Time: Right when Ezri comes aboard DS9. This story was written before the 7th season premier.

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How could life be so cruel? She was standing there in the infirmary right where she, herself, had died. She remembered everything. The tenderness of Worf's touch, the apprehension in his voice. It was a moment that was forever etched into her mind. Never would she forget the face of her Par'machi. Never would she feel so torn up inside.

Worf... He was the one who brought something special into her life. He had taught her so much about life, living. After so many lifetimes, she never knew that she knew so little. But, he was always there, always with a lesson to teach. The perseverance of their love was let alone a miracle. Love, as she knew it, no longer existed. Not after she lost her beloved, the one that made her feel so complete.

Lifetimes of experience could not have prepared her for this moment. Emotions overwhelmed her as she stood over the place which had been the end... and the beginning. Life as it was before did not exist. Life was now just a jumble of images. Memories of lifetimes she once knew. Lifetimes of happiness. Lifetimes of sorrow.

Looking back on that fateful day, she never thought anything would go wrong. Life had taken a turn for the best. She and her Par'machi would be able to have a child! She walked around in a blissful daze for the remainder of the day.

Then, he came... The only memories she retained were of an eternal fire, engulfing her. She wanted so badly to escape. But, she was trapped, her body paralyzed. Then it happened. It came slowly at first. Then...darkness...

Next thing she could recall was Worf standing over her, his eyes heavy. She didn't know what was going on. She just had this sense of urgency. She knew that the end was near. She looked deep into the darkness of her lover's eyes. She could see his heart ripped out, his soul bleeding. "I'm so sorry," she recounted, "Our baby would've been so beautiful..." Then, nothing...

She looked up, unaware of the tears falling from her eyes. She gathered her strength and walked out into the dark promenade. Her midnight walk had done her no good. Walking home, she repeated to herself, "I am Ezri... Ezri Dax..."

---The end