Eternity's Bright Angel!

Xarae stared blankly into the tall glass of champagne. The wind blew from behind her, rippling the water around her, whipping the long folds of the white dress she wore around her thin legs. She pushed a long lock of her shimmering hair behind her ear and poured the remainder of her bubbly beverage over into the vast cerulean ocean before her. Even though she was with her love, Khameir, her life seemed listless, hopeless, lost. The traveling beck and forth through the nineteenth gate to do her duties as Destiny's Phoenix when they called wore her out emotionally and physically. The sheer power of the Phoenix, the bright light within her from and for eternity, made her weak. She also missed the others, the senshi, her friends. Xarae hung her head. She almost felt badly for even thinking of preferring their company to Khameir's, even if that wasn't the case. And now, after the news from Master19, he was growing distant. She never could have foretold any of this...

It was all so ironic. Sailor Iridonia, defender of children... she placed her glass down on a railing and gently laid her hands over her silently aching stomach. She felt so stripped, violated. It wasn't right. The senshi of children and birth, her womb now barren and fruitless. A child, a happy life with Khameir, was all she had ever wanted. Why was fate always so cruel to her? Why did she even fight in the name of it? Sometimes nothing made sense.

Xarae felt him in her mind and turned around. A slight smile crossed his tattooed face as he walked out towards her.

"Beautiful view," Khameir said, reaching for her hand.

"If there was anything out there to see..." Xarae trailed off, turning to the ocean that lay before their towering white palace in The Second Paradise.

"I mean you." She smiled, looking down at her feet. Another sea breeze sent a feather into the wind.

"Shedding again, I see." Xarae picked her glass back up and turned to her lover. He smiled slyly. She reached out and plucked another downy feather from his snow white wings. His smile turned serious.

"I'm just worried about you." Xarae looked down again.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not fine." She stood silent. "Xarae. We can't-" Xarae shot him a cold glare and stormed from the balcony back into their bedroom. "Xarae!" Khameir ran after her. "Don't be like this." She walked to where he had stopped in the doorway and laid her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry... I'm just still very upset..." She took a deep breath to keep herself from crying.

"Sh. I understand." he smoothed his hand over her hair. "You can cry, Xarae." She buried her face in his tunics.

"I just want to go back."

The sight of the Room Of One Thousand Waterfalls was a familiar and uplifting sight for Xarae. She tightened her grip on Khameir's hand.

"I missed them so much, Khameir..." He smiled at her, and she began to lead him into the secret entrance hidden behind falling water and foliage.

Nom's ears perked up.

"Yukiko?" The ice-haired girl walked into the room.

"You feel that too?" The two gave each other worried looks. Suddenly, the small girl affectionately known as 'Cha-Cha' ran into the room.

"Guys!! Come quick!!! Xarae is back!!!" The three girls ran out into the main room of the complex.

"Xarae?" The woman looked up from her hug with a few of the chibis - who had been playing a game of Go Fish when she came in - to acknowledge her old friends.

"Oh, I missed you all so much!" She threw her arms around Yuki and Nom, the latter of which cringed a little at the blatant display of affection. Annika and Kirana then entered and greeted her with particular enthusiasm.

"XARAE-CHAN!!!!" The pink-haired princess squealed, throwing herself into Xarae's open arms.

"Oh Annika..." Xarae chuckled a little and wiped her eyes. Kousotsu sauntered in next, his usual composed self.

"What's going on?"

"Xarae's back!!" Suta cried excitedly. Xarae ran up to the tall man, wrapping her arms around his neck in an uncharacteristically expressive way. She kissed him on the cheek.

"Where's your lover?"

"Ehhhhh......" He blushed a bright red. Xarae laughed and kissed him again. More and more of her old friends came, and soon all the senshi were gathered to welcome Xarae back. She was introduced to the newer senshi and greeted the old ones with tears in her eyes. When everyone had calmed down a little bit, Xarae took a deep breath.

"I've missed you all so much... We have so many stories to tell..." The crowd of people grew silent. She reached back into the shadows behind her, grasping the dark hand of a vague shadow of a man. "Everyone... I'd like you to meet Khameir." The man walked out into the dim light of the room. A gasp escaped the senshi. Khameir looked awkwardly around the room. He cleared his throat.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you all." They let out a murmur. A small girl, Nijihoshi or Sailor Chibi Corellia, stepped out from the group. She smiled sweetly and wrapped herself around his leg. Khameir was taken aback by the young child's display, starting a bit when she grasped onto him. Annika put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Khameir glanced sadly over at Xarae, who frowned a little. Kousotsu stepped forward, and picked the girl up. He confidently shook Khameir's hand.

"Welcome to the team."

"So the Phoenix is part of you?" Xarae nodded at the inquiring Kairiku.

"It is the spirit of the warrior of destiny, a bright inner light that was locked up until I, the chosen one, gathered the strength and courage to release it into myself."

"You can turn into the Phoenix whenever you want?"

"No, because as the Phoenix I only have one attack, to change destiny. I have to have special authorization from Destiny." She took another sip of her hot chocolate.

"Can you really bring people back to life?" Ciel asked.

"Yes... but it's very taboo... I can't use it for any other purposes other than what Destiny himself specifies." They oo-ed and ahh-ed a little. Khameir wrapped his arms around Xarae, who was sitting on his lap, and kissed her gently on her bare shoulder. He whispered in her ear, and she smiled a little.

"I think it's time for Khameir and me to go to bed." Xarae stood up, putting her mug down on the table. "It's been a very exciting day." A chorus of goodnights sounded.

"Welcome back, Xarae. Good night." Audra hugged her tightly. A sad look passed over Xarae's face as she held the small, frail girl.

"Good night." She squeezed her before walking hand-in-hand with Khameir to their private quarters.

A few of the other, younger senshi and chibis also went to bed, and slowly the numbers of senshi declined, until only Priire, Kousotsu beside her, Kyoko, Annika, and Ben were left.

"Is it just me, or does Xarae seem different?" Annika asked.

"Well, we haven't seen her in over a year," the blue-haired Kyoko commented.

"True, but Annika's right. She doesn't seem as happy as one would expect..." Ben said, cleaning up the mugs of chocolate.

"Maybe something happened while she was away with Maul," suggested Yukiko.

"Why wouldn't she tell us? We're her friends. She can trust us." The pink-haired princess looked worried.

"Maybe it's something personal, and she doesn't feel comfortable about it. Maybe it's something between her and Maul."

"Maybe we're thinking too much of absolutely nothing." Kyoko ended the conversation, pulling her hair down out of the bun on top her head. "Let's get some sleep."

Xarae sighed contentedly as Khameir massaged her back with scented oils. He pressed along her spine with his callused thumbs, and Xarae moaned.

"That feels so good." Khameir wiped the extra oil off of her tired muscles with a downy towel. "I'm so glad I have you, Khameir." He smiled. Xarae rolled over and looked up at her tattooed lover. He ran his hands down to her stomach. Xarae's gentle, loving smile faded as he gently kissed her there. She reached down and took his hands in her own.

"You make me remember it when you do that." She gazed into his golden eyes.

"I..."

"I know you just..." Xarae tripped over her words and gave up trying to say what she wanted to. They both sat silent, staring at each other.

"Xarae, I..." She sat up and threw herself into Khameir's arms. He reluctantly wrapped his arms around her naked shoulders. Her hot tears slid from her face down his muscled back. "Xarae, don't cry..."

"I want a child, Khameir..."

"Xarae.." He sighed. "You can cry, Xarae."

"Xarae, we're going shopping today," Annika said confidently, pulling the thick book from the long-haired woman's beautiful face.

"You need to go out and have some fun!" Kairiku added, pointing at her. Xarae made a face.

"Ehhh..." She looked around nervously. "I don't know, the Force is unrestful today... I feel a premonition..."

"All you've done since you came back is mope around the Temple." Ippin appeared from behind Annika, who had her hands on her hips.

"Let's go get some money from Maul for you." Kairiku grabbed Xarae's hand and led her down the hallway.

"Ehhh... Kairi-chan..." The odangoed girl quickly headed into the library, where Khameir was browsing through a few old volumes of stories.

"Go!" The girl pushed Xarae forward. "Ask him for credits!" Khameir turned around. He glanced with suspicion at each of the girls and then at Xarae, who was grinning broadly, her hands clasped behind her.

"Xarae? What's wrong?" She smiled a little bit more.

"Eh... Sa-kasa? Can I borrow some credits?" He raised an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"Um... shopping?" Xarae smiled. Khameir glanced back at the senshi in the doorway again, who were grinning almost evilly.

"Fine." He turned back to the books, and the senshi hustled Xarae out into the hallway.

"Coruscant hasn't changed a bit." Xarae smiled as the breeze blew her hair out behind her.

"Ah, Xarae, isn't it beautiful?" Kairiku said. The group of five girls walked further down the long plaza in the shopping district of Coruscant. Xarae closed her eyes and breathed in the clear air. She felt almost free for the first time in ages... It was amazing how her good friends made things so much better.

"OOOOOHHHHH!! LOOK AT THAT DRESS!!!!" Kirana suddenly squealed. All of them looked up to see the Omwati princess running towards a display window. They quickly followed her.

"Ooohhh, the color..." Kiriana squealed.

"So simple and elegant..." Ippin's eyes glazed over.

"Xarae-chan! That would look so beau-" Annika stopped mid-sentence upon seeing Xarae wasn't behind her. "Xarae?" In the center of the plaza was a vendor's cart, decorated brightly by reds and blues. The burly man attending the cart was holding a small cookie or cake of some sort, his other large hand on his aproned hip, glaring down at the small child before the cart. The girl, who looked about seven or eight years old, had long blonde hair drawn up into a ponytail. She clutched onto a worn-out doll while counting the few credits she had.

"Kid, pay up or get outta here," the unshaven man's rough voice demanded.

"I... I don't think I have enough..." He cut her off.

"Then scram, kid." He pointed away. The girl frowned and turned to leave.

"Wait. Here." A long, feminine hand held out a ten-credit piece before him. The man looked up at the beautiful woman offering to pay for the girl. The man grumbled and reluctantly picked the credit from Xarae's hand. Xarae took the confection from him, then turned and bent down to the girl's height.

"Here." The girl eagerly, with sparkling eyes, took the cake from Xarae.

"My name's Xarae. What's yours?"

"I'm...." She paused to swallow a bite of dough. "I'm Kalia." Xarae smiled warmly and watched her new acquaintance eat the sugary treat.

"Your doll is very pretty. Does she have a name?" She motioned to the one-eyed toy. Kalia shook her head. "Why not?" The child shrugged, and Xarae smiled again.

"You're awfully nice for a stranger." The woman laughed.

"I see you finished your treat already. You must have been hungry!" Kalia shrugged again.

"I just don't get to eat sweets too often... They don't give us treats at the orphanage." Xarae's sweet smile faded.

"Orphanage?"

"Yeah... my parents died when I was real little..."

"You've been living in an orphanage your whole life?" Kalia nodded sadly. Xarae put a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want to meet my friends?" The girl suddenly was cheery again, smiling brightly. She grabbed Xarae's hand and began leading her down one of the side streets. Xarae looked back at the others, who were staring at the strange sight before them. Xarae shrugged at their odd looks. They ran after her.

Xarae couldn't help but giggle at the antics of the small children around her. They were playing some sort of tag game in the small playroom of the orphanage. She watched them run around gleefully, laughing the musical, magical laugh of children. At the other end of the room, the other girls she had come with were talking with one of the caretakers of the orphans, a modest young woman named Nalise.

Standing up from the comfortable chair she was sitting in, Xarae noticed a shadow in the corner of the room. She made her way through the crowd of children to the small girl huddled up.

"Why aren't you playing?" Xarae asked sweetly, getting down on her knees to see eye-to-eye with the dark-haired girl. "My name is Xarae." She held out her hand to the girl. The child turned and opened her closed eyes. Xarae gasped audibly. Something within her sunk deep into her gut, and the Force began to pull at her being. Stronger it tugged at her, almost as if it was ripping her into two. The bright, glimmering, golden eyes of the girl glinted off rays of light. Suddenly, darkness overcame Xarae, and she fell forward in a faint.

Destiny's Phoenix clashed her broadsword against the dark glaive of the warrior in front of her.

"GIVE ME THAT SWORD!!" The angered young woman flung herself at Xarae, who dodged the girl yet again. The dark-haired girl lost balance and fell to her knees, the glaive she carried clanging to the ground. Xarae breathed heavily, and in the silence she heard her sobbing. "Mother... please." Destiny's Phoenix frowned sadly. Slowly, she raised her sword to the heavens.

Xarae opened her eyes. Slowly the worried faces of her friends came into focus. Annika, Kairiku, Ippin and Kirana all sighed audibly when Xarae turned her head and moaned.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Annika visibly relaxed.

"You passed out," Kirana said.

"I noticed..." Xarae struggled a little to sit up.

"You need your rest," Nalise said. "I suggest you leave."

Xarae nodded and put her hand to her head. "The girl... Where is she?"

The small crowd of people around Xarae parted to let the girl though. "My name is Antimone. I'm very sorry," her small voice whispered. Xarae stared into her eyes. Their beautiful golden color was so familiar... Antimone turned away from Xarae's penetrating blue eyes. Under her hair... there was a discolored patch of skin on the girl's forehead, under her jet black bangs. Xarae tilted her head a bit to get a better look at the girl's eyes.

"Come on - we need to get you home." Ippin snapped Xarae back into reality by grabbing hold of one of her hands.

Xarae stared out the window of the hovercraft as is flew through the Coruscant sky. The bright oranges of sunset glinted off of the various crafts in the air as they flew over and cast shadows on the skyscrapers of the city. Ippin watched the woman gaze out the window, her head sadly rested against the pane. She must still be weak from her faint earlier, the flame-haired senshi thought. I wonder what had brought it on?

The hovercraft set itself down in front of the Jedi Temple, and the five girls climbed out. They led still-weak Xarae in silently, holding her hand as they made their way to the Room Behind The Waterfall. Once there, Kairiku found Khameir, who came quickly to his lover's side.

"Xarae...? What happened?" She fell into his arms and buried her face in his shoulder.

"She fainted," Kairiku answered.

"I just don't know what to believe anymore..." Xarae whispered. The others exchanged worried glances.

"I'm going to take her back to our quarters," Khameir said to the senshi. He slowly led Xarae down the corridors. After they were gone, Ippin let out a sigh.

"Something's wrong with Xarae, I know it. She's just not the same. And what happened today at the orphanage was definitely not normal." Kairiku nodded.

"I think something happened between her and Maul," Annika said matter-of-factly. Ippin frowned.

Khameir gently laid Xarae on their bed. She opened her squinted shut eyes.

"What happened?" he whispered to Xarae as she put a hand to her forehead.

"A girl at the orphanage... Antimone... She... I looked at her, and the Force was screaming at me, and tearing at me, and I blacked out... I had a vision, Khameir. A vision of the future." He closed his eyes and looked away from her, almost as if in pain. "A new enemy... her eyes, Khameir..." She looked up at him. "They were... just like yours." Xarae paused and took a deep breath. "She was our daughter."

"How is that possible? You know as well as I that you can't conceive." Xarae closed her eyes and rolled over onto her stomach.

"I just don't know what to believe anymore..." She covered her face with a pillow.

"Xarae." Again he took her into his arms. She sobbed quietly into Khameir's shoulder before looking up at him. "Should we tell the others? If you're right, and this daughter of ours is indeed a new enemy..."

"No! Not yet. We need to find out for sure." She looked at him through teary eyes. "We'll go back tomorrow, to the orphanage."

Annika sat quietly with her hand over her mouth.

"See? I TOLD you it was a bad idea to spy on them." Ippin crossed her arms.

"Well, now we know why Xarae was so sad! And why she fainted earlier!" The Bakuran stood up. The other girl sighed in worry. "What are we going to do about it?" Annika began to pace. "A new enemy..."

"We can't tell the others! Xarae doesn't want this out, that much is obvious," Ippin said, jumping to her feet. Annika nodded. "Maybe we should deal with this in the morning." The princess looked worried and reluctantly nodded again. The two senshi said their goodnights and made their way to their separate quarters.

Antimone Sarin sat silently on her neatly-made bed. Around her, the other orphans slept soundly. She looked out the window across the room. Milky moonlight flooded in, spilling across the floor like liquid silver. The girl looked down at the golden transformation wand she held tightly in her hand.

"I'll find the Phoenix, I'll find my mother. I'll do it for you, I swear I'll find her." A silver tear fell from Antimone's face. She quietly jumped off her bed and slipped out into the hallway.

Tiptoeing, Antimone made her way through the orphanage to the front door. She glanced around before pressing her hands to the lock. A bright golden light silently shone from her hands, and the soft click of a lock sounded. Antimone pulled her hands away, and the light died out. She opened the door and snuck outside.

Coruscant seemed so much more peaceful at night. Antimone looked up into the sky. She closed her eyes. The girl took a deep breath and then set out into the darkened Coruscant night.

Kairiku took a big crunchy bite of her morning cereal.

"Xarae-chan, where are you going?" she inquired as the brunette pulled up the hood on her raincoat.

"I need to go and pick up something for Khameir," she lied. In actulity, she was on her way to the orphanage to see Antimone.

"Ok. Don't catch catch a cold in the rain!" The young girl smiled and said goodbye to her fellow senshi as she slipped out the door.

Xarae walked across the main foyer of the Jedi Temple, her tall heels making clicks on the floor. Outside, rain pounded against the stone pavement. She sighed and quickened her pace. But before she could make it to the door, she spotted a familiar face. Nalise! Xarae quickly recognized the young woman from the orphanage. I wonder what she's doing here! Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the flyer she was handing to out passing Jedi.

"Nalise?" She turned around to face Xarae.

"Hello! How are you feeling?" she asked, smiling.

"I'm fine, thank you. Something must have come over me yesterday. What brings you to the Jedi Temple?"

"Oh..." Wisps of blue hair fell in front of her face as Nalise frowned. "Antimone is missing. We think she ran away last night." Xarae took the flyer Nalise handed to her. Antimone's smiling, yet still unquestionably sad, face stared out at her. Her heart sank.

"Oh, I'm... so sorry..." Xarae stuttered. "If I see her, I'll make sure to tell you." Xarae folded the paper and put it in her handbag. Nalise smiled again and returned to handing out the flyers. Well, that ruins my plans... Xarae thought, ignoring her worried feelings as she walked out the tall glass doors of the Temple. Sighing, she took a turn towards the orphanage anyway. It can't hurt to go looking for her.

Xarae wandered the empty, cold streets of Coruscant. Her raincoat and other "waterproof" gear weren't exactly effective - her long brown hair was soaked, as were her feet, to the point where they were numb. But she continued to search the alleyways and crevices of the city for her future daughter. She found nothing. The Force was almost dead. Xarae felt nothing, spare the awkward lack of presence. There weren't even any rodents around. It seemed like no one wanted to be out in the downpour.

After about an hour or so of this searching, Xarae decided to head back to the Temple. Downcast, she held herself and looked up at the sky. What if something happened to her? Oh gods, what is Khameir going to say? Xarae began to panic.

"Antimone!?" She ran down the alleyway. "Antimone!!" Xarae's breaths quickened as she forced herself not to cry. "Antimone, are you here?" She stopped and stood.

"Phoenix." Xarae whirled around. "Help me." She gasped. There was Antimone, huddled in a ball and leaning against a grimy building.

"Antimone!" The young girl held out her arms, and Xarae scooped her up. "You're coming back home with me." She buried her wet head in Xarae's shoulder.

"Momma."

Chikako grumbled and pressed her ear up against the thick door.

"OOOOOWWW!!! THAT'S MY HEAD!!!" The pile of senshi toppled over at Kairiku's exclamation.

"Owwwwwww..." Lys climbed out from beneath the moaning mound of girls.

"I'm beginning to think that this spying is not worth the pain," Kairiku said in dismay.

"I can't hear a word they're saying anyway... I think they're whispering," Ciel noted, pushing fellow senshi off of her. She pressed her ear against the door once again and shook her head. "I can't hear anything!"

"I hope everything's alright... Xarae seemed very upset... and that girl looked quite ill," Yukiko said worriedly. They all sat and watched the door.

Behind the closed door, Xarae dried Antimone's wet hair, the remnants of her warm bath.

"Does that feel better?" The small girl smiled and nodded a little. Khameir walked to where the two were sitting on a bed and slipped a large shirt over Antimone's head. He sat down beside them.

"Antimone..." Xarae took her hands into her own. "Where are you from?"

"The future. I'm your daughter." Xarae frowned and looked downwards.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but that's not possible. You can't be our daughter," she said against her own premonitions.

"Momma... but I can prove it!" Xarae cringed. She really didn't want to end this poor girl's dream...

"Iridonia Infinity Power, Make UP!" A bright, golden light flooded the room, and when it subsided, there stood Antimone, in a full senshi fuku.

"I am Sailor Chibi Iridonia, defender of Ruin and Revolution, daughter of the Destined Warrior, and I, the Golden Senshi, will punish you!" She swung her golden glaive around and set it on the floor. Xarae stared at her daughter.

"Antimone?" whispered Khameir.

"Daddy." She frowned and powered down, tucking her henshin stick into thin air.

"But if you're from the future, why are you here?" He helped her back up onto the bed.

"Antimone, please tell us." Xarae stared into her deep, orange-yellow eyes.

"Momma... Daddy... I..." She took a deep breath. "I came to find you, Momma. I need you do to something for me, for everyone." Antimone looked down into her lap, and a silver tear slipped off her face.

"Antimone? Why are you crying?" Xarae lifted her daughter's head and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I need you to change Destiny. I need you to... stop me... I need to you to stop me in the future. Oh Momma, it was so horrible..." She threw herself at her mother.

"Antimone!" Xarae gave Khameir a worried glance over the their child's shoulder. "Antimone... please tell me... please tell me how I can help you!" The girl sniffled and lifted her head from Xarae.

"In the future... I killed some people. I killed people, Momma!! And they weren't just any people! They were my best friends! They were everyone's friends!" The small child's face contorted in anger and sadness, and tears began to flow freely down her face. "I didn't mean to... I was just trying to defend them... But they were killed! And everyone hates me now!"

"Oh Antimone..." Xarae reached out for her daughter. She felt her daughter's pain clench at her own heart.

"Who were these people, Antimone?" Khameir asked. Antimone turned to him.

"Our friends... Ben, and Chouko, and Melesse..." She took a deep breath. "And Ame and Nijihoshi. Our friends, Daddy." He looked stunned.

"Antimone... What exactly happened?" She shook her head violently.

"That doesn't matter now, Daddy. I just want it to never happen. I need the Phoenix's help." She looked at her mother and began to cry again. "Momma, I don't want to ever be born! I need you to stop me!"

"What is wrong in there? Why aren't they out yet?" Yuki bit her nails and asked, just as Ippin walked down the hall.

"What's doing on? Why is everyone just sitting here?" She stopped walking.

"Xarae is in there with a little girl and Khameir. They're been locked in there for a long time now, and we're getting worried." Ippin took a deep breath.

"I think you should just leave them alone." She slowly led the girls down the hall.

"Do you know something about this?" The flame-haired girl sighed and led them away from Xarae and Khameir's quarters.

"Antimone. I can't do that." Xarae closed her eyes silently and seriously. "I can't do that to you."

"Please!!! MOTHER!!!! If you do one thing for me, do this!!" The girl threw open her arms. But upon seeing her mother and father just sit silently, she took action. "Iridonia Infinity Power, Make UP!!" The Golden Senshi again stood before her parents. "Momma, do this... " She pointed her glaive at Xarae. "Or I will make you."

"Antimone... Don't make me do this..."

"Xarae, your forehead..." Khameir shielded his eyes as Xarae unwillingly transformed into the Phoenix. Once the flames of her henshin sequence had died out, Xarae stood in awe at herself.

"No... This can't be! I can't do this to my own daughter!"

"PHOENIX!!!!!" Xarae whirled around to find Sailor Chibi Iridonia flying at her, glaive first.

"NO! ANTIMONE!" She leapt out of the way, crashing forcefully through one of the walls of Xarae and Khameir's quarters. The two combatants emerged on the other side, crashing though one of the stone walls of the Room of a Thousand Waterfalls.

"Mother! Give me your sword!!" Antimone lunged again, and Destiny's Phoenix clashed her broadsword against the glaive of the warrior in front of her.

"Please! Things don't have to be this way!" Xarae pushed the young girl off of her. The golden-eyed girl growled. Sailor Chibi Iridonia lunged at the winged soldier, who jumped to avoid the glaive.

"GIVE ME THAT SWORD!!" The angered young woman flung herself at Xarae, who dodged the girl yet again. The dark-haired girl lost balance and fell to the ground below them, the glaive she carried clanging to the ground. Xarae breathed heavily, and in the silence she heard her sobbing. "Mother... please." Destiny's Phoenix frowned sadly and lowered herself to the ground.

"Antimone." Xarae looked to the sky, through the glass ceiling of the enormous room. Please protect her, Master19. "My daughter." She slowly raised her sword to the heavens.

"Sword Of Fate! Protect the future!" She gritted her teeth, and a bright white light shone from her sword. Rings of light pulsed from the weapon. Xarae held back her tears as the light penetrated the galaxy. She forced herself to look down at Antimone. Antimone! The girl reached out for her mother, opening her mouth in a silent scream. Xarae tore her gaze away and closed her eyes as the last explosion of light spread out from the Sword.

It ended quickly, and when she opened her eyes, the memory-erasing dust of the Sword of Fate was sprinkling itself over Coruscant. She looked at the ground. Antimone was gone.

The next day...

Obi-Wan Kenobi walked into the Room of a Thousand Waterfalls on his way to visit his pink-haired love interest, Annika. He stopped in his tracks upon seeing the gaping hole in a stone wall.

"WHAT?!! ANNIKA!!!" His angered voice echoed in the large, cavernous room.

"Obi-Wan, what is it?" Mara and Annika came running out from the Room Behind the Waterfall.

"What happened to this wall!?!?!" He pointed frantically.

"NANI YO!?" Annika exclaimed upon seeing the singed hole. A sweatdrop formed on her head. "I didn't do it this time! I swear! Ask Priire!! Ask Nom!! It wasn't me!!" She fell to her knees and started to cry.

"Calm yourself, Annika. It was probably Priire playing with her blaster," Mara said as she helped the bawling princess to her feet.

"No, it wasn't Priire or Nom, it was me." Xarae walked out from behind some foliage.

"Xarae? What happened?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"Last evening, I met up with Geri. We had a little battle before she left - it was nothing major."

"Do they know this is our hideout?" Mara asked. Xarae shook her head.

"I don't think so. Just a random attack on the Temple." The woman cringed visibly. She hated lying to her friends.

"As long as no one was hurt," Obi-Wan said. Xarae nodded.

"I'm sorry, but I need to go... Khameir wants me to meet him." Xarae smiled and said goodbye to her friends and walked off into the bushes of the beautiful room.

She walked further and further into the undergrowth. Once she was sure there was no one following her, she sat down on the cold, damp ground and put her head in her hands. Xarae began to cry. I can't believe I killed her... I didn't even know anything about her... I wish I could have known her better... spend time with her, treat her like a daughter... At least find out when she was born... Her body was racked with her sobbing. I didn't even know my own daughter's birthday! Why did this have to happen?

"Why?" Xarae whispered to herself.

"Xarae." She whirled around to find herself looking up at a saddened Ippin. "I'm so sorry." Xarae's beautiful face again twisted in sadness. She laughed a little and smirked.

"I forgot that the Memory Erase doesn't effect you."

"Xarae." Xarae looked up into Ippin's dark eyes. "It's alright, Xarae." The flame-haired senshi bent down and took Xarae into her arms. "Everything will be alright..." Slowly, she ran a hand over Xarae's long hair. "She's at peace."

"She's at peace." Xarae repeated.