Closed to morally_cryptic

[talentedscavenger]

Rey had experienced a whirlwind of events from locating Luke Skywalker's lightsaber to being pulled through time to meet the person who started it all; Anakin. The man was her grandfather, someone who was the 'chosen one' to bring balance to the Force. If that wasn't enough, she learned of her own powers and had to be trained to use them. It was an interesting time, spending weeks learning about the man and studying under him. They developed a friendship, a strange bond between two adults who happened to be generations apart. As much as she enjoyed her time with him, she was thrust back to her present time.

Anakin was right, it was like she never left. Everyone was still at the Cantina, looking for her. The First Order arrived...it was chaos.

But that was then, and this was now. She found out about Kylo Ren and the man he idolized so much. It pained her, no, angered her to know the same person she met had turned to the Dark Side. Rey kept her mouth shut to her cousin, managing to use the Force to keep him out of her mind and push him back. Now, she had a target on her back. The events didn't go well from there, losing her friend and semi-father figure, Han.

Now she was on a quest to find Luke. The man who could or could not be father. She didn't know how many children Anakin had, though she still remembered those strong Force visions of two children. Chewie and her managed to land the Falcon on the right planet, now she had to make the journey to find the Jedi. At least the time to herself would let her deal with her emotions. She was conflicted, angry, and hurt. From losing a friend to learning some of the truth about her grandfather...it was disheartening.

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[morally_cryptic]

He smiles at her, a little grateful, a little relieved. Grateful because of course he'd hoped for her forgiveness. Relieved because he really, really hadn't wanted her carrying around that anger. It wouldn't have done any of them any good.

"Feel free to tell me I talk too much now," he says lightly. Gentle teasing in place of the hug he can't actually give her.

[talentedscavenger]

Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

Luke told her the wise words of Master Yoda, trying to explain in further detail of the Dark Side. The temptations and how they could mark a Jedi's heart. It was rather nostalgic and bitter-sweet for her to hear the explanation, recalling the time when Anakin explained the same thing to her.

This moment was bitter-sweet for her too. Finally able to see the man she had grown fond of in a short time, but unable to touch him. A hug would have been fine, even necessary for what she learned about him. The first time she hugged him had been awkward and weird. When they shared another one, it was tight and comforting...and the last one before she was thrown back to her correct timeline.

"Yeah, you do. Think you might enjoy the sound of your voice a little too much," she told him, a weak smile dancing across her life. Rey averted her gaze to take a deep breath, composing herself further. Finally she turned to fully face him and took a seat on the steps.

"Does Luke know?" About his past? About meeting her?

[morally_cryptic]

So he doesn't tower over her in all his ghostly magnificence (hah), Anakin settles into something of a crouch instead when she sits. "Not...really. He knows about Darth Vader of course." A smile tugged at his lips. It was Luke after all that had kept faith in him. Luke was the reason he could be here at all.

"But no, we haven't spoken quite like this. I told him about his mother because no one else had. I told him how very proud of him I am. I told him things like that." Because Luke didn't need the whole story, there were other things Luke had needed from him.

And he'd only ever appeared to Leia once.

[talentedscavenger]

If Anakin had continued to stand and tower over her, she wouldn't have cared. It wasn't that she was physically tired, but emotionally. She pushed back a few wisps of her hair and drew one knee to her to lean on. So she was the only one he told his story to, his past--the events that lead up to him being Vader. He spoke to Luke like a father, telling him things he naturally had questions about. Who knows if he was able to the same with Leia...

And if he could speak to Ren...he wouldn't try to be a Sith Lord.

Part of her wanted to ask if he knew why she was left behind. If he tried to tell Luke or Leia, but he probably couldn't. Certain events had to happen...but hopefully, she would get the answers she wanted.

"You know how to make someone feel special, then," she gently teased.

[morally_cryptic]

"I have my moments. Few and far between, but they happen." He smiles over at her before looking up toward the top of the island. "He's good you know, Luke. He's a far better man than I ever was. But that was probably thanks to his mother."

[talentedscavenger]

Rey had to hold back her tongue, wanting to say at least Anakin wouldn't have left her. No, she needed to let go of that part of her. Carrying that weight in her heart wouldn't do her any good.

"Suppose I should take your word for it," she told him, looking out over the top of the island too. The water, the lush forest...it was calming to say the least.

[morally_cryptic]

[ooc: I really really hope we find out that something else happened and Luke or Leia didn't really just abandon her on Jakku. :( ]

"Or you could talk to the man yourself and make your own decision," he suggests pointedly. That's what she was here for, wasn't it?

[talentedscavenger]

[ ooc: me too, but she did look happy at the end to see him. So there is hope!!]

She was there to see him and give him back the light saber. Though, now it belonged to her and Anakin had been very adamant about that.

"I know I have to talk to him," she told him in a thoughtful tone.

"Not sure what I'll actually say to him, though. "

[morally_cryptic]

"You could start by saying hello, long time no see."

He didn't entirely mean that in a joking way either.

[talentedscavenger]

Rey let out a light scoff, turning her gaze to him then back to the scenery. She didn't think that would be the proper way of doing things. It was still hard to wrap her head around that her father was Luke...or that Kylo Ren was her cousin.

"Don't think that covers everything." 'Long time no see?' No, that didn't cover a single second of what happened.

[morally_cryptic]

"It's a start," he points out. "You've got to start somewhere. It's not like you'll have to introduce yourself."

Even if he hasn't seen her in years, Anakin has no doubt that Luke will be able to recognize her on sight.

[talentedscavenger]

"Do I want it to start, though?" A pointless question to ask, considering she wanted to find her family until this point. She was scared, nervous too. Could he blame her? After wandering and waiting, she was nervous to meet the person she had wanted to see in her life.

"He may not even remember me. Might even ..." claim he wasn't her father, or that she was actually Leia's. If that was the case she and Ren would be siblings, which was even more frightening to think about.

"It's a lot to think about, to take in. The past few days have been more of a whirlwind than anything else."

[morally_cryptic]

The question was pointless enough that Anakin didn't bother to dignify it with a response. "Of course he'll remember you. He can't not. Trust me."

"And," he says with a wry tilt to his mouth, "didn't you think about it while you were flying here?"

[talentedscavenger]

"Honestly?" she turned to look at him, the tiredness in her eyes easy enough to see.

"All I thought about was giving him back the lightsaber and dragging him back to Leia. Whether or not I said five words to him didn't cross my mind." She had been dealing with her emotions in her own time. Sure, in front of the others, she had everything under control. She looked fine, but in private, she let some of those walls come down.

"I wasn't expecting to see you, or talk to you. Thought after I last saw you, that was it."

[morally_cryptic]

He nods, confirming, "honestly. I mean, I'm not very good at lying."

Dragging him back to Leia might be easier said than done, but Anakin was thinking it would be very interesting when Rey finally talks to the man and he sees that she's already had some training in the Force. How she explains that should be fun.

"And you and me both. I mean, until," waving a hand vaguely, "recently."

[talentedscavenger]

Rey didn't even want to think about what would happen when Luke would start to train her. How easy she would pick up on things, or be able to do things. That was opening a whole new can of worms for her. What might be more odd would be for Luke to learn the people she was closest to were a BB-8 droid and her grandfather. Of course, Poe, Chewie, and Finn were there as well. However, she spent more time with Anakin and BB-8.

"Could be better at lying than you are with humor." More gentle teasing, as she wasn't in the spirits to really banter with him.

"Considering everything that's happen...did you try to contact me before?"

totally making up how Force ghosts work as I go along

[morally_cryptic]

"Before when?"

Before just now? Before BB-8 landed in her lap? Before she was ever on Jakku? There's a lot of befores in there.

And then a slight shake of his head, "not exactly. Mostly. You weren't ready. I can't just magically show up to anyone. Although that could be fun," his eyes twinkle mischievously for a moment. "

fine with me!

[talentedscavenger]

True, she should have specified which 'before' she was talking about. Before on Jakku, or back at the Cantina. Or when she was younger, crying for her parents to come back to her.

"I understand I wasn't ready then...but I thought you would have made an attempt or...something."

Yes, she was Force sensitive, but it was for the better he not guide her. Teaching her was one thing, but beyond that, he probably would have spooked her. However she had to scoff at him. Magic? That was in children's tales. Nothing else.

[morally_cryptic]

"Before you came to see me, I...couldn't." Apparently time paradoxes were actually a thing, who knew? "After..." he shrugs slightly, "appearing directly didn't seem like a good idea. But," he smiles a little, "I was there."

Little nudges here and there, maybe. Reminders of what she'd learned, of what she'd seen him do.

[talentedscavenger]

A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. If he couldn't try to frighten, he tried to nudge her in the right direction. They were part of each other's lives, whether they knew it or not. Well, he was here now...probably no for long, but at least she got to learn more about him. At least, he answered her questions and gave her the bigger picture to what happened.

A shame Ren didn't know, though she didn't think he would believe it. He was cloaked in his own darkness, committed to becoming a Sith Lord.

"I did pretty well against him..." Dodging blows and using his lightsaber to cut into the ground.

"Wish you could have taught me more."

[morally_cryptic]

"You did do well, especially considering your relative levels of training." Even considering the wound Kylo Ren had sustained before their fight. "And I might not be able to continue your training but that doesn't mean there isn't another who can."

He smiles knowingly. Of course she's going to learn from Luke. He won't let her hear the end of it. If he gets the opportunity, anyway.

[talentedscavenger]

Rey couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. Yes, she got the point, she would go to Luke to complete her training. He would be her Master and she would be his apprentice. Was Anakin afraid she might just bail right now instead of seeing him? ...Okay, that was an option in the beginning, but now no. Her grandfather might end up haunting her until she went to him.

"Here I thought your ego would flare up and have you insist you'd finish it."

[morally_cryptic]

He kind of tugs at his sleeve as if indicating the part where he's actually see-through and not physically substantial.

"I could but it would involve a lot of meditation exercises and we'd both get bored."

[talentedscavenger]

There was a light chuckle from Rey, knowing that's exactly what would happen between the two of them. She would be able to meditate for a longer amount of time than him, but even she had her limits. After a while she might end up nodding off. It was best she save her sleep for after she found Luke.

"Could you get bored?" Considering he was ghost, part of the Force now.

"Never mind, you'd find a way." Which was also true, by now she knew him a lot better than she would have had otherwise.

[morally_cryptic]

"That was a silly question to ask," he agrees. Though he had to admit that being one with the Force in this fashion did afford him a wealth of opportunities to experience the breadth of life in the galaxy in a way he never thought possible.

Obi-Wan's declaration on the Death Star that if struck down he would become more powerful than he could possibly imagine was entirely true.

Maybe he would teach Rey that someday, but now wasn't the time.

"Go on, go see him. Tell me all about it later."