PART 1: BEGINNINGS

Oban: the center of the Milky Way galaxy...home of the Protector and Guardian of the galaxy, chosen every 10,000 years by a test of determination and strength.

The Great Race of Oban.

About four years ago, the title of 'Avatar' was passed down to a young 17-year-old gunner, Jordan C. Wilde.

With growing technology, the role of Avatar became harder as it was more difficult. So three years after his crowning, another race was held to find assistant 'Avatars' you could say. The winner of the race was a military pilot from a colony of the Earth Coalition, Erridan.

Orphaned at an early age, the young girl proved her skills as a fighter pilot, earning her way to compete on Oban.

This is how 18-year-old Kezi Hawkins became an assistant Avatar with a secret of her own; she was Keeper of the Wolf, a destructive force that once wreaked havoc across the galaxy.

Despite her troubling past, Kezi won the Great Race. But before she'd even accomplished this, she and Jordan had fallen in love and conceived a child together.

Now that child was to be born, destined to be the second assistant of the Avatar to arise from the Great Race...

Jordan was reluctant to leave Kezi's side; after all, she was due to give birth any day now. Despite her long, loose fitting dress that was huge on her, you could still see her swollen stomach.

"If the contractions start, get someone to help, okay?" Jordan fretted. "I'll come back to help as well. And-"

"Jordan. I'm almost 19. " Kezi interrupted. "You are treating me like a child."

Jordan quickly tried to apologize to Kezi. "No! I didn't mean-"

"Listen, Jordan. If we freak out over everything...Marnaya will just laugh at us."

Jordan looked at her with concern before replying, "Yeah. We wouldn't wanna look weak in front of Marnaya." He sighed. "Alright, then. I'll see you later." Then Jordan teleported himself away.

"Good grief..." Kezi said out loud when he was gone. That overprotective habit was never going to change, was it? Kezi pondered a little more on it. She sighed. 'Well...I can kinda understand him panicking a bit in this situation.' she thought to herself.

She walked along the paths around the temples, feeling heavier the further she walked. She could feel the baby nudging her.

'In just a little while, we'll be able to meet you, Marnaya.'

At least the alien was going to help her give birth was a female. Kezi loved Jordan, but she had to face it; Jordan would probably freak if he had to help just like any other man. Even though the alien, a Kunienese whose name was Ginevra, had never helped a human in childbirth, the alien assured Jordan and Kezi that it would be no different than any other birth. This put Kezi at ease, but Jordan always found something to worry about.

It seemed to take forever for Kezi to reach the barrier, but she made it. As soon as she was through the door, Ginevra made her lie down on the bed. She had Kezi untie the straps of her dress and move them down to her hips and roll her high-collared short sleeve shirt up so the seal could be completely seen.

Kezi didn't protest, but scowled until Jordan came in a short time later and talked to Ginevra. Then he walked over to Kezi.

"You okay, Kez?" he asked.

"I'm perfectly fine..." she answered. "I'd just like to get up and move." Ginevra looked over at Jordan and said, "You'd better not let her have her way." Jordan laughed and replied to Kezi, "Sorry, Kez. Can't help you. Besides, you've been antsy for months, jumping up to walk at every opportunity. Last few weeks especially."

Kezi let out an irritated groan, but didn't push her case. Everyone would tag team her so it was no use.

When she sat up all of a sudden, Jordan grew alarmed and demanded, "What's wrong?" Kezi gave him a smile. "Kickin' again. Always kickin'." She took Jordan's hand and placed it on her stomach. He gave a timid smile as he felt a kick under his hand. Kezi patted her stomach and said, "We can't wait to meet you, Marnaya." Jordan rubbed her stomach and whispered, "Yeah. We can't wait anymore, little Marnaya." When another kick was felt, Kezi laughed and commented, "We're gonna have a hyper one."

Jordan teased, "Wonder where she gets that from."

Kezi rolled her eyes at him. Then her attention drifted to the new faces in the room. Hunta and a couple of other Gumarians had entered and made their way toward the two.

Hunta greeted them formally, then added, "It seems like only yesterday I was helping your mother in the exact scenario. At least this time, I know beforehand these two are completely loyal to the Avatar and Keeper. Not another situation like Darius again." He and the other two left the room, leaving Jordan and Kezi alone.

Jordan was a bit relieved to hear this, but stayed close to Kezi. She seemed relaxed as she waited to go into labor. Jordan knew though she was extremely anxious. He had been honestly surprised when she admitted her fears, having only known her to be completely fearless.

He prepared to leave, not wanting to but feeling that Kezi wouldn't want him in here when the time came. He was surprised when she gripped his hand.

"Where the hell are you going?" she asked, her voice actually shaky.

"I was..." Jordan stammered. "Going to give you privacy...when..."

"I want you here. She is your child...and...I'm scared out of my mind."

"Why?"

"Well...It's my first time...I don't know what to expect...and I'm worried about the seal, too."

"Where's all this coming from? You haven't expressed any worry over the past nine months."

"That's because I kept repressing it, ya know. Now that...it's fixing to happen...I feel a panic attack coming on, ya know...I'm not talking about a little hyperventilation...I mean full out freak out like when I have flashbacks, ya know...A lot can go wrong-"

"I thought I was Mr. Worry and you were Ms. Carefree, Whatever, let's-do-it? Just calm down, Kezi. It hasn't even started yet."

"No..." she agreed. "But it WILL."

"Kez." Jordan tried to comfort. "Just curious...did you not think you were going to have kids someday?"

She was silent for a moment before replying. "I always wanted children...but I didn't understand exactly what it would feel like. When I first realized I was pregnant, I felt nauseous and a lot of mornings I retched my breakfast up. That finally stopped though. I was happy about her, but I was scared to tell you and-"

"Why were you scared?" Jordan asked, bewildered.

"Is it not obvious?" she asked before truthfully telling him, "I was worried because if I told you, you might feel forced to stay with me because it was yours. I didn't want you stay because of obligation. Then I got to thinking about how pissed you might be. I wouldn't have left her no matter what...but I just...I don't even know what I'm saying anymore, dammit."

Jordan commented on her admission. "Well, I was shocked when you finally told me what? A month later? But I already knew I wanted to be with you by then. If you'd told me sooner...I'd probably would've freaked. I don't know what I would've done other than that. I know that if I didn't make you stay, I would still check up on you every now and then. Unless you didn't want me to. Then I would've let you get on with your life. But honestly, I was already drawn to you. That's why I kept coming back to you."

Kezi listened to him, forgetting most of her fears.

"Listen, Kez." Jordan brushed his fingers through her bangs as he spoke. "It took me a long time to realize that I loved you. It tore at me. I knew that...I did have feelings for you...but Erridan's alliance with the Crogs caused me to not see clearly. I saw you as a threat to me for a while. But when we crashed in that pit...I knew that I couldn't stay away from you. I was a goner."

Kezi felt tears gathering to her eyes. She rolled them before she let Jordan see. "That's sorta how it was for me, ya know? I mean, I'd always thought you were handsome, but the fact you were from Earth made me prejudiced toward you. Plus, I wasn't exactly thrilled to have to be your partner that first race, but I tolerated it because I was desperate for some kind of peace. I knew early on though, when we were skipping stones, that I cared about you. I wasn't sure what it was...but I soon realized I was in love with you."

Jordan leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. He sat their just holding her hand for a while before she suddenly sat up and breathed, "I think it's starting."

Kezi gave Jordan's hand the death grip every time she felt a contraction. They hurt her, but she was determined not to yell at least. Jordan sat there trying to calm her while Hunta held his hand on her stomach to keep the seal intact and Ginevra prepared for the actual birth.

As Kezi kept her eyes shut to try to untense, Jordan could see the markings from the seal climb from where Hunta's hand was. He wished there was something he could do to help besides hold her hand, to somehow make this whole thing less painful, but there wasn't anything.

'I don't know how you do it...' Jordan thought. 'You have to be in more pain than you're showing.'

"Kez..." Jordan said, hoping she would hear. "If you're in pain, scream already. Maybe it'll help."

As soon as he'd said that, she let out a piercing shriek at the next contraction. She couldn't hold it in. Not only was she battling the Wolf inside her, but she was having terrible labor pains. At some point in time, Ginevra told Kezi to start pushing.

Kezi was in labor for a lot longer than normal first-time human mothers, and Jordan was getting worried. Ginevra didn't say anything about it though so he guessed there was probably nothing wrong. Finally, a strong little cry was heard. Jordan held Kezi's hand and looked at her with the same shock she had on her face.

Ginevra brought the baby to Kezi as soon as she cleaned and wrapped the infant in a blanket. "Your daughter."

Kezi smiled weakly. "Marnaya...we finally meet."

Ginevra took the baby into the other room as Hunta had asked her to. Jordan was holding Kezi's hand as Hunta pressed his hand harder on the seal.

"I know it's rough having just given birth, but we need to suppress the Wolf again." Hunta said.

"Yes." Kezi agreed in a breath. Her grip on Jordan's hand tightened. Hunta prepared to use the magic that would reinforce the seal when something seemed to throw him backward. Kezi and Jordan looked in the direction that the blow came from.

A masked shadow stood in front of the entrance to the room, holding Marnaya.