so I absolutely LOVE all of the characters as these tiny little children and I just want to write about all of them and butternut_gouache drew this fabulous picture and it inspired me to write this story. I don't really know how the Jedi padawan thing goes down, but this is how I think it happens. Please feel free to give me the correct way if this is WAYYYY off, lol.

There's an unusual amount of excitement buzzing around the Temple. A few lucky younglings just passed their test. Finally, they were going to make their lightsabers and learn what colors they would be. They would get to put their skills to the test in real-life situations.

But the most exciting part? Today, they would meet their master. They would train them on how to handle unknown planets. Their masters would be there with them until they could finally be called Jedi Knights.

They all eagerly whisper to each other as the Jedi Masters walk around the room. They are watching every one of them, trying to figure out which one to take on as their padawan. They want to make a choice that will aid both of them. A master will be pointless if they don't get along with their padawan. There will be no trust and no respect between the master and the padawan.

Yoda quietly smiles, watching the scene unfold. He has always enjoyed this time of year. But as he watches, one conversation catches his attention.

"Have you noticed that there are only 15 masters here?" Leo, one of the oldest younglings, asks his friend, Sirius.

"But, there are 16 of us," Sirius replies, looking around the room. "Who is not going to get a master?"

Leo shrugs his shoulder. "I don't know. Probably that kid who barely passed."

"They probably messed up his results. I don't think he's ready to be a padawan. They must not want to tell him that he won't get a master so they'll wait until there's no one left." Sirius says, slightly chuckling.

"Probably." Leo chuckles back as they look at the little youngling.

For most of the younglings, the tests were a breeze. The obstacles they faced over the past few days came easy to them thanks to their years of training. But for one student, he hardly passed. He is younger than them by a few years, but he was determined to move up with them.

Yoda began to look around the room. He counts every youngling then moves onto the masters. Sure enough, they are short one master. One of the younglings will have to leave without a master. But Yoda will not let that happen.

He hobbles over to Plo Koon, the thought on his mind. "Short on masters, we are. Find another, I will."

"We will wait for you to return with another master before choosing." Plo Koon nods, letting Yoda leave the room.

As he walks down the large hall, he begins to think of masters in need of a padawan. For some reason, the only ones coming to his mind are masters that already have padawans. They won't make suitable choices. Growing frustrated, he sits on the ground to think.

After spending nearly 10 minutes meditating on who to pick, he begins to question if this is his fault. Maybe he shouldn't have let the youngest one pass. Though he completed the challenges, he isn't as prepared as the others. Maybe this is for the best. Maybe he should pull him out and have him train some more before becoming a padawan.

As he rises to his feet, he knows he can't do that. It wouldn't be right to take this moment away from that youngling. He earned this just as much as the other ones. He deserves the right to become a padawan to a trusted master. Yoda will find that youngling a master, even if it takes him days.

He glances around the large hall one more time and sents his sights on the one he's been looking for. He quickly hobbles over the master, a smile on his face. "Master Qui-Gon." He pipes up.

Qui-Gon looks down, surprised to see Yoda. "Master Yoda. What can I do for you?" He asks. "I thought you were watching the younglings on their big day."

"I was. Short a master, we are. Needed you are." Yoda says, nodding his head.

"Master Yoda, I haven't taken on a padawan since I lost my last one. I'm not sure I'm up for the challenge yet." Qui-Gon says, his heart beginning to race. Almost two years ago, Qui-Gon lost his padawan in a deadly battle. He had to watch him die before his eyes, knowing he couldn't do anything to help him. He hasn't taken on a padawan since.

"Time to face your fears, it is. Move on, you must." Yoda says.

"I'm sure there are other masters more qualified than me," Qui-Gon says, shaking his head. He doesn't want to pick another padawan. What if they end up with the same fate as his last? He doesn't think he can bear to lose another padawan. He can't take that risk.

"No time to argue. Follow me." Yoda says, ending the discussion. Worried, Qui-Gon follows Yoda to the room. As they travel there, Qui-Gon can only think of how everything went with his last padawan. Why is Yoda taking this risk with him? Qui-Gon had failed. Why is he getting another chance, especially when the last one went so wrong?

Upon entering the room, all of the eyes fall onto Yoda and Qui-Gon. "Master Qui-Gon will also be taking on a padawan today." Yoda declares as they walk to stand beside the other master. "Begin with Master Plo Koon, we will."

Slowly, the younglings are chosen by a master. The number of younglings sitting on the floor begins to get smaller and smaller. Qui-Gon's palms begin to grow sweatier as he stares at the remaining children. One of these unfortunate younglings will end up as his padawan.

Soon, there is one child left. He is quiet, his hands folded neatly in his lap. "Master Qui-Gon, time for you to chose, it is," Yoda says, making Qui-Gon freeze. Though there are no other younglings to pick, they try to make it seem like Qui-Gon has options in hopes to not have the child feel bad.

Qui-Gon looks over at Yoda. He doesn't know the youngling's name. He doesn't know any of the younglings' names. Yoda only smiles at him, clearly not going to help. Snickers begin to break out to replace the awkward silence. The youngling's cheeks begin to burn a bright red as Qui-Gon remains quiet.

He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. What was the child's name? He isn't trying to embarrass him. This is only happening because he didn't bother to remember any of the youngling's names to maybe save one of their lives. If he didn't know their names, how could they end up with him?

He opens his eyes, seeing the youngling trying to keep his composure as the other masters scold their younglings. The silence is unbearable. Tension is building as Qui-Gon searches his memory for the poor child's name.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon says, his voice hoarse. The child perks up, sitting taller as Qui-Gon clears his throat. "I would like to take on Obi-Wan as my padawan." He says.

"Rise, Obi-Wan," Yoda says. Almost immediately, the child jumps to his feet. A smile grows on his face as he looks at his Qui-Gon. "Meet your master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Respect and trust your master. Guide you in your journey to becoming a Jedi Knight, he will."

Obi-Wan nearly runs to his master. Qui-Gon can hardly look at the child. He is so worried about what could happen to this boy under his care. He can't bear to look into his eyes and know that he could lose him.

Everyone is dismissed to leave with their new masters. Everyone begins to talk, wanting to know about their new padawans and masters. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan follow the crowd out into the open, neither one saying a thing.

Obi-Wan keeps his head down, following his master. He knows that his master didn't want him. He knows that they were short a master and that Master Qui-Gon was forced to pick one of them. It's obvious to him that he must not be a good choice for a padawan. His master was struggling to pick him when he was the only one left.

"I promise to be a good padawan, Master," Obi-Wan says, hardly looking at his master. "I know I'm the youngest and that I didn't do as well on my tests as the others, but I promise I'll try my best at everything."

Qui-Gon doesn't say anything. Why did this poor child end up in his care? He deserves someone who can protect him. He is destined to be a great Jedi, but Qui-Gon will only end his chances. He is clearly a good kid and should have ended up with a much more qualified master. Qui-Gon can sense his big heart and eagerness to learn about the Force and help others. Why did Master Yoda let Obi-Wan end up with him?

A real soft cry escapes from his padawan. Qui-Gon looks down at him. He stops, kneeling in front of Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan sniffles, quickly blinking his blue eyes which were filling with tears. "Obi-Wan, what's wrong?" He asks.

"I'm sorry, Master. Jedi need to keep their emotions in check. I'll try better for you." He mumbles. He tenses up, clearly trying to keep his composure strong. He holds his head high, holding his breath in an attempt to stop his crying.

"Obi-Wan, you didn't answer my question. What is wrong?" Qui-Gon asks again, gently touching his arms. His heart aches for his padawan. Maybe he knows what happened to his last padawan and he's afraid that he will die as well. Maybe he is crying because he didn't want him as his master. After all, there were many other more qualified ones there.

"I know you didn't want me." Obi-Wan struggles, blinking back tears. "A-and I know that you must have wanted a better padawan, like Aurora or Leo. I hope that I'm not too much of a burden for you. I promise I'll stay quiet and not bother you. I'll only talk to you when you want me to."

"What?" Qui-Gon asks. Does Obi-Wan actually think that he's not worthy enough for him?

"I'm sorry that I'm not a good padawan," Obi-Wan says, rubbing his eyes and continuing on. "I wish you would have gotten someone better instead of getting stuck with me. Maybe if you ask Master Yoda he'll let you get a new one."

"Obi-Wan, I don't think that at all," Qui-Gon says, shaking his head in disbelief. "Where did you get this silly idea inside your head?"

"I've heard what the other padawans have been saying about me." He answers. "And when you didn't say my name right away, I began to believe them. And when we were walking out, you didn't talk to me like the other masters. I could tell you didn't like me."

"Obi-Wan, none of that is true." Qui-Gon comforts, feeling like a fool. This whole time he had been moping about messing up and he was doing it again. He was ignoring his padawan, making him feel useless and hated. "I know that you'll be a great padawan. I'm sorry that I made you think that I didn't like you."

"So, you do like me?" Obi-Wan sniffs, making Qui-Gon smile.

"Of course. I was worried that you didn't think I would be a good enough master for you. I want you to be a great Jedi and I'm afraid that I might fail you." Qui-Gon answers. "But by being afraid of failing you, I was already starting down that path. I promise not to let it happen again." He says. He takes a deep breath, finally taking time to actually look at his padawan. "I think we should start over. I'm Qui-Gon Jinn." He says, holding out his hand to the young boy.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi." He smiles, eagerly shaking his hand. "I'm sorry that I cried, Master. That must have been very embarrassing for you."

Qui-Gon slightly chuckles. "It's alright. You didn't embarrass me."

"Oh. I guess I only embarrassed myself then."

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone." Qui-Gon smiles as he stands up. They begin to walk beside each other, both feeling more at ease. The tension between the two of them slowly disappears. Qui-Gon starts to feel calm. Everything feels at peace. But he can sense that Obi-Wan isn't quite on the same page as him. "So, you mentioned that you're the youngest in your class."

"Yeah. I had to work really hard to stay there." Obi-Wan answers, tucking his hands into his sleeves. He walks quickly, trying to keep up with his master.

"You must be a natural then."

"Not really. I didn't do very well on my tests. I hardly passed a few of them." Obi-Wan says, feeling his cheeks heat up. He is embarrassed by his results. He knew that it would make it difficult for him to get a master willing to train him.

"Well, compared to the other padawans your results might look rough." Qui-Gon begins. "But you must be a quick learner. There aren't many padawans your age. What's your secret?" He asks with a smile.

Obi-Wan chuckles, beginning to open up. "Master Yoda always said that meditating was a good way to begin to understand the Force. I've been spending a lot of time doing that."

"That's a very smart idea. Meditating can be difficult for some Jedi, so I'm glad that you're already an expert on it. You'll have to show me your tricks." He teases, making his padawan chuckle. Though Qui-Gon was dreading having a padawan, he is already excited to see where his adventures will go with his new friend.

xxx

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are sitting around a campfire. Night has just fell and they are both tired from the long day of traveling. Obi-Wan is sitting on a rock, practicing force pulling his lightsaber to him. Qui-Gon is watching in content, thinking about how far the young padawan has come the past year. He has already grown much stronger in the Force than when he started.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon says, catching his attention.

"Yes, Master?" He asks, catching his lightsaber without looking.

"Do you know what day it is?" He asks. The fire crackles between them as the young padawan thinks. He knows it must be important if Qui-Gon is asking him.

"No, Master." He says, shaking his head.

"Today is the day that we first met. When I chose you as my padawan." Qui-Gon says as he shifts on his log. Though he is not a very sentimental person, he feels that he should draw attention to today because both of their lives have changed drastically since.

"I remember." Obi-Wan smiles, looking at the ground. "I cried because I thought you hated me."

"You have learned many things since that day, but I especially hope you've learned that I don't hate you." Qui-Gon chuckles thinking of their first encounter.

"I know, Master. And I hope that you know that I don't hate you either." He smiles, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

Qui-Gon nods his head. "I have a gift for you."

Obi-Wan furrows his eyebrows. "I thought Jedi weren't supposed to receive gifts. We aren't supposed to have attachments." He says as he walks over to Qui-Gon.

"I promise, it's alright," He replies. Qui-Gon pulls him into his lap, holding out some sort of food. "It's a treat I bought while we were in the marketplace earlier today."

"Thank you very much, Master." Obi-Wan grins, taking the treat in his hands. But before he bites into it, he looks up at Qui-Gon. "I didn't get you anything."

"That's okay, you didn't have to. I'm giving you this because I want to thank you for being a good padawan." He answers as Obi-Wan eats his gift. "You have come very far since we first meet. You are a good listener and a great friend. I'm glad that the Force has brought us together." He smiles, watching Obi-Wan. He wishes he could give him everything every planet has to offer. He deserves more than just a treat for everything he's done for Qui-Gon over the past year. He's opened his heart up and shown him wonders that only a child could.

"I want to give you something for being a good master." Obi-Wan insists after he finishes eating. He pulls out his lightsaber, holding it in his hands. "I'll show you my new trick."

"I'd love to see it." Qui-Gon smiles.

Obi-Wan closes his eyes and begins to use the Force to raise his lightsaber in the air. He's able to hold it for a while before slowly bringing it back to his hands. He lets out a small pant, smiling at his master. "I've been working on that for a while. Did you like it?" He asks.

"It was amazing. I'm so proud." Qui-Gon cheers, making Obi-Wan grin. Though the two of them started out rough, things have been smooth sailing since. They make a great pair, equalling each other out. Obi-Wan loves to learn new things and Qui-Gon is happy to teach him. Besides learning about the Force and training to be a Jedi, they've also been learning how to open up and trust each other. Both of them can't wait to see what other journeys the future holds for them.

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