Sometime the next day, Queen Morpha summoned a guard by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was known for being one of the strongest fighters and following everything by the book.

"You summoned me, Your Majesty?" bowed Obi-Wan.

"I want you to go get Princess Padme." said Morpha. "Take her far into the forest. Find a secluded glade where she can pick wildflowers."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Obi-Wan said.

He was a bit surprised by such an order. The queen never ordered anyone to do anything so sweet, especially not for Padme.

"And there, faithful General, you will kill her!"

"No, Your Majesty! You can't-"

"Silence!" bellowed the queen. "You know the penalty if you fail."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Obi-Wan said.

"But to make sure you do not fail." said the queen, taking out a small chest. "Bring back her heart in this."

The guard held tears in his eyes as he left the throne room. He wasn't sure what to do. He had a wife and children to think about. If he failed the queen's orders, he'd be putting his family in danger. But if he killed Princess Padme, he'd be committing the ultimate treason not just to the royal family, but all of Naboo as well.

Padme was dressed in a lovely blue gown and sang to herself as she picked some wildflowers. But although she adored being outside of the castle walls for a change, there was a thought on her mind.

Her stepmother suddenly sent her far off from the castle where there were no people around to see her, and to pick flowers. Something nice. That seemed very suspicious.

She looked at Obi-Wan every few moments, and she noticed he seemed nervous, even guilty. She could practically smell the sweat coming from his brow, when she got distracted by a baby bird chirping.

Padme looked and saw the baby bird was by itself.

"Oh, hello there." Padme said, gently taking the chick into her hands. "What's the matter? Where are your parents?"

The little bird chirped sadly.

"Oh, you're lost. Please don't cry." Padme gently stroked the baby bird's head with her finger.

While the princess was distracted, Obi-Wan gulped as he got ready to do his deed.

Padme helped the little bird perk up and spotted two birds who had to be the chick's parents.

"Can you fly?" asked Padme, carefully lifting her hand up.

The little bird flew up into the trees. But, Padme noticed a shadow behind her and gasped when she saw Obi-Wan with a knife in his hand. But she grabbed him by arm and yanked it behind his back.

As Obi-Wan cried out in pain, Padme took the knife and held the guard down, keeping the knife in hand to defend herself.

"Obi-Wan Benjamin Kenobi! Explain yourself!" she said angrily.

Obi-Wan started to cry and replied, "I didn't want to do it. Please forgive me! I beg you, Your Highness!"

"Then why did you try to do it?"

"She's furious. She ordered me to do it, and endangers my family."

"Who?"

"The queen!"

"The queen?!"

Padme wasn't surprised her stepmother would try to do something bad to her. She had tried to sabotage Padme's beauty before, but failed every time. Nevertheless, she was shocked that she would stoop so low as to attempt to have her stepdaughter murdered in cold blood.

"She's jealous and will stop at nothing!"

Padme tightened her grip on the knife.

"She's officially gone too far this time." Padme said.

"You can't fight her yourself, Princess." Obi-Wan said. "You need to hide."

"I can't run away."

"If this kingdom is to have any hope, the queen cannot know you're alive. I'll buy you as much time as possible. Go into the woods. Anywhere! Don't come back on your own. Someone will come for you when it's safe."

Padme could see that Obi-Wan was right. If his family was in danger because the queen ordered him to kill the princess, there was no telling who else the queen may hold as a hostage as long as she knew Padme was alive.

So, with no other choice, Padme ran as fast as she could into the forest.

The woods were very dark and frightening. As Padme got deeper in, she had no idea where she was heading or how far from the kingdom she was.

She could hear many terrifying noises in the woods. The howls of the wind, screeching birds, tree branches that fell to the ground, and algae stuck to her as she ran through a lake.

Padme stopped for a moment to breathe, when she heard growling and snarling in a darker part of the wood.

The princess looked around and could see eyes unleashing bits of light. Eyes of Timberwolves.

Padme screamed; now she wished she still had that knife she'd swiped from Obi-Wan to use to defend herself. There was only one other solution: RUN!

Padme ran and ran and ran!

The wolves kept chasing the princess and snapped their sharp teeth, jumping from all directions as they attempted to make a meal out of her. Luckily, Padme ducked most of them, but they just kept coming after her.

It was then that Padme heard a loud whinny.

And something swooped in at the wolves and blasted them with a powerful light.

Padme looked up to see a pink horse. A unicorn. An alicorn, actually. She was bright pink with a pretty blue mane, and she had a shining shooting star mark on her side.

The pink horse jumped at the wolves, kicked them, and dug her hooves into the ground, snorting at the beasts, who ran, whining like a bunch of scared little puppies.

And the horse started shouting out in another language.

"Sí, será mejor que huyas!" (Translation: "Yeah, you'd better run away!")

The pretty horse approached Padme and nuzzled her.

"Are you alright?"

Padme was speechless.

All around her, little woodland creatures came out. Little birds, bunnies, squirrels, chipmunks, even deer came out to meet the princess.

"Yes. I think I am." Padme said softly, looking around. "Thank you for saving me."

"I'm just glad I happened to be flying by when I heard you screaming." the horse said. "I guess you didn't see the warning signs telling you that was Timberwolf Terf. Very dangerous."

"I'm sorry if I frightened any of you." Padme said. "I've just been through so much. I don't know if you'd understand."

The pink horse lay down by Padme's side.

"We might if you told us. My name is Estrella, by the way." said the alicorn.

"I'm Padme."

"As in the princess?" said Estrella, fluttering her blue eyes. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Well, it all started with my family..."

Padme told the animals her story about how she once had a perfectly happy life. She had two loving parents, a big sister, and everyone in the kingdom loved her family, including their staff. They were all happy as could be until the day Queen Jobal fell gravely ill. Eventually, King Ruwee met a seemingly lovely woman name Lady Morpha, and he married her. Then, Padme's sister married a prince from another kingdom and became queen of that kingdom, but then their father soon died.

That was when Queen Morpha showed her true colors. A jealous, vain, selfish woman who cared for no one but herself, and finally took it too far as she decided to have her stepdaughter killed, leaving her with no choice but to run.

"And now here I am." Padme said, sounding sad. "I don't know what to do now."

Estrella and the animals could see that Padme was sad.

"You know, I have a special friend who's felt down many times before." Estrella said. "You know what we do when things go wrong?"

"What?" Padme looked at Estrella.

Estrella pointed her horn at the birds, and they twittered a pretty little tune.

"Oh, you sing a song." Padme said.

Estrella vocalized a pretty little song, and one of the birds sang it back.

"Now you try, Padme." Estrella said.

Padme vocalized a song too, the same baby bird she helped singing back. She sang it again, and the little bird sang it back before going a little off-key, making everyone else wince.

Padme laughed with Estrella, and started to sing with words this time. A happy song her mother used to sing with her when she was a little girl.

Padme:

With a smile and a song
Life is just a bright sunny day
Your cares fade away
And your heart is young

Estrella:

With a smile and a song

Padme:

All the world seems to waken anew
Rejoicing with you
Both:

As the song is sung

Some little animals got a little closer to Padme, and she carefully reached her hand out to them, and the little furry creatures let her pet them, and they started to cuddle with her.

Padme:

There's no use in grumbling
When the raindrops come tumbling
Remember, you're the one
Who can fill the world with sunshine

When you smile and you sing
Everything is in tune and it's spring
And life flows along

Padme & Estrella:

With a smile and a song

Padme smiled and said, "I really do feel so much better now." But then she realized something. "But I need a place to sleep at night."

Padme didn't need to be top of her classes to know there was no burrow big enough for her to sleep in, or hollow tree. And it would take forever to build a nest big enough for a human. Even if it wouldn't, she needed a roof over her head.

"I might know a place." Estrella said.

"You do?" Padme said.

"Yes. There's this cottage not much farther from here. It's perfectly safe. And I know. I live there."

Padme looked at Estrella one more time and noticed she had a blue bridle on, which indicated she had to belong to someone.

"Will you take me there?"

Estrella had Padme follow her, and the woodland creatures followed too. Farther into the woods.