Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or the storyline, nor do I take responsibility over the characters. I am merely a fan with a computer and a keyboard. This fic is NON-incest, until later proven otherwise in the movies. The story takes place around a month after the events of The Force Awakens. Rated M for later chapters.

CHAPTER 2 : CURRENTS

"Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn. Why? Because this storm isn't something that blew in from far away, something that has nothing to do with you. This storm is you. Something inside of you. So all you can do is give in to it, step right inside the storm, closing your eyes and plugging up your ears so the sand doesn't get in, and walk through it, step by step."-Haruki Murakami

Kylo Ren hated sand.

For as long as he can remember it had always bothered him. It was coarse and rough and messy. Sand clung to everything and trickled into every little crevice, filling in the spaces and leaving him feeling itchy and irritated. It was endless and difficult to move in. There was nothing pleasant about it. Kylo had always preferred the cold that left him numb or the emptiness of space. It made him more disconnected.

Here, on Malagarr, Kylo felt everything. He felt the blistering sun through his dark robes, the sweat that would bead on his brow, and the constant sinking feeling in his legs whenever he stepped on the red sand covered earth. They had been here for almost two weeks; General Hux was 'negotiating' with traders for droids, weapons, and any machinery. They had taken a heavy hit when Starkiller Base was blown apart but they would rise again, stronger than ever. Two weeks was starting to drag on him. He was never one who liked being in the same place for long periods of time. He needed to move, venture. It was one of the many things that drove him away from Luke Skywalker and the Jedi; they were always so content in staying in one place. It drove him mad.

He was always unsettled, it seemed.

Especially now. In front of him three hefty nets of Carrion birds were gathered on a stone plaza that was surrounded by dilapidated pillars. A few storm troopers and one other Knight of Ren was in the clearing with him, trying to escape the heat of the day by standing under the roof above them. It could hardly be called a roof though, with the way it caved in and the many holes that were punctured through. Still, it was something.

The captured birds were a giant mass of black wings and they reeked of death, they were known for feeding off the deceased. Behind his mask he wrinkled his nose. Dirty creatures. If he looked hard enough every so often he would see a flash of white in the pile, which was his target. At his call the hundred or so birds would be released and he would only have a few precious seconds to take down the few rare white Carrion's. Only the white and all of them. To him it wasn't a challenge or training, it was a way to blow off some steam. Anything to get relief from the anxious tension in his body.

"Release!" The birds react instantly at the sensation of freedom and they move in a desperate whirlwind.

His body moves on autopilot, feet digging into the cracked pavement, he lunges into the storm of wings. The light saber in his hand roars to life in a stream of crackling red energy. His audience is silent as they watch the young knight, the currents of his power roll off him and some of the storm troopers cant help but fidget restlessly at the feeling. They were relieved that they weren't on the receiving end of his anger, this time.

The light saber seems to sizzle with pleasure when it bites into its first body. Upward slash. Downward strike. Swivel. Repeat. Small and feathery bodies litter the ground, staining the red sand an even deeper shade of crimson. When he is finished, he takes a step back and admires his handiwork. A total of seven out of the seven white Carrion birds lay at his feet. Irritation flashes through him when it doesn't bring him the relief he needed. He was so restless here on this dead planet.

Then, something tingles at the edge of his senses.

One of the storm troopers speaks up, approaching him from the corner of his eye. "Sir reports up ahead say there is-"

He ruptures. There is so much anger and frustration in him. With a quick flick of his wrist Kylo Ren sends the storm trooper flying into one of the stone pillars. "I know." He spits. Did they think he was blind? In the distance a sandstorm is brewing and heading towards them. He feels it before he sees it.

Just seconds before the sandstorms hits he manages to slip into one of the many abandoned buildings that litter the area. The others had scattered for shelter and for now he was alone for what felt like the first time in weeks. It's a tight space and some of the walls are capsized in, he is far too large to stand comfortably and judging by the harshness of the storm outside he has a feeling he will be here for a while. With no other option he takes to sitting on the floor, bringing one leg up and resting his arm on his knee. Sand fills his boots and he scowls underneath his mask. He hated sand.

He hated the sand and the way it reminded him of her. The scavenger. The girl with so much power and potential. Rey. Ever since he set foot on this damned planet he was reminded of her. The sand here rubbed at his skin in all the wrong ways and it made him feel raw, just like she did. She had crossed his mind often in the time since she had left him bleeding in the forest, but he never had chance to dwell on her. Training had been issued just a few days after he had been injured and when he wasn't breaking his back training he was off scouring the galaxy with General Hux in search of vassals. In search of places where they could spread their disease. It was so tiring.

He was worn from all of it.

Slowly he begins to empty his mind, shutting his eyes and resting his head against the wall. The force flows through him, swirling in tendrils of docile power. It is the first time in a month that he meditates. To anyone who came across him in that very moment they would think he was asleep, naïve to how aware he really was. In his mind he sees a vast darkness, a bottomless void. It seems like hours go by as he sits there, quiet and unmoving.

And then he feels Rey.

He can't help the breath that hitches in his throat. Right there, he feels her. In his mind she is a tiny dot of silver amongst a sea of black, pulsing and pure. It entices him. The same way a silver bell would entice a small child. It dances at the edge of his senses and draws him in as if tantalizing him to touch it, take it.

Curiously and tentatively he reached, ignoring the warnings at the base of his senses.

Kylo Ren always took what he wanted.

It catches him off guard how violently her mind wrenches him in. There is no time to brace for impact. In one sweeping moment he is tossed into her mind the same way an anchor is casted into sea. Kylo sinks into her with an unrelenting force. He barely has time to gasp for air before he is drowning in the tidal pool that is her emotions. It was so... so bright. She was happy and blooming and proud of herself, light filling her to the brim like a beacon. It was dizzying. It was intoxicating. It left him wanting.

A sharp intake of breath. He recoiled violently and ripped himself from her mind.

The wind outside the walls howled and shrieked but it was nothing compared to the turmoil in his head. It took him far too many moments than he liked to admit to calm his heartbeat. That was not what he had expected. Disoriented and all of the sudden very claustrophobic he reaches up to his helmet and discards it on the floor with a heavy thud. Shaky hands rake through his hair and a realization begins to dawn on him. He knew it. Had known it the second she had clashed her energy with his back on his ship. He had recognized it and she did too, but at the time neither one of them could have really known the extent of their actions. How could they in the heat of the moment? A small, sinking feeling curled its way into his chest.

A force bond had formed between them.

A/N: There we go, chapter 2! Phew. Now I can finally get started on pumping out the long chapters.

Yes, Kylo Ren hates sand just as much as his grandpappy. I thought it was a nice touch. Look forward to next chapter having more interaction between Kylo and Rey. Also, there will be more explanations to the whole 'force bond' thing in the next chapter as well. PATIENCE.

Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed, I love knowing what people think. It warms my little trash heart.

Please Review, thank you!