IMPORTANT NOTE: BroadBand Users - Click on the Bolded Text (to download the broadband version of the screenie - which approaches 1MB+ in size and looks much bigger and better). DialUp Users - Click on the [DialUp #] to the right of the bolded text.

* Note - This Journal is Kara's Final one. It has much more narrative than previous journals. Also the screenies are marked with "**" if they add a lot to the story. Some of the other screenies are included for those that like to look at lots of pictures and, of course, they also relate to the story line though may be considered superfluous if you look at the "**" screenies.

Kara's Swan Song (Part 4 of 5)

Chapter 4:  A Trip to the Imperial City and Some Practical Wisdom for Sis

Sis: Hey Kara, your armor and clothing are very pretty - but they are too big for me and NOT very warm! Doesn't your butt freeze in that glass armor? Mine sure does! (This kicks off a very long and much needed fit of hysterical laughing, and crying too...)

Kara: I definitely know what you mean (flashing back to the Journal about killing off of her prior handler bb23). We need to go shopping!!! My handler is so cheap! Let's go charge some new things on his account in the Imperial City. He owes me so much in back wages! He won't mind...

So after a shopping trip in the Imperial City, Kara introduces Sis to a few residents - but soon realizes that:

** Sis is still very shy and unsure of herself - even with her new super cute outfit.**    [DialUp #28]

Kara can we go now? But Sis, I still haven't got anything for myself yet. Oh OK sweetheart, I know this is hard for you.    [DialUp #29]

But you have to stop being so hard on yourself. You look beautiful! That dress is soooo cute on you! Please look up at me now Sis.    [DialUp #30]

Kara: Well let's go site-seeing - we can just catch the sunset from one of the towers! It has a really great view of the whole Imperial City and surroundings:
** Sunset over the Imperial City **    [DialUp #31]

More beautiful scenery from high up in the Imperial City.   [DialUp #32]

An earlier shot - only warm light between these two...    [DialUp #33]

** Hey Sis! The colors of your hair and new outfit, and those moons, just gave me a possible name for you! How about Pumpkin? **    [DialUp #34]

Sis: I do like that name, but it is already taken. Pumpkin is the name of a DOG in one of the caves I have hidden in! He used to lick my face all the time because he thought it was pumpkin pie, and everyone said he was better looking than me! Sis starts crying but then stops and says, "But that's all in the past - I am with you now Kara and the Great One blessed me last night to not take all of this so seriously. And anyway, I hope to go back to my actual name (she mumbles "Violeta") some day. It's just a silly name for me right now. Keep calling me Sis OK? I really like that. No one else has needed to call me by name in years, so Sis works for us now. It so nice up here Kara. It feels so safe with you. Do you like living here? Are people nice to you? (Sis can't help but think "Wow this is a really great hiding place!")

Kara: I love living here, and most people are very nice to me, but some people are not. And of course if someone is trying to kill me, I must fight back and maybe even kill them. But even the ones that are not nice, you just love them as best as you can anyway. You know why?

Sis: No... I can't do that when they say really mean things about me or even if they are just teasing me. It hurts my feelings too much.
Kara: Do you want to know a secret that has helped me a lot?
Sis: Yeah, I guess...
Kara: Well, we all live in this world together, and people are dying everyday, and we also know that someday we are going to die too. Right?
Sis: Okay...
Kara: And that everyone we have ever loved has already died or will someday die too. Remember the very day that mother and father died in that terrible fire?
Sis: Yeah, I cried for weeks, and it still feels so sad inside.

Kara: Yes, I know that's very difficult sweetheart. This secret is very sad deep down in us - because we know that everyone we love will die and we also have great fear about dying ourselves. So this can make us feel really angry and betrayed too, because we ask ourselves, what kind of deal is this? It seems so unfair sometimes! But you know the really great part of this secret is that it makes us much more tolerant of everyone else - no matter how different they are or appear to be - because we are all in this same boat together.
Sis: But still we all die!

Kara: That's right, but on the other side of this sorrow and fear and anger is this even deeper feeling in the heart that tells us we never REALLY die. So I know it must hurt when you are called all those names, but that's just because those mean people don't quite get the whole secret and really deep down they are like everyone else, just afraid of dying, and are sad and angry with the way things seem to be here.
Sis: Is that really true?

Kara: Yep, a very very wise Elder taught me this.
Kara: And also sweetheart, other people may just be trying to have fun with you and are not really being mean. But I understand how sensitive you might be after being teased so many times. And even if they are really being mean, you can love them even so.
Sis: I love you Kara!
Kara: I love you too Sis, so very very much.
** A beautiful night for two sisters... **    [DialUp #35]

Sis: Can we go away for a while, just you and me?
Kara: Sure, I would very much like that! Hey, how about we also go find Bruno and Ariana* and see whether they found that beautiful and long white sandy beach they took off looking for, so many moons ago?
Sis: Yeah let's do that!

(to be continued...)