Chapter 12

I woke up feeling like a Rancor had just stepped on me and sighed. Something shifted next to me and I turned to find my face buried into the front of Obi's sleep shirt. I nestled in, just breathing in the familiar smell of his tunic and feeling the familiar feelings of the quiet quarters. Always peaceful... Scratch that. Master had always said that we forced him to remain young.

I smiled and buried deeper into the blankets. Obi-Wan's arm unconsciously wrapped around me and I sighed. I knew that I should get up to meditate and resume classes and scold myself for breaking down last night... I shook my head as I abruptly remembered.

The council had excused me from classes due to the mission, and today Anakin and I were supposed to become master and Padawan officially. I suddenly smiled. Meditation would be sweet this morning. I decided to finally get up and make breakfast too. It would be nice to surprise master, since he usually did all the cooking. He was an excellent chef, and I had always admired his food.

I kissed Obi's cheek and carefully crawled my way out of the sheets and blankets, suddenly wondering how I got there in the first place. Well duh, he carried me, I thought, rolling my eyes at my own stupidity. Did I mention that I'm lethargic in the mornings?

I came out of meditation with a smile and began preparing breakfast. I decided to make pancakes with honey syrup and chopped almonds. At the last minute, I added some strawberries and whipped cream.

I could tell that everyone was slowly waking up to the smell of the pancakes and the syrup.

Soon, my master walked in, as usual with not a hair out of place, while Obs stumbled in rubbing his eyes sleepily and yawning, still in his sleep tunic. I let out a hearty laugh and shook my head, slipping out to wake Ani.

Bolt was already in the room, nudging Anakin's arm while Anakin swatted at his nose and rolled over. I walked over and sent a yell over the bond. Ani bolted upright, eyes wide. Then he looked up at my face and glared.

"KIYA!" I snickered.

"Padawan, you had better to learn to get up early, because you'll be doing it a lot these coming years," I said, walking back out. "Oh, and you'd better hurry or else all of the pancakes AND all of my hugs will be gone..."

I heard him leap out of bed at the implied threat and scramble to get presentable in the 'fresher.

I walked back into the breakfast nook and took a plate for myself, grabbing a few pancakes and giving one to Bolt, who gave me a toothy grin and began playing with it, nipping and barking.

"I take it that both of you slept well?" Father's voice made me look up.

"If you can call waking up every hour because of his snoring sleeping well." I muttered through a mouthful of food and behind a veil of hair. Obi-Wan's only reply was a grumble, to which Master laughed and I snickered.

/It's good to see you as yourself again, my daughter./ I smiled at the link and nodded happily.

/Thanks to you and Obs, I managed to get through last night. No matter what happens, I can count on you and him to help.../ I smiled at him and he smiled back.

Ani bounced in and a peal of laughter slipped from him as he surveyed us from where he abruptly stopped in the doorway.

I grinned and patted the seat next to me. He grinned as well and hopped into the seat, filling his plate.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, Ani." The simultaneous reply was accompanied by a bark. Anakin studied the strawberry with a curious look.

"It's called a strawberry. It's Kiya's favorite fruit, and happens to be delicious with whipped cream." Obi-Wan's remark earned a smile from Anakin.

"I'll try it, then." He dipped one into the cream and took a bite, eyes lighting up as juice dribbled down his chin.

"It's good!" He exclaimed happily.

"I'm glad you like it, Anakin."

After breakfast was finished, all of us sprawled somewhere in the sitting room, more or less comfortably. I was on the couch, with Anakin sitting on my lap, Obi-Wan sitting next to me with his arm comfortably settled around my shoulders and reading a datapad, Bolt lying comfortably curled against the couch by our feet, and master sitting on a chair working out a report. I hugged Anakin, and he relaxed, squirming into a more comfortable position.

"Kiya, what will we do at the Padawan ceremony?" His voice was a little uncertain.

I smiled reassuringly. "Well, Ani, the masters will stand in a circle around us, and you and I will be sitting in the middle. They will ask us some questions, and we will answer, and then I will take a small vial of liquid and pour it onto your hair right here." I pointed behind his right ear. "And then the liquid will make your hair grow and I will braid it. Then the masters will say a few more words and we'll be done! Simple as that. Nothing to worry about." He nodded.

"Okay."

"You know, you make a very nice picture the way you sit there." Master's voice made us look up at him. He gave a small smile as his eyes contemplated the picture. "A good family picture." All three of us shook our heads.

"No, master. It's missing one important piece."

"And what might that be, Obi-Wubbles?"

Anakin and I giggled softly.

"Unfortunately, you, master." He replied, annoyed.

Qui-Gon just chuckled. "Oh well, at least I know that I'm loved." He retorted dryly.

/More than you'll ever know./ The wistful thought escaped me before I could stop it. The only reply I got was a quizzical look from my master.

A few hours later, the Padawan ceremony was over. I smiled at Anakin proudly and he smiled back, a look of happiness crossing his face. Pain tore at my heart, remembering his sullenness last time, but shook it off. Here and now, Kiya, I reminded myself.

My master and Obi smiled, making us smile back. The council had decided to explain me taking Anakin as a Padawan so early as "the will of the Force" which satisfied the curious, it seemed. After all, it couldn't be denied, really.

It had gone unsaid that I would continue to mask my Force presence as a Padawan, which was a little hard for me, considering that I couldn't really do the katas that I wanted to, but, oh well. When and if a battle came I would be ready nonetheless.

We walked out of the council room and was immediately greeted by Bant, Garen, Siri, and Reeft. I grinned.

"You cheater! You always manipulate the council!" Garen's voice was teasing. I laughed.

"Oh, well, excuse me! YOU never complained when I got you out of trouble." I reminded him. He just grinned and we high-fived.

"Yeah, duh. It was always him that got us into trouble anyway." Reeft commented. "Congrats, Kiya."

I thanked him in return.

"You're so lucky! He's sweet." Bant winked at Anakin who was trying not to make a face, and clapped a flipper over her mouth trying not to show amusement.

"Yeah, sweet. Always good to see you again, sister in conspiracy." I fought a blush as memories rose to my mind unbidden about all of the matchmaking we'd done. I shook my head at Siri's grin.

"You seem to enjoy your match," I noted dryly, winking at Garen, who just grinned.

Siri blushed.

"Well, Anakin, these are my best friends," /I think: sometimes I wonder/ "Siri Tachi Mulen, Garen Mulen, Bant Eerin, and Reeft." I said, motioning to each. He smiled.

"Nice to meet you." He said softly, sending me an amused feeling over our link regarding my comment.

We stood in the hall, talking for a while, until we finally made our way to the canteen. Life was good.

Until that night. We had had a pleasant day, spending time with friends and Anakin getting to know them better. They were always ready with an answer to his questions, and he was always ready with a sharp, witty retort to one of their good-natured jibes.

They got along well, while Master just returned to our quarters, muttering under his breath something along the lines of "be blasted if I get caught hanging around with those teens again," to which Obi-Wan and I had rolled our eyes and smiled knowingly.

After all, he had fallen into the pool last time he'd been with us. By a shove from an innocently-shocked-looking Mace Windu. Not that we had said anything at the time.

It was, after all, the great Korun-Master Windu that had taught master Qui-Gon all thirty-two stanzas to the "Smuggler's Ode to Life." Bad idea.

I had set Ani to bed, Bolt leaping up beside him and Anakin curling into the warmth of the abundant fur. I smiled and sighed wistfully, looking down at the hair now in the padawan-cut style, with his braid lying on the pillow. I stole out only when I was sure that he was fast asleep, once again blocking the bond.

I now realized that every night, the Force would subject me to another memory. I gritted my teeth. It would be painful, but I would do anything. No matter how much it hurt, I realized that it was the best way. Never mind the pain. The pain only meant that it was healing. And that's what I wanted most. To heal.

I had barely made up my mind to block the other two bonds, because I thought it unfair that I should drag them into this too, when their presences appeared in the doorway behind me. I turned to protest, knowing their intention, but one look made my moth snap shut.

I knew better than to even try to stop them. I sighed and turned around again, looking out of the window, neon lights from the streets and flashing lights from the passing speeders playing across my face. And I waited. Just felt them stand beside me wordlessly, sharing my vigil. For some reason, something told me that this one would be especially painful. But I gritted my teeth. And just waited.

Ooooh, what's the next vision/memory? Find out tomorrow! Reviews appreciated!