Restoration of Light (Star Wars/Kylo Fanfic)

Chapter XII: Her Greatest Downfall

This Chapter is dedicated to Carrie Fisher... sending prayers your way General Organa. <3

I don't want my life to imitate art, I want my life to be art. ~Carrie Fisher

Thundering would be the word that Azalea used to describe the never ceasing roar of the waterfalls, she decided. The shimmering falls stretched and curved across the mountains for about half a mile. Over many years, erosion had carved out an overhang with enough space to walk comfortably behind the water, as long as you didn't mind getting a little wet. Azalea and Kylo Ren were already dripping from their dip in the lake, so they didn't know the difference.

Though it is cold, Azalea thought as a shiver laced her body. After spending the entirety of the day under the Nabooian sun wearing black clothing, she didn't really mind. Although she wished it was under different circumstances, and with friendlier company, she was hardly containing the excitement and nervousness of being home. Kylo Ren had looked at her critically several times over her random cheeky grins.

About halfway down the falls, a pass opened up leading back into the mountains, away from the plummeting water. Once they emerged on the other side of the pass and back into the sinking sun, their destination came into view. Down a long grassy slope and just past a small lake, the marble streets and polished buildings sparkled in the early evening light.

Azalea truly longed to see the city again. Geniva's library where her father showed her books about the world outside of Naboo, Alba Station where she learned about ships and how to fly them. Memories of her old house would not leave her alone, but she knew she shouldn't go back there. It would hurt too much.

"Should we stop here to make camp?" Azalea questioned reluctantly.

"That seems fitting."

Azalea was both ecstatic that they were so close and couldn't wait to enter the city, as well as being completely drained from everything she'd pushed through in the past week. Running on nothing but nerves and excitement, she was sure she would have collapsed by now if it weren't for those two things propelling her to this point.

She shrugged the dark blue sack off of her shoulder and left it by the entrance of the cave. A low grumble and a tight clenching feeling in her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten a meal in over a day. Kylo Ren glanced at the source of the sound, and then looked up to her face. Her cheeks turned beet red and she wondered why he didn't seem nearly as susceptible to hunger and sleep as she was. Probably because he was eating a huge, hot meal on the Finalizer before we left, while they served me a hard loaf of bread and a glass of milk, she speculated.

"I'll look for food. Figure out what to do about shelter." Without another word, Kylo sauntered towards the trees to look for something they could eat. Azalea gathered sticks, leaves and a few pine cones and arranged them in front of a small cave near the entrance to the mountain passage. The only problem was she didn't have anything to light it with. She thought about it while she went back out to find something to cushion the cave floor, and soon she spotted a banana tree. Perfect!

Bright yellow peeked around from the other side of the tree, and she walked closer to see a ripe cluster of bananas. Eagerly, she took an armful of large leaves and eight bananas from the tree, and when she was satisfied, she headed back to the small cave. The green leaves made the tiny cave as comfortable as a cave could be, so she left the bananas in the back corner and peeled one, taking a few bites. She sighed contentedly as the food eased her cramping stomach and soon started working on the fire.

Setting one of the larger sticks flat on the ground, she piled some leaves near the end farthest from her and started rubbing another stick rapidly against the first. She did this on and off for about fifteen minutes before sighing and throwing her rubbing stick into a bush in frustration. Her hands were sore from the friction, and she found herself wishing that BB-8 was with her to start the fire like the droid normally would do. Glancing down at her red hands, she thought of Poe and his strange but sweet relationship with the droid, and then found herself deeply missing her friends and her mother.

Tiredly, she closed her eyes and let her mind focus just on her mother, on her brown eyes and hair and her soft hands, compared to Azalea's rough ones. Mom, Feyga is alive, she pressed. Running and finding help in the city crossed her mind and she pondered the idea, but before she had made a decision, Kylo Ren's figure emerged from the trees and the window had passed.

A brown rabbit dangled by its feet in one of his hands, and two fish by their tails in the other. Azalea's stomach growled again at the sight of them and she remembered that there was still no fire to cook them. With red hands, she picked up a different stick and tried again, rubbing faster now to try and start a fire as Kylo Ren approached.

When he got to the campsite he walked past her, set the animals on a rock near the cave and took out his light saber, igniting it and walking towards Azalea. The humming behind her made her stop rubbing and turn to survey the approaching Kylo Ren. Standing, she took a few steps to the side and found that he was not walking towards her, but to the pile of sticks on the ground. Stopping in front of it, he lowered his blade and the leaves and pine cones instantly caught fire with a hissing sound. Why didn't I think of that before?

Azalea eyed him carefully as he put away his saber and then trained his gaze on her. Looking down, she muttered an obligatory 'thanks' and then went to arranging the sticks so they would catch fire.

"You should be more careful with your thoughts." Azalea looked up from the fire at his words.

"What?"

"About your mother and sister. You're very loud, and she can't even hear you." Azalea hadn't known her thoughts could reach far enough for him to hear when she wasn't even trying to contact him. He set the food down next to the fire, picked two small sticks and started skewering the fish. The sun was low, almost set now, and a dark pink and lighter orange color covered the horizon and colored the clouds in the darkening sky.

Azalea's attention snapped back to the food when a skewered fish was pushed into her hand. She held the fish out over the fire, rotating it evenly as both pale green eyes stared back at her with the same amount of indifference while she cooked. The action of rotating the fish and the popping of the fire lulled her into a trance, so she jumped a bit when Kylo spoke again.

"Where did you learn to barricade your mind?" Carefully, he prodded Azalea's thoughts, but she sensed his approach and kept him at bay.

"Well, it makes it easier that you've been trying to get in my head at least once every couple hours, you're pretty basic to sense and block now."

"That wasn't the question," he bit back. "You said your father taught you. What was his name?" That was the question, wasn't it? The swaying fire drew Azalea's gaze away from Kylo's harsh one. Pulling her fish out of the fire, she tapped it lightly with her fingertips and decided to let it cool for a little while.

"I was only eight when he died, but his name was Zechariah." Azalea watched him closely, but didn't sense any signs of recognition, so she continued. "He showed me lots of simple things, like how to defend myself if I was in a tight spot. He didn't want me to be helpless." Azalea thought she saw a smirk draw up the corner of his mouth while she was talking, though once it was gone she rationalized the strange sight by telling herself it was probably an illusion.

"What you've been doing can hardly be qualified as simple." Azalea shifted uncomfortably on the grass beneath her, hoping he would stop questioning the matter of her abilities.

"If I can hold my own for a few minutes against a dark-side-force-user like yourself, then I guess my dad's training served its purpose." She tried to further redirect the conversation by reaching behind her to grab a bright yellow banana and holding it out for Kylo to take. He simply looked down at it before turning his gaze towards the fire.

"Four hours," he said shortly. Azalea gave him a puzzled look while he took a bite of his fish. Before answering, he swallowed and took a drink. "I tore at your mind for four hours before I realized you were more than just 'force sensitive.'" Intensity vibrated the air around him as he stared Azalea down.

"You're still alive because I believe that with my instruction, you could be a valuable addition to the Knights of Ren. You possess unique abilities that could help us prosper- you could help the galaxy prosper!" Leaning away, Azalea ran a hand through her hair and consciously blocked her mind, wary of the sudden heat of his focus on her. "If you would only realize your greatest downfall."

"My greatest downfall?" Kylo held her gaze a while longer before shaking his head and turning back to the fire.

"You don't know how to let go."

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