Broken Hearts and Empty Cradles

Annika slept soundly, dreaming that she was lost in a magical land of chocolate. Slowly, a large snake crept into the room, up the steps and into the cage. The snake was black as pitch, with tiny silver slits for eyes. It inched along Annika's bed, until it was perched on the very edge. Then the form began to change, and the snake shifted into Lamia. She stared at the sleeping Princess for several minutes before her silver eyes moved down to Annika's now swollen abdomen and smiled. Annika was five and a half months pregnant; they were almost past the dangerous six-month mark. Soon Oame would live, and Lamia would rule the universe.

Her smile turned into a scowl as she realised her plan to trick Annika wasn't working. Annika wanted to be friends, but Lamia always wanted more. To make matters worse, the Light Side was corrupting her daughter, making her one of them. Lamia breathed heavy as she thought of the Jedi - Obi-Wan Kenobi. He visited every day, he and some of the other senshi - those brave enough to enter Selket, that is. She felt that her way of life was being destroyed; the Jedi wanted to steal everything from her.

"I plan on killing you once you give birth," Lamia whispered to Annika, who still slept. Taking one of her long hands and placing it over Oame's position, she whispered esoteric chants and curses. She filled Oame's soul with Dark Side energy, making her stronger in the Force, and turning her against the Light. Annika stirred in her sleep and moaned softly; the dark energy was affecting her too. Lamia grinned; maybe she wouldn't have to kill her.

"How goes it?" asked Akira from the bed. He stood and stretched his muscular arms towards the sky. "What time is it?"

Lamia rolled her eyes. "You are so disgusting," she said lustily; Akira's shirtless torso looked delectable in the candlelight. She almost wished they were back together. "Oame is now firmly in my grip. She is almost completely dark. After she is born, I will force the Light out of her forever."

Akira laughed, "I love it when you're evil."

The mountainous peaks of the shadowy fortress frowned down at the tiny, cloaked figure as she approached. The clouds above were grey and ominous, hanging like bulbous, deformed marshmallows. Ame wrapped her arms around herself and trudged through the rocky crags and jutting cliffs, getting nearer to the forbidden castle.

The wind cut around her and stung her skin. Grateful to finally reach the large wooden door, she reached her hand up to knock, but a trap door sprang beneath her feet. In a mere fraction of a second, Ame found herself in a dank dungeon, staring at Ariel.

"Hello, little rabbit!" she smiled. Ariel wrapped her hand around Ame's cloak and dragged her through tunnels that smelled like musty curtains and dust. Past crumbling statuary and secret rooms, Ame screamed for Ariel to release her. When she finally tossed her into another room, Ame saw a pair of black high-heeled shoes and knew who she would see wearing them.

Cautiously Ame rose to her feet and looked Kendra in her cold, hard eyes. It had been so long since she had seen her cousin and best friend, but the warm feelings of love and friendship washed over her, and she fought to control the smile that threatened to attack her face.

"Well, what do we have here?" Kendra sneered. She placed her red fingernail under Ame's chin and examined her profile. Narrowing her eyes, Kendra snorted, "Who are you?"

"You don't remember me? Figures. My name is Ame."

Kendra took a step back and placed her hands on her hips. This girl was familiar, in a sickening way. Strangely the evil Queen was flooded with protective emotions concerning the small child that stood before her; she felt almost motherly. And the girl's name, Ame, it was familiar too.

"So Ame, what do you want from the all mighty Sith Queen?"

"I need a favour."

Kendra laughed. "Who doesn't? Why should I do anything for you?"

Ame cleared her throat and took a step closer. Behind Kendra, she could see melted action figures of Sailor Bakura and pictures of Annika with her eyes cut out.

"I know why you hate her so much," Ame said gesturing to the morbid collection.

"Oh?"

"She's my mother. And your aunt."

"What are you talking about, kid? There is no way that piece of pink garbage is related to me."

"Actually, yes there is." Ame slowly told her story to Kendra. She helped the Queen remember her real childhood, how she came to be, and where she came from. The flame of recognition lit Kendra's eyes, and she smiled evilly.

Kendra looked at her hands and then grabbed a picture of Annika and ran to a mirror. She gazed at her reflection and saw the notable resemblance between herself and Sailor Bakura. "It's true! I remember! She was going to kill me, but you..." she said, whirling to face Ame. "You sent me here. You saved me."

Ame nodded and swallowed hard. "We were best friends back home on Bakura."

"Home on Bakura," Kendra repeated. She was stunned and filled with a new desire to squash the Jedi, especially her pathetic aunt. "My dearest cousin, what favour do you need from me? Request it, and consider it granted."

"My mother is pregnant."

Kendra burst into hysterical laughter. "You're joking? How can she stand to even touch that Jedi?" Ame had another story to tell, and this one made Kendra double over with giggles. The red- and white-haired woman gasped for breath and stomped her feet with enthusiasm.

"Annika, the goody two shoes? Annika the self-righteous, Annika the candy-coated, sugar-pink Princess, is knocked up by a vampire? That's hilarious!! I can't believe little Miss Innocent would cheat on Kenobi... and I bet he's ever so understanding and forgiving. What an idiot. He should dump her while he's young enough to find someone else." Kendra leaned back in her massive throne and sighed contently. "You still haven't told me what you want me to do, Ame. I'm assuming it has to do with the spawn in my aunt's womb?"

"Yes. I want you to kill her. If Kurai Oame is borne, she is a threat not only to the Jedi and Senshi, but to the Sith as well. After she unites the hoardes of Vampire Clans, they will be virtually unstoppable. You don't want to lose your empire to a child of Annika's, do you?"

"No one will ever be more powerful than the Sith! Leave it to that white-haired ditz to mess up my plans. Did you say," Kendra asked turning back to Ame, "that you want me to kill Oame. Isn't she your sister?"

"She is... and I do want you to kill her. The sooner, the better."

"Let me see if I understand this; I get to kill Annika's unborn baby, thereby hurling Auntie into a black spiral of depression and anger. I get to make her suffer and cry and wish she were dead, all on the advice of her future daughter? I can't wait!" Kendra yelled, slapping her hands together.

"I'll get Annika to the marketplace on the sixth level. You be there. But watch out for Lamia - she can take the form of a snake or a raven, and chances are she'll be watching Annika's every move. If not herself, then one of her henchmen." Ame turned to leave, but stopped when Kendra called her name. She spun around and saw Kendra place a dried rose petal in the palm of her hand. She tossed it into the air and a shower of dead petals fluttered around.

"Come to visit me again," Kendra instructed. Ame nodded solemnly before turning to leave. She could hear the maniacal laughter of her cousin echo off of the bare walls even after she was returned to the harsh conditions outside.

As promised, Lamia had allowed Annika free run of Selket, and on occasion, she was allowed to leave the premises all together. When Ame personally asked to escort Annika on a shopping spree, along with a few other senshi to act as protection, Lamia agreed, giving them a time frame of only an hour. Ame looked on as her mother walked along happily next to Doll, talking about all the pretty things she bought for the baby. Already having spent a small fortune of toys, clothes and baby bottles, Annika chatted and laughed; she was really happy. Suddenly she stopped and placed her hands on her stomach.

"What was that?" she said, worried. Doll placed his hands where Annika's were and smiled.

"She is moving for you."

"Is that what that is? Oh, it feels so odd. There's something in there, and it's moving!" Annika had tears in her eyes at the thought and feel of her child. "I hope it's this way with my other children!" So lost in thought was Annika that she didn't notice the beggar woman walking in front of her. They collided, and the woman's belongings flew everywhere.

"I'm so sorry! Let me help you pick this up!" Annika said. Doll grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the woman. Yuki ran over, now transformed into Sailor Hoth.

"Watch over her! We've got problems!" said the senshi of Ice. Doll glanced over his shoulder and saw the Sith. They were attacking things randomly; it wasn't a coincidence they were here. A large, black bird swooped down from the sky and morphed into Lamia. She grabbed Annika's hand started to run.

"This is it! This is when the Sith attack you! I knew I shouldn't have let you come!" Lamia spat out the words. Running through the thick crowd of people, Lamia was appalled when Doll jumped in front of her. "Doll! Why aren't you dead?" she screamed.

"Let me take her!" he yelled over the commotion of the crowd. The scene was pure chaos; people were everywhere, trying to escape the Sith attack. When Lamia refused to release her iron grip on Annika, Doll attacked her. He threw himself at Lamia, using his amazing strength to knock her to the ground. "Run!" he yelled to Annika. She slowly backed away and then ran. She heard Doll howl in pain and looked back to see Lamia pressing a small mirror against his face.

"Doll!!" Annika screamed. She started to run to him, but was physically spun around. She stood face to face with the beggar woman, who tossed the hood of her cloak off to reveal Kougo Ada. Annika's eyes flew open and she clutched her transformation brooch. "Bakura..."

"Hando Daaku Batsu!" the evil queen whispered maliciously. A misty black hand slithered its way around Annika, then slammed into her womb. Kendra laughed as Annika screamed.

"NOOOOOOOO!!" Lamia yelled. She jumped over the lifeless body of Doll and raced towards Annika.

Annika felt Kendra's hand chocking the life from her baby, and she was powerless to stop it. Tears slid down her face, and blood poured down her legs.

Kougo Ada threw her to the ground and said, "Congratulations, Auntie Annika, it's a dead baby girl!" She opened a bolthole and went to step inside. "Toodles!" she waved, before the black hole closed around her.

Annika dropped to her knees as blinding pain scraped at the walls of her abdomen. Like tiny metal claws, the pain raked over her entire body, and she seized in agony. Repeatedly, she cried out for help, but no one came. Lamia stood above her in shock. It was too late; the future would not be changed... for now. Shifting her form back into the raven, she flew away into the artificially bright sky. The Sith were gone, Doll was dead, and Annika clutched her midsection.

Sailor Iridonia ran up to her and tried to hold her, while Sailors Asteroid and Hoth went for medical help, Ame stood to the side, allowing the events to unfold, "I'm sorry Mother," she whispered.

Annika's bloody hands gripped Xarae's fuku as cried. "My baby... my baby," she wailed. "Please, Xarae... please make it stop! Don't let her die!"

Uncomfortably, Xarae watched the gruesome scene. There was nothing she could do; Fate was Fate. She whispered a silent prayer to whatever was listening and just held onto Annika. There was so much blood pouring from her now that Annika was growing weak and getting dizzy. She placed her hand on her abdomen, and the last words she said before slipping into unconsciousness were, "I love you, Oame."

A depressing aura had befallen the entire Jedi Temple as well-wishers came to see Annika in the infirmary. They brought her tidings of peace and comfort, but nothing could comfort her anymore. Obi-Wan was given permission to stay at her side constantly, but she just stared out of the window. Yuki and Ippin had brought Annika a complete set of Sailor Moon manga, hoping to cheer her up, but she merely thanked them and went back to the window. Xarae was beside herself; she felt that as the Senshi of Children, she should have been able to do something. Priire assured her that Annika's Fate was out of her control and that no one was to blame.

Selket had been temporarily shut down, and Lamia and her cohorts had vanished. Obi-Wan knew they would be back eventually, but for now he was relieved not to deal with them. Lamia had sent a message through the holovid, swearing revenge on the Jedi and the Sith, but he wasn't worried. His main concern was for Annika.

"Why did Kendra do this? Why didn't she just kill me?" Annika whispered to Obi-Wan. He didn't know how to answer her, so he just touched her hand and sighed. He knew Kendra was evil, but he had no idea she was capable of such utter cruelty.

A few days later, Annika was released from the infirmary and she shuffled her way to her room, with Obi-Wan at her side, stopping to speak to no one. Since Oame's death, she hadn't said much, and she had purposefully avoided everyone, especially everyone with children. She almost threw up when she saw Aisu playing a game with Yuki. The sight of all the Chibis upset her, even her own. She didn't want to see anyone except Obi-Wan, and she even kept him at a distance. Everyone grew silent as Annika walked through the library. She was as pale as a ghost, her eyes were red and swollen, and her face was gaunt and thin. The senshi all wanted to say something to her, but they didn't know what. Ciel was grieving for Doll and Annika, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

Priire started to speak, but she stopped. There was no way she could pretend to relate to what her friend was going through, but the rare tear did loom in the corner of her eyes.

Ignoring them all, Annika climbed the stairs that led to her bedroom. She leaned on Obi-Wan for support because her feet felt as heavy as led. She paused before turning the knob on her door. She didn't want to enter her bedroom because the last time she was in there, she had Oame. She had hopes and dreams for the future, hopes that were crushed by Kendra's insane hatred. Annika immediately caught sight of a big pink box sitting on her bed when she opened the door to her room. At first she thought it was from Lamia, but the card just had a single, red, letter 'K' inscribed on it. Emotionlessly, Annika lifted the lid and gasped at what she saw. Kendra had sent her a gift of black baby rattles and black baby clothes, black bottles and a black teddy bear that played the funeral march when the key on its back was wound.

Ame stood in the doorway and frowned as Annika doubled over in sobs. Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rocked her back and forth. Ame turned and made her way back to her bedroom; she turned off all the lights, climbed under the covers on her bed and cried herself to sleep.