Obi-Wan gave redemption.
After the fall of Xantos, Qui-Gon truly believed that he was a failure at teaching. He had cared for the boy, nearly loved him, but in the end he was still betrayed. How could one possibly open their home again, open their lives to let in another, after that? Qui-Gon swore that he would never allow himself to be that vulnerable ever again.
Until Obi-Wan came along.
He was just a young boy, with dreams of helping people. Xantos had been good, too good, but Obi-Wan was different. He was flawed, but he never used his flaws as an excuse. He continued to work hard, filling everything up with his Light.
That was one of the first things Qui-Gon noticed. Obi-Wan was filled with the light of the Living Force, it swirled around him, coming off in waves whenever he smiled. Qui-Gon was afraid; he had been ever since Xantos Turned.
But he took Obi-Wan by the hand, and together they had both found a home and a family. Obi-Wan did not just redeem the failure of Xantos, he transformed Qui-Gon Jinn.
Because he had been right from the start. He was an awful teacher. But a very good father. Obi-Wan had turned him into both.
Anakin gave strength.
Obi-Wan was scared. More than scared, he was terrified. Newly Knighted, without his Master, and with a ten year old boy completely dependent on him. For a while, Obi-Wan did not know if he would be able to make it. If the Council would take his padawan and cast him out of the Temple. There were some days he did not know if he could go on.
But Anakin always smiled.
Everything was new and strange to him. He too, was on his own. Away from his mother, living with a complete and total stranger. Everyday, he was learning new things, trying to overcome the toughest challenge he had yet faced. But he still smiled. Despite the hardship, he managed to find joy and laughter. He tried his best to make everyone else smile, even his new Master.
Obi-Wan realized how blind he had been. Anakin had lost Qui-Gon too, was now fighting to stay in the one place he might belong, same as he was. Both of their futures were in the balance, but Obi-Wan was ignoring him, too focused on himself.
Obi-Wan figured if a little boy could be strong, despite grief and loneliness, then perhaps he could too. Perhaps he could find the strength to smile, and carry on.
Ahsoka brought hope.
Anakin was no stranger to evil. Even before he was a Jedi, or even knew about the Dark Side, he had seen the evils of slavery and the pain of those who suffered from it. Once he was a Jedi, his missions gave him nightmares, and when his Mom died, he became the evil he so often destroyed.
The Clone War did not create evil, it only exposed it. No longer did Jedi keep peace, but rather take out those who disturbed it. Anakin could feel himself slipping, would wake in the middle of the night wondering how any sane person could commit the acts he witnessed day in and day out.
Yet Ahsoka brought him back. She stayed by his side, through everything they faced. Some nights he would wake up screaming, other nights she would, and they worked through it together, like they did everything else.
But Anakin saw more than just her talent as a Jedi: her everlasting spirit. No matter how hard things got, Ahsoka's eyes stayed bright, stayed hopeful, because she still believed that they could do anything as a team.
Could they? He wasn't so sure. But the way she smiled almost made him believe it was true. One day they would be able to stay home, in the Temple, and have peace. One day he would see her Knighted. One day the war would end, and until then, Ahsoka would need to have enough hope for the both of them.
Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews guys! I only have a few weeks of school left, and I'm really working hard to get ready for finals, so please be patient, this may be the last update for a week or two. I love you, you guys are awesome!