Chapter Three: Can the Circle be Unbroken?

"But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin."

As the last vestiges of the night's black ebony veil began to give way for the small tendrils of the dawning sun to peek through its cracks, the Jedi temple soon became basked with a thin film of sunlight. Its giant pillars that lined the main hall casted shadows on the floors as rose-tinted and amber rays of light coalesced throughout the edifice altogether in a beautiful symphony of light and darkness coming to a resounding clash. They fought endlessly, overpowering the other in a cycle of good and evil, black and white, unending, yet short lived. Who would be the victor in this endless debacle with both the energy of sunlight scintillating over the shadows casted by the twinkling tranquility of night in their clamor?

They collided, clashed, fought, in an unforgiving and all the more endless cycle that would continue to stand the test of time. The light swirled with the darkness, dark shadows illuminated by wisps of glowing white in a haunting portrait that depicted the gilded scale of all balance tipping back and forth in a struggle for power. It swirled and swirled like a maelstrom dividing the equilibrium that was both night and day. The tussle seemed to go on forever as it would for eternity and beyond, day and night, day and night. And where the grand monoliths that stood tall under the ceiling, pale ivory and imposing were, the battle had been won and light had prevailed over the darkness of night now bathing the lands in its gift of sunlight and rebirth, marking the first hours of the morning.

It was the dawn of a new day.

She came to him in a dream like a whisper of promises that beckoned him since the moment he met her all those ten years ago as a mere child born into slavery. Her long brown hair glimmered in the sunlight pooling in perfectly pinned curls that framed her heart-shaped face. Her eyes, the most gorgeous shade of burnt sienna and her lips, a perfect pout kissed lightly in pink. She took his breath away, just as she did when he had first met her on Tatooine and once again as they crossed paths in the Capitol. She was all lush gardens and bright sunshine, calming yet ethereal. She was the most perfect emulation of the pastoral lands of Naboo—lush, green, and full of life. Padmé—her voice, her smile, the way she spoke, was the epitome of what he thought heaven should be. She called out to him, her voice all light wisps of air and the flutter of the breeze, calling to him like a sweet melody. He wanted to hear her over and over, he swore that he could listen to her voice all day. She beckoned him with saccharine words, dripping thick with honey, calling his name. He wanted to be near her, wanted to chase her down to the ends of the universe.

He felt as if he was running now. He jumped, scuttled, pushing faster and faster as his legs carried him uphill towards something so familiar... Something so fleeting, yet palpable all the same—enough that he felt if he were to just reach out, he could grasp it. It was almost there, he was almost there. With each thrust of his legs, as he pumped forward, muscles moving, sinews stretching, breath hitching in his lungs with each labored intake, bringing fire into the pit of his heaving chest, he felt a sense of purpose. Alas, her voice seemed to be calling further and further away with each step. He just could not catch up to her, she was the embodiment of heaven, a spectre, a lost soul drifting in the infinite void of everything and nothingness.

Absolutely lost in the world, he resigned in contempt, for heaven was too far to reach.

Anakin shot up from his bed, chest heaving, breath labored, with a thin bead of sweat accumulating on his forehead. He swallowed the thick lump in his throat, trying to remember what had caused him to wake up so tense and almost, almost frightened. It was the dream again, he was sure, the one that plagued him every night for the past few weeks. He knew it well. His tired gaze traveled towards his window and he dully noted the pink and orange hues that indicated the first few hours of sunrise. The boy closed his eyes, trying in vain to clear away the myriad thoughts that buzzed through his mind. He just could not.

With a sigh in resignation, Anakin threw the covers off of himself and marched out of his room with only one thought in mind. He needed to talk to Rey, he needed to hear the voice of reason, someone who could calm the storm that was brewing within with as much pragmatic words as he needed. Above all, he needed someone to vent his frustrations to. And he knew, that much like the many times before since they had developed a tentative friendship, that Rey would lend him her ear. He could trust her on that.

Like always, Rey rose with the sun, just as the the orange hues of dawn would break into the black sheath that marked the night sky. She slowly roused herself from the warm comfort of her bed, stretching the sleep away from her bones, before making her way towards the washroom for a quick shower to start the day. After successfully cleaning herself, the girl had wrapped herself into a bathrobe given to her by her master from his last trip to Naboo where he had frequented a spa resort in particular—to which she laughed at when he told her. Rey could wholeheartedly agree to the notion that the stoic man, was beginning to crack as he allowed her under his wing. He was like family to her now since starting her apprenticeship all those months ago, and maybe, just maybe, he had felt the same way too— if the small tokens of familial concern and rare kind gestures he would show her on a scant few occasions held any indication of this.

So there she was, sauntering around in her room, not quite ready to slip on her Jedi robes to promptly start her day, and rather opting out on watching the sun gently rise from the city's horizon. This had become part of her morning routine, observing everything and anything that went on outside her opened window. She reveled in basking in the familiar warmth of the dawning sun in juxtaposition with the crisp morning air that swept through her body, inciting chills from within. She enjoyed the soft melody of tweeting birds that resonated through the air, basked in the innate serenity gifted upon her by the early morning. During this time, the city that surrounded the temple was much more peaceful, there was no noise of airspeeders breaking through the wind, there were no sounds of people hustling and bustling through the streets. It was simply calm and quiescent. Rey closed her eyes as she leaned on her perch atop the windowsill only to inhale a deep sigh in contentment. There was nothing but the lovely sound of silence. She wanted it to stay like this forever.

However, her moment of tranquility had been short-lived as a knock on the door resounded throughout her bedroom.

"Who's there?" She called out, peeking one eye open towards the door.

"Good Morning, it's me Anakin," the voice called back. "Uh, may I come in?"

Surprised at this revelation, Rey could only stay frozen in her place atop the windowsill.

It had been over three weeks since they had began a budding friendship. Often times, he would seek her out during the day simply to talk or spar or even eat lunch. She had learned a great deal about him, not just his background, but of the aspects of Anakin that made him inherently him. He would tell her about his interests, his dislikes, and on rare occasions, his strange dreams. And in turn, Rey would do the same. They confided in one another, two anomalies within the confines of such an immense temple full of hundreds of people, once alone, but now together. Never in her life had she been able to actually have a true, living, breathing, friend—one whom she could connect with on a basic level of mutual understanding unlike the droids or animals she would talk to exclusively back on Jakku.

Rey turned away from her window. "Go ahead, you can come in!"

The doors automatically slid back revealing the towering figure of Anakin Skywalker still clad in his nightwear. He strode in tentatively before giving her a silent look in prodding that looked as if it were asking if he could sit down. She nodded in affirmation and he followed in suit, slowly descending upon her bed.

"Hiya, Skywalker," she began with a grin. "So, what's got you looking all riled up this morning? It looks as if you barely just rolled out of bed!"

"That's because I did," he replied monotonously. His face was worn, hair disheveled, and tired dark bags hung under his eyes confirming her suspicions.

Her smile disappeared and Rey found herself standing up from the windowsill and crossing her arms, only to quickly make her way towards her friend. A worried expression appeared on her features as she sat across the boy to place a placating hand atop his shoulder. "What happened?"

"I just..." He brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I think something's wrong with me. It started a few days ago when I, uh, went on a mission with Obi-Wan in the city. We were supposed to guard the senator from Naboo and—"

"Oh, Senator Padmé Amidala, right? I heard that she was visiting the Capitol. Master Windu informed me that there were a great deal of assassination threats circulating around her...I could only hope things don't escalate from there."

"Well, they're not just threats anymore, they've turned into attempts now."

"That can't be good, I hope she's alright," Rey gasped at his words before coming to her senses. "Oh, wait, I'm sorry. I cut you off, didn't I? Uh, carry on, what were you about to say?"

"...You see, Padmé, she was one of the first people I met out of Tatooine when I was nine. She was so nice and so pretty and just... I couldn't help but grow attached -" Rey's eyes widened at his words, she knew that this spelled out for trouble since attachment could develop into infatuation and infatuation could later develop into love. And all of that went against the Jedi code that her master had taken upon himself to drill in her head, it was forbidden. "- and when I saw her again, I just couldn't stop thinking about her. It's been ten years since I saw her as a child and now that we're older, I just can't help but feel... It's wrong I know, but I think she's consuming my every thought."

"Oh no, Skywalker, you must not think this way. All of this, that-that goes against the code. We cannot grow...attachments."

"I know, gods, I know... But I just can't help it, I can't help myself. She's just so... And then this dream was just..."

"Dream? What dream?"

"I had the strangest dream... I dreamt of her last night and I know with every fiber of my being that it's wrong. Master has been growing worried about me, I know that he knows, but he just hasn't said anything. His silence is more unbearable than his acknowledgement. I can see it in his eyes, like he's, like he's silently judging me with every glance. And these dreams, they've been plaguing me all this morning and-and I needed to find someone to talk to because if not, I feel like it's going to eat away at my mind and I just-I just—"

Rey closed her eyes to inhale sharply. "Okay, Skywalker, let's think rationally about this, alright?" She said slowly. "...I know how easy it is to feel emotions like this, we just can't help it, we don't have the advantage of having a Jedi upbringing much like the rest of the padawans. At times, I too fall susceptible to emotions that go against our master's teachings, envy being one of the most prevalent loathe I admit it -" Rey shifted her gaze away from him in slight embarrassment "- However...those feelings, go against the code. You cannot sacrifice your life as a Jedi for trivialities like this, that's what I've come to realize every time I feel the pull of emotions like this ebbing away at my mind. We are apart of something of a much larger scale in the grand scheme of all things. We were specially chosen by the force, granted with the ability to feel and understand things beyond normal comprehension. As Jedi, we must sacrifice all other emotions, all other vices, in order to uphold the balance within the force. We simply cannot go against the code that was placed upon all Jedi in order to maintain all things from descending into chaos. It's-It's wrong."

"Ugh, I know! If I wanted to read over the basic rules set by the Jedi code, I would've asked!" He barked.

Rey frowned. "Look, I'm simply trying to help you see reason in all of this. This is what you wanted, was it not? I lent you my ear, now it's your turn to do the same, so please, please listen to what I have to say—whether you like it or not."

He kept silent at this, an apologetic look appeared on his countenance. "I'm sorry, I just... What should I do? I want be around her, I want to talk to her, to be near her, to touch her—this is all wrong. It's tormenting me, my mind is going crazy. I can't stop thinking about her."

Rey seized his hand, squeezing it tightly in reassurance. "Time and distance can help appease these feelings. Distancing yourself from her presence can allow you some space to mull things over. See through reason, take a more logical approach, to assess these feelings. Distance will allow you some time. And...time...time heals all things. You should know that by now, we've both lived a life of hardships, but time has allowed us to forgive and forget."

"I..." He paused before gazing intently at her, a small smile graced his lips as he did this and he gingerly squeezed her hand back. "Thank you, Rey. Thanks for listening and for offering your advice."

"You're welcome... And I solemnly swear that not one word of what has transpired here is ever spoken out of this room or between you and I."

"Thanks, you always have the right thing to say and I just...I just couldn't bottle it up anymore, especially with those dreams. Master Obi-Wan would be terribly angry if he knew..."

"I understand. I have those feelings too sometimes, I really do. Sometimes I can feel those small traces of envy, of anger, of fear—it's only normal to feel this way. But as Jedi, we aren't considered to be normal even though, you and I were unfortunately exposed to different lives before joining the Order. I'm used to constantly letting emotions like that control me, like, like any other normal person."

"Yeah..."

"But, you know, that why now I understand why the council was so hesitant in allowing me formal training. And that's exactly why I want to strive to prove them wrong. That's why we should strive to become the best Jedi knights we can be, foregoing these emotions is the best thing we can do."

Anakin sighed at her words, Rey could see every bit of his frustration pour out into his grim face. "But, that's what makes me so angry. Why do we have to repress all our emotions? Why can't we just embrace them for what they are? These codes are—"

"Are put in place to prevent from all things tending to disorder and chaos. The code is what keeps the light in balance, we cannot deny that." She felt as if she was reiterating every word her Master had continued to tell her time and time again.

"It's just...sometimes I wish that we didn't have to listen to all these stupid codes. Wouldn't we as Jedi be stronger if we were allowed to embrace our emotions, to allow these feelings to drive us on our path in using the force?"

"N-No, that..." That was a bit dark was what she wanted to say, but she knew better than to anger the boy and decided to ignore her own thoughts. "You shouldn't think that way, Skywalker, ideas like that are dangerous. You can't just forego all your training just because you fancy a woman," she warned.

"Well, what if I-" he paused slightly, seeming to mull his words over, a malicious glare overcame his features this time and his expression was haunting. What? What if he what? She wondered to herself, silently praying that the boy was not thinking what he ought to not be. She knew Anakin was a rebel at heart, it was only fitting after having been chained to the heavy burden of slavery in his youth—she herself had been lucky enough to evade any slave traders that had even stepped foot in Jakku. Some were not. Anakin and his mother were not. And that was what she believed to be the root of all problems, his past must have been the flint and steel that ignited the burning wonder that made him into the maverick he was. Oppression only led to the need for liberation, and the Jedi code did nothing but. She wondered if it were truly the best idea for the Order to try to tie down such a wild soul.

"You know, what? You're right, Rey. I-I don't know what came over me. I'm gonna take your advice and, and distance myself..." He said quietly, breaking her from her reverie. His once malignantly cloudy gaze had seemingly vanished, as if the clouds had parted in the sky after an unrelenting storm, revealing the usual brightness of his gray eyes.

She looked up to meet his stormy gaze and sighed in relief while he simply sat in silence. And try as she might to ignore the sulking boy, Rey knew he had plenty more to say but was simply waiting for her to prod him further. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Alright, speak up, I know you have something else to say, Skywalker..."

"Well... I...uh, I don't know how I can keep my distance from, all of this, since Master and I will be continuing on our assignment with Padmé and finding her assassins. I mean, I did promise her that we'd find her attackers, what am I supposed to do now? I know if I keep coming back to her, things'll only get worse. I won't be able to ignore it any longer...Ugh, I shouldn't have made those promises, I know Obi-Wan put those parameters up for a reason... I just wasn't thinking again."

"Oh, that is a bit of a problem."

"Well, w-what should I do?"

"Hmm, how about this, why don't you do me a solid and come with me to Ilum tomorrow instead? It'll be a week's long journey, possibly. I was supposed to go to the ice caves to gather a piece of Kyber crystal for my next assignment...Master Windu said I should have a knight accompany me... But, you're probably the closest thing to a knight I know and I reckon I ought to go with someone I trust rather than someone I barely know. I could consult this with my master and yours, I know that most of the time Master Windu's word takes precedence over all others. I'm sure they'll allow it..." She rambled on.

"Oh, that's right. You haven't even built your own lightsaber yet..."

"I know that," Rey felt her cheeks flush at his words as they took a quick jab at her own pride. She felt as if she was not genuine in her endeavors as a Jedi apprentice if she did not possess a lightsaber and it was if he was rubbing salt to the wound.

However, Anakin had felt her dismay through the force and he gave her yet another apologetic look. "Well, sometimes I forget you don't have one because you're always carrying your staff around, so the fact that you haven't been wielding a saber kinda' flew right past me to be honest," he shrugged before quickly adding. "Not like you really, really need one to begin with since you are pretty adept with your combat skills... For a girl."

"Hey!" Rey hit him lightly over the head.

"W-Well... I didn't mean it that way, if that's what you're thinking. I mean, girls fight good too, I'm sure."

"Oh, just shut up, Skywalker. I told you, you should think before you speak and find the most rational thing to say before you go out blabbering complete bollocks to everyone you meet," she laughed.

He laughed at her words in turn and Rey knew that he had just silently agreed with her this time, despite the many times he would try to prove her wrong. For instance, she had expected him to react to her last jibe, but as she waited for his retort, it did not come—only a small laugh. Rey felt a small sense of pride knowing that she made the ever-arrogant Skywalker admit to his own shortcomings. She gazed at him wistfully as he continued to laugh, his once tense posture more lax as he set himself comfortably atop her mussed bedsheets.

"You know, it's funny," he said," Ever since you've been keeping me in check, I've come to a conclusion..."

"And what sort of conclusion is that, pray tell?"

He slumped carelessly on her bed with his arms crossed underneath him as he let out a breathy sigh. "I say a lot of stupid things."

"Damn right you do, Skywalker."

Damn right, you do...

Obi-Wan Kenobi strolled down the Jedi corridors with a curious expression etched upon his face. He was called in by Master Yoda this afternoon since apparently, Master Windu had specifically ordered for him to discuss something over the comlink. He could only hope that it had nothing to do with Anakin, it seemed that nowadays, the boy was constantly being brought up as a topic within the council. And as the man turned a corner to finally enter into the threshold of the two masters informal meeting room, Obi-Wan was met with the sight of an impassive master Yoda perched upon a chair as if in waiting and a hologram of Mace Windu sitting across from him.

"Good afternoon," both master Yoda and master Windu greeted in tandem.

"Ah, yes, good afternoon master Yoda, master Windu. May I ask why you two have requested my presence today? I hope it hasn't anything to do with my padawan or perhaps our mission with the senator," he replied almost worriedly.

"Oh, it has everything to do with just that," Windu replied with a solemn expression and Obi-Wan could only gulp nervously at this.

"...Did he, did he do something wrong again?"

"Nothing, he has committed. Only a favor, master Windu wishes to ask of you," the diminutive green man assured.

"Indeed, it is a small favor..." The other man confirmed. "As I was having my daily discussion with Rey through the com center, she brought up a particular topic in regards to my upcoming mission for her. It seems that my padawan wishes for Anakin to accompany her to Ilum rather than one of our other Knights. I agreed upon this request, however, I am aware that you are still in the midst of finishing an assignment regarding the Senator of Naboo..."

"Well, yes, we are..." Obi-Wan replied. He could only frown at the reason why they were still continuing with this assignment, because his padawan had went against his better judgment and allowed his emotions to get the best of him and make empty promises that the Order could not entirely fulfill. "But..."

"But...?" Master Yoda reiterated in question.

"But... I think Anakin is no longer suitable for the mission anyways, so... I suppose he can accompany Rey to Ilum instead while I sort the rest out when the senator returns to Naboo."

"Ah, so you have agreed then?"

"Yes, Anakin may go. But I still have one pressing matter to deal with—"

"Worry, you shall not. Reassigned you with another master who can accompany you on your mission, I have. Agreed upon this, Shaak Ti has," Yoda replied before Obi-Wan could even ask.

"Shaak Ti has agreed to help? My, that will help immensely," the man whistled.

"Yes. Well now that all parties have agreed upon these decisions, I believe it is time to wrap up our discussion. You are to continue to seek out Senator Amidala's assassin while Shaak Ti will escort her back to her homeworld in Naboo in place of your padawan. Any other questions, comments, or possible objections you have to your assignment Obi-Wan?" Master Windu continued with a solemn nod.

"No, I have no objections," the man quickly replied.

"Good," Yoda nodded. "You are dismissed."

Obi-Wan bowed his head in exit and ambled away towards the door.

"And Obi-Wan, one more thing!" He heard Master Windu call out from behind him and Obi-Wan eagerly turned towards the man.

"Yes, Master Windu?"

"May the force be with you," the man intoned.

Obi-Wan bowed his head in thanks before filing out of the room.

Author's Note: Because I believe that eventually, Rey will see Mace as the father-figure she never had the way she saw Han so quickly and because this a romance story first and foremost, therefore it will be centered around Her and Anakin's interactions, plus more—adventure will ensue as well, don't fret.