Epilogue

The End and The Beginning

Robin sat up in bed, awoken from the strangest of dreams, and that's saying something. He wrote everything that he could remember down in his dream journal. As a Force user, his dreams generally had more importance, and as the Paladin King, doubly so. He looked over at Jaina's peaceful sleeping form beside him, glad that he hadn't woken her.

It had been a couple of months since Robin returned to active duty, and so after a good talk with Jaina, the two decided to get their own place. With his commendation and accompanying reward in credits (money) from his promotion, as well as Jaina, pitching in at her insistence, they'd bought themselves a modest house with two guestrooms. It was outfitted with a big kitchen for him to play food god and a sparring room that doubled as a playroom for younger guests, (younglings,) which he found odd but quickly came to accept. Jaina had said that it was an investment in the future, as yes, they currently don't have any friends with younglings, but you never know how it could all change. He was not blind to the prospect of them having children of their own one day.

Jaina groaned and turned a little to look at him. "I can sense that you're awake and thinking heavily. Anything that I need to know?" Jaina asked sleepily. Jaina needed to know if her boyfriend was okay or if the Galaxy was in imminent peril. They needed a break. Classes, clubs, other obligations, and moving had drained them more than expected.

Robin waved the worry away. "Worry not, just a weird dream. It'll still be there for interpretation in the morning. Shadow has a perfect memory, and I wrote it down in case I forget to ask him to recall it. What about you? Something's weighing on your mind, and has been since the day I was released. I visited your mindscape and it's slightly messy. Should I be worried? Is something wrong?"

Jaina knew that this was her chance to explain. He knew that something was up but wasn't pushing the issue. She turned to fully face him. She knew that she wanted to be with him forever, but wanted Robin to commit to her by choice and desire, not guilt or anything else, and she wasn't entirely sure where he stood. Marriage, or any kind of commitment for that matter, should come from love, and not some sense of obligation or guilt; that was Jaina's opinion anyway. She still wasn't sure if she should wait or ask him outright if moving in together was a sign of things to come. (Soul-bonding has a way of accelerating and strengthening relationships of any kind.)

Jaina chuckled slightly nervously, trying not to give away too much of her thoughts lest it impact his decisions. She didn't want to even accidentally manipulate Robin. "Firstly, I'm in perfect health, so no worrying… you do it enough. Secondly, I'm just thinking about the future… our future. I suppose they are a little on the heavy side where thoughts are concerned."

Robin looked at what he had written down about his dream. Plains of Glass, Dune Sea, Tatooine. Now he was more awake, plus he'd digested her words and the hidden meaning behind them. Robin's eyes drifted to the drawer in his bedside table under his dream journal; their future was in there. The ring was a simple band of gold with a modest-sized rock crafted from the gifts Wabba had given him. The gemstone was cut, polished, and set by his own hands; as such, it could theoretically unleash a torrent of water via the Force. An engagement ring and potential weapon. For the safety of the future and the present, he had to speed up his Paladin training and help those around him awaken to their Paladin selves. He had to find the Plains of Glass as well, somewhere on Tatooine in the Dune Sea, where he would find an ally; he just knew it. He would ensure a bright, just, and fair future for all under the aegis of the Paladins. But not at the moment; he was too busy thinking of a good way to pop the question to Jaina when he realized that it didn't really matter when or how he asked, just that he did. Rushing rarely helps, especially in regard to affairs of the heart. "The future's always good to consider, I've been thinking about the future as well. It's a subject we can discuss later, with our minds alert. Does that sound good to you?" Jaina nodded, too sleepy to answer properly. The two of them went back to sleep, content and happy with their current lot in life. They could worry about everything another day. Robin's last thought rang through his mind as he thought of all that he'd learned about balance, a silent but recurring question. "I wonder… if everything has its opposite, what's the opposite of a Paladin?" This wasn't his first time asking the question while receiving no answer; it was unlikely that he'd stop asking anytime soon. He filed it away for future consideration. They could worry later, as far as Robin was concerned. He cuddled up to the girl of his dreams. The present was theirs to enjoy; tomorrow's problems could wait.

To be continued.

Dearest Reader(s), it's been a blast for me, your Narrator. I'm the source of those bracketed nuggets, the jokes, trivia, etc. It is a bittersweet thing: endings. They are often considered harder than starting, but I digress. The book is done, yes. The story, however, is only just beginning, at least as long as even just one soul out there reads these words. It's not science fiction, at least not in this dimension. This is part of a greater picture, a grand story, and hopefully helped guide you to seek a balanced path in life. Now, of course, this story is written to be entertaining and insightful, despite also being based on galactic history. May the Force be with you, and thank you for reading. If you want more, tell the author, and he'll continue to relay this grand epic as best as he can. As for me, I'm always with you, even if you don't realize it.

Your friend in all things,

The Narrator