The Balance Between Us - A Reylo

Chapter 35

Ben

I felt my father's presence leave me and Snoke's menacing voice return. In my minds eye, I could see him, a black form almost like a parasite latched onto the deepest recesses of my mind. I brandished my saber and he laughed cruelly.

"Foolish child. I should have known you would never succeed."

"I have succeeded." I yelled at him. "I killed you, I killed Skywalker, I brought peace to the galaxy. I succeeded where my grandfather failed! I finished what he started. And you, I no longer fear." I pushed at the back of my mind with all the mite I could, I infused every thing that was ever good in my life into pushing back the real monster who had plagued my life.

Snoke's lingering presence fought back at me. I felt the blood in my veins rush to my head, pounding harder with each effort I gave at eradicating Snoke from my mind.

"Pathetic child. I cannot be beaten. You do not have the tenacity, nor the strength to forever be rid of me!"

"I don't need to be rid of you," I growled at him, "I just have to accept both the light and the dark to be who I want to be."

"And who is that, young Solo?"

I pushed with the Force, "The person I was meant to be... Ben Solo, son of Leia Organa Solo and Han Solo, grandson of Padme Naberrie, Queen Amidala of Naboo and Anakin Skywalker, Lord Vader. I am both the dark and the light in equal measure. You have no power over me anymore!"

Rey

Everything moved in slow motion. One minute Ben was lying on the floor convulsing with a dark aura...  

"FINN!!!!"

I blinked, feeling tears welling in my eyes. Finn was stood between Zira Ren and Ben, lightsaber impaling him through the chest. "Rey." He wheezed.

"Finn." I breathed quietly feeling the darkness within me bubble. I screamed at Zira Ren and pushed at her with the Force, I couldn't see anything... Just red and darkness. I pulled at the dead Knight's lightsaber and took it as I charged at Zira. They had stripped me of my own when I was overpowered. Zira Ren had barely any time to defend herself against me, my teeth were gritted together hard and my eyes clouded as I listened to the harsh breathing of my best friend, my first friend.

Zira Ren laughed crookedly as I pushed against her hard: "This suits you, Jedi scum!"

"I will never be one of you." I spat.

Zira's yellow eyes grew hungrier, "But you are - you always have been. I sense a void inside of you, a pit of eternal darkness that grows with each second you hold that saber With each second that you choose to avenge the ones you love."

"At least my anger doesn't come from a place of hate, it comes from love... From the light and goodness in this galaxy, something you could never understand."

Our sabers locked in combat, we whirled around in the small space, I tried to avoid the growing pool of scarlet liquid and Ben's groaning form. I pulled out of the lock quickly and kicked Zira across the chest surely winding her. She fell to the ground with a thud and I advanced on her like a nexu would it's prey. Zira pulled her saber up to block my attack but it was of no use, I beat at her again and again, pounding my saber into hers until she lost her grip and I was able to slice off her saber hand. She caterwauled in agony clutching desperately at the stub on the end of her forearm. I pulled my saber up for the killing strike....

"STOP!!!"

My body froze. Every sinew, every fibre of my muscles. All of them tightened.

"This isn't you, Rey."

The voice was soft. I tried to turn around but I couldn't.

"The Resistance could do more to her alive. Think of all the lives she took--"

"Then she is better off dead." I just about ground out of my stiffening mouth.

"No," The voice sounded closer this time, "Valuable information could be learnt and then the necessary attempts at a trial can be given."

Groaning sounds distracted me for a moment, "Kerra's right Rey. Don't give in to that void, come back to me." It was Ben. I felt his hands clutch around my own raised ones as he pried the saber from my hands. Tears welled in my eyes as regret and remorse filled me up. Whatever metaphysical force was holding me up, released and I slumped back into Ben's arms and sobbed. "Shh, shh." Ben cooed in my ear.

I looked past my comfortable cage and saw Finn's still bleeding form on the floor. I yelped and slumped down crawling to him. I turned his limp head to face me, his eyes flickered open, "Rey?"

"It's me, Finn." I sobbed. "Why...?"

Finn cracked a pained smile at me, "Hope, light, Force."

I held his face close to me, "Oh, Finn."

"Tell Rose I'm sorry. Tell Poe that he'll always be a flyboy no matter," He coughed, blood bubbling in his throat, "How serious he tries to... be."

"Don't talk that way! You're going to be OK." He shook his head gently. "No!" I sobbed, "You can't abandon me, Finn."

"I would never," He raised his hand to my heart and placed it there, "You'll always find me. I understand that now. Everything, I see it clearly."

Finn

There would never be enough time to explain to Rey why I chose to save Ben Solo. I just hoped with the few words I could manage that they would both understand. Everything Rey had enlightened me on, the Force and how neither side can exist without the other...

The pain in my chest eased slightly and I felt my vision blur. I had never feared death, I knew the cost of sacrifice. My sacrifice was offered a second time to give hope to those even in the most darkest of places, that there is always light to guide the way.

Ben

Rey let out a caterwaul as she felt Finn go limp in her arms. For perhaps the first time in my life, I felt grateful. Grateful that I had been given a second chance, a chance to atone for my sins in the darkness. I even felt acceptance and love...

My core felt balanced, a perfect harmony of dark and light. Nothing in life is as black and white as it seems, not even the Force. I know that now. For peace to exist, the Force has to be balanced. Finn knew that and he chose to sacrifice himself for the galaxy to come together.

I held Rey close to me, let her tears dampen my tunic shirt. This was all I needed, acceptance and a family who truly loved me.

I looked past Rey and in the corner of the room, I saw a blur, a blue haze forming. The apparition of Luke and my grandfather stood clearly before me. Luke looked straight at me and nodded, a quiet understanding passing between us, that Rey and myself had managed to balance the Force and help achieve a degree of peace in the galaxy....