A Song Of Light and Darkness - Book One: Dawn Of New Force

Chapter 11: "Alone, never you were meant to fight."

  Author's note: the image is not mine

   "Rey!" he whispered as he saw her collapsed on the hard stone floor. His voice almost broke when he called out her name and saw her eyes closed, as if she was fast asleep.

   He dropped to his knees and approached her, heavy breaths coming out of his mouth. He struggled hard not to cry right then, next to her. She couldn't be... No...

   His hand reached out to touch hers.

   "Rey..." he sobbed. And he began to stroke her fingers. But she lay still. As If she couldn't feel the touch, as if she were... No! Ben blocked the thought from his mind.

   "I'm here... Rey, I'm here, I'm with you." he whispered again, trying desperately to break the eerie silence that hung over them. He placed one hand on the back of her head, the other wrapped around her waist.

   As he cradled her in his arms, his lips found her forehead and gave her a long kiss. "I'm here, Rey. Please hold on." he had forgotten that they were in a place where he supposed that the jedi could see almost anything. But all he cared about now, was Rey.

   Then his fingers began to stroke her soft hair and her face. His hand trembled as he realized that her skin was cold. Yet her loving heart was still beating; though he could say she was in shock.

   There was a strange light protruding through the stone ceiling, Ben noticed as some white small things like flakes began to fall slowly upon them. It seemed to be ash at first view, but it wasn't. It was something as he had never seen, and those crystals fell on Rey's face, making it seem like she wore a silver mask in that light.

   His hand cupped her cheek as he nestled her head in the crook of his neck. And as if seeking his warmth, her nose brushed against his skin. Only it hadn't been her intention; her head only lolled against him, as he cradled her unconscious body.

   And he felt a rush to protect her, to shield her. He shook her lightly as if rocking her to sleep, and buried his face in her hair.

   "Rey...wake up, please wake up." he kept whispering. And he didn't know whether he was rather telling it to her, or to himself, in his fear of losing her, to reassure himself she was going to be alright.

   He broke apart, and his thumb began to caress her cheek, tracing her jawline, and stroking her fair skin. Her cold skin, trying to rub some warmth in her.
   Whatever she had seen in that trial of hers, it had frightened her to death. And the shock of it was rooted too deep in her heart. Had she seen Tor Valum too, just like him?

   After placing another kiss between her eyes, right over her nose, his hand reached for hers. It was cold and limp and heavy as he began to rub and rose it to his lips.

   He kissed the back of her hand, then the inside, then her fingers. And held it close to his chest, as if it was the last string of her life he never wanted to let go of. Because he had seen her dead. And he had vowed to never let that happen again.
   
   And it would not.

   "Be with me." he whispered as he closed his eyes, chin resting on her head. "Be with me, be with me." he said again, faster this time.

   And after long moments, he could feel her stir a little. Or maybe it was only in his mind. Yet the next thing convinced him it was not.
   He could have sworn she had mumbled something indistinguishable against his chest. He  opened his eyes and, cradling her head in his palm against him, looked at her face.

   "Rey?" he asked, his voice small, thick with fear and relief at the same time.

   And the next thing, she tried to open her eyes. But it seemed to be a real struggle for her. And she could easily do it if she wanted, it was not like her eyelids were locked, but she was afraid.