Force Destiny

Dream

Rey knew she was asleep. She was standing by the lake—their lake—waiting for him as she did every night in her dreams. Every night except for the last week, of course; those nights had been spent dreamless in a drunken haze. It was the first night she was sober again, and part of her truly believed and hoped that he would be there. He had told her once that the lake was where she could always find him. But as it had been every night since they had awoken, he wasn't there. Though this night, as she sat staring out at the water and thinking of him, there was something different. She could hear music.

Rey turned from the sparkling stillness of the lake, looking up in the darkness to see a beautiful, crystalline building illuminated with colorful lights. Her feet carried her toward the building before she considered whether or not she should. Something was drawing her there.

As she drew nearer and the music grew louder, Rey began to hear a great number of voices. It was a party of some kind. Rey had never been to a party before. A beautiful crystal staircase led to the entry. She could almost hear someone calling her name. When she lifted her foot to take the first step, she noticed she was wearing a dress.

It was dark green, shimmering in the lights. The material reminded her of something she would have worn on Jakku, soft and delicate, though the material was pulled straight up into a halter rather than wrapped in a crisscross across her chest. It did, however, crisscross over her abdomen. The material gripped her waist tightly then flowed freely to her feet in soft pleats. A sparkling, translucent green train flowed from her back. The breeze picked up, and loose tendrils of hair tickled her cheeks, the skirt and train dancing around her as she climbed each step. Rey reached up to secure her hair, but it stayed in place. She ran her fingers over the twisted tresses and realized they were fashioned in an elaborate braid across the crown of her head and three braided buns in the back.

Lifting her dress, she ran up the last few steps. She felt like she was floating as her feet brought her closer to...what? What had brought her there? What would she find beyond the tall, arching doors that separated her from the party? Before she could lose her nerve, the doors opened, and she stepped inside.

As she walked into the grand, vaulted room, the world almost seemed to sharpen around her. The guest's faces were covered in intricate masquerade masks matching the wedding colors of greens, whites, and greys. They danced in the center of the room to a live band of various alien species. Floating lanterns bobbed in the air above them, casting the dancers in vibrant hues. Attendees not on the dance floor stood around fountains and buffets of food that could have fed her for an entire year. She considered spending the rest of her dream there, but she caught sight of a little boy dressed all in black, darting in between the guests. His dark curls bounced as he moved in and out of view. Something familiar about the boy caused her breath to catch.

Ben?

"Rey!"

She turned to find Rose in a beautiful white dress that darkened into a deep ombre green below her knees. A delicate string of crystals wrapped around her waist. The top portion was designed similar to Rey's dress, though Rose's dress had a beautiful sheer lace that ran the length of her arms. Her hair was arranged in soft curls around her shoulders. The left side was braided loosely back behind her ear, pinned in place by a sparkling green lace flower. Her white masquerade mask contained the same green lace as the flower and crystals from the strand around her waist. Her smile lit up the room, she was positively glowing. Rose grasped her crescent medallion around her neck, ensuring her sister's memory was part of her special day.

It's their wedding day.

Her friend held another mask in her outstretched hand. "Where have you been, and would you please put this back on?" Rose asked in hushed tones.