Song lyrics from Best of Enya cd: Anywhere Is

Coruscant: Jedi Temple-- Water Garden

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The Water Garden was situated in a shaded alcove of the Temple not very far from the Council Chamber. It consisted of a narrow, but tall waterfall splashing clear water from a 14-ft height down upon a pool bed of grey river stones polished smooth from decades of constant pounding. A spherical lantern in the ceiling gave the appearance of the moon's reflection dancing with the water. Hidden force fields at the edges were used to keep the spray from splattering beyond the outtermost pebbles. To the right of this was another pond of still water, and to the left was its twin, but outfitted with a small wave making device that kept the surface in slow, but constant motion. From various nooks and crannies about the three sprouted lush fronds from several different fern species that had been imported from other worlds, and about them were a couple of wide stone benches of simple design that matched seamlessly with the surroundings.

It was, Qui-Gon thought to himself, one of the most serene spots in the whole Temple and a favorite for spending time in meditations on serenity whenever he returned to Coruscant. He smiled at Nicholas, who was staring raptly at the cascading water, and motioned for him to take a seat, noting with a small sigh that his own padawan remained standing at alert. Obi-Wan, always on guard against attack even here in the heart of the Temple. But, then, considering the previous hours' events, perhaps he was wise to do so.

"This is beautiful," Nick breathed. He had always liked water, but now it seemed to hold a special significance for him, called to him. Or to his new body. He fingered the slight webbing between his forefinger and thumb.

"Yes," Qui-Gon agreed. "And each person who views it sees a different meaning in the water."

The familiar body with the alien spirit turned towards him. "What do you see?"

Qui-Gon pointed to the motionless pool. "That is Serenity. It sits and waits patiently." His hand moved over to indicate the waterfall. "That is the Force. The workings of Life, subtly changing that which it moves over, some without their knowing," he indicated the stones at the rim, and then those for which the full brunt of the water was falling "some with more power." He finished with the softly undulating pool. "And that is Knowledge, never still, but quietly growing in the mind as we grow from experience to experience," sweeping his hand in a circular motion he finished with, "and all combined to give off a sense of Peace.

Obi-Wan's accented voice softly quoted:

" There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no death; there is the Force. "

The solemn moment was broken when he grinned cheekily at Nick. "I should warn you, my Master is very fond of turning everything into a lesson, especially those that teach of the Living Force and Living in the Moment." Kneeling down by the still pool, Jinn picked up one of the pebbles and held it out to Nick, prompting Kenobi to gleefully add, "He's also under the impression that ordinary rocks make excellent gifts."

Qui-Gon raised a tolerant eyebrow at his student, before putting on a mock woeful face and bemoaning, "One birthday--- one!---and he never lets me hear the end of it. A perfectly good rock gone to waste on an unappreciative padawan." He pressed the plain, reddish brown rock into Nick's puzzled hand. "Now tell me, Earth Knight," he asked, face once again a study in calm serenity that rivalled that of the pool's, "what does this place speak of to *you*?"

Caressing the smooth, wet, stone with his thumb as it lay placidly in his hand, Nick began quietly, without hesitation: "The stillness is that of the Past. I cannot change or correct its dark depths, for it is done and immovable. The falling water is the Present, which is vibrant with possibilities of paths that can be chosen or ignored before the opportunity is gone and the wild movement is over. There is passion and excitement in that rush, but also a warning--- for the Moment between Past and Future is brief indeed, and the opportunity to choose gone forever once past. The last, is of course, the Future itself. It is not motionless like the Past, for it is yet being shaped, nor does it outwardly appear to be as energetic as the Present, as it is deceptively larger in scope and thus harder to truly see. We can look on its moving surface and speculate; however, what goes on beneath that is mostly a mystery to us." He sighed, a soft exhalation of air. "I wish I could see beneath the surface. To choose the right path as I fall from Moment to Moment."

"A useful skill that would be," Qui-Gon agreed, "unfortunately, one not commonly found even amongst the Jedi. Some can, at times, get glimpses of Future possibilites, and I suspect a very, very, few--- such as Master Yoda---- might glimpse more. But it is better, I think, to ground yourself in the Moment and let the Future form from your choices during the Present. The trick, of course, is to choose wisely during that Now."

Nick smiled ruefully, remembering his many past choices, ancient to recent. "Then my Future is doomed."

"Ah...," the Jedi Master's eyes sparkled, " a devout pessimist. I see I have my work cut out for me." He sent a mental nudge to his apprentice

"Aaagh--- my Master is adopting yet another pathetic life form!" Obi-Wan bewailed on cue, the cocky grin on his face softening the harshness of his words. "Give in now, Nick, " he advised, laying a comradely hand on the smaller being's back and leaning his mouth towards his ear in a conspiratorial manner, "once Master Jinn takes on a mission, he's tenacious! Never again will you be able to mope in peace." He was rewarded by a burst of giggles from their target. The giggling stopped suddenly. Jinn and Kenobi saw Nick stiffen. A surge in the Force like a strong wind, brushed against them and seemed to settle over the frozen Anaran's body.

"Master.."

"I see him, Padawan." Qui-Gon affirmed, signaling that they should wait silently to see what transpired.

Nick, once again in his human body, looked around the changed Water Garden. It was the same place, yet different somehow. Quieter and... out of sinc? That was the best he could explain it to himself. He was out of sinc with his surroundings--- still the Water Garden, but with a pair of motionless Jedi and a very mobile Inav Ayar.

Nick knelt down enough to be at the other's eye-level. "Hello again," he smiled uncertaintly as the Anaran bowed low before him. "I suppose you have something to do with this?" He indicated their frozen surrondings with his chin.

"Ayar come when Mundi and others nauht. Better here without anger."

"Others? The Council?"

"Master Oppo Rancisis. Master Saesee Tiin. Dislike for Inav, though Inav help nauht way is. Master Ta'okin help." The soft voice held no judgement, just acceptance. The eyes twinkled though, and he purred. "But here feel Master Jinn. Also Kenobi with you. Strong and good Jedi. Friend to Nick and Inav." The sparkle left. "Tired quickly am. Hard to come. Harder to stay." The Anaran reached out and tenderly ran three fingers down Nick's throat. "Sad. Nauht good. Sing what feel? Water will help carry burden. Is so. Then to home must go. Sing, Nik-ah-las."

Sing? Nick thought confusedly. Why sing? His voice was passable, yes.. but he was no singer. No sooner had he finished the thought than he felt a tune rise up from memory that he had heard once while back in Toronto. It fit perfectly with his heart. He opened his mouth and found himself singing fluidly as he got up and became lost in the returned movement of the waterfall, his mind filled with a kaliedescope of memories. Behind him, a weary, smiling Ayar faded away.

I walk a maze of moments,
But everywhere I turn to,
Begins a new beginning,
But never finds a finish.
I want to memorize it,
But then I find another,
It all seems so surprising,
But then I find that I know.

{{ Janette's eyes, as a mortal, begging me to let her die as one. Why did I deny her what I myself have so desperately sought? }}

You go there, you're gone forever.
I go there, I lose my way.
We stay here, we're not together.
Anywhere Is.

{{ All the lives I've impacted--- Alyssa! So many choices gone wrong! And for what? So I could continue to exist? Why had God even made me? I wish I had asked Johann that question before the English had made her a martyr. Too late now. }}

The moon upon the ocean,
Is swept around in motion.
But without ever knowing,
The reason for its flowing.
In motion on the ocean,
The moon still keeps on moving.
The waves still keep on waving,
And I still keep on going.

Unbidden, Natalie's face entered his mind, shining with thoughts of faith. LaCroix, icey blue eyes silently begging him not to *do* this to himself. But when had he ever listened to his elder?

You go there, you're gone forever,
I go there I lose my way,
We stay here, we're not together,
Anywhere Is.

{{ Jinn, Kenobi, Yoda, Ayar... the night sky over Coruscant. So alien. And yet here I am more openly accepted than I could ever have been on Earth. They don't have vampire hunters here. }}

I wonder if the star's shine,
The light that is to be mine.
And will they let their light shine,
Enough for me to follow?
I look up to the heavens.
The night is clouded over.
No spark of constellation.
No Vela, no Orion.

Assuming he wasn't put to death for being a heretic, he thought wryly.

The shells upon the warm sands,
Have taken from their own lands,
The echo of their story,
But all I hear are low sounds.
As pillow words are weaving,
And willow waves are leaving.
But should I be believing,
That I am only dreaming?

Choices. Let Mundi kill him? Where that might have appealed a little while ago, he found himself more and more drawn to the wonders of this Galaxy. Ayar wanted him to go home. Anara, presumably, so that they could become 'One'. Unsettling prospect. But he couldn't deny he desperatly needed *someone's* guidance; how long could he expect Jinn and Kenobi to stay with him? From what he understood, the Jedi Knights rarely stayed long in one locale, but moved from planet to planet as their work demanded. Only... would *Ayar* come to regret being tied with him?

You go there, you're gone forever,
I go there, I'll lose my way.
We stay here we're not together.
Anywhere Is

{{ What to decide? Which falling water droplet would cause the least amount of grief to those around me? And is the choice really mine to make? }}

To leave the tread of all time,
And let it make a dark line,
In hopes that I can still find,
A way back to that moment.
I took a turn and turned to,
Begin a new beginning.
Still looking for the answer,
I cannot find a finish.
Its either this or that way,
Its one way or the other.
It should be one direction.
It could be on reflection.
The turn I have just taken,
The turn that I was making,
I might be just beginning,
I might be near the end.

"Nick?"

Startled, Nick turned around and realized that he was again in Ayar's body. Kenobi was looking concernedly into his face.

"Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah."

"That was some song."

"Yes." He shook his head to clear it. Qui-Gon informed them that is was time to head back. He offered Nick his arm as support, but Nick waved him off.

"I'm fine."

Blue eyes gauged him.

"I will not let them kill you, Nicholas de Brabant." Jinn solemnly told him. "I don't know for what purpose, but the Force brought you to us, and that is a far more powerful authority than any Jedi Council. They will see that if I have to drum it into their thick skulls with the butt of my lightsaber."

He heard Kenobi give a long suffering sigh, but the youth also offered an encouraging smile. They would do what they believed was right--- regardless of the consequences.

"You sing really well, you know that?"
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End of Part 12