Chapter Twenty-Eight: Home of the Soul


I simply believe that some part of the human Self or Soul is not subject to the laws of space and time. Carl Jung



One Year Later

The garden was bathed in an ethereal light around their spot, but neither Kyran nor Shane seemed to pay much attention to that fact. In fact, six-year-old Kyran was happily tossing stones in the lake, skipping them as he'd been taught when they both heard his laughter. "Nissan! Ky! Here I am!" the voice chirped.

Kyran turned to see a small boy, stumble out of the undergrowth, twigs in his hair and dirt on his Jedi clothes. "Well it's about time," he teased, as the child came over to stand beside him. He ruffled his youngest bondmate's hair making the little one smile.

"What are you doing, Nissan?" the child asked. He was looking at Shane now, wondering what he was up to with the bookchip in his hands.

Shane smiled as he looked up, and set it aside, "Merely reading, Qui-Gon," he opened his arms, and offered his lap to his little one.

"What are you reading?" the youngling peered at his materials and climbed into Shane's lap eagerly.

Shane cuddled him close, glancing to it himself as if to remind himself what he had been studying, "Our destiny," he finally said, looking down into clear blue eyes, brighter then stars.

Qui-Gon wrinkled his nose slightly. "Destiny?" he repeated the big word. "Why would you study something like that? You should pay attention to me," he said matter-of-factly.

Brushing a hand through the youngling's earthen brown hair, Shane smiled indulgently, "Of course, Nihan."

"Nissan," Qui-Gon murmured. "When are you coming to find me? I need you and Ky. I want to be with you more than just here."

"Soon," Shane could feel it would be soon, when they would be united in full.

"But when," he scowled slightly. "I want to be there now," he pouted. "It's not the same without you and Ky."

Shane gathered him closer, "I know. But some things can't be rushed. You kept us waiting, Nihan," he lightly nuzzled his cheek.


"Not on purpose," he protested. He cooed as Shane nuzzled his cheek. "Will you come find me or do I come to you?" he asked.

"We'll see what the Force wants," was the only answer Shane could give.

"You couldn't be anymore vague than that could you, Shane?" Kyran's voice sounded amused at that answer as he ruffled his youngest bondmate's hair seeing him pout.

Shane shrugged, "It's the only answer the Force will give me."

Qui-Gon was thoughtful at that. "Nissan," he said cuddling with Shane more. "Will you sing instead then, while I wait?" he asked hopefully.

Shane blinked, a little surprised for some reason at the request, before he nodded, "Of course, Nihan. What do you wish to hear?"

"I don't know, just a song? I like your voice," he put his thumb in his mouth. "It sounds nice."

Shane smiled a little at that, "All right, I think I know something," ruffling through his memories, he felt the right song to sing, and gently, he began to do so.

Qui-Gon's eyes drifted closed as Shane sang and he yawned. "Keep singing." He didn't want Shane to quit just because he was getting sleepy.

Shane lightly caressed his back, having no intention of stopping as long as his bondmate wanted him to sing.


"Is everything all right?" A voice called, seemingly as if from far away. Master Anya had been up checking to make certain all things were as they should be. The chronometer chimed the hour -- it was midnight and all was quiet -- mostly. As she had walked along the corridor where Kyran and Shane's room was, she had heard a faint singing. She hoped that didn't mean Kyran was having nightmares again.

The song drifted into a soft moan, as Shane's eyes slide reluctantly have open, the comforting weight of his Nihan gone, as well as what peace he had found. Blinking, he looked through the small crack in his nest, trying to figure what had disturbed him, what had ripped him away from that.

"Is everything all right?" the Crèche Master bent down by their small nest, and she put her hand where she estimated his shoulder to be.

He frowned a little; annoyed but too tired to truly show it, "Was sleeping..." he mumbled softly, arms tightening just a little on Kyran's still sleeping form, "Don't wake Ky."

One of them at least had to stay with Qui-Gon...

"I heard you singing, I wanted to make sure he had not had bad dreams," she whispered, running a hand through his hair gently. "Were you singing in your sleep?"

Shane made a soft noise that sounded close to yes, as he nudged her hand a little, enjoying the soft caress through his hair.

"What were you dreaming about that made you sing?" she asked softly, still keeping up her brushing motion.

He gave a soft purr, still tilting into her touch as his eyes closed to mere slits, "Nihan." There was no danger. He was coming soon; they would all know him when he was there.

"Who is Nihan?" She asked, still not having learned all of his home language.

He gave a vague smile, "Little brother," it was a wistful whisper.

"Do you mean Kyran?" she asked, still not quite understanding.

Very slight shake of the head, those slits had almost shut completely, leaving only the slightest strip of blue. He wanted to go back to them, was being drawn back. How could one stay awake, when two thirds of one's own soul was not? Besides, their unity was tugging at his sense, and only will kept him from merely slipping off again, "The third piece..."

The Master blinked in sudden understanding. So Shane was having visions again -- good ones this time it seemed...if he was so sleepy. She gently nudged his mind back to sleep, content to let them be for the night.

Shane gave a little sigh of relief as he was allowed to sink back down, soul connecting once more with its other parts. That warmth in his arms returned, solid and real as not even reality did. He opened his eyes in the supposed 'dream world', to look at his bondmates.


"Where did you go, Nissan? You just vanished into thin air!" Qui-Gon was most upset that his oldest bondmate had totally vanished from the midst of them.

Shane gently gathered him closer, "I'm sorry, Nihan. I was disturbed by something. She's gone now."

Kyran yawned and leaned against Shane. "Master Anya?" he hazarded a guess.

Shane leaned against him in turn, nuzzling the side of his face lightly, lovingly. "Yes. Seemingly she heard me."

"Heard you singing?" Kyran smiled a little as Shane nuzzled him.

Shane made a soft noise of agreement, "But it won't happen again. I'm not leaving again." He doubted he would have the strength to answer another summons from the outside world. Not against this feeling of contentment and connection. He was complete, why would he want to abandon it or them that made him so?

"Now we are complete," Qui-Gon said happily voicing Shane's thoughts aloud.

Brushing his lips against Kyran's temple, Shane turned his attention to his Nihan, "Yes, and soon, we'll have this in both worlds, not just here."

"Not soon enough for me," Qui-Gon's eyes were drifting shut again.

"Not soon enough for any of us," Shane agreed, brushing a kiss to Qui-Gon's hair then, "But a little longer will not break us." Seeing his dearest heart start to drift off again, he smiled gently, "Do you wish me to sing again?"

There was a sleepy murmur of agreement. "Kay. I like it. You sing good."

Shane's lips tilted up a bit more, before he opened his mouth once again to sing, one arm tightening around Qui-Gon, while the other slipped around Kyran, drawing them both as close as possible to him, while their souls were all the more closer, practically one.




Late the next morning Master Anya puzzled and puzzled about what to do with the pair of them. She had tried almost everything she could think of to wake them, loud noises, she'd poured cold water on them soaking them to the skin, threatened them with the severest of punishments and worst cleanup jobs in the Temple ...and yet they still slept. She felt they were content in their sleep and she could feel that third piece…it was incredibly powerful, connecting to the two of them. Her mind was still reeling in shock at the amount of power she had felt there. She had a shrewd suspicion that was why they were still under. Surely one of the masters would be able to sort this out. She pulled out her comlink and quickly typed in the frequency for the Rixar/Zephir quarters.

"Zephir here," replied the calm voice of said Master, the first to answer the comm.

"Master Zephir, could you or Master Rixar please come to the crèche as soon as possible?" She asked anxiously.

"What's wrong?" it was a controlled demand, though the Master felt, knew it involved the boys.

"I can't seem to wake Kyran or Shane. I've tried everything I can think of to wake them," she explained. "I feel something there -- something I think is the third piece. Shane mentioned him last night. He was singing in his sleep and I managed to rouse him briefly...This morning when I went in, I could not get their attention again. I was hoping that you or Master Rixar would be able to help."

There was a pause, as Zephir absorbed her words, "We'll both be down there soon, Anya," it was meant to be soothing, despite the urgency.

"Thank you," she said glancing back at the lumpy, now wet nest.


Drex came out of the shower, a towel around his waist. "Who was that?" he asked wondering what the comm was about.

"Anya. She says something is wrong with the boys, she can't wake them up, But she's feeling the third piece with them," Zephir said, turning to him.

Drex frowned heavily at that. "She can't wake them... and she can feel the third piece?" He immediately reached to the bond he had with Shane and his eyebrows nearly rose off his forehead sensing the amount of power from the bond.

It left him breathless.

Zephir noted his reaction, "You can feel it as well?"

Drex nodded, still stunned from what he had felt. "It's quite remarkable; you ought to see if you can through Kyran."

There was a slight twitch of Zephir's lip, "I've already tried, before you got out. That power... it's unlike anything I've ever felt. It's not of the Light or Dark."

Drex nodded his agreement; "I guess we best get down there as soon as possible." He disappeared into his room to dress and returned only a few moments later, fully ready. "Shall we?"

Zephir nodded, already waiting at the door. He swiftly exited, anxious to get to their children.


Master Anya was in the middle of helping Shane into dry clothes when they arrived. She had felt bad for drenching him in cold water to wake them and so she had thrown both of them into a hot bath and bathed them -- and still they slept on.

Kyran was still undressed, but he appeared completely content, cooing randomly in his sleep. She had known Shane couldn't take the cold as well as Kyran could, so she had decided to dress him first.

Zephir entered first, taking in the situation, and almost going to where she was dressing Shane, before he corrected himself, going to Kyran instead. Sitting beside the limp little body, he reached out, brushing wet golden hair, reaching to touch that gentle little mind, and again only feeling power instead. He called anyway, testing, seeing if he could get a reaction, only to receive none.

Kyran cooed again in his sleep, put his thumb in his mouth, and curled a little against Zephir, clearly not wanting to wake up at all, not reacting to the brush against his mind.

Concern came to him, as he tried again, seeing much the same result. Sighing softly, Zephir stood. It was best he get the boy dressed, before they tried anything else.

Drex,, who had taken Shane from the Master, wasn't having any luck either though he attempted with their bond and his own strength as a master to try and break through to him //Shane?// he called, but there was even less reaction from him than Kyran had given. Frowning deeply in concern he glanced up at Zephir. "I don't think we're going to be able to wake them."

Slipping Kyran's shirt on after his pants, Zephir nodded, looking over to him grimly, "It's too strong for us to breech. I would almost say it would be too strong for even the Council. But I don't feel anything wrong in this...Perhaps there is a good reason for it, other than that they've just connected with their last piece."

"I don't either," his brow furrowed. "Maybe they just need to get used to the amount of power?" he suggested.

"Or something else," Zephir didn't know what though, "We'll just have to wait."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" he asked. "Just let them sleep until they awaken?"

"We have to keep trying to reach them," Zephir said, "We can't just give up."

"But if we can't reach them, who can?" Drex asked, his brow furrowing even more.

Zephir looked down to Kyran, eyes darkening a little, "I don't know, Drex. I truly don't."