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"Explain to me again why it is that we are travelling to Bakura on such short notice, Your Highness," Josephine asked. The dark-green-haired woman had been sitting on the Silver Swan for three hours now, and her whole body ached. She shifted her weight uncomfortably and smiled at their fellow companion on this impromptu journey - Xarae Sarin.
"Two reasons: One - my mother and father want to meet you. Two - there is a great sale in the Ninth Street shopping district, and I want to buy you an apartment-warming gift."
"You don't have to do that," she began. Annika shook her head, and a look of pure stubbornness crossed her brow. Josephine was struck by just how much she was like Queen Muren. Even after revealing the truth about her past, Josie was amazed at Annika's sense of forgiveness and the vast depth of her love.
Annika, on the other hand, was too busy trying to remember what the red blinking light on the right side panel meant. Piloting was not her best area of expertise, and she was struggling hard to recall her lessons. The light continued to blink, as did two more red lights. One by one, the others on the right side panel began to glow the colour of blood. Annika's heart shuddered, and her stomach trembled. She knew she was beginning to panic; her breathing came faster and her eyes darted from light to light. Suddenly all the lights flickered off, and Annika's relief was replaced by terror as a loud siren went off inside the Swan.
"What is that??" Xarae asked, jumping to her feet.
"I'm not sure, I'm not the best pilot..."
"Get out of the seat now!" Josephine yelled.
"But..."
Josephine unbuckled the strap around Annika and physically removed her. She took the controls and yelled for Annika and Xarae to brace for impact.
"What?!?" the pink- and white-haired Princess screamed.
"We're going to crash. The back engines have failed. I have no choice but to try and pilot her to that planet."
Annika gripped the sides of her chair and closed her eyes. The ship started to shake violently as it entered the atmosphere of a small brown planet. Josephine threw her weight into straightening the ship's nose - otherwise the ship would disintegrate on the entry.
"Pull up, pull up, pull up..." she pleaded. By now the ship's computer had gone out, and the lights inside were trying to extinguish. There was no time to be thankful as the Silver Swan cleared the atmosphere because with the engines out, Josie was unable to control the flight pattern. They approached a densely wooded area and were immediately thrown off course from the impact of hitting the trees. The ship careened past the woods and headed towards some rocky mountains.
The Swan grazed the dusty ground several times before sliding. Josephine tugged the controls into a sharp left turn. The ship skidded to a halt a few metres away from certain death. Sirens blared and the lights continued to flash. From the windows Josie saw running water, lush vegetation and small animals.
"Your Highness, Xarae, the computer is still not responding, but we have to get out of the ship. It's leaking fuel rapidly. I'm guessing from the conditions outside that this planet is safe, but to be sure we'll wear oxygen masks."
"Your Highness, we have to leave now!" Josephine repeated when she noticed Annika still seated.
"Annika!!" Xarae yelled as she saw the Princess' head slumped onto her chest. Quickly, she ran over and grabbed Annika's head. Something warm and sticky ran onto her hands. Fear clutched at her heart as she realised it was blood. During the crash, Annika's head slammed against the wall. Feeling for a pulse, she found only a faint beat. In one swift movement, she strapped on the oxygen masks and picked up her friend's limp body.
Josephine and Xarae ran farther away from the ship, and only seconds later it exploded in a brilliant flash of silver and purple light. With blood still trickling from Annika's head wound, her life was slipping away. Ripping a piece of cloth from her skirt, Josie tied it around the Princess' head. They were in the middle of nowhere but had to find shelter; the scanner Josie brought from the ship showed the temperature would drop to a dangerous degree once the sun fell.
Footsteps behind them caused Xarae and Josie to jump. They saw an elderly man carrying a very large rifle. He wore a brown tunic tied with a black belt and a matching head scarf.
"Was that your ship back there?" he creaked. His voice shook because of his age, but his hands were steady as they aimed the barrel at Xarae's head.
"Yes... my name is Josephine Versailles, and this is Xarae Sarin. We come from Coruscant and mean you no harm. Please... our friend is hurt..." she placed her hand on Annika's shoulder, drawing his attention to her.
"We don't want any trouble from you Coruscant people."
"You don't understand. We're not criminals. This woman is Annika Nesicha, the Princess of planet Bakura. I think... I think she's dying," Xarae whispered.
A scream threaded through the halls of the third floor of the Room Behind the Waterfall. Several people ran to investigate, but Lys already knew what was wrong. She stood at the foot of her sister's bed with her mouth wide open. Lysthea had suddenly collapsed to the floor because her feet had vanished, and Lys couldn't help her as her hands were gone.
"What's going on in here?" Chuoko asked from the doorway.
Lys stumbled. "I don't know... my hands..."
Chuoko wandered over to see, but Lys' hands and Lysthea's feet were back to normal.
"They just disappeared... I just didn't have hands... and Thea's feet... I don't know what happened."
A few hours later, both girls were sitting in front of Master Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yoda was deep in meditation. Without warning, his eyes snapped open, and he looked at Obi-Wan.
"Changing their future is," proclaimed the small yet imposing creature. "Be born they will not."
"Nani?" the twins exclaimed.
"Clouded yes, but the future always moving it is."
"I'm having difficulty understanding Master. I thought Lys and Lysthea are my..."
"They were... but now are not."
Obi-Wan concentrated and tried to connect with the Force. "I feel something, I just cannot identify it."
Yoda sighed. "Thinking about the future too much you are. Do not forget, it is today which determines tomorrow."
Obi-Wan looked with sad eyes at Lys and Lysthea, who were consoling themselves in a corner. He thought about what Yoda said and switched his focus to the living Force. As if a flood gate was opened, he knew Annika was in serious trouble. Her today was dying and, with it, her future.
"What planet is this?" Xarae asked the elderly woman who was gently stroking Annika's bandaged head. It had been several hours since the ship exploded, and they had been offered shelter by the old man they met in the woods.
"Trevis Four, although we used to be known only as Trevis. We had no idea about the other planets in our solar system or that life existed in the rest of the galaxy until recently." Her soft hands stoked the fire that burned in a large stone hearth.
"So, you've been fairly isolated. No wonder you don't like off-worlders," Josephine whispered. Her long legs were crossed in front of her, and one foot shook nervously. She glanced at Annika, who lay in a makeshift bed. Her breather was shallow, but the bleeding had stopped.
"Have you had any luck trying to use the Force to contact one of the Jedi?" asked Josie, returning her attention to Xarae.
"No, I-"
"Oh you can't use the Force here, dear. Jedi came from Coruscant about a year ago to investigate... something about radiation from the planet's core. Don't worry, your friends will find you."
Sighing, Josephine took another sip of her tea. The old woman, Emaz, straightened her grey hair and excused herself for the night.
Now alone, save the unconscious Annika, Xarae turned to Josephine. "May I ask you a question?"
"Please."
"I hope I don't sound too forward, but... what exactly are your feelings for Annika?"
"Aa... am I in love with her, you mean?"
Xarae nodded.
"I'm not sure. I have strong feelings for her..." she sighed. "I was just so in love with Muren."
"Do you miss her?" Xarae asked, recalling how her own heart ached for her lost love, Maul.
"Oh yes." Josie smiled. "Before she met the Prince, we were inseparable. There was a small stream behind the Palace that was surrounded by flowers. Muren and I would sit there for hours, talking, eating... just enjoying being with each other."
A slight frown crossed Xarae's beautiful face as her thoughts turned to Maul. She and Josephine shared the pain of loss - a pain that Xarae knew only too well. "Do you think you'll ever fall in love with someone else?"
Josie's cold grey eyes caught Xarae's warm blue ones. "I don't know that either... I hope so."
A pencil dropped from Lys's hand, and when she stooped to retrieve it, her fingers were gone. A gasp escaped her lips before her long fingers returned to her.
"D... does this mean that Annika-sama is... is..." the white and pink kitten UsaNeko started to say.
"Lys and Lysthea are still here - that means so is Annika," Obi-Wan said dryly.
"If only we knew where they were..." trailed Ippin.
As if a wish were answered, a small, swirling black hole appeared in the centre of the room, startling everyone. It grew larger and larger until it was big enough to be stepped into. A pink light glowed around the edges of the hole, and soft pink clouds billowed around.
"It's Ame," Lys said.
A silhouetted female figure materialised inside the black hole. Obi-Wan looked at his future daughter. "Who is Ame?"
Before he could receive an answer, a tall woman with long, wavy candy-coloured pink hair stepped from the hole. She carried a long staff and wore a white and pink sailor fuku.
"Who are you?" demanded Obi-Wan.
"That is not your concern," the woman snapped.
Lysthea ran to Obi-Wan's side as if to protect his from the harsh words. Lys took a step closer.
"Ame, what's happening? Where is Annika?"
"I want you to know that I wouldn't tell you if I hadn't been ordered to... I could care less about that woman."
"Ame - please! Won't you...?" Lysthea cried.
Lys' anger exploded from her. "Aren't you worried you'll cease to exist too?"
"Nothing effects me... I'm already dead, remember?" Lys dropped her head and took a few steps back.
"I don't want her here with me, and it is not her time to die. Annika is on a small planet in the outer rim called Trevis Four. She is near death."
Obi-Wan frowned. Trevis Four was near Tatooine, and it would take up to six days to reach the planet.
Reading his mind, Ame spoke, "Six days is too long. She will be dead within three."
Ippin transformed into Sailor Yavin and gracefully displayed her time staff. "I can open a gate that will take us to the planet," the beautiful red-headed soldier said proudly.
Ame took a step towards her. "That would be a direct violation of your Guardianship responsibilities, Sailor Yavin. I do not want to report you."
"What?!? A violation! This is a matter of life and death!" she yelled.
"Life and Death are not your worry. I suggest you find an alternative route!" the pink-haired woman hissed.
"Ame-sama?" UsaNeko's little voice quivered. The tiny kitten looked sadly at the Guardian of the Afterlife. Ame glanced down, saw the small creature and smiled. Dropping to one knee, she scooped UsaNeko into her hands.
"Usa-chan? I haven't seen you since I was a child!"
"I've missed you, Ame-sama."
"Oh, I miss you too!"
The kitten cleared her throat. "Please... let Annika-sama come back - I don't want to miss her too."
Ame gingerly placed UsaNeko safely back on the floor and sighed, "Fine. Sailor Yavin, you may travel to Trevis Four. I will keep this secret."
"Thank you," Coru whispered. Ame walked back to the gates, pink clouds swirling around her ankles.
Lysthea clasped her hands over her heart. "Will we ever see you again, Ame?"
With her back to them, she said, "Eventually... everyone sees me."
"That's not what I mean."
"I see. In that case... maybe." Then the tall long-haired woman stepped into the black hole her pink clouds following her. Slowly the gate closed.
"Who was she?" Obi-Wan asked harshly. Lys and Lysthea shrugged. Obi-Wan furrowed his brow but didn't have time to argue.
Sailor Yavin opened the time gates, and she and Obi-Wan stepped through. They ended up in a very cold, very wet lake on Trevis Four.
Josephine and Xarae stood at a local pharmacy. Emaz sent them to buy special herbs so she could make a salve for the wound on Annika's head. Xarae was busy strolling the aisles looking at the assorted knickknacks and overabundance of plastic eating utensils. She was inspecting several orange toys when she heard Josephine's voice.
"Listen, I'm flattered... but I'm not interested."
Xarae saw a blue-haired man standing close to Josie; occasionally he would try to touch her face.
"What's wrong with you, huh?" he asked after she jerked away from his advances for the third time. When she didn't answer, the man's temper flared as he raised his hand to slap her.
"You should have some manners when you talk to a lady!" Xarae scolded as she grabbed his arm. "Are you okay?" she asked Josephine. The blue-haired man's posture straightened as his eyes flicked from girl to girl.
"I get it now. You're one of those people."
"Excuse me?"
"I know all about your kind. You people make me sick."
"What did we do to you?" Xarae wondered.
"You two are..."
"Actually-" Josephine began to say.
"We are. And if you don't want a real fight, maybe you should leave."
"Yeah, well... it's easy to change... all it takes is the right man. Freaks!" he turned and walked off. Xarae's eyes shone with pure fire. She started to walk after him, but was stopped by Josie.
"He's not worth it, Xarae."
"We can't let him get away with that!!"
"I don't want to be a social crusader. I only hope that one day he'll change his attitude and realise that I can't force myself to have feelings for a man no more than you could force yourself to have feelings for a woman."
A smile played across Xarae's red lips. "So... you don't think I could fall in love with a woman?"
Josephine stammered, "Well... I didn't mean... I just assumed."
The smile Xarae wore blossomed into laughter. They both laughed hard until the pharmacist plopped a bag of yellow weeds on the counter.
Suddenly Xarae stopped. "Do you feel that?"
"What is it?"
"The Time Gate is open."
Obi-Wan and Ippin found the remains of the Silver Swan and a short while later, they found the small house where Annika was lying closer to death.
"We have to get her back to Coruscant now," Sailor Yavin told Emaz.
"She'll have to go into the bacta tank," Obi-Wan frowned, he knew how much Annika hated bacta.
"What can we do to help?" Xarae asked from the doorway.
"Can you help me carry her, Xarae?" Yavin asked. Both girls slowly lifted the pinkish-haired girl and walked through the freshly-opened Time portal. Obi-Wan held back and cornered Josephine.
"I should've known you would be with her. I would appreciate it if in the future you kept a healthy distance."
"I know you are fearful for her, but for a Jedi you have little control over your emotions."
"I don't know what you are after, but you cannot take her from me."
"As I recall, you do not have her. Besides shouldn't you being paying more attention to your Padawan? You don't want him to fall prey to the Dark Side."
"Anakin is progressing very well under my instruction. And I will be with Annika again... we're destined."
Josephine laughed bitterly. "Destiny doesn't make you perfect. It was Pride that made you lose her once, and if you are not careful, you will lose her again." She pivoted and walked to the still-open gate.
"I don't understand," Obi-Wan frowned.
With almost a twisted satisfaction, Josephine grinned and told him, "When I revealed the actions of the past to the Princess, I left out several hurtful details."
"Such as?"
"Your past self did love Muren, very much... but you were also very flawed. Your attentions soon turned from the Queen.
"You didn't deserve her - neither of us did. But you ignored her... she was more like an embarrassment to you than a love. On several occasions, the Prince would flinch at the sound of Muren's voice. He loved her, he just wished she were more reserved, more regal, wished she carried herself like a proper Queen."
Obi-Wan felt lower than a space slug, because he knew that he sometimes wished the same things. Whenever Annika tripped over something, or insisted on being affectionate outside of the Room Behind the Waterfall, or when she showed her trademarked insecurity - he wished she were different... more like him.
Once more a chuckle escaped Josephine's throat. "Your problem has always been your ego. Annika does not need to advance to your level - you need to move to hers."
The Jedi Master stood amazed. He was almost afraid to know any more about his past life. "Was I very mean to her?"
"The Prince could be, yes. I dare not wonder how the Queen's heart would have shattered if she knew of the times when the Prince strayed from her side."
He faltered a little and violently shook his head. There was no way he would cheat on the woman he loved. "That's impossible."
"It's the truth."
"...I would never..."
"No, 'you' wouldn't. But the Prince did. You see it is possible to change. We are reborn because we have either failed to fulfil our mission, or not learned a lesson. Each new life presents us with an opportunity to begin again with the lessons from past lives already known. If we ignore the past, we are destined to repeat it. You have changed because of your past... and so have I. The choices we make in the present influence the future. Our today determines our tomorrow."
Obi-Wan smiled at the familiar phrase. He had come to a crossroad, and he knew what he had to do.
"Miss Versailles, I apologise for my past behaviour and sincerely hope you hold no ill feelings toward me. I would like us to begin again, so to speak."
"I would like that very much, Master Kenobi," she smiled.
Several days later, Annika was busy pacing her room. She repeatedly checked her reflection and smoothed her pink shirt. The wound on her head was completely healed, and the scar was hidden by her massive amount of hair. A soft knock came to her door, and her heart skipped a beat.
She opened the door to discover the smiling face of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He stepped over a pile of clean clothes that lay in the spot her pink chair usually occupied, but it was still missing. Annika sat on her bed and he at on the pink couch. UsaNeko stretched in her pink bed before falling back into slumber.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm fine now."
A silence fell over the room casting the ex-lovers into an uncomfortable situation.
"Annika - I..."
The odangoed girl laughed nervously and said, "It's okay. I know this is a strange feeling for me too. For once I have nothing to say."
"It's not that... I want to make something you know something. No matter what happens in our future, I want you to know that I am proud of you."
"I'm sorry."
"Why?" he laughed.
"I know I'm not exactly the woman you wish I were."
Obi-Wan quickly reached over and grabbed her hands. "You are exactly who you should be. There are things you need to experience, lessons you need to learn. I can't be selfish and keep them from you."
Blushing, Annika looked at her hands.
"You will continue to mature," Obi-Wan went on, "and bloom into a wise, regal woman, and I will be there. I will allow you to be the person you deserve to be, even if that means we can't be 'more than friends' right now." He leaned forward and kissed Annika's forehead. He left her still sitting on her bed, and, closing the door behind him, he felt lighter and happier than he had in weeks.
Annika opened a small drawer in her pink vanity table and removed the red scarf she had cut in half when she and Obi-Wan broke up. Studying it carefully, she placed both pieces under her pillow and wondered how many other red ribbons would enter her life before she and Obi-Wan would find their way back to each other.
