A/N: I have moderately edited chapter one and strongly advise you to reread through it, as the changes I've made are very important to the storyline. I also introduced the concept of a new language for this particular fanfic. I gave details about it in the edit, but for those reading ahead, I'll do a quick recap. Rey's planet has their own native language, though she does mostly speak Basic. Being as this is a purely made up language on my part, I've written all terms that will be used, with their respective pronunciations, at the bottom of each chapter in which they are first introduced. I did consider putting the definitions before the start each chapter but felt that might give too much of the plot away before you as the reader have reached that point. Of course, that could be subject to change in the future if I find it's more beneficial to give you the pronunciations beforehand. As always, I appreciate any feedback on how to better improve my writing. Enjoy the chapter and happy fanfic-ing!

xXxXxXx

Chapter Two

Kylo woke to the sound of crashing waves and the smell of brine and fish. His brain almost instantly went into sensory overload as he lay motionless, his eyes closed and his head throbbing. Every pain receptor in his body seemed to be registering the tell-tale signs that he was alive, albeit barely. But Kylo couldn't seem to grasp that realization yet. He was only half-conscious, in a state of shock. His entire body was sore. He felt cold. He was lying on his side, on a damp, coarse surface. After a long moment, he attempted to swallow and immediately started coughing. His throat was raw; his vocal chords rubbed together like sandpaper. He tried to move his fingers. They felt numb. It was strange, feeling anything at all. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was the burning sensation in his nose, throat, and lungs. And his heart painfully constricting in his chest. The agony began to ebb after he let go and let it wash over him. And then… nothing. He had blacked out and died. Yes. That was the only thing that could have happened. He was dead, and wherever he was now must be the hellish afterlife he'd been damned to. His physical body was on the bottom of a forgotten ocean somewhere, and his soul was in some strange version of purgatory. But… if he were truly dead… then why could he still feel his body? Why was he able to move his fingers? And what the kriff was he feeling on his lips right now? He reflexively licked them. They were dry and cracked and something grainy now stuck to the roof of his mouth…

Kylo's eyes shot open as he spat out the bitter sand. Disgusting! The first thing he saw as his eyes adjust to his surrounding was the water, gently lapping at the shoreline several feet away. He sat up, far too quickly, and the world began to spin around him, causing his stomach to churn violently. He doubled over and groaned, clutching at his temples, which were now being stabbed by some invisible force. Sharp colors flashed across his vision as he dry heaved. It was only once the gagging stopped and the throbbing in his head dulled that he realized something was missing. Where was his mask? He ran his fingers down his face before staring blankly at them. And his gloves? He looked around. Half of his clothes had been cast off, strewn along the wet sand beside him. He was still wearing his undershirt, pants, and boots. He moved his toes as the numbing of his nerves subsided, giving way to an uncomfortable tingling sensation. His feet were soaked, and the squishy feeling made him cringe inwardly. He tugged at the laces and started removing his boots. First, his left one plopped to the sand. Then, the right. The socks underneath chafed at his legs. He peeled them off. Sand immediately found its way between his toes. Gross. Kylo hated sand. Kriff, how he hated sand. He pushed himself up onto his knees, pacing himself to stave off any further lightheadedness and nausea as he cautiously rose to his feet. Once he was standing, granted he felt weak and unsteady, he took in purposefully slow breaths and scanned the horizon. No sign of his downed ship anywhere. Of course not. As if I'd ever be so lucky. He closed his eyes and frowned, attempting to formulate a plan as to what to do next.

But his attention was soon turned to a crackling sound somewhere behind him as he fruitless tried to clear his mind. He opened his eyes again and turned around. He raised his brows in surprise. Just a bit further up the beach and away from the water was a small fire. The soft light flickered with warm, inviting flames. There was something on the ground near the fire. He stumbled towards it to get a better look. It appeared to be some sort of bark, from a nearby tree perhaps. On top of the bark lay raw fish that had been sliced and deboned. And something dark and leafy next to that. There were also a couple of oyster shells that had been cracked open and arranged neatly next to the fish. Strange. Someone else has been here. He froze as the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand on end. Whoever it was, they were still here, and they were very close. He could sense they were watching. Instinctively, he reached for the saber clipped to his belt. He was still wearing it, and his hand easily found the hilt. He swiftly drew it in front of him and ignited the red beam, then spun around, searching the tree line, then the beach, before his gaze landed on a large boulder several yards away. He narrowed his eyes, still adjusting to the dark as he began his approach. It only took a few seconds to find what he was looking for. A pair of wide, sparkling eyes and soft, dark waves were peeking out from behind the rock, just enough to give the being that owned them away. Kylo tensed up, increasing his pace until he was sprinting across the sand towards whoever was stalking him. They suddenly ducked down and disappeared behind the rock, so he raised his free arm and yelled forcefully as he dashed past it.

"HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE! SHOW YOURSELF!"

Kylo came to an abrupt halt once he reached the other side of the boulder and saw her. It was hard to see well, as dark as it was. But the moonlight softly lit her features, just enough to make out that she was, in fact, a girl. Her long hair flowed gently in the breeze, tendrils swirling about her face. She sat back in the sand, her arms propping her up as she looked up at him with vibrant eyes. He could practically feel her heart racing as her chest rose and fell in time with her shallow breaths. She was… beautiful. And naked. Very naked. Kylo blinked as heat began to flush his cheeks. He lifted his eyes skyward for a moment as he inhaled sharply, becoming aware of his own increasing pulse. Then, slowly, he lowered his gaze back to her, taking particular care to keep his focus only on her eyes. His brows furrowed in puzzlement. Surely this was not the creature who had saved him. She was tiny and thin. Such a fragile little thing. But, he knew he didn't end up on the beach, partially undressed near a lit fire, on his own. And she was the only other person in the vicinity, as far as he could tell. Still, if she was here, then perhaps there were others. Maybe he could convince her to help him find a way off this planet. First, he needed to find out who she was, and get her to tell him where they were. He could tell she was frightened, but he couldn't risk letting her go without getting information. So, he took another deep breath, making a conscious effort to ease his rigid stance. He then took a tentative step forward, hand still outstretched towards her, and tried to speak in a gentle tone, something that was very foreign to him. His voice was still raw and breathy.

"Where did you come from? Who are you?"

Kylo saw the visible change in her wide, round eyes as she stared at him silently, her fear quickly giving way to confusion before melting into a strange, mesmerizing sensation he struggled to name. He observed her with bated breath as she seemed to be deciphering his words. He was unsure what to make of her. The emotion emanating from her was almost… a marveling sort of inquisitiveness. This girl had no idea who he was. And she gawked at him as though she'd never seen another human being before. Did she even understand Basic? Something deep within him beckoned him to draw closer. He couldn't explain the nonsensical desire he had to reach out and brush his fingers across her cheek. As if to be sure she was real. He slanted his head, perplexed by his muddled thoughts. She mirrored his movement, which only piqued his curiosity even more. What sort of bewitchment was this? Did she feel it too? He lowered his arms and switched off his saber before slowly kneeling to the ground. He paused once he was almost eye level with her, searching her face for any sign of wariness. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off. His eyes never left hers as he set the weapon down on the damp sand. She unexpectedly began to lean towards him, catching him off guard as he drank in her highlighted features under shimmering moonbeams. She truly was a stunning sight to behold. His lips parted, but he struggled to find his voice again. Kriff, what the force was happening to him? He couldn't think straight, and his breathing was getting more ragged by the second. This was not how the Master of the Knights of Ren conducted himself. The Supreme Leader would be repulsed by such a shameful display. He needed to end this absurd insanity right now. He couldn't afford to let these unnatural sensations get the better of him. He needed this girl's help to get off this damn rock.

Kylo willed his palpitating heart and bursting lungs to slow down, centering himself in the force as he focused on the task at hand. But before he could bring the overwhelming onslaught of maddening emotions under control, he was unceremoniously shaken from his thoughts by the loud, incessant screeching of something to the side of him, near the large rock. His survival reflexes kicked in, and he instinctively grabbed his saber, whipping towards the sound with calculated precision. A plump, slick looking creature with long webbed flippers was vigorously bobbing its head and barking at him. Its behavior could have been interpreted as territorial. A sea mammal simply defending its marked domain. But Kylo swore there was a predatory gleam in this creature's soulless eyes. They were like twin blackholes, waiting for anything to get too close for them to devour. The animal growled aggressively as it began to galumph towards him. Kylo sprang towards the boulder, prepared for a fight, and activated his saber. The red beam sputtered to life for a few seconds before going out completely. Kriff. He hit the hilt with his palm, but nothing happened. Kriff, kriff, kriff! As if the revelation that he was now exposed and vulnerable wasn't enough, matters got rapidly worse.

A secondary sound alerted him that the girl was on the move. Just as he heard a loud splash behind him, the dumb beast that was currently charging him miraculously lost interest and changed course, retreating awkwardly back to wherever it had come from. A sinking feeling settled heavily in the pit of Kylo's stomach as he spun around to face the girl again. Sure enough, to his despair, she was gone. Kriffing force! He frantically searched the ocean waters for her. In the distance, he caught a glimpse of her wet tresses glistening against the night's pale light.

"NO, WAIT! COME BACK!"

He cried out in desperation, hoping she could hear him, but it was no use. She was too far away now. How on Hoth had she even managed to swim at such an incredulous speed?! He barely had time to process what had just happened, when she dove beneath the waves and he saw something that convinced him he was surely going mad. A grand, majestic tail rose above the surf. Luminously golden scales sparkled like precious jewels as the swooping fin fluttered, before elegantly vanishing into the depths of the sea. Kylo stood slack jawed, unable to move, or even blink as all coherent thought shattered into abstract oblivion. When he was finally able to unglue himself from where he stood, he pitifully slumped down against the rock that he was beginning to feel was a physical manifestation; an actual barrier wedging him firmly between itself and an invisible hard place… presumably some twisted, sadistic will of the force. He didn't remain in this state for more than a few seconds, however, as gooseflesh began to spread along his arms and at the back of his neck. Kylo could feel hot breath against his nape. He tried igniting his blasted saber again, but it offered no help, not even a spark of hope. He closed his eyes and attempted to draw upon the force around him, but everything felt sporadic and wrong. It was like the very presence of this awful blob was draining the force out of everything. Of course, that made no sense. Having nearly died and been pushed beyond his limits of exhaustion, Kylo simply couldn't muster up the energy to wield his powers. His concentration was off because of everything he'd witnessed that day. Some master he was. It didn't matter now anyways. After all, he was as good as dead without the girl. That, he was almost certain of.

"I guess we'll just have to do this the hard way then."

Kylo said it more as an attempt to bolster his resolve than anything else. He exhaled wearily and turned to face the dreaded beast head on. It stared him down with those demon eyes, flaring its nostrils as its lips curled back into a snarl. It was practically touching him, standing commandingly on top of the weathered formation as though it were a warrior's pedestal. They were flipper to shoulder, locked in an intense battle of wills. Kylo refused to back down and show fear to such a primitive lifeform. And yet, his pulse fluctuated with wild abandon, and beads of sweat lined his brow, threatening to be his undoing if he so much as flinched. They continued to scowl at one another, slipping into a concentrated holding pattern for what Kylo imagined to be ages. In reality, hardly any time had passed at all. And then, something shifted, and the Sithspawn seemed to accept that they had reached an impasse. Without warning, it stuck out its tongue and emphatically blew air directly in his face, sending spittle flying everywhere. Kylo jerked back and grimaced in disgust, harshly wiping the slobber off his skin. The cursed thing had the audacity to taunt him one last time, barking at him in a manner that resembled contemptuous laughter, before leaping off his platform and waddling his way into the wet briny haven that would separate man from beast. Kylo didn't bother to glance its way. At this point, the only thing he had energy left to do was to stagger his way back to the small campfire and do his best to stomach the raw, probably sandy, and bitter-tasting form of substance the girl had apparently scrounged up in consideration of him. He didn't even want to begin trying to sort out all the complex, inconceivable, jumbled thoughts that had turned his brain to mush concerning her. No. He was done for the night. Eat. Pass out. Reassess his situation in the morning. Nothing else would distract him until he had accomplished those things. Unfortunately, as he finally collapsed by the dwindling flames, he came to one last, infuriating realization.

That filthy bastard at my kriffing meal… I'm gonna kill it... and then roast it over the fire.

The fire smoldered until it was nothing but ash and embers. Kylo Ren fell into a restless sleep, hunger pains gnawing at him as he shivered on the unforgiving sand. He loathed sand with a burning passion. Reality bled into his nightmares, but somewhere in the midst of his misery, a warm light pulled at him, giving him the tiniest shred of hope that he might still make it out of this alive. And she was beautiful.

xXxXxXx

Rey fell back on her rear and tried to move towards the water. She'd been observing the eumyn from the safety of the rock, waiting to see when it would wake. After she'd gathered food, she managed to pull herself along the beach and set up a fire. It had been quite tricky, finding strips of bark and twigs nearby that were dry enough to stay lit. But she was bound and determined to provide whatever she could to help the eumyn's recovery. Once she'd set everything up, she took a few moments to stare at the strange creature. Its features were striking. She couldn't keep her eyes from wandering over its muscular form. But after a while, it still hadn't stirred, and she began to grow impatient. She'd already been on the beach for too long. Her tail had long ago transformed into the awkward limbs that looked just like the eumyn's, though its limbs were still covered in that dark skin that was layered over the paler, softer flesh beneath. Its breathing changed after a while longer. Rey hesitated as the eumyn began to slowly stir. She held her breath and panicked, unsure of whether she should stay there or distance herself. After all, she still had no idea who this eumyn was or how it would react to her once it woke. The best thing to do was hide, she decided, until the time was right to make her presence known. So, she half crawled, half dragged herself behind the large boulder, close enough to the water where she could make a quick escape if need be, but not so far that she couldn't still observe the odd creature. As always, her curiosity found a loophole to override her fear and logic. As long as she stayed out of sight and had access to the ocean, she would be safe.

She was now realizing how stupid and reckless an idea that was. She had been behind the rock for about ten minutes, when everything went wrong. The eumyn had taken its time to fully wake up and get its bearings after she'd distanced herself from it. She watched inquisitively as it peeled off the hard, black shells that encased its lower limbs. And then, when it finally discovered the fire and her offering of food, the eumyn quickly become aware that it wasn't alone. That realization prompted it to grab a peculiar looking object from its side. Rey silently gasped as whatever it was suddenly came to life with brilliant fire. It was fascinating. Rey had never seen a stick that could hold fire. And for it to ignite in the blink of an eye was mindboggling to her. Rey had an irrational urge to get closer, so she could reach out and touch it. She was jolted from her wonderment, however, when the eumyn suddenly whipped its head in her direction and trained its sharp gaze on her. Rey's heart skipped a beat and, remembering herself, she ducked behind the boulder, falling gracelessly to the ground. It was yelling angrily now, and she began to scramble backwards towards the safety of the water, but her damned limbs refused to cooperate as she shuffled clumsily in the sand. The eumyn rounded the rock and came into full view. Before she had time to process what was happening, it raised its arm towards her with an outstretched hand, the other hand still holding the fiery flame. Rey looked at the menacing creature with large, frightened eyes. She tried to move back, but she felt so paralyzed, it was as if something was physically preventing her from doing so. The eumyn stared at her for what felt like forever, studying her, considering her, before slowly relaxing its shoulders a bit and taking a single step towards her.

"Where did you come from? Who are you?"

The eumyn's voice was deep and hoarse, but strangely calm. Rey held her breath, unsure of what to do, her heart still racing. The creature watched her intently, as though it were just as baffled by her as she was by it. It tilted its head to the side and she, for reasons unknown, followed suit. Rey wondered what it must be thinking. The eumyn extinguished the ethereal fire and started to crouch down to her level with hesitant eyes, expectant and waiting as it stopped and hovered just a few feet away from her. Was it asking for permission to come closer? It placed the stick that held fire on the ground, never breaking eye contact. She found herself subconsciously leaning forward a little, and its dark eyes widened in response. It opened its mouth to speak to her again, and she couldn't help but take note of how soft and full its lips looked in the moonlight. It was breathing unevenly, eyes darting about as it appeared to be sorting through its thoughts, looking for the right one. She waited patiently for the curious creature to figure out what it wanted to say. But before any more words could be exchanged between them, a familiar sound reached her ears. The eumyn snapped its head to the side, snatched up the fire stick, and jumped back to its feet in one fluid movement. Rey startled at the sudden shift in its demeanor. It took a moment for her to come to her senses, but when she realized the distraction was intentional, she quickly seized the opportunity to lunge into the sea and swim away as fast as she could. The eumyn called out after her, but she was already a long way from shore by the time it realized she'd escaped.

Her heart was pounding wildly, adrenaline rushing through her veins like the crashing waves. Staying nearby had been a terrible idea. Rey silently cursed herself for not being more careful. This was not how she intended their first meeting to go. She had somehow managed to upset the strange creature without even opening her mouth to speak. Maybe it hadn't yet realized she was helping. It was probably still disoriented and confused. It certainly seemed surprised once it saw her up close. But there was something else about it too. Something stirred within her, an invisible force softly nudging her towards the eumyn. She had no idea why, but she wanted to find out more. A bad first impression wouldn't deter her from trying again. If it hadn't been for her troublemaking friend, perhaps they would have been able to communicate and come to an understanding. Rey rolled her eyes as a recognizable form swam up beside her. She turned her head to glare and push an irritated thought at the Sylkiee.

I was doing just fine without you, silly beast. You ruined everything!

It stared at her with soulful, obsidian eyes, then stuck its tongue out at her, blowing bubbles in her direction. Rey pursed her lips and scrunched her nose.

Whatever. You're absolutely impossible sometimes, you know that?

The Sylkiee spun around as they swam, circling her like an orbiting planet, still blowing, creating a wide ring of bubbles that quickly rose to the surface above. Rey's lip quirked slightly as she shook her head in resignation.

What am I ever going to do with you, cheeky boy?

The playful creature glided through the water, drawing close to her once more. He stopped barely inches away from her face, leaning in to press his nose to hers. His eyes were mischievous and filled with feigned penitence all at once. Rey couldn't hold back her smile any longer.

Oh, alright… I forgive you. But let my handle myself next time. Ok? I'm going back tomorrow. And don't you try to talk me out of it. That creature needs help. It almost died and has no idea where it is. It doesn't know the island like I do. You could show a little more compassion towards it, Bash.

"Bash", as Rey called him, stared stoically through her, though she swore she saw one of his eyes, and possibly a whisker, twitch disapprovingly. But she was the greater authority between them, and she asserted her role as such, despite him constantly testing her boundaries and patience. She wasted no time reprimanding him with a stern warning.

Bash… I'm serious! Don't be mean, or I won't collect coconuts for you anymore. I know they're your favorite treat. I mean it, Bash. Don't test me on this. Be. Nice. Otherwise, good luck figuring out how to shake them out of the trees without me. Do you understand?

Those black eyes continued to study her skeptically, but Bash eventually huffed a string of bubbles with flared nostrils, reluctantly yielding to Rey's request. However, before Rey could seal their agreement with a friendly embrace, he quickly spread his whiskers and puffed out his cheeks, then forcefully blew a raspberry in her face before rocketing up like a missile to the open air above. Rey sputtered and shook her head in a pointless effort to expel the saltwater from her nasal passages. She quickly raced after him, only partly annoyed by his rascally antics.

Aev ta Deiysa! Get back here, naughty little imp!

They jumped in and out of the water, chasing and teasing each other playfully until they grew tired and decided to float on their backs, so they could view the deep, starry sky. It wasn't long before they began to sleepily drift, and when they were too exhausted to stay awake any longer, they reluctantly made their way to a nearby grotto; the place Rey called home. Bash yawned, lazily lounging on a rocky ledge that was half submerged in the cave's moonlit pool. Rey took up her space beside him, stretching out and letting out her own yawn as she drowsily rested her head against his soft belly. The sun would rise soon enough to usher in a new day, and Rey would try to approach the strange creature again. She would figure out a way to let it know that she wasn't a threat and only meant to help it. But for now, the moon still hung high above them, and she would close her eyes and rest peacefully, with entrancing dreams of mysterious meteors and mystical fire dancing in her head.

xXxXxXx

Chapter Terminology

Sylkiee (sel-key) = selkie*

Aev ta (ave-tah) Deiys/Deiysa/Deiyses = By/of the god/goddess/gods

*Notes about Sylkiee: First of all, I'd like to admit that I'm a sacrilegious nerd who couldn't resist adding that extra "e" on the end so it bares a not so subtle resemblance to Wookiee. Maybe you'll hate me for it, or maybe you'll love it, but what's done is done and I'm not taking it back! So… ha! Writer's prerogative! Alright, now that I've gotten that off my chest… on to the actual notes. Sylkiees (sel-keys) are the plural form of these creatures, which are obviously based off of the selkies we read about in various folklore. Again, you will see many similarities, though there will be differences as well, that fall in line with the idea that "magic" and "the force" are one in the same… for the most part. The short form of sylkiee is sylk (selk). If I'm annoying you with all the extra pronunciation parentheses, sorry, but I'm borderline OCD about stuff like that and I like to be thorough so… you'll get over it… eventually.

There's really not much more to say about this chapter, except, I really love Bash. He's my BB-8 equivalent and he's got some serious attitude. He doesn't actually replace BB-8 though, because I wrote this with the premise that Kylo was chasing down Poe and Finn to find BB-8 and the map. So, Bash is a completely original character, while still heavily being inspired by some SW favorites. You might see some Chewie-like mannerisms manifest in him, or maybe a bit of Luke, Han, or Artoo. But, when all is said and done, Bash is his own Sylkiee, a one of a kind, rascally, lovable companion. You will be seeing a lot of him from here on out, so, definitely get excited about that! Don't forget to leave a review!