The darkness was overwhelming. Bars surrounded Rey, she felt trapped. Palpatine had captured her using her moment of weakness in Leia's death as a distraction. The pain had connected with Ben on different levels, so much that he had fainted from the shock and hurt. She didn't know how long they had been in there, her guess was no more than a couple of minutes, but still the darkness filled her mind.
The cell had rock walls and two stone rectangles that looked like beds, there was gloom at the back and on the wall, it looked like there was some sort of dry liquid smeared across it, Rey's guess: blood. As soon as she was let go off and thrown onto the solid ground, the girl had ignored the pain and hurried over to Ben whose face was just visible in the shadow. As Rey scrambled, a foul laugh of evil filled the air and the emperor's voice echoed through the blackness.
"Here you will rot my dear Granddaughter, until you come to your senses and strike me down, taking my soul inside of your body and finishing what the Sith have always dreamed of."
Hooking her hands around his armpits, Rey dragged Ben over to one of the beds, hauling his muscular body onto the rock. Dust was picked up along the way and the girl could have sworn she heard some sort of rodent slither across the corners of the room.
"Ben" she whispered.
"Ben."
She stroked his hair out of his eyes and ran the back of her knuckles down his scar, there was no doubt that Palpatine had been the one to send Lillia that night, he had wanted to test Kylo's strength, in doing so he had killed Kylo Ren, and revived Ben Solo. The man that Rey was holding was Ben Solo, he was home.
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A few day later...
Ben's eyes blurred open. he was met with darkness, gloom that he should have known by now, but did not recognise. He sat up. He was lying on some kind of stone block. He could feel cold air all around him, but he seemed to be warm. Ben looked down, Rey was next to him, she had her back pressed against his front and was asleep as she held one of his hands in her own. Without even thinking Ben wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer, she moved her head automatically into his chest. She hadn't woken, but he could see dry trails of warm tears on her innocent face that lead him to believe he was lying there because of her. They both seemed covered in dust, the past events came back to Ben. Had he really fainted? Why... his mother.
Why had he felt the pain of her passing, well, he knew why, he was her son, and the thing was, he didn't feel any Kylo Ren inside of himself, only Solo. The pain had been him and Leia, but a nagging feeling sensed that another felt the same, one that had already seen heaps of sorrows. Luke. Not only that, but Ben knew where his uncle was, his location that he had been trying to find for years, that probably meant Luke knew where he was, that might not be a terrible thing. Looking at Rey, Ben realised that he would do anything for the girl, even if it meant facing Luke after all these years.
Suddenly, Ben felt a squirm from Rey. She wriggled around to face the man. Her eyes flickered open slowly. Ben let a small smile grace his face, Rey grinned.
"You're awake. It's been days" she whispered.
"Stating the obvious, are we?" he whispered back, jokingly.
Rey giggled a little. Then her face saddened, and she looked deep into his eyes.
"What's going to happen, Ben?" she asked. "How are we going to get out."
Ben signed and pulled Rey into a hug.
"We'll find a way" he answered.
He felt her heart drop against his chest. As he lifted her chin their eyes locked.
"Rey, listen to me" he began, whispering and unblinking. "We are the two strongest people left in this galaxy, and I intend to save it alongside you so that darkness can fall, so that we can live together in peace. I've said it before, but I really do love you, Rey."
"I love you more" she replied.
"I love you most" he spoke, planting the lightest kiss on the top of her head and cradling it in his hands against his chest, just like Han use to do to Leia.
A loud bang at the bar doors made the two jump. They sat up and saw one of the emperor's guards unlocking the entrance. Ben stood up, looking angry and prepared for a fight, Rey followed, it was then that she felt the weight of her lightsaber on her belt, she looked at Ben, he was still armed as well. They held hands, sharing a force conversation in their mind about why Palpatine would allow them to keep their weapons, he was not against them, only wanting them to join him.
"My lord, Emperor Palpatine, has requested both of your presences" the guard spoke.
"Requested?" said Ben, his voice growing icy.
"Indeed" the guard said.
"We're not going anywhere" said Rey, her voice was strong, just like it always had been.
The guard nodded to one of his comrades who came in and pulled Ben's arms behind him, pushing him out of the room. Another guard came and did the same to Rey.
"Get your hands off me!" she struggled, kicking the guard hard.
"Don't you dare hurt her!" shouted Ben.
The guards ignored his threat. He was about to shout back something a lot more threatening when the familiar cackling came. Ben and Rey had been pushed to kneel in front of a throne that literally had darkness clouding around it. Sharp rock spears exploded from the seat on which Palpatine sat, his hood drooped over his wrinkled grey face, it was a sickening sight, one that couldn't have held more evil.
They knelt beside each other, Ben trying to move closer to Rey.
"How lovey to see you two friends again" the emperor spoke, standing from his throne and striding down to his company. "My dear, I don't know what to say" he said looking at Rey. "I have had many visions of how this conversation was to go, and my my, I think I have just had another one." He let out a pleasured sigh. "Can you possibly imagine a miracle or something similar that provided the world with a grand deed to evil, to the Sith?"
"Where is this going" snarled Ben.
Palpatine laughed.
"Oh, my dear boy" he laughed, Ben narrowed his eyes at the words. "I shall speed it up then, I wouldn't want to waste your time, your grandfather was the same; always rushing around, extremely impatient, but always getting the job done. You see, we had one huge similarity, Vader and I, we were both strong, invincible, even apart, but eventually Vader had to come to an end, but I have a had a vision, what if there was one who had the blood of both... a Skywalker, and Palpatine, of course that could only be possible one way, one way that I would be willing to force... a child... between the both of you."
Rey looked at Ben. She could tell he was deliberately avoiding eye contact and had blocked her off from his thoughts. Now that she thought about it, a child between the two would be catastrophic to the world, and a huge advantage to the dark side, who knows how much power the child would have with the force remarkably strong in both parents.
"No? No replies?" cackled the emperor. His filthy smile faded from his face "Well then, let me make one." He flashed out his hands into the air, crumpled grim arms showing, and lifted Ben into the air, lightning came from his fingertips and struck Ben with pain.
Ben clapped his mouth shut, trying desperately to block the screams of hurt that threatened to fly out. Rey sprung to her feet yelling at the top of her voice.
"LET HIM GO."
But Palpatine only took control of her body as well. She didn't have as much control, her cries hurdled out of her as the lightning power struck at her chest and across her body. Palpatine thrust his arms further into the air, causing more power to blast out, Ben screamed with Rey from the pain.
"That's right, I was the one who sent your little friend Lillia, I was the one who controlled Snoke all along, I was the one who brought you two together, and I am the one who is going to change your lives forever!" Palpatine announced, applause and cheers came from around the area in which they were in. Rey and Ben hadn't even noticed they had company.
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They were back in their cell, both knocked out from the pain. Palpatine had been cackling away as he thought of the future he could have with a Palpatine and Skywalker child. A few hours later, Rey and Ben were both awake, Ben was trying to find a way out and constantly attempting to slice the cell bar with his sabre, but every time he drew it, and the red light met his eyes, he was remined of everything he had done, and his mother.
Rey was the same, always thinking about Leia, praying that she was alright. She watched Ben, but only spoke to him a few times. They had shut each other off from their force bond and she sat there miserable. Rey's mind could not stay away from the fact that the emperor wanted them to have a child, she could understand how much chaos it would cause, but deep down she knew that it would have to be discussed eventually.
They slept on their beds, but Rey could tell that Ben received no rest, no sleep at all, she could feel his sadness, how almost ever piece of him was dead, except his heart, they hadn't even spoken of how they had exchanged the word that meant so much.
"I love you."
One day, morning or evening, they didn't know, a guard opened the cell doors. Ben jumped to his feet, prepared to murder anyone who stepped in his way, instead, Palpatine himself came, he took Rey using the force. Rey looked behind at Ben, who gave an assuring nod, the emperor wouldn't kill her, they both knew it.
Rey was before the throne again, a fierce look on her face as the Emperor circled her and then stood in front.
"Rey, my dear, I know that you wish to go back to your room so I will say it quickly." Began the emperor. "When I used my power against you and the Solo boy, I extracted life force from you both. I took the means needed to create a child and I put it into your body, you know carry the new hope, for the darkness."
"What?" breathed Rey.
"You are to have a child, nine months from now, like any other, except not. Your child I can already feel will be strong in the force, and in evil. A queen you shall be, and Kylo Ren as your king. Darkness with rule once more."
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Little Rapunzel reference in there- I just love those lines so much >.<
Hope you enjoyed the chapter; I'd love to hear your thoughts. Rey is going to have a child!