Qui-Gon waited for one of them to say something, but none of the Force wielders responded. The Father looked eerily pensive, the Daughter appeared uneasy, and the Son was serious. Something wasn't right, and for some reason, these entities were not telling him the entire truth.

"You said, earlier, that Time was out of balance," Qui-Gon said, "and that it needed to be restored."

"Yes," the Father answered simply. Almost as though he was waiting for Qui-Gon to say something else.

"Time is out of balance because of me," Qui-Gon continued, then his eyes widened, and his heart plummeted to his stomach. He really wanted to vomit now. "You want to send me back to my time? To Naboo?"

His padawan was still on Naboo, probably waiting for him. The black-and-red Zabrak was out there, the Trade Federation, and Palpatine, who was plotting the destruction of the Republic and the return of the Sith.

But the battle was about to begin. The moment had come. Naboo was hanging in the balance, the Trade Federation had taken over, and Obi-Wan…He had left his padawan alone for too long, and now that he knew what was going to happen, Qui-Gon could change it.

Qui-Gon could make sure that Palpatine would be exposed to the Republic. He could make sure the Clone Wars never happen in his timeline. He could stop Dooku from becoming a Sith Lord, even if he decides to turn to the Dark. He could change everything, and make sure none of the atrocities he saw in the past few weeks happen in his own timeline. This was a second chance.

The Son was staring at him almost as though he read his thoughts. Qui-Gon's heart skipped a beat. Was it not truly what he thought? What exactly was going on?

"The circle is incomplete," the Son responded. "Everything that happened since you were brought to this time will be mean nothing unless you go back and allow time to progress exactly as it did before your arrival to the future."

Allow time to progress…Of course. Qui-Gon would have to return to Naboo and fall to the Sith monster's blade. He would have to allow the bond he had with his padawan to shatter and damage Obi-Wan's mind.

"And if I don't, then…everything will change. Everything I did will be for nothing." Qui-Gon's voice faltered. This was not fair.

"You have a choice," the Daughter said. Her eyes were wide and emotional, and her compassion was now screaming out into the Force.

"A choice?" Qui-Gon let out a humorless chuckle. "There is no choice here; you are telling me I must return to my time to die! To leave my padawan alone, to not see him Knighted, to cause him so much pain. Where is the choice in this?"

"Your apprentice has joined the Force," the Father answered. "You have the choice to take his place if you return to your time. Otherwise, we can take you back to the time you just left. You can oversee the reconstruction of the Jedi, of the Republic. Or you can go back to your time and allow your apprentice to live."

"What?" Qui-Gon whispered. His heart was racing in his chest now. Obi-Wan was dead, because of him. Because he couldn't save him, even though he somehow managed to save the Jedi and the Force. But now… "But you just said that…"

"I said that we cannot bring back the dead from the depths of the Force," the Daughter said. "We can, however, allow you to take his place. The balance will have to remain between the living and the ones who join the Force. A life for a life, Jedi."

A life for a life. A simple choice. Of course. What really was his existence, except for a series of choices? Qui-Gon wanted to sigh, wanted to shout and scream in frustration, but the decision itself was not really a decision at all. He knew what he had to do.

"Master?"

Qui-Gon spun around.

Obi-Wan stood behind him, eyes wide and confused. His robes were clean, and his face was clear of blood and pain. The exhaustion that seemed to cling to him like a shadow was completely gone, and the Jedi Master that stood before Qui-Gon was more reminiscent of the padawan he raised for over twelve years.

"What is this?" Obi-Wan asked, looking around. "Where are we?"

Qui-Gon's voice felt caught in his throat. What was he supposed to say?

"Have you made your choice?" the Father asked.

"Choice?" Obi-Wan's voice cut through the echoes of their surroundings sharply. "Qui-Gon, what is he talking about? What choice?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "I have," he answered. His voice was quiet, but he knew that the Father heard him.

"Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan spoke again, his voice low. His eyes were desperate, pleading with him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon whispered. Obi-Wan's eyes widened fractionally before he disappeared right before his eyes.

"The journey back to the living will be difficult, but he will make it," the Father said.

Qui-Gon nodded before turning around to face the Force entities again. He made no effort to wipe the tears that were rolling down his cheeks.

"Now, we must hurry to return you to your time. You know what you must do."

The room was utterly silent as the Force began to settle into relative calmness. Anakin exhaled slowly, looking around at the Torrent Company. All the clones stood still, at attention, as though they were waiting for more orders.

"They're still not themselves," Ahsoka commented, eyes shining with pain.

"They won't be, not until we get those chips out," Ventress said.

"I told Master Windu we'll go back to the Temple," Anakin said. "We need to bring—"

The Force shifted just slightly. Anakin hissed in a breath, feeling almost a discomfort at the change. Ahsoka staggered slightly, and Ventress frowned.

"What happened?" Padmé asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No…" Anakin answered slowly, confused. What exactly had changed? Something in his mind shifted, and then a sharp breath echoed through the room.

He turned slowly towards Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan?" he asked, taking a few faltering steps towards him. Anakin reached out into the Force, reached into his bond with Obi-Wan and found…

"Force," Anakin uttered. He watched as Obi-Wan breathed in, just barely. Anakin dropped to his knees and put a hand on Obi-Wan's forehead. He could feel Obi-Wan's life force, struggling to stay afloat. "He's alive," he said. "But he isn't lasting; we need to get him to the healers, as soon as possible."

Padmé nodded, though her eyes were wide with shock. "Let's go, then," she said.

Anakin frowned. "He's not stable," he muttered. He leaned down and placed an ear on Obi-Wan's chest. The heartbeats he heard were slow and faltering, fading away into nothingness. "I'll have to monitor him with the Force while we go back to the Temple."

Anakin looked up. "Padmé, you should go and gather the Senate. Do what you need to do. I'm sure the Council will contact you later about what happened," he said, voice trembling.

His wife nodded. "Keep me updated, Ani," she responded. She turned around and left the room.

"Captain, you and the rest of Torrent Company can return to your barracks and await further instructions," Anakin continued, looking up at Rex. His captain nodded, and one by one, the clones filed out.

Anakin exhaled slowly. His fear was rising up within him again, and he was struggling to keep it at bay. Obi-Wan was somehow alive now, but he was slipping away quickly, and Anakin didn't know what would happen. He didn't know what the Council would say once they found out what he did, he didn't know what would happen to Obi-Wan, Padmé, or Ahsoka. Or to himself.

"Anakin, we need to hurry," Ahsoka said. Ventress stood next to her, frowning slightly.

Anakin shook his head. Not now, he told himself, I can't break down now.

"Right. Let's go," he said, lifting Obi-Wan onto a shoulder.

Qui-Gon blinked. He was on Naboo again, surrounded by droids. Anakin and Obi-Wan were looking up at him, and the Queen—Padmé—was glancing back at him but was completely focused on making contact with her troops.

"Master?"

Qui-Gon looked at his padawan, who was frowning at him in concern. Before he could speak or say anything, an explosion rocked the area right in front of them. He sucked in a breath as he reached out into the Force, feeling the oily dark presence of the Sith monster, waiting for him. It must have seemed like he never left, and he had to make sure that it continued to appear that way.

Immediately, blaster bolts began to fly around them, and the young Queen immediately walked out into battle, blaster drawn.

The battle had begun.

Everything went as Obi-Wan had described. They made their way into the hangar, cleared it, and the great doors slid open, revealing the Sith Qui-Gon encountered on Tatooine. Anakin was safe in the ship that he was hiding in, though Qui-Gon knew that once he and Obi-Wan left the hangar, Anakin would fly out and destroy the Trade Federation Control Ship.

"We'll handle this," Qui-Gon said as he and Obi-Wan moved past the Queen and her troops to face the Sith.

"We'll take the long way," Padmé said, as she and her people turned away to enter the palace from a different side.

The Sith Zabrak was just as ferocious as Qui-Gon remembered. Qui-Gon immediately found himself struggling to keep up. Even if he didn't know what was going to happen, he immediately realized that he and Obi-Wan were fighting a losing battle. The three of them entered the generator complex from the hangar, and Qui-Gon felt his heart racing in anticipation. The Force seemed to hold its breath, as though it were almost waiting for Qui-Gon's arrival.

He remembered what Obi-Wan said about this duel. Qui-Gon would have to wait for him to be separated from Obi-Wan, then quickly lead the Sith into the area with the ray shields. Soon enough, the Sith kicked Obi-Wan in the face, and he stumbled off the catwalk, landing somewhere below with a pained grunt.

Qui-Gon acted immediately, leading the Sith down the pathway towards the set of ray shields at the end.

Master, wait!

Obi-Wan was calling out to him through their bond, repeatedly now, but Qui-Gon ignored him. Obi-Wan couldn't have any inkling of what was about to happen. It would change things, and any change may alter the timelines. The risk was too great.

Qui-Gon placed a block on the bond, barely feeling Obi-Wan's shock filter through before he was completely cut off. I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, he thought.

They were near the ray shields now. He could hear the sound of Obi-Wan's footsteps as he was sprinting towards them. Qui-Gon continued pressing forward, heart pounding in his chest. He paused as the ray shields began to close, leaving Obi-Wan trapped well behind him, and a single ray shield between him and the Sith.

Qui-Gon turned off his lightsaber and looked at the Sith for a moment. The Force was calling out to him, and he needed to…feel its embrace as a part of the Living Force. One last time.

Qui-Gon Jinn lowered himself to his knees and closed his eyes.

"Master Kenobi?"

The sound was muffled and unfamiliar. Obi-Wan shifted slightly and blinked, trying to clear his vision. Everything felt really foggy, and his whole body seemed to ache terribly. He shivered and groaned, then felt a warm hand on his arm.

"I'll go get Master Che, Master Kenobi. Please stay awake. I'll be right back," the voice said. He barely heard the sound of footsteps as the person left the room.

Obi-Wan let his eyes flutter shut and he allowed himself to drift off slightly, trying not to think about how much it hurt to just breathe. He felt sleep calling back to him, and he desperately wanted to reach for it and fall into its warm embrace.

"Obi-Wan!"

His eyes flicked open to the sight of Master Che staring down at him, a padawan healer standing at her side. The room he was in seemed a bit brighter than before, and he wanted to close his eyes against the harshness of it. He groaned again and let his eyes slide closed.

Immediately there was an insistent tapping on his shoulder. "Not yet; just a minute, Obi-Wan," Master Che murmured.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes again. Everything was really blurry, but the Twi'lek healer looked almost…relieved, though Obi-Wan couldn't imagine why. What exactly was there to be relieved about?

"I know you want to go back to sleep; let me just run some quick tests to make sure you have no permanent damage," Master Che said, picking up a datapad from the side table. "First of all, how are you feeling?"

Obi-Wan frowned. Permanent damage? What was she talking about? He was fine, last time he checked. He tried to take a deep breath, then felt pain shoot through his chest as he did. Okay. He probably wasn't fine.

"…Hurts," he rasped. He exhaled quickly; talking took up more energy than he thought it would. "What…happened?"

The Twi'lek Healer looked at him with some strange emotion in her eyes. If Obi-Wan wasn't so exhausted, he might have tried to understand what that emotion was but staying awake was becoming a difficult task. Maybe later.

"We can talk about that later," she answered. "You appear to be mostly cognizant, so I'll allow you to sleep for a few hours. I'll wake you for evening meal. It…"

Everything faded to black, and he drifted off into nothingness.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Being able to identify the Healers' Ward simply by its ceiling had to merit something, at the least. He would probably ponder on that thought later, when he felt more awake. But for now…

"You're awake earlier than expected."

Master Che sounded almost amused, though there was an undercurrent of exhaustion and relief in her voice. She moved into Obi-Wan's field of vision, and now that he was more awake than he was when he last saw her, he could see the bruises under her eyes.

"What happened?" he asked. His voice was hoarse, and his throat felt like sandpaper. Master Che must have noticed because moments later, she was pressing a glass to his lips. Cold water rushed into his mouth, and he drank greedily, almost like a drowning man.

"Drink slowly," she said. "You've been out for a while. It will take some time for you to recover." She pulled the glass away and put it on the table next to her. He swallowed, feeling the water settle heavily in his stomach.

Master Che sat back in her chair and took a deep breath. "What do you remember?" she asked.

"I…" He frowned. His brain felt slow and sluggish; his memories felt suddenly very far away. "Master Qui-Gon and I went to confront Palpatine," he murmured. "We arrived, and Anakin was…" The sight of Anakin, twisted and dark, caused his heart to lurch in his chest and he gasped at the pain that came with it.

"Easy," Vokara said, standing up and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Breathe slowly. I know you're worried and confused, but you need to remain calm for me. Your body can't handle much stress right now," she said.

Obi-Wan exhaled harshly, heart pounding. Breathing was still difficult, but he managed a few deep breaths before the sensation eased. What exactly happened to him?

"Anakin?" he asked finally, voice quiet.

The healer paused and sat down again. "You missed a lot, Obi-Wan. Master Windu will tell you what happened with Anakin once I clear you for that kind of discussion," she said. "For now, I can assure you that Palpatine has been defeated. The clones have been neutralized and most of them are either in the process of getting their inhibitor chips out, if they haven't already."

"There's something else," he murmured. Just from the way she sat and the expression on her face, he could tell that there were things that he didn't know, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know them right now.

"Obi-Wan, you died," she said. "According to Skywalker and Tano, you were dead for about half an hour, and when you somehow came back to life, you were still slipping away," she explained.

"Oh," he mumbled. He remembered now. Palpatine was forcing himself into his mind, choking him, destroying his shields. And his shields still lay in tatters in his mind. That wouldn't do. He quickly constructed a new set of shields. They weren't exactly strong, but they would do for now.

"You've been in a coma, Obi-Wan," she continued. "It's been about two weeks."

Two weeks? Cold panic began to rush at him again. Instinctively, Obi-Wan reached into the Force, and found it to be…clear and balanced. "The Force is balanced," he whispered. "Anakin, he…he Turned back?"

The healer frowned at that and sat down again. "It's better if you speak to him about that," she said finally. "For now, I'd like to ease you back into eating solids. You've been on the nutrient drip for a while now, and your body's systems are still adjusting to operating as normal," she explained. "You've been through a serious trauma, Obi-Wan," she said, and placed a warm hand on his arm. "I know you must be plotting your escape already, but you must allow yourself the time to recover."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "Qui-Gon was…sent back to his time, wasn't he?" he asked finally. He swallowed, knowing exactly what that meant. Qui-Gon was dead. He thought he was dreaming, but Qui-Gon made a choice, and somehow that choice allowed Qui-Gon to sacrifice himself for Obi-Wan.

The healer nodded solemnly.

Obi-Wan sucked in a deep breath, ignoring the protest of his lungs, and reached out into the Force to achieve some semblance of calm again. He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes again.

"You should eat," he heard her say. "If you're not too tired, I'll get you some soup right now."

He shook his head minutely. "Later," he mumbled, letting sleep claim him once again before she could say anything else.

Anakin stepped into Obi-Wan's room at the Healer's Ward quietly. Obi-Wan was asleep, just as Master Che said. Anakin wished he could have come to visit him earlier, when he was awake, but between the meetings with the Council, helping Padmé with the Senate and to restructure the Republic completely, and the clones…Anakin didn't have a lot of time left, but he still had so much to do.

He sighed. This was all for the best, though. He was sure.

Obi-Wan was pretty deeply asleep. Master Che said she didn't tell him much about what happened, but he wasn't taking it well. He wasn't exactly getting worse, per se, but he wasn't improving as much as the healers had hoped. Losing Qui-Gon again and so unexpectedly was a heavy blow for all of them, but he knew that it would be really hard on Obi-Wan, even if he wouldn't admit it.

Anakin sat down in the chair next to Obi-Wan's bed and tried to prepare himself for the conversation that was to come. He took a deep breath and tried to think about how he would explain everything to his former master, but he didn't even know where to begin. He didn't even deserve this, any of it.

A sharp inhalation, and then Obi-Wan's eyes were fluttering open. His head turned slightly, and he blinked a few times before his eyes met Anakin's.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, moving forward so he was sitting on the edge of his seat. "Obi-Wan, I—"

He cut himself off as no words came to his mind. There were tears in his eyes though, that was for sure. He rubbed at them, trying to wipe them away so he could just focus and say what he needed to say.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan rasped. He sounded terrible. "Anakin, please, I can't do this right now," he continued.

Anakin's heart sank slowly to his stomach. No, no, this was all wrong. "Obi-Wan?" he whispered, voice stuttering slightly.

He watched as Obi-Wan took a deep breath before he spoke again. "I need time, Anakin," he said firmly. "What you did was…From what I understand, you did the right thing in the end, but it was…Anakin, what you did was wrong," he continued. Obi-Wan looked up at him, eyes wide. "And I need time to process that you did this. I need time to—"

"There isn't time," Anakin interrupted, standing up quickly. He saw Obi-Wan flinch slightly, and Anakin took a slow breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "There isn't time," he repeated, quieter and more slowly now.

Obi-Wan frowned. "Did something happen?"

Anakin laughed bitterly. "A lot happened, Obi-Wan. But before I go into that, I need you to know how sorry I am. I don't expect your forgiveness, Obi-Wan, and the fact that you're saying you need time tells me that you won't give it to me. I don't need it," he rambled. "But I'm sorry, Master. I should have come to you earlier, I should have told Qui-Gon, I should have done something—"

"You were the Chosen One, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. "You were my responsibility, ever since you arrived here, and I should have sensed Palpatine's influence on you. I was concerned about how much time you spent with him when you first arrived, but I didn't want to overstep my boundaries."

"Obi-Wan—"

Obi-Wan held up a hand, interrupting him. "I should have tried to help you more with handling your emotions. I failed you, Anakin, and—"

"Obi-Wan, stop." Anakin's voice was loud and indignant. "None of this was your fault, you hear me?" He deflated. "It was my decision to join Palpatine. And because I did that, you…you died, Master, and I just stood there, as though it didn't matter to me," he exclaimed.

Obi-Wan let out a breathy laugh, and Anakin frowned. What was funny about this?

"I died," Obi-Wan said finally, his voice heavy with some sort of sickening mirth, "I died, and I'm still here. The Force played some cruel joke on me, and now Qui-Gon has taken my place in the Force." He coughed harshly a few times into his sleeve.

"Obi-Wan, I—" What was he supposed to say to that? Master Che did say that Obi-Wan's mood was not good, but Anakin didn't realize exactly how bad it was. "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," he repeated, voice cracking.

"I know." Obi-Wan was serious again, and his eyes were watering, though Anakin was sure it was from the coughing.

They lapsed into a sort-of silence, interrupted every so often with a harsh cough. Anakin winced. "You don't sound good," he said finally.

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan responded, and his voice allowed for no further argument. "Is that all you wanted to tell me, Anakin?"

The realization that Obi-Wan didn't even want to talk to him now was painful. He'd known Obi-Wan for so long now, and he'd never seen him like this. Even when Obi-Wan was annoyed at him, he never turned him away. He was always there. And now…

"I…" Anakin's voice trailed off. He was so tempted to say that there was nothing else and just leave. It would be so easy. "There's one more thing," he said finally.

Obi-Wan looked at him expectantly, and Anakin found his voice lost in his throat.

"There's no easy way to say this, Master," Anakin said after a few moments. "I…I've decided to leave the Order."

Obi-Wan stared at him, completely expressionless. Anakin reached out into the Force, trying to understand if he was feeling something and was just hiding it, but he was met with shields.

"Say something," Anakin pleaded after a few moments. There was something cold in his stomach, something almost wrong.

When Obi-Wan didn't say anything, Anakin kept talking.

"It's just…I really appreciate everything you've done for me, Obi-Wan. But after what happened, I realized that I'm not cut out for this. And now that everything seems okay, I can go be with Padmé," he rambled. Obi-Wan still didn't say anything, and he was still staring at him.

"And I was thinking I could open a droid or mechanics shop or something," he said. "I'm doing what will make me happy, Obi-Wan. And I'm going to be with my wife. I'll still be here on Coruscant, so I'm not too far away from the Temple, if you…I mean, if you want to talk to me or something," Anakin said then coughed awkwardly.

"And it's just…Ahsoka, I can't leave her without knowing that she'll be okay. And I need you to be okay too, Master," he continued. "So, I wanted to know if you would train her. Or at least consider it. I know Qui-Gon asked you to train me, so it's not fair for me to ask this of you. I know. You've said before that you wouldn't take a second padawan until after the war, and, well the war is over. But I can't take that choice away from you; it's not fair to you."

Anakin let out a long exhale. It felt almost good to get everything off his chest, but Obi-Wan was still staring at him. He'd very rarely seen Obi-Wan at a complete loss for words before, so to be the one actually causing it this time was definitely strange.

"Master?" he croaked.

"I don't…" Obi-Wan blinked, and for a moment he looked extremely desperate. "I don't know."

Anakin swallowed. That wasn't what he expected. He expected Obi-Wan to say yes or to say no. Not this.

"Okay," he managed. "Just think about it, then. I'm supposed to be leaving in about two or three days, so we have some time to figure it out."

Qui-Gon exhaled and opened his eyes.

"What?" he muttered. He found himself in a different location than he expected. "This is becoming too common of an occurrence," he muttered, standing up slowly. The last thing he remembered was being on Naboo, facing the Sith Zabrak. They were entering the generator core, separated by red ray shields, his padawan waiting a few feet back. Qui-Gon knew what he had to do. He was ready to join the Force. But what was happening now?

"Master Jinn."

Qui-Gon turned around to see a spirit of some sort. He couldn't exactly identify the species, though the figure did appear distinctly female.

"My name is Serenity. I am one of the five Force Priestesses. We don't have much time to talk, so let me explain to you what is happening right now," she said quickly, moving forward towards him.

He nodded. "Explain," he said.

"There is a way to preserve your consciousness in the Force after death. Based on your actions during your life, and what you contributed to the Force itself, you are worthy of this knowledge. If you consent, this knowledge will be passed to you now," she said quickly.

Qui-Gon frowned. Preserve his consciousness after death? He'd never heard of anyone doing that before. People would usually just…join the Force. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You will be able to appear as a voice or occasionally a spirit. It is a means of guiding those who are still alive," she explained with a smile.

Qui-Gon stared at her, completely nonplussed. "Why me?" he asked finally.

"You know why, Master Jinn," she answered. "Time runs short. You must decide now."

Being able to appear as a voice or spirit meant…he could see Obi-Wan and Anakin, once Time progressed and the circle was complete. He would have to wait until after Palpatine would be defeated, but eventually, he could reveal himself and help them.

The decision was made. "Yes, I consent," he said quickly.

Serenity nodded, and four other beings similar to her appeared next to her.

"Let us begin, then," she said.

"So, he asked you to take Ahsoka as your padawan?" Bant asked as she lowered herself into the chair next to his bed. She looked relatively exhausted; from what he understood, Bant had been working almost non-stop on the clones' inhibitor chip extraction surgeries. The surgeries themselves were not that difficult in theory but given the number of clones and the fact that the Kaminoans refused to help, it was taking time.

Obi-Wan nodded. Finding out that Anakin was leaving the Order was a shock to his system; he found himself unable to keep down any of his food. When he tried to go back to sleep after, he found himself tossing and turning the whole night, and the Force was offering no help.

It didn't matter anyways. Qui-Gon was gone, Anakin would be leaving soon, and Ahsoka deserved much better than someone like him.

"Are you going to?" she pressed.

"No."

"Why not?"

Obi-Wan groaned. "I'd rather not talk about this, Bant," he muttered.

"You can't just avoid this topic, Obi-Wan. Ahsoka needs a Master," Bant said. She sighed when he didn't say anything in response to that. "And you need someone, too. Don't tell me otherwise. I know you're upset about Master Qui-Gon and Anakin, but you can't just wallow about in your misery like this. You know that I'm worried about you, right? We all are."

"There are a lot of Masters and Knights who would be glad to take Ahsoka as their padawan; I'm sure Master Plo Koon would jump at the chance, if he hasn't already," Obi-Wan countered, then coughed harshly into his sleeve.

"That's true," she said, "but she wants you."

"I can't imagine why," he rasped.

Bant sighed. This conversation was going nowhere. "This is not you. If you're going to be like this, Obi, then I'm going to leave now. You can feel sorry for yourself on your own," she decided, and pulled herself to her feet.

She left in a flurry of robes, her annoyance quickly dissipating into the Force.

Obi-Wan pulled his blankets over himself and closed his eyes. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep much now, but there really wasn't much else he could do right now.

Qui-Gon opened his eyes and stood as the ray shield in front of him lowered. He rushed forward to meet the Sith Lord's blade, pushing forward towards the inside of the power generator. He heard Obi-Wan's footsteps behind him, felt him trying to reach for him through their bond, but Qui-Gon forced himself to ignore it.

As Qui-Gon moved more to the center of the power generator, he began to hear the ray shields close again. He glanced back to see Obi-Wan standing behind the last shield, eyes wide and terrified.

I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, he thought, before focusing on the Sith Lord again. The journey ahead of his padawan will be long and painful and difficult, but in the end…

Qui-Gon began to focus on what the Force Priestesses taught him about joining the Force. He knew that since he didn't have much time to learn the process from them, he would not be able to appear as a full ghost for some time, if at all.

The Sith Zabrak was moving faster and faster, and while gathering the Force about him, it was becoming increasingly difficult to focus on the battle. He took a step back for a moment, assessing something, as the Sith paused for a moment too.

The time has come, he realized.

The Sith swung at him more ferociously, and Qui-Gon met each strike, feeling each one of them vibrate up his arms almost painfully. The hilt of the Sith's blade met his chin, and he stumbled back before feeling the lightsaber slam into his gut.

He cried out immediately, more in surprise and shock than in pain. He barely heard Obi-Wan shout over the ringing in his ears, barely felt the Sith move his lightsaber out of his stomach.

Qui-Gon's knees buckled, unable to hold his weight anymore. He hunched forward, feeling the burning pain from his middle overwhelming his senses. Qui-Gon collapsed sideways, gasping, trying to focus on the Force. It was calling out to him now, and he wanted to respond to its call more than anything, but there was one more thing he had to do now.

He barely heard the ray shields open once again. He could hear the sounds of lightsabers clashing somewhere behind him; he could feel Obi-Wan's desperation in the Force, and he tried to reach out to him and steady him, but he found himself unable to focus on much at all right now. He found himself nearly senseless from the pain.

The next thing he knew, his head was being lifted gently. Qui-Gon opened his eyes with a groan, looking up into Obi-Wan's distressed eyes.

"It's—it's too late," Qui-Gon grunted. The Force was calling to him even louder now, and it was becoming difficult to focus on what he had to say.

"No." Obi-Wan was shaking his head, his denial screaming out into the Force.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon whispered, "promise—promise me you will train the boy." Promise me you will make it through this. Promise me that you will be alright.

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan responded, almost instinctively, it seemed.

Qui-Gon reached up with a trembling hand and touched Obi-Wan's face, trying to comfort him and wipe the tears from his face. He was supposed to say something else, wasn't he? It was getting hard to remember now.

"He—is the Chosen One," Qui-Gon said, remembering what Anakin would do in the future. It did take him time, but in the end, Anakin was the one who brought balance to the Force. "He—will bring balance," he uttered.

Obi-Wan nodded, his eyes bright with tears.

"Train him," Qui-Gon whispered, and he let out a final exhale, letting himself be swept up by the currents of the Force.

Train him.

Obi-Wan's eyes opened and he groaned. The chrono next to his bed told him that he slept for about an hour this time. He was dreaming about Qui-Gon's death again. Knowing that Qui-Gon probably returned to Naboo and joined the Force there brought back the dredges of that particular memory. A memory that he tried to stifle over the years since it happened.

He shuddered and wiped the sweat from his brow before sitting up carefully. He reached for the glass of water sitting on the side table and took a long sip before putting it back on the table.

Obi-Wan exhaled and leaned his head back on the bedrest. The Halls were relatively quiet around this hour, but he could feel some of the healers in the Force, making their rounds. He hoped no one would come in and ask him why he wasn't sleeping again. Master Che was already worried as it was, and he really didn't need her overwhelming worry right now.

"What do you need, then?"

Obi-Wan jerked, placing a hand on his chest as his heart skipped a beat at the sound of that voice. But no. It was impossible.

He turned his head slowly in the direction of the voice.

Qui-Gon Jinn stood there, at the foot of his bed, looking a lot bluer than the last time Obi-Wan saw him. His Master was smiling at him widely, eyes bright and happy.

"I'm seeing things," Obi-Wan whispered, and rubbed at his eyes. "Or I'm not actually awake yet, and I'm still dreaming."

"This is real, Obi-Wan," his Master responded, but Obi-Wan was shaking his head.

"No, no, this doesn't happen," Obi-Wan responded, and promptly pinched himself, to see if the pain would wake him up. Nothing happened. Qui-Gon remained, staring at him as though he was waiting for him.

Obi-Wan reached out into the Force; the confirmation was screaming out to him, along with Qui-Gon's familiar presence.

"You're—you're real," Obi-Wan realized. Tears spilled from his eyes, and he shuddered, curling into himself as he wiped them furiously. "Master, I—I don't deserve this. How are you here?"

He felt Qui-Gon move forward and kneel next to him. "I'm a ghost, Obi-Wan. I can't always be here, but when you need me, I will come. I promise, Padawan," Qui-Gon whispered, and though Obi-Wan couldn't exactly feel him physically, the cooling sensation surrounding him told him that Qui-Gon was hugging him.

"Master," Obi-Wan whispered, and he cried more, feeling every pent-up emotion release from him all at once.

"I'm here, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon murmured, stroking his hair. "I'm here."

"There's still the matter of Padawan Tano," Ki-Adi-Mundi said.

Mace sighed. It was a delicate matter. A lot of Masters and Knights would be happy to train her, himself included, but the Padawan did not want anyone except Master Kenobi. And right now, it seemed that Obi-Wan was stubbornly refusing to do such a thing.

Mace had come to visit Obi-Wan a few times since he woke up, but Obi-Wan refused to even talk about the subject of Ahsoka as his padawan, and there wasn't much Mace could do to beyond that to convince him.

Ahsoka spent a lot of time by herself now. She spoke to the Council with Anakin after the…incident happened, and once after Anakin made it clear that he wanted to leave to say that she wanted Obi-Wan as her master and no one else. In the days following that, she helped Asajj Ventress contact her home planet, Dathomir, and sent her home soon afterwards. Ventress returned home about a week ago, maintaining the Dark Side as it should be.

But since then, Ahsoka was alone. Waiting, almost. She trained and took her classes and did everything she was supposed to as a Padawan, but she had no Master now. It was now becoming a problem.

"I know," Mace answered.

Everyone on the Council was physically present, except for Obi-Wan, who was still in the Healer's Ward, and Shaak Ti, who was murdered by the clones on Kamino in the aftermath of Order 66. So much has happened since then that the Council had not appointed her replacement yet, though it would probably happen in the coming days.

"If it comes down to it, I would be happy to train her," Plo Koon said. "I know she wants Master Kenobi, but ultimately, if he is not willing or is not able, then I would gladly train her. I am sure you are all aware the we share a great connection already, so the transition for her will be easier on her."

The rest of the Council nodded. There was concern that Obi-Wan wouldn't be able to become an active Jedi again, if he continued down the path he was going. According to Master Che, his recovery was almost at a standstill because of his despondency about Qui-Gon and Anakin. The thought of that was almost heartbreaking; Obi-Wan was an incredible Jedi and to see him like this now was extremely distressing for most of the Order.

"Is that it, then?" Adi Gallia asked. She sounded distinctively upset.

"I suppose," Mace answered, though there was a strange look in Yoda's eyes that made him wonder…

The Council doors swung open suddenly. He heard the voice of the padawan on duty outside the Council, saying that the Council was not to be disturbed right now, but the footsteps that followed implied that whoever it was ignored her pleas.

The person who entered was wrapped in a robe, but once he moved into the center of the circle, it became clear who it was.

"Obi-Wan?" Mace asked.

Obi-Wan smiled gently at him before addressing the Council. "I apologize for the delay, Masters," he said. His face was pale, but there was a strength in him that Mace hadn't seen in a very long time.

"I needed some time to think about the decision Anakin presented to me. I was shocked to hear about his departure, but I now understand and support him for making that decision," Obi-Wan continued.

"And I have decided to complete Ahsoka's training, if the Council will allow it," Obi-Wan finished. He wavered for a brief moment, though it was subtle and if Mace wasn't used to this kind of behavior from him, he probably wouldn't have noticed it.

"Take a seat, Master Kenobi," Mace said. "From what I understand, you're not supposed to be here yet. The Healers haven't released you. You didn't need to strain yourself like this," he admonished.

Obi-Wan walked over to his chair and sat gratefully. "I needed to, because Ahsoka does not deserve to be alone at this time," he responded. "I have also missed a lot in the past few weeks, and I would like to know where the Republic stands, among other things."

Yoda nodded. "Stay, you can, Obi-Wan," he said. "Though tell us, you must, if well you are not feeling. Contact the Healers we will, so they know you are here."

"Very well, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan responded with a grateful smile.

"Anakin?"

He looked up from his datapad to see Padmé entering the apartment. He stood and ran to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I did it, Padmé," he said, then kissed her. "I officially left the Order earlier today. The Council respected and understood my decision." Anakin smiled, feeling Padmé's joy echo back at him in the Force.

"That's amazing, Ani!" she said. They walked over to the nearby couch and sat down. "And what about Ahsoka?" she asked.

"Obi-Wan agreed to train her. It took some convincing and a Force Ghost intervention, but he's all for it now," Anakin answered. "But enough about me, Padmé. How was the Senate today?"

His wife smiled. "We're taking steps in the right direction. It's going to be a slow process; Palpatine did a lot of damage and he had many allies in the Senate, but I think things will be alright eventually," Padmé said.

She stood up then and smiled widely. There was something else, he could feel it, but it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what it was.

"Padmé?" he asked. "What is it?"

"Something wonderful has happened," she said after a long pause. Anakin raised his eyebrows in confusion, waiting for her to say more.

"Ani, I'm pregnant," she whispered.

In a single instant, Anakin jumped up to his feet and embraced her. "That's wonderful, Padmé," he said. He reached out into the Force, towards her, and felt the two bright life forms growing within her.

"They're twins, Padmé," he said. "This is incredible!"

"We'll raise them together, Anakin," she responded. "They'll be amazing."

Anakin smiled, feeling completely pure joy for the first time in what felt like years. Everything felt so right now, and he looked forward to what the future would bring him now. The Force felt wonderful and beautiful all at once, as it was always meant to be.

"Ahsoka."

She looked up from her work, surprised to see Obi-Wan standing in front of her desk.

"Master!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet in shock. She didn't have the chance to visit him since he woke up; between classes and helping Ventress, she was pretty busy for the past few weeks. Once she heard that he did not want to complete her training, Ahsoka decided to stay away. She didn't know what else she could do.

Obi-Wan smiled wryly. He looked a lot better than he did before. She visited him a few times while he was in the coma and seeing him like that was terrifying. She watched him go into cardiac arrest once, watched as the Healers desperately managed to revive him. The implication of it, the fact that her grandmaster was dead…it was scary.

"I must speak with you about something," he said finally.

Was he going to tell her no, finally? She wanted to sigh, but she nodded instead. She mentally prepared herself for the rejection and thought of what she could do now. She knew that other Masters would be willing to train her, but she didn't want that. She wanted Master Obi-Wan now. No one else.

"Come with me," he said, and what choice did she have but to follow? She gathered her belongings quickly and followed him out of the Archives.

He led her to the Room of a Thousand Fountains and sat himself next to that waterfall he always sat under. There was joy sparkling in his eyes, a sense of right-ness in the Force, and something else. Something…missing.

She sat in front of him, waiting.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "Ahsoka," he said finally. "I cannot possibly be a replacement for Anakin, but would you do me the honor of being my Padawan?"

Before he even finished the question, she was nodding, and tears were running down her face.

"Yes, yes, of course!" she answered. She wiped at her face, suddenly feeling embarrassed about her tears. "I'm sorry; it's been really stressful these past few weeks, and I'm just really relieved now."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I understand, Ahsoka," he responded.

"Did you do it yet, Obi-Wan?"

Ahsoka turned around to see Master Qui-Gon standing behind her, though his form was blue and somewhat shimmering.

"Okay, I need an explanation for this," she said finally, voice still wobbling. She had fully resigned herself to never seeing Master Qui-Gon again, but there he was, looking somewhat ghostly, but there.

Obi-Wan laughed. "I'll explain it to you later, Ahsoka," he said. Then he looked up at Master Qui-Gon. "I did it, Master," he responded, then closed his eyes and opened them again. It looked like he was about to cry too, though she couldn't really tell. "Thank you, Master," he said, looking again at Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon gave them both another smile before he disappeared.

Ahsoka looked at her new Master and felt the right-ness in the Force. Everything has finally settled down, and now she can focus on becoming the best Jedi she could be. She wanted Anakin and Master Obi-Wan to be proud of her, and she knew she could do it. She could feel the beginnings of their bond forming in her mind. It would take time for both of them to adjust to this, and she knew that it would be a few weeks until Obi-Wan would be able to spar again, but everything was going in the right direction. Ahsoka was sure of it.

"Let's go, then," he said, slowly pulling himself to his feet.

"Where?" she asked.

"Well, don't you want to tell Anakin? I told him we'd meet him for lunch. He said he had some things to tell us as well," Obi-Wan answered, then paused. "Unless you'd rather stay here by yourself?"

Ahsoka barked out a laugh. "You wish, Master," she said, following him outside of the garden.

From the depths of the Force, Qui-Gon Jinn smiled. Finally, everything was right.

A/N: First of all, I want to thank everyone who decided to click on this story and give it a chance. This is my first official multichapter story, and it really means a lot to get this kind of response. I appreciate each and every one of you so very much :)

I had a sort-of-major personal crisis towards the end of 2017, and for a while, this story helped me get through some difficult things. I won't go into detail about it, but for that reason, this story will always mean so much to me.

Anyways, what's next for me? I do want to go back and edit this story a bit more; I know it's still a bit raw in some places, and there's always room for improvement! I have a few ideas for some scenes that didn't quite make it into this story that I'll probably add as an addition to this series (so keep your eyes open for that). After that, I'll go back to writing oneshots for a while; as much as I enjoyed writing this, it's a commitment that I completely underestimated in the beginning.

Thank you again for reading and please let me know what you think! :)

Update: The sequel to this story, Shifting Shadows, is now available on my profile! Thanks!