CHAPTER 1: Lost and Found

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."

Fields of green surrounded the young padawan as he hid in tall grasses. Breathing in he felt the wind brush across his features, calming him into an easy meditation. The hum of the Force vibrated through his ears as it enveloped the rest of his being. In this hiding spot, the long grass covered even his lanky height as the Jedi sat on the ground. His concentration was momentarily disrupted when a small voice yelled across the rather quite field. Listening closely to the silence, then it was there again "Beennnn" pleading for him to make some type of show to where he was buried in the grass. The dark curly haired boy smirked in his meditative pose amused, he was not angered that she had found his hiding spot so easily but not willing to let her onto his exact location. Staying cross legged on the ground he felt the vibration of her feet as she ran, the pull on the bond as the youngling zeroed in on him. No longer needing the force to sense her, Ben could hear the grass shifting to his right, she would be upon him any second now. "Benny" was shrieked in a playful giggle, though his eyes were still closed it was evident the girl had finally caught a glimpse of the boy. Ben imagined her hazel eyes lighting with excitement, her small feet picking up pace, as she pushed through the grass that towered over her small form. A rare smile graced young Ben Solo's face while the hum of her Force increased in volume with every stride. Humming louder and louder till she reached the last barrier separating them. "Ben!"

Kylo was jerked from the dream in a daze. His eyes surveyed the dark bedroom as he sat up trying to steady his breath. What was that? It had to be a fantasy his imagination had conjured and yet something about the scene seemed so familiar. The idea of having a memory of the scavenger as a child shook something deep within Kylo and brought more unanswered questions. Since Crait he had avoided the girl to the best of his ability but the Force had made it apparently obvious to both ends that the bond had outlived its creator. She had infiltrated his life and now it seemed his dreams. He reached out to her to see if maybe she had seen the vision, but only heard her peaceful breathing telling him she was still fast asleep. Kylo could not see the girl but felt the rhythm of her breaths draw him back into sleep. When he awoke in the morning Kylo had forgotten the dream as well as his use of the bond in the night.

Faster, faster and faster. The cool sunlight gracing her features unlike the harsh heat of Jakku bore down as Rey's limbs carried her at an incredible rate. She felt herself yell over and over again uncertain of the words or word she was speaking. There was this string, like a rubber band pulling her towards something just barely out of her reach. A Field! Of course she can see the tall grass coming closer as her small legs picked up pace. She was young, younger than she could ever remember being. Rey forgot this realization as she felt the wind shift guiding her towards the target. She let out a joyous giggle upon catching a glimpse in the grass of a dark head. She had found him. "Benny" this time she heard the word as she yelled it across the field. The already fast youngling miraculously picked up her pace and leapt as she passed the last barrier separating her and her bond mate. Rey landed on his back with her arms wrapped securely around his neck in an embrace. His back shook from laughter. Ben never laughed for anyone except for Rey. She smiled holding him closer. "The bond is getting stronger. We will have to mention it to Master Luke." Ben spoke softly to her as he peeled her off his back and set her on the ground in front of him. Rey mimicked his crossed leg position and raised her eyes to meet his. She couldn't help the toothy grin that spread across her face at the older boys own small smile. His dark hair hung around his face in curls. Rey remembered Luke's annoyance at Ben's refusal to abide by the usual padawan short hairstyle. Rey, like always, followed Ben's rebellion and asked him to style her hair into three buns so that it would be different than rest of the younglings. As if knowing her train of thought Ben reached over to Rey and fixed the top bun on her head as it had started coming undone from her search mission. "Ben?" she asked pulling his attention as he leaned over her head working on her hair. "Hm?" was his only response. "Did Luke tell you about my assignment?" This pulled him away from his task as he leaned back to meet her hazel eyes. "No. He told me I was not allowed to be in the decision making." The youngling was incapable of meeting his eyes. Her disappointment surged through their bond and Ben was taken back by her overwhelming emotion. "Rey, hey stop kid." Young Solo reached over to the girl pulling her securely onto her lap. "Wha- What if they don't assign me to you.? What if I have to go away from the temple?" Rey stumbled her voice shaking along with her tiny frame. "Shh, Rey. That will never happen." Ben began to feel the light may be flickering within the youngling as she trembled in his arms. "Rey, fear is the path to the dark side." He warned gently, he needed her light more than she would ever know and he refused to allow her to doubt it. "I don't want to be alone." That statement shook Solo deeply as he tipped the younglings head for their eyes to meet. "Listen to me Rey, you will never be alone." "Do you promise?" her plead was so quiet he barely heard her. "I promise or my name isn't Ben Solo." Rey felt safe in the Jedi's arms and she trusted that what he said was true. She could feel it through their bond. She felt the bond shake suddenly until Rey discovered it wasn't the bond but the whole world surrounding her.

Rey was shaken awake by a very desperate looking Finn. "REY!" was yelled at her along with the assault. "What's happening?" she mumbled in her exhausted state. "You slept through two meals and our first meeting. I know you said Poe can piolet but the Falcon doesn't seem to be handling his flyboy antics." Pulling herself out her bunk, Rey stretched to ease the ache from the platform bed. Had she really slept that long? She recalled the feeling of warmth and calm that had surrounded her dream yet failed to remember the details. With a final shrug Rey walked without thought to the cockpit with Finn behind her to see what Poe was doing her to ship.