The truth that Rey did not know was that Luke had a hard time casting anyone out. It had taken utter isolation and throwing away the map, not to mention cutting himself off from the Force, to ensure that he would not get drawn in again. After that night, Luke had been in no position to help anyone, but the only way to truly remove himself had been to physically get as far away as was humanly possible.
That said, it wasn't that Rey was not special herself. It would not have been just anyone he'd have brought here, or spoken these things to. But Luke was a hermit by choice, not by nature. He was not strong enough to turn anyone away, once they'd wormed their way under his skin.
The prospect of letting her in closer, well. He did not like it. He was, frankly, terrified of it--of the vulnerability, of what she might see, of what he might see of himself through her. But the alternative was looking less attractive all the time. What if, he second-guessed himself, by turning her away he aided in the creation of another Kylo Ren?
Could he have that on his conscience as well?
"I'm not sure you do, either," he said, shaking his head. She didn't know all that she asked. But he hadn't, either--and he would not have given up, regardless. "Close your eyes. Like we talked about before--reach out with the Force. Feel the energy of everything around us. The grass. The rock. The island. The birds. The water below, in constant flow like the Force itself."
He kept on like this for a few minutes, guiding her attention to elements in turn and encouraging her to focus on them. The better she was able to distinguish the various ways in which the Force interacted with both the living and not, the finer attuned she would be.
Finally, when he felt her calm, he shored up rusty mental shields so that she might not see all the way through him, and said, "Now, me. Focus on me, in the Force. Feel the energy flow within, around me. Between the two of us. Nothing else, yet. Just feel it. Until you can see how we are connected. Not because we use the Force, but because we live, and are all part of the same energy."
no subject
That said, it wasn't that Rey was not special herself. It would not have been just anyone he'd have brought here, or spoken these things to. But Luke was a hermit by choice, not by nature. He was not strong enough to turn anyone away, once they'd wormed their way under his skin.
The prospect of letting her in closer, well. He did not like it. He was, frankly, terrified of it--of the vulnerability, of what she might see, of what he might see of himself through her. But the alternative was looking less attractive all the time. What if, he second-guessed himself, by turning her away he aided in the creation of another Kylo Ren?
Could he have that on his conscience as well?
"I'm not sure you do, either," he said, shaking his head. She didn't know all that she asked. But he hadn't, either--and he would not have given up, regardless. "Close your eyes. Like we talked about before--reach out with the Force. Feel the energy of everything around us. The grass. The rock. The island. The birds. The water below, in constant flow like the Force itself."
He kept on like this for a few minutes, guiding her attention to elements in turn and encouraging her to focus on them. The better she was able to distinguish the various ways in which the Force interacted with both the living and not, the finer attuned she would be.
Finally, when he felt her calm, he shored up rusty mental shields so that she might not see all the way through him, and said, "Now, me. Focus on me, in the Force. Feel the energy flow within, around me. Between the two of us. Nothing else, yet. Just feel it. Until you can see how we are connected. Not because we use the Force, but because we live, and are all part of the same energy."