Two days later, Delenn walked through the ruined streets of the capital. The horror and destruction that met her, in her beautiful city, made her sick. How could civilized people do this to one another? For what? Pride? This was horrible; it was not something to take pride in.

"Delenn," one of her Ranger guards whispered in her ear. "You should get to cover. It's not safe out here. We've received word that the surviving heads of the religious caste have gathered at the great temple. You should get there, Delenn. You'll be safer."

"Thank you for your concern, Anla'shok." Glancing around again, Delenn realized that he was right. Out here they were perfect targets.

"Delenn!" The sounds of a muffled struggle began behind her. Delenn whirled around. Already her Anla'shok guard had moved to protect her, and they were trying to stop the intruder from struggling past them to their Entil'zha. Then, Delenn caught sight of a short bonecrest and a flash of yellow robes. It was a child, she realized, and from the robes, likely a religious caste child.

"In Valen's name, let the child through!" She ordered. That was all the opportunity the small girl needed. She pushed passed the Rangers, and threw her arms around Delenn's legs. She was a small child; she only came up to about Delenn's waist. By human standards, she would be about eight years old.
"Delenn!" The girl buried her face in Delenn's dress and began sobbing.

"Ayann!" Delenn recognized the young girl, from a few years ago. She was the daughter of Delenn's cousin, Shienn. When Delenn had met her, it was shortly after her transformation, just before her expulsion from the Grey council. Many of the other Minbari had been uncertain when they saw Delenn's human features, but Ayann had been entranced. Delenn remembered when she visited; Ayann had spent nearly an hour just running her tiny, curious fingers through Delenn's newly acquired human hair.

"Ayann, what is the matter?" Delenn did the best she could to stoop down to Ayann's level, so she could see into the sobbing girl's eyes.

"M.. Mother...She's not moving! I've been trying to wake her all morning, but she won't Delenn! She won't wake! She was all right before...even after the roof came down on us..." the rest of her story was drowned as tears overtook her again. Delenn looked around, and realized that she was on the same street that Shienn's house had been on. But the entire street had been reduced to large piles of rubble. She looked at one of the Rangers, and then looked pointedly at one of the piles that she believed had been the site of Ayann's house. A pair of Rangers took off, as Delenn wrapped Ayann into a tight embrace.

"I'm here Ayann. Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." Delenn wanted desperately to tell the poor girl that it would be ok, that she would be all right. But Delenn couldn't honestly tell her that things would be all right for a very long time.

The Rangers came back, shaking their heads. Ayann's mother had not survived the house's collapse. Delenn felt tears threaten to spill down her face as well. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to sit and hold Ayann until both had cried all the tears they possessed. But then, a nearby explosion rocked the ground. Delenn pulled Ayann down, and tried to protect her with her own body. When the dust settled, the Rangers insisted that they get to the temple before anything else happened. Delenn agreed, and the Rangers rushed Delenn and Ayann into the safety of the temple.