Chapter 1: Just Like Sisters

Ben Solo had returned to the light side of the Force. The remnants of the First Order, led by Armitage Hux, had been banished into the Unknown Regions. Exile, never to return. And the surviving members of the Resistance had agreed to help Ben and Rey start a new Grey Jedi Academy on the island planet of Ahch-To.

It was a small community, separated far away from where other former Resistance leaders were busy building the New Republic. There was Poe Dameron, the dashing young former Commander of the Resistance. Finn, a former Stormtrooper who had defected from the First Order. Rose Tico, a Resistance technician. Chewbacca, the Wookie co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon. C-3PO and R2D2. Ben Solo, once known as Kylo Ren and the Supreme Leader of the First Order. And Rey, the Jedi scavenger from Jakku. Lieutenant Connix and a handful of former Resistance soldiers also lived at the growing base. The group lived in the stony huts that were scattered about the ancient Jedi ruins, working side by side with the Lanai Caretakers. It was a simple life.

One morning, Rey was helping to unload new supplies down by the oceanside landing platform when Ben Solo strolled up. Seeing him whole and happier than he had been in years sent her heart a-flutter. With his flowing black hair and deep brown eyes that now only showed warmth, he looked beautiful and content.

"Hey," she smiled, and Ben gave her a chaste kiss in greeting. The two Force-users had fallen in love during Rey's difficult task of turning Ben back to the Light. So far, the pair had no regrets embarking on a relationship, and being the sole remaining avatars of the Light and Dark Sides of the Force, they worked perfectly in sync anyhow. Rey and Ben suited each other: Rey's loving and fierce protectiveness mellowing Ben's dry and stoic demeanor.

"Do you have a minute to get away?" Ben whispered low to her, his eyes earnestly pleading in such a way that Rey could not bear to say No.

"Poe!" she called. "This shipment is ready to haul up the mountain. I'll be back in a minute."

Ben led the way up the stone steps. Past the ring of huts, and over the crest of a slope, he and Rey emerged onto what Finn had formally christened Shaved Rock Ridge. In naming it thusly, the former Stormtrooper had thought he was being cheekily clever, prompting Rey to tell Ben the tale of how she had sliced the rock in half by accident, using Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. And that wasn't the worst part: the tumbling rock had crushed a Lanai's fishing cart. Upon learning this, Ben had laughed - a deep, booming, glorious sound that, up until that point, Rey had never heard before, but enjoyed immensely.

Now here they stood, side by side, looking out over the sea. Rey noted how the wind whipped through Ben's hair, the dark curls that she just loved to run her fingers through - so much so, that when Ben had once mused aloud about cutting it, she had begged him not to. It was a crisp, sunny day with a perfect temperature - a welcome rarity on this planet more often known for merciless squalls. After a long moment of silence, Ben began to speak:

"Rey..." his voice faltered, as he tried to re-gather his thoughts. He had spent weeks preparing this speech, adding new words in and crossing others out. Ultimately, however, it was not the words themselves that were his chief concern, but the tone of their delivery. In falling in love with Rey, Ben had learned that she was a very humble and simple girl, despite the awesome power she encompassed. Only a simple moment would do for her. Even if such a requisite went against how much Ben loved her. The depth of his love for Rey was anything but simple, and were it up to him, this moment would be much more flashy and ostentatious, as was Ben's style. He would do anything to prove his love for her. Pull a Star Destroyer out of the sky. Lasso a moon for her. But at the end of the day, he had to consider what Rey would want. So taking a deep breath, Ben restarted:

"You were the first person who ever thought I was someone worth coming back for. I know I have done a lot of bad things in my life, and that you have still believed in me is more than I deserve. I love you so much, that I would still give you the whole galaxy if I could... but I know now that you just want... me. You have inspired me to be better; you make me better. I hope I am worthy enough of you. I will love you your whole life if you will let me." And before he lost his nerve, he dropped to one knee before her. Rey's eyes grew big and she clasped both hands to her mouth to stifle the gasp. She backed away a step, two, as Ben got to the point, his nerves slowing him down so that he didn't rush it. "Rey, will you marry me?"

The ring he held had once been the ring of Snoke. The Black Diamond - now purged of its Dark Side and Force-sensitive past. And it was no longer black, but instead a beautiful violet hue, one that matched the blades of Rey's lightsaber staff. Ben had manipulated it to become this color himself, with the help of the Force.

And now he held it out to the woman he loved, who was for some reason choking back sobs and shaking her head. Ben's heart sank. It was too much to hope for... he was moving too fast... and maybe he wasn't worthy enough of her anyway... he should have known.

"Yes, I will." Rey spoke the words so softly, Ben was sure he had misheard. His head snapped up to her, shocked and hopeful and elated.

"Really?"

"Yes, yes!" Rey sobbed, and he realized, as she moved her hands away from her mouth, that she was smiling. Beaming. Launching herself at him, Rey kissed him soundly, then let him shyly slip the ring on her finger, as she hiccuped through the last of her tears.

The task done, Ben was relieved. It had been hard enough sealing off the Force Bond they shared, so she wouldn't hear his thoughts and know the proposal was coming. More than anything, even more than wanting her to say Yes, he had wanted to surprise her.

Ben kissed Rey gently and he felt her smile against his lips. "I love you," she murmured, stroking his arm. Finding her composure at last, she straightened herself, squaring her shoulders. "Well, Mr. Solo, we've got a wedding to plan."

Rey raced down from Shaved Rock Ridge, her head spinning. She had just gotten engaged. To the man whom had once been her sworn enemy, but was now the man she loved and whom she knew she could not live without. They were the Balance of the Force, incarnate in two people. They completed each other.

The young Jedi was so consumed in her thoughts that she didn't watch where she was going, so that she ended up colliding with Rose Tico.

"Rey, what's the matter...?"

But Rey barely even slowed down as she now grabbed Rose and dragged her behind a set of huts.

"Ben just asked me to marry him," Rey announced in a rush, her voice breathless. "And I said Yes."

Rose gasped. For a moment, there was silence. And then -

Both girls stared squealing and hugging each other and jumping up and down. Then the action stopped abruptly, with both women staring at each other in surprise before starting up again. Rey had never been the type of girl to just squeal and jump up and down about anything, as there had been little to celebrate in her life, especially her harsh one on Jakku. Besides, she and Rose did not know each other that well, having only met just after fleeing from the Battle of Crait. And Rose had been seriously injured then.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Rose gushed. "And not to steal your thunder, but..." and her eyes twinkled. "I think Finn is planning something very similar."

Rey gasped and squealed at the thought of her dear friend, the closest thing she had to a brother. "We are gonna be just like sisters!" The outburst made her blush slightly as she admitted. "I've never had one before."

"I have..." but then Rose suddenly stiffened, and Rey could sense how her feelings had quickly shifted to ones of sobriety. Somberness. "... had a sister. Paige. She was lost during the evacuation from D'Qar. Sacrificed herself."

Rey nodded. That would have been right after she left for Ahch-To to find Luke Skywalker. Poe had told her some of the details of the evacuation after she had first met the fearless pilot. Rey placed a hand on Rose's shoulder. "She died a hero."

Rose nodded, and Rey felt moved to hug her. "Come on. I need to tell the others the news. Finn, especially." And they scampered down to the landing platform.