He knew what he had to do. And he knew he had the strength to do it.

Inch by inch, he worked his way up the side of the crevice. He could hear the lightning raging above him, and he felt anger rising as he remembered how easily the Emperor had flicked him away. He should be up there, fighting with Rey! Instead, he was trapped here. No, Rey needed Ben, not Kylo. With a deep breath, he channeled his anger into energy, fueling him to reach the top. He also made a mental note to learn how to escape the Force Paralyze move Palpatine had used on him twice now. When he'd used it on others he had never realized how irritating it was.

Trembling fingers gripped the sharp platform at last, and he pulled himself up to find Rey, lightsabers crossed but losing ground quickly as the Emperor shot streams of lightning her way. She was barely able to contain the dark energy with the lightsabers, and if she hit the edge…

He came up behind her and felt their strength mingling together the closer he got, even as he sensed her struggle. In one swift motion, he wrapped his hand around hers and Luke's lightsaber hilt. She seemed to notice an immediate difference as the strain faded and power replaced it. With a quick nod, she released the hilt entirely and let him take it, but never pulling the sabers apart.

Together, they advanced.

Step after step they gained, pushing back, the strength of the dyad flowing through and around them. Too late, the Emperor realized what was happening, the error of bringing them together, the doomed fate of everything he had schemed for and the weight of his arrogance.

Too late, as his lightning backfired once more in his face.

The force of the explosion as the once-powerful Emperor disintegrated blew both of them off their feet, and the last thing Ben saw before frightening darkness was Rey, separated again, chunks of rock crashing down around her.

He came to slowly, ears ringing. Struggling to sit up, he found every move excruciating and an alarming pressure on his right leg. But he had only one thought on his mind. Rey. He had to find Rey. He could worry about his own injuries later.

It took all of his focus to raise the eerie statue shard from his leg, and he was beginning to think he should be concerned.

No, he had taken worse blows than this, he would be fine. Wasn't he always?

He spotted the figure in white across the room and half ran, half dragged himself over to her, only to find lifeless eyes staring into nothingness.

Ben grit his teeth against the pain and cradled Rey's motionless body in his lap. How did this happen? There was only one way she could make it out of this. He was the only one who could save her now. He knew what it would do to him, but he was ready. It was all worth it if she lived, his Rey of light.

With deep breaths, he focused his mind on the life force between them and remembered how the Force healing felt, mending his own body not long before. He sensed her injuries and willed the same positive energy into her, feeling her life flow, even as his own life ebbed. He didn't deserve to live, after all he had done. All the lives he had taken.

Maybe this one life he gave back would be enough.

She stirred in his arms and he opened his eyes to find her smiling at him (her smile was directed at him! at him!) as she struggled to sit up.

"Ben…" she whispered, and kissed him.

He savored the feel of her in his arms, of her lips on his, of how her hands cupped his face, and for a moment, just that last, stolen moment, he felt true happiness, and smiled back.

Then the final shred of life he had been clinging to flickered and died out.

—

Rey was so thrilled to see Ben there, with her, she didn't realize what it meant until it was nearly too late.

She had sensed no conflict in him, only peace, so she thought that they could now be together, work together to fight the darkness.

Then he collapsed.

"No…" came out before she could help it, and she knew at that moment he had given his life to bring her back.

"No," she repeated, a look of determination quickly replacing shock. "You will not die, Ben Solo." They were a dyad, weren't they? Isn't that what he had said? Two that are one? They could share this life force; it didn't need to only be hers.

For the second time that day, Rey Palpatine channeled her strength into pure light energy, allowing the life force transfer to flow into this man. She felt the strain, felt it draining her, but she pushed through. Neither of them would die today. Their bond would strengthen them. All the dark Force power Palpatine wanted her to use to become the Empress she now focused into light, and strength, and life. If she had the Emperor's power, she was going to use it for what she wanted.

And right now, Rey felt that she would move planet and space to see Ben Solo smile again.

She heard a sharp intake of breath and looked down to see his eyes flutter as he groaned.

"Ow."

He looked around, confused and disoriented, then he saw her, beaming, blinking away tears, and managed a small, hesitant smile.

"And I thought I was here to rescue you."

Rey gave a shuddering laugh and helped him sit up. The life was weak in both of them but it was very much there. It was alive. They were alive.

A crash thundering around them reminded her where they were and why. And that they wouldn't be alive much longer if they didn't get out of there. With Palpatine dead and the Star Destroyers crumbling, Exegol was collapsing.

Ben looked up at the noise. "We need to leave."

"Are you strong enough to walk?"

He smirked. "Are you?"

Together, they shakily rose to their feet, supporting one another. "I think we can make it," she grunted, he was heavier than he looked, "between the two of us." She saw the concern in his eyes and he moved to pick her up, but she stopped him. "Don't waste your strength trying to be a hero." She swayed slightly but steadied herself. "I won't be able to bring you back again."

The rebuke stung a little, he wasn't a hero, not really, but he pushed it aside and agreed. How had she brought him back, without dying herself? She was stronger than she knew, than either of them knew, he realized.

It was a slow journey. They both had to pause to catch their breath multiple times, and one time she would have been crushed if he hadn't pulled her out of the way of the debris, nearly toppling them both. But Rey wouldn't have it any other way. All the anger and violence she had felt towards him had faded, and she realized it was because of the Balance. Their Light and Dark was exactly where it needed to be.

They made it to where their X-wing and TIE fighter stood, side by side, just as another piece of Destroyer smashed into the ground, nearly knocking them off their feet. If they didn't leave soon, they would be buried under the rubble falling around them.

"We can take the X-wing, follow the Resistance back," Rey hurried towards the ship, but Ben didn't move. "What are you doing? We need to go now!"

"I can't come with you, Rey. I can't go back."

"They will accept you when they know you, Ben."

"As you have?" She nodded, hopeful, but he gazed at her sadly. "No, they won't. I have another path now."

"But I— after all that—"

He took two steps forward to meet her and grasped her arm. "We still stand together, Rey. I know you need to go with them. But when you have done what you need to do…you will find me?" She hesitated, unwilling to let him go. "Please?"

She saw the tears in his eyes and remembered the same look in the throne room after he killed Snoke, but this was different, so much different. Finally, she nodded, and gave a small smile.

He grinned, and leaned down to kiss her again. Not a kiss of goodbye, but one of new beginnings, and of hope.

Then he stumbled to the TIE fighter, not sure where he was going to start, but he knew what he had to do. And he knew he had the strength to do it.