Hello! And welcome to final chapter of this story… I kind of feel sad about ending this one as it does mark the end of the series I have been writing… However even though this is the last story in the 'A Mother's Love' universe, it does not mean it will be the last story I write in this universe... More on that in my author's notes at the bottom.

Enjoy!

A Jedi's Legacy

Epilogue

"Hello Anakin."

Anakin opened his eyes and stared up into the face of Obi-Wan. He frowned, a sense of confusion entering his soul. "Aren't we supposed to be dead?"

Obi-Wan chuckled. He looked different somehow… As if years had been taken off him. He did look younger. Had the last few years been a very realistic dream? "It's not a dream. And yes we are dead."

"If I'm dead and you are dead, then why are we in the healing chambers of the Jedi Temple?" Anakin pointed out, taking in the room he was in.

"You should look at yourself, Anakin," another voice said, stepping into the room.

Anakin's eyes bulged. "But that's… QUI-GON!" His mouth hung open. "But how…?"

Obi-Wan shook his head in amusement. "Aren't you wondering why I look younger than I did when I died? We may be Jedi but in reality we know very little about the Force. We always believed that we merged back into the Force when we died but Qui-Gon dedicated his studies to a way of existing within the Force beyond death. Throughout our years he has been watching us, looking over us, guiding us from after death. Our bodies may have expired but our souls live on. However, only Jedi have the ability to exist within this realm and we cannot stay here forever. At some point we have to return to the embrace of the Force. Qui-Gon knows his time is ending here."

Anakin frowned. "So, if we are dead, and you look like your younger self, can I do it too?" He held up one wrinkled old hand. "I may be old but I'd like to look young."

"Still vain…" noted Qui-Gon smiling in a teasing manner.

"Anakin always did spend more time inspecting his appearance in the mirror before missions," grinned Obi-Wan.

"Hey!" Anakin chastised, sitting up from the bed, glaring at the two Jedi in front of him. "You spent a lifetime teasing me and I have to put up with it after death to?"

Obi-Wan folded his arms across his chest. "No." He laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Just think about being young. Your body will change. In fact, this isn't even a body. Save for a few added textures, we are translucent. An image of our physical personae preserved within the Force."

Anakin closed his eyes and thought about his younger self. "Did it work?" he asked. He hadn't felt a change but then would he notice any changes if he was dead? He wasn't a person anymore, just a remnant of the person he had been. He suddenly felt frightened about that.

Anakin Skywalker was dead.

"Don't freak out, Anakin," cautioned Obi-Wan. "It is strange getting used to this. And we can choose to move onto the next plane. We do not have to linger if we do not want to. But we can still watch over those that we love."

"But mum and Padmé are not here, right?" asked Anakin quietly.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, they are not. They do not have the ability to linger in the realm between. This is where we are, Anakin, at the gateway to death but not having completely left the realm of life. We can exist without bodies because we have the Force. I've been here a few years now. I've watched over you and your family since I died. I'm just sad that you joined me quicker than you should have done."

Shrugging, Anakin smiled. "I don't care. We're linked too thoroughly to be separated. We cannot exist without one another. Our Force bond was unique among the Jedi Order. Neither can live while one dies – we learned that decades ago."

"I feel bad that you had to die because of me," sighed Obi-Wan.

"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon's stern voice forced the younger Jedi to look up at him. "Anakin did not die because of you. He died because it was the will of the Force. The Force willed you two together, wound you so tightly that what affected one, affected the other. Without you two, the Jedi Order would be gone and the Sith would be in its place."

"I lived a long life," continued Anakin, swinging his legs out over the side of the bed and standing up. "More than most humans do. I set out to accomplish what I needed to do in life anyway. I'm happy. Contented." Though he did miss his mother and Padmé. He hoped when he chose to move on from this place he would see them then. But it seemed only Jedi could retain their identities for a short while after death. It was unlikely the two people Anakin loved more than anything in the world would be spared losing their identities. He suspected he would lose his identity too when he chose to move on.

Obi-Wan stepped up closer to his friend. "Who knows what happens beyond this realm. We could meet those we love once again."

"Or we might not," noted Anakin. "You've had a few years to get used to this… This is new to me."

Obi-Wan grimaced. "It was hard for me to. But like me, you'll come through this. The most important part for me here is that I have been given the chance to see my family continue on and to advise when necessary. I never appeared to you after I was gone, but I did to Luke and my own children."

Anakin frowned, stepping backwards from his life-long friend. "Why didn't you appear to me?"

"Because I thought if I did, it would be harder for me to leave you. Luke told you that I was watching over you, didn't he?"

Nodding, Anakin slowly acknowledged his former Master's words. "He did."

"I told him to say that. Out of anyone else in our world, I watched over you most of all."

A slight smile pulled at Anakin's face. "And to think I thought my son was just trying to comfort me rather than give me a message from you."

"It doesn't matter," forgave Obi-Wan. "I probably would think the same as you."

Qui-Gon chuckled. "No, you knew I was watching over you, Obi-Wan. You would have believed Anakin was always with you, just as I always was."

"You would," replied Anakin. He folded his arms across his chest. "So… what else is there to this place? Or is it just this place?"

"I think it is time I took you on a little tour, Anakin…" grinned Obi-Wan.

Dutifully, Anakin followed his friend out the door, with Qui-Gon following in his wake.

Years later, once the Skywalker and Kenobi children had died and joined them in the realm of in-between, Anakin and Obi-Wan chose to move on, choosing to leave it in the capable hands of their heirs.

A swirling vortex was situated outside the in-between plain that would lead them to their next destination. They would pass on. Qui-Gon had taken this path years ago once Anakin and Obi-Wan had settled into being disembodied spirits, and watching over their loved ones in the realm before.

They had already said their goodbyes to their Jedi children. Now it was time to move on.

They stood in front of the end of the realm-in-between, contemplating the future. Did they even have a future? What would happen to them once they passed on? Would they forget one another? Would they be separated? Or would they just float within the Force, unable to do anything to help those that needed it?

"Are you ready?" whispered Anakin. He felt afraid but also content that he was going at the right time. He was ready to go on the next great adventure.

"Yeah."

"You were ready years ago, weren't you?" Anakin queried, frowning gently.

Obi-Wan sighed. It was strange to sigh without breathing but it had been a sensation he had long since gotten used to after settling in to the world between. Despite not being inside a living vessel anymore, their Force spirits kept all the nuances of being alive. "I was… yeah."

"Then why did you wait?" Anakin cocked his head to the side.

"Because I didn't want to go without you," answered Obi-Wan. "And I knew you wouldn't leave until your children were here. We've been together most of our life, why should we move on without one another?" He held out his right hand.

Anakin took it, their hands clenching together. Ahead of them the whiteness expanded. This area had always been here but both had chosen to ignore this area in the realm-of-inbetween until it came to the day they needed to depart. Looking at it properly for the first time in years, Anakin felt an incredible amount of Force energy drawing from it, luring him in. He felt content and at peace, ready to take that next step. "I'm glad you waited. Doing this with you makes it easier."

"I know." Obi-Wan smiled sadly. "Thank you, Anakin."

"For what?"

"For being my brother." Obi-Wan squeezed Anakin's hand.

"You too," reciprocated Anakin. Without Obi-Wan, Anakin doubted he would be here now, on the cusp of passing on and leaving the world for good, but with his best friend, his Master, his brother here, it made a difficult situation easy. He could see, as he looked at Obi-Wan's face, that he felt the same. He indicated the swirling white vortex in front of them. "Shall we?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "One more thing." He turned startling blue eyes upon Anakin. "May the Force Be With You."

Anakin smiled. "You too."

Together they walked into the light beyond.

The End

So, here we go, at the end of their journey. They have moved on, passed on together. It may come across cheesy but this is how I visualised this series ending. Obi-Wan and Anakin were deeply connected in life – so much so that one could not live as a whole person without the other. And their love for one another prompted Obi-Wan to stay with Anakin until he felt ready to move on past being Force ghosts.

I want to say thank you to everyone who have stayed with me throughout this series. It has been an exciting adventure to go on.

HOWEVER, though this is the last story in the series chronologically, my brain decided to give me further plots that I can write for this series! I have another 5 ideas that I do plan to write for this series.

So, without further ado, the next story to be published in this series will be entitled 'Knighthood'. This is a one-shot fic about Ahsoka being Knighted.

After that, the next fic is a full-length story entitled 'Future of the Jedi'. It is a story about Luke and Leia's first mission as Padawan's with their respective Master's: Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Things go wrong… That is all I will say about that!

Details of the other three ideas will be revealed once these two stories are written.

When will these stories arrive?

I do not think I will be starting 'Future of the Jedi' this year though. 'Knighthood' will probably be written and published quite quickly, however I do have other fics that I would like to write first. These include my Star Wars/Doctor Who crossover – which I am probably on the last third of as I am pre-writing it. I aim to have that done and posting in October. After that I have a Kingdom Hearts one-shot I want to write and post as well as a multi-chaptered fic I am working on. Following that I have one idea for a Harry Potter story I'd like to write as well – though this story will probably be the one I will choose to work on and pre-write before publishing anything of so it is possible I could start writing 'Future of the Jedi' in November this year but I am anticipating it to be early next year.

I will be updating my profile on a monthly basis. So if anyone would like to keep up to date with my fic progress, please check back at the end of every month!

Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement! I look forward to returning to this universe for 'Knighthood' and 'Future of the Jedi'…

Until then,

May The Force Be With You!

~the-writer1988~