Chapter 42.

She took off running.

To where? She wasn't sure.

All she could feel was his presence around her, the familiar calm and peace he brought with him everywhere he went. She had only met him once, yet she was so excited to see him again.

'Rey?

She felt Kylo call to her mind, refusing to answer him until she found her friend.

Rey continued running, questioning if she was running in circles. She scoffed at the idea that maybe it's what Chirrut intended...

Rey found herself back at the hut, looking across the large, empty field and still coming up with no sight of him. Sighing out of frustration, Rey let her eyes slowly close as she channeled the force, letting it lead the way.

Behind her, she could hear Kylo making his way to her, annoyance rolling off of every heavy step he took.

Her body was still flushed from their closeness, from their kiss. The pleasure she had felt with just his mouth on hers alone made her dizzy, and she could not deny she was eager for more...

However, now was not the best time.

Slowing her steps, Rey found herself across the field, making her way past tons of tall trees, their branches and leaves casting shadows over her as she walked to a part of the land she had not yet explored.

From where she stood nearly a mile away, she could hear the door slam as Kylo left the hut, making her stomach clench. Glancing back towards him, from a distance she saw he was now dressed in his long sleeve tunic, his shoulders draped with his cloak.

Sighing, she continued to follow the force.

Eventually, Rey heard waves of water lapping in the distance, the smell of it filling the air as she breathed. The view was lovely, a long, wide river escaping farther than her own eye could see, the water as blue as an empty sky.

For a moment, Rey forgot the task at hand, until she heard his voice call out from beside her.

"It's a beautiful sight isn't it?" he asked, his crystal blue eyes staring off into the distance. Rey jumped, unaware that he was there, or even so close. "If only I could see it." he chuckled.

Rey stared at him in disbelief, baffled that he was so amused by his own predicament, but Rey quickly decided that it was what made him...well, him.

Her grin returned as she threw her arms around him, hugging him tight as he timidly moved to do the same, chuckling as he fully embraced her as well.

"Ah, little Rey. You have gotten yourself in much trouble, haven't you?" he asked.

Rey pulled back to look at him, seeing that his face was turned in the direction of the hut. Turning behind her, she watched as Kylo stepped out from the woods, slowly observing the two as he hesitantly made his way towards her, on guard.

The corner of her mouth twitched with a smile as she turned back to Chirrut.

"Chirrut, this is Ben." She said, stepping away to take her place besides Kylo. "Ben, this is Chirrut."

Rey caught the way Kylo's jaw tensed, eager to correct the name she introduced him under.

Teeth clenched, Kylo gave a quick, single nod to the man.

"Oh, I know. In any other lifetime, you'd have to convince me this was not Han. But, in this one, this is solely Ben Solo."

Rey smiled at that, a shimmer of hope illuminating her world.

Kylo, however, tried his best not to narrow his eyes at the man.

"Chirrut, what are you doing here?" Rey asked, her eyes watching him with amusement. "I mean... I'm happy you're here... I'm sorry for the way I acted previously...It was just... Well, it wasn't the best time."

Chirrut smiled, glancing away and back off into the distance.

"Don't worry, little Rey. You did good. You met your purpose, as I have mine."

Rey looked at him, confused.

Just then, she felt an odd energy around her...

"Your purpose?" Rey asked, distracted.

Chirrut nodded. "Yes, in escorting our guest."

Kylo's head turned, catching the soft gaze of another girl in the distance. His brow furrowed as his hand slowly made his way to his lightsaber.

Slowly, Rey's head turned as well, her eyes settling down on Kai, her skin glowing in the sun, her robes curling around the bottom of her feet. Kai's eyes shined, brimming with tears as she smiled at Rey, who was watching her in shock, stumbling her way towards her.

Kylo and Chirrut looked on, Kylo giving her a glance here and there.

He was ... confused, to say the least. He knew their presence here was not true, and for a moment, he wondered if it were a mind trick. However, when he did a quick check, he felt awake and in tune with his senses.

Right then, he knew.

Force ghosts.

Something he had never experienced... No one ever appeared to him, except for Luke...For a second, Kylo felt a sting of jealousy as he wondered if he were too weak to experience anything like this.

"If that were true, you would not be able to see me now." Chirrut said.

Kylo looked towards the man, half annoyed, half intrigued, crossing his arms as he waited for him to continue, fighting the urge not to attack the man for peering into his thoughts.

"I've called to one before, he refused my plea. It's nothing but a Jedi game." Kylo sneered, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, it is never a game. Though it is for the Jedi, indeed." Chirrut purred.

Kylo scoffed. "I'm no Jedi."

At this, Chirrut turned his gaze directly to Kylo, as if he was granted sight for just a moment, his crystal blue eyes landing directly on Kylo Ren's. For a moment, even the briefest moment, Kylo froze.

"Hmm." Chirrut answered, a small, knowing smile creeping on his face before he turned back towards the river, listening to the water lap against the dirt mounds.

Kylo followed his gaze, trying his best to brush off the man's expression, feeling the familiar frustration rolling into his nerves just as Rey met Kai's open arms behind him.

"I can't believe it...Kai, I'm...I'm-" Rey sobbed into Kai's shoulder, each woman holding the other.

"No, Rey, don't apologize." Kai moved back, taking Rey's face in her hands as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You did good, Rey. You did great."

Rey tried her best to return the smile Kai was displaying, though Rey couldn't help the sadness as it crept through when she shook her head. "It wasn't worth it, Kai. I failed you. I couldn't sa-"

"Enough. Our goal was to track the First Order, and get that information back to Leia. You said we could trust Ben, and we did. We still do. Rey, because of you, the galaxy has a chance to survive on much more than hope, a hope that you brought to light to begin with."