Death It Is- Kylo Ren

Chapter 19

Cyan and turquoise blend together as soft waves push against the jagged black rocks surrounding the island.

You watch the sea foam accumulate as you sit on a random cliffside, pondering your thoughts.

How is Luke going to help us out of this one? Would he have to kill Kylo?... Could Ben come back?

Your eyes continue to stare mindlessly around the coast.

There's something about Luke's story that doesn't add up, something he is leaving out. Ben wouldn't have engaged in a duel with his master unprovoked...

An all too familiar tingle permeates across the back of your neck, and you sigh.

You're unsure if you're strong enough to manage the incoming interaction.

Kylo Ren's presence appears beside you, you can see him sitting beside you in your peripheral vision.

"You're with Skywalker," He says.

Hearing Ben's voice again is jarring, to say the least.

"How'd you know?" You ask him, not turning to acknowledge him.

"Your Force signature has changed, it's darker, but more clear. Before Starkiller it was murky and bright," Kylo responds thoughtfully.

You nod your head slowly and remain silent, continuing to watch the waves lap against the rocks.

The two of you sit in silence for a few moments. It's oddly calming, though you wish it weren't.

"You should kill Snoke," You state randomly.

Kylo whips his head towards your unmoving face peering over the edge of the cliff.

"Why should I do that?" He questions and you furrow your eyebrows.

"Because he's been manipulating you since you were young, using your power because he's lazy and weak. If you're going to be some all-powerful Sith lord or whatever, at least free yourself from that bond," You say straightforwardly.

"Why are you giving me advice?" He asks you sincerely.

You take a deep breath and remain mute, unable to find an answer to his question.

"Did he tell you what happened that night?" He changes the subject and clasps his hands together in his lap.

"Most of it," You respond plainly. "I'm still connecting some pieces but I got the gist."

He nods his head and continues to watch you as you watch the ocean.

"He attacked me. I woke up in the middle of the night to Luke Skywalker, the man who convinced Darth Vader to turn to the light, the man that refused to fight one of the most dangerous Sith lords in the galaxy, holding his lightsaber over me," Kylo drones on and you blink absentmindedly.

"We've all made mistakes," You say monotonously. "Some more than most."

You turn to give him a side glare, but when you look at him you gasp.

He has a large black scar etched down the middle of his face, extending to his neck and presumably his chest. Small burn marks freckle his cheekbones and forehead.

Your small hand moves slowly towards the injury, watching Kylo cautiously. Your fingertips lightly graze the scar and you observe with fascination.

What could have happened to him? Surely this scar isn't from the lightening.

You continue your studying, taking in every detail of this face that you've waited to see for years. His caramel eyes watch you closely, flinching slightly at the contact. His eyes move to the ring on your right hand, his gaze widens before he pushes your hand and turns away from you.

"There's something else that they're hiding from you, something much bigger than my identity," He changes the subject again.

"What could be bigger than that?" You ask him, confused by this new topic.

"Your own identity," He says shortly before he disappears, leaving you alone on the cliffside.

Your eyes linger on the spot where he was just sitting, confusion bubbling in your chest.

What about your identity?

———————

A sharp crack sounds as Rey peels open a canister of food. Her eyes look at the greyish slop within the metal and she glances up at you in disgust.

"It's better than nothing," You say optimistically as you dig a spoon into your own canister.

"So, he said people are hiding your identity from you?" Rey questions, resuming your conversation.

You nod while you finish chewing, "Yeah, I have no clue what that means."

Wind whips softly at your clothes and hair as the two of you share a meal towards the top of the island's largest mountain. You've noticed smaller islands freckling the distant sea.

"Well, what do you not know about your family?" She asks with a full mouth.

You take a swig of water and ponder her words for a moment.

"Hmm. Both of my parents were from Naboo, I grew up there before I was taken to the temple. My mother had a sister, though I haven't talked to her in a very long time. Uh... I don't know what Kylo could have meant. I've always been curious about how I became Force sensitive, neither of my parents seemed to be," You ramble for a bit, trying desperately to come up with any answers.

Rey watches you intently as you speak, also trying to come up with answers.

"Is your aunt Force sensitive?"

You furrow your eyebrows and shake your head as you take another bite of food.

"Not that I know of. I feel like my parents would have told me if she was," You answer.

"What about your grandparents?" She asks curiously.

"They all died before I was born so I don't really know," You tell her confusedly, turning to watch a large bird-like creature soaring in the distance.

"Hmph," She sounds, equally as defeated. "You should find your aunt. Get some answers. Kylo's evil but he wouldn't tell you that if it wasn't important," Rey suggests.

That's not a bad idea, besides it would be good to see your family, and Naboo.

"How's your training going?" You change the subject.

Rey sighs and puts her food down dramatically.

"I'm struggling. I've been feeling a lot of pull from the dark and Master Luke has been disappointed because I haven't been fighting the urges," She confides with disappointment.

"It takes a while to find a comfortable balance between the two sides. I'm no Jedi Master, but what I will say is that you shouldn't fear the dark side or try to fight it, just rely more on the light. You're not going to turn into a Sith or anything, if you don't at least acknowledge the darkness then you won't be fully able to reach the light," You tell her earnestly.

She nods and watches her food.

"Are you going to talk to Master Skywalker before you leave?" Rey changes the subject.

"Probably not. I'll be back soon, though. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"

She smirks, "I've been alone my whole life. This will be easy."

You place your empty food canister in your backpack and smile in response, though there's a twinge of sadness with her words.

"Don't underestimate Luke's ability to annoy you."