Forget Me Not (Kylo Ren Story)

A Faded Tombstone

Athena felt as if she was poisoned. She was tainted with the only thing she had ever wanted and what most people would kill to forget, memories. Sobbing into the comfort of the bed, she allowed herself to relive every memory that had returned. Her sweet parents perishing before her very eyes. General Organa practically raising her. If it had been another time, under different circumstances she would have laughed. The truth had been so close, within arms reach the whole time. But the cost of replaying those memories, was him . Athena could feel every touch, every kiss, every single nerve being ignited when that monster had touched her. She could feel the inner conflict, her emotions trying to contradict themselves. The young naive girl who was hopelessly in love with the black haired boy and the strong Resistance fighter who viewed that man as the enemy, were fighting for dominance within. She was suffocating, her lungs were heaving against her chest as a storm wreaked havoc inside her mind. Squeezing her eyes shut, she begged for silence. She hiccuped harshly, that monster's sweet brown eyes circled around in her storm. "P-Please make it go away..." She whimpered into the quiet confines of the room. As if her pleas were heard, Athena's sobs began to quiet down, her mind falling into a false sense of tranquility. Before she drifted off into sleep, she felt another presence, someone suffering as well.

Kylo shuttered when he entered the house, hearing sobs echoed throughout. With a sigh of defeat, he slumped down onto the light blue couch, listening to the anguish in her cries. He could feel the disturbance in the Force; the fear, sorrow, and regret that enclosed around her aura. Kylo felt tears prick the corner of his eyes. He shook his head in disgust, what had he expected? That she would greet with open arms? That she would still want to be with him? That she would still love him? Athena Jinn had loved Ben Solo and Athena Stryker detested the forsaken Kylo Ren. They were not the same anymore, Athena Jinn and Ben Solo had died in the Jedi Temple Fire just as Chandrila was led to believe. Someone new had emerged from the flames that night, for the both of them. Yet he had been foolish enough to believe she would still love him after everything. He could not help the hope, the light, that blossomed inside him from the moment he laid eyes on her in the forest. Kylo still could not fathom that she was alive. He watched part of the temple crumble down on top of her, he felt her presence fade from existence, he watched her be carted through the streets of Hanna. He had mourned her every day, his anger and desire for revenge urging him to continue through all the pain. He suffered at the hands of Snoke, buried his pain to please his abusive Master, killed his own father, fought Rey, all to seek his revenge.

And yet, his love was alive and within such close proximity the entire time. She had been right under his nose all this time and yet he had never sensed her. Kylo did not want to imagine all the times she could have died at the cause of his hands. She had been hidden in the mine on Crait during his face off with his uncle. She was on the main cruiser when his troops and him had attacked during their evacuation from their D'Qar base. She was one of the many pilots that had ambushed his squadron on Takodana, when he was searching for the BB unit. Kylo could not stomach the what if, the thought, if she had been on Hosnian during the cataclysm of the system. She was even friends with that Resistance pilot he had captured on Jakku, the one who escaped with the traitorous Stormtrooper, and yet he did not find her in his memories. It was as if she had been hidden from him, leaving no evidence behind that she ever survived. It must of been a punishment from the Maker or the Force, for all his sins, to have her so close, but never truly have her. Despite the horribly long absence, he still needed her. He needed her to breathe, to survive, to live. There had been so many mistakes in his life, choices he had made, but she was never one. Kylo closed his eyes trying to drown out her sorrow and find peace in his chaotic mind.

"Ben! Oh Ben Solo!" Ben opened his eyes just in time to see Athena jumping on him. "It's time to get your lazy ass out of bed!" She attempted to say sternly, but her smile broke through her weak facade. Ben grinned wiping the sleep lingering in his eyes, wanting to admire the exquisite girl above him. The early morning sun streamed into his hut, casting a beautiful golden halo onto her dark brown hair. Her blue eyes glowed in admiration and her smile illuminating her features even more so. Ben felt like he had been gifted with angel... "Lay with me?" He spoke up, voice raspy. He pulled on her arms causing her to collapse down into his embrace. "Ben!" She protested. "Five minutes!" Athena groaned as his arms tightened around her. She muttered a small "fine" and Ben grinned, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. She giggled pressing a longer kiss to his chapped lips. "What am I going to do with you, Spaceboy?"