The Angel Of Music!

Khameir gently stroked Xarae's hair.

"Are you alright?" She nodded at his question. "Are you sure?" Around them, the streams of the Room of a Thousand Waterfalls trickled through the silence.

"I'm fine." Xarae let go of her lover and began to wander along the paths. Khameir put his hand to his head. It had been over a month since the incident with Antimone, and Xarae was still downcast about it. At times she seemed almost lifeless. He worried over her. He hadn't expected her to mourn so deeply... The last time they lost a child, everything had been fine between them by this time. He wondered what she kept so locked up inside her mind, why she was like this... Suddenly Xarae turned from the flower she was studying to face him, an angry scowl on her face.

"I killed my own child, Khameir! A child we knew nothing about! How would you like me to act!?" the woman yelled.

"Xarae I..." Khameir stammered.

"It wasn't destiny, it wasn't Sidious, it wasn't disease, it was ME this time." She wrapped her arms around herself. "We don't even know where she came from? Wouldn't you..." Xarae trailed off.

"Nightingale..." He reached out to hold her, but she recoiled from his touch.

"Please, I... I just need to be alone." Xarae turned on her heel and ran away from him, her long hair flying behind her.

Khameir stood shocked. He loved her; all he wanted was her happiness. How could I be so selfish? Haven't you learned your lesson Khameir? Averting his gaze from the path Xarae had disappeared down, he clenched his fist tightly.

"All she needs is a light of hope for the future." Khameir whirled around.

"Master19." The silvery angel smiled sweetly at him.

"I know you're very concerned about Xarae."

"That's an understatement." Nonchalantly he flipped his hood back over his horned head. He rarely took it off in front of anyone other than Xarae.

"And I know how hard it is to keep up with her feelings. She wonders now if there will ever be any happiness in her future."

"Of course there will be! She..."

"Then tell her that. Show her that." Master19 smiled at him. "Both you and I know it's past time, Khameir. And in her heart she knows it too." Khameir looked at the floor.

Annika was in her room. There was a pink wooden chair against the wall. Above it, a blank space of wall stared out. A space of wall she intended to cover with the smiling faces of N*aboo. The princess made a serious face at the wall and put her hands on her hips. After convincing herself she had successfully stared down the wall, she strode up to the chair and got up onto it. She stood, the poster in one hand, a hammer and nails in the other. Slowly she eased the rolled up poster flat and stood on her tip-toes to position it.

"Stupid thing..." she muttered, cursing at the springy, laminated poster.

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door.

"AHHHHHHH!!!!" The Bakuran lost her balance, toppling over the chair and sending the hammer into the air. It landed right on her bare toes. "OW OW OW OW OW!!!" Annika promptly put her toe in her mouth.

"Miss Annika?" The door slid open. "Is everything alright? I heard a crash, I hope I didn't..." Khameir stopped when he saw the princess sitting on the floor, bawling, her toe in her mouth. "Oh... I'm sorry if I interrupted you... I'll leave at once, Miss Annika." He turned to go.

"Oh, no... erm... you don't have to leave!" She quickly regained her composure. "Was there something you wanted?" She wiped the tears from her face.

"Actually..." Khameir turned back around and stepped into her room. "I heard that you play the piano." She blushed a little, looking over at the upright tucked in the corner.

"Yes, actually, I do..." She put her hands on her head.

"Do you know of where I can purchase one?"

"Nani? A piano? Why would you want one?" Annika looked a little confused.

"I..." He stuck his head out into the hallway to make sure no one was around before shutting the door.

"Um..." She didn't feel comfortable being locked in the same room with Khameir. She knew he was harmless, but his appearance suggested otherwise to her. She backed away as he walked past to get to her piano. Khameir pulled out the bench and sat down on the fluffy pink cushion. He looked down at the bench. A large sweatdrop hovered over his head before he regained his composure and poised his hands over the keys. Annika giggled. The large, darkly-clad man looked very awkward sitting on a pink piano bench.

But her giggling stopped as soon as he began to play. Her mouth fell open. This music was so... beautiful! Never would she have expected to hear such music from this former Sith. She watched in amazement as his tattooed hands danced along the keys.

"I... Well..." he began, continuing his enchanting song. "Xarae is a bit depressed, if you haven't noticed... and I thought that now would be a good time to... she doesn't know I can play yet..."

"When did you learn!?!"

"While I was... erm... dead." He smiled over his shoulder at her. "So she doesn't know I can play, and I thought if I surprised her..." The music stopped and he promptly stood up. "I want to propose to her... again... in a special way. I think that will..."

"A WEDDING!!!!! I LOVE WEDDINGS!! WHEN..." Quickly Khameir jumped up and put his hand over her mouth.

"Shhh! You can't tell ANYONE." He stared at her. Her eyes widened as he glared at her, and she frantically shook her head no. Khameir took his hand away.

"Not a soul. I promise." She closed her eyes and held up her hand. "Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."

"Good. Then you shall help me find the best piano on Coruscant."

"Ah? Nani? I don't..."

"Annika, this isn't for me. This is for Xarae." The princess watched him adjust his hood over his head. "I've very worried about her... All I want is for her to be happy again. Please help me." His golden eyes glinted under the darkness of his hood. Annika frowned and let out a sigh.

"Alriiight..."

"Excellent. I will come to fetch you in an hour." He bowed. "Thank you very much, Miss Annika."

Annika watched the man called Khameir. He was standing perfectly still before a very large grand piano, one arm holding up the other as he cradled his chin in his right hand. His dark reflection glared up at her from the floor of mirror in the music shop Annika recommended. His head was so positioned that the hood of his cloak covered his tattooed face completely with shadow. Annika had taken notice of how cautiously he behaved in public. He must be insecure about his tattoos, she thought.

Khameir shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Annika, how much is this one?" he mumbled.

"Erm..." She leaned over and picked the price tag up to glance at the price. She threw it back as if it were a hot piece of metal. She looked around at the cool, serious customers in the store and stood back up. Annika cleared her throat and straightened her back in an attempt to appear more civilized. "Over five million credits, sir." Khameir gave her an odd look from beneath his cloak.

"Sir? No need for such formalities, Miss Annika," he mumbled quietly. A confused look passed over her face.

"Erm..." Before she could say anything, Khameir had pulled out the bench and sat down at the piano. Slowly he pulled his black leather gloves off and laid them in his lap. He spread his fingers over the keys and sounded a very minor chord. A few of the customers turned to watch him, and out from a corner hurried a salesman.

"Are you interested in this model, sir?" Khameir gave no reply, but played another chord. The salesman's false smile faded when he saw the man's hands, black and red against the white of the piano. He stared at the lightning designs as Khameir tested the pedals.

"It has a nice sound to it." His voice snapped the salesman out of the trance he seemed to be in.

"Yes, yes it does, sir."

"How much is it again?" Khameir kept his eyes on the keys as he spoke.

"Oh, sir, price doesn't matter when buying a piano!"

Annika stood and quietly watched the conversation between the two. She was bored. They had been here for over a half hour now, standing and staring at pianos. Frankly, she didn't know why Khameir had taken her with him. He wasn't even consulting her on anything.

"Well sir, please feel free to test the model." The small, shrewd looking little man was obviously quite uncomfortable being around Khameir, judging by how his eyes were transfixed on Khameir's only exposed skin. "I will be tending to the other customers if you need anything." He scurried away. Annika cleared her throat again as he stared down at the piano.

"Annika?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think this will cheer Xarae up?" Annika's serious expression softened.

"Of course it will! She loves you very very much." Khameir sighed.

"I worry about her so much... you have no idea, Annika. She's a very fragile person inside. She may seem strong... but inside, she..." He took a deep breath. "Inside, she is constantly in pain." Annika frowned sadly. "Annika, call over the salesperson. I want this one."

"Two hundred and seventy-three. Two hundred and seventy-four..." Xarae turned the page in the book she was reading. "Two hundred and seventy-five." She looked up from her book and giggled a little. "Come on, Sa-kasa. You'll never make it to three hundred at this rate." Below her, Khameir groaned and continued with his one-handed push ups.

Across the training room, the door hissed open. A pink-haired head stuck itself inside.

"Ahaha! Good evening, Xarae! Maul." Annika hopped into the room. She laughed and put her hand behind her head.

"Good evening, Annika." Xarae looked up from her book. "Two hundred and eighty."

"Eh... what are you doing?" A sweatdrop formed on Annika's forehead when she saw the two. Xarae was sitting, cross legged, on a shirtless Khameir's back as he did one-handed push-ups. The princess turned a bright shade of red.

"Khameir is training. Two hundred eighty-two."

"Eh... how many of those does he do?"

"Every night he does three hundred." Xarae smiled.

"Oh my..." Annika looked at Khameir. He wasn't wearing his hood. This was only the second time since they arrived that she had seen him without one. She averted her gaze. For some reason, she felt very uncomfortable staring at the tattoos that covered his chest, back and arms.

"So, what brings you here so late, Annika?"

"Eh? Oh... yes... well, I was just wandering around." She laughed a little. Xarae's smile faded. She knows I'm lying, Annika thought.

"Where... Where am I?" Khameir gasped.

"Two hundred ninety-six." Annika coughed as Khameir finished up his push-ups. Xarae stood up, as did Khameir, who stretched his arms and legs.

"You took longer than usual tonight, Sa-kasa," Xarae said, looking at her watch.

"I'm tired." He smiled at her. Xarae kissed him on his cheek.

"Yuck. You're all sweaty!" She laughed and wiped her mouth. "I'm going to bed."

"I'll be with you in a moment." Xarae walked towards the door.

"Goodnight, Annika." She smiled at her fellow senshi and left. Annika made sure Xarae was gone before approaching a very sweaty, tired-looking Khameir.

"What do you want?"

"I was just worried about Xarae. I was wondering how she was." He wiped his brow and gave her a sideways glance. "She seems alright."

"Like I said yesterday... She puts on a mask of strength." Annika fiddled with the ring she was wearing as Khameir dried his face with a small towel.

"Erm... When will the piano get here?"

"Tomorrow evening."

"Oh... I see."

"I'm going to bed. I will see you in the morning, Miss Annika." He bowed slightly.

"Good night, Maul." She watched him walk out of the room and sighed.

"Master Obi-Wan?" A small padawan poked his head into the meditation room. "There is a delivery man outside... He is asking for Annika." Obi-Wan turned around.

"Annika?"

"Yes, master. I don't know where to find her." The short, dark-haired boy bowed slightly. Obi-Wan sighed in annoyance.