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If she had not been in danger, her situation would have almost been laughable. Rey was surrounded by some of the most well-known, powerful leaders of the First Order. General Hux himself had deigned her such a bit of trouble that he himself had come to observe her, as well as a meek-looking man in the usual First Order uniform, and the one who had identified themselves as Captain Phasma. Man or woman, Rey could not tell, but she was amused beyond caring about the gender of some unknown First Order flunkie.
So much for being just a scavenger, she thought proudly to herself. Upon her departure from Ahch-To, stormtroopers had accosted her x-wing, almost causing her to crash. Surrounded by TIE fighters, she had nowhere to go but back to land once more. Once all the vehicles had touched ground, Rey exited her own, hands drawn toward the air. The leader cloaked in chrome armor had stood back quietly while their soldiers questioned Rey about Luke's whereabouts. He was not present on the island, thank the Force. He never disclosed his intended location with her, which turned out to be a blessing.
Once the troopers had grown frustrated with Rey's ignorance, they handcuffed her and lead her to the chrome-clad leader's fighter. From there, it was a silent flight back to the Star Destroyer with a single transmission identifying the chrome warrior as Captain Phasma, and they were alerting the Finalizer that she had precious cargo coming aboard.
Rey almost snorted out a laugh, precious cargo indeed. All of which led her back to the current situation, staring into three sets of eyes and determining who she could take out without too much of a fuss. The meek one seemed to be the easiest, but she had no weapon handy. Rey worked her hands trying to free herself from bondage, causing the wobbly metal chair to which she had been attached to creak dangerously. All sets of eyes seemed to widen at the effort, almost as though they were afraid of what she would do next.
Just as the thought of escape started to take shape, the hiss of a hydraulic door opening caught Rey's attention. Captain Phasma and the quiet one left with a nod to the man coming in, who could be none other than Kylo Ren himself. Rey no longer feared this masked beast, but that didn't mean she was any more comfortable in his presence. Ren took a few steps across the room toward General Hux and dismissed the general with a wave of his gloved hand.
Rey found herself alone with a man who was possibly one of the galaxy's most dangerous humans, and she couldn't stop the beads of sweat from creeping down her back. Death wasn't her primary fear; no, there were far worse things than death....
"I'm curious as to whether you allowed yourself to be captured this time." Ren's modulated voice held amusement tinged with aggravation.
"Jealous you weren't there to do it yourself?" Rey saw him working his gloved hands together into fists. It didn't take much to rile his anger.
"It doesn't matter who performed the task, the end result is the same. You are here now." He reached a hand out to touch her face, and she found herself mystified as his fingers skimmed gently across her cheek. "Running away won't stop your destiny, Rey."
She jerked away forcefully, bringing pain down her spine from the steel apparatus. "What do you want this time, Ren? You already knew where Luke was, but you missed him. I have nothing left for you." Kylo chuckled as though she was missing some inside joke. "What's so funny," she snapped.
"You have always been so impatient... and so direct with your time." Rey blinked, trying to understand where the conversation was headed.
"I would hardly think one past experience constitutes always," she scoffed. Kylo laughed darkly and reached for his helmet, detaching it in one swift motion. He laid his mask on a nearby table, watching as Rey scrambled to regain her neutral composure. His expression spelled frustration, though for what reason, Rey was lost. She couldn't help staring at her parting gift to him, the scar that marred his otherwise handsome face.
"You have no idea, do you?" Kylo's question was so low, she almost missed it. He turned his attention to her once more, eyes tinged with a bittersweet expression. "So much history, and you don't remember any of it."
"What are you rambling about?" Kylo looked at her with a hungry gaze, and Rey felt her insides squirming. She grew upset with her body, reminding it that he wasn't supposed to make her feel like this, regardless of how intimate his gazes were. With a wave of his hand, Kylo released the leather bonds that held Rey to her chair, allowing her to stand freely. She rubbed her arms to regain feeling and looked at him with so many unspoken questions. Kylo turned his back to her and took a deep breath, shaking his head.
"No one ever told you why you were able to enter my mind, did they?"
"No, there were no explanations."
"That's what I thought as well. But shortly after your departure," her eyes darted to his scar once more, "I found a far more intriguing explanation." Silence sat uncomfortably between them and Rey's stomach dropped, making her sick. He couldn't know, could he? Kylo turned to face her, looking more serene than he ever had. "Yes, I know about the dreams."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Her response was far too quick, and she knew it. There was no way he'd believe her now. So much for her Jedi training.
"Your secrets are safe, I'll tell no one. But I'll let you in on a little secret too." Kylo moved toward her, forcing her back against the steel apparatus once more. "I shared those dreams with you." Rey's mouth fell open, realizing what had happened.
"You've been in my head again! How dare you?!" She lunged forward to hit him with her fist, but he pushed her back, restraining her hands above her head. "Take your hands off me now, you monster." Kylo took a deep breath and blew it upward, rustling his long bangs.
"If you would listen to me for a moment, I could show you what I first saw. Before I projected the visions to you." His expression was one of seriousness, and Rey found herself reaching out to the Force. Nothing but truth came through, taking her by surprise. "Just hear me out," he whispered tightly. She looked at him, not quite ready to accept what she had seen, or what she knew was coming.
"Show me," Rey muttered, feeling that she would regret this choice momentarily. She closed her eyes and felt Kylo come into her mind with only a slight amount of pain. Perhaps what he said before was true; a struggle made the pain worse.
Rey opened her eyes as images flew by her, some blurring while others took shape. Kylo stood beside her unmoving, allowing her to take in the visions before them. Bits of conversations faded in and out of focus, making it hard for Rey to understand what was going on. She hadn't witnessed this in her own dreams.
"You manipulated me, I hate you Hades!"
"Well, if you hadn't frightened me, I wouldn't have run away!"
"Tell our story Christian, that way I'll-I'll always be with you."
"And I loved you. Yes, I loved you! I'd have follow anywhere you lead. I woke to swear my love, but found you gone instead!"
"Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow."
Rey recognized her own voice reciting these words, these broken bits of conversation. She looked over at Kylo, watching as a great collection of emotions took over him. Recognition, melancholy, and something else she was afraid to name exchanged across Kylo's marred face. She turned back and watched as scenes unfolded for her, showing where the voices had come from.
A lovely young Grecian woman picked a bouquet of wildflowers, humming peacefully to the friends that surrounded the area. Her face was the picture of serenity as she worked with the land, weeding out the field and manipulating the earth with her powers. Suddenly a hole erupted through the ground and out came a fiery chariot led by four horses. Hades himself headed straight for the girl and grabbed her with one precise swoop, dragging her to the Underworld through her screams and tears. Everything turned to darkness and with a cloud of smoke, another window opened.
"You haven't eaten anything, Persephone. Please, take something." Hades came up behind Persephone, lightly touching her shoulders. She didn't move at all, looking dejected as she turned to face him.
"Please Hades, take me home. I don't belong here. If you are not the monster they say you are, let me return to the earth." Hades stepped away from her with a sigh, dropping the pomegranate from his robes onto the floor. Persephone turned to see the fruit roll toward her across the floor, feeling the hunger deep in her bones. She began to tear at the flesh and threw three seeds into her mouth, all the while hearing a echoing rumble travel through the Underworld. That scene dissolved as well, showing that some time had passed.
"Mother, he didn't force me to eat the fruit. I ate of my own will." A formidable elder brunette woman stood in front of Hades and Persephone, looking haggard and angry. "I will come back with you."
"You can't," Demeter replied with anguish. "You've eaten the fruit of the dead, now you must stay here." Hades stepped forward, taking Persephone's hand. Demeter watched with fire in her eyes and gritted her teeth.
"She can return to the world of the living, but she would need to come back to me. I think we can work out an arrangement. Come." He led the two women to his throne room, where a schedule was planned so that Persephone would spend half the year on earth, and the other half she would spend with Hades.
Time flashed forward, showing Rey and Kylo the union of Hades and Persephone, two of the most unlikely gods to fall in love. Hades placed a crown of fresh flowers on Persephone's head and kissed her softly, gathering her close to his body. Rey gasped, realizing how far the two must have come to have gained such sweet intimacy.
Numerous scenes flashed in front of them, each depicting a different set of lovers.
A lovely brunette danced with a gentle beast, golden dress swirling around the both of them in time to the beat. He dipped her to the floor with large, hairy hands, and yet she laughed with such mirth.
Two young, inspired dreamers sang to each other in the moonlight, going back and forth about whether or not to fall in love. The woman's red waves flowed as she sang to the man in front of her, telling him that she could give him what he desired, but just for one day. Her red lipstick called out to him like a siren song, so alluring and yet so dangerous. They knew from that moment that there would be no long-term happiness, but they could dream of a future together.
Two beautiful voices entangled themselves talking about their past love and the course it had taken. The lovely brunette woman sang of how she would have followed her lover anywhere, but he left and betrayed her. How could they ever build on such a shaky foundation? He sang of his love to her, and she felt the past coming to rise once more, not knowing what her heart truly wanted. Yes, she loved her phantom, but she was a grown woman with responsibilities now.
Moonlight fell over an expensive home, and a young man hid in the bushes while calling out to his beloved. She ran to her balcony to find him, and they whispered sweet nothings, all the while hiding their love from the rest of the world. No one could know, their families would disown them, or worse. Suddenly their stage turned into one from a crypt, showing that the young man had taken his life, misunderstanding what had happened to his beloved. She wept over him and took her own life, knowing that she would never have a happy ending without him.
"Precious few people know about true love that transcends time." Kylo's voice cut through the darkness, bringing Rey back to the present time. She took a deep breath, not realizing that she hadn't inhaled for so long. Tears streamed down her face, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. He knew what had happened in her mind and heart; there was no point in trying to hide her emotions. "Some romances are like flames, quick to burn out with passion, leaving you with nothing but ashes and heartache. Some are like stars, glowing for millennia, leaving an everlasting impression through galaxies. I think it's fair to say that we've had our fair share of both."
"How do I know this isn't a delusion, or an elaborate mind trick?" Rey looked into his eyes and immediately regretted her words.
"While my imagination is grand, I could never dream of something like this." Kylo lowered himself to one knee in front of her and took her right hand in his own. "I told you when we first met that you were no one, a simple scavenger. I was so wrong, and I'm sorry." Rey's mouth dropped wide open, not believing what she was hearing. "You are so much more, so much that I don't have words."
Silence fell between them, neither knowing what to say next. After a long moment, Rey found the courage to speak once more.
"You are so cruel, and yet, this person in these... dreams or whatever they are, he's not the same. He has heart and devotion. How am I supposed to believe any of this?" Kylo stood to his full height and gave Rey a soft smile.
"The only way I could convince you is through time. Would you be willing to take that journey with me?" He held out his own hand to her this time, showing the depth of his momentary vulnerability. "Come home Persephone, your king needs you."
Rey was stunned into silence at this proposal, but she placed her hand in Kylo's. Her curiosity and need to be cared for overrode all other emotions, even though she was afraid. There were so many ways this could end badly, but there were also ways to see a possible happy ending.
"That's my queen," Kylo whispered as he sealed the deal with a gentle kiss. "Welcome home, my love."