11 Mother of Darkness

The scenery blazed around them like a world on fire and Ben fought to keep his growing fear in check. Through the force bond, Rey was quite aware of this and helped to bury the feeling, knowing very well the risk of it. Wordlessly, she stroked the damp, dark locks of hair between his ears, which perked up now on high alert as they abruptly stopped at a cliffs edge. Next to them was a dead tree, as tall as a tower but no lush branches to provide any shelter. The cliff hung over a sparkling silver stream, which seemed wildly out of place; even for this strange magical realm. The scorched grounds beneath the feet of the great wolf was now like physically standing on a bed of hot coals. Without even a warning, Ben dove into it, with Rey flailing in protest on his back. Awkward splashing and laughter filled the strange land as the wolf and the wanderer played in the stream like children. Ben lovingly gazed upon Rey through the borrowed eyes of the wolf; internally tearing himself apart, as he wanted to give her absolutely everything.

"We're still not safe here, Rey." Was all he could manage to say and he literally hated himself for attempting to end the moment.

A loud crack of thunder almost completely broke the happy interlude into pieces, but an unaffected Rey had never felt this way before in her entire life. Feeling the eyes of Ben on her, she shyly stripped off her clothes to wring them out; purposely letting the wolf devour the awkward moment. As she carefully dressed and re-tied her hair, she nervously caught the smoldering candle-lit gaze. Rey and Ben were both caught completely on fire by the sparks of the moment and their minds burned together with the ferocity of a bonfire. The wolf almost growled as if Ben had lost focus momentarily; forgetting how to speak. Knowingly red from all the heat of the passion -filled moment Rey tripped over her words, "I-I need to be with you, Ben.." "I know you are here somewhere...I-I can feel it!"

Another crack of thunder ripped open the crimson edged sky, and it began to rain like fire, burning the scavenger's already blooming red cheeks. "I will never leave you again," Ben's shaking voice was as potent as a solemn vow, "You are now mine; and I am forever yours to keep." The Wolf and the Wanderer retreated to the inner solace that was their force bond as they continued on through the blistering rain. Barren, dusty wastelands faded away into more rugged and rocky terrain; amid strange smoky foothills and almost dead grasslands. Whilst in each other's minds, Ben showed Rey a glimpse of his true form; deep in meditation, in an ancient monastery atop the tallest mountain. The careless but poignant act caused a ripple in the spell that seemed to bind the wolf and Ben together as one; within in a flash of white light, the massive wolf stopped abruptly; due to the conflict of energies.

Rey screamed in horror as the beautiful wolf collapsed beneath her; the beast had appeared to have been struck by lightning and a corresponding sharp pain in her side told her it was real. Letting out a ragged sigh, the great wolf was fading fast; the sanctuary of the force bond had abruptly shattered, leaving Rey completely alone. Leaping down from the back of the lifeless wolf and quickly igniting her lightsaber; Rey searched with frantic, tear-filled eyes for signs of danger. The shock of losing Ben started to set in and she felt the power of her lifeforce waning from the weight of her breaking heart.

Ben Solo's eyes snapped open, his head still ringing with the screams of the woman he'd just promised himself to.  He tried desperately to reconnect with the loyal wolf companion he'd bonded with upon his first arrival into the magical purgatory that was Mortis. It was the Wolf that had led him to the monastery to seek solace from the literal hell his grandfather had sent him to. Sadly the beast appeared to be dead and unresponsive. I know what I must do; I cannot hesitate. Ben quickly left the sanctuary of the mountain monastery; he was dressed simply like a Skywalker: black training robes and tall black boots. He also wielded his newly constructed lightsaber, similar to the older model but a brilliant blue. Wishing he had some sort of transportation or even a new beast to tame, Ben gathered what was left of his slowly fading strength.

Somehow a familiar but indomitable spirit rose up in Ben as he practically slid down the steep slopes as if he were surfing a giant wave of earth like a demigod. His heart hammered in his ears and Ben felt as if he were chewing it now inside his own mouth; unable to reconnect with his beloved Rey.

"Grandfather..." Ben muttered quietly to himself, hoping to summon the force ghost of Anakin Skywalker. "Please.." The act of projecting himself and mind-walking with the Wolf had significantly drained his power and he was now re-living the nightmare of leaving her all alone, again. The clear atmosphere of the mountains was long gone and Ben found himself choking now on the hot smoky air of the wasteland; the boiling rain glued his midnight colored locks of hair to his face. Ben begged the force to keep Rey safe until he could locate her; praying to any gods that would listen, to find her, before it was too late; for both of them.

Rey grit her teeth with the same tension in which she gripped the handle of her trusty lightsaber; seemingly her only hope in sight. The agony of losing

the wolf companion had nearly crippled her, draining the potency of her force powers that she had tried; but still failed to reconnect with Ben. The blistering rainstorm was practically scalding her skin now as she searched for shelter amongst the rocky wasteland around her. The sky was a shimmering black ink puddle now with strange clouds forming at the edges; turning to a purplish, incandescent heavy smoke. A short walk from the body of the fallen wolf, Rey could barely see an alcove, tucked carefully into a stone encrusted hillside. She quickly ducked inside of it, having barely enough room to sit down; she longer could contain her overflowing sadness. The wanderer wept violently as she sought comfort in the coolness of the smooth stones around her, soothing her burnt skin.

Outside, the smoky purplish clouds had conjured itself into a humanoid form and appeared to be made out of an absorbing darkness and glittering galaxies of stars. The dark creature had no true facial features other than a pair of intense eyes that burned like two effervescent supernovae.  The supernatural visitor walked a few circles around the fallen wolf; ritualistically, and the body disappeared behind it. The lurking darkness had been following the scavenger since Solace. Sensing a disturbance in the force, Rey looked up in horror from her hiding spot and the sight of the wolf fading away caused her to gasp out loud. The sensation of absolute terror clashed horribly with the sympathetic motherly vibes that radiated from the unnamed darkness now nearly in front of the alcove shelter. Rey looked indirectly at the strange mass of stars and dark matter before her, partially afraid of any direct eye contact with unknown supernatural forces. The only thing more prevalent on her mind was the devastating disappearance of Ben, the fresh memory angered her now enough to stand up and face the entity directly. "What the hell do you want from me?!" The force of Rey's anger was even startling to herself as she continued to keep her hand firmly on the hilt of her lightsaber.

Abeloth appeared to be unaffected by the sour mood of the scavenger girl and spoke with a borrowed voice that Rey hadn't heard since she had hugged Leia goodbye before the fateful trip to Exegol.  "Your focus determines your reality," the cryptic message spoken in the tone of her former master and Ben's mother hung maliciously in the night air between them.