You shall not pass!

When the girls finally stopped running they discovered two wooden doors with copper knockers. "Alright which do we choose?" Alanna asked. There came a muffled response and Mari walked over to the knocker with the ring in his mouth.

"Did you say something?" she asked taking the ring out.

"I said that you should knock and find out! Oh it feels so good to have that thing out of my mouth!"

"Yeah, well don't get too used to it." Alanna said an impish smile on her face as she took the ring from her new friend.

"Huh?" The knocker said and Alanna shoved the ring back in his open mouth. "ugh! Fell for it again!" the knocker mumbled after Alanna knocked and the door swung open.

"Very nice Alanna!" Mari commented.

"Thank you, thank you." Alanna said bowing as they stepped through. On the other side of the doors they found a bunch of trees and a bunch of fuzzy, odd looking, red and orange colored creatures. One struck a match and it flared to life, the falme the same color as the fuzz on the creatures.

"Fireys!" Mari exclaimed remembering them from the book. The fireys began to dance and sing,

"When the sun goes down (when the sun goes down)
And the bats are back to bed (and the bats are back)
The brothers come 'round (the brothers come 'round)
I get out of my dirty bed (my dirty bed)
I shake my pretty little head (I shake my pretty little head)
Tap my pretty little feet (tap my pretty little feet)
Feeling brighter than sunlight (oh)
Louder than thunder (oh)
Bouncing like a yo-yo, wooh (oh)

Don't got no problems (no problems)
Ain't got no suitcase (no suitcase)
Ain't got no clothes to worry about (no clothes to worry about)
Ain't got no real estate or jewelry or gold mines to hang me up.

I just throw in my hand (throw in my hand)
With the chilliest bunch in the land (in the land)
They don't look much (oh)
They sure chilly chilly (oh)
They positively glow glow-"

As they sang Alanna danced along with them until Mari tugged on her arm gently. "Alanna, Channette?" She said reminding her friend of the rescue she was supposed to be leading.

"Right! How could I forget?! Nettie, Nettie, Nettie. Nettie!" She said as if to memorize what she was supposed to be doing.

"C'mon, lets go." Alanna said taking Mari's hand again but not before a firey handed them each a yummy looking peach.

"Ok! How do we get out of here?" Alanna mused.

"Can you climb rocks?" Mari asked eyeing a rope that hung just above the climbable half of a rockwall.

"Sorta." She said eyeing the wall suspiciously and rolling her eyes when she saw Mari begin to climb. Alanna began to follow and suddenly had a rope in her face,

"What the?" She muttered looking up to see Mari tugging on the rope to make sure it was secure before she began to climb it. When she reached the top Alanna began to climb. Upon reaching the top the duo was off running again.

They were running and at the same time both girls happened to take a bite out of their peach. Suddenly a trap door opened beneath their feet. Both girls let out a single short sharp shriek as the slid down. When at last they stopped sliding they grabbed on to what once was probably a twisted metal staircase.

"Woah. I think that peach was bad." Mari said as she stood carefully.

"Either that or the trip down here was too jarring." Alanna said her forehead creasing as her stomach turned summersaults. "Ugh, what is that smell?" she asked as her face turned sour.

"I don't know lets just try to get out of here as quickly as possible." Mari said reaching a hand out to help Alanna to her feet. Alanna accepted and stood cautiously. They hugged the wall and walked on the narrow ledge. They quickly came across some loose bricks and as the bricks came apart the girls fell with them. They hit the ground with an audible thud.

"Ow… Not cool!" Alanna said rubbing her lower back. From somewhere near her ear she heard familiar bell like chimes. "Belle, where've you been? Never mind don't answer that." She stood slowly and helped Mari to her feet. With Belle in the lead together they made it to a bridge guarded by a small fox wearing clothes associated with nobles. He stood and barred their way,

"None shall pass!" the little fox said looking rather majestic.

"Little fox, what's your name?" Mari asked holding her hand to her temple.

"Sir Didymus, fair maiden."

"Right, Didymus You see we're not feeling so good so you might want to let us pass before we puke on you." Alanna said holding her hand to her stomach.

"ick. I'd do as she says noble sir, she doesn't kid around." Mari said wrinkling her nose.

"I'm sorry fair maiden but none shall pass with out my permission." Didymus replied. Mari said nothing for a moment; she simply tugged on the corner of Alanna's shirt.

"Why is the world spinning?" She asked before collapsing. Alanna looked to where the girl had been staring and saw nothing. Within moments she too was unconscious.