"Everyone, deep in their hearts, is waiting for the end of the world to come."

∫

The guilt sat not on his chest but inside his brain. What he had done, he could not un-do. He could make amends in subtle ways, but confession was out of the question, even to Elara. The guilt was like gasoline in his guts. His insides died slowly in the toxicity, needing no more than a spark to set it ablaze. The fire burnt Kylo out so badly there was nothing left but a shell, an outline of a person. When the guilt came, it took him down the old familiar path. He wanted to refuse to walk it, pretend that he was the person he was demanded to be.

Every last bit Ben Solo was dead.

Kylo moved through the trees, holding his bloody wound until he stopped. He took out his lightsaber and ignited it. A still figure amidst the gusts of wind and snow. Standing nearly thirty feet away, facing him, were Finn, Rey, Bellamy and Jude.

"We're not done yet!" He snarled.

Overcome with emotion, Rey cried out. "You're a monster!"

It seemed unfair that no matter how much he strived to be the man his conscience wanted him to be, it would keep taunting him with his failures. Each time the regrets reemerged he would diligently analyze them again, hoping that this time his mind would be satisfied with his self professed remorse, but it never was. Like an unforgiving spectre it would be back just as quickly as it was gone to haunt him all over again.

"It's just us now, Han Solo can't save you!" He spat.

After a beat, Rey moved forward with her blaster and aimed it. Kylo raised his hand, causing Rey to struggle under his forceful power. It wasn't easily seen but he strained too, especially with the wound from Chewie. With a simple gesture, both Rey and the blaster were flung back.

Finn ran after her with Bellamy and Jude trailing behind him. He dropped to his knees and panicked. "Rey no, no!"

"TRAITOR!"

Finn replied by turning on Luke's lightsaber and upon seeing the weapon, Kylo reacted in shock. "That lightsaber, it belongs to me!"

Crippled in fear and adrenaline, Finn shouted. "Come get it!"

Despite his fear, Finn raised the blade and Kylo charged at him. He lunged at Finn but Finn deflected the sparking saber. Not far from them, Rey recovered with the help of Bellamy and Jude. Kylo was obviously hampered by his agonizing wound but yet he attacked with primal savagery. When Finn actually got a hit in, Kylo became enraged.

Kylo charged again and their weapons pounded against each other. Kylo pushed Finn back and attacked with pure ferocity, leaving Finn stunned. Kylo unleashed a merciless series of blows and pushed Finn further and further back until he loses balance. With his defences down, the lightsaber is flung from his grasp and Kylo sliced his torso and his back.

Unknowingly, Elara had made her way to the snowy battlefield. She stood beside Rey and together, they created a strong force bond.

Kylo had turned his lightsaber off and reached for the blue saber, beckoning it with the force. His gestures began to increase and Luke's lightsaber finally flied out of the snow but to his surprise, it wasn't going in his direction. Kylo turned to see Luke's lightsaber safely in the hands of Rey, who was beside Elara. All three of them seemed utterly shocked.

"Elara." He muttered, watching as Elara ignited her purple lightsaber.

"Kylo please." Elara begged. "This is your last chance!"

Rey watched as the two bantered back and forth, praying he would do as she said.

Hoping three words would change his mind, she called out "I love you!"

"I know."

It was Rey who had given up and charged towards Kylo, surprising him with her skill. Elara jumped into the battle behind her, intending to end it, not kill anyone. When Kylo attacked Rey, Elara swung her lightsaber to stop the blow but when Rey attacked Kylo, she found herself stopping that attack a little harsher than intended.

In the bare trees, only three lightsabers clashed together. Blue, red and purple. They illuminated the flurries of snow as Rey, Elara and Kylo battled hard. It seemed to be that all three were fighting for different reasons.

Rey seemed to be impossibly stronger and within time, Kylo found his strength and fought back, leading the two forward. Suddenly a colossal chunk of the forest behind Rey and Elara dropped away. The two girls happened to be fighting on the edge of a massive cliff. Elara swung her lightsaber against Kylo but was overpowered and was weakened, making her drop to the ground.

Bellamy and Jude saw this, immediately running to her aid in fear that she would die if they didn't. Still, Rey and Kylo continued to battle.

As Elara hugged herself, half her face laying in the snow, she was stunned to see Vega's sweet face calling out to her.

"You need a teacher!" Kylo yelled. "I can show you the ways of the force."

"The force." Rey babbled, closing her eyes for a long beat.

When Rey opened them, she was centered, fortified, and she pounded back with single handed swipes. She was so fast now, so furious and because of this, Kylo toppled over slightly, making Rey attack harder. Kylo got up, taking one quick second to look over at Elara who was weakened. Rey hit Kylo's saber's hilt and his blade goes flying off, tumbling into the snow. She then proceeded to slash again and again and again, hitting Kylo in the head and chest. He fell over, suddenly a fearful man with a large burn scar slashed across his face.

And she could kill him right now, with one vicious strike. Though, in the back of her mind, she heard Elara pleading that she doesn't.

In a desperate final attempt, Elara pushed herself to move to Kylo. Jude wrapped his arms around Rey's leg, completely confused as to why his sister and mother could love such a monster.

Elara wailed out, tears stained her face as she tried her best to move from her spot in the snow. Sympathetically, Rey watched as she dragged herself to Kylo. Bellamy followed behind her while Jude clung onto Rey's leg. She carried herself to her wounded lover and slumped up against him with Bellamy trailing behind her

This was the distraction of a family.

"You stupid, stupid man!" Elara cried out, hitting his chest. "Don't you see the only thing stopping you from dying is me?"

There was really nothing to say but Kylo nodded. "I know brown eyes, I know."

Elara pressed her forehead to his and cried. Bellamy leant up against Kylo as well, placing her cheek on his bloody chest, listening to his sickly heartbeat. Although it seemed like he would die either way, Elara didn't move.

Rey would kill him, she should kill him!

Rey realized that she stood on a greater edge than even the cliff, the edge of the dark side.

It was her choice.

Suddenly, the ground shook once more and everyone realized that Starkiller Base was being obliterated. The base split and a gully was formed. The forest that the fight was held in was now collapsing into a giant sinkhole.

Two sides had been split right down the middle, between Kylo and Rey. As Jude held onto Rey's leg scarcely, Bellamy and Elara had been flung onto the side of the cliff, holding on for dear life.

"Momma!" Jude screamed not just any scream, it was a scream that could pierce hearts.

Weakened by her fall, Elara held onto a small rock while Bellamy wrapped her arms around Elara's neck.

Kylo winced, dragging himself to his daughter and Elara. His face twinged with agony and he forced himself to the edge of the cliff. Bellamy and Elara grasped onto his hands, praying he could carry the weight of both of them.

Elara gripped on so tightly despite the fact that her palms burned. Her nails dug deep into the Kylo's hand to give herself a better grasp, to give herself one more hope that she would succeed. A tear rolled onto her cheek, but she didn't care, she had to save Bellamy.

"I can't hold on much longer." Kylo strained, pulling with all his might.

Crucially terrified and crying uncontrollably, Bellamy sobbed. "I'm scared!"

"No, no baby girl." Elara shook her head. "Don't look down. Look up, at momma and daddy."

Bellamy's tear stained cheeks looked back down at the never ending sinkhole. She cried out once more, kicking her legs in an attempt to reach safety.

"Bellamy," Kylo croaked out, his face pale and swelling. "Bellamy look at me!"

Bellamy's dark eyes dragged to her father's.

Kylo faltered but he still held onto them. "Just keep looking at me, I won't let go."

Rey and Jude stood from afar, watching the scene. Jude held onto Rey and cried, making Rey sure she was going to as well.

"Just keep looking at us." Elara pleaded, her breathing growing rigid. "We'll get out of this mess, I promise."

Bellamy looked at Kylo and Elara with hopeful eyes, even though her and Elara were dangling over death.