Author's Note: I apologize for the delay, but I was busy with college and theatre and I also lost motivation to write lmao. Hopefully whoever reads this chapter enjoys it. Reviews are always welcome.

xo, hanasinspring

The Enchanted Forest

—

The crowd grew larger and larger by the minute.

Anneliese and Erika lingered near the back, food in hand as they looked to each other for an answer neither of them knew. Peaceful, the passengers of the ship said. The southernmost kingdom and its village were peaceful. All of the three kingdoms were and yet they stood near a crowd filled with angry roars and shouts. The last thing they needed were pitchforks.

"The Crystalias has gone missing!"

"The festival! What about the festival, Papa?"

"Quiet!" A woman dressed in regal attire stood on what looked to be some sort of stage. "As queen I command you all to be quiet. Yes, the Crystalias is missing, but that doesn't mean there's a need to panic. My guards as well as everyone in Magiana are scouring to find the relic. I assure you we will find it before the new moon. You have my word."

The girls did not move despite their need to find the Enchanted Forest.

"Find it before the new moon? We're supposed to believe that?" a member from the crowd jeered.

Soon enough the uproar began again. Anneliese and Erika did not stay around to see the rest of the debacle, instead they chose to look over the map and figure out a way into the Enchanted Forest. If they had come before Odette had allowed visitors into the forest, it would have been much harder, but the Enchanted Forest was now open to the public so long as they kept their wits about them.

While small, the village reminded Erika of home. The warm colors complimented the blue skies. Yes, the villagers were not happy at this very moment, but when they arrived on the shores of the southernmost kingdom, Erika had smiled, awash with nostalgia. She wondered if Anneliese felt the same.

They walked at a leisurely pace, taking the town. It was no Parthenia as they had come to know the shores they ended up on. There'd been talk of the beauty of Parthenia, and if they had come to Magiana willingly, Anneliese and Erika would have explored the kingdom thoroughly, but alas they did not have the time. The Gingerbread Village sounded like a dream.

It wasn't long before the two found the entrance.

"We have to go across that?" Anneliese pointed toward the enormous log going through a waterfall. "I don't think so." She took a hold of Serafina, holding the feline close to her.

"C'mon, Anneliese, where's your sense of adventure?" Wolfie had already begun to cross the log. "Wolfie!" Erika admonished before going after him.

"Back home. In the palace." Anneliese wasn't sure if Erika heard her, but she was glad not to be in a dress for once and instead donned some pants and a long shirt. "Okay, o-kay. You can do this, Anneliese. You survived the mines after all."

It was slow, yes, but Anneliese began her journey across the log. Her knuckles grew white as she held Serafina in a tight grip. Anneliese did not look down, she refused to, and so she kept her eyes on Erika's retreating figure before her friend turned to her once off the log and waved.

"You can do it, Anneliese!"

A wry smile found its way to Anneliese's lips.

She did not trip and fall to her death, thank goodness. Serafina leapt out of her hands and onto the forest floor as they reached the end. Erika held out a hand to her friend and Anneliese was more than grateful to take it.

"Thanks," she said, a quiver in her voice.

"Of course."

They arrived at twilight. The Enchanted Forest was abuzz with fireflies and woodland creatures.

A woman with a kind smile and an elaborate tiara floated down to greet them. Her long brown hair tumbled down in waves. "You may call me the Fairy Queen." Her gentle voice was enough to put anyone at ease.

"I'm Erika." She curtsied. "A pleasure to meet you."

"And I'm Anneliese." Anneliese did the same. "These two are Serafina and Wolfie."

Wolfie yowled in response while Serafina looked up from licking her paw, tilted her head to the side as she studied the Fairy Queen and meowed.

"What brings you here?"

"Well," Anneliese started. "Erika and I aren't exactly certain as to how we ended up in Magiana, but here we are. We figured someone—anyone, from the Enchanted Forest could help us out of this predicament so we traveled here by ship. It's beautiful here, but we really need to get back home."

"I see." The Fairy Queen placed a hand on her chin. "I'm afraid I cannot help you get back home. The only thing that can take you back is the Crystalias and I believe you already know this, but it's gone missing."

Erika's shoulders slumped.

Anneliese sighed.

"But if the two of you are able to find it before the new moon appears in eleven days, I'm sure the people would not mind you using it to go back home. The only thing I can give you before you make your journey across Magiana is a hint: A valley hidden by wings is a most precious thing. The sea that blows north as a kingdom comes forth. Start where you stand, you will find where you land."

"But we don't even know what the Crystalias looks like," Erika interjected. "How will we know when we find it?"

"The Crystalias is made up of six crystals, each to represent a part of Magiana. When it is fully formed it takes on the appearance of a flower." She looked to the sky. "Since it is late, you may stay here for a spell."

"Thank you," Anneliese and Erika said simultaneously.

The girls soon met Carlita, Ivan, Jenny, Liana, Marisa, and Kelly; small elves residing within the Enchanted Forest and it wasn't long before night fell and the true beauty of the forest came alive.

The elves told stories of Odette and Daniel. It seemed there were many stories to tell in Magiana, but Anneliese and Erika did not tell their own. They kept their story tucked inside their hearts for safekeeping.

—

The citadel for shadows was dimly lit, an onslaught of rain pouring down and seeping into the ground. Laverna sat perched at the helm, the Mouse King to her right and Wenlock to her left. They were all that was left of, what the people liked to call, evil and darkness.

A strange glow shone on Lavern's face as she stared into her crystal ball. "Interesting," she purred. "Let's make sure that they don't make it out of the kingdom, or better yet, the Enchanted Forest."

Wenlock glared as he was not quite accustomed to being bossed around by a woman, but he dared not say a word as Laverna had all the power. Nor did he like siding with a rat, king or not. He stifled a shudder. One day, when he got his powers back, he would rule all of Magiana. Until then, he would bide his time.

The Mouse King's indignant voice had Laverna turning her head to the side. "Yes, Rat?" she asked, her voice dripping with venom.

"That is the Mouse King, to you," he replied crossly. "Our numbers have dwindled, Laverna, or perhaps you haven't noticed since you've been so preoccupied with looking at yourself in the mirror."

"I am well aware of that, Rat. Has your little bat friend been tailing those two girls? I don't like the look of them."

"Neither do I," Wenlock agreed, much to his own surprise.

Green fire lit the lamps within the throne room.

The citadel of shadows had long since been abandoned. At one point it'd been a haven for those that practiced dark magic. Despite its name, dark magic was not inherently bad, per se, but it soon became diluted with individuals yearning for power to rule over others or destroy Magiana as it stood. It was not long before a siege on dark magic was given out as a notice, leading to a diminished number of dark magic users.

"Yes, Madame Toad, Pimm should be here quite soon," the Mouse King said through gritted teeth.

The castle was not cozy. Perhaps it wasn't meant to feel like home, but the leakage was one of its low points. However, Laverna refused to move from homebase. "Magiana will soon be all ours," she liked to say.

"How dare you call me such a thing!" Her webbed hands rested on the crystal ball. "Focus, boys. We can now set our plan in motion now that we have the Crystalias in our possession."

Wenlock let out a laugh, reaching for the Crystalias, all six crystals sitting in a circle, each a representation of the three kingdoms and Fairytopia, Mermaidia, and Parthenia. Wenlock was soon stopped by the Mouse King and Laverna jumping in front of the Crystalias. He let out a groan.

"What? I can't touch the treasure? I know quite a few things about magic. People didn't call me the Lord of All Magic for nothing." He looked between the disapproving gazes of Laverna and the Mouse King. "I hardly think an amphibian and a rodent could do much with the Crystalias." Wenlock said, letting out a series of snorts. Neither of his companions laughed.

Laverna and the Mouse King did not have much time to protest as Pimm and Maximus burst through the throne room doors.

"Sire, I'm afraid those six crystals aren't actually the Crystalias. I'm afraid we've been duped, sire." Pimm wrung his bat paws together, exchanging nervous glances with Maximus.

"What?"

—

Anneliese sat near the pond, transfixed by the fireflies fluttering above. Erika said beside her, humming as she weaved a flower crown together. The elves ran about pirouetting through the air while their other brethren created music for them to dance to.

"I heard there's a library here somewhere. The Fairy Queen mentioned one," Erika said as she continued her work.

"Busy?" Anneliese joked. "You were never one for idle hands." She placed a finger on her chin. "But a library, huh? We could try looking for it tomorrow before heading out. The one question I have is how did we end up all the way in Magiana?"

"No clue. But hey, at least we have Wolfie and Serafina. And yes, my hands are always busy. Probably a byproduct of working for Madame Carp all those years."

Anneliese giggled. The Enchanted Forest was beautiful. Wildflowers and lilies sprung to life under the moonlight. Perhaps the Enchanted Forest was alive–-an entity of its own. Sure, it wasn't exactly scientific, but with a name like 'Magiana' how could it be? She yawned and stretched her arms out before laying down on the ground. This wasn't the first time Anneliese had been resigned to sleeping on the ground. Flashbacks to the mines made her shudder. There was something scary in the dimness of its light and she'd often heard ghost stories about the mines as a child.

"Tired?"

Anneliese nodded.

Her eyes soon shut and her breathing steadied. Erika followed suit. It would be a long trip through Magiana. It had already been a long trip, if you asked Erika.

—

The warmth of the library made up for its cluttered mess. Even after being restored, Erasmus was a messy troll. He liked to state that a room full of mess led to more creativity. No one argued with him on that, but the Fairy Queen would shake her head and smile fondly at Erasmus. Even when she offered to clean up the mess for him, he would never relent.

"Hello, hello ladies. How can I help you? I am Erasmus, the keeper of this library."

Anneliese stepped forward. "We're looking for any information you have on the Crystalias."

Erasmus' smile faded. He heaved a sigh. "I'm afraid this library holds no information on the Crystalias. The documents were lost centuries ago, but if the Crystalias is what you're looking for, I can point you in the right direction. Find the northernmost kingdom. Ask for Queen Rayla."

—

With their last farewell to the creatures of the Enchanted Forest, Anneliese and Erika made their way through the Enchanted Forest and toward its entrance. It was not until they reached the waterfall that they came across any trouble. The huge tree leading into town had been severed and fallen into the shores below.

The girls exchanged a glance.

"What now?" Erika asked, almost slumping.

"Maybe there's another way out. There has to be. But it's strange," Anneliese added, "you'd have to have superhuman strength to tear down a tree like that. Hmm."

"Looks like someone doesn't want us to find the Crystalias."

The girls did not have time to despair as they caught sight of three young girls riding on pegasi, bringing the morning with them. Erika whistled and waved her hands. All three flew down to meet them.

"Yes?" the girl with auburn hair asked. The other two girls with her, both blonde, looked at them with mild interest.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to stop the sunrise, but we're kind of, y'know, stranded." Anneliese wrung her hands together.

"Oh! We can help!" the girl with the green eyes said. "I'm Blush and these are my sisters, Rose," she said pointing to the auburn-haired girl, "and this is Lilac," she added, pointing to the girl with the ponytail.

"Mhm." Lilac suppressed a yawn.

Rose rang a small bell and within minutes, two pegasi flew down to meet the girls. They were larger, much larger, than the ponies Rose, Blush, and Lilac were on.

"Where to?" Rose asked.

"We were told to go to the northernmost kingdom and ask for Queen Rayla." Erika picked up Wolfie just as one of the pegasi lowered itself to the ground so she could climb on. Anneliese did the same.

"Oh, you're talking about Cloud Kingdom! We live there." Blush smiled. "We can show you the way," she said. "But we have to finish with the sunrise."

—

Cloud Kingdom was beautiful with its sweeping towers and marble halls. Anneliese and Erika marveled at its beauty as the three sisters rushed them into the confines of the castle. Queen Rayla smiled, her brown skin glowing in the morning light.

"Welcome, welcome." Her arms opened up in a grand gesture. "You've come to ask about the Crystalias?"

"How did you—" both girls started.

"I have my ways." There was a mysterious twinkle in her eyes.

"Pah! Me, foolish? You had better let go of me, Captain Candy! I'm right as a trivet, I tell you."

"I know that voice." Anneliese smiled.

"Your ankle is broken!" another voice retorted.

"Is that Major Mint and Captain Candy?" Erika asked, her eyes growing wide as she let out a disbelieving nod.

Queen Rayla nodded.

—

It was not long before the girls found themselves near a fire sipping on hot cocoa as Major Mint and Captain Candy explained their predicament. When they had meant to return to Parthenia, a storm came through causing much injury to their ship and subsequently left Major Mint hurt. Luckily there were no casualties and they found themselves in Cloud Kingdom while both men and their crew recovered.

Birds floated by the window, migrating as winter was soon to come. The history of Cloud Kingdom was found within the paintings lining the walls. Anneliese looked from one to another, attempting to piece together a timeline. One picture caught her eye in particular. It was a wand, the color of amethyst with a crystal gem sitting upon the top. The inscription below read: 'The Wand of Light.' She could not tear her eyes from the painting. Something about it drew her in.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Queen Rayla mused. "It now resides in the night sky, but a brave girl once used it to save her kingdom from the evil warlock Wenlock. He wanted to take her as his fourth bride."

Anneliese shuddered, Preminger coming to mind. A fourth wife? She crinkled her nose. What a creep.

"What do you know about the Crystalias, your highness?"

"It is meant to serve as a symbol for the unification of Magiana. The Crystalias supplies our realm with magic and without that magic, we will splinter off. If the Crystalias falls into the wrong hands, Magiana might meet its end as we know it."

"That's awful." She averted her eyes, thinking back to how she and Erika needed the famed Crystalias in order to return home. They had less than two weeks. "If Magiana falls, does that mean we'll never be able to return home?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Queen Rayla bowed her head. "Fear not, this is not the first time that Magiana has faced peril. I can tell countless stories of different heroes saving our land. It's not impossible, Anneliese."

—

The courtyard was just as majestic as the inside of the castle.

Anneliese was currently combing through a book on the history of Magiana. She had her notepad and quill next to her as she attempted to decipher the meaning of the Fairy Queen's riddle.

A valley hidden by wings is a most precious thing. Fairytopia.
The sea that blows north as a kingdom comes forth. Mermaidia?
Start where you stand, you will find where you land. ?

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. What did the third line mean? The first two were easy enough. Did they have to travel back to Parthenia in order to save Magiana and go home? There was something strange about the last line. It didn't seem to match up with the first two, but before Anneliese could continue her musings, she heard the soft footfalls of her friend.

Erika sat down next to her, peering over her shoulder. "No luck?"

Anneliese shook her head. "I can make sense of the first two, but the last sentence? Nothing."

Wolfie and Serafina laid near the stairs, huddled together.

"We can figure it out along the way."