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English
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keeping the stars apart - a reylo fanfiction anthology 2016
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Published:
2016-07-10
Completed:
2016-07-24
Words:
21,755
Chapters:
8/8
Comments:
305
Kudos:
645
Bookmarks:
156
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13,693

Opus No. 4

Summary:

Her old life lies in the ashes of a broken mind, so again and again he sculpts her anew.

Chapter 1: Prologue

Notes:

This fic was written as a submission for the Reylo Fanfiction Anthology (see: reylofanfictionanthology.tumblr.com) and may undergo some editing/revisions after initial posting. Its inclusion in the anthology is pending a content check by moderators, but I anticipate no problems.

The premise of the Anthology project was to create works based off of fairy tales and myths. When I was writing Peace is a Lie, a reader once commented that Kylo was very like Pygmalion, trying to construct the perfect apprentice. I wasn't familiar with that archetype so I started reading about it, and this fic is the result. This is nothing like the George Bernard Shaw play, which was the basis for the musical My Fair Lady. Instead, it is more thematically consistent with the William S. Gilbert play... but I will give nothing else away.

I had a bunch of lovely betas for this work, from the outline stage to the final draft you see here. I'd like to thank thermaldetonhater, highsmith, lolitatori, and londonjb of tumblr for their tireless editing.

I'd also like to thank the organizers and moderators from the Reylo Fanfiction Anthology: SouthSideStory, who came up with this mad idea, as well as tumblr's MnemeHoshiko, ReyloTrashCompactor, Lairen-Shadow, PoliticalMamaDuck, thewayofthetrashcompactor, and shelikespretties.

Special shout out to the lovely ladies of the Anthology Skype Chat for all the encouragement and gratuitous word warring--community makes a big difference!

Finally, I'd like to thank my collaborating artist, you-can-revolt, who is making some fantastic cover art for this work and who has put up with all my stupid ideas and constant mind-changing. Her work is beautiful. Please look up her blog and support her.

This fic is COMPLETE. It will posted in 8 regular short installments on Sundays and Wednesdays. The total length of the work is ~21k.

The work includes some very vague references to suicide attempts, so TW for that.

And off we go!

Chapter Text

Prologue

         She's different this time. The Supreme Leader went back farther, stripped out more details. It's as close to a fresh block of marble as one can get without permanently damaging her mind. She's naive, almost childish, and it's oddly compelling--terrifying, as well. She knows nothing of the First Order or the Force, and thinks she's just a scavenger. She's forgotten me and all of our time together.

         He says we can't keep doing this over and over. It's been years of wasted time, but I don't care. I did what he wanted: Luke Skywalker is dead, and now I get Rey and all the time I need. That was the bargain. The rest of the galaxy can go to hell.

         It wasn't easy to convince her to come this time. The promise of mastering the Force wasn't particularly enticing; she was sure it was a myth until I pulled a TIE fighter out of the sand for her, and even then she was too anxious to leave Jakku. She'd bet her life and her freedom on the slim chance of her family coming back for her, work herself into an unmarked grave waiting for them. I had to promise to find her family for her, but I have no intention of taking her to them. If all goes well, she won't care about them anymore. She'll have me.

         We won't be going to the First Order for a long time. Everything there is too familiar; the Stormtroopers, the starships, even the architecture. This time I'm taking her somewhere green, somewhere with water and a blue sky. The Force will be stronger. We'll be alone with no masks, no robes, no lightsabers, nothing to remind her. I'll structure the training differently and give her a version of history that's easier to digest. She hasn't done well with philosophy or dogma; Skywalker's words are ingrained too deeply to fully erase, but we don't need to discuss the duality of the Force for her to learn to use it. If I just lead her into the practical skills, focus on efficiency and control instead of dark and light, she'll come into her power on her own. Once I've won her over, I can start reintroducing her to parts of the past.

         I don't care how long it takes. She is my perfect match, my perfect counterpoint in the Force, and we will be together.

         Or I will tear this galaxy apart.