In the distance a herd of unicorns drank from a stream. The sun shone in the clear sky, sending warmth on the ground that was already preparing for the cold that would shortly arrive.
Arachii looked over the unicorns wistfully. They were innocent, in that they knew nothing of what had led them here nor did they know of what Arachii could tell was going on. He'd eliminated the gates to this world, so why was he able to feel shifts like the gates opening in other worlds, he couldn't say.
He had been old when the gates had been closed in the first place. He remembered the war that had led to that action very clearly, and while he didn't see what happened to the greater unicorns, clearly at least one had to have survived, otherwise the gates wouldn't be able to open now.
Even if another greater bicorn had created a new gate, they wouldn't be able to likely have it open without a greater unicorn. Many had tried in the past before the war to speculate as to why, but none had ever come up with an answer. The only explanation that he could think of was that there was an entrance to a Unicorn's Forest in this world somewhere. Unless he stumbled on it, he wouldn't know it was there, just from the nature of Unicorn Forests. Which made him wonder: How long had that entrance been there?
Whatever the answers to his questions were, he had a feeling that something was happening. A rekindling of that old war was also possible. The gates had largely been all sealed by the greater unicorns to stop the war, but then they all fled. Up to this point, Arachii had never known if any had survived. Whatever was going to happen, he had a feeling that he would need to find that entrance.
While he could create a gate, now that all of the gates were unsealed, even the ancient gates that existed and had been closed for one reason or another before he was even born, he wasn't sure if that would be a good idea or where he should have it lead. Whatever else, he knew that detail would be important. Eventually he might take a risk on that point, but at the moment, he felt that he had some time to try and work things out another way, if that would happen. However, first it would be best to try and learn where that Unicorn's Forest entrance would be. If he learned that, he might be able to get a better idea of what was going on and what he could do that would help.
Above all else, he would like to see a greater unicorn again. While the lesser unicorns weren't bad company, the lesser unicorns viewed things differently and were like different shades of the same color. While the differences weren't always apparent, they were still there. As a greater bicorn himself, Arachii preferred the company to greater unicorns rather than the lesser unicorns or even lesser bicorns. Not that most would understand or even appreciate the distinction most of the time.
Arachii sighed. He wished there was anyone else whom he could discuss these issues with that wouldn't take offense. That was one difference between the greater and lesser unicorns, the greater unicorns were willing to view alternate ideas rather than what they'd already decided. Lesser unicorns tended to be more close minded on what they'd already decided on and would sometimes get rather emotional when exposed to ideas that challenged their perspective. Especially if any differences between lesser and greater unicorns or bicorns were brought up.
What would happen if he was too late to help, if it turns out that he's right that that ancient war might be reigniting just because the gates are open again? Arachii wasn't sure he wanted an answer to that. For one thing, he wouldn't be able to change anything if it was. In the end, all he could do was wait and hope that he'd be able to learn if he needed to take action. So much right now hinged on that hope. He didn't want to feel like he'd failed again.
_
Charlie made herself comfortable, or at least as comfortable she could be sitting in Petals' forest against the crystals that seemed to just grow everywhere. She had enjoyed the camping trip with her family after she got back from the camp, but now that she was back from that, it was the first time she'd be around her friends after having opened all of the gates. Before the camping trip, she'd allowed herself barely enough time to enter Petals' forest to return the Heart of the Forest.
She was also aware that not much had occurred in regards to the centaur that had appeared in downtown Denver, though there was discussion about whether it had been real or if it was a hoax. Most had sided with it being a hoax until someone stumbled through the gate there and everyone learned about the gate, not that it convinced most of the centaur being real. Although all that had occurred was that it was taped off and people were prevented from traveling through, at least until they knew what was going on. Or so they say, she had said to herself when she'd learned about it.
She didn't have to wait long before her friends started to arrive. Tim was first, accompanied by Wes. Then as they were settling themselves, Beth and Ralph showed up. And once they were completely settled, Amelia arrived followed a minute later by Hannah.
"Where's Petals?" Amelia asked as she sat down next to Ralph.
"I think she's tending to part of her forest," Charlie said, unsure how she knew this. It was almost like she could tell exactly where Petals was at any moment, as long as both were in the forest. Though, she couldn't tell if it would work when they're both not in the forest, since Petals seemed to be in her forest almost constantly since the Heart of the Forest had returned.
Beth nodded. "Well, lets start," she said, taking charge. "The Heart of the Forest has been returned, we can take a look at it anytime as Petals has told me that we're welcome into her forest any time we want." Beth paused a moment before continuing. "Anything else that should be mentioned?"
Charlie waited, but no one else looked like they were ready to say anything. "Um, did anyone else see the news about the centaur?"
Ralph scoffed. "Come on, that had to be a hoax."
"I'm not sure," Wes commented. "Couldn't there be other things like the entrance to this forest?"
"It's not like there's a 'centaur forest,' now is there?" Ralph replied.
"Actually, it might be just a gate," Charlie commented.
"What do you mean 'a gate?'" Amelia asked.
Charlie explained about opening the gate by Berthoud Pass and how she'd opted to open all of them rather than just that one. "So, I think it could be a gate to another world that I opened that would allow us to move to another world. If I hadn't seen Petals before, I'd have thought the centaur was a hoax as well, but since I have and I know about the gates, I'm pretty sure that the centaur was only the beginning of what we're going to see."
"So, as far as you know, there could be other things that could come out from other worlds that would be something bad, right?" Tim asked.
"I guess," Charlie replied. "When I told Heathcliff about what I did, he pretty much said the same thing."
"Did Heathcliff tell you what he was trying to do in regards to opening the gate?" Hannah asked.
Charlie nodded. "Yeah, he explained how he made a living and how he wanted to go to other worlds because his current method of making a living was going to have to end soon and wanted to see if there was something that he could do or get to make a living on another world."
Ralph laughed. "Not really surprised. I mean, why not?"
"I think it's bad that he'd do something like that," Amelia said.
"Come on," Wes said. "Everyone's trying to get their own niche hustle out there. Why shouldn't Heathcliff be any different?"
"Well, he did have someone attack Petals' forest," Amelia replied.
"Actually, I got the impression that Heathcliff wasn't happy about his men doing that," Charlie interjected. "I got the sense that he wanted the Heart of the Forest just to open a gate and maybe be on friendly terms with Petals. I know I didn't trust them and that's why I opened all of the gates, which who knows how bad that will turn out."
"You have a point there, Charlie," Tim commented. "However, why didn't he return the Heart of the Forest after that?"
"I'm pretty sure that it's because he couldn't be sure he would get another chance to use the Heart of the Forest to open a gate and he wasn't sure how to use the Heart of the Forest to open the gate either. He just was aware that it was needed, but didn't know much more than that," Charlie answered.
"So, what happened when you opened the gate, Charlie?" Beth asked. "Did you look through it?"
Charlie looked at the ground. "Yeah," she replied. "Heathcliff's people wanted me to walk through it. They thought it would open up to an open field."
"What was it?" Amelia asked after Charlie was quiet for a minute.
"It opened up to a canyon of nesting griffins," Charlie replied, her voice getting quieter and quieter as she spoke.
"So, did you look around a bit in that world?" Beth asked.
Charlie shook her head. "I couldn't," she whispered. "I was too high up."
"Wait, why were you 'too high up?'" Ralph asked.
"The gate was in the air above the canyon, I barely caught a rock on this side of the gate before I fell," Charlie replied, puling her legs against her and started hugging them, not sure why she suddenly felt so tense.
"How high up were you?" Amelia asked, putting a hand on Charlie's shoulder.
"I couldn't see the ground," Charlie answered, her voice getting softer, as she felt herself drift back to hanging for her life above the canyon. Part of her was starting to wonder how far the others were going to push this subject. She was starting to feel like she was back in that situation, hanging above her certain death and would be more than happy to move on to another topic. "At least not with any detail."
"Were you pulled up back through the gate by a couple of Heathcliff's people?" Beth asked, a confused expression on her face, her tone indicating her thoughts were on a different track than the others.
"Yeah," Charlie said, as she started rocking, her eyes still mostly seeing the canyon of griffins, from the perspective she had hanging above it, feeling the wind blow against her while she was hanging over a long drop, only part of her hearing what Beth said.
"I see," Beth said, looking into the distance, her expression indicating she was thinking about something and was already miles away.
"Beth, do you know something we don't?" Tim asked, his suspicious tone somehow bringing Charlie back to the present fully.
"I'm not sure," Beth hedged. "It seemed like a dream I had about the time Charlie would have gotten the Heart of the Forest back. In the dream, we were in front of my house, Charlie and me, sitting on a bench that isn't there in the real world and she told me all of this. That she'd gotten the Heart of the Forest back, that she nearly died walking through that gate, that she thought she was going to die, that she was pulled back through the gate by a couple of those who took her to the gate, that she thought that she was fine, and that your crystal fell out of your pocket while you were hanging from the gate." Beth ticked each item on her fingers as she stated them.
When Beth was done, Charlie couldn't respond for a minute. She was stunned. Too many details were the same as in the dream she had when she'd dreamt of talking with Beth. Not to mention that she'd never mentioned any of this to Beth outside of what she had at least thought was a dream.
"How does that mean anything?" Ralph asked. "Couldn't you be changing what was in the dream to suit what we're hearing from Charlie today?"
"I know what I heard," Beth retorted. "The dream already felt weird and towards the end of it, I talked to Charlie about her having been traumatized about nearly dying, and she started to cry about it. Then when I woke up, my pajamas were soaked on the same shoulder she cried on in my dream."
Charlie stood up in alarm. "Wait, I had the same dream," she said, her mind racing as to what might be happening as she started to pace around, needing to move around for some reason she couldn't explain. "You told me something about what your dad had said when he was alive about trauma and told me to talk to my parents about it."
Beth stood up in alarm as well. "What happened?" she asked, her voice more cautious and curious than worried. "Were we actually talking with each other then? In our dreams?"
"I'm not sure, but maybe." Charlie said, not sure if she should actually be saying what she was thinking out loud at this moment. She was also vaguely aware of the others standing up as well. "It did feel weird that I'd hear what you said from my own mind. I was trying to figure out what it might have meant I should do."
"Maybe you should try again tonight?" Ralph suggested. "What did you do to talk with each other in your dreams?"
"I'm not sure I did anything," Beth said. "Before I started talking with Charlie I know I was having a dream, though I can't remember what it was about. When I started talking with Charlie seemed to be the clearest."
Charlie thought a minute. "Well, I went into my mind and drew out some of my magic with my hands and thought about wanting to talk with Beth," Charlie said, mostly to herself as she tried to piece how she might have triggered what happened. "I thought I was dreaming when I did that, but maybe I didn't realize I was doing that because I was just so tired."
"What did you do at the camp to be so tired?" Hannah asked.
"Well, I finished painting the girl's cabin, then I spoke with Heathcliff's people and they took me to the gate by Berthoud Pass, I nearly died, I felt a little out of it when we returned to the camp, then I spoke to Heathcliff, and when I got to bed, it had been dark for a while," Charlie listed, her pacing starting to slow as she ticked off each item in the list.
Wes whistled in appreciation. "Yeah, I can see how you might get pretty tired from that kind of schedule," he commented, walking over to stand next to Charlie.
"Well, if you do that when you're going to sleep, we can see what happens," Ralph said. "Though, how about you try to get the rest of us as well, if you're successful with Beth, and each of us will do something that we don't tell the rest of us. Like maybe writing down a specific number or word or something and we'll share what that is if we are pulled into this dream conference."
"Not a bad idea," Tim commented. "Though, if Charlie does try to get more of us in her dream conference, she'll choose what order to try and get us together in it."
"Should we talk about anything specific?" Hannah asked. "I mean, if we do get this dream conference going, how if we talk about what we'll be doing next? Now that Petals' forest is safe."
"Actually, I was planning on finding another way to that griffin canyon so I can get that crystal back," Charlie said softly, unable to get her voice louder, partly wanting to discuss that subject and partly wanting to disregard Ralph's suggestion altogether, given how she thought it was a moronic idea.
"Can't you just replace your crystal?" Amelia asked. "I mean, it wasn't anything special, was it?"
Charlie looked around and tried to sense Petals. When she felt that Petals was heading towards them, though still a distance from them, she shook her head. "Sorry, I'll explain about it during the 'dream conference,' as Ralph put it," Charlie replied, sitting back down, also unsure just how far away Petals would need to be in order to hear what they were saying clearly. Beth did the same a moment later, followed by everyone else.
"Fair enough," Beth said. "Though, to tell you the truth, after the last 'dream conference,' I was a little freaked out about it. I thought about calling your dad to tell him that I had a bad feeling about you but couldn't think about how to think of how to put it so it wouldn't sound so crazy."
"I completely understand," Wes commented. "I've thought about how I would try to explain anything about our magic and can't think of how to not sound crazy with even the simplest of it."
"Oh, speaking of magic," Amelia blurted. "I finally got a focus for myself."
"What is it?" Tim asked first, earning a scowl from Beth and Wes, and a glare from Hannah. Tim merely chuckled in response.
"This," Amelia said, indicating a small armband on her left arm. It looked like it was made of some sort of fabric that held tightly to her arm. It was yellow and red and each color formed a ring that were at about a ninety degree angle from the other, the colors mixing in the places they connected, creating an X on her arm when looked at from the side.
"Why that?" Ralph asked.
"I made it with my magic," Amelia replied happily.
"How?" Wes asked. "I thought it would be really draining using complex magic without a focus."
Amelia chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, it did knock me out almost every time I worked on it and is part of the reason it took so long to make," she admitted, "but I used my magic to create the thread in the fabric used to make it. Then once I had the thread, I used my magic to weave itself together. It's as flexible as I want it, it doesn't chafe, it keeps itself clean no matter what happens to it, and it doesn't make my arm sweat like other fabrics."