Surprise Party: Celestia Vitaria
Disclaimer: I don't own George Lucas' characters. Master Bren Anders belongs to whoever created her, so I apologize if I screw up her character. Celestia, Lianna, Baan t'il, Lily, Xanatos (and no, that's not the same Xanatos from the Jedi Apprentice series) belong to me, as does Aidan, Mihiri, Master Arek, and Knight Sariss. So please no body sue me, for I have no money whatsoever, nor do I have anything of any true value...
Other: This is the second story in my "First Apprentice" series, more to come soon...(as soon as I get around to writing it, that is...LOL) Please review, but no flames please...
Summary: A very sweet, touching story. Qui-Gon wants to do something special for his Padawan on her thirteenth birthday. With the help of Xanatos, Lianna, Baan t'il, Lily, Aidan, and their Masters, he plans a surprise party for her.
"Master, I'm home!" Celestia called out as she entered the apartment that she and Master Qui-Gon shared. "Are you here?"
"I'm in the kitchen, Padawan," he answered.
She dropped her stuff by the couch in the common area, then made her way into the kitchen. Sure enough, Qui-Gon was sitting at the dining table, a cup of steaming hot tea in one hand, and a small datapad in the other. He glanced up at her as she entered.
"Hello, Padawan," Qui-Gon said.
"Hi, Master," Celestia said tiredly.
She stepped over to the cabinet and grabbed a glass and poured some hot tea for herself, adding more sweetener to it than she normally would have cared for. Then she sat down across from her Master, taking a sip of her tea and setting the cup down on the table in front of her.
"How were your classes?" Qui-Gon asked.
Celestia shrugged. "They were all right. Nothing really interesting happened. Except I ended up having to help out in the creche today. That's why I was so late getting home today," she said.
Qui-Gon smiled slightly. "I'm sure it was an `interesting' experience," he said, the look on his face almost an amused smirk. He knew all too well from his own past experiences just how hyper some of the younger children who lived in the creche could get.
Celestia resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him and merely contented herself with a world-weary sigh instead. "Ugh, you have no idea, Master. I thought it would be a breeze. Hmph, famous last words. You wouldn't *believe* how hyper some of the young ones can get. They were making a total mess of the place, which I had to clean up, *by myself*, and one of them insisted on using my braid for his own personal amusement. Oy vey, this has been the longest day of my life. That's the last time I let Mihiri talk me into helping her with the kids," she groused, rubbing the sore spot on her head ruefully where her braid had nearly been yanked out.
Qui-Gon chuckled sympathetically. "The young ones' enthusiasm will get you every time," he said.
She rolled her eyes playfully, looking at the ceiling for a moment. "No kidding," she muttered, turning back to face him. Then she gestured to the datapad that he had been looking at only a few minutes ago. "What are you reading, Master?"
"Hmmm? Nothing," he said, giving her a slightly secretive grin.
"Mmmm-hmmm, sure. That's what they all say, Master," she remarked teasingly. "Are you planning a surprise party for me or something?"
"I didn't know your birthday was coming up, Padawan," he said jokingly, making his face an unreadable mask and making Celestia laugh at her Master's feigned innocence.
"It's next week," she said, her voice a mock-pout.
Just then, Qui-Gon glanced up at the chrono on the wall and stood up. "I'll be back in a while. I have some errands I need to run. You can leave the apartment, but just stay out of trouble," he said.
Celestia nodded. "Yes, Master," she replied, giving him a mock-wounded look. Qui-Gon wasn't buying it. He smiled and shook his head, giving her braid a gentle tug before turning and leaving the apartment.
Celestia stayed there for a few more minutes after she heard the front door slide shut. She gazed down at the wooden table top absently, tracing the patterns in the dark mahogany idly with one finger. She couldn't help wondering what her Master was up to, but she didn't want to intrude on his privacy. She had the feeling that he would tell her when the time was right.
She sighed and finished her drink, then stood up and wandered into the common area, making her way over to the comm unit. She quickly dialed her best friend Lily's number and waited for a response. After a few moments, Master Adi Gallia's voice came through.
"Hello. Master Gallia speaking."
"Hi, Master Gallia. Is Lily there?" Celestia asked.
"Yes, she is. Just a minute, I'll get her for you," Adi answered.
The line went silent, and a moment later, Lily's voice came through the line. "Hello? This is Lily," she said.
"Hey, Lily. It's me, Celestia. What's up?" Celestia replied.
"Not much. You?" Lily said.
"Same here. I'm bored. Do you want to come over for a while or something?" Celestia asked.
"I can't right now. I have lightsaber practice with my Master right now," Lily answered.
"Oh, okay," Celestia said, trying not to let her disappointment seep into her voice.
I'm sorry. Maybe I can come by later or something," Lily said apologetically.
"It's all right. I'll see you later, then," Celestia replied.
"Okay. Bye," Lily said.
"Bye," Celestia said, then cut the connection.
She waited for a few minutes, and then attempted to contact her other companions. But the responses, when she got any at all, were basically all the same. Xanatos and Aidan weren't even home, and Lianna, Baan t'il, and Lily were all supposedly busy with their Masters.
Celestia let out a soft, world-weary sigh as she stood up and wandered out onto the balcony. She rested her arms lightly on the railing and stared dejectedly out at the deserted gardens below her. Now she knew something was definitely up. Usually at least one of her friends had time to help her out with her newest practical joke idea or just to talk.
~I wonder what's going on? Everyone's acting really strange. They're being really secretive for some weird reason today,~ Celestia thought to herself.
**************************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Jedi had all gathered in Master Bren Anders' quarters and were in the process of trying to plan a surprise party for Celestia.
"How long do we have to get this whole thing together, anyway?" Master Mace Windu asked, looking pointedly at Qui-Gon.
"A week," Qui-Gon answered.
"Okay, so what are we wanting to do?" Aidan asked quietly. He had only just recently met Celestia and her companions, and didn't really know them all that well.
"I think we should make a huge deal out of it. You know she won't want us to, but as her friends, I think we're obligated to do it just to get a rise out of her if nothing else," Lily spoke up.
"Yeah, we have to make this special, a birthday she'll never forget," Xanatos remarked.
"All right, now that that's settled, what do you want to do for her?" Master Arek asked.
The five Padawans exchanged glances, Aidan looking as though he felt somewhat out of the loop as he offered a slight shrug. Finally, it was Lianna who spoke up, her voice soft, almost inaudible as she did so.
"I think we should throw a huge party for her out in the Meditation Garden. She's always liked that garden. Ummm, we need a cake, gifts, decorations..." she replied, her voice trailing off as she looked to her companions for suggestions.
"Not to mention a way to keep her distracted," Baan t'il remarked.
Lily nodded her agreement. "Yeah, how are we going to keep this whole thing a secret from her? You know how hard it is to try and fool her. Especially since we all have a bond with her," she pointed out.
"We just act as though we don't even know a thing about it," Xanatos said matter-of-factly.
"Is there anything else that anyone can think of?" Knight Sariss inquired.
Again, the Padawans exchanged glances and shrugged. "No, I don't think so," Aidan replied quietly.
"All right. Now that everything's settled, we'll meet back here tomorrow and start getting things set up," Qui-Gon said as he stood up.
The others nodded their agreement and went their seperate ways. As Qui-Gon moved gracefully through the corridors, he reached out through the bond that he shared with his Padawan. He felt her confusion and curiosity flooding back towards him and smiled. Yes, this would definitely be a birthday that she would never forget.
**************************************************************************************************
Later that night, Celestia glanced up curiously from her journal that she was writing in as she heard the front door slide open and watched as her Master entered the apartment, carrying a few bags in his arms. Most of them he took into the kitchen and put them down on the table, but a couple he took into his bedroom.
At this point, Celestia's curiosity was really starting to get the best of her, but she reluctantly pushed it aside and went back to her journal as Qui-Gon walked back into the common area.
//Everyone's acting really strange today for some reason. I totally don't get it. I know something's going on here, but nobody's willing to let me in on the big secret. Every time I've tried to find out through my bond with my Master or my friends, they've blocked me out. I wonder if they aren't planning some sort of surprise for me or something? After all, I turn thirteen next week. Maybe that's it. I don't know. Whatever it is, I'll probably find out when the time comes. Well, I have to go for now because Master wants me to help him put the groceries away. I'll write again later, and maybe by then I'll have figured out what's going on. But until then, may the Force be with you! ~*Celestia Vitaria*~//
Once she had finished her journal entry, she shut it off and placed it down on the coffee table. Then she stood up, stretching luxuriously as she did so, and wandered into the kitchen to help her Master with the groceries.
**************************************************************************************************
The week passed uneventfully, but despite what she had written in her journal, Celestia still hadn't been able to find out what all the secrecy was about. It was quite frankly beginning to get on her nerves.
And the fact that she awoke to an empty apartment on her birthday only made that feeling somewhat worse.
"Okay...now I know something's up. Oh well, I'll try to figure it out after i take a shower and have some breakfast," she muttered to herself as she headed for the 'fresher.
**************************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, everyone had gathered out in the Meditation Garden and was hurriedly trying to set everything up. A single table stood several feet away from a nearby stream, atop which rested several gifts and a rather beautifully decorated cake. The surrounding area was decorated with a "Happy Thirteenth Birthday Celestia" sign, confetti and also several red, blue, green, and purple streamers.
When the finishing touches had been added, Qui-Gon sent Xanatos to bring Celestia to the garden. Xanatos nodded and quickly took off, unable to keep from laughing to himself as he pictured his friend's expression of shock when she saw all of this.
He reached the apartment a few minutes later, somehow managing to clamp down on his amusement before she sensed it through the door, and rang the door buzzer once. Moments passed with no answer, and he hit the buzzer again. Again, there was no response and he finally just punched in the override code and let himself in, shutting the door behind him.
As he did so, he noticed Celestia coming out of the 'fresher, wearing a light-colored tunic and her brown Jedi cloak. Her auburn hair was tied back into a tail at the nape of her neck, except for her braid, which hung loosely past her shoulder. The look in her lavender eyes was one of pure surprise as she realized that Xanatos was there.
"Hi, Celestia," he said cheerfully, trying to act as casual as possible.
She shook her head and smiled faintly at him. "Oh, hey. What are you doing here?" she asked, looking at him expectantly now.
Xanatos shrugged. "Just thought I'd stop by and see if you were busy," he said.
Celestia offered a slight shrug of her own, trying not to look disappointed. "Oh, no. I'm not busy. Master's not even here right now. I think he said something last night about the Council having a mission for us or something," she answered.
"Oh. Hey, do you want to go out to the garden for a while?" he asked.
She shrugged again. "Sure, why not? I don't have anything else to do right now," she said and followed him out of the apartment.
They walked along in companionable silence for a while, merely enjoying each other's company. Finally Celestia spoke up, breaking the silence between them.
"Ummm, is it just me, or have people been acting a little strange lately?" she asked.
Xanatos shook his head. "No, not that I've noticed. Why?" he said.
She shrugged. "No reason. Just wondering, that's all," she answered.
Xanatos nodded and again the silence fell in the air between them. Celestia barely noticed. Something was nagging her at the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. It wasn't a bad feeling, per se, just a hunch that something was about to happen. She decided to lay her cards on the table and try to get something out of her friend.
"So, ummm...what's going on today, anyway? Why has everyone been so secretive lately?" she asked, trying to be casual.
Xanatos didn't even flinch. "Nothing that I know of," he said without missing a beat, completely ignoring her second question.
"There's nothing...special about today?" she persisted. Xanatos merely shook his head.
~Well, Sith. That didn't work as well as I'd hoped. I think he forgot my birthday. It seems that everyone has,~ she thought dejectedly.
But if Xanatos had heard her thoughts or picked up on her sudden mood change, he gave no indication of having done so. Celestia sighed and followed her friend out the doors and into the bright early morning sunlight of the Meditation Garden, relishing the warmth of it against her skin.
That's when she sensed it. Several familiar Force signatures trying to conceal themselves in the surrounding foliage. She could have sworn one of them was Master Qui-Gon. Confused, she glanced at Xanatos, and saw him trying to stiffle a laugh.
"Okay, Xani. What is going on here? Nobody's been telling me anything, and I can't take the suspense anymore," she demanded.
Just then, the beings who had been broadcasting their Force signatures towards her leapt out and a shouted chorus of "SURPRISE!" filled the air for a moment. Startled, Celestia whirled around and saw Qui-Gon, her other companions and their Masters all standing there in front of her, ginning like idiots. Celestia's jaw dropped to the ground in shock, and a choked laugh escaped her.
"Oh my God! I can't believe you guys did this for me!" she laughed.
Qui-Gon stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him and saw his dark blue eyes twinkling. "You didn't think we'd forgotten, did you?" he asked.
Celestia grinned as she followed him and the others to where everything had been set up. "I was beginning to wonder for a moment," she said, casting a mock-glare at Xanatos.
"What?" he asked, looking at her innocently.
"Nothing," she said.
The first order of business was the opening of the gifts. Her friends gave her various trinkets and momentos of all the times they'd had together, with the promise of many more to come in the future. She saved Qui-Gon's gift for last. Slowly she tore open the simple wrapping and gasped at what she saw inside the package. It was a small holo of the two of them together that had been taken the day after he took her as his apprentice.
As she stared at it, she felt her lavender eyes well up with tears. She stared at it for a long time, then glanced up at Qui-Gon. Rendered speechless, she threw her arms around him in an embrace which he gladly returned.
"Awww! Kodak moment!" Bren commented, eliciting a laugh from the others.
After a moment, Celestia stepped back and placed the photo gently on the table, wiping away her tears as she did so. Then she turned back to the others, now grinning like an idiot herself.
"Thank you. This was truly wonderful," she whispered.
"Hey, what are friends for?" Baan t'il asked.
She smiled. "For sharing unforgettable moments like this one with," she said as she moved to cut the cake.
For a second it seemed as if she were offering the first piece to Xanatos, but the expression of total shock on his face was absolutely priceless as she turned and playfully slammed the cake into his face. Everyone stood in stunned silence for a minute as he wiped the frosting out of his eyes and turned to look at her.
"What was that for?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.
Celestia shrugged as she stiffled her laughter. "Oh, no reason in particular. Just for being you. Like Baan t'il said, what are friends for?" she smirked.
"Hmph!" Xanatos scoffed jokingly as the others burst out laughing at their antics.
By now, Celestia was nearly doubled over, unable to hold it in any longer. But Xanatos was not one to give up so easily. Slicing another small piece of cake, he tapped her lightly on the shoulder to get her attention. She turned back around, and the moment she did so, Xanatos retaliated by slamming his own piece of cake in her face.
"Hey! No fair!" she cried, and soon it became an all-out, no-holds-barred food fight between the two of them.
Meanwhile, the others had not been able to stop laughing at the two Padawan's hilarious antics. Qui-Gon shook his head, wiping away tears of mirth as he did so. He had been right. This was a day none of them would ever forget.
~*FIN*~
Disclaimer: I don't own George Lucas' characters. Master Bren Anders belongs to whoever created her, so I apologize if I screw up her character. Celestia, Lianna, Baan t'il, Lily, Xanatos (and no, that's not the same Xanatos from the Jedi Apprentice series) belong to me, as does Aidan, Mihiri, Master Arek, and Knight Sariss. So please no body sue me, for I have no money whatsoever, nor do I have anything of any true value...
Other: This is the second story in my "First Apprentice" series, more to come soon...(as soon as I get around to writing it, that is...LOL) Please review, but no flames please...
Summary: A very sweet, touching story. Qui-Gon wants to do something special for his Padawan on her thirteenth birthday. With the help of Xanatos, Lianna, Baan t'il, Lily, Aidan, and their Masters, he plans a surprise party for her.
"Master, I'm home!" Celestia called out as she entered the apartment that she and Master Qui-Gon shared. "Are you here?"
"I'm in the kitchen, Padawan," he answered.
She dropped her stuff by the couch in the common area, then made her way into the kitchen. Sure enough, Qui-Gon was sitting at the dining table, a cup of steaming hot tea in one hand, and a small datapad in the other. He glanced up at her as she entered.
"Hello, Padawan," Qui-Gon said.
"Hi, Master," Celestia said tiredly.
She stepped over to the cabinet and grabbed a glass and poured some hot tea for herself, adding more sweetener to it than she normally would have cared for. Then she sat down across from her Master, taking a sip of her tea and setting the cup down on the table in front of her.
"How were your classes?" Qui-Gon asked.
Celestia shrugged. "They were all right. Nothing really interesting happened. Except I ended up having to help out in the creche today. That's why I was so late getting home today," she said.
Qui-Gon smiled slightly. "I'm sure it was an `interesting' experience," he said, the look on his face almost an amused smirk. He knew all too well from his own past experiences just how hyper some of the younger children who lived in the creche could get.
Celestia resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him and merely contented herself with a world-weary sigh instead. "Ugh, you have no idea, Master. I thought it would be a breeze. Hmph, famous last words. You wouldn't *believe* how hyper some of the young ones can get. They were making a total mess of the place, which I had to clean up, *by myself*, and one of them insisted on using my braid for his own personal amusement. Oy vey, this has been the longest day of my life. That's the last time I let Mihiri talk me into helping her with the kids," she groused, rubbing the sore spot on her head ruefully where her braid had nearly been yanked out.
Qui-Gon chuckled sympathetically. "The young ones' enthusiasm will get you every time," he said.
She rolled her eyes playfully, looking at the ceiling for a moment. "No kidding," she muttered, turning back to face him. Then she gestured to the datapad that he had been looking at only a few minutes ago. "What are you reading, Master?"
"Hmmm? Nothing," he said, giving her a slightly secretive grin.
"Mmmm-hmmm, sure. That's what they all say, Master," she remarked teasingly. "Are you planning a surprise party for me or something?"
"I didn't know your birthday was coming up, Padawan," he said jokingly, making his face an unreadable mask and making Celestia laugh at her Master's feigned innocence.
"It's next week," she said, her voice a mock-pout.
Just then, Qui-Gon glanced up at the chrono on the wall and stood up. "I'll be back in a while. I have some errands I need to run. You can leave the apartment, but just stay out of trouble," he said.
Celestia nodded. "Yes, Master," she replied, giving him a mock-wounded look. Qui-Gon wasn't buying it. He smiled and shook his head, giving her braid a gentle tug before turning and leaving the apartment.
Celestia stayed there for a few more minutes after she heard the front door slide shut. She gazed down at the wooden table top absently, tracing the patterns in the dark mahogany idly with one finger. She couldn't help wondering what her Master was up to, but she didn't want to intrude on his privacy. She had the feeling that he would tell her when the time was right.
She sighed and finished her drink, then stood up and wandered into the common area, making her way over to the comm unit. She quickly dialed her best friend Lily's number and waited for a response. After a few moments, Master Adi Gallia's voice came through.
"Hello. Master Gallia speaking."
"Hi, Master Gallia. Is Lily there?" Celestia asked.
"Yes, she is. Just a minute, I'll get her for you," Adi answered.
The line went silent, and a moment later, Lily's voice came through the line. "Hello? This is Lily," she said.
"Hey, Lily. It's me, Celestia. What's up?" Celestia replied.
"Not much. You?" Lily said.
"Same here. I'm bored. Do you want to come over for a while or something?" Celestia asked.
"I can't right now. I have lightsaber practice with my Master right now," Lily answered.
"Oh, okay," Celestia said, trying not to let her disappointment seep into her voice.
I'm sorry. Maybe I can come by later or something," Lily said apologetically.
"It's all right. I'll see you later, then," Celestia replied.
"Okay. Bye," Lily said.
"Bye," Celestia said, then cut the connection.
She waited for a few minutes, and then attempted to contact her other companions. But the responses, when she got any at all, were basically all the same. Xanatos and Aidan weren't even home, and Lianna, Baan t'il, and Lily were all supposedly busy with their Masters.
Celestia let out a soft, world-weary sigh as she stood up and wandered out onto the balcony. She rested her arms lightly on the railing and stared dejectedly out at the deserted gardens below her. Now she knew something was definitely up. Usually at least one of her friends had time to help her out with her newest practical joke idea or just to talk.
~I wonder what's going on? Everyone's acting really strange. They're being really secretive for some weird reason today,~ Celestia thought to herself.
**************************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Jedi had all gathered in Master Bren Anders' quarters and were in the process of trying to plan a surprise party for Celestia.
"How long do we have to get this whole thing together, anyway?" Master Mace Windu asked, looking pointedly at Qui-Gon.
"A week," Qui-Gon answered.
"Okay, so what are we wanting to do?" Aidan asked quietly. He had only just recently met Celestia and her companions, and didn't really know them all that well.
"I think we should make a huge deal out of it. You know she won't want us to, but as her friends, I think we're obligated to do it just to get a rise out of her if nothing else," Lily spoke up.
"Yeah, we have to make this special, a birthday she'll never forget," Xanatos remarked.
"All right, now that that's settled, what do you want to do for her?" Master Arek asked.
The five Padawans exchanged glances, Aidan looking as though he felt somewhat out of the loop as he offered a slight shrug. Finally, it was Lianna who spoke up, her voice soft, almost inaudible as she did so.
"I think we should throw a huge party for her out in the Meditation Garden. She's always liked that garden. Ummm, we need a cake, gifts, decorations..." she replied, her voice trailing off as she looked to her companions for suggestions.
"Not to mention a way to keep her distracted," Baan t'il remarked.
Lily nodded her agreement. "Yeah, how are we going to keep this whole thing a secret from her? You know how hard it is to try and fool her. Especially since we all have a bond with her," she pointed out.
"We just act as though we don't even know a thing about it," Xanatos said matter-of-factly.
"Is there anything else that anyone can think of?" Knight Sariss inquired.
Again, the Padawans exchanged glances and shrugged. "No, I don't think so," Aidan replied quietly.
"All right. Now that everything's settled, we'll meet back here tomorrow and start getting things set up," Qui-Gon said as he stood up.
The others nodded their agreement and went their seperate ways. As Qui-Gon moved gracefully through the corridors, he reached out through the bond that he shared with his Padawan. He felt her confusion and curiosity flooding back towards him and smiled. Yes, this would definitely be a birthday that she would never forget.
**************************************************************************************************
Later that night, Celestia glanced up curiously from her journal that she was writing in as she heard the front door slide open and watched as her Master entered the apartment, carrying a few bags in his arms. Most of them he took into the kitchen and put them down on the table, but a couple he took into his bedroom.
At this point, Celestia's curiosity was really starting to get the best of her, but she reluctantly pushed it aside and went back to her journal as Qui-Gon walked back into the common area.
//Everyone's acting really strange today for some reason. I totally don't get it. I know something's going on here, but nobody's willing to let me in on the big secret. Every time I've tried to find out through my bond with my Master or my friends, they've blocked me out. I wonder if they aren't planning some sort of surprise for me or something? After all, I turn thirteen next week. Maybe that's it. I don't know. Whatever it is, I'll probably find out when the time comes. Well, I have to go for now because Master wants me to help him put the groceries away. I'll write again later, and maybe by then I'll have figured out what's going on. But until then, may the Force be with you! ~*Celestia Vitaria*~//
Once she had finished her journal entry, she shut it off and placed it down on the coffee table. Then she stood up, stretching luxuriously as she did so, and wandered into the kitchen to help her Master with the groceries.
**************************************************************************************************
The week passed uneventfully, but despite what she had written in her journal, Celestia still hadn't been able to find out what all the secrecy was about. It was quite frankly beginning to get on her nerves.
And the fact that she awoke to an empty apartment on her birthday only made that feeling somewhat worse.
"Okay...now I know something's up. Oh well, I'll try to figure it out after i take a shower and have some breakfast," she muttered to herself as she headed for the 'fresher.
**************************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, everyone had gathered out in the Meditation Garden and was hurriedly trying to set everything up. A single table stood several feet away from a nearby stream, atop which rested several gifts and a rather beautifully decorated cake. The surrounding area was decorated with a "Happy Thirteenth Birthday Celestia" sign, confetti and also several red, blue, green, and purple streamers.
When the finishing touches had been added, Qui-Gon sent Xanatos to bring Celestia to the garden. Xanatos nodded and quickly took off, unable to keep from laughing to himself as he pictured his friend's expression of shock when she saw all of this.
He reached the apartment a few minutes later, somehow managing to clamp down on his amusement before she sensed it through the door, and rang the door buzzer once. Moments passed with no answer, and he hit the buzzer again. Again, there was no response and he finally just punched in the override code and let himself in, shutting the door behind him.
As he did so, he noticed Celestia coming out of the 'fresher, wearing a light-colored tunic and her brown Jedi cloak. Her auburn hair was tied back into a tail at the nape of her neck, except for her braid, which hung loosely past her shoulder. The look in her lavender eyes was one of pure surprise as she realized that Xanatos was there.
"Hi, Celestia," he said cheerfully, trying to act as casual as possible.
She shook her head and smiled faintly at him. "Oh, hey. What are you doing here?" she asked, looking at him expectantly now.
Xanatos shrugged. "Just thought I'd stop by and see if you were busy," he said.
Celestia offered a slight shrug of her own, trying not to look disappointed. "Oh, no. I'm not busy. Master's not even here right now. I think he said something last night about the Council having a mission for us or something," she answered.
"Oh. Hey, do you want to go out to the garden for a while?" he asked.
She shrugged again. "Sure, why not? I don't have anything else to do right now," she said and followed him out of the apartment.
They walked along in companionable silence for a while, merely enjoying each other's company. Finally Celestia spoke up, breaking the silence between them.
"Ummm, is it just me, or have people been acting a little strange lately?" she asked.
Xanatos shook his head. "No, not that I've noticed. Why?" he said.
She shrugged. "No reason. Just wondering, that's all," she answered.
Xanatos nodded and again the silence fell in the air between them. Celestia barely noticed. Something was nagging her at the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. It wasn't a bad feeling, per se, just a hunch that something was about to happen. She decided to lay her cards on the table and try to get something out of her friend.
"So, ummm...what's going on today, anyway? Why has everyone been so secretive lately?" she asked, trying to be casual.
Xanatos didn't even flinch. "Nothing that I know of," he said without missing a beat, completely ignoring her second question.
"There's nothing...special about today?" she persisted. Xanatos merely shook his head.
~Well, Sith. That didn't work as well as I'd hoped. I think he forgot my birthday. It seems that everyone has,~ she thought dejectedly.
But if Xanatos had heard her thoughts or picked up on her sudden mood change, he gave no indication of having done so. Celestia sighed and followed her friend out the doors and into the bright early morning sunlight of the Meditation Garden, relishing the warmth of it against her skin.
That's when she sensed it. Several familiar Force signatures trying to conceal themselves in the surrounding foliage. She could have sworn one of them was Master Qui-Gon. Confused, she glanced at Xanatos, and saw him trying to stiffle a laugh.
"Okay, Xani. What is going on here? Nobody's been telling me anything, and I can't take the suspense anymore," she demanded.
Just then, the beings who had been broadcasting their Force signatures towards her leapt out and a shouted chorus of "SURPRISE!" filled the air for a moment. Startled, Celestia whirled around and saw Qui-Gon, her other companions and their Masters all standing there in front of her, ginning like idiots. Celestia's jaw dropped to the ground in shock, and a choked laugh escaped her.
"Oh my God! I can't believe you guys did this for me!" she laughed.
Qui-Gon stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him and saw his dark blue eyes twinkling. "You didn't think we'd forgotten, did you?" he asked.
Celestia grinned as she followed him and the others to where everything had been set up. "I was beginning to wonder for a moment," she said, casting a mock-glare at Xanatos.
"What?" he asked, looking at her innocently.
"Nothing," she said.
The first order of business was the opening of the gifts. Her friends gave her various trinkets and momentos of all the times they'd had together, with the promise of many more to come in the future. She saved Qui-Gon's gift for last. Slowly she tore open the simple wrapping and gasped at what she saw inside the package. It was a small holo of the two of them together that had been taken the day after he took her as his apprentice.
As she stared at it, she felt her lavender eyes well up with tears. She stared at it for a long time, then glanced up at Qui-Gon. Rendered speechless, she threw her arms around him in an embrace which he gladly returned.
"Awww! Kodak moment!" Bren commented, eliciting a laugh from the others.
After a moment, Celestia stepped back and placed the photo gently on the table, wiping away her tears as she did so. Then she turned back to the others, now grinning like an idiot herself.
"Thank you. This was truly wonderful," she whispered.
"Hey, what are friends for?" Baan t'il asked.
She smiled. "For sharing unforgettable moments like this one with," she said as she moved to cut the cake.
For a second it seemed as if she were offering the first piece to Xanatos, but the expression of total shock on his face was absolutely priceless as she turned and playfully slammed the cake into his face. Everyone stood in stunned silence for a minute as he wiped the frosting out of his eyes and turned to look at her.
"What was that for?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.
Celestia shrugged as she stiffled her laughter. "Oh, no reason in particular. Just for being you. Like Baan t'il said, what are friends for?" she smirked.
"Hmph!" Xanatos scoffed jokingly as the others burst out laughing at their antics.
By now, Celestia was nearly doubled over, unable to hold it in any longer. But Xanatos was not one to give up so easily. Slicing another small piece of cake, he tapped her lightly on the shoulder to get her attention. She turned back around, and the moment she did so, Xanatos retaliated by slamming his own piece of cake in her face.
"Hey! No fair!" she cried, and soon it became an all-out, no-holds-barred food fight between the two of them.
Meanwhile, the others had not been able to stop laughing at the two Padawan's hilarious antics. Qui-Gon shook his head, wiping away tears of mirth as he did so. He had been right. This was a day none of them would ever forget.
~*FIN*~