"Sola?" Padmé called, turning wildly to see her sister walk right through part of the circular, white, building.

"Padmé!" Sola cried, running up to Padmé and clinging to her. "I knew you would come! I knew it! I'm so happy to see you! I- Padmé I thought you were dead, but I kept hearing your voice in my dreams, and I saw that you were all right and... They were true, weren't they? Oh, Padmé! I'm so glad to see you!" Sola sobbed into her shoulder.

Padmé who had frozen in shock at seeing Sola, hugged Sola tightly. "Sola, it's okay. I'm here. Father's here too."

Ruwee ran up to them, "Sola?" He called. "Sola!" he exclaimed upon reaching them.

Sola dropped her arms from Padmé and hugged Ruwee, "Father!" she cried, now sobbing into his shoulder.

Padme's backpack again produced food for them. They had traveled a ways, Sola, Ryoo—who was held in Sola's arms—traveled upon Satie, while Padmé and Ruwee followed behind. They didn't make near as good time as Padmé and Ruwee had the previous day. It was, again, nightfall, and the group had begun to travel to the village they had called their home. Sola explained that while their house, the house Padmé and Sola had grown up in, and that which Ruwee had built himself so many years ago, was very near destroyed, but that she and Darred, and Ryoo's home was still intact, or at least it had been when she had been taken to that strange building.

"They wanted to keep me away from Father, I think." Sola said, while explaining all this. "Someone would come through a few times a day to give me food, although I was never awake during those times, and that was it. I had no way of escaping. That is until you came. I don't understand how all of this has worked out. I don't even know who took me there other than that they had the strangest black cloaks. I couldn't see their faces, and I don't remember much else."

"People in black cloaks came to the house and threw me outside. If I tried to get up, they pushed me down. They thought I was crazy, but none of them would speak to me. They wouldn't let me inside, and they wouldn't let me get up off the ground." Ruwee told Sola.

Padmé then told Sola for the first time, and her Father for the second time, about her life in the Castle. She told them of how frightened she had been upon her arrival, and that Anakin was not at all what he had seemed to be. About how kind he had been to her, and how—At this point Sola interrupted her.

"Padmé! You've fallen for this Beast!" she laughed.

Padmé blinked in surprise. "I have not!" She protested, "Now, as I was saying..."

She proceeded to tell them that once she was no longer afraid of Anakin, she had befriended him, and that there were other beings in the castle, items really, that could talk. She told them of Obi-Wan, the clock, and Yoda, the candle, and of Siri, Yane, Eritae and Rabe. She also told them of how she had begun to play the flute again, and of the library which had been wonderful to have access to.

After a time, their conversation dwindled down, and they chose to go to sleep. Padme's bag producing sleeping bags yet again.

Ruwee, tired from traveling fell right to sleep, Sola, likewise slept easily, and Ryoo who was a good-natured child, fell asleep without a fuss.

For the second night in a row, Padmé was not so lucky. This night, she dreamed of the Castle yet again. Anakin sat alone at the Piano, trying to play it, but failing so miserably. She saw he become angry with it, and pound on the keys with frustration. He hunched over with his head in his hands. DO BEWARE, THE BLACK EYED STARE... CRIMSON RAY MAY YET SAVE...

At this point, Padmé awoke, Sola shaking her awake. "Padmé, Padmé, wake up. Are you okay?"

Padmé sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "Yes I'm," she yawned, "Fine."

"You were having a nightmare, I think. You were mumbling something really loudly, but I couldn't tell what."

The group traveled on, and Padmé was contemplating as to if she should leave the group, and go back to the Castle. Something was wrong with Anakin, but she didn't know what. In her dream he seemed so... depressed. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it was because of her. She knew it... But she couldn't bring herself to leave her father and sister a second time. Perhaps she could stay a few weeks with them, and then go back to the Castle.

They made horrible time, and wound up having to camp again that night. They proceeded at a slow laborious pace for several more days, until they finally reached their Village. They came to Sola and Darren's home, which was on the outskirts of the Village. Darred had been surprised to open the door to see his wife, daughter, father-in-law, and his... daughter-in-law standing on his doorstep. It had been a happy reunion, and he was clearly relieved to see Sola and Ryoo.

"No one knew what happened to you. I didn't even know." He told them at dinner that night, "Your house was destroyed, Ruwee, but there wasn't a body, so no one knew if you were dead or not. And Sola, you and Ryoo, you just disappeared one night. No one could figure out what had happened. But... I'm so glad your alive, and well. And you, Padmé, none of us thought we'd ever see you again."

Sola, Ruwee, and Padmé told Darred of their stories, and what had happened during their time away.

"So Padmé, how long do you have? Are you here to stay?" Sola asked Padmé, finally.

"I—I can't stay forever. I need to get back to the castle, but perhaps after I go back, I'll be able to visit you sometimes." Padmé replied, honestly.

"Will you at least stay for a week? We've missed you so, and it's been nice having you around." Sola told her, hopefully.

"A week?" Padmé thought for a moment. A week couldn't hurt, could it? "Okay. I can stay a week. I'll leave a week from tomorrow."

End Chapter 12