Duchess' Homecoming - Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Chapter 5

Elya stared up at the towering building, hoping with all her heart that whatever or whoever was in there would help her get home. She took a deep breath before stepping into the dark building, praying that this is what would get her home. As she took a dimly lit elevator up to the apartment, she felt a familiar feeling residing within her as she began to study the refined details of the elevator, almost feeling compelled to trace them with her finger. Before she could though, the doors opened. She went through them, down a small set of stairs and found herself in a place she thought she saw in a dream or a memory. The place looked too familiar to Elya to ignore it, though dustier, darker and colder than she recalled. She came across a large, dusty vase and found herself tracing the refinements with the back of her finger.

Dancing flowers,
Painted wings,
Things I almost remember
And a song
Someone sings
Once upon a December

Someone holds me safe and warm
Speeders fly through silver storms
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory

The scene came alive with echoes of Elya's memories as figures glided across every corner of the room. It felt so real to her, she found herself dancing with the figures.

Someone holds me safe and warm
Speeders fly through silver storms
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory

Suddenly, emerging from the crowd, one of the figures from her dreams appeared to her; The one she named Iye. They smiled at each other before dancing.

Far away,
Long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember
Things my heart
Used to know
Things it yearns to remember

Then, the two other figures she remembered from her dreams came to her. The people she called Kin and Aey. Kin put his hand on his hand on Elya's shoulder and Aey gently held her hand before hugging her tightly.

And a song someone sings...
Once upon a December

Elya slowly sat down as her visions began to fade and felt a sadness when Kin and Ay faded away from her.

"HEY!"

A voice shouting threw Elya out of her thoughts and she began running away, fearing she'd intruded upon someone's home. The owner of the voice followed after her and asked her to stop running. After a bit, she did as he asked, both of them panting and a man behind the one calling after her caught up to them.

"Now-. Now, how did you get.. in... here...", he trailed off as she turned around to face him, stopping at a painting of a Duchess.

He looked like he couldn't believe his eyes, like he'd seen an angel. When Elya looked at him, he looked like someone she'd seen before. In fact, she swore she saw several men who looked nearly exactly the same as this man. And the man next to him!

He whispered to his friend, "Echo, do you see what I see?"

He was still facing the ground, panting, when he said, "No."

The man tipped the other's head up to face Elya and he said, "Oh, yes. Yes!"

"I'm sorry for intruding, it's just, someone told me that someone called Fives could help me and... are you him?", Elya explained

The man cleared his throat and said, "I might be. Who's asking for him?"

"Right. Well, my name is Elya and they say you're the man to see about transport tickets even though I can't say who says that", she explained, whispering the last part.