Rey stared at the cave entrance. Her head was spinning, trying to come up with a plan. Anakin had told her about the crystal inside, and how she could use it to go back in time. But she had to come up with some way to go back and not ruin anything. How could she go back to Exegol without interfering too much in the battle -either between the Resistance and the Order, or between herself and Palpatine.

"You can do it, Rey." Ben murmured behind her.

Rey turned and met his gaze. "Ben," she whispered a tremble in her voice, "If I don't fix things, then it'll all restart. I'll hurt all over again." Tears slipped down her cheeks. "If I do... you'll never know. What happened since Exegol will be forgotten."

Ben's eyes darkened. His cold, ghostly hand rested on her cheek. He whispered back, very, very gently, "I know."

She pressed her head on that cold touch. "I love you, Ben."

He stared at her, eyes widening. "I-I love you more," he stammered.

She pulled away from him gently, glancing back at the cavern. "I'll see you in another time."

"Goodbye." Was all Ben could manage. As she disappeared into the shadows, he felt everything leave with her. Every hope, feeling, the bond he had was fading, leaving a stunned, blue ghost standing alone in the snow.

Rey reached forward, stretching out with the Force to draw the crystal from its wedged spot in the rock to her hand. It landed with a satisfying slap. She thumbed the collection of blue and green gemstones.

Rey took a deep breath and spun it in a circle, just as she was told. A portal opened, darkness on the other side.

How do I know if it'll go to Exegol? She wondered, staring at the revolving crystals.

She pictured the underground cathedral. She could remember the darkness, the chanting, the smell a little too well. She tried thinking of every small detail as she stepped into the darkness.

She tripped forward and fell on the palms of her hands.

Rey got up and looked around. A bolt of lightning struck from far away and lit the surrounding area. This is it, she decided, recognizing the jagged walls and elaborate statues. Now, what time is it?

There was the sound of crackling sabers from somewhere below. Rey leaped down a chasm and found herself standing behind one of the Knights of Ren. Ben Solo, breathing and very, very real, had Luke's lightsaber inside one of the Knights.

She resisted the urge to scream with joy and run forward to hug him. Instead, she ran and ducked behind one of the crumbled rocks before the Knights, or Ben, could spot her.

She waited there, watching as Ben expertly dealt with his Knights, then followed him silently to the chamber.

"Woah," Rey gasped, staring at herself. Her past self and Ben were preparing to attack Palpatine, the nightmarish zombie attached to cables and wires.

Suddenly, the fleshy fingers of the Emperor raised. Rey watched in horror as her and Ben's life forces were sucked away. She heard her own screams, and, somehow, felt the same pain.

Both Rey's crumpled to the ground. The real one clutched her arms, trying to hold herself together. It's not real, just a memory, she told herself. But it felt very real.

She heard a scraping sound, and when she managed to get back up, she watched Ben bei lifted off the ground and thrown into the chasm.

Her lip began to bleed as she bit it to stop herself from screaming.

Her hands released her arms. She closed her eyes tightly and focused on the Force. She drew on everything -the rippling sensations around Palpatine and the chanting Sith followers, the crashing water from outside, the sparks from the lightning...

She created a pillow underneath Ben, stopping his body from crashing on the rocks.

Somehow, she hoped with everything she had, he would have enough life force to save her and himself.

It took everything she had to hold Ben on an imaginary pillow and watch herself destroy Palpatine at the same time. She witnessed her own body fall, sensed the life force seep out of it. It seemed to cripple her. With the last of her strength, she lifted Ben from the chasm and onto solid ground.

Rey fell to the floor, panting. Everything hurt.

Ben stood there, in a frozen state of surprise and horror. But without wasting another moment, he ran past Rey's body. This time without holding broken ribs or limping. There was a chance...

Rey watched as he tenderly scooped her body into his arms and held her. She watched as his dark eyes searched the cathedral for answers. She watched as he closed his eyes and gave the dead Rey everything.

Tears burned in the real Rey's eyes as she watched her past self come back.

Then the kiss. The kiss that meant everything. The kiss that unified the two, that made the Force -even for a moment- feel complete.

She saw him smile again.

And prepared for him to die.

But he didn't.

He still sat up. He didn't fall back onto the ground. Past Rey and Ben still held each other.

And the real Rey was beginning to fade. Her hands were completely invisible, and it was creeping up her arms to her shoulders.

She let out a relieved sigh. She was being erased, yes, but her other self would be happy. It was worth it.

"You came back." She heard herself say.

"I'm sorry," Ben answered weakly. "I'm so, so sorry."

The last thing Rey saw before completely disappeared was herself, happy and loved.

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A/N: Hope you guys liked this! Next version will involve the World Between Worlds :P