Belonging. Star Wars story. Episode 10 X. Sequal to TROS.

12. Pain

Rey wandered further in the mist, it looked like there was something ahead. Something shined in read hue in front of her. She moved closer to it and there were voices in the mist again.

"There has been awakening. Have you felt it?"
"Yes."

-"Ben?" Rey asked quietly.

"Pathetic child. I cannot be betrayed, I cannot be beaten!" The voice was loud around her.

-"I know where Skywalker is!" That was Snokes voice from the mist. Mist swirled and moved, grey mist took form of Snoke. Around him shined the red light.

-"He's gone!" Rey answered angrily. The mist was swirling around, reshaping everything, the ground started to shine in black and there were walls around her now in deep red. Rey knew the place, for some time she couldn't stop seeing it in her dreams. She had been interrogated by Snoke in there. She had fought the throne guards in there. Together. With Ben.

Snoke lifted his hand and Reys feet left the ground, she started to loose her breath.
-"I can bring Skywalker back and then kill him.. like I can kill Ben Solo." The pressure on her throat increased.
-"No, you can't. Because Ben killed you." Rey chocked out. Something changed around her and she fell to the ground.

Mist swirled and red light started disappear. Rey got on her feet and stretching her neck walked further. "I wasn't alone in throne room then. We stood together." Rey smiled and moved on.

Something felt different for a moment, almost familiar. The dark mist swirled and disappeared. Rey was standing in dark chambers, she had been here before. Rey turned around and came face to face with herself. The dark Rey. She was wearing all black and her features looked sharp. "No, it is not me."

-"Do not be afraid of who you are!" Dark Rey said.
"You don't need them, not Luke, not Leia, not Kylo Ren and not Emperor. Kill the past if you have to. That's the only way to become who you were meant to be."

-"No, I won't do that. And.. I don't need them, but they made me who I am. And I am not you." Rey answered steadily.

-"Blood runs thicker than water." Dark Rey smiled and started to disappear in the mist. "You will regret this. When the day comes, you will regret you didn't choose the dark side." The voice was quiet in the dark room around Rey.

"No, I won't. I am the Light. I am the Jedi."

The air around moved and the chambers were blown away in invisible wind. Behind them were the never ending mist. Rey turned to her right where something shined in the distance. She started to walk in that direction.

The mist was around her, but it seemed brighter. There were flashes in the mist and then came the sound of electricity. The mist became dark, black even and the lightning flashed somewhere in the distance. She knew where she was now- back on Exegol.

-"The life force of your bond, a dyad in the Force. A power like life itself." There was so dreaded voice around her. Rey slowly turned around. In front of her appeared the Sith throne. Lightning flashed over her head. Again she stood in front of the throne, that she had seen in vision and then on Exegol. Even in the vision she wasn't alone- she had seen herself and Ben. Just like he said on his ship, before she left on Falcon: "We will kill him together and take the throne."

-"I feel your anger, I feel your pain. Gooood.. That anger will lead you to great things." Emperors voice surrounded her.

-"No!" Rey shouted. "No, no, no..", but there was the pain of losing Ben and anger at the man, who took away her parents.. The fury in her started boiling.

-"You are dead! You are just a voice from the past! You are not real!" Rey shouted desperately looking around for the owner of the voice.

-"I am real enough for you to kill me. Be wise child. You will have just this chance. For revenge." In front of her mist took shape of Palpatine. He was just like he looked on Exegol. Disturbing. Dark. A sith Master.

Rey tried to calm herself, but it didn't work, she couldn't concentrate. The anger, the thirst for revenge boiled in her. "If I only had a saber."

-"You have everything you need." Palpatine smiled sick smile, lifted his hand and lighting strike at Rey. She was quick enough to lift her own hands in front of her and catch the bolts, that she tried to control and move against Emperor.

The lightning from her hands flew freely now and it looked like Palpatine grew weaker and afraid. Reys anger boiled, "I will have my revenge".

There was nothing left but herself and her sith grandfather in front of her who had killed her parents. "He will pay, he will pay for them and Ben..", Rey felt confusion in her mind and in her heart. "Ben.. no, revenge is not why I came here."

Rey crossed her hands in front of her in defense stance. Emperor got the upper hand and threw every bolt he could make at the Jedi Knight in front of him. Rey felt getting weaker and weaker. She knew she won't be able to stand for much longer.

-"If you really would choose to die for him then so be it. Stand together, die together!" The light was blinding and Rey fell to her knees. Lightning strike every part of her skin, every part of her bones.. every part of her.

The pain was too much, she tried to stand up but she couldn't and she fell down completely. "I won't loose my light. I am a Jedi. Ben you are part of my light. You are part of me."

Here in the end she was facing her deepest fear- not the death of her or her friends, not the loneliness.. Her fear was simple and true- losing Ben.
"I'm sorry.. Ben. We were not alone.
Without you there is only pain now..
But I haven't really lost you. I won't ever lose you. If not in this, we will meet in the next world.. We are not alone and never will be. If there cannot be life for me, then I choose to stay in the Light.
...and if you go, I want to go with you, and if you die, I want to die with you." Rey let the pain consume her.

"I will see you soon."