Megan held the book close as she thought about how long it would take to save Ember. Her parents and siblings would be worried sick about her absence. She should have left a note telling them everything.

Bow Tie noticed Megan's face and nuzzled her hand.

"You ok, Megan?"

Megan smiled but it was a weak one. "Yeah….well, not really."

"You are tougher than you give yourself credit. It must be really hard being away from home for so long." Bow Tie looked down. "We would understand if you—"

"Stop that talk, Bow Tie. You are my friends and I'm not going to leave you. Yes I see how this journey is more dangerous than any we've gone on before but that is a risk I'm willing to take."

Megan needed that wake-up call and Bow Tie was the one to give it.

Moondancer noticed they had stopped and called back. "You two coming or what?"

Spike was waving from Moondancer's back. "Come on!"

Megan and Bow Tie ran to catch up.

Firefly came swooping from the sky. She was always doing daring tricks. Megan always wondered how she stayed so energetic.

"Hey Megan, there is a fork in the road ahead. Which way does the map say to go?"

Megan pulled the map out. "It looks like the left route is the one we should take."

Firefly started to laugh.

Moondancer stomped her hoof. "What is so funny?"

"The answer was pretty obvious. I'll let you guys see for yourselves."

When the group came to the fork they all burst into laughter.

Megan treasured the moment because everything lately had been depressing. She wanted things to go back to this and not the pain they were all feeling.

Spike was rolling on the ground holding his stomach. "Oh stop it, it hurts. Quit laughing hahahahaha."

The answer was obvious because the right fork was a clear meadow and the left fork was dark forest with branches so thick that no sunlight shone through. A fog seemed to come from nowhere but it saturated the air.

Firefly hovered recovering from her laughing fit. "So this is it? How deep do you think this Horn of Leaves is?"

"I'm hope it is close." Bow Tie mumbled under her breath. She didn't like the look of the trees.

"That's where the book is vague. It really doesn't say where it is but I'm sure we will know when we are close. It says to watch out for the trees. Some are alive and will do anything to protect the Horn."

Firefly did a quick flip. "No problem! I'm too fast for those big bad trees."

Moondancer shook her head. "This isn't a joke. All laughing aside our choices from here on out will probably be life or death. I'm not trying to kill the mood but we have to be smart."

"Moondancer's right guys." Megan walked in first and couldn't see anything. It wasn't even ten minutes before she tripped on a root and fell dropping the book.

She reached for it and felt something move underneath her hand.

"Ahhhh!" Megan shrieked.

"Stop! What is it!?" Bow Tie screamed.

Megan crawled back into Moondancer and made her jump in panic.

"Something just moved and I can't find the book. Someone find a branch."

Firefly ran into a tree and felt for a twig to snap off.

"Spike, light this branch so we have a torch to see."

"Ok! Here goes nothing!" Spike inhaled noisily and then let out a meager flame but it was large enough to light the thick twig.

What the light illuminated was not something they wanted to see.

Megan covered her mouth to keep from screaming as she looked at the number of snakes slithering around them.

"One of those has the book. Quick, we need to find it."

Moondancer stepped forward. "Allow me."

The snakes started to levitate off the ground and Firefly spotted the book.

"I see it!" She flew around the motionless snakes and grabbed the book.

As she turned around a wooden arm came swinging at her.

"Watch out!" Bow Tie screamed but the tree swatted Firefly down knocking her unconscious.

All the trees started to come alive around them. They had huge sharp hands and jagged teeth.

"Scatter!" Megan shouted as she ran for the book and Firefly.

Moondancer didn't have a chance to run before one of the trees grabbed her. She cried out in pain as they squeezed her body.

Spike jumped out of reach but found himself cornered by three trees. "There's too many!"

Bow Tie ran to help him but the tree threw a vine net over her. "Ahhhh!"

"Don't worry. I'll get you out." Spike tried to breathe fire to burn the vines but he was knocked out by one of the other trees.

"Spike!" Bow Tie yelled.

Megan watched as her friends one by one were captured or hurt. She started to lose herself to despair but remembered that they had the rainbow. She reached for the locket but a vine swooped and grabbed her arm.

"No!" The necklace fell to the ground.

Another vine and then another. Soon she was bound. The biggest tree came forward and picked the necklace up.

"You thought you could come into our forest and take the Horn didn't you?"

Megan was shocked the trees could talk. "We only want to make the rainbow of light stronger. We need it to help our friends. Please."

"We don't believe you. Throw her in the quicksand, or better yet let the snakes feed."

"No! Please! I'm telling the truth."

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. They were all going to die. Megan had failed them when they needed her most, especially Ember. She tried.

"I'm sorry…..I'm so sorry."

The vines constricted tighter and the snakes slithered closer.

The pain was all too real and Bow Tie's screams of horror sent Megan over the edge. She felt her life fading and soon it was dark.