CHAPTER: PETRICHOR

Something pulled her in to the depths of the dark forest which surrounded The Resistance Base. It certainly wasn't similar to the bright light of the force nor the kind of darkness that came from Snoke. It wasn't black or white but wasn't balanced either, it wasn't calm and peaceful but it didn't bear any conflict. This was something else.

Letting the feeling take control over her body, Rey let the gentle pull guide her. She had spent the last year training in the ways of the force and one thing she was sure of was to let the force surround her when it willed.

A harmless amount of impatience grew bigger inside of her as she walked out of her hut and called to her saber which she had managed to construct only one half of. When she would somehow manage to find another piece of kyber crystal in the near future, her aim was to activate the other end of the double edged saber she designed inspired by her staff on her rare free time. However as is, the saber was already useful with its one working edge, having no problem in pretending to be a classic design.

It came flying to her from the tiny desk in the corner of the room and descended into her palm. Even though Rey felt no signs of danger or disturbance in the force, she was well aware she had to be extra cautious all the time now that The Resistance consisted of approximately sixty people, they couldn't and wouldn't dare to lose one single person for nothing.

On her tip toes she quietly walked through the base's now shut down panels and wehicles, taking a deep breath before stepping into the welcoming scent of the trees. As soon as she walked a few more steps, she was surrounded by an even more intense feeling. She couldn't understand why it had felt familiar even though she was so sure she had never felt such a strong presence as this.

After a few more steps, her steps unwillingly quickened and after a few minutes into the forest, she was already sprinting. She did not have a clue on where she was going but it seemed as if her feet were so certain on the correct route so she trusted her insticts and where she would end up at. She was going so fast that she was already out of breath, however she showed no signs of stopping, loving the wind gently stroking her face and dancing through the single braid of her hair. The air was ripe with the pleasant, dewy petrichor of the post-rain evening.

For a single second she felt the corners of her lips curling upwards, forming a peaceful smile. Rey loved the sensation of the unreasoned happiness which grew bigger second by second inside of her and finally stopped running, closing her eyes. Her breathing harmonized with the slow breeze and for a minute she seemed to forget everything happening across the galaxy.

For the first time she fully acknowledged how Luke must have had felt when he went out of his ways to hide away on Ahch-To. The force had many gifts the user would cherish but it had a price and responsibility that needed to be paid. It got overwhelming at times for Rey but even if some people didn't seem to understand, even a sensitive being in the light side of the force, a jedi, would never be able to fully close off their emotions. Closing emotions meant closing humanity but compassion, unconditional love would always be essential to a jedi's life.

Compassion was the brightest light and as Luke had said, powerful light was equivelent to powerful darkness. So long as compassion existed, there would be hatred, as long as there would be bravery, fear would peek through. Rey constantly tried to remind herself, the key to know her place in all this was to keep the balance within herself, it was okay to make mistakes, yet she felt as if she was walking on a string. One mistake and she would be falling all the way down, dragging her loved ones with herself to the bittersweet end.

She had made one desperate mistake to think Ben could turn to light and it costed The Resistance so much, one more mistake would completely obliterate them.

"This is not going to go the way you think." Her master had been correct, nothing had gone the way Rey thought it would go in the previous year. She pictured Ben Solo back with his family where he belonged, willing to fight for light but right this moment he was across the stars, leading the end of hers and the rest of The Resistance's.

Rey breathed out, the strange presence felt even stronger as if she was right where the force guided her to stand at. She opened her eyes and as soon as she did, her eyes were pulled into another pair of pretty ones like a magnet.

A part of her felt guilty because she instantly knew why the presence felt familiar, like home. Of course he would feel familiar, no matter how hard he tried to hide Ben into the shadows of Kylo Ren. It hurt to know the only sense of belonging she would ever feel in this galaxy was with the one person who would strike her down in a heartbeat. She felt pityful, so small. But she had to be strong, calm and make her every move with her brain instead of her heart.

She slightly gulped down, with an attempt of trying to hide it alongside her nervousness. Rey couldn't help but bring her eyes down to his features. Even if Ben did not want to admit it, it was brazen he truly was a Solo. His eyes carried an incredible resemblance to Han's and he stood upright with a slight mix of ego and confidence just like his father. The scar she gave him hadn't even recovered the slightest bit after the last time she saw him, his hair fell down to his neck delicately, just a tiny bit longer now; the same posture, the same exact facial expression. He truly had not changed one bit.

She picked her eyes up back to his again but slightly stepped back with confusion when a small smirk appeared on his lips. "I see you've constructed a new lightsaber." His voice was like an echo coming from the stars just like how it used to be in the former force bonds but for a second it startled Rey.

She couldn't help but take a look at the saber on her grip before turning her eyes right back at him. Just when her lips parted away to form a respond, she was cut off by him and it left her feeling a little surprised. He had never been the one to speak unless actually needed but it seemed like the increase in his confidence changed how he handled situations."You've changed your hair."

"Same cloak."

"No. New cloak." He replied nonchalantly, he wanted to get over the useless part of the conversation already. "Why's the force connecting us? I mean after all this time, why now?" She questioned as an unintentional deja vu effect washed over both beings, reminded of the first force bond. Even though there were another series of questions in queue, hidden in the back of her mind, she stopped, keeping them to herself. "Why hadn't it connected us until now? What did change in the force to first stop these bonds and now to restart them? An end and a beginning, two changes in the force..."

Without attempting to hide how she felt uneased, maybe even annoyed because of his obviously acted, faked calmness, Rey rolled her eyes, he didn't seem to be surprised that they stood right in front of each other across galaxys. Kylo had to admit, he loved how he was capable of strucking a nerve within Rey and he was clearly amused by her annoyance but he willingly gave the answer to her question. "Because I wanted it to."

"What do you mean you wanted it to?" The words slipped from Rey's lips as soon as he finished his sentence, completely forgetting about her plan from earlier, to stay in control and not to let her emotions -in this case curiousty- take control. Had he somehow learned how to control the bond? "Unlike you, I have been using my time efficiently." He admitted, feeling a slight sence of victory due to being able to finally draw her attention to the conversation and even maybe to himself.

Knowing Rey would throw him another round of questions, he scoffed but Rey's response never came. "You can control the bonds." She spoke in a whisper before searching his face for any sign of reaffirmation. "For about three months now." Kylo completed with a tiny smirk, even if Rey tried to keep a blank face, it was no brainer she was surprised, even a little impressed. "Why haven't yo-"

"Why haven't I called out before? Thought I'd give you some time before you figured out where to hide, otherwise it wouldn't be a fair fight." He completed her for the second time so quickly as if he had planned the response long before the conversation even started. Rey wasn't stupid, she knew there was more to this than what he actually reasoned. Kylo Ren would not give a damn if it was a fair fight or not, if she had managed to hide or not.

"You're lying." She spit out through gritted teeth but it only caused him to shook his head in disapproval. "I've never lied to you." He denied, hesitantly taking a step towards her without trying to alarm her. "I'm not afraid of you." She hissed again, her mind screaming at her to let him know she wasn't irritated by his presence, that she wasn't bothered by the way he talked so full of himself and his plans. "I'm not aiming to scare you. If I was trying, you would have known." He replied again, his eyes locked on hers, looking at his own reflection on her eyes. The force bond was even stronger than how it had been. "I would love to see you try." Rey challenged.

"You are radiating waves of darkness." Kylo mumbled with a hit of realization, ignoring her claim and Rey quickly looked down, escaping from his gaze realizing he was partly correct and it was dangerous. Her anger at Kylo Ren was causing the powerful beacon of light inside of her to get duller, she was feeling a kind of hatred she had not felt towards anyone else in her life all because Ren had completely took over the person whom was there for her when no one else was. Ben.

"You are giving into the darkness Rey." He rephrased softly, "Don't"

And with that he disappeared along with the familar feeling that drew her into the depths of the forest. Rey breathed out, instantly realizing that she was holding her breath the entire time. Her mind was a mess but hope lingered inside because Ben had let her know he did not want her to shut her light. Her light becoming as bright as the stars, created an urge within Rey to look at the slightly cloudy sky and the magnificent piece of art which laid on top of the black canvas.

If all the stars in the sky except one single disappeared, focus would still be on that single light inside the dark. As long as the final one continued to shine, the sky would never be fully dark-as long as Ben peeked through Kylo Ren, he would never be gone. Rey's lips curled upwards and she blinked a few times as a few drops of rain fell down delicately from the sky on her face, slowly wettening her lashes.

It was a friendly reminder for her to go back to the base and she took the sign, Ben's voice repeating itself inside her mind as she walked, "You are giving into the darkness Rey, don't." It was as if he was pleading her not to fell into the cold traps of the darkness, so she could pull him right back up to the light.

-7TH OF APRIL, 2020