Manipulation (Kylo x Reader)

Chapter 7 - Mustafar

I remained quiet on the way there, unwilling to upset him. His mind was mostly blocked to me, a few little thoughts slipping through occasionally. Mostly, I just sensed his emotions. There was anxiety, some anger, and a whole lot of determination. The mixture had me confused, and a bit anxious myself.

When I landed, the dark side was so very heavy, it's weight trying to pull me down. Up on a cliff was a huge black building, strikingly similar to the command shuttle. I could feel souls as I stepped off the ramp onto the landing pad that he'd instructed me to land on. It didn't even lead to anything, the platform was just gone.

I spun around, taking in the scene and the aura of the planet. It was fucking hot. I was grateful I wasn't wearing my flight suit—it would be sticking to me in all the wrong places.

The lava was like river rapids, splashing violently below. It was... beautiful. And terrifying. Like Kylo.

I turned to look at him at the thought. He was just standing there, staring at me though his mask. I didn't hate the mask, but I hated not being able to see his face. However, I didn't need it to know what he was feeling.

"What do you think?" his modulated voice rang out.

"Honestly?"

"Obviously." Surprisingly, he didn't sound annoyed.

"It's beautiful."

He flared, his body seeming to grow taller as his presence in the force followed suit.  "How can you say that if you live in the light?"

"Kylo!" I finally snapped. "You can't have one without the other! It would be like being allowed to eat, but never drink. Why would you want to only reach half of your potential?"

"It's not the same thing! How can you gleam power from both sides?" His rage was building, and I thought the wind was picking up, but maybe it was my imagination.

After a deep breath, I took a step toward him and slipped off my glove.

"Let me show you," I said over the wind, reaching my hand out.

He hesitated before taking his own glove off. Our fingertips touched, and I closed my eyes. Once I knew for sure he was with me, his impatience flailing, I mentally melted into the planet.

I walked with the dark side, observing it, showing him what I saw.

The raging lava that used to power so much; the xandanks and lava fleas and lava eel; the battle that took place between two Jedi; the long gone victims of Vader, many of them Jedi. And of course, Vader himself, seemingly left a presence, like a cloud around his fortress.

I gasped as I watched it, a mere second in real time, too long, in my mind. Then I reached further, and I found the light, in the form of a pregnant woman, screaming for Anakin. There was Obi-Wan, still on the ship, and even two droids that brought light to the dark planet, in their own way. But that was it from the last 300 years of the planet's history. There was little light.

I focused back on the fleas. In my mind: do you see those?

Yes, his voice said in my head. It was sultry, it made me focus falter for a moment.

I imagined the world with the Kongo still inhabiting it. A massive, terrifying, dark beast employed by the Empire. It was dark, yet, it kept the population of fleas and xandanks down, so other small species were able to live, including sentients. Even on this twisted, dark planet, light did occasionally shine through. If it didn't, it would die.

Exactly like it was.

The planet was tearing itself apart without the light. I showed him what has changed in the last 300 years, how the planet has degraded further, how the core is snapping, the species dying. The sentient inhabitants have fled, knowing this. If they'd remained, the planet may have begun to slowly heal itself. But their departure had been the final blow to the planet's ecosystem.