Anakin had been taking a break from watching over her family - even Luke can't see her anymore, not usually - to glumly wander around the wrecks of battles past.

She reacts when she sees a scavenger kid fall - even though she's never been able to do anything -

She kneels over the kid.

She can't heal the kid - she tries -

"Shit," she mutters.

- there's someone - she can see through them -

she blinks up at them, tries to focus through the pain and the tears

" - Can you see me?"

she nods and closes her eyes - everything is spinning.

"Kid. Focus. Listen to me. I can help you heal yourself, okay?" She pushes away the 'maybe.' She knows she can. "But you gotta focus."

she - how? she doesn't have any medpacs

She very calmly starts explaining how to use the Force and how to focus your mind on wanting to be healed - her method, not the one the Jedi of old often preached, not the Sith one which wasn't very good at healing anyways. Passion and desire and an intense laser focus on what you want, trusting in the Force to help...

she listens carefully, trying to push away the pain. she's never done this before, never even -

she's so sad and angry and lonely and everything is so much - she's so hungry

wants to be better tries to push everything at it. she doesn't know what the Force is but she can trust her - nobody has ever tried to help her before

The pain fades.

But Rey doesn't heal.

Anakin - really really really wants to do something, this is the first person who's seen her in years, she's lonely and lost and -

She pushes. Asks the Force to please, even just this once, help. Trusts that her oldest, first friend will guide her - 

Anakin lays a hand over her forehead, syncs her efforts with Rey's.

Rey heals.

Rey stares at her and tries to move. She moves easily and the pain is gone and - she's better!

"Thank you." She stares up at her in awe.

...Huh. That's the first time she's even plausibly done - anything - since she died.

Anakin grins.

"You're welcome. Though don't immediately go scampering everywhere - might have a hard time of it healing you too soon after the first time."

Rey nods and continues sitting. She smiles at her, feeling really giddy.

"You're blue. And see-through."

"I am! I died a while back. People usually can't see me - I'm impressed you can."

"I didn't know dead people can be blue and see-through. I thought they were just dead and boney."

"Sometimes people who the Force really likes get to be ghosts instead of skeletons."

"You said that before - the Force. I dunno what that is."

She sits down, cross legged.

"It's what I used to heal you. It's - a living thing, kind of. Invisible and everywhere. Some people can feel it, and some people can ask it to help them do things. Have you ever just known something was a good or a bad idea, or wanted something really hard and had it happen?"

Rey frowns and hugs herself. She's been wanting her mama to come back so much but - there was something else...

"Once when I was really thirsty I just knew if I walked over to where near Rebbah lived - not that close it was a little away - but there was a whole barrel of good water that someone had buried a long time ago. I had to dig and dig and dig but I found it."

"That's the Force. It talks to us, sometimes."

"Will it show me where my mama is? Or when she'll come back?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes not, though. Force visions are pretty rare, and they aren't always things that're definitely true - sometimes the Force just shows what could be."

Rey nods sadly, the little bit of hope that had wormed its way in fluttering away. But...

"My name is Rey. What's yours and can I hug you or are you too ghosty?"

"Hello Rey. I'm Anakin. I don't think I'm huggable, but I also didn't think I was visible, so, maybe you can try."

She reaches out to touch her first.