–It's been a while since I saw one of you. I wanted to see if you might know where others might be or what might have happened to any of the others.– Arachii stated calmly, as if Charlie hadn't just explained that Petals wouldn't know.
–What do you mean? It wasn't until recently that I learned there was more outside of my forest. How would I know where others might be? And also, what do you mean by 'one of you?' What are you talking about anyway? Besides, I can tell there are more unicorns just outside this valley, listening in on us.– Petals retorted. Charlie was actually a little surprised at the tirade. In fact, all of them, aside from Ralph seemed surprised. Ralph seemed more amused and entertained than anything.
Arachii sighed. –If you don't know then, you don't. If you did know what I what been hoping you knew, then you wouldn't have to ask what I meant by the other things. Since you don't know, don't worry about it. We can be a safe retreat place for you if you really want. If you also don't want us to, we won't enter your forest. It would be rude to intrude on your home if you didn't want us there.– Arachii said, sounding a little put out to Charlie, though Petals didn't seem to notice. Petals seemed to bounce back right from being annoyed to overjoyed at seeing Arachii. For what reason, Charlie couldn't tell.
–If you'd like, Arachii, you could invite the other unicorns over here and we could enjoy each other's company while we get ready for the night.– Tim suggested.
–That sounds good.– Arachii replied. –I'm sure the others would like that.–
The other unicorns didn't waste any time walking over to them, and it almost seemed to be like a party with how enthusiastic the other unicorns seemed to be with asking questions and suggesting things they could do. The small campfire was quickly stoked into a bonfire.
The evening wore on and the sky settled in for the night as stars spread across the sky. Charlie didn't recognize any of the constellations, not that she was surprised. It was a different world from hers after all.
Every so often one the other unicorns walked off to the side of the small encampment every now and then and fell asleep, standing still, which made Charlie wonder if they were becoming statues or something. At least until she saw that their tails didn't remain still, occasionally swatting at a bug or some itch. Eventually, the others went to get in their sleeping bags and they fell asleep. It wasn't until all the unicorns were done that Charlie's friends started to go to their sleeping bags, starting with Hannah. After Wes had gone to his sleeping bag, that left Charlie, Arachii, and Petals around each other. Charlie mostly stared into the flames of the fire, the supply of old driftwood nearby allowing them to keep it going strong. Though Charlie was aware of the bicorn and unicorn conversing, she didn't hear anything.
She wasn't really surprised but did feel a little left out. Though, she was used to not being included, so it didn't bother her much. However, as she thought about it, being included felt more awkward and she started to wonder if that might be part of why she didn't really feel like part of her group of friends. In all, not hearing Petals' and Arachii's conversation allowed her to enjoy the peace of the evening. The only sounds she had to deal with was the stream continuing to flow, Ralph's quiet snores, the rustle of a sleeping bag as one of her friends shifted in their sleep, the sounds from the dying fire, and the occasional quiet breeze.
Charlie was about to go to her sleeping bag when Petals started walking away to her forest and soon was in her forest, without having said anything to Charlie. Charlie wasn't really that upset about it, but it did hurt a little, not that she could pinpoint why.
–You seemed like you were holding back something earlier.– Arachii commented to Charlie.
"Yeah, there's a lot that I can't say, at least to Petals about what I know about her," Charlie said without even thinking.
–Why wouldn't you be able to tell her about it? She is the one who should know.– Arachii pressed.
"It's because I promised," Charlie said, still staring into the flames. "I found a crystal in Petals' forest that unsealed my magic and helped me figure out what needed to be done to get the Heart of the Forest back, but it told me things that I wasn't to tell others, but mostly because it would be harder to keep it from Petals."
–What did it tell you?– Arachii asked.
Charlie relayed what she remembered the crystal telling her, though she was confident that she wasn't remembering everything. However, it seemed that what she did remember was enough to gain Arachii's trust. Charlie also relayed what had led to her meeting Petals as well as what happened to the crystal. She couldn't think of anything else to do, and she couldn't say why, but being around Arachii felt almost like being around Petals. Somehow that presence was comforting enough that she found herself talking more than she had planned or normally did. Almost like she'd been enchanted by Arachii in the way Emily had tried. It also had the feeling like a flood had erupted and even if Charlie really wanted to stop talking, she might not be able to. Which actually worried her a little, not that she could say exactly why.
–So, you can't tell Petals this without getting the crystal back, and it fell into that griffin canyon?– Arachii asked when Charlie finished speaking.
Charlie nodded, turning her gaze from the bonfire to Arachii. "Yeah, I was told that if I told her any of this that it could interfere with her getting her memories back when it's time."
–That would also explain why she has the body of a mare but the mind of a filly.– Arachii mused.
Charlie wasn't sure what to make of that statement, so she merely ignored it and moved on. "Now I have to figure out how to get back to that griffon canyon so I can get the crystal," she merely said, hoping Arachii might have a suggestion.
–Which world is the griffon canyon on?– Arachii asked.
"The one through the gate at Berthoud Pass in my world," Charlie replied, not sure how else to describe it.
–No, young one. I mean, which world is it? What name has it been given?– Arachii clarified.
"I couldn't say," Charlie replied, turning to look at the flames again. "Before that point, I didn't even really know about other worlds altogether."
–Hmmmm. Then how would you know if you're on the correct world if you do manage to get there?–
"I'll know because I used the crystal as a focus when I first had my magic unsealed."
–What?!– Arachii cried in Charlie's mind, his tone telling just how appalling he found the idea.
"The crystal said it shouldn't be a problem," Charlie defended herself, not sure if Arachii would be willing to help her in any way if she didn't convince him that she hadn't done something very wrong.
–What name did the crystal tell you had been the unicorn's name before she removed her memories? You were told that, weren't you?–
Charlie thought for a minute, then remembered when Beth had asked her pretty much the same question. "Alairna. She told me that her name was Alairna."
Arachii was silent for a while. Charlie didn't press the bicorn during that time, the only sounds were the same as before occasional sound from one of the other unicorns or Charlie's friend, the rustling of the grass in the valley, the music of the stream as it continued flowing by, Ralph's snoring, and the occasional popping of the dying fire. Finally, when Charlie was starting to give up on anything further from Arachii, he spoke.
–If that really is her name, then you have to get that crystal back as quickly as you can.– Arachii said, surprising Charlie with the firmness of his tone. Not only was all the hostility gone, but now it seemed like he was almost impatient for Charlie to get the crystal back.
"Do you have any suggestions?" Charlie asked. She wasn't sure what to do at the moment, other than seeing what worlds Petals' forest connects to.
–Do you remember what I'd mentioned about what bicorns are able to do versus unicorns?–
Charlie shook her head. "Not really. I caught some of it, but a lot didn't make sense to me.
–Very well. Greater bicorns can create or completely destroy gates while greater unicorns can open or close those gates. Neither can do what the other is able to do.–
"Wait, what do you mean 'greater bicorns' and 'greater unicorns?'" Charlie asked, suddenly not sure if they were on the same topic anymore.
–The unicorns that were with me are lesser unicorns. They're much the same as the greater unicorns, but for a few key differences. Greater unicorns can close or seal any and all gates and create a forest that exists outside all worlds and connects some. Greater bicorns can create a gate between any two worlds they choose. The gates will frequently open closed, or sealed, and so would require a greater unicorn to open it. For it to open unsealed, it would require me to be intimately familiar with both where I am at that moment as well as where I want to open it to. For a new greater unicorn or bicorn to be born, it can only through the normal relations between a greater male and female of the species, which would be a unicorn and bicorn. Lesser unicorns and bicorns do not like to be referred to as 'lesser.' I understand why, but at the same time, some distinction needs to be made and I don't know how else to put it.– Arachii said. –Lesser unicorns and bicorns are born when they reproduce themselves or when a greater bicorn or unicorn reproduce with either a horse, pony, or lesser bicorn or unicorn.–
Charlie thought there was a little more information than she'd really needed. For one, of course if a unicorn is the female counterpart to the male bicorn, that they'd need to get together if they were to have any young and she really didn't need to know how 'lesser' unicorns and bicorns came about.
"What can you tell me about the unicorn's forest? I understand a little, but I'm not fully sure if that's all there is or if it's only a small fragment."
–The forest is a kind of gate in itself. It can connect as few as two worlds or as many as five. If they connect two worlds, then it's more of a bridge and can only be temporary, but even three or four worlds can't be permanent, though they can last longer. The forest has to take five worlds for it to be permanent. I've known a few to try and get their forest to connect with more than five and only one survived. If their forest disappears while they're in their forest, then they're lost forever. Maybe it's possible they can still be saved somehow, but I've never heard of that happening.
–In the forest, the Heart of the Forest is at the same time part of the unicorn that created the forest and separate. It reflects the unicorn that created it, but the Heart is its own entity. If the unicorn dies, the Heart will still remain and can still function in whatever method it needs. The Heart can also act as a mediator with the ability of opening and closing gates. It can only be accessed by someone who is considered a friend by a greater unicorn. Much of this is known to us, but the reasons for it still haven't been determined. Maybe it's just the way the magic works, maybe it's something else.
–In the end, that unknown is what ultimately sparked the war that ended with the greater unicorns fleeing to their forests and closing all the gates. Some felt that if greater unicorns didn't submit to them, then they would become the new caretakers of the gates. They felt that if they couldn't control the gates then no one should be able to control them. I'm still not sure if that was all of their rationale or if there were other reasons that they didn't share. I can only say what our side had learned.–
Charlie took a few minutes to process all that Arachii had just said. She doubted she'd remember all of it but didn't want to say anything to that effect. It felt like the bicorn had needed someone to talk to and Charlie had made him comfortable enough for him to just unload on her like that. Kind of like how she was when she was talking more than she typically did. Of course, she also couldn't think of what else to say in response at first. However, a thought occurred to her that allowed her to ignore most of the bicorn's lecture.
"Can a forest be closed? I mean, like a gate," Charlie asked.
–Not in the same way. A seal can be placed over the entrance, but that doesn't mean it's closed. The seal will never be permanent, eventually it will fade away. As I said, a gate that's sealed is that it's closed. When a gate is closed, you can't tell it's there unless you can sense the gate's magic or were already aware of its presence. However, the longer it's closed, the harder it is to sense. Before you opened all of the gates, some of them hadn't been open in millennia.–
"How do you create a gate? And is there something that would allow someone else to act as a mediator to create a gate, just like the heart of the forest for opening or closing the gates?"
–No, there isn't. Again, I have no idea why, just that it is.–
"What does it take to create a gate?"
–Either I would need to know what location in mind to open the gate to or someone to provide that information. As long as there's a clear image of where it would open, then I'd be able to open it. If it isn't a clear picture, it may not work or open to somewhere else altogether, and not necessarily a safe location. Even if through luck it's a safe location, it could be days and days from where you'd want it to be open to and while it's usually where it's supposed to open to when everything works perfectly, it's sometimes still be close to where it was supposed to open to. And by close, I mean within a day's ride.–
"Would you be willing to open a gate to the griffon canyon? It would help get Petals her memories back." Charlie wasn't sure if she should ask about what he meant by 'a day's ride.' She assumed it was a unit of measurement that he used and it might not be easily translated to her if she asked him to explain it.
Arachii sighed. –Normally I'd be happy to do that, but given its in a griffon canyon, I'd have to decline. If it was to get a Heart of the Forest, then I'd be willing to risk it, but we're not. Griffins look at bicorns and unicorns as potential meals. While they may not have noticed you where you were, they tend to be more aware of what's happening on the ground. If I opened a gate and you went through to get the crystal, the griffons could take a look to what's on the other side of the gate before you finish what you need to do where I could destroy the gate. Which means that they'd see there's potential meals over here, as far as they're concerned, and that's assuming it isn't high in the air or on a canyon ledge. So, I'm afraid I can't help you with that.–
Charlie nodded, not really that surprised. "It's okay. I didn't really think about that," Charlie replied, not sure what else to say. Then, another idea came to mind, or at least the beginning of an idea. "Would you be able to open a gate anywhere else? Like, somewhere on my world?"
–I assume you have a location in mind?– Arachii asked.
"I think so, the guy who had one of his people take the Heart of the Forest from Petals' forest agreed to help me, but he's a distance from where I live and so it would be difficult to get his help. Also, he was thinking of seeking permission from Petals to send some of his people through her forest to explore other worlds. He was also the one who wanted me to open the gate when I opened all of them," Charlie answered, not sure if Arachii would accept given the danger Petals' forest had been put in because of Heathcliff's people.
Arachii didn't reply immediately. Charlie didn't rush him, given she didn't think that it would go in her favor if she tried to push the issue.
Finally, Arachii seemed to have made a decision. –Alright. I'll create a gate for you, provided Petals has no objections, in the morning when she returns. You can then go to this Heathcliff and let him know my terms. If he has anyone pass through this world, they need to abide by my laws and not bother any unicorn or bicorn. They also will need to not bring trouble here if they can help it. Furthermore, no Enemy of a Unicorn may enter here either.– Arachii stated flatly.
Charlie was more surprised that he'd agreed to it than the conditions he listed. "Thanks," Charlie said. "I was more worried about getting help with supplies for me and my friends to seek the crystal. It would be hard to keep things like that from our parents otherwise."
–Why would you want to keep things like this from them?–
Charlie sighed. "Well, it's partly not to make them worry, partly because where we're from, magic isn't considered real. Even unicorns are myth and I haven't heard anything about bicorns. That idea is being challenged since a centaur appeared publicly through a gate near where I lived, but since it was that one time, there's speculation that it wasn't real or something."
–How would you explain to your parents about an absence for a period that would be necessary to find and retrieve the crystal? It's not going to be a quick search.–
"We're still working out some of the details," Charlie defended, but realized that she hadn't even considered that point. How long would they be gone for?
–That would be a good detail to figure out if you're not going to tell your parents about all of this.–
"One reason we haven't considered things like that is because all of this is still so new to us," Charlie commented, starting to feel tired. "It's only been a few months since we learned about unicorns being real. Magic is still something we're figuring out how to work. Maybe it's because of that, that we're still unsure of how to go about things like that." A sudden thought occurred to Charlie.
"Could you tell me where the gates connect to? It seemed that Heathcliff's people thought the gate in Berthoud Pass thought it would go somewhere other than the griffon canyon."
–Do you mean for me to travel with you and tell you where the gates on each world connect to? Or are you just asking in general?– Arachii asked, looking off into the distance. Whether he was looking at anything in particular in the dark or just into the distance, Charlie couldn't say.
Charlie thought about the questions for a minute before answering. "I guess I'd like you to accompany us so we'd know what world each gate would connect to and we could avoid ones that would take us to somewhere inhospitable, like in the middle of a tundra or something.
–Sorry, but from what little you've told me about the gates suggests that while they were closed, there was a gate shift.–
"Wait, what's a gate shift?" Charlie interrupted.
Arachii looked back at Charlie. –A gate shift is when the gates shift where they lead. Open gates will only shift with other open gates while closed gates will only shift with closed gates. It's a very rare occurrence that only happens every few millennia. There is no way to tell which gates will shift with which gates. Since the gates were all closed, it's clear that a shift occurred, so there is no way for anyone, including me to know where any gate will lead without going through them personally. The only thing that wouldn't shift would be the entrances to a unicorn's forest, and even then those can change if the unicorn releases an anchor to her forest. The anchor will automatically latch onto a new world, with no way of knowing which or where in that world with the exception of if she removes all the anchors at once or if her forest fades around her and she's either lost forever or falls into one of the worlds that her forest connected to.–
"Thanks anyway," Charlie said, standing up. "I just wish there was a way to get this to go so I can get the crystal back fast and fix things so everything can go back to as normal as it had been."
–No matter how long this takes, I don't think things will ever be as normal as they had been for you, considering what you've had occur since then. Even if it takes until you're what you would consider old, you won't end up any farther from being your 'normal' as you are right now.–
"Maybe, but I'd like to keep things from getting farther from there as possible. That's all," Charlie said, yawning. "Goodnight, Arachii."
–Good night, young one.–
Charlie was surprised at how tired she was suddenly. Maybe it was a side effect from having overused her magic, but she wasn't sure. Maybe Arachii used magic on her to make her tired. She just knew that she suddenly needed to sleep.