By the time she got there, the sun was going down and the women had almost finished preparing the evening meal.

'Tikal. Come and lead us.' Nemia said firmly.

Tikal simply nodded, avoiding eye contact with the man as she sat down by two of the mothers. She helped them finished the meal before she got up to lead her tribe in their traditional song and dance. Nemia wanted to tell the girl how he was proud of her not to disobey after his outburst today, but he was just too ashamed. After the traditions were complete, the teenager sat down again and began eating with the others.

'Where did you go today, Tikal?' Lolita, one of the children, asked her.

'Just for a walk, dear one, I finished my book.' Tikal lied, still maintaining her gracious smile.

'What was it about? Was it about a princess locked away in a castle?'

'Was it about a knight in shining armour battling monsters?' Another small echidna chimed in.

'Neither, young ones. It was about a girl who lived in a small village with many lovely people, all whom she loved dearly. However, she was growing older and wanted to explore the world more, meet new people, see new places and see what she had been missing out on.' Tikal smiled as all the children began crowding around to listen to her story.
'One day she got up the courage to ask her father to leave and he grew very angry, not allowing the young girl to leave and this made her very upset.' Her smile faltered before she looked up at Nemia who was watching her tell the story with a sad smile.

'What did she do next, Tikal?' Ava asked, the suspense killing her.

Tikal thought about this question for a second, knowing her next move was crucial. Nemia knew very well what her 'book' was really about, and would assume whatever she told the young children the 'girl' did was going to be the teenagers next move. He looked at her, hope in his eyes, as he awaited her next sentence.

'She stayed with her tribe, with her family.' Tikal said bluntly as she looked at her fatherly-figure, watching him let out a relieved sigh.

'Wasn't she still curious?' Lolita asked.

'More than ever.' Tikal said with a lop-sided smile, looking back down at them.

The children of the tribe continued to ask Tikal more and more questions about her story, all of which she would come up with an interesting answer but still dull enough to not let Nemia or any of the other elders get any idea. She was leaving, and she was leaving tonight. Not forever… as promised. But for long enough to find out what she was missing out on.

That night, after the bonfire was completely out and everyone was fast asleep, Tikal grabbed a small shoulder bag she used for exploring. A beautiful material bag, green with black patterns imprinted all over it, a gift from the tribe for her seventeenth birthday. She filled it with a few books that contained maps and instructions that may be of use, a few bundles of berries and her most prized possession of all… her grandmother's necklace. A gold pendant with the Master Emerald hanging off it.

She wrote a short note and placed it on her pillow, more than likely to be found by Nemia. She thought it only fair they knew that she at least wasn't kidnapped or something awful. It read:

My dear family,

I love each and every one of you, and I wouldn't change the past even if I could. I'm glad we had the opportunity to spend these many years together, even if the majority of it was in silence. However, it is time that I leave and see what the rest of the world beholds for me.
Please remember, I am not leaving forever. I wish to return, very much so. However, I have to know what is out there. I'm sorry if I upset or anger any of you, but please try and see my side.

Peace and Harmony, Tikal.

Tikal read the note over and over again, still having second thoughts about even leaving. In the end, she quickly threw it on her bed and ran out of her hut before running into the forbidden forest. Legend has it, according to her tribe, that no one has gone in and come out alive. They believed there were evil spirits lurking about within the forest, threatening to steal the souls of those who were innocent and pure.

Tikal of course knew these were just old wives tales in order to scare the youngsters away from getting lost in the forest, but even if the stories were true… It wouldn't matter, they were all reincarnated anyway. She wasn't going to be the one to break that to the kids just yet though.

The young echidna ran for as long and as fast as her little, lanky legs could take her until she was desperate for air and collapsed in the dirt by a small shrub. She placed her hands on her chest and gasped for air before she slowly sat up and tried to inspect how far she had come. Black, pitch black. All she could see were a few trees in front of her and that was only thanks to the moonlight. She collapsed back down and wiped the sweat from her face and continued to pant.

She finally stood up and continued her journey, walking the rest of the way. Judging from the moon, it was the very early hours of the morning. She was sleep deprived, disoriented and dehydrated by now and wasn't sure if she could keep going for much longer. Clearly, she had underestimated the size of the forbidden forest.

The young girl tripped over a log and face planted a patch of dirt before slowly looking up and realising she had finally reached the other side of the forest. She smiled as she looked around and could see the outlines of a path that must have lead down to… a… village…

Exhaustion got the better of her, and she finally passed out.