The Unicorn's Forest

Carl looked at Ronald quizzically. Neither could figure out what the problem was. They were both near Berthoud Pass, on the Winter Park side of the pass. The highway could be seen through the trees, though theirs was the only one that was parked at the turn as the highway turned back and forth over the pass. Before them was where they knew the gate was for a second time.

"What are you looking at me for?" Ronald asked. "You're the one who knows the most about this sort of thing."

"I may know more, but that doesn't mean I know everything. As far as I know, you might know something that I don't that might help."

Ronald shook his head. "Maybe so, but even you should know that I know next to nothing about these gates. I only know what you've shared about them, such as short of a having a unicorn open them, we need a Heart of the Forest from a unicorn's forest. If there's something that we missed, then there's nothing that I'd be able to suggest that would be better than anything you'd suggest. If you have anything that you haven't shared about this, then I'd need to know what that is before I could offer any possible insight into it."

Carl sighed. "If there's nothing else that we can do, then all that's left is to head back and let Heathcliff know. He's probably not going to be happy, but there's nothing that either of us could have done to open the gate if we're missing something. He also knows this and probably will accept this failure." Carl looked towards the top of the pass. "He might even have an idea of what we might need."

"Sounds as good to me as staying here to figure it out," Ronald replied. "I just hope the other side of that gate is safe once it's open."

"According to the information Heathcliff has, it should be. It should open to a grassy plain, assuming nothing has been done to the area since it had been closed."

Ronald sighed. "We might as well head back." He paused as he looked at the Heart of the Forest in Carl's hands. "You know, the only reaction we've seen from that thing is when that girl entered the room."

"So? We already determined that she didn't have any magic."

"But what if there's something else that connects her to it? If there's something about her that we don't know about, or about the Heart of the Forest, she might really be what we need to open the gate," Ronald replied, his eyes locked on the white crystal.

"If that's true, we might need to find some way to get her to trust us enough to come here with us. I can't think of a way, but Heathcliff might. He might have something in mind that we haven't thought of," Carl said, putting the Heart of the Forest back in his backpack. "But in the meantime, we might as well head into Winter Park for something to eat. Heathcliff wouldn't know the difference if we stopped for a meal, and I'm sure he wouldn't care. This project has been in the works for a long time. Unless we can figure out what we're missing, the project will fail. If we need to get the girl to help us, we'll find a way, even if we have to do what Heathcliff has forbidden us to do. It will be worth it if we're able to get the gate open."

_

Charlie stared at where Ralph had been. Part of her still hadn't caught up to the fact that he wasn't there anymore. Whatever he had in mind to try to get into the forest seemed to have worked. Not that she had a clue as to what it was that he did to get into it. Petals, however, saw that Ralph had entered, and she was already walking to enter the forest. She walked up to where Ralph had disappeared, but was stopped at the entrance like they all had up to now.

–But Ralph was able to enter!– Petals exclaimed, her anxiety reaching a level close to panic.

"It's okay, Petals," Charlie said, trying to be reassuring to Petals, but unsure exactly what to say. "I'm sure when he comes back out he'll explain how he was able to enter and what we might need to do to enter ourselves."

–But what if it doesn't work for us?– Petals asked, not calming down.

"We'll find a way, I promise," Charlie tried to reason as Petals started to pace away from the entrance from her home and began moving a little more erratically. "I already promised that I would help and as you can see, I'm not in your forest either. Trust in us to get you back in your home and we'll make sure that you'll be safe in there when we do."

Petals was still in a near-panic state and Charlie wasn't sure that she'd be able to do anything to help if Petals did go in a full out panic. However, she did start to notice Petals' movements started to slow and her breathing also started to become more regular and deep. Charlie couldn't help but let her breath out in a sigh. The relief she felt that Petals had calmed down almost made her just want to sit on the ground right where she was.

She was about to sit down when Ralph's head stuck out from where he'd disappeared. "I'm pretty sure I made it," Ralph called out.

"How'd you get in there?" Beth asked before anyone else could say anything.

"Well, Petals said that it was a forest that was kinda floating in the air, so I went with that," Ralph replied, which Charlie found annoying, since it didn't really explain anything.

"What's that got to do about the price of tea in China?" Wes asked, his expression showing Charlie that he was at least as annoyed as Charlie felt.

"Well, do any of you know the music group Tatu?"

"Get on with it already," Beth said, crossing her arms in front of her chest, her tone telling Ralph clearly that she wasn't going to let him drag this on as long as he'd like.

"Fine already," Ralph said, acting like he was being interrogated about something he'd done wrong. "Well, the song that Tatu sang called 'Clowns' has the part about floating forests."

Everyone waited for Ralph to elaborate, but after a moment it became clear that he was done talking. "Seriously Ralph?" Beth asked. "You're not going to elaborate?"

"You wanted me to get on with it, so I figured you'd want the abridged version," Ralph replied, his tone telling Charlie that he was avoiding explaining in full because he was annoyed with Beth.

"I had to tell you that because you'd go on and on with your explanation and Petals is…" Beth started.

"We can talk about that later, okay?" Charlie interrupted, uneasy about the expression on Ralph's face the more Beth talked. "Why don't you explain what we need to know so all of us can go into the forest?"

Everyone turned to Charlie and she felt her face begin to burn with the attention, but she held herself firm, determined to not let this go.

After a minute Ralph sighed. "Fine, but I don't think I'll be able to explain in a way that everyone will be able to understand enough to enter themselves. It's almost like a curtain was placed over Petals' forest and that's what's keeping us out."

"What are you suggesting?" Tim asked.

"I think if I go into the forest, then pull each of you through, that should get us all in. In regards to Petals, I think that if I remain in contact with her, she should be able to enter too," Ralph replied, looking away from everyone, which made Charlie wonder just how sure he was that this idea would work.

"Why not take Petals into the forest first," Amelia suggested. "I think of all of us, she should get the first chance to go with Ralph."

Charlie had no objection and listening to everyone else made it clear all of them were fine with the idea. Petals seemed pleased with the idea as well. Ralph didn't seem to care who was first, he just merely entered the forest up to his shoulder. Then, his hand on Petals' neck, he entered with Petals entering as well, not encountering the difficulty she had earlier. They disappeared again as if stepping behind a curtain that hid them from sight.

Moments after they had entered, Ralph poked his head out of the forest and took Amelia's hand next, as she was the closest to him, and started to pull her through. Tim was next, followed by Wes. Hannah was eager to go next and Charlie had been willing to let Beth go ahead of her, but Beth pushed Charlie by her shoulders so she'd be next.

As she stepped through the 'curtain,' Charlie felt a familiar sensation as if she stepped through a waterfall, but without getting wet. However, there was a difference from when she felt that way before, but couldn't tell what that was. She didn't pay it much mind, as her mind was more occupied with the scenery before her. Not only were there trees growing haphazardly everywhere, but flowers, ferns, and shrubs sprouted almost everywhere on the ground that the trees didn't cover. However, what caught her breath most was crystals that seemed to just grow out of the ground of various sizes. They were several different colors, a few had multiple colors as well. Most of the colors were green, yellow, and blue, but there were a few red among one that seemed to shimmer with and inner rainbow. Many of them were so high that they were like pillars helping hold up the canopy of the leaves and branches of the trees. There was a mist that kept Charlie from seeing too far into the forest, but what she did see just flat out took her breath away. It was almost like paradise to her.

The part that kept it from being paradise to her was the scar that began a few feet into the forest that must have been caused by the intruder that had chased Petals out. It was like a flame had scorched flowers and ferns out of the way, blasted trees and crystals to pieces, just leaving a burned scar that made it easy to someone who had no respect for the awe-inspiring atmosphere the forest otherwise provided. Charlie felt a deep anger begin to grow within her at what had been done to the beautiful view before her. However, as quickly as the anger came, it disappeared like it was lost in the mist that blanketed the forest, almost like the mist pulled the anger into it and dissipated it.

Charlie could feel the mist as she just stood there. She didn't think it could be called a fog, but it did prevent her seeing anything very far in the distance. She estimated that the distance that was visible was about the length of a football field, from field goal post to field goal post. It didn't feel like it was meant to conceal, but rather merely a part of the forest, and possibly a way to keep the entire forest watered.

"This is your home?" Amelia asked Petals, as Charlie felt Beth enter the forest behind her.

–Yes, I made it all, except for what was hurt when the intruder came here.– Petals replied. Charlie was about to relay what Petals said, but suddenly realized everyone could hear Petals directly as she noted the expressions on everyone's, but Ralph's, face.

"You have such a beautiful voice," Hannah cooed. "Like a soft, comforting melody."

"Really?" Wes asked. "It sounds to me like a gentle voice.

Charlie never really thought about how Petals' voice sounded to her. It was always like everyone else's.

"Maybe it sounds different to each of us," Amelia suggested.

"Maybe," Ralph said. "But why don't we go further in, just to see if the Heart of the Forest is here."

–Good idea.– Petals said, as she started walking along where the scar led, Ralph immediately following behind.

"I'm guessing the fact that we're heading the same direction as the scar isn't a good sign," Beth commented, as she brought up the rear of the group.

"I wish I could live here," Charlie breathed, only realizing as she spoke that she was saying what she was thinking.

Beth chuckled. "This would be a fantastic place to live. Though, I'm not sure about the moisture. Might take some getting used to, but I don't think I see a place I'd be able to build a house in. I would need that. Electricity too." Beth seemed to be adding items to the list as she spoke, Charlie finding herself interested in what Beth was talking about, when Charlie could do without all of what Beth was saying she'd need. Which made her wonder why she was interested in what Beth was saying to begin with. When did she start caring what Beth said?

Her thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind as Ralph started up a game of catch, using broken crystals to throw, urging everyone to join. Tim, Wes, and Amelia joined in almost immediately. Hannah wasn't even offered a chance to join, given how everyone knew her decision in regards to keeping her hands safe and her piano teacher from getting upset about it. Beth declined for herself and Charlie.

"I didn't think you'd be interested in joining," Beth said, as she walked next to Charlie.

"Thanks," Charlie whispered, not sure she could trust her voice any higher than that. For some reason she felt rather vulnerable and wasn't sure why. Which gave her another item to think about later. Not only did her emotional maelstrom go away when she encountered Beth at the end of school, but now she was feeling vulnerable around her. She couldn't understand what it was about Beth that made her comfortable, she knew she wasn't romantically interested in her, but that was the only thing that she could be certain about. It made her wonder if she really was going crazy. It especially confused her with how uncomfortable she was around Beth less than a week ago. What happened that changed that? Another item Charlie couldn't be sure about.

"What do you think we'll find?" Beth asked as she picked up a piece of broken green crystal, examining it while they walked.

"I'm not sure," Charlie admitted. "I doubt the Heart of the Forest is here, but I don't think that's all that was here. I get the feeling like this forest is alive itself. It just feels like there's something else here. Not sure what it is, though."

Charlie kept looking around as well as keeping sure she didn't wander away from everyone. One of the things she noticed as they had moved along was that the scar wasn't in a straight line, like Charlie initially thought at first glance. It enveloped areas like a bubble from the scar that otherwise did follow along a line.

"You're saying the forest is alive?" Beth asked, her tone telling Charlie how amused she was at the idea.

"That's kinda what it feels like," Charlie replied, unsure how else to explain it.

"Don't say that to Ralph, okay?" Beth told Charlie.

Charlie smiled. "Of course not, even if he says it first I'm sure he'd either poke fun at it or ignore anything I say about it anyway."

"Good girl," Beth replied, pulling Charlie into a side-hug.

Charlie doesn't resist the physical contact this time. Part of her suddenly remembered what Allison asked her earlier that day, about if she was friends with Beth or not. Could that be what her emotional maelstrom was about? Was she friends with Beth? And more importantly, how could she tell? She never had a friend to begin with, so she wasn't sure how to say if she had one now.

However her confusion, Charlie didn't see the harm in returning the side-hug slightly, but she quickly dropped it when she heard Beth laugh.

"What's funny?" Charlie asked.

"It's nothing, just something that came to mind," Beth replied. Charlie didn't think Beth was being fully forthcoming, but couldn't be sure. It felt like there was something, but Charlie respected secrets others kept to themselves. After all, she had plenty that she didn't want to share with anyone and she'd fight to not share them if anyone, even Beth or Cherie, tried to pry into them.

After a minute, Beth released Charlie from the hug and they walked in companionable silence for a while. At least until Charlie saw another burn scar in the forest, one that went away from the one they'd been following. This was even different from the other bubbles that appeared periodically, it was more like an explosion had occurred there. With craters in the ground as well as the otherwise scorched flora.

"What's that?" Charlie asked, pointing to her right. "Did the intruder have any reason to go that direction?"

Everyone stopped and looked at where Charlie was pointing. A general hush fell around them, as they moved closer to examine it. All except Petals.

–That's where I was attacked.– Petals told all of them. While she didn't join them in examining the area, she did stop and let them look. –I came to see what was happening. I didn't expect to be hurt like that, but when I was, I knew that I had to get help. I didn't know where else to go, except where the intruder came from. I couldn't be sure that everyone would be like the intruder, but I didn't have any other options I knew I had.–

Charlie walked back over to Petals and gave her a hug, or as best as she could. "I can't say if you made the right call or not, but regardless, we'll see this through with you."

"No matter the outcome," Ralph added. "I wasn't there, so I have no evidence for this, but I know the intruder attacked you without cause. I don't know why the intruder attacked you, but from knowing and talking with you, I know for a fact that you wouldn't have attacked anyone without cause." Ralph paused a moment before giving a short laugh. "Heck, you might not even attack anyone with cause."

"Let's keep going," Wes said. "Who knows how long this will take."

As Wes said that, Charlie realized she wasn't sure how long they'd been there to begin with. When they did get back, how late would it be? And how much trouble with her parents might she be in if it was really late? Which brought another thought to mind.

"Has anyone else noticed how much light there is here? The forest canopy completely blocks any view of a sky and the mist keeps us from seeing very far in the distance, but there's always enough light that we can see each other as well as our surroundings," she asked, not sure what else to do.

"That's a good point," Hannah replied. "I didn't think of it myself, but yeah, there's no clear source of any light for us to see with, but we can."

"Maybe it's magic?" Tim asked. "I mean, how we got here could be something like that."

"You mean like a magician?" Amelia asked.

"No, I mean like the fantasy genre kind of magic. It would also explain how Petals could talk with Charlie and Ralph when we first met her and how we can hear her now." Charlie had to admit, Tim's reasoning was quite plausible. She couldn't deny that there was a bit of logic in the assessment.

"Maybe, but first lets continue on to the end of this scar," Beth said. "We can talk all we want about it, but unless any of you know for sure where this light is coming from, we won't gain anything by discussing it now. If we get to the end of the scar, then we might be able to figure out what the intruder was after here if it wasn't the Heart of the Forest."

No one had any argument about that, so they all started walking again, the game of catch having died with the discovery of the location where Petals had been attacked. Conversation also seemed to be muted and as Charlie walked next to Beth again, it didn't feel as comfortable as it had earlier. Charlie could only chock that up to the same reason the game of catch had ended. There was a somber sense over the group that this wasn't just like a regular day after school. Real consequences would occur from what happened here. It also might not turn out pleasant. Charlie partly wished that she wasn't aware of that fact, it made her a little uneasy when she felt like something bad could happen, and this whole situation was like a powder keg on top of a keg of TNT that could blow at the drop of a hair. She almost wished someone would say something to try and break the tension she could feel, but didn't want to be the one who broke it. While it felt oppressive, she couldn't help but feel that she should let it be.

So lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize everyone had stopped walking until she almost walked into Amelia. Blinking, she looked around, Petals looking at the base of a sequoia tree, whose bark at it base had formed what looked like to Charlie was a small cradle, that clearly was to hold something. Something that was notably missing.

"Is that where the Heart of the Forest was?" Charlie asked.

–Yes, that's where it had been. When you told me you saw a Heart of the Forest when you did, I worried that it was taken.–

"Why would they take it?" Hannah asked, the look on Beth's face saying she was about to say the same thing.

–I don't know.– Petals replied. –I feel like I should, but it's just a blank.–

For the first time since Charlie entered the forest, she really took a look around. What she saw surprised her. Not only was there various coniferous trees, but she also saw various pines. Then in the distance, almost hidden by mists and bushes was what looked like a tropical tree that Charlie had only otherwise seen in books. It was almost like everything here was randomly placed. She also wasn't sure how this place functioned. Maybe the foliage she saw here was where the plants in her world came from. She started to wander off from the group, letting them discuss what they were on their own. She didn't feel interested in what they were talking about anyway. Part of her felt like she should, but it was almost like she was trying to think through a fog, not just walking through one.

Everyone else was almost out of sight when she saw a crystal that caught her eye. It was round, almost like a crystal ball, but not smoothed. It was about half the size of a baseball. She reached down and picked it up and held it looking at it. As she held it, the fog in her mind seemed to clear. She wondered if, whatever this crystal was, it might be similar to the Heart of the Forest. As when the Heart of the Forest 'called' to her, it kind of felt similar to what just what happened to her. Though, there didn't seem to be anything special about this crystal, aside from it being held in a similar cradle as the Heart of the Forest had been and the fact that the only other crystals she'd seen were in a different shape. It felt just a little warm in her hand. She slid it into her pocket as she started to head back to where everyone else was.

"Well, if we can't agree on what the Heart of the Forest can do, let's discuss how we can get it back," Beth was saying as Charlie returned to the group.

"What does it look like?" Amelia asked.

Charlie opened her mouth to reply when suddenly the image of the crystal that Charlie knew to be the Heart of the Forest appeared in her mind. The only difference she could tell from when she'd seen it before, she suddenly knew that it was about the same size as the crystal she'd just found. She looked towards Petals, knowing that only she could have done that. It also appeared that she had done that for everyone.

"Wow" Amelia breathed, her eyes awestruck.

"Is it like a diamond?" Ralph asked, his tone almost reverent.

"Now that's a rock," Wes whispered.

"Wonder if I could make a duplicate for myself," Beth remarked.

–I need to get it back.– Petals said. –You've helped me more than I could have asked for already, but if you're willing, I'd really appreciate it if you'd continue to help me.–

Petals walked over to each of them and Charlie saw her touch each of them with her horn, but wondered if anyone else was aware of her horn in this forest, but something told her that they couldn't see it. At least not yet, if they'd be able to at any point.

"I can't say for the others," Charlie found herself saying, "but I'll help you whatever it takes." Why did I put it like that? She asked herself, unsure about if she could trust her own mouth anymore.

"You don't have to," Beth said. "We'd all be happy to-"

Beth stopped talking as the forest around them seemed to shudder and distort before them. Charlie felt Petals' panic and she couldn't blame her. Charlie wasn't sure what was happening and felt like she was falling, her stomach already twenty feet below her. Then suddenly they stopped. It didn't feel like she'd landed from a drop, her balance was just fine, but the sensation was still there.

Charlie looked around, it was dark, and as her eyes adjusted, she could see lights nearby and in the distance. When she was able to focus her eyes, she realized that they were on the other side of Tim's house from where they'd entered Petals' forest and it was clear the sun had set long ago, which meant it was late and her parents were not going to be happy with her. Petals also looked rather alarmed to have been moved outside of her forest like they had been, but didn't seem so panicked as she had been to get into the forest.

"I think we all better get home," Amelia said. "We can talk about what happened later."

"What should I tell my parents why I'm so late?" Charlie asked, unsure if there was anything she could say to not get in trouble.

"Tell them that you were working on a project with us," Beth replied, clapping a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "We can all vouch that all of us were together." Beth paused for a moment thinking before continuing. "Just don't mention what the project was exactly. It definitely would sound made up and have them less likely to believe us."

Charlie fully understood why some details had to be left out. She wouldn't believe what she'd seen today if she hadn't been there herself. "I'll see all of you tomorrow," she replied absently as she started to head towards her house.

She heard them say their good-byes to her without looking back as she crossed the grass. Not for the first time did she wish she lived in a regular suburban community rather than a house in the foothills. Yeah, there was more yard and Charlie didn't have to worry so much about having others be able to see her when she was in her room by the window, but it did mean that she had to walk farther when she had to go to a neighbor's house. The feeling faded quickly, just as it always did. In the end, she preferred the setting she lived in rather than a suburban one.

Charlie estimated that it took her about five minutes to get to her front door after leaving Beth and her friends. She paused a minute before opening the door, dreading what she expected from her parents when she went in. However, not going in would only delay what was going to occur, and the longer she took, the worse it possibly would be.

She opened the door as quietly as she could, hoping against hope that she wouldn't be noticed. However, her hopes were dashed as soon as she reached the base of the stairs.

"Where have you been, young lady?" she heard her father call out to her from the living room. She looked at him and could see that he had taken residence on the part of the couch that the clearest view of the stairs. She couldn't see her mother or sister, but wouldn't be surprised if they were nearby.

"I was with Beth and her friends working on a project," Charlie answered, hoping he wouldn't press for more details.

"And why are you home so late?"

"We lost track of time?" Charlie tried to sound firm, but given the tone her father was talking to her in and the fact that she'd never before faced this situation, she couldn't help but sound unsure of her answer.

"Do you realize what time it is?" he asked, getting up from the couch.

"No, all I realized is that it was dark outside when we finished for tonight," Charlie could barely make her voice go about a whisper.

"I didn't catch that, Charlotte. What did you say again?" he asked as he walked towards her.

Her first name, not a good sign, but not as bad as if he'd used her full name. She tried to repeat what she said, but she couldn't make her voice work. She also couldn't read her father's face to know if he really was upset or merely acting the 'stern parent' role.

As he reached her, he put his hand on her shoulder and gently steered her towards the kitchen. She couldn't help but allow herself to be directed by her father. She felt like if her father removed his hand that she'd just crumple to the ground like a pool of goo.

When they reached the kitchen, Charlie could see her mother and sister at the counter, finishing washing and drying the dishes. Her mother saw her as she walked in and her expression turned stormy. "Charlotte Jennifer Rivers, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Charlie still couldn't get her voice to work, even though she wanted to clear up the issue. She was also certain that if she couldn't speak that her parents would create a story of why Charlie was uncharacteristically late. She didn't have much hope that any story they created wouldn't put her in a very favorable light. Which would mean that she'd likely get some sort of punishment.

Her father guided her to the dining table and removed his hand from her shoulder when she was next to a chair, which she sat in, almost fell on, as her father sat in a chair that was next to hers, but on another side of the table. She started to wonder if she was going to start crying, but the feeling went away when her father spoke again.

"Look, I'm sorry if we've made you scared to say anything, but you staying out so late without telling us anything made us scared."

Her mother sat down, causing Charlie to jump with how she hadn't noticed her coming over from the counter. "Would you at least tell us why you didn't let us know that you'd be late?"

"We didn't expect it to take so long," Charlie couldn't get her voice above a whisper, no matter how much she wanted to right then.

"What didn't you expect to take so long and who was with you?" her mother asked, her eyes more full of concern than anger, which brought back the feeling to Charlie that she might start to cry.

"I was with Beth and her friends, we lost track of time and didn't realize it was so late," Charlie whispered, unsure if they'd accept this as a reason.

"Who are Beth's friends?" her mother pressed.

"Tim, Amelia, Hannah, Wes, and Ralph," Charlie answered, happy that her voice was finally sounding stronger.

"Tim, as in Tim Cooper?" her father asked, his voice more gentle than it had since she'd gotten home.

Charlie nodded, not sure what effect this would have. Then Charlie jumped when her father stood up, but he merely walked over to the kitchen, where he pulled his phone out. Charlie realized that he was likely verifying what she'd just said through Tim or his parents.

"Charlie, what were you doing with Beth and her friends?" Charlie's mother asked, drawing her attention back to her.

"We were working on a project," she said, not sure if she should create more details or not.

"Why didn't you tell us about this project," her mother pressed.

"It was kind of a last minute thing that came up this afternoon right after school," Charlie replied, and while she was telling the truth, she couldn't help but feel like she was lying. Though, the truth certainly would be looked at as a lie, which she fully understood why that would be.

"Why didn't you at least call us to let us know?" her mother asked, after considering Charlie's response.

Charlie was about to reply when her father sat down at the table again. "Carl said Tim said that he was with the same people Charlie said she was with," he said as soon as he sat down.

"Charlie," her mother said. "You still need to answer my question."

"I didn't call because I didn't think about it, and I'm not sure anyone had a phone," Charlie answered, not sure if this would make things better or not.

"You better not be thinking of using this to get your own phone," her father said.

"Scott," Charlie's mother chided him. "Be serious. That has nothing to do with what we were talking about. If she does bring up wanting her own phone, then you can talk about that, but until then, it has nothing to do with the topic at hand."

Charlie's father merely chuckled. It was clear that he didn't take her reprimand to heart. "Point taken," he merely replied.

"What did they say that they were doing?" her mother asked her father.

"They were working on a project, but wouldn't give any clear details."

Her mother nodded. "Charlie said they were working on a project and that it came together right after school."

"Well, regardless," Charlie's father said, turning back to her, "you were out late and while you don't have a curfew, you didn't let us know where you'd be."

Charlie nodded, realizing they were getting to what her punishment would be and that it wasn't going to implode her world.

"You're going to have to do the dishes after dinner every day, right after dinner," her mother told her.

"You're not going to ground me?" Charlie couldn't help but ask. That's the punishment that she'd heard so often at school from others and her sister.

Her father laughed. "If we grounded you, what would change for you?"

Charlie thought about it for a moment. "Well, I wouldn't be able to go out for anything," she offered, not sure what her father was getting at.

"Yes, you wouldn't be able to go out of your room for anything except what we give permission for, but you don't really go out, do you? This is the first time you've ever been out late. So, grounding you wouldn't really do anything that would bring the point home to you. If anything, you wouldn't feel the pinch that punishments are supposed to give. Aside from the fact that since you don't usually go out, it wouldn't affect you as much," her father replied. Charlie couldn't help but crack a smile. "See? That's the girl I know."

"Your punishment will start tomorrow," her mother told her, as they all started to stand up, Charlie a step behind. "But so long as this is the last time this happens, we can let it go with this, okay?"

"Okay," Charlie replied, giving her father then her mother a hug before she went up to her room.

Once she reached the top of the stairs, her sister was waiting outside her room. "You got off easy," she said, before entering her room.

Charlie sighed, she wasn't surprised that her sister felt that way. Cherie was late every so often when she was out with her friends, and she typically didn't call to let their parents know that she'd be late. Usually her punishments were along the lines of being grounded or loss of other privileges for the same offense, but as her father pointed out, Charlie wouldn't feel much of an impact by being grounded.

Charlie shook her head as she continued to her room. There was a good amount that she wasn't sure of, but her the way her sister thinks was close to the top of that list. If they didn't have their parents' assurances that they were related, they might consider that one or both of them had been adopted.

As she closed the door to her room and turning on the lights in her room, she dropped her backpack next to her desk before laying on her bed, trying to perform her usual after-school ritual, but her mind just wasn't cooperating with her. Annoyed, she began to start getting ready for a shower, when she encountered the crystal in her pocket as she checked her pockets before putting her jeans in her laundry hamper.

Taking it out, she examined it in the light in her room she saw that it seemed to glow with a soft light of its own, glowing a soft pink light, but it otherwise seemed to be an unremarkable clear crystal. It still felt a little warm to her while she held it. She set it on her bed while she finished getting ready for a shower.

Once she was done with her shower, she returned to her room and removed her robe before laying on her bed. She picked the crystal and looked at it.

What's so important about you, she thought to herself.

–I am what remains of the memories of the unicorn that created the forest you found me in.–

Charlie blinked. If she hadn't communicated with Petals before, she'd have brushed off what happened without a thought, but she knew what she'd heard in her mind was someone else talking with her. The voice also sounded similar in a way to Petals, but this voice was gentle rather than almost the childlike sound that Petals had. This voice also was deeply feminine and somehow felt like an older sister, not that Charlie could explain how that was or why.

What do you mean that you're what remains of the memories of Petals? Charlie thought at the crystal.

–I see you're used to talking like this, but I can tell that your magic isn't completely free, but in answer to your question, I used to be who you know as Petals. However, I removed the memories of my life before I created that forest because they were too painful.–

What happened? Charlie mentally asked, wondering if this might explain a few things, but doubting it would be that simple.

–At the end of the war, I fled. I ran and created this forest when I could tell that I was alone. I'm not sure how long I had been alone before I created my forest, but as I did, I was terrified that my side of the war would lose, so I couldn't bring myself to leave the forest at any time. However, I would die slowly of loneliness if I did, so I removed my memories of before creating the forest and any memories that would tell me that there was a 'before' so I wouldn't leave.–

Charlie rolled to her side, bringing the crystal to her in a small embrace. Would you tell me about the war? Maybe it'll make you feel better?

It almost felt to Charlie like the crystal was shaking it's head no. –I would, but even now, the memories are just too painful. Maybe there's another who you can ask about the war.– the crystal suggested.

Maybe, Charlie thought, though she wasn't sure who she could ask in the first place. It certainly wasn't anything that she'd expect to see in a history class. She was about to press on the subject when a stray thought came to her, shifting her entire focus.

Did you call to me when I was in the forest? Charlie thought at the crystal.

–Yes, I could tell that you're a Friend of a Unicorn and so could be trusted. So, I called you to me so that I might assist you in reclaiming the Heart of the Forest before it's too late.–

Charlie was stunned. Not only at what the crystal called her, but how it almost sounded like a title or something. Kinda like a Doctor or Professor. Pushing that thought aside, she continued to pursue the conversation.

Do you know how I can get it back?

–Not right now, but if we knew who took it, then we might be able to do something that could help us know what to do.–

Charlie quickly explained how she saw the Heart of the Forest and knew roughly where it likely would be located. The crystal seemed to listen intently and never tried to interrupt Charlie, even when she stopped, trying to think of how to put it. When she finished, the crystal didn't waste a moment before responding.

–So, it looks like we'll need to remove the seal on your magic. It probably would be good to remove the seal on your friends too, but I'm not sure I should do that myself. I'll direct you what to do when it's time to try that. It should be soon, but I need to let you know other things first right now.–

Charlie wasn't sure what to respond with first. Magic? She had magic that was sealed? How did it get sealed? And the others could use magic too? As the thoughts raced through her mind, another thought came through that pushed all the others aside for the moment.

I should take you to show Petals, she thought at the crystal.

–You can't. Until the time is right for you to give Petals her memories back, you need to not let her know about my existence. It will only create confusion for her. I'll let you know when the time will be right, but I will say this. We have to have the Heart of the Forest before we can do that.–

Should I let any of the others know about you? She asked the crystal, sitting up after moving so her back rested against the headboard of her bed, the crystal cradled in her hands, which she left sitting on her lap.

–You probably shouldn't let them know either. The best way to keep a secret is to only let those who absolutely need to know about it. When we unseal your magic, I'll show you another method that should be as effective, if not more so, when we get to it.–

What is it that you want to tell me about first, then? Charlie thought at the crystal, wondering where this rabbit hole would take her and a little surprised that she felt eager about it.

–First, the Heart of the Forest is needed to sustain the forest. You were removed from the forest because it is starting to fade away. Normally it wouldn't happen so quickly, but with the damage the forest received before the Heart of the Forest was removed, it lost part of the power it would need to remain. If we don't succeed in returning the Heart of the Forest, I will not be able to return to Petals unless you find another Unicorn's Forest to do so. I do not know if there is another one on this world nor where it might be if there is, but it is unlikely that we would find one.–

Couldn't Petals create another one? Charlie asked, not sure why that wouldn't be an option.

–For her to create a new forest, she would need to anchor it to 5 different worlds, otherwise it will only ever be temporary. In order to do that, she would need to travel and see the worlds for herself, but with how her mind is, without the memories I hold, she would be in danger. She is too young mentally to handle most worlds by herself.–

Charlie wasn't sure how to approach that topic, so she let it go, she could always come back to it if she actually did come up with something to say about it. Instead, she went with a different point.

So, what do you think we should do?

–Rest tonight, tomorrow about this time, I'll unseal your magic. After that, I'll train you a little with your magic and you can unseal the magic of the rest of your herd, but mostly you'll need to figure it out so your own magic can grow in a way that best suits you. Once we have that done, we can look at getting the Heart of the Forest back.– the crystal replied.

How long do we have before we're too late to save the forest? Charlie wasn't sure they shouldn't be more proactive in reclaiming the Heart of the Forest.

–The reason is in the event it comes down to a fight, we need to have our strength as strong as we can get it. Our best punch will need to be our first punch. We might only have one chance to reclaim it, so I think that we need to build our strength so we'll have it if it becomes necessary. There is no room for any mistakes and when you rush anything, that opens the door for mistakes that we can't afford.–

Charlie was surprised at how determined the crystal sounded. She'd always thought of Unicorns as peaceful and averse to confrontation.

What makes you think it might come to a fight? she thought at the crystal.

–They invaded my forest. They hurt my body, the unicorn you know as Petals. They damaged my forest. They stole the Heart of the Forest. They are enemies. I would like to avoid a fight, but they are the ones who brought the fight to me. Fighting in this case is a matter of survival to me. No matter who or what a creature is, defending their right to live is always a right and should never to allowed to be taken away.– the crystal's reply sounded almost like it was ticking off items in a list to Charlie.

Is there anything else that you want to tell me? Charlie asked the crystal, noting the pink glow was turning to a blue-green.

–No, I can tell your energy is rather drained, and unsealing your magic will take a lot of your energy, so waiting until tomorrow should allow you to recover from the energy you used while walking through the forest.– the crystal answered and once the response ended, the crystal turned a soft ice-blue and the warmth of the crystal went away, like it's internal heater was turned off.

Does the color of the crystal say something about the crystal itself? Charlie wondered to herself.

She sat on her bed where she was for a minute before getting up and setting it on her desk before getting on her underwear and nightgown. Once she was clothed, she sat at her desk and started pulling out what homework she still had left to do, which she hadn't let her parents know about.

She was so engrossed in her homework, that she jumped when her mother knocked on her door before opening it a moment later.

Charlie looked up from her desk, her pencil pausing from her homework, while she waited to see what her mother wanted.

"Dear, shouldn't you be getting to bed? It's getting late," she said, her head the only part of her inside Charlie's room.

"I'll go to bed once I finish this last sentence," Charlie promised, happy for the chance to let it go for another day. She was almost done with it anyway and it was due later in the week.

"Okay, good night Charlie. Love you."

Charlie watched as her mother quietly closed the door. Once it was closed, Charlie turned back to her homework and finished the sentence before she put away her social studies homework.

Once she'd turned out the lights in her room and got into bed, she snuggled against her pillow. She had barely closed her eyes when she realized she hadn't had any dinner.

Oh, well, she told herself. It's not like I'm hungry right now anyway.

_

Charlie stood up as the bell rang. She put her notebook and textbook back in her backpack before she started to leave the room, pretending not to notice Mr. Samuel's glare as she passed by him.

He wasn't happy with her that she'd gotten a perfect on his surprise test that day. Charlie considered it a pop quiz, but Mr. Samuels always referred to it as a surprise test. He'd given them the test at the start of the class, then went over with all of them to grade it. Charlie doubted it would have affected her grade anyway, but she knew Mr. Samuels did not like when anyone got a perfect score.

As Charlie entered her next class, she was surprised to find that Alex Williams was to be her partner again for another project, as his best friend sprained his ankle climbing the stairs just before school started.

Charlie picked a work station and started getting what she'd need for the project out so they'd be ready when she'd need them while others steadily flowed in the room from their previous classes. Charlie was almost done when Alex Williams approached the work station she was working at. Before Charlie could say anything, Alex spoke.

"I know, the irony, huh? Jeff sprains his ankle just walking up some stairs when he has ample opportunity each time we're at the practice field," he said, acting like he's oblivious about the attention most of the other girls in the class was giving him and Charlie.

"Right," Charlie replies, not sure what else to say.

"Don't worry about them," Alex told Charlie as he started working with her to get started on the project for the day.

Charlie didn't say anything. She knew who he was talking about and she didn't plan on giving them much mind, if this was all that she had to deal with.

They worked quietly for a few minutes, when Charlie suddenly remembered that Alex had told her yesterday that he owed her a favor. Picking his brain in what qualifies as a friend would certainly be helpful. Especially since she didn't really have any other sources that she knew would be impartial.

"By the way," Charlie said while mixing the batter, "you said that you owed me a favor yesterday, right?"

"Yeah," he replied, getting the pan ready for when Charlie was done mixing it.

"Well, I was wondering how to tell if someone is a friend or not," Charlie asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

"I guess you don't have many friends, right?" Alex asked, which Charlie knew he was well aware of.

"No, I don't," Charlie replied, more to keep the conversation going than to provide any actual information.

"It's not something that can easily be explained. I guess it would be that if you consider someone to be willing to do things to help you, even if you don't really consider it helping," Alex answered.

"Why would I not consider their help as 'helping?'" Charlie asked, not sure if this was going to go the way she had hoped.

"That's part of where it gets complicated. No one likes being told on, but sometimes that's the only way to help them and naturally they wouldn't like it when that happens. But the thing is, if you told on them to get them in trouble to stop them from going down a bad road or to get them to stop what you feel was hurting them is where it means to be a friend or not," Alex answered casually.

Charlie looked at Alex, a little confused at his logic. "That's more than a little complicated," Charlie said.

"Well, my dad is a bit of a philosopher, so maybe some of that has rubbed off on me," Alex replied. "but yeah, being a friend is more complicated than most people think. Most think of a friend being someone you hang out with and have a good time, but a real friend is there with you when things aren't so good. They are there to stop you from doing something that you know is wrong, such as by turning them into the police if necessary."

Charlie shook her head. "Maybe that's just something that I'm not going to understand," she stated. "It's just too complicated for me."

Alex chuckled. "Actually, it's less about understanding and more about trusting others as well as yourself."

"Yeah, you're definitely a bit of a philosopher yourself," Charlie answered, deciding it was a mistake to ask Alex. It was just more than her mind was able to wrap itself around.

"Well, several shows for kids focus around the topic of friendship. A couple notable ones are My Little Pony and Care Bears. Maybe if you watch those you might be able to know what I was getting at," Alex said.

Charlie was done with this topic. At least he gave her something she could reference and maybe understand better than what he'd said to her. "I guess," was all she could think of to say in response.

The rest of the class went by with them working without saying anything more than necessary for the project. Charlie felt relief when the bell rang signaling the end of the class. She wanted to run out of the room, but instead forced herself to be calm as she left. She may not have really understood what Alex was saying about friendship, but she didn't feel like it was a reason to react like that, especially how it could affect his feelings. Aside from the fact that she knew it likely would haunt her later, but regardless of who it was, she didn't like to hurt others. She always felt bad when someone got hurt, even when she was a small child.

_

Charlie wanted to go to lunch during her lunch hour, but she also didn't want another confrontation with the cheerleaders, even if it was a minor interrogation. She paused before entering the cafeteria, trying to determine if she really needed to get her lunch.

In the end, she made a turn towards the restroom and sat in a stall, determined to wait out the lunch hour there. She didn't like not getting lunch, but preferred going hungry than being the center of attention, even if it was just with the occupants at her table. She wasn't sure what to do about her problem, nor was she sure that there was anything that she could do about it.

She might have pulled out her homework and started to work on some of it there, but she didn't think that she could get very comfortable doing her homework while sitting on a toilet. Even if she wasn't going, it just didn't feel like it'd be very comfortable.

In the end, she merely dozed. She really only knew that's what she did when the bell signaling the end of her lunch period was over and startled her awake. She quickly got her things in hand, left the stall and washed her hands, just in case anyone came out of a stall or otherwise knew that she was in there. Not that she considered any of that a very high chance of occurring.

On her way out of the restroom, she almost ran right into Allison. Allison was surprised as much as Charlie, but was quicker to recover.

"Where were you?" she asked, in a softer tone than Charlie had expected.

"I was in here," Charlie replied, her gaze traveling towards the ground.

"Why? Isn't our agreement still in effect?"

"I wasn't sure how welcome I'd be," Charlie murmured, not able to bring her voice to a higher volume.

Allison sighed. "Look, I'm sorry if I made you feel unwelcome the past few times, but there were a few things I needed to know about you that could impact us, since you sit at the same table as us," she informed Charlie.

"In what way?" Charlie asked.

Allison appeared to be embarrassed by the question, which surprised Charlie. She was also starting to wonder if Allison was going to answer, when she spoke. "I can't go into details, there's just points that we needed to clear up. It wasn't personal."

As soon as she finished speaking, she pushed past Charlie, clearly needing to go. Charlie didn't think much of it, she just continued on to her next class.

_

Charlie was about to leave her locker to head home when the principal, Mrs. Garfield, approached her.

"Miss Rivers, I told you yesterday that I wanted to speak with you and you didn't show up."

Confusion turned to embarrassment. "Sorry, I forgot," she replied, unsure what else to say.

"Well, come with me to my office and we'll talk about what I wanted to speak with you about."

Charlie desperately wanted to come up with an excuse of why she couldn't, but nothing came to mind. The office was a place Charlie typically sought ways to avoid when possible. Even when it wasn't from a negative reason, she tried to avoid going to there. She never felt that anything good happened to her in and around the office. It was a place where things just never seemed to go her way, regardless of what she hoped for at that time.

She noticed Beth looking at her as she continued to walk with the Principal. She couldn't interpret what Beth thought about it from the expression on her face. As far as Charlie knew, Beth might already know all about it, given how good at knowing what's going on in the school she is.

Charlie started toying with the idea of trying to escape Mrs. Garfield by hiding around a corner or just inside a room that had an open door, but she decided against it. There were too many possible ways the plan could go wrong. Aside from how it probably would look to anyone who saw, given how many people were still milling through the halls.

Finally when they reached the office, Charlie moved to sit in one of the chairs, but stopped by Mrs. Garfield. "Follow me into my office."

Charlie did as she was told and sat in the chair in front of Mrs. Garfield's desk, setting her backpack on the floor next to her, while Mrs. Garfield made her way to sit at her desk. As she got settled, Charlie waited patiently. While she'd like to get out of here as fast as possible, she still didn't think it would be good to say anything before Mrs. Garfield did. Especially when she still didn't know what this was about.

Once she was settled, she looked Charlie in the eye. "First, are you having problems in any of your classes?" she asked, her gaze feeling like it could see Charlie's very thoughts.

Charlie shook her head. "They're fine," she replied, not sure what else to say.

"Well, there have been several new rumors going around about you. I wanted to be sure that they weren't affecting you. That being said, is there any truth to any of the rumors?"

Charlie took a moment to collect her thoughts, given she couldn't be sure which rumors Mrs. Garfield was talking about. "I can't really say if you don't tell me which rumors you're talking about. I mean, sometimes I've heard a rumor that had at least three different versions of it."

Mrs. Garfield waited a minute before continuing her questions, which told Charlie that she was waiting for Charlie to have spilled something. What she had been looking for, Charlie wasn't sure, but didn't think that it would be beneficial to know exactly what it was.

"What is your connection with Heathcliff Roberts?" the next question came at Charlie.

"Heathcliff?" Charlie asked. Wasn't he the one who had her family for dinner to discuss business with her father? "My dad was bidding for a contract with his business and Heathcliff's," Charlie said, assuming the Heathcliff Mrs. Garfield was referring to was the same that she knew.

"Well, he called yesterday and asked about your grades," Mrs. Garfield said.

Charlie was surprised. Why the interest in her? Was this part of his background check on her father's business? A little extensive if so, but another thought occurred to Charlie that made her wonder if there was something else going on that she couldn't explain to others. Especially since she couldn't figure out what business person would ask about a high school student's grades?

What if it has to do with the Heart of the Forest? Charlie asked herself, wondering what she could respond with.

Mrs. Garfield, however, didn't seem to think Charlie needed to say anything as after a minute of silence, she continued. "He seems to be looking into a variety of high school students to be counselors in his 'math camp' that he plans on holding this summer."

"Did you tell him what my grades were?" Charlie couldn't help but ask.

"Of course not, Charlie," Mrs. Garfield seemed offended that Charlie would suggest that she might do something like that. "He has no reason that I could give him your grades. For me to give him your grades legally, I would need to have your permission or a legal document telling me that I have to give them to him called a subpoena." Charlie didn't bother letting Mrs. Garfield know that she knew what a subpoena was. She'd heard that word often enough when her parents talked with each other.

"Anyway, he said that he would be interested in having you as one of his junior counselors at his math camp, if you're interested," Mrs. Garfield continued. "If you'd like to do that, I can help get that underway for you and I would highly recommend you do that, so you could at least have something extracurricular on your record for when you apply to colleges."

Charlie nearly groaned in annoyance. Charlie was sure she'd be able to get in a college when it was time, as she really didn't care to try for one of the 'prestigious' ones. As far as Charlie was concerned, the ones with a big name weren't really all that they seemed cracked up to be. She would be fine if it was merely a local one, if she actually decided to go. She wasn't sure that she would want to either. However, on the other hand, this might be something that would help get her on her parent's good side, given she hadn't been able to ask about the internship that her parents had wanted her to.

"Would you print up the documents so I could show my parents? I just want to be sure they didn't have any other plans for me this summer during the time of that 'math camp.' They might also like to be aware of it too," Charlie answered, hoping that Mrs. Garfield wouldn't press for more details.

"Alright," Mrs. Garfield replied. "Your parents would probably be the better ones to work with you on this and I'm sure they'd like to know about it as well." Mrs. Garfield picked up some papers from her desk and held them out to Charlie, which she took them. She briefly glanced at them, to see what exactly they were, which was more of an application form. "Good luck miss Rivers."

"Thanks, Mrs. Garfield," she said, putting the papers in her backpack. She wanted to ask why she wanted to be the one to tell Charlie about this as well as if this was the usual way of going about it, which she was pretty sure it wasn't, but she didn't want to stay in the office any longer than she absolutely had to. Any further questions would merely prolong her stay, and she wanted to get going.

She moved so quickly out of the office, she almost ran. As Charlie stepped out of the office, she was partly surprised to see Beth waiting for her.

"I had a feeling you might like a friendly ear when you were done in there," Beth told her before she could say anything.

"I guess," Charlie replied, not sure what else to say.

"So, what was that about?" Beth asked as they started to head for the front exit of the school building.

"Apparently it had to do with Heathcliff wanting me to be a junior counselor at his 'math camp' that will be sometime this summer," Charlie answered. "And yes, he was THAT Heathcliff."

"What do you think it's about?" Beth asked.

"I'm not sure, but it could be something regarding the Heart of the Forest," Charlie replied.

"Are you thinking of accepting?" Beth asked, as they walked to Charlie's usual route to her home.

"I'm not sure. Yeah, I'd be closer to the Heart of the Forest, but at the same time, he might not let me close to it again. He also likely knows that I know of it, so I'm not really sure," Charlie replied, already deciding that she probably would accept it if they couldn't think of a different way.

"Well, we'll see what we can do about it, but we might have to have you accept, even if it turns out to be a trap," Beth commented.

Charlie let Beth talk to her the rest of the walk. She paid attention enough so she could seem like she was giving her full attention, but instead let her mind mull over the ways she might be able to get to the Heart of the Forest.

As they reached the entrance to Petals' forest, only Tim and Wes were already waiting with Petals, but Amelia and Hannah were merely a second behind Beth and Charlie.

"Ralph should be here soon," Tim said. "He told me that he never got to explain how he was able to get into Petals' forest."

"What's his excuse for being late this time?" Beth asked, a grin on her face.

"Let's just say that his latest prank backfired on him big time. He was told that he had to clean up the mess before he could leave for the day," Tim replied.

"What was the prank?" Amelia asked.

Tim looked at Amelia levelly. "Do you really want to know? I mean, this is Ralph after all."

Amelia chuckled as she shook her head. "Yeah, probably best not to know. He'd likely somehow know and be insufferable for a while just because one of us wanted to know what it was."

"He does have a sizeable ego," Hannah commented.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ralph said, stepping past the bushes. "Laugh it up. I'll just be more creative with the next prank I decide to play on you."

"You're really not all that creative, Ralph," Wes said. "You've been repeating yourself for a while."

"Let's get onto the main topic," Beth interrupted.

"Fine by me," Wes said.

"So, what was it that allowed you to get into Petals' forest," Beth asked Ralph before he could say anything in response.

Ralph sighed. "Fine. As I said yesterday, what I did was I just thought of the song 'Clowns' by Tatu. The part that I was mostly thinking of was: Blow a kiss, I run through air, leave the past, find nowhere, floating forests in the air." Ralph paused a minute before continuing when no one else spoke. "I'm not sure what it was that let me pass through, but that's what I did."

"If that's what it was, then at least we found how to get in," Hannah said.

"Does anyone have any idea of what happened that forced us out of the forest?" Tim asked.

–I think the forest is starting to become unstable.– Petals said, but after a moment Charlie realized that only she and Ralph could hear Petals again, so she relayed what Petals had said.

"Why would the forest become unstable?" Wes asked.

–Because the Heart of the Forest was removed. When it's removed, the forest started to fall apart. The more creatures that the forest holds after that, the faster it will become unstable. When it becomes too unstable, it will start to fall apart on its own. Once that happens, I will lose my home.– Petals replied, Charlie continuing to relay Petals' statements.

"How do you know this?" Beth asked.

–I- I'm not sure. I just know that this is what will happen.– Petals answered, her tone indicating that she was as unsure about this topic as she was about why she couldn't get back in her forest home.

"Maybe we should continue this later," Ralph said, his expression alarmed as he looked at his watch. "I have to get home, I just remembered my dad has something planned for my family and it's about time that it's supposed to happen."

Charlie was surprised at the relief she felt at Ralph's statement. "Might be good," Charlie said, not caring if she was agreeing with anything Ralph said. She was wanting to relay the news to her parents about the 'math camp' as well as seeing if the crystal would be amenable to offering thoughts about if it would be good to try and get to the Heart of the Forest with that method.

"Well, if both of you are good with calling today's discussion done, then I guess we can call it a day," Beth said, sounding rather unsure about it herself. "I mean, it's not like we'll be able to get much else done today. What we need to do now is figure out what we have to do to get the Heart of the Forest back before the forest itself falls apart."

"Yeah," Amelia agreed, "but I can't make it tomorrow, I have a dentist appointment then."

"Let's then meet Friday," Tim suggested. "We usually get together to hang out then anyway, so most of us should be able to have time to come here."

"Friday sounds good to me," Hannah replied, "and if we need to, we can go to Tim's house to play cards so we'll look like we're doing our normal activities."

"Would you be available Friday, Charlie?" Wes asked.

"I'd have to talk to my parents, but even if there's nothing going on, I have to get home in time for dinner. I have to do the dishes for a week for staying out so late last night," Charlie replied, feeling like she should have come up with a different way of putting that.

"Better than what I got," Wes said. "I got grounded from any streaming service for a month. So, I can't watch any of my anime."

"My parents set a curfew for me that I'm to abide by if I don't want to get grounded," Amelia commented.

"Are we really comparing what punishments we got?" Beth asked, her eyebrow arched.

"Looks like it," Hannah answered. "I'm to practice the piano for an extra hour each day if I want to keep taking lessons."

Charlie didn't really care to listen to what others had happen to them because how late all of them had been out. So, anything anyone else had said she didn't hear as she quickly made her way to her house. Barely giving her garden a glance, though the flowers that were budding, if not fully bloomed, did help her relax a little from her day.

As she entered the house, she was about to start going up the stairs to go to her room when she saw Cherie sitting in the living room watching the tv again. Recalling the shows that Alex Williams had suggested, Charlie instead went to see what her sister was watching.

Cherie paused her show as Charlie entered the room. "What do you want?" she demanded, clearly unhappy to have her show interrupted.

"I was just wondering what you're watching," Charlie replied, unsure what else to say.

"Why do you want to know? You've never been interested before," Cherie said, looking at Charlie suspiciously, which she couldn't complain about. Charlie would freely admit it was otherwise out of character for her.

"Well, I was just wondering. I asked someone I know at school about friends and he suggested My Little Pony or Care Bears were good shows to understand it a little better," Charlie said, not sure if she sounded like as much of an idiot as she felt at the moment.

"Are you serious or are you just messing around?" Cherie looked like she was ready to take a swing at Charlie.

"I'm serious," Charlie merely replied.

After a minute of gazing at Charlie, Cherie sighed. "Fine, I'm actually watching the start of the eighth season of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The dvd sets finally arrived today."

"You got them online?" Charlie asked, taking a seat on the end of the couch opposite her sister. She set her backpack next to the couch as she sat down.

"I had to get the eighth and ninth seasons online, since they don't seem available in the US in box sets," Cherie said, as she waited for Charlie to get settled.

Once she was, Cherie started the show again. Charlie didn't know exactly what she was looking at, but didn't say anything as the show went on.

Charlie tried to pay attention, but it was hard when she didn't know much about it. She wasn't even sure what she'd pieced together about it was correct or if she was missing something.

When the episode ended, Charlie decided she'd need to watch the series from the start if she was to be sure that she picked up the parts of friendship that she might understand. Though, she wasn't completely confident on the thought.

Still, she stayed watching until Cherie was done. "Can I watch the first season, Cherie?" Charlie asked, not very confident that Cherie would agree.

"As long as you don't damage it," Cherie replied, not seeming very interested in what Charlie was asking.

So, as Cherie left, Charlie went over to where she knew Cherie kept her DVDs. She changed the disc in the player to the first episode and started watching.

She hoped that this would help her understand what she was unsure about, as well as anything else she hadn't yet started to think about.

_

Charlie flopped on her bed facedown, wanting to just call it a night, though she knew that she still had other things that she still needed to take care of that needed to come first. Some of it was homework that she had, some of it was seeing if the crystal had anything new it would tell her, and the rest of it was curiosity about the 'magic' that it had mentioned.

After a few minutes, Charlie raised herself up and walked over to her desk, leaving her backpack by the side of her bed on the floor, and picked up the crystal.

As she touched it, it went from emitting a lilac color to emitting a soft pink. –You're finally back.– the crystal said to her. Charlie could almost feel the impatience from the crystal.

"It's been a long day for me," Charlie whispered to the crystal, feeling a little weird at 'thinking' at the crystal at the moment. "I just barely finished doing the dishes and I'd be ready to go to sleep, but I wanted to know what you meant by how I had 'magic.'"

Charlie felt the crystal sigh, whether in annoyance, amusement, or just exasperation she couldn't tell. –Fine, let's get to it. Lay down on your bed, though it would be easier if I had my horn.–

Charlie obliged, keeping her skirt from scrunching up under her as she lay on her bed, her head resting on her pillows. "What then?" she asked.

–Put me on your chest. Don't move me until I tell you to and try not to move yourself. I need to concentrate as much as I can and if you move, that could disrupt my concentration.– the crystal told her.

Charlie put the crystal on her chest, wondering if she should remove her shirt and maybe bra before doing so, but didn't. She was debating if she should close her eyes when the crystal started heating up. Part of her was alarmed and was telling her to remove the crystal because it was going to burn her.

Charlie forced herself to remain still and it wasn't long before she felt her entire body starting to heat up. She started to feel like she was naked laying out in the sun, her body heating up from the warmth of the sun. It was pleasant at first, but it quickly started to become painful, almost like she should be getting a sunburn over her entire body.

Then as soon as it felt like she'd end up in the burn ward, the sensation was gone. After, even though she was fully clothed, she now felt like she was naked in a blizzard. She wasn't sure if there was more or not when the crystal spoke to her. –The seal has been removed from your magic. If I had my horn you wouldn't have felt the seal being taken off of your magic nor the burn of your magic connecting with you.–

Charlie didn't respond for a minute. Once she started to feel like her body was returning to a regular temperature, she took the crystal in her hands and sat up on her bed cross-legged, otherwise resting the crystal in her lap.

"Are you saying that if I use Petals' horn when I unseal the other's magic they won't feel like they're burning up or freezing afterwards?"

–I can't say what they'd feel, it's different for everyone. Some might feel like there's bugs crawling through them or that they're melting. I don't know of anyone who could predict what the sensation would be like who hasn't already had that happen to them before.– the crystal replied.

"What do I do to unseal their magic?" Charlie asked.

–First I'll need you to get accustomed to working your magic. If you're not steady with it, it could kill them while you're trying to do anything with your magic to them. Give it a few days and I'll see if I can tell you when you'll be able to do that. Mostly I'll be showing you the basics. After you've gotten the basics down, the rest will be up to you. Magic is mostly working the magical energy in a way that you can see in your mind. You should also be able to use your magic to talk with me and Petals whenever you want, especially since you were able to hear both of us before your magic was fully unsealed.–

"What do you mean by 'fully unsealed?' I thought that you said it was sealed," Charlie asked.

–The seal that was place on your magic was a generational seal. That means it was put on the magic of one or more of your ancestors and it had gotten so old that some of your magic was already leaking through, but not enough to detect if anyone tried to see if you had access to it.– the crystal replied.

Charlie didn't know what the crystal exactly meant, but she wasn't going to argue. If the crystal got into the details she probably would get more lost. Besides, she had other things she'd rather focus on. Like how to use her magic.

The crystal explained to her that the magic merely required a focus. It didn't matter what she used for a focus, it didn't even have to be the same focus all the time, though most did have a favorite. The materials for a focus didn't matter either. It merely mattered what Charlie's perception of the focus was. In addition, the more of a connection it had with her, the better the results will be for her.

–Some have taken the focus that they associate with someone they respected and used it better than their own, but that's because of the perception they had with it. Words can be a focus too, though they're unnecessary. Though, I've seen some humans who were unable to use magic unless they used words, even specific phrases because of the perception they had about the words being necessary. Whatever focus you choose, it should be one that works for you and the more of a connection it has with you, the better it will work for you. Although, how much of a connection it has with you, has been a bit of a debate among those who have studied focuses and some have said it didn't make a difference, so it will be up to you, in the end.–

Charlie thought about that for a minute before replying, "So, when I first heard Petals talk to me, I noticed that she could only hear what I was thinking when I was thinking that in relation to her. Is it something like that?"

–Yes, exactly. Petals was the focus of that so she was able to pick up the thoughts because of her magic. Which is how you were able to communicate with her.– the crystal said, sounding rather happy to Charlie.

"So, what now?" Charlie asked, unsure what else to say. She thought she understood when the crystal was telling her, but it was hard to say.

–You should be able to sense your magic. I can't say what it would feel like to you, again it's different for each individual. Hold out your hand and visualize something in your mind while pulling on your magic.– the crystal told her.

"Okay," Charlie replied, taking her right hand from the crystal, letting it fully rest in her lap. She sought her magic in her mind and found it. It seemed like a liquid flame, or that's at least the image that came to mind to Charlie. She looked at her hand and imagined a blooming rose.

As she focused on pulling her magic with the image in her mind, she saw a flame sprout in the palm of her hand. It started to grow until it took the shape of a rose of flame in full bloom.

"Why is it a fire rose?" Charlie asked. "I only thought of a rose."

–It took that form because you didn't focus solely on the rose. I take it the way your magic feels is like a fire in some way. So, as you felt your magic, you likely thought about the feeling of it, so it took the form of a flame as it created what you had in your mind.– the crystal replied.

"So what should I do next? What's the next lesson?" Charlie asked, having a hard time keeping her voice a whisper with how much her excitement had grown.

–Now you do something else. You've touched your magic for the first time. You don't know how tired that is making you. Be patient, the more you work with your magic, the easier it will be. If you continue training with your magic, it might be fine, but you could also lose control of it, and even I can't say how destructive that could turn out to be.– the crystal cautioned her.

"Fine," Charlie replied grudgingly. She sighed as she let the flame rose in her hand die out before getting off of her bed, going over to her desk where she set the crystal down and began working on her homework for the night.