Trial of the Souls Complete (Censored)

"MOMMY!!!" William came bolting from the table wearing his training gear and training saber. "I missed you!!!"

"WILLIAM " She opened her arms "I missed you like crazy, how is my angel. " Tears of happiness welled up. "Never I leave you again never"

"Its okay mommy! Master Neophyte, err.... Endymion taught me lots of stuff!"

Neo was behind the pillar in the shadows and smiled behind his mask. "He is a quick learner…Aeon will be here soon."

She smiled " No it isn't, I had to leave you for month's while you where recovering, my angel I’m so glad to see you" She wrapped her arms around him never to let go and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

"Wanna see something I learned Mommy?"

" Ofcourse"

William rose off the ground with the force and bolted at Neo with increasing force and drew his saber. He caught Neo offguard who had to defend against the young form II user with sweat coming out.

"Hey!" said Neo who used his cortosis bracer to shut off his lightsaber.

William turned with a cheesy grin to his mom and a slight 'tee hee' as he came back to her. "He is a good teacher mommy."

He’s the best. Nice move, I’m impressed " she grinned " Does that mean I have to watch my back for surprise attacks from my son"

Neophyte shook his head. "He knows only to attack me and enemies…"


"If he can attack enemies he can attack everyone. But then again, my power lay in my force, not sabers.”

"Teaching the saber will allow him the focus needed for force."

Aeon was quietly watching form the doorway not wishing to disturb them while William was practicing. She smiled at little William. She hadn't seen him since she left the Sith, knowing the Dark Lord was mad at her.

William perked up and smiled big looking at Aleema. "Mommy mommy!!! Aunt Aeon is coming ! With her daughters!"

" Of course, you are right there no argue from me there "

"Hahaha, come in Aeon" she turned around, surprised by Aeon's belly. " It feels like ages since I saw you"

Neophyte looked at Aeon and walked to her hugging and kissing her softly. "Hello my love."

William looked at Aeon and smiled big swaying back and forth mischievously. "Auntie Aeon? Can I marry one of your daughters? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!!!"

"Hehehehehe!"

Aeon smiled as she walked in or rather waddled in. She hugged tightly to Neo and kissed him back just as softly. Then she heard what Aleema and William said.... "We will see William. Who they marry is their own choice."

"Wait a couple years to see about marriage and girls." Aleema winked

Aleema called William to her " William there is someone you need to see. I know she wants to see you"

Aeon was glad to see them all. "I am sorry I haven't been around very much."

"A~wwww! okay. When Im 7 ill ask again okay??" Williams’s big baby blue eyes with slight golden centers looked up at Aeon and Aleema pleading. He then ran over to his mother and sat in her lap.

"hmm, how about putting 10 years to those 7." Aleema held her son. "You ready to meet your little sis"

Aeon couldn't wait to see the precious bundle of Joy, she should be about 4 or 5 months old since the last time they saw each other.

William blinks a few times. He looks inquisitively at Aleema and smiles big. "Sister? I have a sister!?"

" Yes honey, she's born on my mission. You are a big brother now. Wanna see her" Aleema smiled to aeon "sweetie at least you didn't disappear like i did." she looked to Neo " thank you for watching over my precious son." she placed William of her lap. " you going with me or do i need to bring her hear, so in meanwhile you can convince your aunt on marrying one of girls"

"Aleema!! Don't give him anymore ideas!" She smiled.

"Master Neophyte has been training me for 5 months for eighteen hours a day… With breaks for lunch and stuff. He said I would protect my family and this now means my sister too! I would love to see her mommy! I’m gonna be a great big brother! GRRR stay away from her you Jedi!! Grrr Stay away from her you ewok! Grrr I’ll get you for that GRR! He played a bit and looked at everyone grinning. "Can I Auntie Aeon PLEEEEEEEEEASE!!!"

Neophyte smiled a bit and shook his head. "His attention span will be better with age I’m sure. He is a kid after all. Playful rambunctious and quite well mannered......after some training at the dinner table...."

Neophyte then looked at Aeon and smiled a bit. "He didn’t want me to tell anyone I was training him.... I met his request with a request of my own… That he didn’t have any fear of anything I asked him to do. He has been good on his end of this So i made good on mine.... I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you my love.... I’m very sorry.... Promises are promises after all…"

"That’s what I love so much about him, always direct." she looked to aeon, “Sorry auntie I’ll behave" she kneeled for William, “You grow much… search a seat and when I’m back with your sis, you can be the very first man to hold her."

"Thank you mommy!!!"

Aeon looked down wishing she had known this sooner, but she could do nothing to change what had happened, She smiled at them all. "I don't know what to say Neo, my beloved. I hope our children to receive the same affection from you."

Aleema stepped out the room, she felt great being home again. and soon she would have her family reunited…well almost.

"They will… I knew how important William was to Aleema and also to you. You consider him your own son as well. I had to do this… I’m sorry it affected you though.... That is my one main regret…"

Aeon closed her eyes trying not to tear, she Hugged Neo so tightly, and kissed him very passionately. "Don't be sorry my beloved, please don't."

He returned the kiss as he spied William taking his father’s chair and acting like Zaccar rather accurately. He sat there with a serious expression on his face. William cracked a smile once in a while as he tapped his fingers on the arm of the big char. "Now Graccus I want you to do yada yada and yada yada to Yoda Yoda! heheheheh!"

Aleema's quarters weren’t far away. When she prepared Aliana she walked back with her, her own apprentice relieved she could wander around the base. sefin, William would meet her later, his sister was more important. In a few moments her two children would be together atlast. This was one of the moments she waited so long for to happen. Aleema stepped back and heard what William said. she couldn't help but laugh holding Aliana close.

" Hmm, so My lord, ready to see your daughter Oh it’s the little crow, ready to hold your sister." she walked up to William.

"Yes mommy! Erm.... Yes Aleema I would like too! heheheh!" He got serious seeing her. "She is gonna be pretty when she is older mommy. A lot of magic surrounds her… A lot will happen to her… And to me.... When I’m around her.... She and I have a great life ahead of us…" With this William's eyes went totally gold and then back to their normal. "Can I hold her now?"

She gave William his sister and kneeled beside him enjoying this sight

"She is so cute!! She is like a doll one of the Priests keep on the leviathan but warmer and so full of life! I hope we can play a lot!"

Aeon had tears down her face as she watched the two together. She looked to Neo and her arms were hugging him tightly.

Neo held Aeon close and kissed her on the head enjoying the sight as well. "No better person to hold her first from the male gender than her brother… He will be her protector for her entire life…Until she is married… No one better to hold her first at all…"

Aleema's eyes where tearing and full of pride and joy, "You can play all the time when she's older and help her learn. You will be her big hero." She stroke on the side of Williams face and held Aliana's little head. Aleema looked to Aeon and Neo, "I couldn't say it better Neo"

Neo thought of Zaccar and how good it would have been if he were here but didn’t want to ruin the mood. "He will need a lot more training… He has only sixteen years to learn what I have to teach him.... Then his time will come to be amongst the stars with us… They do grow quick...."

"To become what is foretold he indeed needs training, that is true. And in times off he has a mother that steals him away." she winked to William.

William smiled holding his sister close.

Aeon was unusually quiet as she watched them all. She had a lot on her mind. Trying to understand the last 6 months of being away from Neo so much. Hardly seeing him and now learning why.

Aleema took place on a chair watching William. She looked to Neo and Aeon "So what all happened while I was away" she looked to William, "You saw your father lately"

"No… Daddy hasn’t been around.... He has drawn away the brotherhood from the Krath… the Krath are secluded once again. He doesn’t know where I am because I didn’t want him to know.... I was afraid of grandpa…"

"I can't blame you sweetheart, although I know grandpa wanted to meet you badly…any other reason you didn’t want to see your father"

"He is mean to you mommy......"

"He didn't see me for quite some time now William…and it's not because how he is to me he doesn't love you. He does love you allot. You are his heaven, his all" she smiled " sorry sweetie, I don't want to confuse you, but it is the truth"

"Mommy...... He makes you cry when you’re all alone at night...... I know it. I saw it!"

"Your father is married to his Sith, I wished you never had to se me like that. Don’t worry my son, all will turn out alright soon… I hope" She felt sorry, never she wanted William to know what pain she has been in too

"One day mommy… One day he will be here for you.... I’m sorry mommy… I just cannot see my family in pain. Master Neo told me if someone hurts my family… Even if it is my own family that I must be cautious and on my guard.... Hurting ones family with making them cry is as bad as hitting them… and hitting them is bad… Very bad!"

"If that day arrives my boy, it will be to late " How could she tell William, he lived for his family and was so young, "Just trust me will you William"

"Of Course!!"

She smiled relieved, "That is all I needed to know. Now tell me what else did you all do besides training, you must have done something funny , you knowing…"

"I replaced Master Neo's robes with pink ones one day! But he found them"

"Hahahaha, hope you didn't had to train twice as hard that day"

"No… Master Neo is nice!"

" So did he wear one"

"No… he did think it was funny though!"


"When we are alone I’ll tell you a good hiding place" she winked "but then again, hmmm, should I learn you this"

"That sounds like fun!!!"

"For us it is, but for third party's less I guess." On her wrist an alarm went off. " Sorry my dear boy, I need to feed your sister. Believe me she's twice that grumpy then you if she doesn't eat on time"

"Okay Mommy! Here she is!"

She took Aliana over, "Thank you honey." I won't take long…unless she has one of her day's." she went trough Williams hair , leaving it wild.

"Aunty Aeon? Why are you so sad??"

Aeon looked into the sweet innocent eyes of William, her own filled with tears. "I didn't know, William. I had no idea." She turned and ran from the room, as well as she could run.

Neophyte stunned and completely oblivious ran after Aeon. It was not good for her to run at all and he knew he had to keep his butterfly safe with their daughters. "Aeon! Wait!!"

Aleema saw Aeon run before she entered her room. "Aeon please stop!! Come in "

Aeon didn't know how to tell either of them what had happened to her. What she had done. She didn't want to face either of them but she stopped as Aleema called her name. Giving them both a chance to catch up with her.

"What’s wrong?? What happened? What’s going on??”

"Sis, what's wrong what happened" Aleema was concerned about Aeon.

Aeon leaned against the wall, letting her feet collapse out from underneath her. "I made a huge mistake, I didn't know." She buried her face into her hands. "I am so sorry!"

"Aeon sweetie, calm down, what mistake, what you didn't know" Aleema kneeled beside her. " Please come in…" she wiped the tears from Aeon's face

"Huh?! What mistake my love? What happened? Were you hurt?!"

She didn't know how to even begin to say it, as she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. She whimpered, she couldn't hide it from him any longer. "I am not your sweet innocent butterfly Neo," she could think of no other way to say it then to come right out with it. "It was a one night stand. I tried to resist. I wanted so badly to be held by you. I gave in." She buried her head again unable to continue she was crying so hard.

"Neo turned pale white and stumbled back and fell to the ground slowly creeping away from Aeon. She had never used those words in the same sentences and he knew what it meant.... Someone had taken his butterfly. She had expressed her physical love to another…the touch she said she would only reserve for him.

Neophyte dropped his robes and grabbed his sacred blood vial and his sacred water vial and his sible bladed saber and started to walk away. He took a seat and poured the water and blood on the saber.

He then ignited and got it in a reverse grip and started to chant the Krath suicide ritual.

"NOOOO NEO!!!!!! Please!!!!!!" She ran to him to stop him.

"OH GOD NO!!!"

"ELUS EVO ENCANTATUM ENO SACRIMUTI EVANUS!"

Aleema ran beside Aeon and stopped her. She gave her, her daughter "Don't go after him, I’ll handle this" she ran after Neo, leaving Aeon with Aliana. She started saying the reverse words. " You won't fall in disgrace Neo, over my dead body" She started speaking ancient Krath, pulling all she had in those words.

Neophyte’s Aura burst into full view as his eyes superimposed on it at Aeon with a look of sadness. "If you love him that much Aeon you may have him…"

"Uni Malo Valis Madidus Kelo Alo velorum Lasat El Tals Kelo alo maduis"

"I Don't!!! Do you understand that!!!" she said as she was clutching onto Aliana.

"I wanted you, I want you! I want only you!!"

"YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT!" He continued to chant as his own aura began to burn his flesh. He was racked in pain as his first lair of skin began to crisp off.

"Neophyte give me your saber, NOW!!! Don’t make me do something i might regret later." Aleema spoke a few words letting the Necromancer in her take its completion. Her aura was dark and furious " Neo, the saber, GIVE IT TO ME" Aleema started chanting the words of force block while stepping to Neo.

Neo's aura had started to dwindle as he started to do the final motions with the saber. He was intent on doing this. His angel had become someone else’s. "She is no longer my angel… She is my wife… But she loved another. She gave herself to another. I have nothin' left. I am nothing now. I am but a clone. A shell, which can be recreated hundreds of times. "

"NO Neo! You are the wonderful husband whose heart is pure for his beloved! I needed you so desperately! I wanted you to hold me. I needed to be held. To be loved and I wasn't feeling so loved being alone!"

He stood and pointed his blade at Aeon barely missing Aleema as a black aura surrounded him. Krath's Aura. Neo's eyes blazes with fire as his body gave way to demonic spikes. "YOU WON’T MIND THEN WHEN I RIP HIM ASUNDER AND SCATTER HIS ASHES!"

He started to walk away leaving smoldering pits in the ground where the dark force was melting stone.

Aeon didn't know what to say, she did care for Raijin as a friend. "It wasn't his fault Neo. It was mine. It was only mine."

“She loves you damned, she always will. She made a mistake…listen to your heart Neo, you know your heart, and you are someone. You saved me once, let me save you…don't do this Neo…don't." she made herself use all darkness she had and summoned the gates of the Netherworld. "Don’t let him have the last word. Don’t give in Neophyte you always fought for what you believed and if you give in now, you take me with you. If you want to die, walk trough that gate."

He stood there going back to normal and turning to her. "Give me one reason not to hunt him. One solid reason."

"He does not deserve to die for comforting me when I needed it most."

"Why DAMMIT WHY!" Neo went over to the closes metal pillar and began denting it as he broke his hands. When that became to painful he kicked it until his shins gave way to fractures.... He sat there in the pose of a defeated warrior who had lost his everything and cried incessantly.

Aleema closed the portal. she walked up to Neo she took the saber away. She kneeled beside him placing her hand on his shoulder

Aeon knew she had no right to touch him, to hold him. As much as she wanted too, he needed space.She sat back against the wall.

Rage could feel Neo and Aeon. He rushed closer and closer in mist form. He saw them, Neo looking like something completely evil and Aeon with her back against the wall. Sitting.
"What in Krath’s name is going on!?" He yelled as he formed up, blade ready for a fight.

Neo cried. Bawling incessantly into the ground as blood from his burns began to pool around him. He wanted to die right now… but thought of his honor…

Aleema didn't even looked around " Hail Rage" She started murmuring words, trying to heal Neo as good as she could.

"Yeah all hail me......... WHATS GOING ON????"

Neo's wounds closed and his bones mended slowly as he continued to sit there broken down and crying like a baby. He felt so violated. One of the things he never thought possible had happened. His butterfly had given herself physically to another.

Aeon moved back away from all of them. She couldn't stand that she was the cause of Neo's pain. She couldn't form the words or the thoughts to explain to Rage what was going on. She whispered softly. "I Love you so much Neo. Oh God I do! Please if ever you believed me. Believe me now." She knew he couldn't understand right now how she felt. She knew he was hurting but so was she.

"She… She… She violated our most sacred… Of agreements… our most sacred of trust. Our Physical show of love for each other, I loved her so much. I did everything for her. Everything I knew how.... And she gave herself to another. Is my love not good enough… My God Krath why do you TORMENT ME!!"

Rage increased the fog around him and encased Neo in it, his burns looked bad. So Rage cooled him down. Trying to sooth the pain. He did it as Neo explained himself and what had been going on. "Say what???"

Aleema stayed silent, focusing on Neo's healing progress. Once Rage took over. Aleema looked to Neo, if he was all right enough to let go.

"Have I not suffered enough…" At these words his tears ceased. He sat there staring at his healed body… He tried to see it from Aeon's view and saw himself as a total failure. He took his ring off and walked to Aeon with pained eyes. "I was not there for you. I do not deserve this… Do I… " With dropping it in front of her he went to the door of the gardens and stepped inside.

"Alright, now, someone in a cool manner explain this whole thing to me." Rage was confused, "Cos I ain’t getting it...... Well I think I do...."

Aleema walked up to Aeon and waited for her to give her back her girl, “I did all I could do sis, it is up to you to talk to him." she held Aeon's shoulder before she could walk away with her daughter. " If you need to talk you know where to find me."

Aeon broke down in tears, and handed Aliana back to Aleema, as the ring hit the floor. She felt the wind knocked out of her. "Neo I didn't know!" She tried to shout as she picked up the ring and ran after him. "Neo please stop! Please listen to me!"

Rage burst into mist and followed, he had no clue what was going on.

Neo sat in the garden waiting for her. He looked at her hurt. "I’m here… What do you have to say?"

"For months while you were away, things happened, things I could barely handle. I wanted to feel your arms around me. I wanted to feel like I was home. God I wanted you more than anything I have ever wanted in my life… I had no idea what was going on with you, I didn't know if you were alive or dead. And then you came back almost expecting things to pick up where they left off. I needed some time alone to think, and then he was there. Offering something I wanted only from you. It is you that I love though, not him."

"Who was it Raijin? The one who has been trying to woo you forever?" Endymion shook his head. He loved her more than life itself… He wanted to trust her again but didn’t know how to go about it.

Ohh, oh this cant be good. The jigsaw came together for Rage.

She looked down holding his ring in her hand. "Yes" She didn't know what else to say right now.

"How am I supposed to trust you again 'My love'… My angel...... My butterfly… what am I supposed to do? What would happen if I had taken to the new Krath Noa while you were studying away in the library?"

Oh no Neo...... why oh why did your bring Noa into this...... Rage wanted to bang Neo’s head against a wall, it wasn’t a smart idea bring the word "Noa" into a convo with Aeon.

"She is a Krath to me. And someone Rage loves. I’d never think of it. There is nothing that would make me do what you did… every lightsaber strike I took. Every scar I have is for you and no others…"

LOVE NOA??? Since when did I love Noa?.... Rage knew of Noa's love for him, but their 'friendship' had been a vicious one.

Aeon backed away from Neo, still clutching tightly to his ring. She felt like she could never make right what had happened. She didn't even care at the mention of Noa's name. Aeon looked up into his eyes with her tear stained face. "I have no right to ask you to trust me Neo. Not after what I did. I made a horrible mistake and one that I will live with for the rest of my life. I betrayed our vows. I can only pray I haven't lost you."

"Never see him again. Even coming near him and saying one word to him and I walk. We will start back at the beginning. We will rebuild from scratch. This is the only way I will ever learn to trust you again."

Aeon kneeled down in front of him, still sobbing and barely managed the words… "I promise… I will never see him again. I am so sorry for what I have done Neo. I truly am!"

"May I have my ring back then? It’s your choice.... Me or someone else. Now is your moment of truth Aeon Drean."

Aeon gently took his hand against her face, as she was kneeled against him. "I chose you over life itself Kordera Drean. I chose you!" She slowly placed his ring back on his finger.

"Then this never happened… did it....? You never gave yourself willingly to another. We never had a breach of trust. This was a misunderstanding which will now disappear forever because my honor says it can."

.......... How can you simply put it aside...... Rage was confused, Neo was ready to just push it under the rug like it wasn’t anything important. It didn’t make sense, he also wondered what Neo was really planning in his head, because Rage was ready to kill Raijin.

Aeon looked up at Neo, and didn't know what to say. She held him as tightly as she could. As if she would lose him.

Well Rage, time to make your voice known. the fog swirled all around and Rage's mist formed up inside, then the fog disappeared leaving him there. "Greets........." He smiled Neo wouldn’t like this.........

"Okay, let me just say something, you've both just had a bomb shell drop on you. And you're so willing to shove it under the rug? Like it never happened? What? Are you insane......... You both KNOW what bottling emotions can do to you. You both KNOW what avoiding things can do to you. And you both KNOW that leaving this under the rug will make it a ticking time bomb. Are you crazy?"

"What do you want me to do Rage. Have it nag at me for the rest of my life? What the hell am I supposed to do… I love her. I have to do this or my love for her will be scarred in a way I can never get out of my mind."

"But Aeons guilt is still going to be there......" He hoped she felt guilty, "If you love her you will fight past it. Not shove it aside...... which is kinda why I have a proposition…"

"Be quick about it. My patience is ticking old friend. I’m only suffering you being here right now because your my best mate… Even this you can understand my apprehension for hearing you… This is a problem for me and Aeon but go ahead with what you have to say...."

Aeon was holding onto Neo's hand tightly not wanting to let go as she listened to Rage, but let her eyes watched Neo carefully. She knew Neo was right.

"Starting from scratch." He sort of bobbed his head a little, dabbling with the idea. "That Aeon lives on the sanctuary...... And that you rekindle it all by taking her out on dates again...... things like that… the romantic stuff again.... You need to work on the problems...... and starting again, going out, you know.... All the stuff you probably used to do when you first fell in love." He smiled, "You just need to find what you lost. And brush the dust away on it."

"I have a better idea. How about Me and Aeon use Librarians old device and erase the memories of this even happening."

"I have an even better idea!" Rage exclaimed, "Lets ask Aeon as she is right there! Oh and using a device, what am I meant to do? What is Aleema meant to do? We've all been hit by this… So Aeon, what do you want to do, fight past it or just push it aside?"

Aeon wasn't letting go of Neo, not after what had happened. "Let me do this Rage, let me finally put a rest to all the bad memories. Neo and I can let them all go. Please we have been holding onto emotions. Let them go Rage. This mistake will live on, but not in us. Not anymore. I love you Rage for wanting to help us. But let us work this out please."

"Right then, but I leave you with one last thing. You are building on quicksand. Someone is going to go, "I see you worked through your problems. I see you fought for your marriage." And then you will know you're living a lie." He frowned, "You two are weak. Easy path. And I’m going to be looking at you at a different light, Anamnesis and Endymion." He went to bow, "You can let all your memories go, but I cant. The tough times are what strengthen us. And it’s how we learn to be what we are today." He thought for a moment, "Unfortunately I made an oath. Till I die. Through the bad times, seems you can’t hold yours can you?"

"Rage.... This is something that could break Me and Aeon apart forever. Separating would only make it worse. Living with this knowledge… I would never fully trust her or myself again. That is dangerous enough. You think this is the easy path but… We have a much harder road ahead of us than any of us realize. There is a reason for why things happened. We must deal with that. There is a reason for my absences. We have to deal with this too. This is in no part the easy path. This is the more difficult road but the only way we could trust ourselves and each other that I see. "

"So you will just erase what happened to make yourself trust her......?"

"Before this I trusted her completely. With this knowledge I cannot… The pain is too great. The travesty is too hurtful. This is a bombshell, which will end us unless we do this. I cannot live with this in my mind and live with Aeon at the same time. It would be something, which snowballs even if we did deal with it. The fact that it was forgiven will be a moot point to the memory of the pain every time I see her. You understand?"

"And the pain that I will feel knowing that your marriage is based on lies every time I see either of you. You understand?"

"What would you have me do. Start dating her long distance again. What good would that serve if I have this nagging in the back of my.... You know what rage… Let’s try it your way. IF it doesn’t work and I still feel like this I will do things my way. Hear me?!"

"No no, you want to do it your way. Fine. Aeon also wants to do it your way." He unclipped the sword Neo had given him for his 22nd and chucked it at Neo and Aeon. "If you both agree and change your minds. Then come talk to me." Rage misted around them, it was red, he was angry, and then continued to walk slowly away.

"Rage. Do you know what will happen if we do it your way? We will feel more guilty and more angry until there is nothing left. Do you have any more ideas that would keep this from happening. If so I’m open"

"Rage please. Let me let go of the memories, let me show My Beloved, that I can let go of Raijin." She pleaded with her eyes for him to let them do this their way. "I Love Kordera so much that I want nothing more than to forget this. The dreams, the nightmares, the mistake Please let us have this chance at peace Rage. Please let us have a chance at a happy home. Please try to understand."

Rage snapped back at them, started yelling. "Let go of him by your own WILL POWER, by your own strength, let go of all those by your choice. Not by some ******* machine. I KNOW you two can work it out. I know you bloody well can. So I’m going to understand that you don’t want to do it by yourself. I’m going to understand that it all hurts to much that you can’t take it. That you can’t face it. My DREAMS WERE TRYING TO KILL ME. You chucked me in that hell pit for 2 years...... TWO YEARS. Why? To fight my problems. To fight all that I had done. I could have just gone to that blasted machine and gone "Wipe it all away" But no, No. I stood and I fought. And I fought for my life, I fought for the both of you, to protect your children, to protect the Etere family. All for nothing. ALL FOR BLASTED NOTHING!"

He was angry, but his eyes were filled with tears that slowly trickled down.

"Rage. What would you do for someone you loved. What would you do if you knew this was the only way to keep your world in tact. What if this was with you and your most beloved. What would you do. Suffer with the pain every day you see them and hope the pain subsides after years of torture?"

"You're looking for no." He frowned, "It won’t be years. I know. I bloody well know that as soon as those babies arrive you will realize how much you love each other."

"I know exactly how much I love her. Which is why I’m willing to do this. For the kids and for us. But you know. You do have some points. So I will try it your way for a couple dates. If it destroys me I will not have you hating me. Get out of my sight. I have hell to go though now just to make sure you don’t hate us."

"All I hear is you Neo."

Aeon looked at them both, "Rage, This will always be with us, there is nothing we can do to change that fact. I can't turn back time, I can't leap forward in the future. I have felt the pain of how changing trying to play with time and the mind can effect a person's sanity. Dwelling on events that can never be changed. She agreed with Neo but she also saw Rage's points to. These memories are to be stored on holocron. They will be with us, the will always be but not unless we chose to see them."

"Rage… Your my best friend. For my sanity and for me to not go completely insane I would have to do this… I see no other way. What else can I do. I either destroy myself with anger or have you walk away hating me to the day you die."

"Do you think we can work this out…"

Neo looked at her with pained eyes still and stroked her cheek gently. "We can talk about everything and hope the trust returns......"

Aeon embraced his warmth as tears fell down her face. She didn't deserve his love, "I have wanted so much to talk to you. I won't ask you to trust me Kordera. I have no right to ask anything of you. I can't ask you to ruin your friendship with Rage, over me though Neo. I can't do that. I love you so much."

"Right then, the lady has spoken," Rage turned and began to walk away again, his sadness and anger was apparent.

Rage left quickly, he rushed to the toilets where he threw up and began crying. Feeling guilty and sad that his family would no longer be the people he knew.

Neo got up letting Aeon go. He had to get Rage to a better state of mind. "Aeon… Live with me please and let us try to work this out. We have to keep everyone in tact. Including ourselves…"

Aeon understood as Neo let her go. "I will so long as you will have me Neo, but Rage right now is more important. Please talk to him."

Neo ran as fast as he could and caught Rage wiping his mouth off. "You know. You could have just been agreeable you ass. We will work things out and your getting all frilled in the head because you think we'd be lying to each other! What the hell is the matter with you!?"

Rage didn’t actually hear Neo, he was dizzy, "What do you want? You've said it all. Come to prove something?"

"Prove that I’m a friend. ME and aeon decided to go an alternate route. We will live with each other and start over again slowly or however we feel fit. Erasing our memories is out because I don’t want you going around cursing our names. There is no way that you my best friend is going to hate me over this. This is all I have to say. Take it as you will .... Good looking out though. I expect no less from you." Neo started to walk towards the door looking towards Aeon and the garden again.

"Congratz, now I feel even worse." He chuckled, he'd farked up majorly
"I...... I am sorry......" He just wanted to die.

"Rage. Don’t worry about it. You were right after all. A cowards way out is no way for a Krath Champion to be… Take care of yourself.... I need to be with Aeon."

"Right......" Rage misted past Neo and then over to Aeon, he didn’t form up because he felt that she didn’t want to see him, "Sorry," Came out from the mist and Rage went out of the garden, formed up and began walking away from it all again. He was still dizzy and almost falling over as he stumbled away.

Aeon looked up at the mist that was Rage, "No, Rage, I am the only one sorry here. Have faith in Neo and I."

"Why do you think I was trying to get you to try it anyway...... I had faith in you...... but you guys didn’t for some reason......"

Rage left it at that and went out of the garden, formed up and began walking away from it all again. He was still dizzy and almost falling over as he stumbled away.

Neo walked strongly to Aeon and picked her up off the ground with force. Not enough to hurt but enough to probably startle her. Neo didn’t look like the nice Neo she had always known Either. She saw him reaching for his robe and his saber.

"Aeon...."

"Yes Kordera?" She was a bit startled by the way she had been picked up.

Neo had his saber in hand and pulled his hood back from his face and threw his saber to the ground and rushed her grabbing her in his arms and kissing her with a passion she had not known since when he had come back from battling the Librarian. A passion that was to say that he had almost lost the one thing he held dear. In that moment Aeon's mind and force ability picked up on Neo's mind and his soul again. The link had been re-established through sheer will. They would be able to feel each others pains and discontents as well as their enjoyment and good times again. She felt a relief and sadness from Neophyte like he was guilty but so lucky she was still here.

His hand traced her back as he kissed her passionately and his other arm grabbed her waist He wanted this moment before their talk to show her that he really did love her that much. He didn’t care about what she did. She was in his arms and his embrace and he had one last chance, if anything to show her how much she meant to him. He wanted for them to be like they were before but he also knew that things would be rough until they settled things.

Aeon was completely taken by his kiss and the warmth of his arms around her, by the link she felt with him, returning. All the emotions brought her to a state of sobbing in his arms. She looked into his eyes, and she was completely lost in them. In his soul. She traced his lips gently with her fingers. She didn't say anything but wished for him to sense her own emotions. She had felt horrible about what happened and knew that she didn't deserve him. His love was undeniable to her though. "I have been such a fool Neo."

"Don’t speak. Just love me please. Feel my love again. For us?" He held her tight to him as his tears joined with hers. She could feel his grief over her pain and his wishing he had been able to rewind time to stave this off.

She also felt his soul twining with hers again and his love flowing through her like a wildfire of passion and need for her. She could feel his need for her. He would die without her. She was his world and he wanted nothing more than to be with her. He didn’t care about what she had done. Not one bit. He had his angel in his arms again…instead of in someone else’s. This was what he always wanted.

"I never sang my songs,
On this date, on my own,
I never said my words,
Wishing they would be heard,
I saw you smiling at me,
Was it real? Or just my fantasy?
You? always be there in the corner of this tiny little place.

My last night here for you,
Same old songs just once more,
My last night here with you?
Maybe yes, maybe no.
I kinda liked it your way,
How u shyly placed your eyes on me,
Did You ever know that I had mine on you?"

He looked to her eyes and tears flowed freely from his as his soul showed her his happiness she was here with him. He was a puddle of clay in her arms. "I wanted to tell you this a while ago but never had the time… I’m so very sorry my love…I’ve missed so much of our marriage so far… I’m so sorry… Please forgive me…"

She pulled him down with her against the stone of the garden path and just held him closely to her. She was seeing the side of his soul she missed and longed for so much. "I missed you so much. My mind has been chaotic without you to hold, to touch me. So many things I have missed when my eyes first glanced yours on Drall. I want only you in my arms. In my mind…" Her eyes were red and tears stained. "I am so sorry that I was weak, that I couldn't cope without you. Please promise me you won't leave me…Please?" She gently wiped his tears as they flowed and kissed his cheek.

"I will never leave you. Never. And I will never abandon you. Please be mine again. Mine and mine alone? My heart cannot take the pain of seeing you need someone else’s affection because mine is not there to give." He kissed her softly as he continued to cry softly over her. They both needed this. This was a moment they both needed and wanted. His hand lightly caressed her delicate form with the softest of touch. He traces his hand down the side of her torso and over her chest with the most loving of care. After the brief pass his hand slowly worked around to her back and he lifted her up slowly into one of the most passionate kisses she had ever received from Kordera. He put every ounce of himself into this moment so she would know he forgave her completely and only wanted her for the rest of her and his life. "I love you so much Aeon. I love you so much it kills me when I’m away. It kills me when I cannot touch you as one who loves you should. To not feel your caress and your warmth next to me in our bed. It kills me to know I could not be there for you in your most dire hour…"

Aeon whimpered with the warmth of his embrace of her body and his passionate kisses. The sweet taste of his lips, the feeling of his soul entwined with hers. "Shhh," She said as she looked deeply into his eyes. "Show me Kordera, make love to me, to your daughters mother, the way you have truly longed to while you have been away."

He nuzzled his nose to just below her ear and sweetly whispered "I love you." as he starts softly kissing her neck with slight flicks of his tongue to give her the warm sensation over her entire body. At the same time his hands traced her stunning form on the insides of the arms and over her thighs with a care and caress that he reserved for no one. He traces the inside track of the thigh all the way up as a slight tease as he smiled. Knowing that the inner areas where the sun normally cannot reach are more and more sensitive to touch he kept this up to give her the most pleasure out of this. As he thought it should be. She could feel from him that he only wanted to please her in the most beautiful expression of their love possible. The sweetest and most purely primal show of this was something he prized with Aeon. He kept his hands moving slowly over as his kisses began to get lower and lower down her neck almost to chest level.

Aeon trembled as the sensations of warmth passed over her body and various spots where he had kissed began to speckle with goose bumps. As his hand moved up her thigh and his kisses became lower. She knew he was teasing her. She so enjoyed the gentle caress of his hands over her and the gently way his breath felt on her skin. "I love you Kordera." she managed barely and he could hear and feel from her, her want for more but also enjoying the tenderness of his touch and being teased.

Kordera's hands went over her body pressing in points along the spine with his hand, which was under her allowing for shockwaves of pleasure to riot though her petite form as his free hand caressed the tender spot behind her ear. He in a surprising display of skill crept this hand down over hear breasts with such care he could have touched the most expensive rice paper and not marred it. His love was everything to him and he wanted her to feel nothing but the best.

Her body was not used to such attention, as her eyes closed and she embraced his touch so completely, his touch brought tears to her eyes. She shivered from head to toe. Her chest rose and fell quickly with the intake of her breath. His hand across her chest and lips against her nipple, had caused it to grow firm under his touch. She was reacting to the subtle touches and gentle. Her hands gently crept through his hair. Embracing him closely to her. "I am yours Kordera. I am yours." He could feel from her that whatever had happened before. This was the way she wished to be treated. She wished to be loved and held by him. Her body relaxed against the cold stone and she let him do whatever he wished to her. Completely in control of her.

Gently they made the most passionate love they had ever experienced from each other for many over the next hour, try to recapture what had been lost. True love and passion flooded over them as they had never known before, there in the garden there hearts becoming one with each other. There two souls becoming one again, longing for each other, desperate for their love to be fully realized. Their hearts ablaze for each other in a way that made them weep through the ecstasy. The ripples of each touches emotion that was invoked would have given any normal couple a coronary but not Aeon and Neo. (Didn't think we'd give the mass public including 12 yr olds the full version do you?)

It seemed like hours to Neo as he carefully pulled from Aeon and lay next to her. The amount of confusion going through her head. The amount of feeling around them both. He could tell she didn’t even feel him exit from her and it seemed to her as if he was still there for a moment. He wrapped his arms around her and put a hand on the side of her face holding her close enough to him that she could hear the pounding of his heart. His body glistened in the setting sun as did hers. He lovingly wiped the drenched bangs from her face and allowed her an easier ability of breathing without her own beautiful hair being in the way. He caressed her body and tried to do so in a manner which would slowly reduce the activity of her muscles and her climaxes but also be safe for her and the children. He didn’t want to hurt her or the kids over an act of love. The irony in that would just not go.

With his arms around her, holding her so close to him, each beat of his heart pounding in her ear, she slowly started to calm. Each touch against her body by his hands, brought comfort to her muscles and she began to relax. Her breathing was also trying to return to normal. It seemed to take awhile for her mind to clear though, as if she was waking from a beautiful dream, she didn’t want to wake from.

"Aeon? Aeon my love we need to talk… Let us please get dressed and let us go home so we may talk please. These memories of pain must be quelled once and for all. Please come with me… Please become my butterfly again...."

Aeon reached up and brushed her hand against his face, as she heard his words. She had known this moment would come. She wanted to save their family. She kissed his lips softly. “I want the pain to be gone. I want to be your butterfly for always My Beloved.”

He looked to her and she could see a hidden pain in his eyes. Something stirring in his soul. His mind was beginning to unravel as he reached for her clothes and began to dress her slowly. "Then let us.... get dressed and go to our home? We have so much to.... talk about."

She was amazed at Neo, as he dressed her slowly. Always so thoughtful, always putting her first. She could feel his mind, as confused and torn as her own. His love was priceless to her. “Please Neo, lets go to our home and do more than just talk?”

"Aye. Lets help each other if we can. Many things… left to tell you. Many… conversations." She could see he was fighting to keep his own mind controlled. It subsided after a few moments and he finished dressing her and then quickly got dressed himself.

She reached her hand up for his, looking into his eyes. “Please my beloved, help me up, and we can help each other?” There was more within these simple words that he could feel she meant.

He slowly lifted her up and she could feel his mind starting to get chaotic and memories and thoughts mixing wildly and rapidly. He started to twitch a bit before walking towards the palace. He was out of it a bit. Light headed and very dizzy.

Aeon stopped him and pulled him close to her for a moment… “Kordera, My Love?” She softly kissed his forehead. “Please return to me? Focus on your butterfly?”

He snapped out of it and looked at her confused, hurt and scared. He didn’t know what was going on or what was what in life. He needed the Librarian's device to order his thoughts again and needed to get there quickly. He had maybe an hour and a half before he was a vegetable.

“My Beloved, where is home?… I don’t know where it is. I only know my home is wherever you are. But something is going on in your precious mind and I know you need to get there sooner than I can.” She was scared for him and wanted for his mind to be at ease.

Aeon helped Neo over to the conveyor Car, and made sure he was secure in it, and took off in it a speed faster than it was probably meant to go as she rushed him back to their home. “Stay with me my Beloved.” She would have liked to take the time to fully appreciate the beauty of their home but her attention was focused on getting Neo at home. “Neo where is it? Where is the device?”

"In our room… I’ll be fine for a bit still." The conveyer car stopped and Neo's composure had returned for the moment. He walked up to the house and unlocked the massive doors and pushed it open only enough to walk inside. "Welcome Home."

Aeon's arms were wrapped around him, still not willing to risk letting go of him. "Are you sure my beloved you are going to be fine?" She was focused on him at the moment as they walked into their home.

"I will be fine for a while longer… Lets go to our room shall we?" He started to head up the stairs after entwining his fingers in hers and smiling warmly to her.

She smiled as she let him show her the way, her gaze absorbed the beauty and wonder of the home along the way. She could very easily get lost here in this palace, so she held tightly to his entwined fingers. She could only nod as she was blown away, by the homes magnificence.

They reached the room and he waited for her to enter. He closed the door behind himself and her and sat on the rather spacious bed.


“My wife, my friend, my advisor, my love, my angel.... We need to talk. We need to put everything on the table and come clean on everything about ourselves. I say this as one who loves you and only wants to be with you and be the loving father of your children. I say this to you also as one who wishes to always care and protect you from harm and ill...."

Neo looked down as he started to speak of what he has been doing over the last five months. His words were heavy as if he didn’t deserve Aeon for letting her feel abandoned. He felt he was not worthy of her love.... She had to go elsewhere to find what she sought when Neo was supposed to be there. She could feel he felt he was at fault for it all and was willing to do anything to fix it.

He didn’t care about what she did. She had every right in Neo's mind. She was hurt and had previous reports that Neo died. Also she saw a changed man. Not the same looking Kordera she knew. He acted the same yet more subdued. He wanted only her full confidence and for her not to feel as if she was the sinner here. Had Neo been there this would not have happened and he knew it. She couldn’t be at fault if this was the case and Neo was convinced of it.

"I have been training William for half of my day… The other parts of my day were taken up by starting a school, refurbishing our home, killing those who tried to track your parents down.... getting killed and killing Librarian once and for all, crying because I could not have you in my arms, barely eating, and hoping to catch you out amongst the stars.... I’m sorry that in all this time I was not there for you. I can completely understand your position and why you had to do what you did. You went to be near a friend and he consoled you in a way I could not at that time. In that moment he was the man you needed in your life.... I am very sorry for the time I was away and can promise you that I will not make this same mistake again. I will not become Zaccar...I almost did.... I cared so much about making the universe a safer place for us that I almost lost the only thing dear to me.... This is all my fault and I hope you can forgive me...."

Neo looked down knowing about her nightmares from her thoughts and didn’t know how to help her. Everything was playing out to it and He wanted nothing more than for her to be at peace with the whole issue. He wanted the peace as well. For him, for her, and for their children. He knew this was going to be hard but he thought it had to be done. He knew he was at fault for this. He knew it in every fiber of his being. A child's secret should not be something you keep from your wife. Someone you love. Someone you would easily die for over and over if necessary should not be kept in the dark like Aeon was and this was Neo's guilt. His greatest treasure was treated second rate for months.... He had done the unthinkable. He had alienated the one thing he held most dear as he tried to protect it.
Aeon looked up to him and listened to his voice, attuned to him and him alone, to his emotions to his heart. She heard him as if listening for the first time to the beating of her own heart. Every syllable, every word, every sound, every inflection within him spoke truth and love to her, she had hardly opened her mind to hear before. Her heart was completely opened to him as was her mind. Her voice was soft spoken as she poured her heart out to him.

“I want you to be the father of OUR children my beloved, my confidant, my companion, and soul mate. So many things have happened since we began our journey as husband and wife. The times I have spent with you have always been by far the happiest, and the times without you have been the hardest to live with.

It is the times with you that I hold dearest to me. To my heart, to my body, to my spirit. Without you I would die Neo, without you I have come so close. I have tried to fight a war with the help of our friends to help guide me. But the battle can not be won without you near me. I need your strength. I need you to hold me. I need you to speak to me from your heart your desires and dreams.

For the last 5 months so much has happened. Librarians invasions into my dreams, his torment, his subtle threats against my family. The way your body has been scared and torn, and beaten beyond any sort of recognition of what I know, because my mind has been weak and when I see you hurt because of me it tears me up inside Neo. I see your eyes Orange eyes as if looking into the core of the sun and their warmth fills my body with a love I long for. I don’t want you to go. I want you to be here with me more than anything.

You want to know what has happened, and I want to tell you. Keeping this bottled up inside is no way for either of us to live, and I wish for secrets to end now, along with the pain we both feel with the guilt that is threatening to drive us apart. With the nightmares and the hurt feelings. We can not live like this any more Neo. For the sake of our daughters and our family. You, my beloved should never feel guilty for wanting to provide the best for your family. Should never feel guilty for making the world you love, safe for those you cherish. This guilt does not and can not live on your shoulders.“

She placed her finger beneath his chin and lifted gently so he would be looking into her eyes, “I lived with dreams that frightened me, events on Tatooine that scared me. A dream that I would be the one to cause your death Neo. I was put into situations I was not ready to handle, to cope with. Not alone.” As she said this she felt the tears falling down her cheeks. “It is my fault you left to fight the Librarian… You did so because of your undeniable love. The torment and pain you suffered on my account, the sacrifice you made. Your life you gave.” Her stomach knotted in pain. “You did so at the risk of never being able to see your daughters. Neo every woman should be so blessed to be married to someone so committed. So willing to risk their lives to see their family cared for. Please don’t blame yourself. Please do not ask for forgiveness because it is I who am sorry.” She softly touched her forehead to his. “Please forgive your butterfly?”
Let me be your strength once again. We both had shortcomings.... Of couse I will forgive you! How can a man cut off his right arm and hold himself on a cliff? I forgive you completely and love you no less. I could never hate you Aeon.... I could never be without you. I want things to be the way they were....No.... better than the way they were."

He stared into her eyes and she could feel a warmth inside of him like the day they were married. He had forgiven her completely and with a uncanny benevolence had given her himself totally in all things as it was meant to be. She was right. His mind reeled at the times he had not been there for her and the things that had happened. Neo wished more than anything he had been there for her and that he could have shielded her from these things. In his mind on the other end he caught himself before thinking it was good for her to experience this for her growth. No one should have had to see and do the things those two did in such a short time of being married.

"Aeon.... I forgive you but with one condition. That you not feel guilty over the past. We must forge our future together and the past can hold not a part in it. You must remember the good times but let go of the bad. I have done the same in the hopes of a bright future for us all. We must forget our transgressions as we forgive our transgressors or we will be nothing more than the Sith who we have striven to show a difference from. "

Neo looked down for a moment and then back into her beautiful eyes cherishing every moment with her. His soul was hurt but the pain was not as great as it once was. Her words had comforted this part of him and he knew that only time and his butterfly would cure the rest. He wanted to be only in her arms and have his children in his arms for the first time. So was the wish of one who had seen all the hells life had to offer him and had stared it in the face and fought to bitter ends to get where he was.

"I was once a Sith. I once killed mercilessly for the good of us other Sith.... You became a Sith as well but were not into the wholesale slaughter that Me and Dark Lord Zaccar witnessed and instigated on many worlds. As a Krath I tried to atone for my sins by simply trying to use our resources to change the face of the politics and our alliances. To that end I was successful.... I’m not that old Aeon.... You are a bit older than me by about thirteen years. I was given an adult’s mind. You earned yours. It is easy for me to forgive those I love. You must be willing to forgive yourself as well or this talk means nothing.... Please forgive me and you My love?"
As he spoke she could feel the twins moving inside her, they weren’t able to move much but their subtleness was a torrent to her own emotions as the impact of what she had done hit her with brute force. He could see and feel her own emotions as the guilt was felt at what she might have done to hurt her own daughters, and their father.

She buried her face against her hands, as his own forgiveness and warmth washed over her, and her own emotions poured out of her. She needed to release the emotions, the past from her soul. The mistakes and nightmares needed to be let go from her mind and soul. For awhile when she would begin to stop crying, their daughters could be felt. They were making their presence known to her.

The love she had for Neo and her daughters, could be felt burning within her, as the tears fell down her cheeks, as she fought herself to find the same forgiveness that Neo was giving to her.

As she started to calm, her tears still falling down her cheeks, she came to the realization. She made the mistake, and it could cost her everything. She realized though that deep within resided someone Neo found who he loved. Someone who he was willing to forgive, to fight for and she too had to see herself as he did. She had to find within her the same person he found worthy of being his butterfly.

She remembered the dream where he helped her, when she wanted to die. She remembered when she felt the pain of someone else holding Neo’s life in their hands. She was the man in her dreams holding the blaster at his head and she had to fight that person. She had to stand up to the memories of the Librarian and shatter his soul with her undying love and devotion. She had to look into the face of Raijin and deny the rose. She had to look into the nightmare visage of William in her mind and she had to desperately let go of it all.

For awhile her bodied trembled as she fought against her demons, her soul was for awhile colder than it had ever been. She had to fight against and shatter the spirit within her that told her she was unworthy and find in herself what everyone saw worthy of being loved.

She stood up to the little boy she saw replace the little William she knew and denied him. She stood up to the Librarian when he acted the spoiled brat and held the life of her beloved away and in her mind she choked the life out of him. She stood up to Spirit as she had heard her in her mind, tell Neo she was weak, and she broke Spirits presence. She took the glass rose from the cliff in her dream and shattered it when she threw it to the ground. Each and every horrible thing that happened to her that caused her pain and hurt she denied. She found within her the strength Neo knew she always possessed and let the demons be denied existence within her soul.

She looked up to her beloved, as if a rebirth had taken place, as the shadows that tormented her no longer held any power of her. Her tears flowed cleanly down her cheeks, and within her eyes the flame of passion burned more brightly than it ever had.
<

"My angel.... There was no way for me to know the events which would transpire. I was so drained from the event that I could barely lift myself. I can be with you this time. I can be here for you this time. Please let me share in this pain with you and comfort you. I love you more than anything and wish to help you put your pain behind you as you wish to help me put mine behind as well."

Neo took Aeon by the hand and led her to a place in his memories. The place was beautiful and serene with a light voice which echoed above. the voice was unintelligible and intangible but there was a beautiful spot under a tree with a headstone for little William. The tree shaded the plot and birds scampered about near it. Neo took little William's body from Aeon and ever so gently laid it in the plot and kissed the forehead of the one Aeon came to love. Knowing this was one of Aeon's most painful memories, Neo went to Aeon and held her close to him and held her head close to his heart and she could feel Neo's heart breaking over the situation with hers in kind.

"We will get through this my love. Stay with me and stand by my side and be strong. I’m here and always will be...."
For along time Aeon just sobbed deeply in his arms, as he held her. She would have collapsed without him there as the dream started over, but as it continued with him there with her, she found the pain easier to let go of, and much more bearable knowing she wasn’t alone. She took comfort in his arms around her, in the sound of his heartbeat. In the tenderness of his kiss upon Williams’s forehead. In the gentle melody of the birds singing filling the air. In the memory of this moment in her mind instead of what she had held onto for so long.

They could both hear little Williams’s laughter echo through their dream and see his smile in her mind. Aeon closed her eyes and embraced the happy memories and let go of the pain. They could feel his warmth as if he was embracing them both in his little arms. Neo could see as the tears ran down her cheeks. As Neo moved back from lying William in the grave. The warmth that filled them both, the life surrounding them both.

“I tried so hard Neo, I tried to keep him young forever. I tried so hard to keep his innocence as long as the universe would allow me. I wanted to stop his destiny more than anything, because he deserves to have a happy life. He deserves peace and warmth. He deserves the love we know in our hearts Neo. But I don’t have the right, it’s not my choice. It’s not my will. The only destiny I am in control of is my own.” Aeon slowly let go and looked up into Neo’s eyes and she wiped his tears from his cheek. She let go of him for a moment and kneeled next to the plot that held little William, and gently she removed the covers from his face. There was one last thing she needed to do.

His face in that moment appeared peaceful and beautiful as if he had fallen asleep, his skin soft and untouched. “For to long little one I have held onto the hurt you suffered. Instead of embracing the life and love you shared with us all. Instead of embracing that the moment you walked into my life and you changed it with your smile. Your charm and laughter that could melt even the hardest of hearts. I will remember your beautiful eyes and hugs that I craved so deeply for, this is how I will remember you William Crow. I love you little one.”

As she said this the plot was covered over and she kneeled carefully beside it. In her hand she held a beautifully bloomed white rose. The rose symbolized his purity, innocence, and youthfulness. The way she wanted to remember baby William.

The area with the tree soon started to fade from view as Neo went back to the kneeling position. In front of him were the three pillars of light again. This time the one which looked like Aeon was sitting down and looking rather dejected. The other two were as they were in their previous state. More work was needed to help Aeon's pain before Neo's could be touched. Her mind would have to be able to withstand worse pain than the previous. This time though, she would not have the assistance of Grand Master Aleema Crow.

"My love.. more has troubled you and more things need to be explained in full. Please show me the things which have caused you distress. We can both be there to deal with them then and put your mind at ease...."

She heard the Librarians voice as the image flickered to life for a second.

"Hahhah. Today shall be the day of the rest of your life my prodigy. My new pain child. Today I shall show those who shunned me who they threw to the frozen wastes of Beshqek. Arise Dréan and choose your path."

Neo sat there and stared at the Librarian and didn’t move for the first time in his life. He had heard these words and used them to make decisions for many years of his life. This time the decision was his and Aeon's to make and he waited for her warm touch and her calming words before he looked at her again. His gaze, his death-dealers gaze was firmly affixed on Vreen and she could hear his heart begin to race.

Aeon heard his voice, and she kneeled in front of Neo. She placed her hand in his. “No my beloved William is not the only thing that has troubled me. Librarian is too. The pain and torment, the hell he has put you through. The love he has tried to take from us. Our children he has tried kill. His constant hurt he puts you through. The nightmares he has put us through. He has invaded our minds and home as thoroughly as if he were still alive.” She placed her hand against his chest trying to will his heart to calm. “I will show you if you want to see My Beloved.”

"Please do. I would like to see your thoughts and show you mine." The Librarian was killed by Neo's hand and it was the only death he enjoyed. Knowing that he even enjoyed it brought him grief yet he knew that the pain of the past could still haunt the present. His mind opened to her as he looked at the avatar of Aeon curled in the floor. "Shall we?"

The scene before them changed dramatically, and he could see her parent’s home on Tatooine. She was lying down on the couch with her head buried in a pillow on the couch, just after she had finished speaking with Raijin. Her heart felt confused to him as she cried herself to sleep, slowly her dreams came into focus.

She was standing upon a cliff face of one of the mountains overlooking the canyons below and the night sky twinkled brightly above her. In her hands she was holding a beautiful glass rose and she was thinking about Raijin. As he felt her thoughts he could tell that Raijin had meant a lot to her. He could also see the meanings of the colors of the rose she held and how it was a brilliant white when she thought of Raijin and their friendship. She seemed happy in this moment, content as if she was confirming in her mind how she knew she felt all along. He could feel that yes she was attracted to Raijin but as a friend.

As the cliff began to fade, slowly their home on Drall came into view. They were standing in the ballroom, and he was holding onto her around her waist like he had the first day he brought her here. Still she was holding to the rose, but the rose was blood red, and full of love and passion for Neo. She embraced his warmth and his love in that moment, her heart was his.

The moment only lasted a little while longer before he could feel the intense cold and the color of the rose faded to cold dark blackness that threatened to suck her soul into it.

He could feel her heart racing, he could feel the force grip that Librarian held over her and how desperate she wanted to fight back but couldn’t. He watched as Librarian tormented her with thoughts of Raijin, and asked her she loved Raijin or if it was Neo she loved. He felt her anguish as her voice was heard denying her love for Neo, but he could feel in her this was not a lie. Neo could feel from her the truth that she loved him with all her heart in that moment. But the Librarian continued to squeeze her firmly in his grasp, until the rose in her hands shattered. She cried out as she felt her tummy being squeezed and the pain became unbearable as she feared for the safety of the twins. She was pooled on the ground bleeding and sobbing, and holding her stomach. She was crying out for Ayla and Aiko to be okay.

Aeon saw a similar dream in Neo come to mix with this one. Aeon was on a table and Neo was lashed to a cross and lacerated into fragments barely alive and looking at the Librarian plunge a knife into Aeon's belly. He was murdering their unborn children. Neo screamed with fury as the Librarian's pillar began to grow brighter. He could not hold the memories and Neo's nightmares and the thoughts of his history with the Librarian began to mix and contort. Neo could not control the reaction and instead his kneeling form in the dream leaned over and puked up a black and red substance.... Like Aeon had seen him do on very few occasions. She could feel his pain and his tormented body’s memory along with his own mix and the entire dream go red and black. Lightning crackled across the sky as he grabbed his head and screamed.

Aeon could see Neo scream bloody murder even in his dream and his hair began to change red. His skin lost pigment in areas and turned black in others as she could feel something sinister stir deep in his soul. She felt an evil presence that she had only seen earlier that day.

In the dream Neo started to smolder with an immense heat as he stood up and with one motion snatched the saber from Aeon and summoned a blade for her. Neo's body was steaming and it seemed if he was as hot as lava by just standing near him. This was not her Neo.... This was his power. This was his darkness. This was that which he tried to protect her from and that which he hoped she would never see. The Neophyte of the Sith and the killer of Master Richards of the Jedi. The torturer of Kadja and the scourge of Selonia. This was what the Jedi spoke about as a nameless fear and who those even into Kessel rumored about in the back corners of bars. This is what parents told their children about to make them be good. This was pure malevolence and evil incarnate in front of Aeon. She could feel one ray of light from it though. A fierce loyalty and devotion to her the likes of which she never knew. Neo had given her his soul in mind and spirit. He was the reason he could take so much damage and return to her looking like nothing had happened.

The body of this individual was a mess of scars deeper than Aeon had known. His body burned with a red aura and he looked at the librarian with a killers cold calculating and malicious stare. He was in a mood for a fight to kill these memories out right.

"Your saber...." The red and orange streaked eyes looked at her and she could see a coldness and a evil she had not even encountered with the Librarian. Neo made the Librarian look like a girl pussycat in this form. "Will you stand with me or your pain of these memories."

She took the saber from his hand, and she walked to stand in front of him. She felt the cold over her body as is if being dropped into Hoth with nothing more than this saber and she knew this wasn’t right. “Neo this is not who you want to be. This is not who you were when I looked into your eyes before on Drall, this is who the Librarian wanted you to be. It is not who you are meant to be. I will stand beside you for eternity. The nightmare has no longer a hold over us. They are dreams, attempts to shatter our spirit. But we are stronger My Beloved. Our Love is stronger than this anger and pain. You told me this remember? The most powerful of all, Love, that is the heaviest weapon. Use it now and we can both end this, and let go of the pain we have both suffered while alone. We are not alone anymore. We are one in body and mind and soul.” Her eyes were pleading with him to understand her.

"The power of love. Can you withstand your fear. Can you shatter your pain. Can you shatter the dark pieces of your own soul. Are you strong?" Neo's hair returned to normal as his eyes did. The rest of him stayed the same as he stared down his creator. She could feel Neo this time. Not his darkness. He was cold as ice now and still fixated on fighting the memories for the last time. Neo stepped forward through Aeon's Avatar and right into the face of the Librarian. The librarian here raised his sword and struck Neo but it bounced of a brilliant white aura brighter than the sun.

It looked as if a nuclear explosive had gone off. Aeon could see her own emerald eyes through this though and hear her own voice as she spoke something across the skies in this vision. She also heard Neo's voice super impose with the visions voice of hers. "For him." and "For her." echoed through the place as the Librarian's body seemed to slowly disintegrate in front of Neo.

Aeon felt her own resolve and strength of spirit and the warmth of their love for each other wash over her as if she was under a waterfall of it. The area was filled with the white light of their love and nothing remained. The memories had subsided and the whiteness of their minds was all that was left. Their memories were there but seemed to be lessened by this last scene of events. They had reunited their spirits by wanting the same thing. To Neo.... The Librarian no longer mattered. He was a memory of a life lived past.

Aeon walked to Neo, she reached her hand to hold his cheek, to pull him close to her. She smiled at him as she looked into his eyes. “For Our Love.” She was captivated, she was home with him as she had felt before. She absorbed the warmth of their love and nothing else mattered to her any more. “I love you Kordera Drean. I love you more than anything, or anyone. You were right. Love is the strongest weapon we possess and I am blessed to share mine with you.”

"We shall always share it with each other alone. May we both be free from regrets and from our doubts. Please promise me that our love is our own and that your touch belongs to no other. Mine belongs only to you for the rest of our lives."

“I promise you Kordera Drean that no other will feel my touch. My body, my touch, my caress. Are yours and no others, from now until eternity. My Heart belongs to you, I am home here with you. Our Children are our children. Please let their be no doubt left in your mind of how much I love you and am willing to fight to show you how precious you are to me.”

"Then our pact is sealed with the conjoining of our souls here. May our soul try to rip us in two and make us miserable to the point of pain if we don’t keep good to our word my love. I allow my soul to ache if i do not remain true to you and i allow my soul to warn me and you if it happens. I also allow my soul to always be yours to touch. This is my pact to you as your soulmate and love."

She gently embraced him in her arms in a tender Hug, and brought her lips to his to seal her promise to him in the most tender of kisses.

He kissed her deeply and embraced her close to him as the dream faded to reality again and they were both there in the garden laying next to each other and in each others arms.

“Neo I promise you that I would die first rather than ever hurt you again. My hell is losing you, to anyone else. To hurting you. There would be no reason for me to live. I promise you, my soul mate and my beloved. My promise to you.” She didn't want him to ever doubt her love for him again.

"Then lets start enjoying life again and leave all of our pain here in this garden. Uhm.... Your communicator is blinking...."

She stared into his eyes for a moment longer, hesitant to take her eyes away from him… she kissed his nose gently, before turning her attention to the communicator which she now had to find. Once she found it she turned it on, and they could both hear the message from Noa.

“My Beloved I should find him. I know where he has gone. I am perhaps the only one who does. And I have to make this right with him. Please understand?”

"I will see you when you get home.... Please do not hate Noa.... She saved my life.... Go now with my love and get our friend back please...."

She gathered up her clothes that were scattered about, “I am not mad at her anymore Neo. Take comfort in that. I was a bit harsh to her, but I know she was only doing her job too.” She finished sliding on her shoes and grabbed her robe. “I will bring him home I promise, and I hold to your love in my heart every moment.” She went as quickly as she could to her reaper.

Part One: The Raining Pain

Rage stumbled along the corridors, reaching his ship and flying it to the sanctuary. All the time thinking how stupid he was, how guilty he was, how angry he was. He didn't notice it, but as he was walking he couldn’t hold himself together, even when flying to his ship, he was breaking down. Breaking into mist form and back again, whenever he did, lightning flashes happened as if he was in the center of a storm.

It was raining in sphere four, it was raining in his head and all around his world. He laid down as it fell on him. Calming himself, he was trying to calm himself. Trying to wash away his guilt and pain over what he had just done. He couldn’t help but cry as he realized what he had said. He believed that now they hated him. It burnt inside. And even the rain didn't wash away his pain. It only reminded him of Aeon. And how he had tried to teach her to clear her thoughts with the rain, and how he had got the cr'p beaten out of him with the bugs. His failure to properly set a trap. And how she helped stitch his wounds. He laughed. He felt like throwing up again, rolled over and coughed. Seems his body was reacting to the anger, blood splattered out. He remembered seeing Endymion cough up the blood as his body changed all the time. The times that Neo as a Darth and as a lord would hide off in his room as the dark side changed and altered his body. Again he laughed at his stupidity and his guilt. He felt as if the galaxy was against him and everyone he knew. To cause them all pain. It had been his life. Parents, family...... Never had family...... He decided he should never had this family. And wondered how he got into this mess. Wishing that that fateful day when Lyta took Mad away never happened. His thoughts were all over the place. Then suddenly more pain and he fell to the ground from his hands and knees.

“Get up you wuss.” It was Noa, she had been reading his mind from afar. She had kicked him in the gut.
“Why?” He rolled over, she bent down next to him and smiled,
Then frowned and shouted, “Because you are a fighter. You always have been haven’t you? You've always fought. And now why are you lying here and crying? What’s wrong with you, big girl.”
Rage smiled, “SHUT UP!” He yelled at her, “I need to get away...... from all of this.... Yavin four......” he misted.
“Where are you going?” She frowned and got no response, Rage had already gone. Noa didn't even know what was going on. Seems it was time she found out...... And the one name she got was Aeon. “Do I care that much.............” She sighed heavily, “Aeon...... what have you done......” She said to herself.

She opened up Rages comms in the house. Managed to get someone to help her put a message through to Aeon. And she sent it off.

Message Type: Important
Subject: Rage
From: Noa...... yes......
Message:
Aeon...... I’m sure its strange for you to get a message like this from me. But something has happened to Rage. He fell in here and started thinking all this negative stuff. All I got from him was your name.... something about clearing thoughts with rain. He said he needed to get away because he was guilty. He mentioned Yavin IV. I’m not sure I understand. I don’t care that much really. What ever you did to him I mean. But I don’t know how to find him and I need your help to find him. He’s not in a state of mind where I would trust him to be alone.

~Your Nightmare,
Noa Fuyu.

-End of Message-

Part Two: Home

Rage didn't care about the Jedi. No, this time they could come and get him if they wanted. He didn't care. He just wanted to be left alone. Even if it was a cell. He touched down in his Sith Lander in the forest. Near his mountain. Near the one he took Aeon too when her thoughts needed clearing. When she had the problems. Now he had the problems. Now he had the pain and anguish. He looked over to that temple that almost got him killed, but then returned attention to the mountain. Up and up he climbed. Reaching the top which skied high over the landscape. He sat in peace in his new home. Rigging up his music and just listening to it as well as the forest.

He looked down, he needed to let go of his anger. He needed to kill something. He needed to do something he couldn’t do the last time he was here. Kill the insects. He plunged down the mountain. Faster and faster he went. Misting and diving into that temple. He didn't care if it was the death of him. To his victory or to his death......

Part Three: A common goal.

Aeon read the note, over and over again letting it sink in. She knew what happened to Rage was all her fault. Him feeling guilty though she didn’t understand. She knew where he was though with the mention of Yavin IV. She made her way to a console and tried to reach Noa through the comm., sending a message to meet her on the Sanctuary, provided she wasn’t already there.

“Noa when you get this please meet me on the Sanctuary as soon as possible. I won’t be to long but I am pretty sure I know where Rage has gone. We can search for him together.”

Aeon walked back into the room and left a note letting Neo know she had to leave. She had to help Noa find Rage before he did something he might regret because of her. “Neo My Beloved., I have to go. I have to help Noa find Rage. He is gone, taken off to Yavin and I have to find him. This is all my fault not his and I can’t have him feeling guilty. I have to somehow find away to make this right. Please understand.”

Noa got the message. Aeon didn’t seem to mind it was Noa who sent it. Which she felt odd about. Aeon didn’t like her, she assumed. She didn’t care for Aeon though. And it was the least of her troubles. She sent a return message simply stating that; "I will be in the hanger." And that’s where she waited and paced. She didn’t know what had happened to make Rage run off. And not knowing where he had gone was even more of a concern. She hoped it wasn’t Yavin IV. Though she didn’t know about how many times Rage managed to visit the planet and be safe.

"What happened to you Rage......" She asked herself, still waiting for Aeon.

With the note left for Neo, and them on the road to rebuilding their lives together. She knew now she had to rebuild her friendship with Rage, and she knew that that meant letting go of all the pain she held within her. Even her anger that had been held against Noa. Her thoughts mulled over the possible reasons that Rage could have gone to Yavin but she knew it was where he helped her. She knew the cleansing effect of the Rain and the power it had had over her. Now she had to help him and mend their friendship.

Her ship finally made its final approach to the docking bay of the Sanctuary and she could see Noa in the distance. She opened her cockpit but didn't get out. "Noa, are you going to wait there all day." She released the ramp to allow Noa to board her ship. She didn't want to waste any time getting to Rage. She knew what happened last time they were there.

Noa frowned at Aeon, but she was geared up and rushed to the Krath Reaper. Aeon looked funny in it, being pregnant and all. Noa looked Aeon up and down and smirked, "Are you sure you don’t want me to fly?

Actually Aeon's back was killing her, and would appreciate Noa flying. She moved from her seat carefully. "She's all yours, our destination is already plotted." Aeon seemed to have a lighter mood about Noa then she did before.

Noa force jumped into the cockpit of the fighter. Instead of jumping right into the pilot seat she made sure Aeon was seated and strapped in tight. And even smiled at Aeon. "We are working for the same goal. I still don’t understand what happened," She turned around and sat in the pilot seat, closing and locking the window down to prepare for launch. Noa strapped herself in and then looked back over at Aeon to see everything was okay, "But we still need to get him...... you.... You didn’t hear his thoughts." She hit the repulsor lifts and leveled the ship out, slowly lowering it out of the hanger to engage the engines. She hit the destination preset, waited for the jump to hyper space and then turned back to Aeon, "I.... We cant leave him alone...... I don’t even know why he is going to Yavin IV...... the idiot."

"He's going there because of something I did, because of a mistake, mistakes I made. Mistakes that all came out today. He is going there because it is where he took me to clear my thoughts back before Neo left. He is going there and he is going to get himself hurt. The sooner we get there Noa the better." Aeon's thoughts were amazingly clearer than they had been before as if walls of pain had been torn down and there was much more lightness filling her, but her concern for Rage and seeing him safe was apparent in her eyes.

"We cant get there any faster than it will let us. We should end up about an hour behind him if we are lucky......... maybe two.... at the most three." Noa thought it was all confusing. Rage wasn’t usually like this. It didn’t add up, she had to know. "This mistake...... what was it? I never knew Rage had this.... side to him......" She looked at Aeon, concentrating hard.

Aeon looked down briefly, she wasn't going to keep secrets from her friends or family anymore only the truth, complete honesty. "I had an affair on Neo. I let daemons get the better hold of my reason. My judgement and I made a mistake that almost cost me my beloved. When Rage found about this though he tried to convince Neo and I, not to push it under the rug, and seeing his reactions to us. Neo went after him. I believe he thinks we are mad at him. But we aren't. He was right. We couldn't wipe the memories as we planned we had to deal them." She smiled at the thoughts of Neo. "My beloved and I are going to be just fine but now it is Rage that we should be concerned with. The kliniks on Yavin IV are very dangerous and I have a feeling he plans to face his daemons physically."

Noa thought for a moment, a sad story had just been told, She forced a smile and looked away, "I've had similar experiences in my life. I was pregnant...... And my boy friend cheated on me...... We got in a fight." Her voice was clear, it wasn’t breaking at all, "He punched me, very hard in the gut. Causing a miscarriage." She frowned, "I work on the 2 eyes for an eye system. Killed his family slowly and painfully. Then that little tramp he screwed and then him." Her voice was strong and determined. It became more peaceful and she said, "Why does Rage always have to go with the psychical things. Doesn’t he deal with it mentally?"

As they were on their way, Aeon fell into an uncomfortable silence hearing what Noa had said about how she reacted to her boyfriend. She waited until they were at a comfortable cruise speed and then undid her restraint. She was thinking about how Lyta would react her when she found out what had happened. Lyta had to know the truth. She loved Raijin and Aeon knew it, and Aeon slept with her sister's boyfriend. Aeon knew she could never make this right, there would always be mistrust in her heart, but she would have to find Lyta once she fixed things with Rage. "I think to him Noa the physical makes him feel things more deeply reminds him he is flesh and bone, instead of keeping it all locked up inside. I really messed up his thoughts and emotions. I wasn't trying to hurt him at all. He has been there for me so many times I can't count them any more. He has put up with my intrusions into his dreams. He has helped me to find myself when I have gotten lost a couple of times."

"Maybe he feels like he should of been the one comforting you. He is the guardian of the Etere family right?" She snuffed a laugh, "He probably thinks it was his fault. Letting you out of his sight." She was a little sad, and bringing up the old wounds hurt. Even Rage didn’t know about that one. Despite there long talk at dinner one night. "With any luck, he might have cleared his thoughts by the time we get there. If he isn’t dead......"

Aeon looked at Noa and she did something even she didn't expect. She reached around and hugged Noa. "He wouldn't have been able to Noa. The relationship was purely physical. Friendship mingled with a deep desire to have something I missed deeply and with all that had happened I felt smothered. I escaped the guards on Kessel, dosing them with a sleeping agent. And then Raijin found me. We talked for awhile. He tried to comfort my mind. While I believed all I wanted from him at the time was just comfort a lot more happened when we found ourselves alone together." Aeon looked at Noa thoughtfully, "perhaps he does believe this his fault, but its not. He knows that I can't be caged all the time, no matter how much he wants to bottle away his family. I would suffocate if not allowed room to breathe."

Noa was shocked by Aeon touching her. Let alone hugging her. "I’m not sure how well this is going to go. The family bit. One of his thoughts was about being stupid enough to meet and be friends with you all. Though I think it had something to do with his parents being killed...... Must not of wanted to feel pain from family again." She looked worried, but tried to push it aside, "Caged you? You haven’t been to the sanctuary that much Aeon. Im guessing mostly because of me and that I live with Rage now. But I still don’t think caged is the right word." She tried to smirk, it didn’t work, for some reason she didn’t want to annoy Aeon. It made her face look even more worried.

"I don't think it will be easy Noa...... I don't expect it to be. I expect him to hate me for hurting him for along time. But I can't let him hurt himself because he thinks I hate him, because I don't. I love him for standing up to Neo and I and speaking his mind. I just have to find away to convince him that we are still the family he knows."

She looked at Noa and could see the pain in Noa, her worry for Rage transparent. "You love Rage, you want him, you want to fight for him. You seem in him what I see in Neo. Noa, I am sorry I was such a...... a b*tch toward you. When you attacked my husband all I could do was hold onto the thought of possibly losing him. Yet I was the one who I should have been more worried about......"

"I did ask for it." She smiled, "I did push back," And then laughed the evil laugh of hers, "But, Neo does love you very much. He wanted to kill "Master" for just one reason." She paused to add drama and spoke more softly, "To be with you. And that’s probably the only reason Im living. So he could kill those that plagued him, those that hunted you both down." She thought for a moment, "I do love Rage......... but he doesn’t love me...... we are friends...... and we have.... you know...." She smiled shyly thinking of that night, Her voice stopped being calm and became brash and harsh, "but we also made a deal...... And he needs to stay alive to fulfill that deal he made." She said, not giving anything more about the deal unless Aeon wanted to ask about it......

"I expect no less of Neo. I ask nothing of him and he gives his all freely. I feel his warmth with me. His heart and his passion. His pain, his sorrow, his torment. I feel his soul. Within me. And I have to let go of all my pain, so that I can be his ray of sunshine, so I can help him now the way he has helped me. And maybe free his mind like he has enabled me." She turned her attention back to the what she heard Noa say about Rage though, as she blushed. "You and Rage? You did the...... He umm...... Is it getting hot in here? And what deal are you referring to?" Aeon was very curious.

"Yes. We made 'love'" She tilted the tone in her voice for the word love, she smiled also and didn’t blush. Noa was too used to that kind of talk, "The deal is that if Rage doesn’t find someone he loves before he is 25, so three years, he and I will get married." She smiled, waiting for Aeons reaction.

Aeon smiled. "I think you would make him happy but I hope that if you two do get married its because you truly love each other and not because of the deal. That you two find within each other what completes the other. I wish for Rage to be happy. To find his Soulmate the way I have found mine. Everyone should be so fortunate in their lives to find true happiness and embrace it for all there days." Aeon was getting sentimental, like revelations of insight had just flamed up within her. Her thoughts that used to be filled with fog, with a shy almost scared little girl seemed to open more into the woman she wanted to be.

"Aeon, when Rage is 25 I will be 28. I’m getting too old for the assassin job. I’ve been doing it for 25 years." She looked sad, "I just want to settle down. Rage is loyal...... Even if he doesn’t love me I know he wouldn’t betray my love for him." Rather she hoped and didn’t want to say otherwise, "It the reason I gave him time. He only has to find the person he loves and he can have all the time in the universe to get her attention. And I will be doing the same, but at least we will have something to fall back on." She smiled, "Me and Rage have become good friends. I’m sure if I push him a little bit it could go further, but I wont till his time is up." Again, she looked sad, inside she felt that no one else would get with her because of how she is. Rage had put up with her for awhile. She just felt a strange connection to him that she couldn’t explain.

"Noa to settle down, to settle is not what are meant to do Noa. I love Rage dearly as he has helped to take care of me but I have to say I would be lying if I told you anything but the truth. Neither of you can settle for each other but you have made your 'deal'. I just hope that when time is gone and you are upon your deadline for this that you two truly realize that the one you have been waiting for is each other and the love is truly returned tenfold. For neither of you deserves anything but complete happiness." Aeon looked into Noa eyes and saw through the toughness of her shell it was a disguise. "Noa, we may not be friends as close as Snake is, nor Aleema, nor Rage, but you deserve to be happy and loved, for the right reasons, but someone deeply committed to you for who you are. Any man worth the time should realize this. You will find someone who loves you Noa, truly and deeply and I hope I am around when it happens." She offered a smile as she felt the movements of the twins. She leaned back against the chair a moment to catch her breath. "Soon these twins are going to want to come. I just hope they give me a bit of advanced warning."

"Maybe your right. But by the time is up we would have spent three years together. Rage agreed on this too remember." Noa couldn’t believe she was having a civil argument with Aeon. She wanted to avoid what Aeon was saying because it was mostly true, "You hated me because I tried to kill Neo. Did you also hate me because you actually thought that we were doing something? That Hoth was another term he used for cheating or something? Do you really want to know what happened on Hoth?"

It was fairly obvious that she was moving away from the topic; Rage. And this new topic would be very hard for Aeon to resist.

Aeon bit curious as to Noa's version of the events, trusting Neo completely but also she wanted to here from Noa what she hadn't given her a chance to explain before. "Please tell me what happened on Hoth, Neo has told me as much as he can but maybe you can fill the rest of the gaps? I really want to be able to help him but I need all the pieces of the puzzle. He means the world to me Noa. He's like an oasis."

"We landed. We made a few explosions. Neophyte kept proclaiming "For her" and "For Aeon." He managed to kill 2 of them. So did I, but he too 45 tenlos disrupter rifle rounds. He was beaten up very bad" She looked a little sad, "I took him to the spaceport, removed most of the tattered clothing and placed him into bacta." She frowned, "But his body......... its just filled with scars.... all over.... there’s probably not a smooth spot left on his skin." She had a straight face, "He saved my life, I saved his."

Aeon looked deeply saddened because she knew he had taken those scars for her and for those he loved more than his own life. It also made her proud though. She smiled. "There is a smooth part still left. His lips are still soft and wonderful to kiss and taste." Aeon blushed a bit at the thought.

She tried to return back to topic though, "I thank you Noa for being there for him. So much I have wanted to be there for him. To be the strong one fighting by his side, and I hope I still can be." She wondered if by "her" though that Neo had met her mom. She would have to ask Neo about it when she had a chance.

"You're pregnant. I believe he is fighting so neither of you have to fight anymore." She smiled at her. "I wouldn’t know what his lips taste like would I?" She was being her usual mean self with the same smile. "We should be there within another hour.... I hope rage is okay."

Aeon laid her head back as she felt the children stretching and more tried to focus on her breathing. Aeon looked a little flushed. "I hope so too, Noa." Her thoughts were focusing on Rage and the little ones, her mind feeling him and the twins, was like an overload to her at the moment. "I'll try to maybe rest a bit till we get there if its okay?"

Noa thought for a moment. "That is a good idea." She turned around to the controls and monitored everything. She continued to worry about Rage though.

Meanwhile Rage was sitting in the depths of the temple. below a shaft and sitting next to an alter. He was covered in blood. The top of his robe was gone and there were two kilik blades in him. One into his left shoulder and the other in his right side of his gut. He was singing.

"And one day before the rain
He is searching there again
Where no one ever meets
And one day before the rain
He is searching there again
Where no one ever meets
on the Scarlet Flower Fields"

Aeon's mind was in a state of a waking dream as she had just closed her eyes and found herself seeing images of Rage she couldn't quite understand. She felt if she was right there with him.

She bent down in front of Rage to kneel at eye level with him, "Oh God Rage no! Please!" She tried to get him to look into her eyes and see she was there.

Rage noticed the ghost like look of Aeon standing next to him, his tune changed, "Come......... little angel...... and sit...... by my side......... I need some...... one to talk to...... cause I cant...... see the liiight...... I yearn for a guardian - take my thousand sins away...... all the something last lines meet......" He just smiled at her, covered in blood.

Aeon whimpered as she saw Rage covered in blood. "Rage please forgive me." Her face was wet with tears. "Please hold on Rage," she reached her hand as if trying to touch his cheek. "Please."

Rage thought for a moment, "You aren’t the angel of death just yet are you?" He was delusional, he actually thought that she was some angel coming to take him away. He coughed up some blood. "I got about 2 hours in me...... maybe a bit more." He smiled. "Assuming someone is coming to get me...... But I don’t think anyone knows I am here."

"No my dear friend, and I won't let the angel of death have you precious. You should know you can't hide from me. Your mind could never hide from mine. I won't let you go. Soon We will be there. Soon Rage. I promise. Hold on for me?"

He smiled, "Not promising anything. Don’t want to break it." He laughed and coughed up more blood, "At least I killed those bugs that nearly got me last time we were here." He forced a smile this time. The pain was getting to him.

"Rage please forgive me." Her body was getting weak and her presence with him growing lighter. "Rage please I am so sorry I hurt you. You were right and Neo and I know that you were right. We are not mad at you. We love you dearly for looking out for us. DAMMIT RAGE don't let go of us! Fight for your family! Trust in us, believe in us."

"Why?" Rage asked......... but she had gone before she could get a response again.

Noa sat looking at Aeon, she had been talking in her sleep.

Aeon woke with a start. She brought her head up to her head, her face became moist with tears. "Noa we have to hurry we have to get there soon. He's in bad shape Noa. Oh God this is all my fault!"

Noa didn’t understand how Aeon knew. She didn’t care, "It will be 15 mins before we exit hyperspace." She said, determined and decided she did care. "What happened......? How do you know??"

"My dreams, I can't explain it Noa, I can enter his dreams, his thoughts, his mind. I have a connection with him. You must trust me Noa. He is hurting bad. I am scared for him. I wanted to stay longer but I couldn't hold it anymore." The worry on her face was saying she was more serious than she ever had been.

"We are stuck in limbo. We have to wait till we are out of hyperspace." She laughed about Aeons powers, "That must annoy him. He hates it when i get into his head." She frowned, "Why do you think you have this connection to Rage? I mean you must do it to other people........."

Aeon looked down, "Rage has always had this ability to see me truly as I am, and he doesn't hold back. He speaks what is on his mind whether I want to hear it or not. He took me to Yavin IV to clear my thoughts, taught me the value of rain to help clean the soul from the torment and pain that threatened to smother me. I think since the first time I entered his mind on the Leviathan, it formed a bond with him that allows me to more easily enter his dreams. It's an ability I am still working through. I can't explain it but the ability seems to be growing stronger than I imagined."

She sighed, "only one other mind have I entered besides Neo. I fear its not always a pleasant experience and I don't intentionally try to invade dreams, to me its very much just that...... an invader of someone's most holy sanctuary, and not something I do lightly.

"Heh, that’s the bond I want with Rage......" She sighed heavily and turned back to the controls. They were exiting hyperspace now. "Here we go."

Part Four: Sticks and Stones.........

Noa brought the ship in fast, they had dropped out behind Yavin IV. If they didn’t move quickly the Jedi would pick them up. She smirked to herself. Aeon made sure she was strapped in, Noa was as crazy flying as she was fighting. They hit the atmosphere hard and Aeon had the directions of where they were going all pointed out on the map. Off in the distance they saw a high mountain. All alone by itself. Like the world randomly decided to create a mountain there. It wasn’t that high up but it was still strange. As the loomed closer the saw the temple. It was flat, but when the flew near it, Noa could see that it went down like a step pyramid, deep into the ground. The sun was going down.

Noa brought the ship up next to Rages and opened the cockpit, She jumped onto the grassy ground and waited for Aeon to get out.

"I can use my force powers to lift you out." Noa didn’t understand why she was being so helpful.

"No Noa, He's deep in the temple we don't have alot of time. Make sure you are prepared for anything, their may still be Kliniks all around. Rage will need all the strength we can managed to help him when we get to him. I will only slow you down, I will find you both. But go now! Please find him.”

Noa quickly ran into the temple. She couldnt help but notice old caccases of the former owners. She kept low. Rushing around. It seemed urgent until she heard,

"Shattered hope became my guide.... and grief and pain my friends,"

She sighed, "Atleast he is alive," using that she quickly moved down the temple, the place echoed with his singing....

"a brother pact in a blood-ink penned......... declare my silent end...."

Noa shouted back, "YOU DON’T SOUND SILENT TO ME!" But because of where she was he couldnt hear her. Noa kept reaching out with the force, she felt nothing else but Rage and Aeon alive. Rage had a field day and cleared out the temple.

"Naked and dying under worlds of silent stone......... reaching for the moonshield that once upon us shone!"

Eventually she reached the bottom of the temple, he sat at an alter, looking to the opening. His body was covered in blood, the klinik parts stuck out of him like spears and his right leg was broken. His right forearm was clean. Which was odd considering what the rest of his body looked like. It didn’t have a scratch on it. His body had been cut up but his face also looked uncut.

"You know......" He smiled, dried blood like lipstick, "It would of been quicker to come that way." He pointed up to the roof.
"FOUND HIM!" She yelled back to where she came from, hoping that Aeon might here.
"Excuse me.... dying.... please be quiet." He laughed and spat some blood near the ground, "So what brings you .... ow ow." He tried to sit up more, "here....?"
Noa just frowned and Rage laughed some more. If he was going to die he decided to be happy.

Aeon focused on Rage's mind trying to find him as she turned through cooridors. She hadn't seen the way that Noa had went because it took her longer to get to the temple. She got brief flashes of images in her head, and she tried to put the puzzles together. Trying to find a recognizable pattern. She opened her eyes to see the path in front of her, and found herself face to face with 2 Kliniks, staring at her. She didn't even think she just screamed, as her lightsaber came to her hand she decapitated one of Kliniks the other one was half the room away, and approaching her slowly not sure what to make of its next lunch snack if it was worth it or not.

Rage snapped out of it, "AEON!" Rage misted, he didn’t even know he had the strength. He fromed up in between Aeon and the bugs. He quickly fogged the area, creating a smoke screen for Aeon to get away in.

"AAAARRGH!" He screamed as he pulled the Klinik syth from his shoulder, his leg was broken, but he pushed the pain away. lunging at the first bug and driving the pincer through its head. He screamed again as it peirced his back in retaliation, He had a problem. He was now pinned to the dead Klinik, in extream pain. He focused the pain, he focused the anger, guilt and sadness and ripped himself free. It had stabbed him in his right shoulder and it cut down to below the arm.

He screamed in pain, his right arm was useless, with the blood rushing out of him and the Klinik moving closer and closer to Aeon. He lunged at its chest, penertrating the heart. Killing it. He released all the anger, pain and guilt falling to the ground and looking up at Aeon.

"Typical." He forced out.

Aeon kneeled down beside Rage, not sure what to make of him. "ARE YOU CRAZY are you insane!?" She wanted to be mad at him. "You know you are so stupid sometimes Rage!" She saw how badly he was bleeding though. It wasn't going to be as simple as stitching him up as before.

Aeon looked at his arm and her hands were already covered in her brother's blood. "RAGE!" Noa came in and saw Aeon leaning over Rage and Noa's instincts to save the man she loved took over. She untied the strap holding her Kimono closed and tied it as tightly as possible around his arm to try to slow the blood loss. With the Kimono know tied tight around Rage's arm it had allowed her kimono to hang open rather exposing Noa's chest in plan view of Rage's gaze. As he had turned to look at her now.

She was trying to keep him distracted but also help him at the same time. "Come on Aeon," she knew time was critical. "We gotta get him out of here now and back to the ship."

Aeon looked down at Rage holding his hand gently, "There is no way we are getting him out of here in this condition. You remember that offer to help me out of the ship. I think we are both going to need to help each other this time to get him out of here......

Noa was already on top of it as she focused her ability and lifted Rage from the floor." Aeon and Noa combined there ability of force push and as quickly as possible had Rage back to the ship.

"Some guardian......... angel put bacta......... tanks in.... the War Transporter......... hook me up......to that........." He was struggling; pain and loss of blood were getting to him.........

Aeon and Noa got Rage into the bacta tank with their combined efforts, then Noa moved to insist that Aeon sit and strapped her into one of the seats in the med bay. Noa could feel the guilt pouring over Aeon over the condition that Rage was in, she saw the blood on her hands and couldn't leave her like that.

Noa took a warm rag and wiped her hands clean. Aeon seamed to have gone halfway between a dream state and consciousness as her eyes seemed to focus on a point somewhere off in the distance. "At least with you strapped in Aeon you can't fall."

Noa noticed Aeon's ship still outside and fired a beacon that could be picked up and retrieved later. She then fired the engines of the War Transporter and took off heading back to Mandalore.

Rage had fallen asleep with the pain of it all. The bacta worked quickly to repair Rage's body, but he was badly beaten up. At best the bacta in the war transporter would keep him alive till they got to the Sanctuary.

Noa looked at him and snuffed a laugh, "Sleeping like a baby." She sighed heavily and went to climb back up to the cockpit, "Aeon, maybe you should go into his dreams again. He cant run away from what you are saying...... and it gives you two some privacy to talk without me." She smiled and continued her accent.

Aeon leaned her head back snapping momentarily out of her daze and nodded to Noa, "I don't want him feeling alone like that." She closed her eyes as she tried to get as comfortable as she could. She slowly found a position she could fall asleep and fell asleep. She found herself in Rage's dream in no time.

She had to watch where she stepped as the cracks in the ground were appeared as if an earthquake had hit and shattered Rage's mind. She approached him carefully seeing him lying on the ground, and kneeled beside him.

"You are not going to make my dreams right. Rage. You are going to survive I mean it." Her voice was very soft spoken to him waiting for him to take notice of her.

Part Five: ......But words can leave you broken.

Rage awoke, in a manner of speaking. He looked at Aeon, and then his mind.

"What about your dreams Aeon? Why should I not make them right?" Rage didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, he focused on trying to repair the cracks. But nothing happened, "Hrm, that’s not good at all." He returned his gaze to Aeon.

"You don't understand Rage. I can't let my dreams be right. I am trying to let go of the nightmares. I am trying so desperately to keep them from coming true. So you see you have no choice but to live. You have no choice but to listen to me."

Rage frowned at her, the cracks glowed red and orange as if there was magma flowing in them. "To what purpose? I made a mess of everything." Lava jets shot out as he got angrier, "You almost got killed coming to get me?!? What were you thinking?" He stood up and pouted, "You and your nightmares, you didn’t get me killed, I brought it on myself." The guilt stood out still. He had almost killed himself to relieve all the emotions, but the guilt had still stained him.

"Your guilt!!?? What do you have to be guilty for Rage? For being openly honest with Neo and I, for being so willing to put your life on the line for those you love. For showing me Yavin. For making me face my fears? You made a mess out of nothing! Do you know how close you have brought Neo and I because you stood up to us? Do you know I have never known such passion and love from him, I have never been so attuned to him and his mind. Because of you standing up to us and making us face ourselves together. So if you want to have this pity party here." She hugged him tightly, her own tears running down her face. "Then you go ahead if you want. But I am not going to let you sulk in here alone without trying to make you see exactly what you have done."

Rage didn’t know Aeon could attack with words like that, but he recovered, "I.... I was meant to protect you...... And the family...... but, I wasn’t watching you enough...... and you went off with that Raijin guy........." Rage looked sad, "because I wasn’t looking after you, you almost ended up destroying your relationship with Neo."

"You know though Rage, I can't say what would have happened differently had it not played out as it did. And watching over me all the time was one of the reasons I got away from the guards on Kessel. I needed space and time to think. As much as I love you all. Sometimes I need my own space to have time to myself. I am sure you understand Rage. I am sorry I did this to you. I don't want you to doubt yourself. This is not your fault. And there isn't anyone who could convince me otherwise. I was solely the one to blame. I am very sorry to you for what I have done. Please forgive me Rage."

Rage fell down onto his rear and sat looking at the red hazey fog, the red glow from the ground as replaced by the rain from above. He looked up at it.

"Forgive you for what? Just being a woman?...... I mean. I hardly even know what you girls think." He smiled to himself, he was thinking about the day he got with Leona and then Noa a few hours later, he laughed a bit, smiled for a second but he looked sad again afterwards, "But...... I just have lost faith in myself."

"Why have you lost faith in yourself Rage? From my point of view you have done everything you can to help your family, and you occasionally have to accept that your family is going to have minds of their own and make mistakes, they are going to learn from those mistakes though and become stronger people. They are going to grow. You have to find your faith again and find your love too while you are at it. Part of the pain of families is accepting those around you as they are regardless of what happens, what mistakes they make. We are always here for each other though. You saved my life today Rage. You found in yourself the strength to overcome death and save my family for the 2nd time today. I haven't lost faith so stop for just few minutes calm down and listen to what I am saying Rage."

"No, not to overcome death, but to fulfill my oath to you and your family to protect it." he frowned, "Made a deal with you to guard your family. I made a deal to protect you until my death. That was the oath I swore on. I love you Aeon," He smiled, "And I love the family, but I am a man of my word and oath." He smiled, "And I am listening to you."

The ground creaked as it slowly repaired, there were still cracks, but they were only 10 cms big, other than the meter wide ones that they were before.

"It's time we talk Rage, and hear what each other has to say. No more secrets okay, no more lies, complete honesty. To many things have been kept locked away and its no way for us to live. We are a family and we shouldn't be afraid to talk to each other." She gently hugged him. "And I love you too." She sat down next to him now that the ground seemed more stable. "And you need your rest, so let me just enjoy this moment with my brother while we are on our way to the Leviathan huh. And you can rest for awhile?"

"You are right. No more secrets and complete honesty." He frowned, Rage wasn’t sure if he wanted to visit the city of memories he had found in his dreams, but if Aeon wanted complete honesty, his true memories of his life would not hide it.

He looked ahead into the distance. The City of Memories was not something he favored and he never stayed near it in his dreamscape. The fog parted all the way to the horizon, Rage calmed himself and rubbed his head with his hands. They both felt a pull as they were dragged at a high rate across the dreamland into the abyss of Rages mind. The city came up fast and it almost scared the both of them as they flew through the buildings. It was much a Corellian city, the buildings were not like Coruscant or Tetan ones, but simple rectangle buildings. Each window held what looked like a screen, playing parts of Rages life which he didn’t dare touch for it would bring back the pain he felt, or the joy. But either way this city was dangerous for the both of them.

They stopped at a plaza like amphitheater, with a huge screen on the stage and right in front of them; a computer terminal. It was organized under standard format. With numbers from 1 to 22 on it. Within each was 1 to 12 months, within that was 1 to 30 days. Giving the option of playing a whole day or delving further down to the hours, minuets and seconds.

"Welcome to my memories......" he looked a little scared, looking around as if something could attack him, "Welcome to my hell. My life built on blood." He pointed at the screen, "This is everything, nothing repressed or erased. Unless I got beaten up and it kind of disappeared."

As they looked around there were buildings of usual color, happy images coming from the windows, and then there were those that looked like they were spawned from the depths of hell. They looked organic and bleeding. With pictures of people dying on them. With Rages blood stained life on them. All on display for Aeon.

"I.... I don’t like it here...... but this is who and what I am......" He frowned, "Some of these I wish I could just erase. Some of these I wish I could repress. But I don’t. This is who I am. What I have done and how I must pay for it." He continued to look around, like something should happen, "Those spirits...... that I killed...... this...... this is where they lived...... I’m, I’m not sure if the exist anymore. And if they do I don’t know if they are going to be evil spirits, or just recreations of my memories."

Rage shy'd away from looking at the hellish buildings, and focused on the happy ones or the fresh ones. He saw a picture of Noa being dessert at the dinner they had and quickly turned Aeon’s direction to the terminal,

"You can bring up any thing here. At any time. But, be careful what you do bring up. I will feel how it felt if it ends up on that big screen down there. And if you touch the terminal while its playing the snip it of my life, you too will feel my pain or happiness."

He waited for her response; he had basically offered every secret he ever had to her on a plate...... On a city. He wondered if she accepts the offer.

Aeon took his hand as a show that she did accept his over. "Please Rage, show me what happened, where did it all start from. Show me what you hide from." her face to him was one of compassion wanting only to help him to help him face his fears and his nightmares.

Rage looked away at the horrid buildings, "It’s all around you." He frowned, "You have the boxes and the key, you just need to open the right one. If you give me something a bit more direct I can help you." He wasn’t sure what she was looking for, what started? his lust for blood? him being a Pirate? his life destroyed at the hands of the Jedi? So many starts, so little endings.

“Show me your family Rage. I know you lost them when you were a little boy but I know you remember them even if they seem lost to you. They are still here. Take me back to a time before all the hurt began and you were happiest?”

Rage turned around and looked at the terminal, he pointed at ages one to eight, "I don’t know where the secrets lie, but the happy moments. The times before the killing would be in here some where."

Aeon turned to the terminal and she started at age 5 she was curious as to what Rage looked like as a little boy and it brought a smile to her face. She wanted to also remind him of those happy moments that were not lost to him. She wanted to remind him that through all the pain the happiest moments where part of what made him who he was and would be the binding that made the pain bearable.

Rage started laughing uncontrollably, his father was tickling him on the seat in there room within the small temple on Yavin IV. He was trying to fight his father off but he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by his fathers strength. As Rage looked at the screen he saw something he hadn’t seen for a long time. His father’s face. And he was almost brought to tears by both the happiness and sadness of the moment. All his childhood memories had been clouded by the dark side. His happiness was gone and he was only re discovering it again. But the memories couldn’t bring back his father. Or replace the father he had forgotten into the abyss of himself and of the dark side. His past, just like himself, was shrouded in mist.

Aeon pressed the button so she could experience from his perspective his emotions and feelings as if she was 5 years old being tickled she wanted to see and feel everything as if she were there.

Rage began to feel sad, he began to feel regret. As if it was some how his fault. That he couldn’t protect his family and that because of

"Noa is right.... I am a fighter......" He smiled, "Sorry, for just being an idiot about it......... And I wish you didn’t come here...... though it is good to see Noa didn’t kill you on the trip over."

“You are brilliant Rage, you are… you brought the two us together and we found a common reason to begin to become friends. I am not mad at Noa, she did her job, and she saved Neo. Everything in our lives has such an effect on the lives of those around us that we see the effects seemingly days and months and years later. The effects are like throwing a stone in a pond, everyone eventually will feel the effects and that has come into play with Noa and I. You are a fighter, for your family and your friends. And I hope that is always how you are.”

"I have been since I was eight. Since I knew that I needed to grow up. That life was not easy." He laughed, "That day changed everything. But it is good that you and Noa are cool with each other. I hope you two didn’t gossip about me." He smiled and hugged her.

“Ah what Noa and I talk about are between the two of us sweetie…Girl’s secrets remain just that trust me.” She laughed too. “You know Rage, you look just like your father.”

Rage smiled, "Heh, Thanks I suppose." He looked a bit sad as he didn’t know his father. "Any more memories you wish to look up?" He said, he was slightly excited, even though he was facing pain.

“Where was your mother during this time? Your father and you seemed so happy, surely she wasn’t so far away?” She turned back to the terminal and tried to find a memory of his mother.

"I.... I don’t remember.... I think she might of been working in the kitchen.... which can be a grueling job." He laughed, "Needless to say I didn’t get cooking skills from her." His cooking was bad. Very bad. Noa's was great though.

“Noa did tell me about the deal you two made. She told me how in 3 years if you two didn’t find someone, you would get together. I just hope that you will find that you have fallen in love with her by then Rage.” She had changed the subject as she picked up on the subtleness of his thought.

“Show me a moment with her.” Aeon tried to find a memory with his mom.

He frowned at her, "What else did she tell you........." Then he remembered Aeon’s curious nature, and her inability to resist a chance to see baby pictures of him. Rage hit the terminal. Looking for something around when he was 7. He found a memory of him falling over. His whole knee was scrapped down near the bone. It was a very bad injury. He was cry to it as well. The emotion of it made him cry. Rage usually felt soulless, his shattered past came back with kicks and punches. Remembering things he was torn between wanting to forget and living in the moment again. His mother picked him up. She used a heal on him. Force heal. He never knew his mother was force sensitive. He looked up at her long orange hair, she smiled back and kissed him on the forehead, whispering that everything will be okay. Whispering to go see his brother.......... Rage fell to his knees...... "Brother??...... Oh...... No...... not...... not Koiran......" Rage couldn’t help to watch as the 16 year old came on to the screen. The man he referred to as "the dark Jedi" for most of his life. His only friend was his brother. Koiran. The person he had tried to kill on several occasions was his only blood relative.

Rage broke down into tears as how he felt now came upon him. "Something’s.... we.... are just......" he struggled.... he was so confused between his life now. He didn’t know who he was or who he is. And everything he had built his life on came down like a card pyramid, "....meant to forget......" he couldn’t help but cry...... "Please...... please no more...."

Aeon brought him down and held him gently, and soothingly she stroked her fingers through his hair. “No Rage, we aren’t meant to forget. Remember we are meant to fight through the pain not push it under the rug. Forgetting solves nothing. Forgetting is like fearing yourself.” She rocked him gently as he cried. “Shhh....Take your time. I promise I am not going anywhere.”

Rage decided it was time. Rage decided it was time to unlock the box. Open something that he had tried so hard to forget. "Aeon...... I’m.... probably going to feel a lot of pain." He forced himself to stop crying and his body absorbed the tears, "Don’t stop this though...... it must happen." He frowned, kissed her on the forehead and stood up, "I would recommend against touching these buttons." He said as he looked for that day. That fateful day. The 8th year of his life. The third month into it. The 20th day. He turned it on.........

Aeon understood he wanted to face his pain, he needed and she knew it was going to hurt him as if awakening a Pandora’s box, but he couldn’t hide from it. She felt the warmth of his brotherly kiss on her forehead and he could feel her understanding and apprehension.

BOOM! An explosion went off. Scattering shrapnel into the hall way where he was playing. The storm troopers acted fast. One scooped him up and got him out of the way. Handing him to his father. Rage's father put him into their housing area. More explosions happened, he began feeling very scared, in fear of what was going on. He didn’t understand. They had been doing nothing wrong. More laser shots echoed the city. Rage began crying as himself as a child did. "Mummy!?!" He yelled as she darted around. Putting on a suit for protection and grabbing an angled lightsaber. "Its okay.... sshh." She stroked his hair and calmed down just a little. But the loud noises were picking up. The door slid open as his father tried to get cover. It was too late. He copped a blaster round to the chest. Rage and his mother screamed in horror of what was happening. But his mother got angry. While Rage acted like what he was. A scared little child. Innocent and not understanding what was going on. Her hair flew in the air as she picked her scared boy up. Using the force she pushed him up the air vent.

"Fight son!" She yelled, "Fight for your life...... mummy will always love you." She turned around and activated her saber. Rage dropped to his knees again, watching in horror as the child of himself scurried up the shaft. Laser blasts could be heard. Screams of the attackers as his mother avenged the death of her lover, "To the roof!" She yelled once more, "Go! Your br-" Another blaster fire went off. And silence down stairs. He couldn’t tell if she had been killed or not and he hoped she hadn’t, but screamed in anguish as he knew her fate. He picked himself off the floor with all the anger he could gather. Another explosion went off as the door to the staircase was penetrated down below. He rushed and hurried up and up to his brother. He made it there as his brother was meditating. "Mum.... Dad...... they........." He couldn’t finish the sentence. Koiran dragged Rage over near him and turned on his saber. "They want to kill us brother. They want to kill us......... They wont get me. No." He frowned and force pushed a Jedi Padawan off the top of the temple. Two more followed and the fight had begun.

his brother slashed violently. But Kiorans attempts were in vain. there was nothing he could do against 2 Jedi Padawans, "Forgive me brother." He said to Rage. And Rage couldn’t help but feel lost and pulled away from his brother. His body was hauled into the forest. Dragged into the unknown. Safe from the Jedi, but unsafe from everything else. There the young boy kneeled and cried.

The memory let go of him. He fell to the ground. Waiting for the information to process. But somehow he knew it was true. It was always there. And now he knew the truth. But it had scarred him. He laid there, limp and in pain. Emotionally and his mind-body.

Aeon held him gently as the memory let go of him. She rocked him gently in her arms. Aeon could feel his pain without even touching the options this time she could feel the scared little boys heart beating within the man’s chest before her. He had seen the tragic death of his parents and felt the ultimate betrayal of his brother. She rocked him slowly. Her owns tears stained her face as she placed a hand against his cheek. She knew the memories were very difficult to see again and that seeing them again so vividly was painful. Like being there all over again. She had questions running through mind about what had happened but she would wait until Rage was ready before she even considered pushing him any further. “Your parents would have been proud of the man you became Rage. The friend and brother you have become.” She wasn't what else she could say to comfort him at the moment except being here for him through the pain.

Rage waited. Waiting for the feeling of now to come. But he knew it was already there. His sobbing slowly stopped. He closed his eyes basking in Aeon’s comfort. He laughed at himself, a man who had been through countless bloodshed, was crying at something so simple. Something he had known for a long time. He tilted his head back and gazed upwards at the now overcast sky. Holding Aeon back as thank you, but saying nothing. He had been through torture. And there many other things left locked. But he was willing to open another one.

Aeon offered her hand to him as she stood. Something about this city troubled her deeply. Memories in his mind that were so disturbing blackened the skylines of half the city. She knew she was pushing him but she knew how strong he was too.

She briefly took control of his dream and instead of the gray overcast skies he was living under she pushed the clouds away and let the sun filter through to provide warmth to both of them.

If he could push the most painful hurt of his parents loss, and accept the pain of his brother's betrayal. He could face any pain and shatter the darkness of his own mind. She walked with him to the amphitheater. "Rage if there were one person in your life you could face, that you could confront. Who would it be? I will be here with you Rage. I promise I won't leave you."

So many thoughts went threw his mind as she led him. But when the question actually hit him he was quite dumbfounded. "I...... I don’t know......... Do you mean fear of meeting?...... Because I’m not sure I want to meet my brother again...... I.... I really don’t know." He was sad but he had stopped crying.

Aeon stopped and looked him in the eyes, she knew subtleties weren't going to work here. "Why did you make the deal with Noa Rage? I know you love Leona but she is in love with Vash. We both know this. Please trust me Rage that you would do well to let go of what you can not have. I have seen the road that path goes. I have seen Neo so deeply in love with someone who loved someone he could not have it almost tore him apart.

I have seen the way Scarab has fallen so deeply in love with Zaccar that it threatens to destroy her completely. Do not go down this path Rage. Instead embrace true love, and do not settle. When your deal is up with Noa, as I have told her. I hope you realize that she is not worth settling for but loving completely. Her heart, mind, body and soul. There is no true happiness if you merely settle Rage."

"I figure that if I cant find someone that I actually love...... that I still have a friend and someone to be with." He smiled, "I do hope that I can find someone I love...... but it doesn’t seem to be happening does it? Three years is long enough, and she gets the same deal as I do." Rage frowned, "I do want to find someone I love, but in this job its not so easy to find the right girl." He thought about it though, the fact that the deal with Noa was only just having someone there, "But its not anything bad. I mean. It would be like if I made a deal with you, that if Neo died I would help raise the children. You may not love me but I’m sure you'd appreciate the help of me being there for you." He thought that would get her to see things his way.

"Rage listen closely to me. I want you to understand. I made the mistake to believe that Neo was replaceable because I missed him. I tried to seek out comfort in another man's arms. What I found was I was only lying to myself. I would never ever attempt to replace my heart just for the sake of having someone help me raise my children. The bond, the love I have with Neo is irreplaceable. I would never remarry."

She wished he would understand, "Love is all or nothing Rage. not just settling. But you have made your promise to Noa and that is a promise I know you will hold to."

"I said help...... not replace." He laughed, "Right well you find me someone to love and Ill love them. But id wish you luck." He smiled, "I will hold to that deal though. Even if I was drunk...... And......" Rage wasn’t sure if she knew, "Yeah I will still hold to it till i find someone to love. Noa is a good person...... but I’m just not addicted to her. She a friend......... but not someone that, at the moment I would come rushing too."

Aeon sighed and only hoped that he would eventually realize what she meant. "I would not try to set you up with anyone Rage. Love will find you when you are least expecting it trust me." She pulled him down a bit and kissed the center of his forehead and roughed up his head...... Grand Master or not he was still her older brother and a bit thick skulled at times.

"So...... How much did Noa tell you about that day anyways?" He wanted to know how much she knew.
Aeon smiled, "Let's just say she told me enough that being a grown woman I could figure out the rest."

"So you heard about Leona too then eh?" He laughed about it, even if he had died today it would of been a happy death for what happened a few days previous.

She smiled, "I actually believe I was somewhere nearby when that happened if I remember correctly? Someone decided to wake me up. MY brother I do believe you are all scatterbrained over Leona."

"No.... not that time...... I mean the same day as with Noa......" He guessed she could put the puzzle together, "But it doesn’t mater, I really shouldn’t say."

Aeon slapped him in the shoulder, "RAGE!!!!! If those two don't kill you I will! You do know what this means don't you?" She waited for him to try to answer her question which she knew he wouldn't be able to.

"What...... they know about it...... Apparently they were talking about it right in front of me.... with Telepathy of course. And no, I have no clue what it means." He laughed.

"Think of your worst hangover and me being in your mind for the night." She grinned.

He laughed, "And what exactly will you be doing in my mind eh?" He wasn’t worried about Aeon, she wasn’t strong enough to beat him in his turf.

She put her hand against his shoulder to steady herself. She had felt the twins stretching again and felt a bit winded even in her dreams. "I will have to think about that later. I really don't think the twins are going to wait much longer to come."

Aeon disappeared in front of him. There wasn’t much he could do, she was pulled out of the dream.

Noa was shaking Aeon, "Aeon. We are here.... back in Mandalore." She looked at Rage, "Is he okay?"

Aeon smiled as she started to wake, "He will be just fine Noa, now worse than usual and maybe even a little better. Take care of getting him to the med bay will you? I will be behind shortly."

Part Six: Road to Recovery

Rage was now in a vertical tube of bacta, he floated there not moving while he was healed. His wounds were now making progress - the war transporter lacked the power to do so well with healing.

Noa stood watching, Aeon would be coming along any minuet now.

Aeon followed slowly catching her breath. She knew by the time she got there Rage would be reconnected and checked over by the med technicians.

Aeon finally made it to the med lab and her eyes met Noa's, hoping there was some word on how Rage was doing physically.

Noa smiled and said, "Rage is fine. With all the abuse he has put his body through. It still reacts well to being healed. As for his mind state...... only you can answer that one I think."

Aeon felt out for Rage's mind and found him peacefully slumbering. Aeon smiled at Noa, "His mind seems to be doing much better as well Noa. How are you doing?"

Noa walked up to the tube, "I’m fine.........." She touched it. Rage twitched. He stopped moving, "Thank you for coming with me." She said shyly. "I don’t think I could of done it alone........." She smiled looking at Rage float around in the tube, "Isn’t his determination amazing. He.... he was dead almost. He couldn’t stand...... and he got up to save you...... He......" She couldn’t help but feel that Rage didn’t see her as very important.

Rage moved around some more. He grabbed his shoulder.

Aeon could hear the pain in Noa's heart. She truly loved and admired Rage because of who he was. And Rage was to blinded by another to see what was right in front of his face.

"Noa, He is amazing. His strength, his mind. but he is also a bit dense when it comes to women. He is messing with a world of fire and he is going to get himself burned. I don't want to see either of you hurt because of this deal you have."

Aeon was sitting on one of the med beds and offered for Noa to sit next to her so they could talk for awhile.

Noa smiled and looked away from Rage to Aeon, she smiled. "I’m strong. I’ve been through the pain before and I can get through it again. My life is.... much like Rages......... built on bloodshed." She laughed, "The major difference is that his is built on friendship and loyalty too, mines built on lies. Not friends."

"I am not so sure Noa. I think had we met under different circumstances to begin with we would have been friend’s a lot sooner. Unfortunately I have been holding onto a lot of pain recently that I wasn't really willing to let go of. Holding onto it though is no way to live. It's no way to be. I didn't realize that truly until today Noa, and I would like to be your friend if you will allow me to be."

"I haven’t had friends for awhile........." She smiled, "I’m guessing its because of my attitude, and the fact I’ve killed anyone I’ve gotten close to......... once my friends found out my job when I was at school......... Master said they needed to be silenced." Noa looked like she was in a daze, she was remembering the blood on her hands, her friends blood. "Anyone that got close to me died, are you sure you want that?" She smirked, the blood of her friends, the blood of her boyfriend and his family, the blood of Jin'ra all had tainted Noa’s soul drop by drop. She wasn’t sad about it, just disconnected from the world she lived in. Blood and guts didn’t mean anything to her, but she was still afraid to tell Leona what has happened in her life. For fear that she would run away on her.

"Noa, one thing I don't take lightly is friendship. and no I am not afraid of being your friend. If you are trying to scare me away, you will have to try a lot harder than that Noa. I was curious, if you have time. If you want to. It's totally up to you but...... maybe you would like to visit our home on Cinnigar soon, join us for a family celebration? You are you know...... family that is. You fit right in with out tangled web of loony's." Aeon smiled at Noa.

"Family?...." Noa was a bit shocked by the proposal, "No...... I’m not family, I.... Ill just be a friend." Noa looked at Rage again. He was moving now. A bit more with ever minuet. He would have to be out soon.

Aeon followed Noa's eyes to Rage. "It's up to you Noa, but the proposal stands. And I would rather us be friends then the enemies we have been. You saved my husbands life and my children's father, for that I am eternally grateful."

"Its not that I’m not grateful, I just don’t understand how Im family for just doing that." She had a confused look on her face as she turned back to Aeon.

"Stand back please." Said the medical droid. Rage was waking up from the bacta.

Noa stood back, in fact she went over and sat next to Aeon, waiting for Rage to get out. The bottom of the bacta tube lifted up like a lift, Raising Rage out to the level above. He fell to the cold steel floor, ripped out the air tubing and gasped for real oxygen. The medical team went up the small stair case and began drying him.

"Ouch, careful," Rage said, he was in pain from the cuts still.
Noa looked up at him through the steel grating, not saying anything.

"You want me to get the med staff out of here and leave you to alone, or would you rather I stay and play chaperone Noa?" She offered a friendly smile. "Well, you are family in more than one way. Leona is like a little sister to me. Snake is like a brother to me. Rage here acts like an older annoying brother that somehow I can't get mad at. And you Noa, saved my beloveds life. You have put up with Rage, and have shown you are a very strong woman worthy of my respect and admiration. So the only thing left is to embrace you as family." She laughed, "Although we are a strange lot I can understand if you are worried about being associated with the bunch of us. Although if you aren't afraid of us. I'd be happy to call you Sis."

Noa was a bit lost for words, but decided to say the easiest thing, "No.... don’t go. Please stay sis."

Rage came down in his soaked underwear, "I don’t suppose either of you thought to bring me clothes?" He strained, Rage was obviously in pain.
Noa watched Rage, looking to make sure he is okay.
"Aren’t you going to call me an idiot or something Noa?" He laughed and tried to stretch his muscles, "Ooooouch," He dropped to his knees, "Not such a good idea...... ow ow,"
"You're an idiot." Noa said with a frown.
"Love ya too." He laughed but his diaphragm hurt, "Hehehaha ow ow haha ow."

"No Rage we thought we would just let you run around in your underwear around the ship all night." Aeon wasn't smiling at this. "You are staying here for the night whether you like it or not. And should Noa and I feel like it in the morning and you have been good we will bring you some clothes." Aeon was serious, after he risked his life to save hers she wasn't going to let him chance hurting himself worse.

Rage smiled and misted, "Last time you had Neo and Krelin. And that evil gas........." He laughed but he formed up with a frown and a serious tone, "Last time you saved my life by stopping me." He grabbed a patient robe and put it on.
"......If it were me saying that you would of fought me about it." Noa said angrily.
"Ya, Probably." Rage laughed, still in pain but began to walk to the recovery room, "Come on, its just down the hall. Seems you two are okay with each other?" Noticing how close they were standing.

Aeon smiled, "We are pretty good, it seems the two of us can get along after all, and fairly well. I can call Neo if you like Rage?" I am sure he would love to see you and know you are doing better. I know I wouldn't mind seeing my beloved, but it seems I am at your mercy to get me back home. So I want you getting well soon. I would rather have my children at home. If you don't mind?" Aeon was following behind them letting them walk ahead at their own pace. "And I have invited Noa to a family dinner on Cinnigar."

Rage frowned as they walked, "I’m on good terms with you Aeon." He didn’t seem happy at all, and it wasn’t the pain, "Not Endymion. We will have to work out things later." Rage noticed someone standing in the shadows, the robe covered the persons face, but there was a strain of white hair coming out from underneath, Noa drew his attention.
"I can arrange a transport Aeon. Or you can take one of Rage's ships." She smiled and Rage nodded, when he looked back over his shoulder the person was gone. Odd He thought.

The turned into the recovery area, there was a receptionist, "Ah, Grand Master Rage. Sad to see you here for reasons other than a visit, What kind of room were you looking for?"
"Any.... I don’t care." Rage said,
"Right. Give me a few moments and I will go see what’s free." The Tetan man walked off in search of somewhere Rage could stay.

"A transport would be fine. I don't think it wise for me to fly on my own right now. I could just imagine going into labor on a ship by myself. No thank you and I am rather longing for my own comfy bed."

Rage looked at Noa and nodded towards Aeon. Noa frowned but understood, "Would you like me to go with you?" She smiled
Aeon offered a kind smile. "If you wish to Noa, I wouldn't mind having someone along I can trust."

Rage took a step back, "Say what?"
Noa just frowned at him, reached over and smacked him over the back of the head.

Aeon laughed at them both. "If you wish Noa, although I think Rage needs a babysitter to make sure he rests"

"I think I have one. Well a guardian angel, I keep seeing this person always watching me.... then I get distracted and when I look back they are gone." Rage couldn’t see the person anywhere.
Noa put her hand on his shoulder, "You are no longer an idiot. You are crazy." She smiled and turned back to Aeon. "Please let me come with you.......... I haven’t been anywhere much after stopping the assassin jobs."

“Then we will live Rage with his figmented imagination and the care of the fine physicians here in the med bay." Aeon winked at Rage letting him know she was just teasing him.

"Well you tell me who put that bacta tank in the War Transport?? I didn’t." Rage wasn’t happy that they didn’t believe him, "I would of died if it wasn’t put in there."

Aeon Hugged Rage gently, "Getting a bit defensive big brother? Whoever the guardian angel seems to be a bit precognitive or knows how brutal you can be to your own body."
Rage cringed at the pain when Aeon hugged him, but he fought it and hugged back, "Yeah.... I suppose I shouldn’t worry about it...... But I want to know who it is......"

"Grand Master, we have a private room free up the back when you are ready," The Tetan said from behind them.
"Well when you are feeling better you can try to see about finding out. But for now its off to bed with you."

"Yeah yeah, I’m going." Rage kissed her on the top of her head and let go, "Bye.... play nice Noa." He waved and slowly followed the Tetan.

"Come on Aeon, we'll take my YT 1300." Noa said and took her hand. Aeon smiled at them both.

"Rest well Rage, and Noa and I will be fine." Aeon let herself be dragged behind Noa to the ship. "He's so not going to rest is he Noa?"

"He slept on the way getting here, He'll probably mist up to the house.... and do what he usually does, eat.... sleep...... eat......... meditate...." She laughed, "Don’t worry about him, once he is awake like this he is fine."
“I worry Noa.... its what I do. But I know you are right too. He is stubborn and...... well stubborn."

Rage ignited his saber, it hissed and whizzed as a normal saber would, but it didn’t feel right. It wasn’t right. It didn’t have that feel he loved, the whoosh through the air. The sound of a metal blade slicing the air in two, slicing his mist in two. Slicing the thing that surrounded him in himself. A protection from the outside world. The blade felt like a symbol of slicing through that. Cutting it away, because on the Etere family. The day he actually became part of the family, other than just Eons brother. It was the day he got it, on the day he received the gift from his friend, was the day he signed himself over to the he became guardian of Aeon, Krelin, Eon, Snake, Lyta, Leona, Ayla, Aiko and Neo. Kordera Drean, Neophyte and Endymion. One of his best friends. Ironically they met in Sith and he was designed to kill Sith. A created being, with something that one of the others only found in death, a soul. Something that gave him feeling, free will, existence. But Rage had always made the strangest friends and family. Only crew that seemed to work for a common goal was the Spikes, but those days were long cast to the wind.

Rage sighed heavily. He wanted his sword back, but more importantly, he wanted his friendship back. Aeon was forgiving. Very. But Neo wasn’t so forgiving. His willingness to throw a memory away was just a show of that. That he would rather toss away a moment in his life than try to do what everyone else does and live with it. Rage had tried so hard to forget his childhood, but he was never willing to wipe it away. He felt it was the moment in his life were he had to fight. And after reliving it he knew why he kept it. Rage guessed Neo would be just as willing to through Rage away.

“At least I might be able to get my sword back.........” He said to himself.

Rage strolled up to the Library on Cinnigar. He didn’t know what to expect but he was prepared for the worst, even an attack by Neo for some random reason that Rage wouldn’t have any clue why, but then again, Rage hardly ever did. The Sanctuary was sitting above Cinnigar, but he couldn’t help but feel agitated, he didn’t feel it himself, just that someone was agitated about being here. Rage didn’t know why, though he did know that Cinnigar, much like Coruscant was a huge metal prison cell. And he didn’t like it one bit.

Rage recognized Endymion doing book work and walked up to him, “Uh...... Hello.” He had his foot back and was ready to burst into mist at any moment, but the library gave him an advantage.

"Bout time.... I was wondering when my best friend was gonna come and see me. Ive been stuck doing mini classes for noobies and waiting for Aeon to get home.... Please have a seat. I missed ya man.... And I’m sorry...."

Rage was a little shocked at Endy’s quick welcoming of him, "....You.... You're not mad at me?" He still felt guilty towards both Endymion and Aeon.

"No.... thought you were livid at me.... Aeon got the comms from Noa and I had to come here. I was unable to make the trip with them.... Aeon needed some alone time with Winter on her own.... without me there." He looked dejected like the reason Rage left was squarely on his shoulders alone. He took the weight of this heavily and Rage saw a tear start to creep out. Neo had hurt his only living male friend and sent him packing, or so he thought in his own mind.

"Oh.... Well......... I.... just thought that I had hit a sore note......I didn’t, and still don’t, understand why you were so willing to throw a memory away." Rage looked confused, he didn’t understand why Neo had a tear drop coming from his eye.

"Listen man.... I wanted to just have everything the way it was....I was finally away from all the pain it took me to get back to Aeon.... Just to have it shattered by that.... We are okay now but it did hurt.... I wanted to just lock that away forever and never have to see it. Instead we worked through a lot more pain than was initiated by an oversight on my wife's behalf. I almost lost my best friend and only man I call friend over that decision.... and I’m sorry mate.... really am...."

Rage needed to say something’s, but wasn’t sure if Aeon had told Neo everything yet, "Has Aeon seen you yet? I mean they must be back...... unless Aeon’s newest Etere member took her out shopping or something......"

"She hadn’t gotten a hold of me yet no.... Is she okay? I know the bugs can be pretty bad."

"She’s fine...... almost got killed but fine......" He snuffed a laugh, Etere Guardian fit him well, always saving one Etere while he was on his deathbed, "I need to say my peace, now more than ever...... I need to explain something in a bit more a cool motion, while its a rather moot point now...... I still need to say it...... will you allow me the chance?"

"Go ahead man.... Other than phalanges and extremities I’m all ears."

"You are not a murderer. I am." He smiled at that thought, "A killer. Or rather, was, now...... Im a changed man. I’m nicer and it was all thanks to the death of Rage. I still love my fighting, but its more for the fight over the kill. I have done some horrid things to people in my life, when I sleep, I see them still. My dreams sometimes plague me, but they are dreams of memories of things that I have to pay. I killed those people and I pay the price. Its that simple. I would love to just make them go. Just make them go in a puff of smoke. I would love that day when I was 8 just disappear. When Aeon was in my head while I was in bacta we explored that day. So that I had to face that memory. I’ve known what was in there was true. Over the years I pushed it aside. It caused me so much pain to look at it again. But...... " Rage paused and took a deep breathe, "All of that. the blood on my hands, the death of my parents, the innocent and the non innocent who died. Every painful and happy memory I have. Everything that I would love to just erase, defines me. It makes me who I am. Its me."

"I never did call myself a murderer. I did however call my self a killer. I have slaughtered everything in my path to get back to Aeon. Noa was saved because I was already on the Leviathan. I didn’t have to go anywhere. If she had met up with me anywhere else she would be just as dead as one of those other Jedi-spawn pudu shovelers. Don't take your past lightly. I sure don’t take mine lightly. I remember everything as if it were yesterday. My mind still tries to eat itself once a week due to a cure in my minds makeup and I’m required to use the Librarian's damnable device to keep myself sane. Do not think me weak. I am just .... a broken man.... Always have been. Always will be. Just a warrior with a cause.... Nothing more." He looked down as he took out Rage's sword and laid it on the table in front of him.

Rage ignored the sword, "How many innocent people have you killed? How many that were just a means for fun? Civilians who had no purpose for dying?"

He looked at Rage and his eyes flared for a second. "Selonia.... two years ago. Before I met Aeon.... I was with Zaccar planet side. We slaughtered thousands...."

"Why?"

"I was ordered to."

"Exactly, just like a soldier." He frowned, "The people I have killed...... it was never an order......... It was for fun......" He looked down on the table...... "......Fun......"

"....Yes.... Like a soldier. I never killed for sport except the Librarian. When it was time i toyed with him and ripped him apart slowly. His was the only death I enjoyed."

"I...... killed for sport." Rage smiled, "And I regret it every time I look at someone. Every time I look into peoples eyes and see the innocence I saw in the civilians eyes...... I regret it...... to the point where I’m sick......"

"I don’t care about that. I care that I have my friends safe and alive. This includes you. The man who incapacitates, captures or kills you will be in for a rude awakening when I come knocking with the Tetan 7'th Holy Fleet.”

"Yeah well...... I’ve said all I needed......" Rage seemed content with all he had said, "No one can hold me down." He smiled.

"We would hope not.... Drop by the place sometime for some Veal Marsala...."

Rage didn’t have much to do, "Want to hear about what happened....? When I.... left...."

"Aye.... Please have a seat. It has been a while since we talked in length."

Rage frowned, "I’m already sitting down." He laughed, he began explaining everything. How he went to Noa, left and went to Yavin, cleaned out a temple filled with bugs, waiting for death when Aeon astral projected, Managed to save Aeon’s life by his determination and willpower. Everything he could remember was explained in detail. He also explained the day he got with Leona and then Noa. And the deal he made with Noa.

"Been busy.... extremely busy. No wonder we haven’t sparred in so long.... missed that a lot."

Rage smiled, "Ya, very busy. Hehe, Aeon gave me the drill on Leona and Noa and the deal......... Heh, got with a Jedi, howsat?" He laughed and then nodded to the sword, "Wouldn’t happen to be giving that back to me would you?"

"Aye. It was never yours to return to me. You carelessly left it on the ground and I kept a hold of it for you. Its not mine but my friends. I do try to take care of my friends things when they aren’t around."

Rage stood up and grabbed the sword, he gave Neo a rough hug with one hand, "Thanks for understanding Neo."

Neo straightened his hair trying to keep his appearance in front of the other Priests with a kind of worried look on his face. "Well I have been writing some things down Rage. I wrote a manual for my lightsaber form. If you wish to read it you are wel....come.... WAIT a minute.... Did you say you were on the verge of death and still fought more bugs to save Aeon?! There is no way outside of Mid.... Holy Krath....Wait here."

"It was only two more...... "

Neo jumped up and ran into the hidden library and down the halls to the Library of the "Insanely" Arcane as it was jokingly called and brought back a rather large book.

Rage was confused "Two bugs...... I mean...... I ripped from my shoulder down to below my arm," He giggled, "Seems I have a guardian angel.... someone put a bacta tank into the war transporter......... I didn’t even know I could do that. Would of died if it didn’t have one."

Neo slid him the book opened to a page which told of Magic’s gained by near death experiences. Also explained the process of death and the visions of it. It spoke of Midichlorian Command

"What’s this?" Rage asked

"Only one other has ever mastered this ability. Master Jedi Luke Skywalker."

"Huh?"

"This is how you feigned death and beat those last two bugs." His tone was serious, "No average mortal person can just go from the brink of death and the insanity stage directly to combat ready in three seconds."

"Uh...... No...... I bet them on my determination. My willpower." Rage laughed, "I just did." He didn’t think that he had anything special about himself. "And unless you can prove otherwise.... that I can do this......" Rage read some of the book, " "Draw from the midis around" me I doubt it............." He smiled, "Since when am I any good with the force? I mean......" as he spoke he began believing a little bit, "Sure I love nature...... I got two spheres for it...... my house on board a starship is in a grass feild with a tree...... but...... Its me, I, I’m just strong willed...... I think...."

Neo got a plant which was three feet away from him and slid it in front of Rage without a word. Just looking at him. "Imagine this plant becoming a part of you."

"Wouldn’t that hurt?"

"Just.... Do it.... Rage...." Neo looked slightly irritated and a bit pained with Rages question. "Please.... I just have to see."

"Okay okay......" Rage was skeptical, the fog began coming off him at a normal rate and he began meditating about the plant, about becoming one with it.........

The plant withered and Rage felt a rush of energy and sparks of electricity formed in his hands. The plant turned black and crumbled to dust as well as the pot and soil. It was ash. Nothing living left in it at all.

"Just as I thought.... Open your eyes. Controller...."

Rage opened his eyes and looked at the withered plant...... "Uh...... what just happened?"

"You drained all life from this thing.... did you not feel a surge?!"

"Yes...... but I still don’t understand how I did it......" Rage frowned, "Ive never done anything like it before."

"Interesting.... This makes you more powerful than even me.... By a long shot...."

Rage laughed, "yeah...... right.... I still have to learn whatever it is...... you seem to forget to tell me what it is I’m doing!"

"Drawing all of the living force to augment and power your own"

"Eh...... So...... it’s kind of like being a part of nature?" Rage asked, he wasn’t quite sure he knew. Rage was never the smartest of the lot, Neo acted like he had found some rare scroll, but Rage didn’t understand what made him like that.

"You almost died and gained the ability to see the force itself....”

Rage looked around. "Seems the same as always...... It changes when im in mist form...... but yeah......"

You have the ability to manipulate the force at will and in whatever way you wish. You have the ultimate force ability but are too untrained to use its full potential."

"yeah...... And tell me...... how do I train or be taught when the only person that knows it is a Jedi Master?" He laughed.

"Read the damn book ya numbskull hahaha. Others have had this power. Not just sky faker."
"Who else?" Rage asked, he wasn’t a good reader.

"Marka Ragnos was one...." Neo pointed to the name. "Sure you have heard of him...."

"Yes.... Anyone I can learn off? Or will I have to read this book completely?" Rage looked determined.

"read it completely.... Ill stamp your Library card. Remember.... late charge for books is three public lashes."

Rage laughed, "Ya...... ever tried to catch me when I mist into a crowd?" He smiled.

"Haha. had to give the disclaimer. Your Noa called herself your wife when she checked the last book out.... might want to get her to return it. It’s a couple days overdue."

"Heh, trust her......" Rage laughed and looked at the size of the book. It had 3000 pages and was 80cm long, 30cm wide and 6cm deep. "Hmmm........."

Rage grabbed the book and tried to mist. It took him about three seconds and the book didn’t transform, falling to the ground. He formed back up sweating. "Okay...... its going to be a little longer before I can use force powers......... the duel will have to wait...... I know you were hinting at it before." He smiled and picked the book up, "Damn...... I hate carrying things around.... misting is so much easier."

"Well then get a priest to carry it Mr. Grand Master. You do know how to delegate authority do you not?"

Rage frowned, "I’m shocked you don’t know me that well, I’m just a commoner too most of the time. Like everyone else." He smiled, " 'Course sometimes its fun to pull rank......... Like on Noa." He laughed at that thought

"Well give the book a thorough read Rage and practice some of it please. The more you understand your new ability the more you will understand nature and the force itself. You will be able to command the force and nature as you see fit.... Take care and heal up.... Good to see you again by the way."

"Yeah I will...... hopefully I don’t kill my plants......" He smiled, "Good to see you too," Rage picked up the book and began walking out, "Bye!" He yelled over his shoulder.

"And so begins another journey of a Grand Master...." Neo said this low as he returned to his writings. "Be well friend...."