Hello again! Thank you all so much for your reviews and favorites and follows!

Special shoutout to Starkvb-since I can't actually message you- Thanks! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

I'd like to take a brief moment to thank my lovely beta readers! atremismk1.2 and AquaTurqoise, you guys give me so much encouragement with this story and I'm so thankful that you take time out of your busy schedules to help me make sure this story is ready to send to my readers!

Without further adieu, here's the new chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 22: Messages

When the cloud of smoke cleared, Sofia found herself back in the darkness of the dungeon, the same gray haze floating around her ankles in the dim light. She was alone in a cell, but saw the rest of her family two cells down from her. Anastassia stepped away from her mother and up to the prison bars, grasping onto them as she stared at Sofia.

Sofia grabbed the bars of her own cell and gazed sadly back at the young girl. "I'm so sorry, Anastassia."

"I hope you know what you're doing," the little girl responded, her voice as low and as threatening as a four-year-old's could be.

Sofia felt each of her pockets for the key she had taken earlier, but it was nowhere to be found. She thought for a moment and then flashed a smile at the little girl. "I think I have an idea. I wish to be small," she said, grasping her Amulet. In an instant, Sofia shrunk to the size of a thumb and jogged forward to jump between the bars. She was just about to make it through when she was suddenly knocked back onto her rear and returned to her normal size.

"What?" Sofia gasped as she sat, dumbfounded.

"How'd you—what just happened?" Anastassia stuttered, clutching harder onto the prison bars.

"I—I don't know. There must be some sort of barrier in between the bars." Sofia crawled back to the bars, her mind somewhat hazy from being zapped. She hesitantly stuck her hand between the bars and winced in anticipation of the shock, but she easily reached through them and grasped at empty air.

"Huh! Where did it go?" she exclaimed breathlessly.

"Did your amulet do that?" asked the little girl.

Sofia hadn't really heard her little sister as she was still somewhat disoriented from being knocked back. "I bet Vasilia must have put some sort of magic nullification barrier or something on these bars," she murmured.

"No, not that Sofia! How did you turn tiny?" exclaimed Anastassia.

Sofia looked up and shook her head slightly, warding off the haze that clouded her senses. "Oh, right, sorry. Um, well, my amulet can turn me small, so I thought I'd be able to jump through the bars. But it looks like there's some sort of magical barrier that won't let me pass through."

Anastassia hummed as she put her hand on her small, pointed chin. "Could your amulet undo it?"

Sofia pulled against the bars to help herself up. "I don't know. I gained some more control over it when I released a princess that was trapped inside, but I'm not sure it really works like a wand."

"What good is a magic amulet if you can't even use it for what you want?" Anastassia groaned as she slumped against the bars.

"Indeed, my dear little Anastassia. What good is the Amulet of Avalor without the proper knowledge of how to use it?" Vasilia's chilling voice came through the corridor as she walked down the stairs of the cellar.

"Vasilia," Sofia hissed, clutching tightly to the prison bars.

"Hello, Princess Sofia. So nice to see you again," Vasilia crooned as she sauntered down the stairs, her eyes shining a bright magenta in the candle light. "I was going to come down here and offer you one more chance to give me your amulet without torturing dear Anya, but your little escape attempt must come with consequences. Vlad!"

The same humongous man who had so kindly fed Sofia a few hours ago came trudging down the steps, slouching his broad shoulders. Once he got to the bottom of the stairs, he was able to stand to his full height, causing his neatly coiffured, black hair to graze the ceiling.

"Mr. Vladimir? What are you doing here?" Sofia asked, baffled.

He clasped his hands together in front of him and merely scowled at the girl, saying nothing.

"Vlad here, is my—oh what would you call him? Assistant, perhaps? Would you agree, Vlad?" she asked, raising a slender eyebrow as a wicked smirk spread across her lips.

The man stood silently and glanced at her from the corner of his eye; the lines around his mouth highlighting his permanent scowl.

"Awe, would you look at that. He's being shy. Don't worry, he's much gentler than he looks," she purred, caressing one of his arms, which looked just about as thick as the slender woman's waist. His face seemed unchanging as he stared, silent and brooding; the blinking of his dark blue eyes, being the only visible movement.

"Vlad, would you be a dear and relocate Anya and the Princess to cell block D?" Vasilia requested, her lips pursed in a gentle pout.

Without even acknowledging her Vlad moved toward the cells, Vasilia's long, spindly fingers lingering on his shoulder as he walked away from her.

"Thank you very much," she hummed.

It only took him three steps to get to their cells as he turned his attention to the one with the small family. After he opened the cell door, he stood by Anya, making her look like a child and waited for her to put Ian down on one of the blankets that was on the floor. He then grabbed her, his massive hand engulfing her forearm as he effortlessly pulled her to her feet.

He then came to Sofia's cell and unlocked the door. Sofia stared up at him silently for a moment, scrutinizing the large man. She looked past him at the witch, who arched one slender eyebrow at the princess mockingly. Then, like a switch, everything clicked in her mind. "You were Annissa the Amiable!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger at Vasilia.

Vasilia threw her head back in a haunting melodious cackle. "I'm surprised it took you this long to figure out! Really Sofia, with all the reconnaissance I had done, I thought this would be more difficult. You really aren't living up to my expectations," she said, waving a condescending hand in the air.

"What did you do to Zeleny?" Sofia demanded, taking a step out of the cell towards the witch. Vlad's heavy hand squeezed her shoulder hard enough that she winced from the pain.

"Zeleny! Oh, I really must commend him. He did an excellent job playing the part and delivering you into my hand. Perhaps I'll treat him to a salmon dinner. It is his favorite." The woman mused as a smirk spread across her face.

Sofia's heart sunk as the realization struck her. "No… It was all a lie?" she whispered.

"All a lie? Not really, it was more like many half-truths. Your family is here, aren't they?"

"What about the other wishing birds?" Sofia asked as she shifted her shoulder uncomfortably, trying to get Vlad to loosen his grip. To her dismay he only held tighter to her and she winced again, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to keep from crying out.

Vasilia chuckled and took a few lackadaisical steps towards the two prisoners. "So he told you about that, did he? I tell you, before Zeleny, good magical help was so hard to find, and those insolent birds were not keen on doing my bidding." She stopped in front of Sofia and looked down at her from behind her slender nose. "A word of advise—it's useless to struggle against Vlad." She then looked up at the man and raised one of her slender eyebrows. "Unless you want him to get rough." She slunk behind him with a devilish smile and gently thrummed her fingers on top of his shoulder.

Vlad's upper lip twitched ever so slightly as a sneer threatened to appear on his face. Though the movement was almost imperceptible, it was the biggest reaction Anya had ever seen from the man. If she hadn't been standing so close to him, she surely wouldn't have been able to see it. His hand tensed on Sofia's shoulder, but this time she felt the pressure of his grip ease up so that he was no longer squeezing the tender muscle. Though Sofia was relieved and thankful, she furrowed her brow, wondering curiously as she glanced at his hand.

"Take them away, Vlad. I'll be along shortly," breathed Vasilia giving an airy, dismissive flick of her wrist.

Vlad whipped the two prisoners around and lead them down a corridor through the dungeon, away from the vile woman. After they were a good enough distance away from the main cellblock, Vlad loosened his grip almost completely on Sofia, merely resting his heavy hand on her shoulder, while keeping Anya firmly supported without squeezing her.

Sofia looked up at him and opened her mouth to speak, but he eyed her threateningly; his brow furrowed so that it cast a dark shadow across his eyes, making him look even more intimidating in the dim candlelight. Sofia immediately shut her mouth and jerked her head back down, focusing her sight on the corridor in front of her as the party continued their trek in silence.

A moment later, they came to a large room with chains bolted to the floor on each side. Vlad walked to one set of shackles, pushed Sofia to her knees, and locked her hands and feet in the cuffs. He then did the same to Anya on the opposite side of the room. When he was done, he went and stood at the door and gazed directly at Anya. He quickly cast his eyes up to the two back corners of the room before returning his eyes to her, and then turned around, slamming the door behind him. A loud click sounded the closure of the lock.

Sofia turned to her stepmother and looked at her in confusion. "What was that about?"

Anya looked up at her and subtly rocked her head back and forth before glancing up to the corner of the room behind the princess. Sofia was about to turn her head to see what she was looking at, but Anya clenched her jaw and shook her head with small, rapid movements.

Before Sofia had any more time to be confused, a click sounded at the door and Vasilia drifted through the door. She folded her hands in front of her and a wolfish grin spread across her face as she moved towards Anya, her gown wafting like a phantom, she kept her magenta eyes on Sofia. "Now, Printsessa. I want you to watch very carefully," she instructed, sliding a pale finger across Anya's chin. "If you look away, there will be consequences and I do so want you to stay conscious. It makes it so much more fun!"

Sofia tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "W-what are you going to do to us?"

Vasilia stalked around Anya and ghosted her fingers across the woman's chains. "Oh, nothing life threatening, to be sure; though it would be more fun. I have a bargain to keep and I don't break my promises."

The chains began to rustle where Vasilia had touched them and slowly began lifting Anya into the air. Sofia's body trembled in fear and uncertainty as she watched her stepmother raise into the air until her limbs were splayed out like a star.

Vasilia's eyes flashed bright magenta as her chains tightened around Anya's wrists and ankles. "Now don't look away, I wouldn't want you to miss any of the fun!"

Amber lay awake in her bed for some time, trying to dispel thoughts of what might happen to Sofia. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her sister, and she tried her best to just focus on flying during the day, but in the quiet of the night, when everyone else was sleeping, it was too easy to let her mind wander, entertaining every fear she had in regards to the situation. She starred at the bottom corner of her tent, laying on her side, wishing for sleep to take over. She didn't know how long she'd been awake, though it felt like she'd been fading in and out of sleep for hours.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a crunching stick come from outside her tent. She let out a silent gasp, tensing her muscles as she listened closely. It's just one of the soldiers, no doubt. The sound of crunching snow neither ceased, nor dwindled. Footsteps stalked slowly around Amber's tent.

The princess sat bolt upright in her bed. "Who's there?" she asked, making an effort to be heard by the figure stalking out of her tent, while not disturbing others in the camp.

The footsteps stopped.

Amber's breath hitched in her throat as she drew her sleeping bag up near her chest. There was a moment of silence before the sound of crunching snow sounded again and the footsteps came around to the front of her tent and the flap of her tent was quickly brushed to the side.

Amber let out a shriek as she jerked back from the door and instinctively stuck one hand out in front of her face.

"Amber, relax! It's me!" whispered her brother, reaching his hand out to her.

Amber breathed a sigh and put her hand on her chest. "James! You nearly scared me to death! You're lucky I didn't have anything to throw at you!" she scolded quietly.

James couldn't help but chuckle. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said as a playful smile spread across his face.

"What did you expect to happen when you come skulking around my tent?" she spat.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he apologized, his smile still apparent. "But come with me, I found something."

Amber jerked her head back and aggressively raised an eyebrow at him.

"Just trust me. Grab your coat," he ordered, releasing the tent door, then disappearing behind it.

Whatever it was must have been something her brother thought was important, or he wouldn't have been acting so strange. Then again, when didn't he act strangely? Amber rolled her eyes and threw her sleeping bag off of her anyway. She reached into her pack and felt around for her coat. After a few seconds of rustling around, she identified her coat by the soft, faux fur around the hood. As she fished out the long coat and slipped both arms into it, a small cube rolled out from the bundled up piece of fabric.

Amber looked down at the ornate, wooden box and then picked it up, eyeing it as she rubbed her lips together in thought. Amber shrugged and stuffed the box into her pocket before slipping her boots on and headed out of her tent.

"Alright, what is it?" Amber breathed as she buttoned up the last few buttons on her coat.

James put a finger to his lips and grabbed her wrist, pulling her behind him. Amber was surprised, but she followed him as he led her away from camp, past sleepy snores coming from the tents, and into the woods.

"James, mind telling me where we're going?" Amber asked. Now that they were out of earshot of the camp, she didn't have to work so hard to keep her voice as quiet.

"Don't worry, we're almost there," he said, glancing back at her.

Amber let out an exasperated sigh. "Ugh fine." Normally, she would have had a string of witty comments or questions prepared about how ridiculous this was, or the obscene hour he had woken her up, and go on a rant about how she must get her beauty rest. But she was too tired to go through all of the effort.

James stopped in front of a large tree with a trunk that may have been as big around as a pelicant's stomach. When he put his hand on the dark trunk, faint glowing ripples of bluish green shown around his palm. Amber raised an eyebrow as her brother turned back to her and flashed a smile. "Come on!" he said, before disappearing into the tree with a bluish green bloop of light.

"James!" Amber gasped quietly. A hand stuck out of the tree, ribbons of blue-green light glowing around his wrist. "Ah!" She looked at the hand apprehensively before grabbing hold of it.

"Whoa!" the girl exclaimed as James pulled her in forcefully and she stumbled through the strange tree.

Amber stood up and took in the scene around her. Everything around her was like fluffy, pastel clouds; shades of pale pink blended together in soft orange whirls as a faint ethereal mist shrouded them.

"What is this place?" Amber breathed out in quiet awe.

"I came to this place eons ago," said James.

Amber turned and looked at her brother. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

James chuckled. "Come on, you'll see."

"Wha-Ahh!" James suddenly took hold of her wrist again and stepped forward, sending both of them into a sudden free-fall. Amber's stomach lurched as she screamed, shielding her eyes as the wind blew past her. It was a few long seconds before Amber opened her eyes hesitantly and saw them hurtling into a big, dark blue abyss. Amber let out a deafening screech and covered her eyes once again with her free hand. Wind whistled endlessly past her face as the pair fell for a few more seconds.

Soon, they began to decelerate and Amber's scream slowly diminished. They continued to slow until they stopped in mid air. Amber couldn't feel ground with her feet and pointed her toes, trying to stand. Still holding on to James's wrist, she slowly removed her other arm from her eyes. Before her was an endless dark blue chasm, filled with glowing orbs of light as far as she could see, like the observatory when the star map lit up, only infinite. She looked up at James and he was hovering below her, standing in the air with his hand on his hip and a smile on his face.

"Wha- are you standing!?" Amber exclaimed.

James laughed. "Technically we both are!"

"What are you talking about!? I'm floating in the air, staring down into an abyss!" the girl cried with eyes wide, nearly bulging out of her head.

"In the Realm of Stars, every which way can be up. It's just a matter of perspective," said James, still grinning. He pulled himself toward his sister and put both of his hands on her shoulders as the two got closer together and eventually faced each other. "There," the boy smirked. "Now we're both facing the same way. But who knows, we could be sideways, upside down, diagonal, it just depends on how you think about it." He flashed a toothy grin at her.

Amber looked down at the infinite stars in the void of dark navy blue and attempted to calm her breathing. She closed her eyes briefly and tried to imagine like she was standing amidst the stars as she was in the observatory. To her surprise, it worked. She suddenly felt more at ease with the strange place once she had oriented herself. Though her heart was still racing, it did not feel like it was going to explode out of her chest. "Wh-Where are we?" She asked, clenching her fists around the fabric of the coat on her brother's shoulders.

"I told you. The Realm of Stars." He smiled.

"What's the Realm of Stars? How do you know this place?" she asked as the fear dwindled slightly from her face.

"Well, it's also known as The Realm of Transformation. It's where I reside." The boy shrugged.

"James, what are you talking about? You're not making sense!" Amber gasped.

"Oh, sorry, I guess I forgot to mention. I'm not James," he remarked with a toothy grin.

Amber shrieked and pushed herself away from the stranger in her brother's body. "Who are you!? Why did you steal my brother's body to lure me here?" She exclaimed. Just then, she realized she continued to move away from the boy slowly and she wasn't slowing down. She screamed again as she mimicked the motion of swimming in an attempt to get back to her brother. He chuckled again and folded his arms, but she continued to float away from him as he slowly disappeared from view.

"James!" She cried. She could hear no response from him. "JAMES!" she yelled louder. "Ohh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! WHAT IS GOING ON!?" Amber screamed as she continued to float in the abyss. "Oh gosh! What have I done! I lost my only chance of getting out of this place! What am I gonna do when Mom and Dad find out? They'll be so mad! Or worse, they won't even be able to be mad if they think I'm dead! They'll come looking for me and they'll never find me and I'm going to be floating forever in this eternal void! What about Sofia? I've got to get out of here to save her! Ohhhh, JAMES!" She had no idea what was going on. Even though the boy stated that he was not her brother, all she wished was to be back with him and to stop floating endlessly in this void. Maybe she was dreaming? But everything felt so real. Then again, the recurring nightmare she had of Sofia felt real every night it plagued her. Yes, that must be it, she was dreaming! Just a second later, she felt herself bump into something.

"Oof, there you are!" It was the voice of her brother, and Amber felt a hand close over her forearm. Amber reached for him and clutched his forearm as they held onto each other. The pair threatened to float apart before they pulled themselves back together again.

"JAMES! Oh thank goodness!" she exclaimed, embracing the boy. "Wait, how did I get back here? What in the world is going on!?" Amber's breath slowly escalated as she looked at her brother, a smile still spread across his face.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that this is the world you know. The power of will is a lot stronger here."

"What is that supposed to mean? Speak plainly, James! Or whoever you are!" Amber cried as her face began turning red.

The boy chuckled. "I do apologize, Amber. This is the face you trust the most right now. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Well, you should have thought of that before you sent us hurdling into this endless abyss!" She shouted.

He chuckled again. "Endless, it is not, but it does not follow the same rules as your realm. My name is Hecatus. I have been charged with aiding in the protection of this realm. Please, accept my penitence, I really did not mean to cause you any alarm," he said, bowing his head.

"Apology not accepted! Not until you tell me why you brought me here against my will." The princess sneered.

The boy who wore the face of her brother turned one corner of his lip up into a slight smirk. "Technically, you decided to follow me here."

"Technically, you stole my brother's face so I would trust you and dragged me here!"

"Alright. Fair point." The boy chuckled, shrugging his shoulders as a smile tugged at his lips. "But it was only because Mother asked me to."

Amber gave him a deadpan expression. "Your mother?"

The doppelganger nodded his head. "Yes. She has sent someone to speak with you about the relic she gave you."

Amber jerked her head back in surprise and furrowed her brow before reaching her hand into her pocket. "Relic?" she asked.

"Yes. I deposited it in your bag not long ago," he answered with a smile.

"You mean this?" Amber pulled the small box out of her pocket. "You're the one who put this in my pack?"

"Oh! Perfect, you brought it with you! Come with me! The one Mother has chosen to speak with you has been waiting." The boy grinned

Before Amber could say anything else, her bother's doppelganger grabbed hold of her hand, and before she could blink, she was in front of her mother. No, not Miranda. The woman who gave birth to her. The former Queen of Enchancia. Her face was just as Amber remembered it, though there was no trace of the sickness that had plagued her. Her dress was the most beautiful Amber had ever seen. It was a warm ivory color with golden accents and shining peridot gems lining the bodice. Her face shone with the youthful radiance Amber recalled from her early childhood. Tears formed in the princess's eyes as she let out shaky breaths, her whole body trembling. "It's you," she uttered as a tear trickled down her left cheek.

"Hello, Amber. It has been too long," said the Queen gently, extending her arms.

Amber forgot about the chasm all around her. Her arms went limb as she slowly floated towards her mother. "I—" there were no words that could come to her mouth.

"Do not be afraid. Please, come here." The woman held out her arms wide, and crouched slightly, sending an invitation.

Amber wailed as she lunged for the woman and wept in her warm embrace. "Mommy! I've missed you so much!" Hot tears streamed down her face as she clung to the soft fabric of her mother's dress.

The woman kneeled and cradled Amber's head as she spoke softly to her. "I know. I'm so sorry."

Amber fought to calm her tears as she looked up into the Queen's eyes. She touched a tentative hand to her face, as shaky breaths slipped out from her lips. "It-it's really you," she stuttered through thick tears.

The woman smiled, tears forming in her eyes, and pulled Amber into an embrace once more. "Oh, Amber. My sweet, beautiful girl." Amber threw her arms around her mother's neck as she laughed, tears still streaming down her face. The two stayed in the warm embrace for another moment until the Queen relinquished her tight grip and looked lovingly into Amber's eyes.

The woman touched the princess's face and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Dry your tears, sweetheart. I need to ask you something."

"Anything! Oh, there's so much that I'd like to tell you!" Amber laughed.

The Queen chuckled warmly; Amber had forgotten how melodious her laugh was and small tears once again played at the corners of her eyes. "Is it how you enjoy studying the stars? Or perhaps you wish to tell me about all the beautiful gowns you have designed? Or, no, I know, it's that you have a wonderful new sister!" her mother said warmly as a broad smile danced onto her face.

Amber blinked up at her mother. "H-how did you know?"

The Queen giggled, touching a delicate hand to her mouth. "I have so enjoyed watching you grow up, Amber. I am proud of the beautiful young woman you are becoming." The Queen tucked a piece of hair behind Amber's ear and smiled at the girl.

Amber grinned, her eyes still shining with salty tears.

"There is still something I'd like to ask though," the woman said, gently pushing the young girl away from her so that she stood up.

"Of course!" Amber nodded excitedly, looking down at her kneeling mother.

"Your sister, Sofia. She is in grave danger, is she not?"

Amber's expression fell. "Yes. And I don't know how I'm supposed to help her."

The Queen took Amber by the shoulders and gazed up into her eyes. "The relic you received is the key. With it, you will surely be able to stop what is sure to happen."

"What do you mean?" Amber asked, stunned.

"It contains the most powerful magic of all. Far more powerful than even the Amulet your sister wears around her neck. I have watched you for years, and you are the only one who can utilize it to stop the evil that is coming," the Queen explained, taking Amber's hands in her own.

"Me? How?"

"You care so deeply for all those around you, even those who others might deem unworthy or particularly discourteous. You have a kind and just heart, not unlike me. Amber there is so much inside you that you don't realize, and Sofia has helped bring that out of you. You must save her. While you are the only one who can wield the relic's power, you would not have been able to do so if she did not come into your life."

"I-I don't understand."

"I know. But do not be afraid; all will be made clear in time. Remember only this: It is the love inside you that will put everything to rights." The Queen cupped Amber's cheek and lay a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You have always been a shining star, my dear Amber, and I will be with you always. Never forget that."

Amber smiled and nodded at her mother before throwing her arms around the woman's neck one more time. "I won't."

The two parted once more, and the Queen looked at Amber with her shining, hazel eyes. "Now, you must get back to your camp. We wouldn't want your father, or your dear mother finding you missing."

"Right." Amber said, glancing down at her feet. "Before I go, though. I want you to know something." The Princess looked into the Queen's amber eyes and smiled. The woman returned her own warm and loving smile, cupping her daughter's face with her hand. A tear fell from Amber's eye as her mouth finally formed the words she was looking for. "Sh-she didn't replace you. She never could. But she is a good stand in. She's tougher than you, I guess you could say she's a little rough around the edges, but she's kind, and loves James and I as much as she does Sofia… There are times I wish you didn't go away, but…"

"But if I didn't, Sofia would have never become your sister. I understand. Miranda is a fine mother, I know, I've been watching you, remember?" The woman smiled. "Treat her as you would me, and cherish the time you have together. If there's one thing I regret most, it's that I was taken away from you and James so early, but I am at peace knowing that she is taking good care of you, and that you and your brother both love her, as well as your father. Remember, Amber, love is a powerful thing. Keep love in your heart and you will be protected; it allows you to trust others, it will never let your hope dwindle. Let love guide you, and you will persevere through all hardships. You will not fail. Now go, tell your brother and father I love them, and remember these things. I love you, Amber." The woman then placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead.

Before Amber could even blink, she was back in her bed, her mother's voice still echoing in her ears. Had it really been a dream? It felt so real. She remembered feeling the cold night air on her cheeks as she walked into the forest with James. She remembered the feeling of wind rushing past her face as she fell into the deep chasm. She looked down at her person and she was wearing her cloak and boots. Furrowing her brow slightly, she contemplated the events before a contented smile gently spread across her lips. If it was a dream, she was glad it was the most real dream she had ever experienced. She could still smell the scent of warm chamomile perfume her mother always loved to wear as she removed her boots. After taking off her coat, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small box—the relic—and set it next to her pillow as she climbed into her sleeping bag.

"I love you too, mommy," Amber whispered to herself.