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 goodbyes 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, regardless of if they believed her story when she was able to find her voice again.
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 gentler 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, for a week," 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 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 and mature 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.