AN:/ Hello! So, this is going to be a fairly big and complex story! So much so that in my plan I had to stop for a while to make sure that it actually makes sense! There is a lot involved, such as time travel and OCs! The main relationship is, of course, Ben & Rey, however both Padme & Anakin as well as Qui-Gon Jinn & OC play a major role in the story. Please let me know what you think!
Prologue: Rey Of Harmony.
Jakku.
It started with a whisper. A whisper that was unintelligible on a windy night on Jakku. A young Rey stumbled out of the AT-AT to try to identify the voice. However, she could hardly see her hands before her, let alone the horizon, so she returned inside and forgot about the whisper.
Then, it happened again a year later. Only this time, it clearly called her name. She'd grown accustomed to being defensive towards sudden sounds because the adults on Jakku thought it was easy to rob from a child and take her scavenged parts.
Rey ran out with her overly large staff that she had found a few months back, and stood with it raised. On this night, there was no wind, but still her eyes struggled to see far into the distance. She shouted out a threat, then returned inside and barricaded the door. That night she didn't sleep as her eyes were too busy staring at the door.
The next time it happened, she only had to wait a few months; it was a bellow, a guttural boom of her name that shook the AT-AT. She flew out of her bed and grabbed her staff. Whatever it was, she could feel it now. Every hair on her body stood on end as her heart thundered in her chest. It hummed. Something around her emitted a deep noise that caused her ears to twitch and her eyes to water.
"Go away!" She shouted.
Rey was young and afraid. It didn't matter how many times she tried to convince herself otherwise, she was still a child — an abandoned girl whose parents decided she wasn't worth keeping around. There was no reason for her will-to-live to keep on thriving; but it was at times like this, when the unexplained happened, that she considered giving up on life itself.
Then it was like someone had broken a dam. A wave of a thousand voices started to speak and shout at once. "...child...sweet child...young-one…future of this world…wretched bitch!" Rey dropped her staff and pressed her hands over her ears.
"Stop it!" She screamed. "Stop!"
For a few moments, she sobbed on the floor. Then, she removed her hands from her ears and glanced around her home. The hum had disappeared, leaving her mind empty and herself very alone.
Rey pushed the incident to the back of her head throughout the year that followed. She practised more with her staff and started to create a name for herself as a feared scavenger. Her teenage years approached, and with that, came a change to her body. Rey stumbled towards Niima Outpost with her white trousers covered in blood one day. The pain was excruciating in her stomach, and she found herself unable to stand up straight. The men laughed at her and none of the women sympathised with her, so Rey staggered back to the AT-AT and collapsed by one of the feet.
That's when it happened for the first time. The hum was there beneath her pain, but Rey hardly registered its existence. That was true, until a gentle hand touched her sweaty shoulder. Her eyes opened to see a beautiful woman with brown hair and light brown eyes. Everything about her screamed perfection and beauty, which was something Rey knew little about. She expected the beautiful woman to be harsh, instead she helped her to her feet and supported her inside. Before Rey could utter a 'thank-you', the woman started to explain to her about the changes a young girl must go through to become a woman. She was experiencing her first period, which would come monthly unless she got herself fitted with a chip to stop it from happening. However, she said the chip was too expensive and unattainable on Jakku.
Then, she tucked Rey into bed and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Whoever this woman was, Rey was grateful for her help; but when morning came, she was gone without a trace.
In the months that followed, Rey adhered to the gentle woman's advice. Her childish side thought she would reappear each time she had her period, but that never happened. Her touch had been that of a mother, which was something she knew nothing of. No one had ever tucked her into bed and kissed her. Rey's lonely heart yearned for such a touch, fortunately, she only had to wait a little longer until she appeared again.
Now, Rey had a chance to truly observe her. The woman was dressed in a long white dress, her brown curls cascaded down her back, and some strands were encased with colourful beads. She smiled at her radiantly and crouched down in front of her as Rey sat in a pile of junk.
"Sweet child," whispered the Goddess. "How have you been?"
"W-Who are you?"
"Padmé Amidala."
Rey knew that name. She'd listened to gossip at Niima Outpost, and Padmé Amidala had been mentioned when discussing her husband, Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader. The ladies liked to talk about the fall of the Empire because it had ended on Jakku. When they gossiped, they talked about how sad it was that Luke Skywalker was unable to save his father, Darth Vader, as well as never getting to know his beautiful mother, Padmé Amidala.
While all of that was sad, it didn't explain why the mother of Luke Skywalker was crouching in front of her.
"You're dead."
Padmé chuckled. "I think so."
"Then how are you here?"
"Something called to me from the darkness, and now I'm here with you."
Rey's face scrunched up in confusion. That didn't make any sense. "Are you a ghost?"
Padmé reached out her delicate hand and pressed Rey's shoulder with her index finger. "I don't think ghosts can touch the living," she pushed some of Rey's hair from her face. "Nor can they leave impressions on the sand."
Rey's eyes widened when she spotted the footprints in the sand. "That's not possible — you are supposed to be dead!"
"Sweet child," Padmé cupped her sunburnt cheeks. "Something has brought me to you. I'm not sure what for, but I see a lonely child in need of company."
"I'm not alone!" Rey lied. "I'm happy just the way I am."
Padmé's thumb stroked Rey's left cheek. "I'll always be watching over you, sweet child," her touch vanished along with the rest of her, and Rey was left staring at the imprint in the sand.
By the time she turned thirteen, she'd heard nothing else from Padmé. It was at her darkest times that Rey wished for her presence to return and offer her comfort.
And it was while she lit a candle she'd stuck in her polystarch bread, that Rey discovered that she was not an average human. A knock sounded at the door, and Rey immediately blew out her candle and grabbed her staff. She told whoever it was to go away, but the knocking continued. She'd made a makeshift door out of some wood and nails; it could withstand the sandstorms, but not a boot if someone decided to kick it in. Rey approached the door with cautious steps, and glanced through the hole she'd hammered into the door to find a gang of men on the other side. Now, Rey considered herself to be strong, but she didn't stand a chance against four fully grown men.
"I said go away!" She snapped and her grip tightened on her staff.
"Let us in you bitch!" The thudding was more aggressive this time.
"Piss off!" She'd picked up such colourful language during her many confrontations with other scavengers.
A deep laugh followed her outburst, and Rey closed her eyes to pray. Padmé had helped her out before and she said that she'd be watching over her. This was the time that she needed her help.
"Kick it open," one of them said. "She's got plenty of stuff in there — it's enough to get us ration packs for months!"
Rey swore in her mind and looked around at her home. Although it didn't seem like much to her, the AT-AT was a goldmine to scavengers, and she'd lucked out so far that no one had paid it any attention, until now.
"Kick it!" The door trembled against the weight of a foot, and Rey stumbled back into the table. She needed to be brave, but her fight had left her body. What were they going to do to her?
Rey screamed when the door flew open and crashed against the wall. She readied her staff as the men surveyed the room.
"See," the one with grey hair smirked. "Told you there was a lot in here."
She swung her staff at them, and they all smiled and laughed. "Look at the little thing — do you think your stick scares me?" Rey gritted her teeth as he approached, then swung it hard against the side of his head. He fell to the floor with a thud, and Rey paused at the sight of the blood pooling around his head.
Was he dead?
The remaining men lunged at her before she could react, and Rey found herself being punched and kicked to the floor. She screamed and cried trying to push at their hands and feet, but it only resulted in one of them stamping on her left hand causing her to screech in agony.
Rey wished for someone to save her. She wished for Padmé to return and offer her a gentle touch. However, it wasn't Padmé who came to her aid — it was the red plasma blade belonging to Darth Vader. Through watery eyes, Rey stared at the imposing black armoured Dark Lord while he slaughtered the intruders, but her eyes closed before she could see the last one fall.
The next time she opened her eyes, she was back in her bed. She hadn't been neatly tucked in like Padmé had done, instead, the blanket was awkwardly placed over her torso. Rey observed the clean room around her before she registered that she was no longer in pain. She roughly pulled at her clothes only to discover that there was no blood or bruises on her body. Had Darth-bloody-Vader healed her? How was that possible?
Rey wasn't sure how she felt about the whole thing. Should she speak to someone? Surely it wasn't right for her to be seeing Darth Vader in her AT-AT.
A few weeks went by, and Rey avoided one of the shrieking women in Niima Outpost whose husband had gone missing. Rey guessed that he must've been one of the raiders; even if she wanted to help the woman, Rey had no idea where their bodies had been ditched.
It was at Niima Outpost, a few days after her fourteenth birthday, that Rey realised she must be going insane. A few of the ladies were gossiping about the Cold War and the newly formed First Order, and Rey listened from a nearby table. Then, a man dressed in brown robes and a utility belt sat down opposite her. His bright blue eyes caused her to pause, and the wise look chiseled into his features told her that he didn't belong here on Jakku.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"Yes, young-one, you can."
Rey narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not sure how you expect me to respond?"
"There is something about you," he said. "It's crying out for help."
"I think you have the wrong person," she glanced around. "There is a fortune teller around here who I think you might get along with—"
The gossiping women nearby giggled, and Rey suddenly realised that their eyes were only on her — talking to herself. She glared at the man opposite her and whispered, "Who the fuck are you?"
"Qui-Gon Jinn," he extended his hand across the table. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Rey swallowed hard. She knew who this man was. He was another dead person who had found their way into her presence somehow. The elderly ladies on Jakku talked about Qui-Gon's gentle temperament and wistful good looks. So, Rey knew some of his history but not all of it.
"I don't shake hands," she grunted. "Leave me alone."
"Why you?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's the ultimate question — why you?"
And with that, he disappeared.
Rey ran away from the ladies laughing at her insanity, and she cried herself to sleep for the first time in a long time. Why was this happening to her? She slipped into a slump for a few weeks, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her rations were far and few as the days went by, and she found herself caring less about her survival.
Why was she seeing dead people? Rey knew that involving someone in her situation would lead to them calling her insane — which would be a fact. Her low mood caught up with her one day as she wandered into the Graveyard of Giants. She stared blankly at the fallen Inflictor, while her net bag fluttered to the floor empty. What hope did she have? Jakku was going to wear her to the bone. Rey couldn't help but wonder how other teenagers were living their lives? They probably went to school and could read and write — skills that Rey lacked — and had a family to go home to.
A sob escaped her lips as she dropped to her knees in the warm sand. Her life was over before it had even had a chance to start. A part of her hoped that her parents would return, but Rey needed to stop fooling herself, they were never coming back.
Suddenly, Rey heard the hum. Her ears adjusted to the new sound just as the red plasma blade rested above her shoulder. It crackled a few inches away from her skin, so she slowly turned to look over her shoulder.
Darth Vader shadowed her small frame, and she could finally hear the mechanical sound of his breath. The women liked to gossip about it, but nothing could have prepared Rey for the sheer terror that it caused her. There was no way for Rey to tell whether he intended to kill her; even his hand didn't waver as he aimed his lightsaber at a fourteen year old girl. He's slaughtered younger, commented a dark voice in her mind.
"W-What?" She stammered.
The red disappeared into the handle and she sighed in relief. She stayed on her knees before him and awaited a reply, but he just kept his black mask tilted down at her. She could feel the intensity of his stare all over her face, and she tried her best to respond with a fearsome glare — yet it would never match the piercing eyes of the Dark Lord.
"Are we just going to stare at one another? Or are you going to explain to me what's going on?" She tilted her head slightly, which he mistook for a challenge so Rey ended up on the receiving end of his lightsaber once more. "What do you want from me?!" She shrieked, and warm tears flooded her eyes. "You are meant to be dead! And I didn't ask for any of this…" she sobbed. "Just leave me alone, please."
The red disappeared and, ever so slowly, he crouched down before her. Rey's breath hitched in the back of her throat as she stared at him through watery eyes. He was even more imposing when he was eye level with her.
He released a mechanical breath. "Why? You should be the one answering that."
Rey shook her head frantically. "No! No, I have no idea what's happening to me."
"You let your emotions control you easily."
"So?" She curled her trembling hands into the sand. "I'm always alone with my thoughts and feelings, so it's rare that I get a chance to show my emotions. Now, tell me why you saved me?"
"Save you? You think I saved you?!" He laughed deeply. "Foolish child, I did nothing of the sort."
Rey gained the confidence to lean closer to him. "You saved me — and you healed me — so tell me why? You aren't real, so why is a mortal girl worth saving?"
His hand grabbed her neck and she clawed at his gloved hand. "You don't get to question my actions," he shook her. "Understand?" Rey nodded her head and he let her go.
She thought about Padmé. The wife of Anakin Skywalker wouldn't treat her in such a way. Rey's bottom lip trembled as her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm all alone...nobody was around to save me that night, so thank-you for helping me," she cast her eyes his way briefly. "Even if you didn't mean to."
He grunted, then disappeared.
Rey let out a sob as she stared at the imprint he'd left behind. She was back to being alone.
The loneliness followed her for another two years. A sixteen year old Rey had grown tougher and stronger during her travels across the desert. The hum was no more, and Rey was grateful to see the back of it. She was no longer insane.
She practised more with her staff, and in a way, that damned object was the only thing that brought her joy. Every visit to Niima Outpost was a chorus of male travellers whistling at her like she was a dog, and the scalding eyes of the older women who refused to talk to her for some unknown reason. One of the men had told her that she'd blossomed into a woman; she had no idea what that meant, but if getting rid of it would mean men would leer at her less, then she would happily forgo it.
And then it happened — well, she found out what it truly meant to blossom.
Jakku's sun was setting along the horizon as Rey made her way back to the AT-AT, when a shiver raced up her spine. The shiver turned into a chill until pain exploded at the back of her head. She cried out in agony as her body thudded onto the sand. Her back arched at an unnatural curve and her veins flooded with a black colour. Rey tried to call out for help, but her jaw soon clenched shut leaving her screams muted.
Then, two hands pushed down on her shoulders to help still her convulsing body. It didn't work but the familiar black mask provided a few moments of distraction from the pain. Rey felt like it went on for hours but it was only a few more minutes. Her body twitched to a stop and her chest heaved for oxygen.
The mechanical hiss was louder than it had been two years ago. "You've blossomed...into something unknown to the Force."
"W-What...what does that even mean?" She was too weak to push his hands off her.
"It means that you will be my new apprentice."
When she awoke the next morning, it was to Darth Vader's imposing frame above her. He ordered her from her bed telling her to bring her staff and nothing else. She followed him outside, and as she shut the door behind her, she realised that the hum was gone — yet he was here with her.
The hiss of his lightsaber caused her to pause. Her two year break from the sight of it made her consider its true brutality. This was a blade that could slice through her body if it pleased him. Rey knew of his past, and in a way, it gave her an advantage; she often wondered how he would react to his real name.
"Attack me with your staff," he hissed.
Rey stared down at her weapon. "You'll slice through it," she felt protective of it.
He raised his hand and the staff trembled in her grip for a few moments, then he lowered his gloved hand with a sigh. "Strike me, now!"
And so, Rey's training began.
Her mornings were spent sparring with Darth Vader — she would never be able to get over that — and her afternoons were more calm and filled with meditation. However, as the days went on, their sparring grew more aggressive. Every time she thought that she understood the techniques, he'd beat her into the sand and leave a nasty cut on her. Her grunted swings turned into screeches of annoyance, and every hissed laugh that escaped his mask fuelled the anger inside of her.
She often thought he was doing this to toy with the poor, lonely orphan. However, months later she caught sight of her reflection and realised the change. She'd gone from scrawny and skinny to defined and muscular. She spent less time covered up so her skin was more tanned and her hair had been lightened by the sun. Rey found herself walking more upright with a sense of arrogance that she was better than the other scavengers.
The only part of her routine that confused her, was the meditation. He wouldn't reveal why she had to do it. Rey felt nothing — she didn't feel at one with the Force, and she wasn't even sure she had it. However, Rey would think back to the seizure she had that caused Darth Vader to come to her aid. Something had blossomed inside of her that day, but it was now waiting in the shadows of her body.
Then, after a gruesome year had passed as his apprentice, she managed to disarm him in a duel — without using her staff. It had happened quickly, Rey dropped her weapon leaving herself exposed to him, and as he moved to swing at her, she instinctively flung her hands out only to send him flying backwards into the sand. She stared at him for a few moments, then rushed to his side to find him laughing.
He managed to utter out that he'd been waiting for a whole year for her to show signs of being with the Force, and now his assumptions were correct.
Her training schedule changed after that. Rey was put through vigorous lessons that blended together the light and dark side of the Force. It opened her eyes to the true strength someone could have if they focused on both sides rather than choosing one. Darth Vader had experienced the cruelty of both, and it seemed that he believed her capable of handling the complexities of each side.
Rey felt no pull. He'd explained briefly that a lot of Force-sensitive people felt a conflict to pick a side, and he believed it was a good sign that she didn't. Her time spent meditating now involved levitation, while he talked her through the power she could feel around her. Their sparring sessions didn't involve much talk, unless one counted him screaming expletives at her when she did something wrong.
Yet, Rey felt that tight feeling around her heart. And by the time her eighteenth birthday came about, she realised that she cared. Cared for Darth Vader. He'd been consistent in her life for two years, and she wasn't sure her heart could handle the pain if he disappeared.
They trained on her birthday, and although she'd never told him that it was the day of her birth, she grew angrier as the hours went by. By the end of their session, she'd Force-pushed him a dozen times in frustration. Then, when she'd moved to do it one last time, he yanked her off the ground by her neck and pulled her face to his own.
"Your anger is distracting you!" He shook her. "Push it away!"
"It's my birthday!" She blurted out before she could stop herself.
"And?"
She wiggled. "Put me down!" He dropped her onto the sand and turned away from her.
"A birthday is just a reminder that you are getting one step closer to death each year."
Rey rolled her eyes. "It is a celebration of one's life."
He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Pathetic."
"Fuck you!" She snapped. "Don't you dare make me feel bad for wanting to celebrate my life!"
He kept his back to her, and like a child throwing a tantrum, she cried out in frustration and stormed inside the AT-AT. Why did he have to be so cruel? She was used to being alone, and he was the one that chose her as his apprentice, so he should've known she might get attached.
Suddenly, a thick tension filled the room. The hum was bouncing off the walls and consuming her ears with a throbbing pain. She turned to look at the door, already sensing that it was coming from outside. With cautious steps she made her way back outside onto the sand, only for her eyes to widen in horror.
Darth Vader had his back to her a few steps in front of her. His lightsaber was ablaze by his side, and she was surprised to see the tremor in his hand. However, her main surprise was towards the line of people standing before him. She recognised Qui-Gon Jinn, but the rest were unfamiliar faces.
"Go back inside," said Vader. "Now!"
Rey felt touched that he wanted to protect her from danger, but his shaking body told her that he was scared more for himself than her. She glanced at Qui-Gon's robes, then realised there were three other people wearing the same clothes — Jedi robes.
That explained his reaction.
"Let the girl come to us," said the elderly man in Jedi robes. "She's better off—"
"She can decide for herself," Vader hissed then turned to look at her. "The light wishes to talk to you, and as you can see, there are a lot of them."
"Rey of Jakku, my name is Obi-Wan Kenobi," once again, Rey had to thank the gossiping women at Niima Outpost. She knew exactly who this man was, and she now understood why Darth Vader had reacted so badly.
"What do you want?" Rey stood alongside Vader with a scowl. Unfortunately, Padmé wasn't with them, and she kind of wanted to see how the dark man beside her would react to the sight of his wife.
"Teach you we will."
Rey almost laughed. They'd truly brought everyone to try to persuade her to join them.
"I'm happy with my lessons," she said. "There is no bias."
It was Qui-Gon who stepped forward. "He'll kill you."
Rey tilted her head slightly. "I can handle myself."
"I don't doubt you are a fierce fighter, Rey of Jakku, but you must know the monster you are dealing with."
Rey's face scrunched up in confusion, and she glanced at Darth Vader's mask. He was intimidating but she no longer feared him. Would he truly kill her? No, Rey felt like she could trust him.
"I'm not learning about the dark side," she explained. "It's a mixture of both."
"May so that be, young Rey," Yoda fiddled with his cane. "Learn you must from us."
"Why?"
"Rey of Jakku, read or write you cannot."
Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "That doesn't matter."
"Matter it should."
"Who are you?"
And so, she was introduced to: Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu. Rey cautiously approached and came to a stop before them. Mace showed little acknowledgement, and the sour expression on his face was focused on the man behind her.
There was a brief explanation on their Jedi pasts, and Rey immediately gathered that these people were linked to Darth Vader, which explained his anger. The more Yoda talked about what they could offer her, the more she felt a shiver run up her spine. It was like she could feel Vader's eyes on her. There was a tug at her arm and she looked to see no one was there, then she glanced over her shoulder at Vader. She could feel his wish for her to return, and a part of her was flattered while the other wondered why he wanted her back.
Then, once more, something bad happened. She felt the shift around her as the tension morphed into pure rage. A person approached from behind the Jedi, and it was a young man with curly brown hair and blue eyes. He wore Jedi robes and had a cybernetic arm — and that's when she knew, that's when she worked out who he was.
Anakin Skywalker.
Before she could question how it was possible, Rey heard fast footsteps behind her just as Anakin drew out his blue lightsaber. Something had disrupted the Force and caused a sandstorm to flood through the area. She tried to shield her eyes from the onslaught of sand, and through her hazy vision she spotted Anakin's form fly over her head. The last thing she saw before the sandstorm blocked her view was blue clash upon red. The fighting and shouting was loud as she tried to push through the storm, but the wind forced her backwards every time she progressed a few steps.
"Vader, stop!" She screeched, but the storm muffled her screams. She could hear the Jedi behind her, but they could do nothing to disperse the storm. Rey had no idea whether these apparitions could die — they were already dead. Yet, fear surged through her veins at the idea of something happening to Vader; it didn't matter that he'd done such terrible things, he'd been the only constant thing in her life for the past two years.
Rey pushed and pushed for minutes fighting storm, then, in the distance she spotted the pair locked in a vicious battle.
And that was when it happened, the start of her legacy as the balance between light and dark. Rey watched the blue and red beams collide; however, instead of them pulling away, the lightsabers fused together.
The furious pair were stunned still immediately, and it seemed the Force had decided they needed to stop. Rey sighed in relief.
"Are you quite finished—" Rey's question was cut off as the blue and red mixed together, and purple plasma shot from their blades and barrelled right into her chest. She flew back a long distance and landed in a heap on the sand. The storm vanished in an instance, revealing her form to all of the entities.
The only thing Rey remembered about that day was the pain. She didn't recall the way Vader shouted her name, nor the way they all forgot their rivalries and rushed to her side. No, all she remembered was the way it felt like she'd swallowed glass; and the way she coughed up blood onto the golden sand; and how her body convulsed in different directions as she screamed out in agony.
None of them knew what to do.
And all they could do was watch in horror as the Force took control of her body. They all felt it. The pull towards her. Ever since her birth she had been calling to them, and one by one, without conversing with one another, they'd watched from a distance.
These ghosts had never left for an afterlife, for them there wasn't one. All they knew was wandering endlessly across the plains of lands, waiting for something to call to them. They never passed someone else like them; their purpose was to wait for their calling. Yoda heard voices more often, and he felt the pull to other people to aid them with their journeys. However, Rey's name has been whispered in the winds since her birth, and their journey to her had taken them a long time — some of them too long.
It was at this moment, as Yoda reached out his small hand to touch the burning girl's forehead, that he saw who she was. Or rather, who Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader had made her.
Rey was the balance in between the light and dark. She was neither blue or red, she was purple. A mixture of both ends of the Force, and like a set of scales, Rey was the same token on each side to create an equilibrium.
No longer was she Rey of Jakku.
Yoda pronounced her: Grand Mistress Rey of Harmony.