Kylo Ren began instructing Rey in the Force that afternoon, as he had been ordered by Luke Skywalker. At first, it seemed that all Rey's fears had been for nothing. Ren instructed her in meditation, taught her the philosophy behind the Force, and drilled her in techniques such as telekinesis and the mind trick. What had come so easy on the Star Destroyer and Starkiller Base came harder now as she attempted to focus and hone her powers. There was none of the terrifying mind-locking that they had experienced on the Star Destroyer , and both of them began to relax somewhat as the first month of instruction passed.
They were nearing the end of Kylo Ren's second month on the island when they were surprised by the arrival of the Millennium Falcon. Rey ran down the hundreds of stone steps to the shore to meet the ship, daring to hope that it would be carrying her friend who she had last seen in a medically induced coma on D'Qar. Though she was happy to see Chewbacca, she was disappointed to hear that Finn was still being treated in the medical center, though no longer in critical care. However, Chewie had come with much more serious news.
"My sister has fallen very ill," Luke Skywalker said to her. "I must go to her. You may come if you wish, but I think you should stay here and continue your training. I've already asked Ben to consider coming home to see his mother; he refuses. But he is willing to remain here."
Rey nodded, uncertain. Being more comfortable training with Kylo Ren was one thing; living alone on a island with him was another entirely.
"Stay," Luke urged. "Continue the training. Be his reason to remain instead of going back to Snoke. "
He said his goodbyes to both of them, promising to return soon.
The days continued on. Since Ren was not training with Skywalker in the mornings, he and Rey met twice a day now to train. This left Rey more exhausted now than she could ever recall being, and she often found herself too tired to even light the fire in the evenings before crawling into the pile of blankets and falling into a dreamless sleep. Sometimes, when she woke in the mornings and watched the weak light come into her small cell she found herself missing the fierce light and heat of Jakku. However, she was mostly content, if somewhat lonely without the quiet company of Luke Skywalker. She and Ren gave each other wide berth, taking pains to avoid any more uncomfortable encounters.
Still, she noticed the young man was changing. He wasn't as thin, for one, and his once-pale face now had more color in it. When he had first arrived, he would spend hours staring out to the grey, storm-tossed sea, and now he was more likely to be found rebuilding the stone steps where the stacked stone had long ago fallen into disrepair, or nosing through the old, moldy books that Skywalker had found in an old cellar and was attempting to translate.
It had been almost two weeks since Skywalker had left when she arrived early into the training room one morning, only to find it already occupied. As she stood in the shadow of the doorway, Rey watched Ren as he performed a series of fluid martial arts stretches. It was a pattern he had been instructing her in, but she had yet to see him perform the full sequence. As she watched, she appreciated for the first time its elegance and languid beauty. Ren didn't make a sound as he moved his body through the positions, and when Rey saw the expression on his face, she had a hard time placing it. Then, she realized it was a look of peace. Kylo Ren looked peaceful.
All at once, Rey felt as if she was intruding on an intimate moment. There was something about the gentleness of his movements that made her feel as if she knew him, though this was no Kylo Ren she had ever seen. She felt, suddenly, as if she was looking at the Ben Solo that might have been, if Snoke had never gotten ahold of him.
As he came to the end of the sequence, he stood in a neutral position and then with a deep sigh, opened his eyes. Somehow nervous, Rey came further into the room.
"That was...beautiful," she said.
He stepped back, guardedness coming back into his eyes.
"No, I mean it, " she said, moving towards where he was standing in the center of the room. "Will you...show me?" She dropped her thick shawl and went into the first pose. Her eyes reached out to his, questioning.
He hesitated and then stepped forward. "Almost...like this." He reached out, his eyes asking permission. She nodded, and he placed one of his large hands on her elbow, drawing it back ever so slightly, and then touching right above her hip, rotating her slightly.
"There-do you feel that?" And she did-the alignment of the pose that had eluded her was suddenly so clear. In her excitement she grinned at him, and in the surprised receipt of that gift, Kylo Ren utterly forgot himself and smiled back.