A returning Echo

Chapter Six

When you woke up, you could hear faint cheers in the halls. You smiled as you realized the twins were already celebrating their birthday. Before you finished stretching, your door flung open and two little bodies jumped onto your bed.
"Get up! Get up!" They cried before grabbing your arms and pulling you out. You ended up falling onto the floor, causing them to laugh.
"What time is it you little rascals," you said, rubbing the tiredness from your eyes.
"It's 8:46, we've been waiting for you to get up for HOURS!" Tayah exaggerated.
"Yeah, we want to open gifts and eat cake!" Ringo added. You stood up and ruffled their hair as you walked out of your room, not bothering to change your clothes or fix your hair. "You two are going to regret waking me up one of these days," you jokingly threatened.
"Nu-uh," Tayah said before skipping ahead of you, making her way to the dining hall.
"Well, don't you look fabulous," Kwol joked upon you walking into the room.
"Hey, it's your kids who didn't let me wake up first," you shot back. "Plus, this is my palace. I can look like how I want."
"Oh, my bad, Queen Monako," he mocked while snickering. Ahnimaka just laughed quietly at your bickering.
"I can't believe you married him and had his kids," you said while rolling your eyes playfully.
"Ah, I've got a lot of aspects she enjoys," Kwol said, giving her a suggestive look.
"Kwol! Not at the table! Have some decency," she said as her cheeks lit up.
"Oh maker, and please not in front of me. I don't need that information in my head, especially when I'm about to eat," you said. Codo then walked in and took his seat beside you.
"Were you all waiting for me?" He asked as he sat down.
"Aren't we always, old man?" Kwol joked.
"Perhaps you need to learn patience, young king," Codo stated as he began to fill his plate.
"Yeah, that's not going to happen anytime soon," you laughed, earning a look from Kwol.
You looked at the twins who sat eagerly in front of you.
"And how is your birthday going so far, little ones?" You asked. Their faces lit up as they looked at the food in front of them.
"Amazing!" Tayah said.
"Better after we eat all this food!" Ringo added.
"Just don't make yourselves sick," Ahni warned. They nodded their heads rapidly and began to scarf down their food. You suppressed a giggled at their actions.
"They remind me of you three," Codo whispered.
"We did not act like that," you whispered defensively. He just laughed before saying, "oh, you have no idea how you acted, my child."

After breakfast, you all gave the kids their presents. Tayah's eyes lit up when she saw the stuffed porg you got her, and Ringo immediately began pretending to shoot everyone with his blaster.
"I thought you wanted to be a Jedi," Tayah said to her brother. "Jedi don't use blasters." Ringo spun around aimed at her.
"I'm a different kind of Jedi," he replied, pretending to shoot her. She playfully threw her stuffed porg at him, which he pretended to shoot as well.
Codo gave you a look, and you understood what it meant. You sighed as you turned to their parents.
"Come," you said while standing. "There's something we need to discuss."
They looked at each other before they got up and followed you. You led them down the hall to a quiet room where you could talk. At first, you were quiet and avoided their eyes. You didn't know how to tell them about the twins, and you didn't know how they'd react. You sensed their unease at your actions.
"What is it, y/n?" Ahnimaka asked.
"Is everything alright? Is there something related to Dohbar I haven't heard yet?" Kwol wondered.
"No, it's not about Dohbar. It's about the twins." You were facing the giant palace windows overlooking the city. You saw as families walked together, some children holding their mothers hands while others sat on their fathers shoulders.
"What about them?" Kwol asked. You didn't want to watch their faces when you told them, but you knew you had to. You turned back to them, unable to hide the pain and regret in your eyes.
"I never told you before," you began quietly, watching for their reactions. "I know I should have, right when I found out. But I couldn't. I didn't have the heart. And it's one of my biggest mistakes."
"Y/n, what are you talking about," Ahni pried, a scared look coming to her eyes.
You bit your lip and looked down for a second, holding back tears, before meeting their gazes again.
"The twins are force-sensitive," you said. Shock covered your friends' features for a second before they looked at each other.
"That's amazing, y/n! Why would that be so bad?" Kwol said while smiling at you.
"Because," you responded by shaking your head. "I'm a Jedi, and as a Jedi it's my duty to take force-sensitive children to the Jedi temple on Coruscant to teach and train them in the Jedi ways."
They finally seemed to understand what you were saying.
"Coruscant?" Kwol questioned out loud.
"Wait. But can't they just stay here like you did?" Ahni asked, a hint of sadness lacing her voice.
You shook your head regretfully. "No, I'm afraid not. That was a rare occurrence, and if I was to ask to do the same, the council would know it's because of their attachments, and they would not allow it."
"But, if you take them, we won't be able to see them anymore."
"I know," you said, tears coming to your eyes again. "That's why I should have told you sooner. You wouldn't have become so important to them. They would have never known you-"
"And that would be a good thing?" Kwol said almost angrily.
"For a Jedi, yes. You know the rule about attachments. But, I cannot take them if you do not approve, and if they don't agree either. It's a decision you have to make among yourselves, and I will have no part in it."
They looked at each other, sadness in both their expressions.
"Y/n, what you're asking us is to either give our children up to the Jedi order to raise them to use their abilities, or to keep them and raise them as a family while letting their abilities to fade. That's an impossible decision! And one we shouldn't make for them! What if what we choose isn't what they want?" Kwol said, beginning to pace in front of you.
"It's a decision every parent of a force-sensitive child must make. Trust in your judgement, follow your heart and the force will guide you to the right answer."
"Stop. Don't use some stupid Jedi philosophy on us," Kwol said, suddenly turning you you angrily.
"Kwol," Ahni said. "Calm down-"
"No! No, Ahni! She's asking us to give up our children after hiding their force-sensitivity from us for years! She knew all along and didn't say anything!"
Ahnimaka bit her lip and looked down. She knew he was right, and she was also upset that you hadn't told them sooner.
"When do you need an answer?" She asked, not meeting your eyes.
"By the time I leave. They will either go back to Coruscant with me and Codo to begin their learning, or stay here and continue how they have been."
She nodded and gently grabbed Kwol's arm. "Come on, let's go be with them," she said while leading him away. You watched as they left the room. You felt like you had let them down. No, you knew you had let them down. They had trusted you to tell them important things like this, and you had kept it to yourself. You had four years of this secret on your shoulders, finally lifted, but with a price. They had every right to be mad and act the way they were. You might be tearing your best friends' family apart, or putting the guilt on them that they let their children's abilities fade. They were right. No parent should have to make this decision. You wished they wouldn'twedding have to be so young, or that they were allowed attachments, but that wasn't the Jedi way. It never would be. You looked back out the windows, seeing the families again. You remembered your thoughts yesterday, of you having your own family. You closed your eyes and loweredbowed your head.
You didn't deserve to have a family of your own if you were tearing others apart.