"Swords, Secrets and Subarashii Sweetness!!"
~ the illustrated story of how Benjamin Skywalker (Coruscant Knight)
 and Kirin Yukiko (Sailor Hoth) found their destined love ~

*hand-drawn pics by Chikako (Myrkr), story by Kirin Yukiko (Hoth)*

Many thanks to Priire for her great plot help, to Leeloo for the lovely Magena and the surprise at the end (hehehe), to Menucca for her terrific series of pictures that fit so perfectly into this story, and especially to Mara for letting Yuki play with Ben. :)   Note: this is set *directly* after Magena's "The Lost Melody."  For those who wish to read just a particular section, there are links to each Part.  Please note that I changed the numbering of the parts from what was posted to fit the Japanese titles.  :)
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Part 1 - Sabishisa - loneliness - Ben and Yuki dance.  Aisu is upset.  Yuki flees.
Part 2 - Shinzen - friendship - Magena counsels Ben.  Yuki's friends counsel her. 
Part 3 - Shukumei - destiny - Xarae senses something wrong with Aisu. Yoda interferes.
Part 4 - Setsubo - longing - Yuki teaches Ben an ancient sword dance.
Part 5 - Shibaru - to bind together - Mara gets Ben and Yuki to fight as one in the Force.
Part 6 - Shinpai - anxiety - Xarae realizes that Ben and Yuki's destinies are threatened.
Part 7 - Seien - encouragement - Preparing for the Big Date!
Part 8 - Shinzo gai tsuyoi - to be of strong heart - The "Talk"!
Part 9 - Sawai  - happiness - Ben and Yuki are interrupted by Master Yoda.
Part 10 - Saisu - family - Just who IS Aisu anyway?  :)
Part 11 - Saisaki - future - Unexpected visitor!

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Part 1 - Sabishisa - loneliness

Yukiko stepped into the Room Behind the Waterfall with a much lighter heart than in recent days. She was glad she'd had the chance to talk to Magena. The silver-haired dancer had reassured Yuki that the ice-haired senshi  was *not* responsible for Ben and Magena's breakup. That news had come as such a relief!

But one little kiss, during a holiday party no less, didn't mean that Ben was *really* interested in her. How could he be when there were so many much more attractive senshi and Padawans interested in becoming his next significant other?

Walking towards the kitchen, she noticed a little gathering of unattached senshi around Ben, flirting with him as they all ate their evening meal. He was his usual charming self, which, of course, had the ladies eating out of his hand. Yuki sighed enviously, thinking that she could never compete with so many beautiful women. She looked down at her slender yet rough hands, callused from many years of sword training, and felt very unfeminine. Though Yuki had many crushes in the past, she'd never been very successful with guys. They usually felt threatened by her martial arts skills or intimidated by her height. She'd never really felt like she fit in anywhere until she came to the Jedi Temple as a senshi.

She sighed again as she grabbed a quick snack out of the kitchen, then settled down at an empty table set back in the shadows. Every time she looked at Ben, she got this strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Well, she'd just stop looking! She wasn't going to make a complete fool of herself. It was just one little kiss... 'And a waltz' her inner voice reminded her. Sternly telling her inner voice -- which sounded a heck of a lot like Master Yoda -- to keep quiet she tried to focus on her meal. Unfortunately, her eyes seemed to have other plans, sliding occasionally over to get a quick glimpse of the handsome Knight's face.

~~

Ben noticed Yuki walk into the Room and watched wistfully as she piled a plate high with food. He just couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. He drank in the sight of her beautiful face and striking pale blue eyes. Her tall, elegant body moved so gracefully she almost seemed to float as she settled down to a table. If only he could dance with her once more... But he'd seen the group of Padawans that hung around her in the practice halls and knew that he wasn't the *only* one captivated by her skill and beauty. But, he mused, none of those Padawans ever seemed to become more than just friends with her.

His tablemates, realizing that Ben's attention had been completely grabbed by the silent figure now sitting in the shadows, just sighed with envy. One by one they slipped away with quiet murmurs of "Good fortune!" or "Lucky girl!" leaving the common room mostly deserted. The young man didn't even notice them leaving, as he was busy trying to decide what to do next.

He tried to think of a plan. Perhaps she was just shy and needed him to make the first move. A smug smile broke over his face as he got an idea. First, he took his tray over to the disposal chute, then he headed to the controls for the audio system that could pipe music throughout the common room.

~~

Yuki devoured the last of her meal with her eyes fixed firmly on her plate. When she finally allowed herself to look over in Ben's direction again, she was both relieved and disappointed to see that the little mob had broken up and that there was no sign of the dashing young Knight. Then she realized that someone had put a lovely waltz on the speaker system in the main room. At the same moment, a smooth voice spoke from behind her, causing her to jump slightly.

"May I have this dance, Princess?"

She turned to see a smiling Ben extending his hand towards her. Before she could think about what she was doing, she was once again swept into his arms and away from the tables.

Gracefully they swirled around room to a haunting melody, Ben expertly steering them around the scattered tables. Yuki could hardly believe that she was once again in his arms, staring up at his handsome smiling face, this time with no guilt, no remorse. She felt the warm reality of his strong arms around her as he pulled her even closer, the faintly spicy scent of him filling her senses as they danced. Their eyes met causing an almost electric shock between them. Somehow this feels so familiar, Yuki thought. As if they'd done this before in another time... another life. As the song ended, neither one wanted to let go.

The sounds of shouting chibis interrupted their tender moment and Ben's plans of stealing another kiss. A small blue-haired whirlwind blasted through the door, chased by a thoroughly upset Melesse, with Chouko, Kyoko and Xarae in close pursuit.

"Gimme back my wand!" yelled the sobbing Chibi Mimban.

"I found it so it's mine!!" Aisu yelled back as she held tightly onto the wand in question.

"Aisu!!" said Yuki, appalled at her cousin's behaviour. "Give Melesse back her wand immediately!! You know better than that!"

"You can't tell me what to do!" shouted the angry chibi. "You're not my mother!" She threw down the wand. "I didn't want the stupid old thing anyway!" With that, Aisu ran off crying. Yuki just stood frozen in shock while Xarae ran after the girl and Kyoko consoled Melesse. Aisu's last phrase echoed and re-echoed through Yuki's mind. **You're not my mother!** It was one simple phrase with huge implications.

"Don't worry, Yuki," reassured Chouko. "You know how kids are at this age. They'll be over it in a day or so and then they'll be good friends again."

"But...she's right," said the stricken Yuki, "I'm *not* her mother. *How* could I have forgotten?" With one despairing look at Ben, she turned and ran towards her room, leaving the Knight and her friends to stare after her in confusion.

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Part 2 - Shinzen - friendship

Over the next week, as predicted, Aisu and Melesse were again good friends. Aisu had also apologized to Yuki and the two were closer than ever. Yuki even took Aisu to see Magena's marvellous premiere. But Yuki withdrew further and further from her friends and went out of her way to avoid a totally confused Ben.

The young Knight was once again lying on the soft grass of one of the many gardens of the Jedi Temple outwardly meditating. But inside his thoughts kept spinning around and around the image of a certain blue-eyed beauty. He just couldn't understand what went wrong! Yuki seemed so happy in his arms and now she wouldn't even be in the same room with him! He *knew* in the depths of his soul that she had felt that same special connection that he had while they danced. Did he move too fast? He sighed and sat up, tossing a small pebble into a nearby stream. Why did things have to be so complicated?

"Credit for your thoughts, kid," came a quiet, familiar voice from behind him.

Ben managed a weak smile. "Hello, 'Gena. What brings you here?"

"A friend in need." The silver haired dancer sat down next to Ben. "So... talk!"

"I'm just not sure what happened," said Ben in despair. "One moment we were dancing as one and the next she won't even talk to me!" He looked over at his friend with a totally lost look on his face. "I just can't bear to lose her when I've hardly even had the chance to know her."

Magena tilted her head as she pondered the possibilities. "Maybe you should try just getting to know her better as a friend before you go trying to sweep her off her feet? Surely there are some things you both have in common."

"Well, she *is* a marvellous lightsaber duelist and martial artist." Ben said smiling dreamily as he remembered watching her spar with Obi-Wan.

The amused Magena just shook her head ruefully. "Jedi... I'll never understand them! Then why don't you just start out by asking her to spar with you? Then just see what happens."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try," Ben shrugged unhappily. "But I haven't even been able to get the chance to talk to her!"

Magena leaned close and whispered conspiratorially, "That's the other reason I came to find you. I have it on very good authority that some of Yuki's friends are going to have a nice long talk with her today in the common room. Depending on how the talk goes, it *might* just be the perfect chance for you to ask her to spar with you and to give things between you another chance."

"Her friends are going to do what?" Ben just looked at her with astonishment.

"Annika can be very persuasive," laughed Magena. She sobered and continued softly, "Ben, there are a lot of people who can't see two people they care for in pain without wanting to help them." She swatted his arm. "So just give it a chance, okay?"

"Okay, I will... if only to stop you from nagging me," he grinned as he regained a sense of hope.

"It's a deal, kid!" smiled Magena.

~~

Yuki dragged herself and her empty plates over to the disposal chute in the kitchen off the senshi's common room. Though she hardly had any interest in eating, she knew she had to keep her energy up for her daily workout sessions. It seemed like the practice arena was the only place where she could forget what a mess she'd made of things. As she left the kitchen, she was surprised to find a bunch of her friends waiting for her.

"Yuki, we'd like to talk to you a moment," requested a determined Ippin.

"Sorry, but I don't have the time right now," replied Yuki gruffly, knowing full well what her friends wanted to talk about.

"What is your problem, Yuki-chan?" asked an irritated Miyuki. "Ben is free and definitely interested. Magena doesn't resent you. Anyone with a touch of Force-sense can tell that you're crazy about him. Why don't you just go after him?"

"I said I'd rather not talk about it!" Yuki replied with uncharacteristic anger. "Now let me go, I'm supposed to meet Councilor Windu for sparring practice this afternoon and I still need to change."

"We're not going to let you get off that easy," warned Priire as she blocked Yuki's path.

"You and Ben have been miserable for over a week! We just want to know what's wrong!" pleaded Chikako.

"We're concerned about you, Yuki-chan!" said a worried Annika. "Please talk to us!"

"Does it have something to do with Aisu?" asked Xarae quietly.

"Chikushou!" Yuki swore then threw up her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, you win!" She led the small group of her closest friends to one of the many quiet nooks that surrounded the main room. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see some of her younger friends hovering around nearby nooks, pretending to talk or surf the GalacticNet, but obviously also concerned. Yuki harrumphed, supposing that the younger ones had been told to give the older senshi first crack.

Sighing with resignation, she settled into a big comfy chair, while her friends sprawled themselves over the other chairs and couch. Kirana had the foresight to bring a large box of sweets, which were quickly passed around. Yuki just had to chuckle at that. "You planned this all out, didn't you?" she asked wryly.

"Don't be upset, Yuki-chan!" pleaded Annika with her best 'big anime' eyes look and handed Yuki a chocolate pastry peace offering. "You shut everyone out, so we didn't know what else to do!"

Yuki just sighed and rubbed a hand wearily over her tired eyes. "I understand." She looked over at the dark-haired Guardian of Destiny sitting quietly in the shadows. "You were right, Xarae, it does concern Aisu." She closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of her plush chair.

"It hinges on the fact that Aisu is my future cousin, not my future daughter." She paused, uncertain as to how much more to share, then continued doggedly. "From the visions I've been having, the domed cites on my Hoth will be totally destroyed in the Dark times ahead. I know that Hoth will pretty much stay deserted until the far distant future." Opening her eyes she looked down at her hands, curled into tight balls in her lap, she continued softly, "It's not that difficult to conclude that I probably don't survive Hoth's destruction, though Master Yoda has said that there's a good chance I can save my people."

She looked up at the shocked faces of her friends with a heartbreaking smile, "How in the name of the thousand little gods could I ask Ben be part of a relationship that's probably doomed to end in only a few years?"

The group was silenced by as much by the quiet anguish in Yuki's voice as by her revelation. Finally, Annika reached out to touch Yuki's hand. "That is a hard destiny to face alone, Yuki-chan. You will need your friends and loved ones around you." She smiled gently, "Ben does care for you! It doesn't take the Senshi of Love to see that! You may not have forever, but you could have *now*. This moment is the one you must live in!"

"But that wouldn't be fair to him!" Yuki protested, though Annika's advice sounded a lot like the advice Master Yoda had given her months ago.

"Why don't you let *him* decide that?" replied Priire in exasperation. "He's not a child! He might just think that you're worth it!"

"At least talk to him, Yuki!" Ippin added urgently, laying a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders. "Right now he probably has no idea why you're avoiding him. You *do* love him, don't you?" she asked with a knowing smile.

The ice-blue haired senshi blushed and replied softly, "More than I can say." She sighed, "You're right, I do owe him that much at least." She took a deep breath and managed a slight smile for her friends. "Okay, you've convinced me. I'll talk to him!"

"Good for you!" praised Kirana. She winked, "Of course you could do more than just *talk*!"

"Kirana!!"

"Shhh! Here he comes now!" hissed Chikako.

The Knight in question was obviously searching for someone or something. Ben was dressed in his usual short jacket over a dark tank top with matching loose pants. His new birthday sword was strapped to his back though his lightsaber still swung from its usual spot on his belt. The girls saw him gaze around the room then smile as he noticed the little group in the nook.

"Hello, ladies," he bowed gallantly to the group. Amid the chorus of replies, he focused his determined attention on a suddenly nervous Yuki. She couldn't very well run away from him this time!

"Yukiko... would you teach me that sword dance you did at the anniversary party?" He paused then added with a heart-melting smile, "It would be a great way to get a feel for this new sword of mine."

"Good excuse!" muttered Priire who was then kicked by her twin. "Ow!" she glared then subsided as Ippin gave her a warning glance.

Yuki was totally oblivious to the quick exchange as she was staring into Ben's deep turquoise eyes. Once again she felt a sense of rightness, a feeling that standing in front of her was the other half of her soul. Could this really work? Would he be willing to be with her for however long the Force would give them? Realizing that Ben was waiting for a reply, she pulled herself together. Blushing, she replied softly, "It would be an honor. Just let me get changed."

Ben, who was staring at Yuki just as intently, also blushed and smiled back. "Great! I'll meet you in the main practice hall." He bowed once more to the group, heading out with spring in his step and a rather goofy grin on his face.

Yuki had the same grin on her face as she rather absent-mindedly thanked her friends for their help and floated off to her room to change.

Their friends were kind enough to let the two get out of earshot before cracking up.

Kirana chuckled in amusement. "They have it bad, that's for sure!" She shook her head, sending her pearlescent hair flying. "I really hope they can talk things out. They deserve happiness, even if it's for only a short while."

"Such a difficult future to face," sighed Annika. "No wonder she is hesitant. I just hope that they can find each other."

"Hah, did you see them blush?" chortled Miyuki as she leaned back in her chair. I think they'll be fine!"

"Yeah," chuckled Priire with a wicked grin. "Two of our finest warriors, able to face anything from killer youma to Sailor Sith without flinching, nervous about a little date!"

"Humph, how romantic!" grumbled Annika, crossing her arms in front of her. "I'm not so sure sword practice counts as a *date*."

"Of course it does," replied a new voice from behind them. They turned to see Mara who'd been watching the whole scene from the shadows. "Maybe they'll knock some sense into each other."

"You heard the whole thing?" asked Chikako nervously.

"My ears do more than just frame my face," Mara replied testily. "And it doesn't take that much Force-sensitivity to see that there is something special between those two."

"But you heard Yuki's concerns about her future, or rather her possible *lack* of a future," protested Ippin.

Mara snorted. "You of all people should know that Force predictions are notoriously unreliable when dealing with one's own future." She gazed off into the distance, smiling sadly. "Besides, I just want Ben to be happy. Whether they have three years or three decades together, true love is worth it."

Xarae spoke up. "Yuki has yet another reason to be concerned." Her blue eyes shimmered with sadness as she looked at her friends. "I believe that there is something wrong with Aisu."

(Back to top)
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Part 3 - Shukumei - destiny

A shocked silence met Xarae's solemn pronouncement.

"What do you mean, there's something wrong with Aisu?" demanded Mara.

Xarae just sighed, "Haven't you noticed how much trouble she's been causing lately?"

"Sure, but that's just normal little kid stuff," shrugged Miyuki. "She's probably just going through a phase."

The dark-haired senshi shook her head. "It's something more. I've sensed some sort of fluctuation in the Force centered on her. I'm not sure why, but it seems to be getting stronger."

"We must tell Yuki!" Chikako said grimly, fingering the flower in her hair nervously.

"Tell her you cannot," came the soft reply.

"Master Yoda!" Annika squeaked as the little green troll appeared suddenly in their midst.

"Sithspit!" Priire swore. "How does he *do* that?"

"What do you mean we can't tell her?" asked a confused Kirana. "What if it's a Sith plot or something?"

Master Yoda sighed as he settled down into the chair that Yuki had so recently vacated. "A Sith plot it is not. Yukiko *must* know not if destiny she is to fulfill. Freely made her choice must be." He chewed thoughtfully on his gimmer stick for a moment then continued cryptically, "Secrets inside Aisu's mind too long have been locked. Vulnerable she is. Stay with me she will."

"But Yuki deserves to know that something is wrong!" cried Miyuki.

"Condemn her people to death you would?" Yoda replied sharply, tapping his stick for emphasis. "For price that might be for knowledge too soon achieved." Sighing, he softened his tone. "More is not mine to say." He then turned to Xarae. "Child of Destiny, inside you is this truth known."

Xarae closed her eyes briefly, going deep inside herself to seek the truth of Yoda's words while her friends watched with concern. At last she opened her eyes and nodded. "You are correct, Master Yoda. We cannot interfere any more than we already have."

"Than we already have? You mean we... talking to Yuki... about Ben... their love... *destiny*!?" Annika looked positively floored.

Yoda chuckled. "Fear you should not. Well you did. But the rest *their* decision must be." He slowly climbed down from the chair patting Annika's hand in sympathy as he passed her on his way out of the common room. "To Aisu I will go. Support I will give." He stopped, turned around and smiled at the senshi. "Worry not. If destined loves they truly are, then choices correct shall they make. Strong Yuki and Kami are. My credits on them I would put." With that he disappeared down the hallway to Aisu's room.

Annika sighed glumly. "I guess all we can do is wait." Her downcast look changed as her eyes took on a dreamy look. "Destined loves... that's soooo romantic!!"

"Hah!! Not to me! I *hate* destiny almost as much as I hate waiting!" growled Priire. "No offense, Xarae." With that, Priire stood up and adjusted her blasters. "Come on Coru, lets' finish working on your ship." Nodding agreement, Ippin followed her twin headed off to the hanger. The rest of the senshi slowly drifted their separate ways having been given much to think about.

Mara and Xarae remained sitting in the nook, considering Master Yoda's words as the room slowly emptied. Finally Mara stood up. Offhandedly, without looking directly at Xarae she said, "I think I'll go off and see how my boy's doing... maybe get some lightsaber practice in."

"Hisui, you heard Yoda," warned Xarae then sighed with resignation. "Just don't be *too* obvious, okay?" Mara's eyes met Xarae's in perfect understanding, a wry smile playing around the redhead's lips. Sometimes destiny needed a little nudge.

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Part 4 - Setsubo - longing

Yuki entered the practice hall nervously, clutching her weapons tightly. She still wasn't too sure that this was such a good idea. Looking for Ben, she wandered around amid the practicing Padawans and Masters, exchanging greetings with those she knew.

He was warming up in one corner. The young knight had taken off his jacket and sword to better stretch. Yuki's heart skipped a beat as she noticed his superbly muscled physique outlined quite nicely by his tight-fitting tank top. She blushed as she realized that she was staring and quickly looked away, hoping that he hadn't noticed. This might be harder than she thought! Sighing deeply, she got her runaway hormones quickly under strict control. She would *not* shame her mentors by allowing her emotions to affect her teaching, no matter how unbelievably *hot* Ben looked.

Ben finally noticed Yuki standing at the side of the mat with a rather peculiar look on her beautiful face. "Are you okay, Yukiko?" Ben asked in concern, fearing that once again she was about to flee.

She blushed again. "I'm fine, thank you. It's just rather hot in here."

"You're right about that," agreed Ben with a wry grin as he took in the inspiring sight of tall Yuki dressed in a form-fitting tunic with tight leggings that outlined every lovely curve of her long legs. Pulling himself together with an effort he asked, "Where should we start?"

"First, let me see the balance of your sword. There's a few movements in the sword dance that might need to be modified to fit it better," replied Yuki with a quiet authority that impressed the purple-haired young man. She seemed a different person in the practice arena, strong and confident, not shy at all.

He used the Force to call his new sword and scabbard to his hand then extended the hilt to Yuki. He watched her take the scabbard in both hands horizontally, lifting it slightly while briefly bowing her head. "Why did you do that?" he asked curiously. Yuki gave him one of her rare brilliant smiles, turning his knees to namana jelly.

"In Japanese tradition, a sword is a very personal object often with a long and noble history," she answered softly. "It is an honor to be allowed to touch another's sword, so that is the way one acknowledges the honor as well as the kami or spirit of the sword."

"So my Japanese name means spirit? I thought it meant 'god'," he said with a wicked grin.

Yuki chuckled wryly. "Don't get *too* big a head, Ben. Kami simply means divine. Depending on the context, it does sometimes mean "god," but in Shinto belief it also can refer to the various divine spirits that dwell throughout the universe, including the one that resides in a samurai's sword."

She strapped the sword on her own back then moved to the center of the mat. "Let's see how this one feels." Her face became a mask of total concentration as she quickly drew the sword and ran through a series of complex movements. The sword was definitely heavier than her father's, but it had excellent balance.

No wonder Trunks liked his sword so much, she thought. Suppressing a smile, she decided that it was time for just a bit of flash. Yuki tossed the blade in the air and caught it in the scabbard just as Trunks had done in a Dragonball Z episode. The shine of admiration in Ben's eyes was ample repayment for the slight risk. Un-strapping the shoulder belt, she levitated the sword back to Ben. She was touched when he duplicated her little bow of respect. "Though it is quite a bit wider than the usual Japanese sword, the length is just about perfect. An excellent weapon! You shouldn't have to modify any of the moves."

"Let's begin then," Ben replied eagerly.

"We'll start with the first five moves of the first section one at a time, then go from there. Just duplicate each move as closely as possible. After you get the general moves down, we can try the first section at half speed."

"Half speed?" Ben said with some dismay.

Yuki just lifted one elegant eyebrow. "This is a very complex form that takes a long time to perfect. You won't be able to learn it all in one short lesson even if we *do* use the Force!"

Ben just grinned. "Then you'll just have to schedule me for more lessons," he said smugly as he took up a position beside her.

*What in the name of the thousand little gods have I gotten myself into?* she thought with a touch of panic. She shook her head, consigning her fears to the Force then said firmly, "Let's begin..."

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Part 5 - Shibaru - to bind together

Mara arrived in the practice hall in time to see her son get thwacked with the flat of Yuki's metal sword. To her surprise, he took the chastisement in good humor, smiling roguishly as he corrected his stance under Yuki's watchful eye. She watched the two of them work on a particularly complicated set of movements, nodding in approval as she saw her son flawlessly duplicate his teacher's elegant but deadly moves. At least they were working well together, which was a good start, but they were both too focused and serious for her liking. Now how to proceed...

Her musings were interrupted by a deep voice from behind. "I believe your future son has stolen my sparring partner." Mara turned to see the slightly annoyed face of Councilor Mace Windu. So Yuki regularly sparred with Master Windu...

Mara just smiled slyly up at the stern Councilor. "Well, then... How would you like to help me show those two youngsters some *real* lightsaber sparring? Kami could use some teamwork practice."

A twinkle appeared in Mace's deep brown eyes. "That sounds like an excellent idea," he chuckled.

They moved over to the practice mat where Yuki and Ben had just stopped to take a breather. When she saw Master Windu approaching, Yuki stammered and bowed deeply, "I am soo sorry, Master Windu! I completely forgot about our practice."

"It's my fault entirely," interrupted Ben, determined that Yuki would not get in trouble on his behalf. "I asked Yukiko to teach me a sword dance..."

"That's all right, young Yukiko... Kami," Windu interrupted with a wave of his hand. "But to make up for it, why don't we work on some team sparring?"

Before Yuki or Ben could reply, Mara said, with a calculating smile, "Why don't *we* take on the two of *them*, Master Windu?"

Ben looked sharply at his future mother. He could sense that she was up to something. But if it meant that he could spend more time in Yuki's presence, he was willing to play along. He walked over to the side of the mat, sheathed his metal sword and picked up his lightsaber.

Yuki followed suit, but raised her sword before her then added a quick flick of her sword downwards before sheathing it. Ever curious, Ben couldn't resist asking, "Why did you flick your sword, Yukiko?"

The ice-haired senshi just smiled slightly and replied. "In my culture, it is customary for a warrior to salute, then symbolically shake the blood from their blade before sheathing it."

"Interesting, if rather bloodthirsty!" the young Knight smiled ruefully.

The four warriors moved to the farthest corners of the mat, tuned their lightsabers to training level and bowed. Each pair reached out to form the light Force link that enabled veteran Jedi to fight more easily together. But when Ben and Yuki reached out to each other, their Force signatures flared brightly, enveloping both of them in a powerful flood of energy. Before they could even think about what was happening, Mara initiated an attack, followed closely by a surprised Mace.

Ben and Yuki easily blocked the first attack and counter-struck with a unity of motion that one seldom saw outside of a Master/Padawan team. Though they had never fought side by side with lightsabers before, each knew without thinking where and how the other would move. The Force flowed freely between them, lending their every move unbelievable power and grace, engulfing them in a harmony of spirit that lifted them to a higher plane of accomplishment than either had ever achieved on their own.

To the utter shock of the watching Padawans and Masters who'd been drawn to the duel by the powerful Force surge, the young ones were not only holding their own, they were actually starting to put Councilor Windu and his Sailor Jedi partner on the defensive!

Fortunately for the Councilor's reputation, Ben and Yuki, having used a good bit of their energy earlier during the metal sword practice, began to tire. Their rhythm began to falter and Mace and Mara were finally able to disarm the couple. The four tired duelists bowed formally to each other and then acknowledged the applause of the gathered crowd.

"You knew something like this might happen, didn't you," Mace accused Mara quietly as the crowd slowly dispersed, finally leaving the four in peace.

Mara just leaned tiredly against the Councilor's tall sturdy form, trying to regain her own breath. She smirked and replied softly. "I wasn't sure... I only hoped."

Windu could only laugh. "I think I've lost my sparring partner."

Ben and Yuki were both oblivious to their mentors' conversation, breathing heavily, exhausted but somehow exhilarated as well. Yuki looked deeply into Ben's striking turquoise eyes, reaching up a hand to touch his face in wonder. He just smiled and turned his head to gently kiss her hand, utterly heedless of who might be watching. Yuki felt like nothing would ever be the same now that she had touched him through the Force. "So..." she said softly. "Where do we go from here?"

With a roguish grin, he put a hand around her waist and asked, "How about dinner?"

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Part 6 - Shinpai - anxiety

"Mama!!" Aisu cried out as she tossed and turned in restless sleep. The little girl was tucked carefully under a soft blanket on a low couch in Master Yoda's humid room. The elderly Jedi Master Healer Winna reached out with the Force to once again calm the chibi's troubled dreams. She looked at Master Yoda with concern. "The disturbance in the Force is becoming more pronounced, Yoda. We need to remove the memory block soon or there may be permanent damage!"

The little green gnome just sighed unhappily. "Last this long it should not have. But the main problem that is not." He added his own considerable Force energy to that of the healer's, calming Aisu further while he continued softly, "At stake her very existence is. More merciful the block now is." He looked up at the white-haired healer and, to her surprise chuckled, "This evening, resolved all will be. Credits on it I have put."

~~

Back in the Room Behind the Waterfall, wonderful smells wafted from the large kitchen as Nom and some eager assistants prepared dinner for those who were eating in tonight. Though the main Jedi eating halls were, of course, open to all the Sailor Jedi, many preferred the more cozy setting of the common room, *especially* when Nom decided to cook.

Annika and Kairiku were looking for dessert makings while trying to stay out of Nom's way. "Annika!! Look!!" whispered Kairiku happily, nudging her friend in the ribs. "Ben and Yuki are back from practice and they're *holding hands*!!" The young senshi almost bounced with excitement. "It's sooo romantic!"

Annika stopped her search for the last bag of Earth sugar and looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, the two in question *were* actually holding hands! But, while they seemed much more comfortable with each other, Annika could see an underlying tension still present, indicating that they hadn't "talked" yet.

As Annika, Kairiku and most of the other senshi in the room tried to watch without being too obvious, Ben whispered something to Yuki then gently lifted the hand he was holding up to his lips for a gentle kiss. She blushed and stammered out a soft reply. Ben just chuckled and headed out. Annika sighed wistfully. They were soo cute together! If only they could *acknowledge* the love that everyone else could so clearly see!

~~

Yuki stood lost in a blissful haze for a moment staring at the hand which Ben had kissed. Finally, she noticed the number of curious eyes that had been watching and sighed. With friends like these...

Just then, a rather grease-covered Priire and Ippin entered the common room, arguing loudly about power couplings. Upon seeing Yuki, Ippin ceased pestering her twin and asked eagerly, "Soooo, how did practice go?"

"Yeah, did you have a chance to *talk*?" Priire smirked.

"That's okay, Yuki," Annika interrupted as she came over, glaring at the twins. "You don't have to tell us anything!"

"But we'd really like to know!" chuckled Kirana, walking up and putting a friendly elbow on Yuki's shoulder.

Yukiko was quickly surrounded by her curious friends each eager to hear how things went. Groaning, she wondered how she could get out of this one. She really didn't want to talk about that magic moment when she and Ben fought as one in the Force. Not until she'd had a chance to think more about what had actually happened. "Look..." she temporized, "The practice went great... Ben's a very fast learner... we were scored some great hits and almost beat Councilor Windu and Hisui... but I *really* need to go take a shower." She blushed as she added, "Ben's taking me to dinner and I want to get ready."

"You and Ben almost *beat* Master Windu and Hisui?" exclaimed the astonished Sutaru. "The few times they've sparred as a team, no one's been able to come *close* to touching them!"

Miyuki nudged her cousin in the side. "I'm more interested in these dinner plans," she chuckled. "So... what are you going to wear?"

"What do you mean?" asked the puzzled Yuki. "I'll wear what I always wear!"

Her cousin just rolled her grey-blue eyes in exasperation. "Yuki-chan, one of the most gorgeous hunks to wander these halls - aside from my beloved Tenchi, of course - is taking you out on a date and you plan on wearing a plain tunic and jeans!!?"

"Look we're just going to talk, okay?" Yuki protested. "Like you guys insisted, remember? It's *not* a date!"

"Yeah, right!" snorted Priire. "And the Black Fire Dreamer is a Naboo fighter!"

"And what's *wrong* with a Naboo fighter?" protested Ippin.

Nom, who was bearing a large platter of roast bantha past the group, raised one quizzical eyebrow. "But your ship bears no resemblance to an N-1 class Naboo starfighter," she stated calmly, to the amusement of the others.

Rolling her eyes once again, Miyuki sighed, "Come with me, Yuki-chan!" She grabbed her cousin firmly by the arm. "I'll take care of everything!"

The little group chuckled as a protesting Yuki was dragged off by her determined "twin" but were quickly silenced when quiet Koumi Force-spoke from the shadows where she and Xarae had been listening. **The Force becoming more and more unsettled around Ben and Yuki. Like they are the center of a tense knot that must be untangled.** She exchanged knowing glances with Xarae who just sighed.

"Or a chord that must be resolved," the Guardian of Destiny said soberly. She looked towards the hallway where Yuki had disappeared. "If Aisu is to recover, it must be resolved tonight."

(Back to top)
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Part 7 - Seien - encouragement

While Yukiko showered, Miyuki rummaged through her cousin's closet, pulling out the occasional article of clothing and shaking her head. "Blue, blue, tan, blue... jeans, tunics, leggings... formal kimono... sheesh! Doesn't she have anything *slinky* in here?" She stuck her head in the bathroom. "Yuki-chan," she called. "I'm going to see what I can dig up for you to wear. I'll be back in a minute." Hearing a muffled agreement over the roar of the water, Miyuki turned and headed out the bedroom door, leaving it open. "Hmm, Minae and Kirana are about as tall as Yuki-chan, maybe they'll have something suitable," she mused.

When she returned with the two senshi, both carrying armfuls of silky stuff, she was greeted by the rather surprising sight of her cousin, clad only in a slip, frantically trying to fix her hair while attempting to put on make-up. Miyuki pushed her way around Nom, Lys and Chouko who were huddled by the door, watching in amazement as the powder flew. She just sighed and shook her head. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Just relax and let me take care of that, Yuki-chan," Miyuki said with another sigh. Yukiko stopped her frantic flailing about and just sat there looking so lost and vulnerable... If Ben breaks her heart, I'll sic Priire on him, she thought with a vengeance.

"We brought you some great outfits to try," added Minae sympathetically, helping Kirana lay the dresses out on Yuki's pale blue bed, pushing aside an annoyed Riko to make room. "Here... try this blue and silver one. It will look great with your hair!"

"But...but..." stammered Yuki.

Little Riko jumped off the bed and into the air, landing in Yuki's lap with a thump. Looking up at Yuki with her shining blue eyes, she growled through the Force, **Yuki-friend is being silly! Yuki, warrior, not mouse! Not acting like warrior now!** The little vixen's tone softened. **If tonight is only night with big nice one, then make it special!** She leapt down from Yuki's lap and headed for the door. Once there she turned and added with a wink, **Show nice male what he could be missing!"  In a flourish of fluffy tail, the little vixen disappeared, leaving an astonished Yuki and chuckling senshi behind.

Eventually, Yuki managed to close her mouth and managed a weak smile. "Words of wisdom!" She looked down at the hairbrush in her hand and sighed sadly. "If only I didn't have to tell him..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. Turning to her friends with new determination she said, "Okay... go ahead and fix me up, but not too frilly or elaborate. That's just not *me*!" She paused a moment as a lovely memory struck her, smiled dreamily and added, "And make sure I can still dance!" Her friends laughed and got to work.

~~

Back at the home Ben shared with his future mother, the young Knight was also getting ready. Rather damp from his shower, dressed only in a towel, he carefully shaved off what little stubble his nineteen year-old face had managed to accumulate. "Ouch! Damn!" he swore as he nicked himself yet again.

"Having trouble, brat?" came the amused voice of Mara from the doorway. Walking over, she reached up and healed the nicks with a gentle surge of the Force. "Maybe you'd better put that thing away before you lose any more blood."

The purple-haired young man just sighed unhappily as he finished with the razor. "I just wish I knew what has Yuki so troubled." He looked up at his future mother, his turquoise eyes filled with pain. "I know she said she'd go to dinner with me... and I know that something special happened when Yuki and I fought you and Master Windu, but..." He shook his head and turned away from the sink. Moving back into his bedroom, he continued sadly, "I think that whatever is bothering her could break us apart before we've even had a chance to be together." He looked down and whispered, "I can't stand to see her hurting."

Mara just sighed as she rummaged through her son's closet, pulling out a shirt and pants. She handed them to Ben and said softly, "Don't worry, son. Just listen to her then follow your heart. You'll do fine." Her voice took on a mischievous tone. "Now get into these clothes and we'll see how far we can make her jaw drop."

~~

All talk stopped when Ben sauntered into the Room Behind the Waterfall a bit later with Mara close behind. Ben's long-sleeved turquoise shirt flowed around his broad chest, clung nicely to his muscular arms and perfectly matched his blue-green eyes. Tight black pants were tucked into fine leather knee-high black boots. Awestruck senshi just stared in admiration, hearts in their eyes. Ben, totally oblivious to the sensation he was causing, looked around and asked, "Anyone seen Yuki? I'm supposed to take her to dinner..."

Picking her jaw up off the floor, Kumoko stammered, "Umm... she should be ready any minute... um... I'll go check!" She fled to the relative safety of the hallway yelling, "Yuki-chan!! Ben's here!!"

A moment later, it was Ben's turn to stare as Yuki gracefully floated into the common room. Her simple sleeveless shimmering blue dress, held up only by tiny straps, fit snugly down her curves to her knees where it flared out to sweep luxuriously around her shapely legs. Her feet were clad in ballerina style slippers with ribbons around her ankles and she wore her hair up in a coronet of braids.

Ben walked slowly up to her and took one of her hands in his. "You are a breathtaking vision of loveliness," he whispered to her, awestruck.

Yuki, her own knees wobbly from the unbelievably handsome sight in front of her, just blushed then answered shakily, "You look pretty marvellous yourself!"

Ben and Yuki just stood motionless for a long moment, staring into each other's eyes. Those senshi that were sensitive could feel the couple's Force-signatures begin to flare, swirling, growing, surrounding them in a somewhat chaotic field of energy. Only when Kairiku could no longer hold back a sneeze was the frozen tableau broken.

Smiling wryly, Ben gallantly offered Yuki his arm. "Shall we go, my Princess?"

Yuki nodded shyly, then suddenly frowned as it struck her... "Hey, has any one seen Aisu? I haven't seen her all day..."

Xarae exchanged a quick glance with Mara then said, "She's been spending the day with Master Yoda, working on her Force skills." The Senshi of Children smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry about her. No doubt she's already gotten into his candy stash."

Yuki chuckled, though a touch of uneasiness remained. "That's probably why she loves her lessons with him. But..."

Annika quickly came over and started pushing the two out the door. "Everything's fine! Enjoy yourselves!" Under her breath she muttered in Yuki's ear. "Be strong... Don't forget to tell him *everything*!"

As the couple left, the chaotic currents in the Force slowly returned to normal. "What the Sith did we just sense?" a shocked Chikako asked the room in general.

Xarae spoke up. "The dissonance of unresolved destinies. It shouldn't be that surprising. Ben is the Son of Skywalker, grandson of the Chosen One, full heir to that power. And Yuki holds the very survival of an entire planet in her quite capable hands." She sighed, pushing back her dark hair, "If they fully embrace their destiny, they will be an extremely powerful force for the Light."

"And if they don't?" asked Annika quietly.

"Pray that they do," said Xarae grimly.

(Back to top)
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Part 8 - Shinzo gai tsuyoi - (literally means "one's heart is strong" - idiomatically it means to have the nerve to do or say something)

Ben and Yuki's dressy attire caught some amused attention from the various soberly clad Jedi they passed on their way out of the Temple. Stopping at the nearby public transport platform, Ben turned to Yuki and stammered, "Yuki, I...we... "

She laid a finger lightly on his lips to shush him.  "Please... Let's talk later. Right now, I just want to forget everything except being with you. Let's just enjoy dinner." She paused a moment then blushed adding, "I'd really like to go dancing too."

Ben searched her striking pale blue eyes for any sign of hesitation then lifted her hand to his lips. "Your wish is my command, my Princess," he smiled, causing her knees to tremble. As he turned to hail a Coruscant air transport, she recovered her poise. She was determined to store each precious moment of this evening deep in her heart to sustain her through the troubled future to come.

Ben took her to a small Cerean restaurant that served spectacular food in an intimate, romantic atmosphere. There they talked about many things while enjoying the excellent food. They soon realized that they shared many of the same interests, ranging from the martial arts to Japanese manga and culture to Jedi philosophy. Even their taste in music was similar, though Yuki *did* have a fondness for boy bands that Ben found somewhat troubling.

After dinner, they visited a couple of clubs in the upper levels of Coruscant, not far from the Temple. There they danced a good bit of the night away, drawing even closer with each song. Finally, as the time grew late, Yuki drew Ben aside into the slightly quieter back hallway of the last club, the Neon Ewok.

"Ben, I've had a wonderful evening..." said Yuki, laying one graceful hand gently on his broad chest. "But I'd like to head back to the Temple now. I don't think you've ever seen my garden and," She paused, finally daring to look at his handsome, smiling face as she continued softly. "It's time for us to talk."

"Of course, Yukiko," Ben said warmly as he gazed into her troubled eyes. "If your garden is as beautiful as it's owner, then it must be a truly spectacular place."

Yuki just blushed, overcome once again by those devastating turquoise eyes. If only she knew how he would respond to what she had to tell him... if he would turn away from her, unwilling to commit to a doomed relationship, or if, against all logic he... no, she just couldn't let herself hope, she thought with anguish. She shivered as they left the club, the strong winds of Coruscant whipping between the tall buildings. Their coldness seemed to echo the growing despair in her heart.

Ben quickly wrapped one of his strong arms around her. "Is that better?" he said with a gentle smile, sensing her mental distress and offering his unspoken support.

Surrendering her fears once again to the Force, she snuggled into the warmth of body and spirit that he offered and whispered softly. "Much better."

In silence they headed back towards the Temple, each wrapped in their own thoughts that revolved around the other. They had decided to walk, as the Temple wasn't too far from the nightclub. The closer they got to the Temple area, the nicer their surroundings became. But there were still plenty of dark alleys between them and the safety of the Temple. The two stopped suddenly, warned by the Force of impending danger from the alley up ahead. Yuki looked questioningly at Ben and whispered, "Do you think we need to transform?"

"I don't think so," he whispered back with a wink. "There are only four of them. It shouldn't be a problem."

Yuki just smiled as the four bad guys loomed out of the shadows, quickly surrounding the couple.

"Hey, look what we have here, boys!" snarled a large one-eyed humanoid, blaster waving. "Two rich kids just begging to have their credits lifted." Looking Yuki up and down he leered, "I'll bet she'll give us a good time, too!"

Feeling Ben about to explode at her side, Yuki just shook her head wryly and chuckled, "You just made a terrible mistake."

Without even looking at each other, Ben and Yuki once again moved as one with the Force surging through and around them. Ben dodged a blaster bolt then happily knocked the lecherous one-eyed humanoid out with one well-placed powerful fist. Spinning quickly, he tore the vibro-blade out of a Bothan's hands and reversed it, knocking him unconscious with the butt. He turned to see how Yuki was doing and smiled to see her standing with one dainty foot on the body of one unconscious goon while she applied a painful arm lock to the other. While he watched, she knocked the last villain out with one precise blow then carefully tucked a wayward bit of hair back up into her braids. What a woman, he thought with admiration.

Still feeling some euphoria caused by fighting together as one in the Force, Ben once again put his arm around her shoulders and was encouraged to feel her snuggle in close as before. She *must* have felt the same harmony and oneness while they fought that he had, he thought. He hoped that it would be enough to help her realize that the two of them could face whatever was troubling her *together*. The couple stepped around the fallen bodies of their erstwhile attackers, leaving the trash for the Coruscant security forces to clean up, and continued on toward the Temple.

The peace and serenity of the Temple enfolded them in its welcoming embrace. The few Masters or Padawans they passed in the hallways felt the unusually strong, chaotic Force currents that surrounded the couple but did nothing more than raise an eyebrow or two, respecting their privacy.

Yuki led Ben to a rather remote corner of the huge Room of a Thousand Waterfalls, dark and quiet in the simulated evening. Here, nestled between tall hedges, stood a small bamboo gate that led to Yuki's meditation garden, benevolently guarded by a moss-covered kirin statue.

Upon entering, Yuki used a gentle surge of the Force to light some small iron lanterns scattered along a winding path of rough-cut stepping-stones. She then rinsed her hands and mouth with a trickle of water flowing from a bamboo pipe into a large stone basin before heading down the path. Ben copied her motions while looking around, marveling at the serene beauty of the verdant garden. Hand in hand, they wandered down the stone path, beside a small, trickling stream, over a tiny decorative stone bridge to finally end up beside a quiet pond full of colorful fish. With a deep sigh, Yuki settled herself against the trunk of a lovely flowering tree and, with another touch of the Force, lit a rough-hewed stone lantern nearby. Ben sat down next to her, gazing around in wonder at the tranquil garden, now shimmering in the soft lantern light. He appreciated the special glimpse it gave into the heart and soul of the woman he finally had realized that he truly loved.

"Are these all Earth plants?" he asked quietly, not wanting to break the fragile peace the garden had graced them with, but hoping that it might be easier on Yuki if he started the conversation.

"Most of them are from Earth," she replied, reaching up with one hand to catch one of the tree's delicate blooms as it fell. "This is a plum blossom tree, called ume in Japan, the country of my birth. It was the symbol of the Kirin family whose name my parents adopted. Ippin brought it back for me as a seedling for my first birthday in this galaxy." She chuckled wryly, "They don't normally grow this fast, but the constant exposure to the concentration of the Living Force here has helped considerably." Looking sadly at the white bloom lying in her palm, she whispered, "It's a reminder of the happy life I had growing up in Japan with loving parents."

"It's almost as lovely as you," Ben smiled. He plucked the bloom out of her hand and gently tucked it into one of her braids then took both her hands in his large ones. Inwardly steeling himself he asked, "Now will tell me what's been troubling you... why you ran away from me that day in the common room? Was it something I said? Did I move too fast?"

She looked down a moment at their clasped hands, then at him with tears brimming in her eyes. "It was never you, Ben. Please believe that! It was *never* you!" Her voice rose as she strived to convince him of her sincerity. "You have been wonderful. More wonderful that I could have ever imagined..." She clung to his hands as if for dear life. "The little time I've spent with you have been the happiest of my life."

"Then what's wrong?" cried a desperate Ben. "Help me to understand, please!"

"It's my future, or rather the lack of one that's wrong," she whispered unhappily. He looked so confused that she just had to smile weakly. Deciding that it would be easier to share her visions if she wasn't looking into those intense aqua eyes, she let go of his hands and turned away from him. He refused to let her go completely, pulling her towards him so that her back rested against his chest, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

From that safe cocoon, Yuki finally found the courage to share with him her Force visions of the doomed future of Hoth and her belief that Chibi Hoth being her cousin was simply proof that she would not survive the saving of her people. As she finished, tears flowing freely down her face, she turned her head to look at Ben. "Now do you see why I didn't want to tie you down to a relationship that's doomed to end in only a few years?" she choked. "I just *couldn't* ask that of you. You...you deserve so much more..." she turned in his arms, hiding her face against his chest, soaking his shirt with her tears as she sobbed out her heartache. The Force again began to build unnoticed around the two huddled figures, crackling and snapping with discordant energies.

Ben just rocked Yuki in his arms, trying to comfort her as his mind dealt with her amazing revelations. Since he was from the future, he *knew* that Hoth was long deserted, but, he was ashamed to admit, he just hadn't really thought about why or what that would mean to Yukiko. Remembering some of his own ominous Force visions he could easily understand why she had been so upset. Then it struck him...

"So all this fuss was simply to avoid causing me pain?" he asked quietly, hoping against hope that he was right as to her motivation. "Why would you do that for me?"

"Because I love you, you idiot!" she sniffled then gasped as she realized what she had just said. Stammering she tried to backpedal, breaking free of his embrace, but he just laughed while his heart soared.

"You love me!!" He stood, picked Yuki up in his arms and swung her around in happiness. "You did it all because you love me!"

"Weren't you listening?" she asked angrily, twisting out of his grasp to stand defiantly in front of him. "I'm probably going to be *dead* in five or six years! Regardless of how I feel, we have *no* future! *I* have no future!" The clashing Force currents built even higher and higher as she spoke.

He quickly sobered at the intense pain in her tear-filled eyes and stretched his arms out to her in supplication. "Yukiko... listen to me! You don't know for sure that you will die when Hoth is destroyed! Even Master Yoda couldn't see that! All you know is that you won't have a child named Aisu!" He threw up his hands at her puzzled look. "Yukiko, there's plenty of good reasons why she might be your cousin, not your child!" Blushing, he continued awkwardly, "Perhaps we only have a boy who might grow up to be the Hothian Knight or maybe a girl who becomes Chibi Coruscant... Or maybe the gods simply don't bless us with any children. It doesn't mean that you must die or that we aren't meant to be together."

"I... I hadn't thought about that," she whispered in shock. "I never considered."

"Please consider it... Please!" He reached out to gather her into his embrace once more, his eyes pleading. "I don't want to lose the other half of my soul now that I've found it."

Her eyes grew as his words sunk in. "Other half of your soul? You... you feel it too? You... love ME?!"

"Yes, of course I do!" he answered softly, reaching one hand up to gently caress her face. "I love you more than I can ever put into words." He chuckled wryly, "Though I didn't exactly plan on admitting it on our first date. Didn't you feel it each time we danced or fought as a team? The Force is drawing us together."

"That's how I felt when we first danced," she admitted hesitantly. "As if this was so very right... like we'd danced that way before. Then when we fought Mara and Councilor Windu it was as if..."

"...as if our souls touched through the Force," he finished for her, gazing longingly into her blue eyes. "One more thing... We are both called to be Jedi which is a very high risk calling. There's no guarantee that *either* of us will survive the coming Darkness. But I want to be with you for as long as the Force allows. Please, Yukiko... let us face what ever terrors the future holds *together*. Here... read what is in my heart and know that I love you." With that he lowered all his mental shields and reached out to her with the Force.

Yuki allowed herself to be drawn in to the blazing brilliance of Ben's Force-signature, and felt his overwhelming love for her pouring out from the depths of his heart. Could she accept this unbelievable gift offered so freely, she wondered? The universe itself seemed to hold its breath as the complex Force-twisted knot of discordant destinies waited for the decision that could not be changed, could not be forced. After a long agonizing moment, Yuki decided to follow her heart. Casting the last of her fears to the Force, she lowered her own shields, reaching through the Force to enfold Ben in all the fervent love in her own heart. As one they whispered, "Yes..." then kissed passionately.

As they kissed, their Force-signatures merged, flaring brightly. The chaotic rumblings of the Force surrounding them changed, the dissonance resolving itself into a resounding chord of perfect harmony that echoed down to the depths of their very souls. Images from past lives and of future trials appeared and just as quickly disappeared in their minds, leaving only trace images behind. The Force's golden glow swirled around them, binding their hearts and destinies together as they were meant to be, now and for eternity. The cascade of power was strong enough to shake the very branches of the tall tree above them, causing a soft rain of plum blossom petals to gently bless the heart-bonded couple.

The ripples in the Force slowly settled down, spreading a quiet, peaceful joy throughout the Temple. In Master Yoda's room, Master Healer Winna smiled as little Aisu sighed, then settled down into a deep, natural sleep. Yoda just cackled. "Owe me ten credits Mace does. More time they needed he thought." He looked over at the Master Healer. "Time it is, memory block to remove." He snickered, "Then interrupt Kami and Yukiko, I must."

The Force-sensitive senshi in the Room Behind the Waterfall stood a moment in shock then cheered as they realized what had happened. Xarae breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that two destinies were now unfolding as they should. The Senshi of Children could also sense that the disturbance surrounding Aisu had settled into harmony as well. A rare smile crossed the dark-haired senshi's lips, as she finally understood Aisu's secret. She looked forward to seeing Mara's reaction.

(Back to top)
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Part 9 ~Saiwai - happiness ~

It took several beeps of his comlink for Ben to realize that someone was trying to contact him.  Very reluctantly he tore himself away from a protesting Yuki's embrace.  Clearing his throat he dug the comlink out of a pocket and managed a hoarse, "Kami here."  Undeterred, Yuki began kissing his neck, which made the young Knight flinch as she found a particularly ticklish spot.  "Stop that!"

"Stop what should I?" came the puzzled reply over the comlink.

"Oh, no! Not *you* Master Yoda, I was talking to... um.... How can I help you, Master?"  Yuki stopped tickling Ben only because she was snickering uncontrollably at the expression on his face.

"Meet me in the senshi common room you and Yukiko will.  Surprise for you both have I.  Hehehe!" came the response from the chuckling little gnome.

"Yes, Master Yoda."  Ben sighed as he tucked his comlink away.  "What could he possibly want at this late an hour?" he grumbled, annoyed that his time with Yuki was to be cut short.  She just laughed and kissed him again, quite thoroughly, which improved his mood considerably.

Eventually coming up for air, they brushed flower petals off their clothes and headed for the Room Behind the Waterfall.  As they strolled along hand in hand, Yuki groaned suddenly.

"What's the matter, beloved?" asked Ben with concern, pulling her closer.

"You realize that every Force-sensitive senshi must have felt that Force surge when we heart-bonded." She shook her head ruefully.  "We are in for some *big* time teasing!"  Her eyes widened and she stopped dead in her tracks as an even more troubling thought hit her.  "Hisui!!  What's she going to think?  I mean... we only had ONE date!!  And now...."

Ben just hugged her reassuringly.  "Whom do you think set up that whole duel in the practice arena?" he said with a wicked grin.

Yuki looked at her new love in disbelief.  "You mean it was *her* idea for us to fight as a team?  So we'd begin forming a bond?"  At Ben's smug nod, she shook her head and chuckled, "Well, that's a big relief!  Remind me to thank her!"

They stopped briefly outside the door leading to the Room Behind The Waterfall to share one last private kiss before facing the inevitable interrogation inside. 

Though the hour was late, an unusually large number of the older senshi were still hanging around the common room.  Priire and Nom were teaching Myou the fine art of mastering Sabaac.  Minae and Miyuki were happily surfing the GalacticNet at a couple of the many computer terminals scattered in the small nooks around the outside edge of the room.  Annika was reading yet another manga she'd "borrowed" from Yuki's room, while munching on a doughnut she'd liberated from Minae.   Chikako and Magena were enjoying large bowls of ice cream while they watched holovids.  Ippin, Koumi and Xarae were quietly reading while Kirana wrote busily in her notebook at a nearby table.  Quite a few other senshi could be seen draped in various locations around the large room.  Though the chibis were supposed to be tucked in bed, an occasional stray teardrop odango could be spotted lurking amid the plants that flourished around the room.

The quiet hum of conversation stopped abruptly as Ben and Yuki entered the common room, arms around each other's waists.  All eyes turned in their direction.  The Force-sensitives could almost see the shimmering Force bonds encircling the two.   For a moment, no one moved until Annika jumped up and ran to hug Yuki.  "I just *knew* you two were meant to be together," she squealed happily.  Amid general laughter, other senshi crowded around to offer their congratulations as well.

Three chibi tornadoes jumped out from behind the plants and burrowed their way through the crowd to attack Ben and Yuki.  

"So are you going to be my cousin-in-law someday?" grinned Sutaru as she bounced into Yuki's arms.

Laughing, Yuki hugged Sutaru tight.  "I guess it does, Suta-chan!  Is that okay with you?"

"Sure!!  That would be fun!" the little brown- haired senshi giggled.

Not to be left out, Kairiku and Chakra leapt on Ben who cheerfully gathered up one laughing chibi in each strong arm. 

Kairiku chuckled, "You guys make such a cute couple!!"

"No, *you're* the cute one, sweetie," Ben replied with a grin, causing Kairiku to blush.

 As Ben put the two down, Chakra whispered softly "Your inner lights are very bright now!"

 Ben smiled warmly. "Thank you, little one!" he whispered back.

 "Well done, brat!" Mara smirked as she slapped her son's back cheerfully.  "Though I don't remember giving permission for *bonding*," she teased.

 "Then you probably shouldn't have set us up this afternoon in the practice hall, Mother," Ben replied dryly.  Mara laughed and winked at Yuki.

 Miyuki just looked the two up and down and sighed. "Rats!!  You win, Ben.  I owe you guys a night out." She giggled then hugged Yuki tightly.

 "A night out?" Yuki looked at Ben with one raised eyebrow.

 "Umm... uh... I'll tell you later," he replied sheepishly, grateful for the distraction of Magena coming up to hug them.

 "I am *so* happy for you both!" the silver-haired senshi smiled wistfully.

 "Thank you for everything, Gena," Ben replied with a warm smile.

 "You guys are going to have to work on your shielding, " snickered Ippin as she had her turn at hugging.  "The Force bond is rather... um... obvious at the moment."

 Yuki and Ben both blushed bright red then firmed up their shields until their Force-signatures were pretty much back to normal. 

 "Sooo, what *is* this 'bond' stuff anyway?  Are you two married now or something?" asked the ever-curious Priire who was trying desperately to stay clear of all the excessive hugging.

 The two turned yet another nice shade of crimson as Yuki replied, "No, we're not married..."

 "It *was* only our first date after all." interrupted Ben mischievously.

 "Quiet, you!" Yuki commanded with an indulgent smile, slapping her love's shoulder, while he chuckled.  "We're... um..." she searched for a way to explain what she was only starting to understand.

 "Their hearts and souls in the Force are joined," came the reply from behind them.  They turned to see Master Yoda accompanied by Master Healer Winna who was carrying a sleeping Aisu   "As was destined to be! Hehehe!" the little troll added cackling, tapping his gimmer stick in amusement.

"Master Yoda!  Master Winna!  What are you doing here?  Is Aisu okay?" asked an anxious Yuki, knowing that the Master Healer was retired from active duty and only took on the occasional critical healing case.   

 "Aisu is fine now," the elderly Healer reassured Yuki.  "But we do need to talk to you, Kami and Hisui."  Looking around at all the interested onlookers she added dryly, "Privately if possible."

 At this remark, the chuckling group of senshi started to break up heading back to their evening pursuits.  But few of them wanted to leave altogether.  Kyoko and Magena helped shepherd the chibis back to bed, but returned quickly.  The group was eager to find out what had been happening with little Aisu.   Her friendly, though very talkative, ways had made her quite a favorite of many of the senshi.  

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Part 10 ~ Saishi - family ~

 The diminutive Yoda led the way to an unoccupied nook at the edge of the common room.  Healer Winna carefully laid the still sleeping Aisu on one of the couches.  Yuki and Ben settled next to her, Yuki stroking the chibi's hair gently.

Mara chose to stand with crossed arms nearby.  "All right, Master Yoda," she growled impatiently.  "What's going on?"

"A moment please," chuckled the little gnome.  Closing his eyes briefly, the powerful Master erected a Force shield around the little nook.  "There... Now interrupted we will not be."

~~

Those senshi who were trying to watch without appearing to do so, just sighed in regret.   "Sithspit!" growled Priire.  "It's not as if we won't find out eventually!"

Xarae just sighed sadly.  Seeing the bonds between Ben and Yuki had made her miss her own love even more.  "I think that Yuki and Ben deserve to hear the news first."

"What news, Xarae?" asked Annika impatiently.  "You know something, don't you?" the odangoed senshi accused.  But Xarae only smiled mysteriously and refused to speak further.

~~

Master Winna pulled out a small holocube and handed it over to Yuki.  "Here," she said gently.  "This will explain quite a bit."

Nervously Yuki flicked the controls.  The image of a care-worn woman appeared in front of them.  "That's my Obasan... my Aunt Keia!!" Yuki whispered in astonishment.

The holographic message began.  "My dear Yukiko.  You have finally learned about your true destiny and left with your friends to save a galaxy far, far away.  Unfortunately you left so quickly that I was unable to tell you the truth about Aisu." The figure sighed.  "So I'm making this recording in case I am unable to deliver Aisu to you in person."  Gesturing grandly with one hand, the image continued, "I have been honored to be the Jedi Guardian of Her Royal Highness, Princess Aisu, true-born daughter of Princess Kyri-lyn and Prince Kami, Rulers of the reborn Hoth, known to their closest friends as Yuki and Ben."

Yuki paused the recording, staring down at Aisu in disbelief.  "My daughter?!"

"Our daughter?" echoed Ben with a look of total shock.

"WHAT?!!!  I have a GRANDDAUGHTER?!!"  Mara's eyes grew huge as she lost her balance and fell over.  Luckily there was a comfy chair to break her fall.

~~

"Look!  That hologram pointed its finger at Mara and she fell down!" cried an astonished Chikako.

"What could they be talking about?  They look so shocked!!!" Annika bounced with impatience.

"I hope they're planning on telling *us*," growled Priire.

~~

Hands shaking, Yuki barely managed to un-pause the recording.  The tired-eyed woman continued.  "Your future selves sent Aisu back in time to get training as a senshi, but decided to send her back three years *before* you would find out about your destiny.   This was to help Yuki get over the tragic death of her parents."  The hologram shook her head and sighed.  "My Princess, you were so broken up over their death...  Aisu helped give you the will to keep living."   Ben put a comforting arm around the now teary-eyed Yuki, holding her close as they listened to their daughter's story. 

"As you are no doubt aware, Aisu is a very... umm... talkative young girl." The hologram continued with an indulgent smile. "So I took the liberty of blocking her memory of her true parents, knowing that she was incapable of keeping it secret.  I'll remove it before Sailor Yavin comes to get us later today." The Guardian looked off to one side.  "Strange, there is quite a disturbance in the Force manifesting in our mirror..." The enthralled watchers saw a look of terror cross the Guardian's face, followed by an ominous slashing sound.  "Noooo!!"  The holo recording abruptly went dark.  

~~

"Oh, no!"  "Did you see that?!"  "What could have happened?!" came a chorus of gasps from the friends watching from outside the Force-shield.

"That lady was just murdered!  I wonder who she was!" mused a shocked Chikako.

"Oh, poor Yuki and Ben!  What if she was Aisu's mother?" whispered a teary-eyed Annika.

~~

The stunned trio sat frozen for a long moment until Master Healer Winna spoke gently.  "We believe that one of the Sailor Sith, using some sort of portal, killed Aisu's Guardian, thinking that she was Hoth and Chibi Hoth's mother."  She sighed sadly.  "When Sailor Yavin arrived she found Keia dead, the holocube at her side, and Aisu asleep in her bedroom, totally unaware of what had happened.  Not wanting to frighten the child she simply told her to pack a few things and come with her.  Then she brought her to this galaxy and went to tell Master Yoda."

"But why didn't you or Ippin tell me any of this before?  Why wait until NOW!" demanded a now furious Yuki.  She shook off Ben's attempt to restrain her and went over to Master Yoda, almost shaking with anger.  "You let me believe that I was going to DIE when Hoth is destroyed, when all along Aisu was my future daughter!!! Why in the name of the thousand little gods would you keep something like this from US!!  WHY!!"

Yoda looked at her with compassion in his eyes.  Stretching out his gimmer stick towards her he calmed her slightly with a gentle yet powerful surge of the Force.  "Hoth's future to protect," he replied simply.

"What do you mean 'Hoth's future'!" demanded Ben.  Mara was still too stunned at the thought of being a grandmother to speak.

Yoda sighed deeply and gestured for Yuki to sit back down.  "Explain all I will, if calm you remain.  Your friend blame not.  Bound by her Guardianship she is."  Yuki allowed Ben to pull her back down onto the couch.

~~

"Oh no!!  What could have made Yuki so mad?" gasped Kirana.

"She looks like she's about to attack Master Yoda!" whispered an aghast Miyuki, wondering if her cousin had lost her mind.

They watched, as Master Yoda waved his gimmer stick and calmed their friend down.

"Whew!!" said a relieved Minae.  "Yuki finally sat down!"

"Yeah, and Master Yoda put his stick way!" observed Priire wryly.

~~

"Think now that with bonding and daughter all will be well?"  Yoda shook his head and tapped his stick for emphasis.  "Ha!  Truth this is not!   Very difficult times ahead of you both lie.  Though always in motion the future is, certain things happen will.  The destruction of Hoth certain is.  But Yukiko, by Force-bond strengthened, preserve Hoth for the future will.  Without bond..."  The little gnome shook his head and looked over at Ben and Mara.  "If Hoth protected is not, then *your* futures will not be, this much is clear."   Yukiko, knowing that the future rebels needed to be able to establish Echo base on Hoth, nodded in dawning understanding.

Master Winna smiled compassionately and continued, "Yukiko, in order fulfill your destiny, Master Yoda realized that you had to be strong enough to love Kami *despite* your belief that you would die on Hoth."  She turned to Ben, "Kami, you had to be willing to risk loving Yukiko despite thinking that it would lead to the pain of loss.  Only such strong love would be able to form the necessary heart-bond in the Force."  Patting the two on the knee in a motherly fashion she chuckled, "So that's why the little schemer kept the truth from you."

Turning her attention to the soundly sleeping Aisu, the Healer smiled fondly. "The problems little Aisu was having were due the conflicting possible destinies.  Now that you are together as the Force desired, we removed the memory block. I can wake her if you wish."  Ben and Yuki, still somewhat in shock, nodded.

The Healer placed one hand on Aisu's forehead and concentrated a moment.  Aisu yawned, stretched then opened her eyes.  Upon seeing Ben and Yuki smiling down on her she sat up abruptly.  "Mama!!  Papa!!  I missed you so!" She threw herself at her future parents with a happy squeal.  "I remember everything now!" 

Hugging their daughter tightly, Yuki looked at Ben with tears in her eyes and new hope in her heart.  She whispered softly, "Our *daughter*!"  Smiling wryly, she chuckled, "I guess we *do* have a future together after all."

"Thank the Force!" replied Ben, his own eyes shining with emotion.

"Do you remember me, brat?" Mara chuckled at Aisu from her chair. 

"Grandmama!!" Aisu giggled as she jumped into Mara's lap.  "You're here in the past too?  You look younger!"

Master Yoda and Master Healer Winna exchanged amused looks and got up to leave, Yoda taking down his Force-shield on the way.  Making their way through the crowd of curious senshi, Yoda chuckled.  "Much explaining to do they will have."

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Part 11 ~ Saisaki ga ii - the future is promising

 The other senshi were told most of the story over large bowls of ice cream. 

 "Wow!!  So Aisu's your future daughter after all!" marveled Annika for the tenth time.

 "Yes, I am!!  Mama and Papa sent me back to learn how to be a senshi.  I'm learning to be a good senshi, aren't I, Mama?"  She struck a pose with her ice cream spoon and declared, "I'm Chibi Hoth, the Senshi of Ice and Expression!"  She giggled, "Just like my Mama and Papa."  Digging a huge spoonful out of her bowl she continued, "This ice cream is sooo good!  I love strawberry!!  It's going to be fun to tell Sutaru that I'm her cousin!  Cousins can be lots of fun. But I really miss my sister.  Ooops!  I wasn't supposed to tell you about my twin sister, but I do miss her!  She and I always had a lot of fun together."

"We will have *twins*?!!" Ben gulped.

"I have another granddaughter!!" yelped Mara who promptly fell down again in surprise.

"Sis... sister!!  You have a twin sister?!  Is she a senshi too?" stammered Yuki, not sure her heart could take many more surprises in one day.  No one noticed Sailor Yavin quietly leave the common room.

Little Aisu just laughed as she devoured the last of her ice cream, totally oblivious to the shocked looks from the other senshi.  "No, silly Mama!  *I'm* the only senshi and I'm heir to the throne of Hoth," she added importantly.  "Hisako's gonna be a powerful Jedi Master just like Aunt Bebi!!  Ooops!!"  She put both her hands over her mouth.  "I wasn't supposed to tell you that!"

"Now I understand why Yoda left the memory block on for so long," Priire muttered wryly to a giggling Annika.

"Mama?" came a hesitant voice from the direction of the main door.  Yuki and Ben turned to see Sailor Yavin accompanied by a small girl with light purple hair, put up in a complex odangoed style.

Aisu squealed happily.  "Hisako!!" she cried and ran to hug her sister.  Dragging her over to where Ben and Yuki sat with open mouths, Aisu giggled and said, "Mama, Papa, I'd like to present Princess Hisako Skywalker, my twin sister and your other future daughter!"   Yuki smiled, eyes once again full of tears, and opened her arms to hug her other daughter.

After introductions, and more bowls of ice cream, Yuki asked carefully, "Hisako, why did we send you back to this time?"

Hisako, gulping down a last bite of ice cream just giggled, "I have lots and lots of Force-energy so you and Papa thought I should get some training from Master Yoda."

Ben and Yuki could sense the truth of the little girl's claim through the Force.  Their future daughter almost visibly glowed with energy.  "She has a similar power to your grandfather," Yuki whispered to Ben.

The purple-haired young man nodded in agreement.  "No wonder we wanted her to train with Master Yoda," he whispered back.  "He'd be one of the few beings capable of dealing with that kind of power."

While the girls happily finished their ice cream, the other senshi slowly headed of to sleep still in a bit of shock over the day's many surprises.  On her way to her room, Ippin stopped by Yuki and said sadly, "I'm sorry, Yuki, that I couldn't tell you about Aisu earlier."

Yuki reached out to hug her friend, "Oh Coru!  I understand completely!  Guardianship demands much from a senshi.  I just want to thank you for bringing us our lovely daughters."  Reassured that she had not lost Yuki's friendship, Ippin smiled and wished the happy family good night.

Ben and Yuki each picked up a now yawning little girl.  "I suppose Hisako can sleep with Aisu until we can find a room for her," Ben thought aloud. 

"I want Hisako to share my room, Papa! Pleeease?!" begged Aisu, struggling to stay awake.

"Pleeease, Papa?!" echoed little Hisako.  Ben melted completely at the adorable pleas of his daughters.  Yuki just chuckled to see the strong-willed young Knight fall so quickly under his twin daughters' spell of kawaii-ness.

"Okay, but I want you two to sleep!  Now give your grandma a hug and a kiss goodnight."

Mara reached out to tickle the girls. "Get some sleep, brats!  You'll have plenty of time to cause trouble in the morning!"  They just giggled happily and wished her a goodnight.

Moving aside a pile of stuffed animals to make room, Ben and Yuki gently tucked their daughters in bed.  The girls were asleep almost as soon as their little heads hit the pillows. "Goodnight, my darlings," Yuki whispered, her heart full of emotion as she tucked a blanket around the girls.

She moved to the doorway and reached out for her beloved.  Standing with their arm around each other's waists, the two loves looked with joy on the living embodiments of hope sleeping so peacefully before them.  Yuki hugged Ben close.  "So many changes in one day!" she whispered.  "We find each other and discover twin daughters."

"It has been pretty exciting at that!" Ben replied wryly.

"Saisaki ga ii," Yuki whispered.  At Ben's inquiring look, she smiled, "It means 'the future is promising'."

"Yes, it most certainly is!" her love responded softly, gathering her in for a long kiss.   Once more the Force swirled gently around them, but this time it hummed with a song of hope.  

~ Saisaki ga ii! ~

 The End! :)
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