Chapter Nine: Beauty

She tells them everything, Mila and Finn - about Ben, the dream state, and what was happening to Master Ren.

"Is there another way we can save him?" Finn asked as he paced in circles in Rey's chambers.

"I've been looking for a cure for two weeks now," Rey's voice was low. She sounded torn. "There is nothing else there."

Finn stopped pacing. "Of course there is something!" he said, attempting to bring back the hope and will in her. It was tragic to see her give up like that. "There is always something Rey! We can't give up."

Mila placed her hand on Finn's shoulder, settling his emotions. "Finn, she is not giving up. She is setting him free."

He shook his head defiantly. "It sounds like she's letting him go to me," he said.

"I love him enough to let him go," Rey said in a hard tone, not bothering to look at Finn. She wasn't going to continue to justify her reason. Rey wasn't giving up. She was being brave. She spent endless nights searching for a cure through books and through different fortune tellers. She had witness Ben die and was still witnessing Master Ren lose his mind. She loved Ren enough to end him of his misery instead of letting him continue to slowly die. Letting him die naturally was weakness. Sparing him was strength. Courage.

Love.

She also told Ren of his fate. He accepted it willingly but also in grief. He was afraid to die, afraid to lose her but he knew it was for the best. He lives his outnumbered days in peace. He goes around without his mask now for his scars to be seen. Ren's face was completely disfigured. There was barely any flesh on his face now, only layers of exposed tissues and scars. He disobeys his Master, and does whatever he can to help the civilians - to make amends. He secretly gives everything to the servants and his loyal soldiers.

Everyone knew he was dying accept for the First Order.

Only the servants and trusted soldiers knew.

Rey felt it was better that way, to let Ren die in peace.

Every night for the past week, she has been comforting him when he sleeps. It was innocent. Pure. She only sleeps beside him and nothing else. Doing anything else would only make it harder for the both of them.

"I love you, Ren," she whispered to him one night.

Ren looked at her and opened his mouth but nothing came out. His eyes furrowed but he tried to speak again but only muttering came out. Rey's eyes lowered. Kylo couldn't speak anymore but she knew by his face that he still understood her and if he could, he would say it back.

"When will you two burn the masks?" Finn asked the next morning. They were along together, scrubbing the kitchen tiles.

"Tomorrow at twilight," she breathed but continued to clean. She was covered in dirty and residue but Rey didn't care. "I wanted to do it earlier but I had to wait for a certain day," she explained.

"We'll be there," Finn said quickly, smiling slightly. "Mila and I will be there along with the others."

"It would have been better if Ren and I never met," she mumbled sadly. Rey was trying so hard to be strong but she was tired. She was losing the same friend again.

"Don't say that," Finn said. "If you two never met, he would have remained in the same state. But now he's going to be free."

Rey stopped scrubbing and kicked the bucket away from her. "I wished my caregiver August never sold me away," she muttered. She was about to curse and scream until she paused and thought hard. "Why was August in debt to Master Ren? What did he steal exactly?" August never had a chance to explain. Once he came back, he sold her off right away. But Rey knew he stole something valuable. Every time his business was doing poorly, August would steal things and sell them to the black market.

"He attempted to steal red roses."

She raised her eyebrow. "What? I've been an indentured servant for the sake of measly plants?" she couldn't help but to laugh. "I thought August stole jewels or valuable weaponry." August always did.

Finn shook his head. "Roses around the manor are very valuable -

"But roses are abundant here -

"Yes but the red roses that are grown here are worth more than jewels," he breathed, exasperated by how little she knew. Rey had been here for some time now but Finn reminded himself that even then she was still kept and locked from the outside world. "They are rare and valuable. They signify everlasting love."

Rey blinked and remembered what Mila had told her long ago.

"You must not accept anymore gifts then. You don't want to lead him on," Mila warned.

"If he is courting me - why didn't he say anything?" Rey snapped. She was in disbelief. She couldn't wrap her head around the idea of being courted.

Mila sighed but remained patient. "He is not a very open person. He never has was even when he was a child. He assumed you knew."

Rey blushed deeply. She exhaled and her eyebrows knitted. "Is there anything else I should be aware of?"

"If you don't feel the same, you must not accept a red rose from him. A red rose means undying love and if you accept it, it means you accept his love and you're giving your love to him. It means you two will wed. So far he has been giving you only white roses, so you shouldn't worry."

"Red?" she rasped.

Mila nodded. "Red."

Rey's mind began to run wild. "I have to go," she said as she ran to the forests to be alone.

Master Ren had been cursed ten years ago but no one knew the cure for the curse.

No one knew who and what caused the cursed.

Rey meditates then and began to focus. To think. To trace the what stemmed the curse.

Before there was Darth Vader, there was Anakin Skywalker.

He was once a great mean. Anakin was a warrior, a fighter, a leader. He lead victory and brought honor to the kingdom until he had lost way. Anakin had chosen the dark side but was torn to his old allegiance to the light. The mask, it was more than to keep him alive and for him to remain an enigma, it kept him from returning to the light, split his mind into two. It had kept him a stranger to the man he was once before, just like Master Ren.

Many people assumed it was the ghost of Anakin that cursed the mask but Rey felt otherwise.

Anakin redeemed himself before his death and was freed from the monster he became.

But what saved him?

His son saved him. His son's love. His son's resilience, strength.

But Rey, she loved Ren - then why didn't her love save him? She declared her love to him at the gala - why didn't it save him? She meant every word of it - every single word - Rey stopped and exhaled. She knew that the curse was more complicated than what it once was years ago. Snoke had done something to the mask, intensified the darkness.

What was different?

"You love him, don't you?" Mila asked slowly.

"I do," Rey admitted, exhaling.

Mila smiled to herself. "You should tell him that."

"I already told Master Ren -

"No, I mean Ben."

Rey's eyes shot wide open. She knew now what was different. Luke loved his father for who he used to be - who he truly was. Rey hadn't admitted her love to who Ren really was, Ben.

But will saying that she loved him - do anything?

It seemed like a foolish hope.

Only hope.

But that was all Rey had. She had nothing else to lose.

She has Ren resting on her lap, her fingers running through his hair. Tomorrow was the end of him. Ren was quiet, struggling to breathe. He couldn't speak anymore and could barely move. "Tomorrow, I want you to give me a red rose," she said each word carefully. He was losing the ability to comprehend now. "I want something to remember you by."

Ren didn't answer but nodded before drifting off to sleep.

Twilight came before they knew it. They went deep into the forests until they were far from the manor. Mila and Finn along with the rest of the household, followed them behind. All were wary and were afraid that Rey wouldn't be able to break the curse. Many had tried in the past decade but all had failed.

It was snowing, adding more layers of snow beneath their feet and covering everyone's heads like crystals.

Rey placed both helmets on the ground. She gestured for Ren to sit and wait as she went to retrieve firewood.

The servants watched quietly, examining the two.

Minutes later, she returned with piles of wood. She threw them on the snow covered ground and with rocks, she began to make fire. As she waited for the fire to grow, Ren tapped her back and handed her a red rose. He gave her a small bittersweet smile.

Rey smiled and took the rose excitedly. "Thank you. I love you Kylo. And I love you Ben. I love both sides of you - I love you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life - go wherever you go," she said, barely breathing.

To her surprise, he doesn't smile. He stood there in place and looked at her with disheartened eyes.

Her eyes lowered but she pushed her feelings aside. Rey tucked the rose underneath the scarf that was wrapped around her body.

They proceeded and performed several rituals that Ben had taught her. Once they had completed them and twilight approached, they both dropped the masks into the fire at the same time. They held their hands in the air, moving the flames to burn the mask, using their will and power to fight the darkness of both masks. They stood in place and concentrated, watching the masks melt and wither into ember.

Kylo lost control and collapsed to the ground then. He was shaking now, curling up into a ball. Rey looked back and saw him begin to shatter like glass. She shut her eyes tightly, blocking the tears from falling and continued to burn both masks on her own.

She doesn't look back at him. If she did, she would surely stop and the curse will still be around, looking for its next victim. She locks her gaze to the fire - to the masks. She keeps going. She doesn't want him to suffer any longer or anyone to have the same fate.

Ash and ember began to fill the air, mixing along with snowflakes, turning the sky into gray.

She was breathing in smoke but she pushed it aside and kept going. The masks were half burned -she had to finish them off. The fire was dying out - "I need more firewood!" she screamed, calling out to the servants. "Quick!" she demanded.

Two servants, Leo and James came running and threw wood into the fire. They moved several inches back, giving her space.

Don't look at Ren, she told herself. She was trembling now but kept her hands in the air, destroying the masks. Her body was giving out. Burning the masks was taking so much life in her, draining her into a pulp. Red smoke was being released from both masks as her chest began to restrict.

Rey turned around and found shards of broken glass on the snow.

Ren was gone.

She looked around and saw the servants were pale from shock.

Her heart stopped beating. Tears escaped her but she swallowed hard and went on until the masks were completely gone. Until the red smoke was gone along with the fire.

Rey immediately fell to the ground and tried to fight the tears but she couldn't. Tears ran down her eyes but she remained quiet, her fingers quickly picked up a few shards of glass. She held on to them, grasping them - attempting to bring him back. The shards sliced into her skin. Blood trickled down and stained the snow.

"Rey," Mila hugged her tightly but was sobbing as well. The others were surrounding her, looking at her in sympathy. "He's free now -

She still clutched on to the shards of glass. "I thought - I thought maybe loving him could save him -

"You did save him. No one can hurt him now."

Rey shook her head. "I want to be left alone."

Mila nodded. "Come along now," she gestured for everyone to follow her.

Shards of glass, all of it, was in her hands, cutting into her skin. She was bleeding now but she was too numb to notice. She was still on the ground - she was freezing but she was unaware of it - unaware of everything else around her. "You're still here," she murmured to herself. He was still here...the shattered pieces. When Ben died he became glass and then roses petals and eventually withered into nothing. "You're still alive."

Rey wasn't going to give up. There was still a chance to save him.

"I will save you," she whispered, placing the shattered remains onto the snow covered ground. "I promise."

She looked up - the sun was about to set. Rey took out the rose. The second she took it out, all the petals began to fall, landing on the glass. She was about to pick up the petals but the petals absorbed into the glass. The glass began to glow.

Rey blinked and immediately stood up. She was about to open her mouth until she discovered rose petals on her shoulders. Red rose petals were falling from the sky. She looked down and found a man standing in front of her.

He was dressed in pure white. He looked to be thirty or so, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. There were no scars on his face. The only thing that was on his face was light. Warmth. His arms were to his face - he was shocked as well, attempting to understand what had happened.

Rey blinked. He had components of both Kylo and Ren - there was a balance - he was balanced. Both sides of him were finally reconnected.

"Rey it's me," he whispered softly with an eager smile.

"I'm aware," she said dryly, holding herself from jumping into his arms. "What do I call you now though?" she asked, suppressing a smirk.

"You can call me whatever you want. I'll respond to whichever," he grinned. He pulled her into an embrace. "I missed you," he whispered, kissing her cheek.

She pushed him away and gave him a false glare. "You scared me to death! Ben I thought you were dead! What took you so long?" she exclaimed, unable to control her mixed emotions. She was happy and thankful but also mystified. If he had came earlier, she among the others wouldn't have been grieving.

He laughed. "I'm sorry - it just took a while for me to find my other self." Ben grabbed her by the wrist and kissed her deeply. "I missed you," he breathed into her skin. His eyes locked on to her. He was looking at her as if she was his whole world.

"I missed you too," she whispered back. She was in his arms - she didn't know how much she missed this. She quickly kissed him again. "What do you plan to do now?"

"I will go back to the Resistance. I will gather people in the manor that are willing to join me and fight for what's right with you by my side," he grinned, holding her tightly. "We will fight together and bring peace and end the madness - but first, I want to be with you for a few hours."

Rey smiled and kissed him again. "I love you."

"I love you too."

End.