"Nothing you did worked?" Heathcliff asked Carl.
"No, nothing. It was as if we had an ordinary rock that we were trying to use to open it," Carl replied.
"Then I guess that girl is going to be necessary. It would also appear that the information we have available to us is incomplete," Heathcliff said. "Though, it's unclear if it was by design or if there was just information that was lost or is still out there where we haven't been able to locate."
"What are you going to do about that girl? Should Ronald and I go bring her back with us?" Carl asked.
Heathcliff chuckled. "If you say that around others, you'll sound like you're a predator. I know what you mean, but keep in mind that what you were offering sounds a lot like an offer to kidnap her."
Carl didn't seem to be able to reply to that other than to look rather sheepish.
"Keep in mind that the phrasing of what you say has just as much to do with how your words are taken as the words themselves. If you school what you say, you'll have more control over how you say it as well, which further improves of any incantation you make," Heathcliff continued. "That aside, I've already taken steps to get that girl under my control."
"Why did you do that? We didn't know that we really would need her," Carl inquired.
"That's because I took the steps partly on the chance that we would need her, but partly because if she has a connection to the Heart of the Forest, then she likely has a connection to the Unicorn that created the forest the Heart of the Forest came from. Which means that there may be something different about her that we should learn. You never know what information might be useful to have later on as well as what you might learn that wouldn't have been possible to learn otherwise. Then there's how she was able to remain awake for as long as she did after you checked to see if she had access to her magic," Heathcliff answered. "Besides, now would be an excellent time to get control of her in the event she proves useful for more than with the Heart of the Forest."
"Is this through another of those whose magic you unsealed?" Carl asked.
Heathcliff laughed. "You're certainly getting bold. You know I don't tell you all of my contacts. Though, as I think about it, it's possible that we could get that girl on our side if we unseal her magic. Not only would she feel indebted to us, but she'd have to come to us to learn how to use it. Otherwise, she'll drive herself crazy as it does what it wants to on its own."
Carl thought about it for a minute. "So, what should I do next, then?" Carl finally asked.
Heathcliff regarded Carl for a minute before responding. "We'll see. It will take some time before we can get that girl back here so we'll just have to wait for things to get fully set up."
"How long will that take?"
"It should be ready sometime in June. The Heart of the Forest should survive until then at the very least," Heathcliff said.
_
Charlie closed the front door of the house. She was a little confused. Not only had she not seen Beth all day at school, but she didn't even see her as she was leaving or on her entire walk home. That part, however, wasn't what made her confused. Instead, it was how she felt about it that was making her confused. She felt a little lost and a little depressed that Beth wasn't there. Charlie pushed it to the back of her mind so she could think about it later.
Charlie moved away from the door and rather than immediately going to the staircase, she walked to the side of it to see if Cherie was watch tv in the living room.
When she saw her sister, she moved to the living room, and quietly sat down to watch whatever it was with Cherie.
Cherie looked at Charlie, her eyebrow arched, as if to say, 'is this going to be a regular thing?' Charlie didn't say anything, and Cherie didn't either and soon Cherie's attention went back fully to her show.
Charlie could tell it was more My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Which suited her fine, it was the show she was more interested in watching than any of the others she was even aware of at the moment. Even if it wasn't specifically because she liked the series itself.
Though, while Charlie wanted to watch more, when Cherie was done watching, Charlie decided to stop watching for the day herself. She could use the excuse that she had homework to work on, if she felt it was necessary, but she didn't expect Cherie to say anything.
However, as they were leaving, Charlie could have sworn she heard Cherie say something: "What are you up to? You've never been interested in this before. What are you planning?"
While she heard that in Cherie's voice, she could see that her sister wasn't talking. Cherie wasn't even looking at Charlie, so she couldn't be sure what that was. So, Charlie merely decided to just go to her room and see what the crystal would tell her about using her magic.
Cherie stopped at the stairs and turned to her sister. "I'm going to take a shower, don't try anything."
Cherie didn't give Charlie a chance to respond before going up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Charlie wasn't sure what to make of it. It was really something she really didn't know what to make of.
As Charlie entered her room, she dropped her backpack on the side of her desk, sat down at the desk, and picked up the crystal, which was emitting it's usual pink light.
Are you awake? Charlie thought at the crystal.
–I'm always awake, but I don't always turn my senses outward. I have to conserve my energy where I can. I do that here when I can tell that you need to rest. Whether it's physically or to let your magic rest. I will only do that as I feel you need. I don't want to rush you in your learning to work with your magic, so I will take it slow. Otherwise, it could be dangerous to you.–
So, what can you tell me about using magic? Charlie couldn't help but be eager. The thoughts of all the things she could do with magic only made her more excited to use magic.
–First, your magic will be used without you knowing in regards to some things. You'll have to figure out what those are yourself. Everyone has things like that, that their magic does automatically. You can control it, but it will always be on with those aspects. Although rarely there are certain things that your magic will do that you won't be able to control, but that will be because it won't occur very often. Second, take care not to pull too much at once. If you do, it could overwhelm you and swallow you whole. Think of it as too much of a good thing. Anything that is taken to excess is bad, no matter how good it is for you otherwise. Third, you need to find a focus. Something that you can keep with you that is tuned to you in some way. Fourth, let your experiments go slow. You might find some things easier to do with your magic that you might have expected to be harder. Lastly, fifth, the more you know about something the easier it will be to use your magic to get the desired effect. Such as, the more you know about a metal, the easier it will be to shape that metal with your magic. The more you know about the structure of a plant will make it easier to make the plant grow, heal, or anything you might think of.–
Charlie let all the crystal tell her sink in. It was a lot, yet so much of it just flat out resonated with her. She could feel what the crystal tell her and knew that what she was told was accurate. She couldn't say how, but it was almost like she could tell that the crystal didn't have any intention to deceive her. Finally, after being quiet for several minutes, Charlie thought of something to ask the crystal.
What if I lose whatever I have for a focus? Charlie inquired.
–If you lose it, picture your focus in your mind as strongly as you can and your magic will direct you to where it is. It might take some practice, but it will be possible for you to find it with your magic.– the crystal answered.
Could I use you as a focus? Charlie thought at the crystal.
–Yes, thought I've never heard of that happening before.– the crystal replied, sounding rather amused. –But at the same time, you won't be able to get any benefit for it. It will be the same as any other focus you could choose.–
What if I chose myself as a focus? Charlie wondered.
–That would create problems. No one has been able to understand why, but using yourself as a focus won't work. I think it might have to do with that you are the source of your power and a focus is a container that you put it in to utilize that power. If you try using yourself as the container as well as being the source, then it would be like pouring water out of a lake, directly back into the lake. It just hasn't been made to work at all any time someone has tried.– the crystal replied.
So, is that all there is to using magic? Charlie asked.
–We can go over the fine tuning points of it later. That is just merely the basics. Also, keep in mind that if you understand how something works, then it'll require less magic to get the effect you're looking for. So, the more knowledge you have will make it easier for you to use your magic.–
Charlie worked with the crystal working with her magic, getting used to how it felt to use her magic. It wasn't until her mother knocked on her door to let her know that it was dinner-time that Charlie pulled herself away from it.
After dinner and washing the dishes, Charlie went back to her room and focused on her homework then, especially since she hadn't gotten any of it done already, though she knew she probably should have gotten it out of the way first, before going for a magic lesson from the crystal.
Fortunately, Charlie was able to finish it just before it was bedtime for her. She quickly changed into her nightgown and went to brush her teeth. When she got that done, she settled back in front of the desk and picked the crystal up again, glowing a soft blue-green color.
"Other than having Petals horn touch them while I'm working at getting the other's magic unsealed, is there anything else that I'll need to do?" Charlie whispered to the crystal.
–Do you remember what it felt like when you had your magic unsealed? I mean, what you felt happen with the seal? If you follow that feeling, you'll be able to do fine. One of the things most have had trouble with magic is that it's more in line with emotions, sensations, and intuition than it is logical. While having a higher intellect helps with magic, it isn't what moves it forwards. Without the drive of your feelings, it would remain stagnant and not effect anything.– the crystal replied, sounding tired, which made Charlie wonder if it really was being honest, with itself if not only Charlie, when it said that it didn't need to sleep.
However, Charlie didn't feel like confronting the crystal with that thought, but rather just went to bed. Aside from not likely changing anything, she couldn't think of what benefit such a confrontation would have. For the crystal or for Charlie herself.
As Charlie got under her covers and laid her head on her pillow, she couldn't help but wonder what being able to use actual magic would have on her life. No matter what else happens, having magic will never let her go back to the way she had been. She could never pretend that she was as she had been, a girl that merely tried to get by without disturbing anything. With magic, she probably could reduce any disturbance if she felt like it, just by using her magic to mitigate any problems. Not that she would seek out any disturbance. Then there was the part with Beth and her friends. While Charlie wasn't yet sure if Beth should be considered a friend, talking with Beth and her friends wasn't as much of a chore as it had been before. Like the time when Charlie was pushed by her parents to hang out with them during Tim's last birthday. At that time, she felt like a plant repotted in a poor environment, but now she hardly felt like that anymore.
_
Charlie closed her locker door at the end of the school day, and was only mildly surprised to see Beth suddenly next to her. She didn't mind Beth's presence anymore, but was still glad when Beth didn't try for physical contact. Though, she didn't lower her guard, in the event Beth tried for it again. Not that Charlie was sure she could fend off any attempt.
"Where were you yesterday," Charlie asked as they walked next to each other on their way out of the school.
"My mom pulled me out of school shortly before the end of school for a doctor's appointment. She hadn't even told me that I had a doctor's appointment," Beth replied, laughing.
"I thought it was weird when you weren't around after school," Charlie said. "It almost felt like it might have been a prank of some sort."
Beth stopped and stared at Charlie. "Seriously?" A grin slowly spread over Beth's face until she just burst out laughing. And Charlie tried to dodge Beth attempting to put her arm around Charlie's shoulders, but failed. She tried shrugging off Beth's arm, but as usual, Beth had no trouble keeping hold of Charlie.
"Please let me go," Charlie requested, miserable that she was reduced to being at Beth's mercy.
"But why?" Beth asked, in mock shock. "The day is grand. My new friend was lost without me."
What are you on? Charlie silently asked. Resigning herself to being under Beth's control. Would this situation ever end? Charlie couldn't help but wonder.
As they left the school, Beth released Charlie and began walking companionably next to her. Charlie also moved away from Beth a step or two, which left them a little more than arm's length from each other.
"Have you thought about the crystals in Petals' forest?" Beth asked after they were far enough away from the school that it was out of sight.
Charlie considered the question for a minute. "Not really. I've been thinking about other things," Charlie replied, not sure if she shouldn't have thought about those crystals that seemed to her to grow out of the ground in that forest.
"I didn't think so. Not with your questions involving how to tell if someone is a friend or not," Beth commented casually, almost as if it was a topic they'd discussed before.
It took a minute before Charlie registered what Beth had fully said. "What are you talking about?" Charlie asked, uneasy at what direction this topic would take.
"I'm talking about what you talked with Alex Williams about earlier this week," Beth said. "You were wondering if you could think of me as a friend, so you could satisfy Allison's insatiable curiosity."
Charlie stopped walking without realizing it. Two conversations that no one else should really be able to connect, since Charlie couldn't think of anyone knowing about both conversations.
Beth continued walking for a few steps before she realized that Charlie had stopped. "Are you okay?" Beth asked as she stopped as well, turning to face Charlie, a worried expression on her face.
Charlie tried talking, but not only was her throat suddenly dry, but her voice wasn't interested in cooperating with her at this time.
Beth pulled Charlie to her and touched their foreheads together. "Hmm," Beth commented. "You don't seem to have a fever. Is something else wrong?"
Finally after a painful swallow, Charlie got her voice working again. "How'd you know about those conversations," she asked, not even trying to figure out how Beth had become aware of the conversations, let alone how she connected the two.
Beth laughed. "Well, you know I have my sources, and a good journalist doesn't reveal their sources without consent from their source."
"If you can't tell me, then I don't have to say anything more to you," Charlie replied, not sure where her nerve was coming from, telling Beth off like that. Charlie tried walking past Beth and leaving her, but Beth merely started walking along beside her again.
"C'mon, Charlie," Beth pressed. "I gotta know the answer to that."
"I've already given you the price of that information," Charlie replied, "If you're not willing to pay that price, then it just means that you're really not that interested in the answer to your question."
Charlie wanted to look straight ahead of her, but when Charlie finished with her last statement, she thought she heard Beth say, "Charlie's sure on fire today. Wonder what Allison would make of this." As Charlie registered that, she looked at Beth and saw that she hadn't said anything, she was merely lost in thought, but her attention focused on Charlie as she noticed Charlie looking at her.
"What?" she asked.
"Could have sworn you said something," Charlie replied.
"I did, but then you went on about what the cost of your answer would be," Beth said.
"I see. Thought you mentioned Allison and I can't figure out what she has to do with this," Charlie said, looking back ahead.
"Wait, what?" Beth stammered. "Why'd you bring up Allison?"
Something in Beth's voice made Charlie look at her. Beth looked a lot more shocked than Charlie would have expected. "I said that I thought you had said something and that it had something to do with Allison."
"Why'd you think that?"
"Can't say," Charlie replied. "I don't know what she'd have to do with any of this either."