I thought you said you'd started
straightening this place up.

You should have seen it before.

Look, Keiko's shuttle
will be here before we know it.

We should have left
the holosuite hours ago.

What, and let the Jerries
cross the Channel? Never.

It is sort of a shame
to pack this stuff away.

Wish we didn't have to.

It's like a sculpture...

a monument to your year
as a bachelor.

Ah, I suppose it is.

Who are we to dismantle
this piece of art?

I don't know.

But if we don't,
Keiko'll dismantle me.

Daddy.

Hi, sweetie.

Oh!

Hi.

The one good thing
about going away is coming home.

I never want to be
apart like that again.

Daddy, Daddy!
I have a little brother.

Really?

Is that him?

No. He's in there.

Surprise.

A baby?

Yeah. I... I thought
you'd be happy.

I mean, we talked about it
and decided we'd start trying.

Oh, I know.

We... we... well, but your last visit

you were only here
the one night, and...

I thought it'd take
a couple of nights.

To be honest...
a lot more nights.

I guess we just
got lucky this time.

I guess so.

Vedek Porta.

Nerys.

So, this is where you are
when you're not at the Temple.

Very impressive.

Haven't you ever been to Ops?

What business
would an old monk have here

except maybe helping a young couple
to meet the Emissary?

Are you sure
this is a good time?

I think he'll be
able to fit you in.

Thank you so much
for doing this, Major.

Oh, I'm glad to.

They can take the Rubicon.

Come in.

Vedek Porta's here with the young couple
that just got married.

They're hoping to get
the Emissary's blessing.

Bring them in.

You remember the words?

The marriage blessing?

I think so.

Emissary, we're very grateful
to you for seeing us.

Not at all.

Now, if you'll just
join hands...

Zhia 'kala, tar'eh anu suur...

te'von, aka 'lu rez...
ka 'vor, mat'ana kel.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Your accent is getting
much better, Emissary.

I'm glad to hear it.

It isn't that bad, is it,
being the Emissary?

A few ceremonies,
an occasional blessing.

I didn't say it was that bad.

It's just hard getting used
to being a religious icon.

Really?

I think I'd like it.

Kira to Sisko.

Go ahead.

You'd better get out here.

There's something
coming through the wormhole.

A lightship.

I don't know where it came from.

According to remote sensors,
it never entered the wormhole.

From these readings
I'd say that ship's about 300 years old.

Life signs?

There's someone on board...
a Bajoran.

Try hailing them.

No response.

Whoever's in there
could be injured.

Tractor the ship
into transporter range

and beam the passenger
directly into the Infirmary.

He's a little disoriented.

I'm Captain Benjamin Sisko.

You're aboard a Federation
space station near Bajor.

This is Kira Nerys,
my First Officer.

Who are you?

I am the Emissary.

I was headed back to Bajor.

My lightship was caught
in an ion storm.

It nearly tore it apart.

A girder came loose
from the bulkhead

and impaled me
through the shoulder, here.

I remember thinking I was
going to die alone in space

when a strange opening
appeared in the sky.

I was terrified at first

and then, I realized
what was happening.

The Prophets were opening the
gates of the Celestial Temple

and drawing me to them.

What happened then?

It's difficult to describe.

They took the form of people
that I know...

my grandfather, my brother...

so they could
communicate with me.

You spoke to them?

I didn't have to.

I could sense their
understanding, their grace.

I've never felt such bliss.

And then they healed me.

A light washed over me

and then, my wound was gone.

They gave me back my life.

I felt reborn.

When exactly
did you leave Bajor?

Oh, it couldn't have been
more than a few days ago.

What was the year?

9174.

That was over 200 years ago.

200 years?

My wife...

my parents... they're gone.

If you give us your name

maybe we can contact
your descendants.

Let them know
you're... a... alive.

Akorem.

Akorem Laan.

But I have no descendants.

My brother died last winter

and my wife and I
never had children.

Akorem Laan, the poet?

I'm a poet, yes.

You wrote Kitara 's Song
and The Call of the Prophets?

You know my work?

You're considered one
of the greatest poets of Bajor.

Every schoolchild can recite
Gaudaal's Lament from memory.

People still read my work,
after all this time?

Perhaps that's part
of the Prophets' plan for me.

Their plan?

It's not clear to me yet
why they made me their Emissary

but I know they gave me back
my life for a reason.

Akorem,

a great deal has happened
since you've been gone.

Maybe Major Kira can spend
some time filling you in.

"Major Kira"?

That's right.

But your family would be part
of the artist D'jarra.

D'jarra?

Bajor used to have
a strict caste system.

A person's work was dictated
by what family they were born into.

You no longer follow
your D'jarras?

When the Cardassians occupied Bajor
we gave up the D'jarras,

so that we could fight them.

We all became soldiers.

The Cardassians occupied Bajor?

For over 50 years.

It seems you're right, Captain.

A great deal has happened
since I've been gone.

If you look at the prophecies
about the Emissary

a lot of them make much more sense
with Akorem in the picture.

Really?

Every text I've read says

that the Prophets will name their Emissary
by calling him to them

that he would find
the Celestial Temple

that there, the Prophets
would give him back his life.

Go on.

They didn't give me
back my life.

Not literally, but they did help you
get your life back together.

True enough, but I wasn't the first one
to find the wormhole,

or to meet the Prophets.
Akorem was.

Benjamin, I thought
you didn't believe in the prophecies.

I don't.

Then why are you using them
to justify giving up your position?

I guess I was looking
for something to convince me

that I was making
the right decision.

So your mind's made up?
You're going to step aside?

Akorem will make a far better
Emissary than I ever was.

He's Bajoran.

He's a revered poet,
and he wants the job.

Besides,
Starfleet will be thrilled.

They never liked the idea that
the Bajorans saw me as a religious figure.

How do you know the Bajorans will accept
Akorem as their new Emissary?

I talked to Vedek Porta.

He seems to think
that as long as I make it clear

that I'm stepping aside
voluntarily, they will.

So you're off the hook.
How does it feel?

It feels, uh... good.

No more ceremonies to attend.

No more blessings to give.

No more prophecies to fulfill.

I'm just
a Starfleet officer again.

All I have to worry about

are the Klingons
the Dominion and the Maquis.

I feel like I'm on vacation.

Chief!

Congratulations, Dad.

You heard?

Great news, my friend.

Come have a drink.
Celebrate.

I really should be getting home.

Oh, just one.

All right.

Quark, did you hear?

Chief O'Brien is having a baby.

I thought your females
carried your young.

My wife.

My wife is having the baby.

Congratulations.

I remember when my nephew Nog
was a baby.

Cutest thing you ever saw.

You know babies.

Every little thing they pick up
goes straight into their ears.

Oh, I used to love
reading to him.

You know, "See Brak acquire.

Acquire, Brak, acquire."

Just think.

Soon there'll be two little O'Briens
scampering about underfoot.

Hard to believe, isn't it?

Mind you, they do say
the second one is easier

since you've already been
through all the diapers

and the endless crying
and the sleepless nights.

Yeah.

Cheers.

Oh... cheers.

Is something wrong, Chief?

No. Nothing at all.

I couldn't be happier.

Did you hear?
Keiko's going to have another baby.

Now?

No.

Seven months.

I see.

Worf delivered Molly, you know.

Really?

The Enterprise was damaged.

Keiko and he were trapped
together when her time came.

Oh, well, I'll, uh...

be sure and call you
when she's ready to deliver.

You can lend a hand.

Seven months?

Unfortunately, I will be away
from the station at that time.

Far away.

Visiting my parents
on Earth.

Excuse me.

I don't know who's more anxious
about this baby, you or Worf.

The thing is, Julian

now that Molly's a little older

I was hoping to be able to spend
some time with Keiko again.

I thought we could...
I don't know...

go out at night.

Don't get me wrong.

I know once I hold
my little baby in my arms

I'll be the happiest man
in the world, but...

I wasn't expecting it
to happen so soon.

How about a game of darts?

Don't you have to go home?

Yeah.

Major, come to see Akorem speak?

The Emissary's first public appearance?
I wouldn't miss it.

I'm surprised to hear you
call him that.

Why?

Akorem Laan was...
is a great man.

He's been with the Prophets
for over 200 years

and now they sent
him back to us.

Yes, but two days ago, you believed
Captain Sisko was the Emissary.

Well, he made it clear,
he wants to step aside.

Does that mean he never
really was the Emissary?

No.

But they can't both be.

I don't know.
What do you want from me, Odo?

Forgive me, Major.
I don't mean to be difficult

but your faith seems to have led you
to something of a contradiction.

I don't see it
as a contradiction.

I don't understand.

That's the thing about faith...

if you don't have it,
you can't understand it

and if you do,
no explanation is necessary.

Ever since the Prophets
returned me to my people

I've asked myself the same questions
over and over again.

Why did they keep me
with them for so long?

Why did they return me
to my people now?

I now know the answers.

Bajor suffered a great wound
while I was with the Prophets...

the Cardassian Occupation.

The Bajor that I've returned to
has lost its way.

People no longer follow the path
the Prophets have laid out for them.

They no longer follow
their D'jarras.

Artists have become soldiers.
Priests have become merchants.

Farmers have become politicians.

We must heal the wounds
of the occupation.

We must return to our D'jarras.

We must reclaim what we were

and follow the path the Prophets
have laid out for us.

It is their will that farmers
return to their land

painters to their canvasses,
priests to their temples.

If we do this,
if we follow our D'jarras,

then Bajor will flourish again

and become the green
and peaceful land I remember.

It will be as if the occupation
never happened.

By returning to our D'jarras,
we will have erased it forever.

I wanted to talk to you
before you left for Bajor.

Of course.

I was surprised by your speech.

I had no idea you were going to advocate
change on such a massive scale.

It's what the Prophets
want for Bajor.

It's why they sent me.

Are you sure of that?

Absolutely.

The Emissary knows that

what he's proposing will be difficult
for some people to accept.

He doesn't expect things
to change overnight.

So you're not going to ask
First Minister Shakaar

to step down
and go back to farming?

No, of course not.

But frankly,
by the next election

I doubt very many people
will be left on Bajor

who would elect a farmer
to political office.

We hope that, eventually,

the people will support enforcement of
the D'jarras by legal sanction.

So if someone defies
their caste...?

Society will have appropriate remedies
at its disposal such as deportation.

You realize that caste-based discrimination
goes against the Federation Charter.

If Bajor returns
to the D'jarra system

I have no doubt that its petition
to join the Federation will be rejected.

Kai Winn and I have already
discussed it.

We're willing to make that sacrifice
in order to follow the will of the Prophets.

I had a feeling
Winn would see it that way.

Well, the Emissary's
transport leaves shortly.

As a Starfleet officer,
I am bound by oath

not to interfere
with Bajoran affairs, but...

as a friend to Bajor

I have to say giving up Federation
membership would be a mistake.

Oh.

Your pagh is strong.

I see now why Kai Opaka
believed you were the Emissary

and why Winn fears you.

Good-bye, Captain.

Good-bye, Emissary.

Morning.

Guess I'll have to take
my raktajino with me.

Please, sit here.

You're not finished.

I'll find someplace else to sit.

You don't have to get up for me.

You're Ih 'valla.

I'm te'nari.

It's been going on
all morning...

whenever someone with a higher-
ranking D'jarra comes in.

I guess I'll have to get used
to being treated like that.

I remember when I got
promoted to Lieutenant

it took me a while to get used
to being called "sir"

by my friends
who were still Ensigns.

But that's different.

You'd earned the right
to be treated with respect.

I haven't done anything.

Sounds like you have some reservations
about bringing back the D'jarras.

I have some questions, sure.

The Emissary is asking something
very difficult of us

but we have to have faith that
he's guiding us towards something.

Even if what he's guiding you towards
doesn't include the Federation?

It's not our place
to question the Emissary.

No matter what?

Maybe you never realized this,
Captain

but we would have tried to do

whatever you asked of us
when you were Emissary

no matter how difficult
it seemed.

I better get to Ops.

Who are you?

Kai Opaka.

Who are you?

What are you doing here?

How did you...?

Who are you?

Don't you know me?

Know you?

How can I know someone
who doesn't know himself?

I think you had what the
Bajorans call an "Orb shadow."

Sometimes, people who have been exposed
to the Orbs of the Prophets

experience hallucinations

weeks, even months later.

What triggers them?

An excess of neuropeptides.

I can give you an inhibitor
to make sure it never happens again.

Of course, if I do,
you risk never finding out.

Finding out what?

The Bajorans believe

you only have a shadow experience

when you ignore what the Prophets' have
been trying to tell you during an Orb encounter.

Interesting.

So...

any idea what they might
have been trying to tell you?

Sure.

That I have too many neuropeptides
rolling around in my head.

A bird is a difficult
thing to sculpt.

Maybe you should have started
with something simpler.

Come in! Come in!

Services are about to begin.

But I can tell I have
no aptitude for it.

That's because you didn't give yourself
over to what you were doing.

How can you say that?
I was up half the night.

I have a, a flock of flightless
birds in my quarters.

But you're still
wearing that uniform.

You're still clinging
to a false life.

You must do what
the Emissary has asked

and follow your D'jarra
with all your heart

because if you give yourself
over to the Prophets,

they will guide you along the path
they've chosen for you...

and you'll know more joy
than you ever thought possible.

That a girl.

Good shot, Molly!

Did I win?

We're just practicing.
We'll play a game later.

Try another one.

Miles?

Oh, uh...

that's mine.

Don't worry. I only wear it
in the holosuites.

I suppose Julian has one, too.

You two certainly spent a lot of time
in the holosuites.

Well, you should be glad.
It kept me out of trouble.

Remind me to thank Julian
next time I see him.

Want to try for twins?

I don't think it works that way.

You'd better brush up
on your biology.

Teach me.

Look, I drew a pony.

Oh.

Let's see.

Does your pony have a name?

I don't know.

Miles, I still have a lot of specimens
I've got to catalog for the survey.

Go ahead.
I'll play with Molly.

Oh, Miles, it's good to be home.

Come on, Molly,
let's play darts.

Now, remember what I said
about the right way to stand?

Let's try again.

I don't want to.

Can Daddy color, too?

I'm coloring.

The four-shift rotation also seems to be
improving performance.

Less mistakes due to fatigue.

Fine. Let's make
the change permanent.

Anything else?

I was wondering if,
in the next few days

you would have the time
to meet with Major Jatarn.

Sure.

Is something wrong, sir?

I'm sorry.

I just received a communique
from Starfleet Command

responding to my report
on the Bajoran situation.

That bad?

Not yet, but I can read
between the lines.

I was sent here to help bring
Bajor into the Federation.

That doesn't look like much
of a possibility anymore.

As far as Starfleet is concerned
I have failed my mission.

That's not fair.

It's not your fault.

It is
from where they're sitting.

The irony is,

Starfleet was always trying to get me to
distance myself from this Emissary business.

And now that I have...

Maybe I could talk
to First Minister Shakaar

about sending Starfleet
a communique explai...

Thanks.

It... it'll blow over.

It's not that.

I guess I'm just feeling...

I did fail.

Sir...

Anyway, why did you
want me to meet Jatarn?

We can talk about that
another time.

What is it, Major?

I think he'd make
an excellent First Officer.

As soon as you can find
someone to take my post

I'm going to resign
my commission.

To follow your... D'jarra.

I'm planning to move back
to the Dahkur Province.

There are a lot of artists
who live in the capital

and I have a friend there
who's willing to apprentice me.

I'm sorry.

The last thing I want to do
is to add to your problems.

This is something I have to do.

If, um...

if you don't hit it off
with Major Jatarn, um

I can think
of a few other people.

It shouldn't be that hard
to find someone to replace me.

I don't doubt that I can find
someone to fill your post...

but to replace you...?

Computer, time.

1921 hours.

Where's Dr. Bashir?

Dr. Bashir is in Quark's bar.

Well, I'm chasing a triple
17 and a bull, Morn.

Got some catching up to do.

Chief!

Excuse me.

Julian.

How have you been?

Not bad. You?

Oh, you know, all right.

I was heading home.
Thought I'd stop in for a quick pint.

It's been a while, eh?

Ha. Seems like weeks.

I see you found someone
to play darts with.

Oh, uh...

I've set a board up in our quarters
so Molly and I can play.

Well, Morn's, um...
he's pretty good.

So's Molly.

- It's not the same.
- It's not the same.

I mean, Molly's just a kid.

You know, we've been
playing with magnets.

Morn couldn't hit a Yridian yak
at five paces.

We were evenly matched.

We had a good rivalry going on.

Yeah, kept us sharp.

Exactly.

You're late.

What do you mean?

It's Thursday, and I've got
your usual holosuite reserved.

Didn't you cancel?

Actually, I was, um,
hoping maybe...

No, no, I... I... I got to get home.

What about you, Doctor?
The Battle of Britain awaits.

And you know my policy
on cancellations...

no refunds.

Go ahead.

Maybe Morn's better in the cockpit of
a spitfire than he is at darts.

Ah, it wouldn't be the same.

Um. You're right.

Morn probably doesn't
even know where England is.

I'll see you.

Odo to Sisko.

Go ahead.

You'd better come down
to the Promenade.

Someone's been killed.

What happened?

We don't know yet.

He fell from the second level.
His neck was broken on impact.

Did anyone see it happen?

I did.

Was it an accident?

I pushed him.

His family name is Imutta.

Their D'jarra is unclean.

They prepare the dead
for burial.

I asked him to set
the proper example

and resign from our order.

He refused.

You killed him
because of his D'jarra?

I had to.

If a Vedek can't do what
the Emissary has asked of us

how can we expect
anyone else to?

Get him out of here.

I regret what happened here today
as much as you do, but...

change is never easy.

The road that the Prophets have asked us
to walk won't always be a smooth one.

And forcing people to follow their D'jarras
won't make it any smoother.

What happened on the Promenade
was just the beginning.

Must I remind you, Captain?

I'm merely fulfilling
the will of the Prophets.

How do you know that?

I'm the Emissary.

And what you've done
with the position

has made me wish
I had never given it up.

But you did,
and it was the right decision.

You never truly accepted
the role in the first place.

I'm willing to accept it now.

You're challenging my claim.

You've left me no choice.

If we went to the people

and asked them to choose
between us, it would be chaos.

I don't want to divide Bajor
any more than you do.

It wouldn't be divided

for long, because in the end,
the people would choose me.

My claim was foretold
in the ancient texts.

I was the first
to find the wormhole.

I was the first to be
with the Prophets.

They gave me back my life.

We're not going to settle this
by arguing over ancient texts.

Then how?

There's only one way to be sure
which one of us is the Emissary.

We have to go to the wormhole
and ask the Prophets.

Going to half thrusters.

Now what?

We wait.

You are the Sisko.

This is the one
that was injured.

Yes, I was.

And you gave me back my life,
just as the texts foretold.

Why are you here?

To... prove to this nonbeliever

that you sent me to put Bajor
back on the right path.

Please, tell him you chose me
to be the Emissary.

Tell that him that I fulfilled
the ancient prophecies

that I was the first
to find the Celestial Temple.

I was the first
to meet with you.

He came to you centuries later.

First...

Iater...

They have no meaning to us.

The Bajorans believe
that you are their Prophets.

That you have chosen one of us
to be your Emissary.

We... are of Bajor.

Go on.

They are linear.

It limits them.

They do not understand.

But we want to understand.

That's why we're here.

You saved his life.
Why?

He was injured.

We kept him with us.

So that I would be spared
the occupation.

So that I could bring
the D'jarras back to Bajor.

Is that true?

Is that what you want?

The D'jarras are part of what
the Sisko would call the past.

The Sisko taught us that for you
what was can never be again.

If the D'jarras belong in the past
why did you send me into the future?

For the Sisko.

For me?

You're saying
that he's your Emissary.

He is the Sisko.

Then I've been wrong...

about everything.

You should have let me die.

We still can.

We can return him
to the moment we found him.

Allow him to die.

No.

Why not return him
to his own time

as he is now... uninjured...

so that he can get
back safely to Bajor?

He would remember nothing
of what has happened.

I could be
with my wife and family.

I'm ready to go home.

Why?

Why do you stay here?

Because I still have questions.

We are of Bajor.

What does that mean?

You...

are of Bajor.

You know, Molly really loves
that book Jake gave her.

She made me read it to her
three times before she fell asleep.

I'm going to be working
another few hours.

Well, that's okay. I'll, uh...

I'll read.

If you want
to go do something...

No. I'm fine.

Miles, I promised
I wouldn't say anything, but...

it's about Julian.

What about him?

I ran into him the other day
and he seemed depressed.

He'd never admit it,
but he really misses you.

Poor guy.

No family
to come home to every night.

Maybe you should go find him.
You know, cheer him up a little.

Depressed, is he?

Very.

Maybe I should go spend
an hour with him.

Maybe two.

I'm a lucky man.

Keiko to Dr. Bashir.

Go ahead.

Julian, it's about Miles.

I promised
I wouldn't tell anyone

but he's been
really depressed lately.

Oh.

I want you to have this.

It's an original Kira Nerys.

It could be
very valuable one day.

I hear she didn't make many.

I thought your speech
went very well yesterday.

It was the right thing to do.

I wanted everyone to know
what happened to Akorem

and that the Prophets said nothing
about returning to the D'jarras.

Just about everyone
was relieved to hear it.

It's your own fault.

I can't believe
you didn't cover me.

How was I to know you were going
to insult the King of Leinster?

- Ah!
- In his own keep!

I was just reading
one of Akorem's poems...

The Call of the Prophets.

Oh, that's one of my favorites.

It's a shame
he never finished it.

He did. Look.

This is confusing.

The last time I read this poem,
it ended after the 12th stanza.

If the timeline's been changed

then why do I remember things
the way they used to be?

The Prophets work
in mysterious ways.

Excuse me, sir.

Yes?

Sorry to bother you, but...

tomorrow after evening services
in the Temple

we're having my daughter's
ih 'tanu ceremony.

She's turning 14.

Happy birthday.

We were wondering
if there's any chance

you could come and give
her your blessing.

It would mean so much to us.

I'd be happy to.

Thank you, Emissary.

You're welcome.