Note: Italics is thoughts, unless specified otherwise i.e flashbacks or visions. / is timeskip


Smiling down at the baby, she stares into his baby blue eyes.

"I think I'm going to call you Ben,"

— Four years later —

ALEXA'S POV

The Dwarves tried to fight it, nothing worked. A man stood alone on a tower with a wind lance, arrow after arrow he shot. None killed the beast. Running for their lives, an army of Elves stood watching the chaos. One sat upon a massive Elk, dully staring at the wrath and ruin before his eyes. A Dwarf, royalty by the looks of it called out for help. But none was received. Men, women, children died before the beast.

'Help! Please Help us!' 'Run my children, you must! Go! Go!' 'But-but we can't go, where's daddy?'

Their screams seemed never-ending. The beast had taken their homeland.

Blood pounded in her ears. Her heart thudded in her chest. Hands shaking, she exhaled breathing deeply in an effort to calm her racing heartbeat. She recited the four words, a mantra long engraved in her mind.

It's just a dream. It's just a dream. Hands clamped tightly around her knees, she began rocking back and forth. Small hands tugged on her arms, shaking her.

A voice screamed at her "Master, Master wake up! Please! Please!"

Still rocking, Alexa seemed to be in a trance, scaring the owner of the voice further. "It's not real. It's not real! ALEXA WAKE-UP!"

Snapping her head up, Alexa looked towards the voice. Her vision was blurry as if she was looking through a fisheye lens. A tightness grew in her chest. Who was this person in her room? Why are they screaming at her? Alexa was about to lunge at the stranger when she felt something, a presence.

"It's me, Alexa! it's me! I'm here,"

Alexa stared straight at the figure; they hadn't opened their mouth so how did she hear them? Rubbing at her eyes, Alexa stares at the once blurred figure. It was Ben.

"Ben! Shit, are you okay? What's happened? What's wrong?"

Ben shifting awkwardly on his feet, he looks up at her. "I'm fine Master, I… Um… I heard you screaming. You were having a night… A nightmare," he responded.

Looking down at the young boy Alexa see's the fear in his eyes. "I see," she whispers.

Patting the bed beside her, she invited him up onto the bed with her. "Ben… I… I," she began, breathing deeply she stares off at the wall. "Ben, a Jedi does not have nightmares,"

At this Ben makes a face of confusion "What do you mean Master? If it wasn't a nightmare what was it?" he asked innocently. Here it is.

Exhaling slowly, Alexa wrapped her arm around the boy and spoke. "It-It was a vision,"

"A vision? What's that Master?" the young boy asked excitedly, Alexa looked down at the boy, tightening her hold on him she continued.

"Well my young Padawan, a vision is a sort of dream that can show what is, what was and what is to come," The boy scooched in closer into his Master's arms suddenly intrigued.

"What… What did you see Master?" Ben asked,

"I mean if you don't mind me asking Master," he corrected after seeing her pointed look.

"Well if you must know," she said whilst smiling, Ben bounced in his Master's arms, nodding profusely.

"There was a village, bustling with people. Men, Women and children of all size and ages. Next to the village was a single solitary peak, a mountain to be exact," she paused briefly, images of fire and ruin flashed through her mind.

"I-I saw a King, surrounded by gold and stone. He sat on a stone throne, on the throne was a stone. It was large, white in fact and it looked as if it were glowing and-and…" her breath shuddered.

"What else Master? What happened?"

"The gold. The riches. The stone. It attracted a beast," Ben looked up at his Master uneasy

"A-a beast?!" his voice quivering. Sighing lightly, Alexa pulled the boy into her lap and held his little hands in hers.

"A dragon Ben, it… It came from the north. I saw. I saw fire, dragon fire. It entrapped its victims, many perished. Men, women, children. All of them – gone," a tear dripped down her cheek.

A small hand reached up and wiped her tear away. "Master… Why didn't anyone help them? Why-why didn't they just kill the dragon?" he asked. Alexa smiled down sadly at the young boy.

"Well for starters," she uttered.

"It's extremely difficult to kill a dragon. I believe in this world it takes a black arrow… As for help, there was someone, an Elf. He sat upon a massive Elk with his army standing behind him, thousands upon thousands of soldiers,"

Ben's piercing blue eyes stared up at her "But-but why didn't he help the Dwarves? The-the people?" he mumbled, Alexa sighed heavily, hugging him tightly.

"I don't know Ben, I suppose he didn't want to fight, he didn't want to risk the lives of his people," she remarked.

Ben turned his head, lying more securely into her chest. Alexa exhaled softly at the action, scooching over to give him more room. "If I were there, I would've helped the Dwarves-the people, I would've-would've saved them all. Then no one would have to die," Ben whispered his voice muffled by her tunic.

Ben's eyes were closed tightly as tears fell from his cheeks; he held his Master even closer as-if-possible. Alexa thought about her vision. Past, present or future? She had no clue; she would have to ask Gandalf later.

— Time Skip: The Next Day —

"You have to reach out Ben, feel the matter in the rock… And lift," Alexa instructed the boy, who had his eyes clenched shut, both hands extended towards the small rock.

After a long pause, Ben drops his hands to his sides. "I-I can't do it, Master. I try! I really do! I just… Can't. I suck at this," the boy said, looking down at his hands, dejected.

Lifting his chin, Alexa looked straight into his baby blue eyes "Now, you listen to me, Benjamin. You can do it, have faith in the force. It flows through me as it does you. Stay grounded and focus," she encouraged.

Ben let out a defeated sigh and raised his hands once more. He concentrated on the rock, the force surrounded it and the force within. Slowly he curled his fingers towards his palms, eyes clamped shut. The rock levitated with his movements; Alexa watched on proud of her Padawan.

"Open your eyes, Ben," she breathed.

Ben snapped his eyes open in defeat, only to see the rock float above the ground. Ben shouted in excitement, finally after hours he had done it! Alexa looked down at him proudly, ruffling his hair with her hand. Both of them absorbed in the moment, suddenly they heard screams around them, snapping them out of their trance they looked towards the noise. Stifling a laugh, Alexa looks on at the scene with a shocked Ben.

Before them was not one, two or even three but seven Elves along with two bookcases and at least fifteen candles floating six feet above ground around them. He show's promise, Alexa thought as she looked on, making a solid picture in her mind of the Elves floating. Ha-ha suckers!

Much to the displeasure of Alexa, Lord Elrond had asked well more like ordered her to release them. Alexa looked at the very pissed off Elves and sent the seven Elves, two bookcases and fifteen odd candles crashing to the ground much to the discretion of the Elves. At this, Lord Elrond sent her a pointed look.

"You said to get them down, I did," she replied sassily as she walked off with Ben grasping her hand.

— Time Skip: A Few Days Later —

"Alexa,"

"Alexa, my dear?"

"Hello?" the figure waved his hand in front of her.

"Anyone home?"

Nothing.

He reached out as if to poke her before he could a hand had wrapped around his wrist.

"I was in the middle of meditation Gandalf! This better be good," Alexa muttered as Gandalf gingerly taking his hand back, he smiled slightly.

"Well my dear, it appears I need your assistance," he stated matter-of-factly.

Alexa looked at him with a bored expression. "Well Gandalf, it better not be changing your underwear or something, if so I'm good ya know?" she joked.

Her comment caused a throaty laugh from Gandalf. "Of course, not dearie, for starters I do not bother with such things such as undergarments," he hit back at the woman.

Cringing Alexa's face contorted in disgust. "EWW Gandalf TMI! TMI!" she yelled.

The Wizard chuckled. "Well, you-"

"I DID NOT ASK OKAY? IT WAS A JOKE! EVER HEARD OF A JOKE OLD MAN?!" she shouted eyes closed shut as she was no longer able to make eye contact with him.

"Anyway, it seems I need your help," he began - again.

"Help with what?" Alexa replied, still not looking at him.

"A quest," he said. At this Alexa snapped her eyes open, looking warily at the Wizard.

"What sort of quest?" she questioned.

Glancing around the area Gandalf leaned down, closer to Alexa and whispered. "What I cannot tell you, not here. But I am certain that your help will be very much needed on this quest,"

Alexa mulled over his answer, she had been dying to get out again, to see more of this world. But she couldn't, what about Ben? He was too young, too inexperienced to go out into this dangerous world.

Over the past four years, Alexa had used the Elves library to inform her of the unknown world around them. What she had read had descriptions of terrifying beasts, too dangerous for a mere Padawan learner, so she hadn't gone further than the borders of Elrond's lands.

"But Gandalf, what of Ben? What will he do when I leave? I won't let anything happen to him," she asked.

Gandalf smoked on his pipe, which he had previously pulled from his cloak, thinking deeply. "Well dearie, he will stay here in Rivendell," he replied, seeing her worried face he continued.

"He is quite safe here, protected by the Elves and he has been exceeding in using his powers – as was demonstrated a few days ago. He will be fine," patting her shoulder lightly, in comfort.

"Now Alexa, I know the boy is like a son to you, it won't be easy not seeing him for a while. But you are needed on this quest! this has to do with that vision you were telling me about a while ago – about dragon fire,"

Alexa peered up at Gandalf, a wary look in her eye. "But you told me that event happened decades ago, so how does the quest have anything to do with my vision?" Alexa asked eyes narrowed at Gandalf, suspicious.

He smiled knowingly at her. "It has everything to do with the quest Alexa,"

Alexa looked on frustrated. "That's not what I asked Gandalf, now don't hold back information," she spoke, before smiling evilly at him.

"I believe you recall what happened last time you withheld information from me," a threatening tone in her voice.

Gandalf frowned deeply thinking about how she had managed to make all of his previously grey clothing into a floral pink colour and his staff into a fairy princess wand as she called it.

What was worse, was for the life of him he could not change his clothes and staff back. Only a day went by before he could stand it no more and told her what she wanted to know, in turn, she changed his belongings back.

He cleared his throat "Yes, I recall the pink, awful colour if you ask me," he muttered.

Laughing to herself she repeats her question "How does the quest have anything to do with my vision?" suddenly dead serious he stared at her dead in the eye.

"They sort to reclaim their homeland,"


"What do you mean you have to go?" Ben asked her, watching as she packed a couple of extra tunics and pants, attaching her lightsaber to her belt.

"I'm sorry Ben but this is important, I don't have a choice," Well I do, but I NEED to go on this quest.

"But-but" he began.

"No buts Ben, I'm going," Alexa stated firmly.

Ben looked down at his feet sadly "Where are you going?" he asked.

Alexa looked up from her belt to him - she walked over to him "I'm going on a journey of sorts," Alexa said, grasping his hands softly, Ben looked at her sadly.

"Can-can I come?" he asked her quietly,

Alexa sighed "No, Ben not this time,"

Ben frowned sadly at her answer "But," she began, which sent a wave of hope through the young boy.

"Next time I go on a trip, you can come with me," she promised, pointing at him when she said 'you'.

The boy beamed with joy. "Really?"

Smiling with him Alexa said "Yes, you can! But this time, it's just me… Okay?"

"Okay," Ben said, more enthused by the idea of going on an adventure with his Master.

"Wait, how long will you be gone?" Ben asked.

Alexa exhaled; she didn't want to lie to him. "I do not know Ben, it could be weeks, months… Years," at this Ben became sad once more.

"Years?" he asked weakly.

"Ben," Alexa said, gripping his hands tightly,

"I will always be with you, no matter how far, or how long I am away, I will always be here," she said pointing at his heart.

"And you will be with me - always, in my heart,"

Ben began crying in her arms. "I don't want you to go! I'll-I'll miss you!" Alexa wrapped her arms around the boy.

"And I'll miss you too, my little Jedi. I love you remember that okay?" he sniffed "Okay, I love you too Alexa,"

With Ben's hand tightly in hers, she walked with purpose towards Gandalf. "I am here, Gandalf. As you requested," Alexa said. The Wizard huffed lightly at her.

"I see that, though we are a little behind schedule," he said with a knowing look.

"Oh, shut it, Wizard, I was busy packing and saying my goodbyes," she spat back, a sarcastic tone to her voice. During their discussion, Ben folded himself more and more into Alexa not wanting to let go.

"Well, everything seems in order, let's go, Alexa," Gandalf said, sending a look towards young Ben who seemed if possible, to be holding Alexa even tighter and closer.

Feeling this, Alexa squatted down, bending her knees – she looked eye-to-eye with Ben. "It's okay Ben, I'll be back before you know it," she said, ruffling his hair softly. Ben stared at her with glassy eyes.

"I'll-I'll miss you, mom," he whispered, his response made Alexa gasp in shock. Ben hugged her firmly around her abdomen, which she reciprocated.

"I'll miss you too… Son," she whispered back, her voice wavering slightly.

Gandalf's lips tugged up in a smile at the exchange, but they were still late. Coughing lightly, Gandalf sadly interrupted the pair.

"Come now dearie, we must get going," he said. Alexa pulled back slowly, staring at the young boy, both pairs of eyes filled with tears she placed a loving kiss on his cheek and stood.

"Goodbye, my son,"

"Goodbye, mom,"