walls, and Kylo was in his bed moaning and crying out in a disconnected pattern of words. Rey was sure his cries were louder when she first woke up, but perhaps the Force had just been amplifying the sound through their uncanny connection.

Rey sighed out a breath of relief, having thought he had been under attack by assassins or whatever else her wild imagination had come up with. Although, she supposed he was under attack, in a way. She doubted whatever nightmare he was dealing with was lucid, as hers had been. Against her better judgment, she crossed over to the side of the bed he occupied and simply stood there, studying his features as best she could until her eyes adjusted to the scant lighting.