Toomin couldn't believe what he saw.

Several Norns, including Faycune and Aftran, were gathered around what appeared to be an exact replica of Toomin, standing in the middle. Except that it was female, the ears were a bit smaller, and the wings were larger. In fact, it looked a lot like –

"Doffnall!" Toomin yelled loudly.

"Toomin? But I thought…you…it…" said Aguella confusedly.

"I thought that I was the only one too!"

"No, that's not it…but…how did you get here? I didn't wake up near civilization!"

"I used a teleporter. But, you couldn't have…could you…wait a minute, did you fly here?!"

"Yes. Can't you?"

"No, not yet. Where did you come from? Where were you born?"

"Well, I was…born, you could say, in a tree-house on the surface. The locals sort of, well…raised me, and when I was able to fly, I set off in search of any others"

"Ah. Wait a minute…others!? How did you know…?"

"Gee Toomin, aren't you observant? That…that thing…whatever it was, told me that other Ketrans would be here. Didn't it tell you?"

Toomin racked his brains for a moment. He vaguely remembered what the Norn-thing had said about Aguella being brought back, as well as Menno and Exagal.

"Well, wouldn't that mean that Menno and Exagal, whoever he or she is, would be here too?" Toomin said.

"Of course! Stop being an idiot, Toomin! I searched all around the Great Desert; I didn't see any sign of them." Doffnall confessed.

"Well, I personally am not so sure that's a bad thing. I didn't like Menno; he creeped me out at the Dance By."

At this, his conversation with Doffnall was cut short by a rough shove. Toomin looked behind him and saw none other than Amadeus.

"I don't care whether you Outsiders are good news or bad; take your hides somewhere else." Amadeus growled.

Toomin was about to retort when Faycune, who had been discreetly watching from the back of the crowd, pushed his way forward and said, "Let them stay. They are only children, and they have nowhere else to go."

"Where will they stay? They can't stay in the Hatchery; I don't want them spoiling the young ones' minds with their poisonous knowledge."

"I'll take them. You keep your prejudice to yourself, Amadeus."

Unable to launch into a full-blown verbal battle with all the others around, Amadeus scowled at him and muttered, "Fine."

Faycune steered Doffnall and him away, toward the lift. They stopped at a clear force field that revealed the floor beneath. Faycune pressed a green button nearby, and from the depths, a brown, cottage-like lift arose, greeting them with a cheery 'ding'. The door to the lift swung open. Faycune steered them inside. He pressed a green 'down' arrow, and they began to descend into a musty cavern. When they reached the bottom floor, Toomin looked down a dark hall lit only by torches spaced along the wall every few meters. Up ahead, Toomin caught a glint of silver.

"This way," Faycune said, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He led them down the hall. Strangely, a primal instinct deep down inside him told him not to go down there. Next to him, Doffnall shivered. Toomin now saw what the glint of silver had been. Towering at least a meter above him, a great silver statue of a bird stood before him. Its wings were spread as if it was about to take flight, and three glittering crystals glittered on its forehead. The crystals were nothing, however, to the eyes. Glinting and glimmering a cool blue even in the red torchlight, they seemed to stare right at him.

Toomin was snapped out of his faze by Faycune, who explained, "Nice isn't it? It was taken from the temple. Lots of the Outsiders objected (they're very religious; they believe most of the old stories), but in the end, the Incubatorial government won. At least they didn't take all the statues; the Outside government struck a deal with them. Only this one, and another further down the hall, were taken."

Toomin cast a side glance, seeing Doffnall staring at the statue, mouth wide open. She snapped out of her trance when they started down the hall again. Eventually, they came upon the second statue. It was of a great flaming bird, with fiery red jewels encrusted in its wings, which were folded back regally. The eyes were an orange, which caught the firelight strangely, making them appear to move side to side, as if searching for something. Although Toomin composed himself better this time, he hurried past with Faycune and Doffnall, eager to get out of the statue's gaze. Eventually, they came to a small door in the wall. Faycune pressed a barely visible button in the wall, and steered them inside.

Toomin looked upon a warm, cozy office, with a cheery fire burning in the fireplace. There was a green door at the back of the room. Doffnall shook her head and said, "I'll never get used to doors. They're so…"

"Unnatural." Toomin finished for her. They both laughed.

"It's good to have you back Doffnall." Toomin admitted.

"Yeah. Otherwise, I'd have no one around to make me look good!" Doffnall said jokingly. Toomin gave her a small punch, and they both laughed. Behind them, Faycune cleared his throat. Still grinning, they both turned to face him.

"Well, if you all are done, I'll show you to your room. He stride over to a small pad on the wall, punching in some numbers, and what seemed to be a bookcase moved aside, revealing a room. Faycune bowed animatedly, showing them inside. Toomin and Doffnall giggled at his antics. They shuffled inside, where they found two hammock-beds, and what appeared to be a vending machine.

"That machine over there vends fruit. Simply select which fruit you wish to have, and press 'Enter'." Faycune said.

"Okay." Doffnall said with a hint of laughter sill ringing in her voice.

"A shower and a toilet are through the green door you saw earlier in the common room." Faycune said, smiling, as he left the room. Toomin sat down on the hammock, remembering the green door, and the conversation with Doffnall. He looked at her. She still had lovely pods…

'Still not the point, Toomin!' he thought to himself. However, he didn't take his eyes off her as looked up, until he met her bright green eyes. He gazed at her, and she gazed back; Toomin was drowning in those eyes, and yet he never looked away. The feeling was intense, when then, Doffnall looked away, toward the vending machine.

"I'm hungry. Want something?" Doffnall said as she gestured toward the machine.

"I guess so," Toomin muttered, disappointed that eye contact had been broken so soon, and angry that Doffnall had treated that moment like it as nothing. He mentally shook himself. 'Don't be stupid, Toomin,' he thought. 'She's your friend, of course she would act that way! When she moned you back at the Dance By, it was just a big a mistake…don't be foolish!' The sensory memory of the mones had perished along with his former body, but the mental memory would always be with him. And although it felt guilty to admit it openly, even to himself, he secretly wished that she would do it again.

Toomin was snapped out of his trance by a nudge from Doffnall. "Hello? You there, Toomin? Don't float away from me now!" Doffnall said jokingly, shoving a tomato into his lap. He picked up the fruit, and began to munch on it, musing. Doffnall looked down at her tomato. He slapped himself mentally. 'Now you've blown it! You hurt her feelings, you big oaf!'

Toomin was shaken out of these thoughts by an intense wave of fatigue. Until then, he hadn't realized how tired he had been.

"I'm tired," he stated, stifling an enormous yawn.

Doffnall yawned herself before saying "Me too,". Toomin laid down on his hammock, placing the tomato on the floor. Soon, he was fast asleep. Doffnall, however, lay awake for several minutes before she, too, finally fell asleep.