Eventually, Cherry stopped, but she still looked miserable.
"You look like Rainbow Dash when Tank had to hibernate." Atticus said.
"Gee, thanks." Cherry muttered.
"Sorry." Atticus apologized.
Cherry soon held her throat as it felt sore.
"Here." Atticus said, giving her a glass of water.
Cherry looked to it and soon drank it and took a soft breath. "Thanks, I needed that." she then said with a small hydrated sigh.
"Better?" Atticus asked.
"I... I think so..." Cherry said softly. "Um... I guess we better get ready for Turtle Lake then?"
"Yes, we should." Mo nodded.
Later that night, they soon came to pack up and get ready for their journey. Junior wanted to know what happened with Cherry, but the others told him not to bring it up if she didn't want him to, so he tried to forget about it. It would be easy as Timber spent time with his little brother the only way brothers knew how. Junior tried to stand on his tiptoes and reach for something. Timber saw that and then carried Junior on his shoulders with a smile.
"Thanks, Timber." Junior smiled back to the older boy.
"What're you reaching for?" Timber asked.
"Picnic basket." Junior said before he soon found it and collected it.
"Don't pack just cookies now, you need other foods too." Timber chuckled.
"I know." Junior smiled.
Eventually, the next day came and they met back as promised.
"To Turtle Lake!" Lucy told the others.
"To Turtle Lake!" The others except for Franklin replied.
"To save Granny..." Franklin whispered.
"Let's get going." Mo said.
They soon went out the picket fence and they began their journey to Turtle Lake.
"This adventure is serious, just like the last one." Junior told the others.
"Not as much though..." Mo said.
"Uh, what happened?" Timber asked.
"Franklin, Snail, and me went out to find Spring for Woodland so that Harriet could be born." Junior smiled.
"Whoa." Gloriosa smiled back.
Sam just rolled her eyes as she didn't believe that.
"You weren't there, Sam, but Momo was." Junior firmly pouted.
"I tried to bring Spring myself, but I guess my powers aren't fully developed yet." Mo whispered to her siblings.
"Well, you are just a teen." Gloriosa whispered back.
"I know they'll come soon... I tried to help..." Mo said.
"It's alright, at least you tried." Timber smiled.
"That's right." Gloriosa nodded.
They soon walked for a rather long while and were soon even out of the neighborhood. Franklin still looked a little glum for his grandmother. Lucy soon cheered up her nephew by whistling a special little song to accompany them on their journey. The song seemed to be rather catchy. It was all about their journey to Turtle Lake and Franklin felt more determined now.
They took a quick food break in a safe part of the woods and when Beaver wasn't looking, Sam smirked as she put rocks into the beaver's bag as a little joke. Junior rolled his eyes as he should have known. Sam glanced at him and Junior glanced back as he didn't even stop her. Sam then added another rock inside of Cherry's bag. After eating, they went to continue on and Cherry and Beaver soon looked out of breath.
"Jeez, what's in this bag, rocks?!" Cherry complained.
"You really should get more exercise." Atticus told Cherry.
Cherry grumbled slightly as she trudged along with Beaver. Sam hid a smirk as she then took Franklin's hand so they could carry Beaver while Bear carried their bags the rest of the way.
"I swear, this bag feels like there's rocks in it." Cherry told them.
"Sure, Cherry." Mo said.
"It is!" Cherry complained. "Listen to me!"
Timber hummed before taking the bag off Cherry's back and soon felt that it was heavy like rocks were in it.
Cherry fell slightly from the weight difference.
"Say, Cherry might be right..." Timber said. "Cherry, you didn't overpack this like your backpack for school, did you?"
"No, I didn't," Cherry promised. "It was fine earlier."
Timber soon opened her bag and soon saw that it had rocks in it. "What the-?!" The older boy asked out of confusion. "Rocks?!"
Sam soon laughed to that as they came to relax by a stream after walking so long.
"My paws are killing me!" Bear groaned tiredly.
Beaver soon looked suspicious and opened her own bag to see that she also had rocks.
"I think I know who put rocks in these bags." Cherry glared as she looked straight at Sam.
"I should've known..." Beaver narrowed her eyes.
"Well, I don't think it's funny!" Bear scolded Sam.
"It is kind of." Franklin smiled sheepishly.
"Wait, you think Sam putting rocks in mine and Beaver's bags is funny?" Cherry asked Franklin out of surprise.
"Well, it kind of is." Franklin shrugged innocently.
Cherry glared slightly. "Great, our bags are heavy and Franklin likes it, and we don't have a way to Old Turtle's house!"
Suddenly, they were all surrounded by butterflies.
"What the-?" Mo asked out of confusion.
"Oh! Shoo! Shoo!" Cherry glared at the butterflies.
"Hey, they're like Fluttershy's cutie mark." Atticus said as the butterflies were a very light pink color.
Lucy soon came back and looked curious of the butterflies which seemed to show them a path through the trees.
"They're showing us a path?" Junior smiled.
"They want us to follow them!" Mo beamed.
"Then why don't we?" Lucy agreed as that sounded like a good idea.
They soon left the stream and followed after the butterflies and they soon came behind the bushes to see a cherry blossom tree pathway which was really pretty.
"Ooh." Gloriosa smiled.
"Um, thanks..." Timber told the butterflies as they came inside.
"I've never seen a garden like this before," Sam commented. "This place is so cool!"
"That is most kind of you to say," An elderly voice said right behind them and they turned to see a very old turtle hunched over on a walking stick. "Oh, I see you've found them... Thank you, little ones..." She then smiled to the butterflies.
"Yes, thank you." Mo nodded.
"So, you sent the butterflies...?" Atticus asked out of amazement.
"How else would you find me?" The turtle replied. "Forgive me, I am Old Turtle, and you are my guests this evening."
"It's so nice to meet you." Mo smiled.
"Likewise, dear..." Old Turtle smiled back as she took them to her home for some dinner.
"She seems nice." Junior smiled.
Mo, Gloriosia, and Timber smiled back to him in agreement.
The butterflies soon relaxed outside as they sat down and ate.
"I'm very sorry to hear about your granny," Old Turtle said to Franklin. "I remember her father well... He once saved my life."
"He did?" Timber smiled.
"Oh, yes," Old Turtle smiled back in memory, passing a plate around to the others. "One day, I was gathering wild herbs for the Eclipse, I got caught in a summer landslide. A large boulder pinned my leg, and I lay there without food or water for weeks."
"How did you survive that?!" Mo's eyes widened.
"With the help of this talisman," Old Turtle smiled as she took the talisman off around her neck and showed it to them. "It protected me those many days. Just as I was giving up hope, a rescue... Granny's father found me. I owed your great-grandfather my life, so I gave him one of these."
"That's what we're looking for," Junior said. "Well, at least one of the things."
"He must've given to my mother and she buried it near Turtle Lake." Lucy replied.
"Will a talisman like this make my granny better?" Franklin asked hopefully.
"Its power is very strong, and very old..." Old Turtle replied. "I believe it's the reason I still walk this Earth."
"Aww..." Bear frowned as the salt shaker was loose and a bunch of salt poured into his bowl.
"How in the world did that come loose?" Mo asked.
"I think I know." Cherry said as she shot a glare to Sam.
"Oh, my, I guess I didn't put that on tight enough," Old Turtle smiled innocently. "That's okay, there's plenty more soup."
Beaver looked to her, very curiously. "How old are you anyway?" she then asked the elder reptile.
"Oh, I've lost count," Old Turtle chuckled. "But not all the candles would even fit on just the simple of birthday cakes."
"That's a lot of candles!" Snail commented.
"You said it, Snail." Junior said.
"We were going to put 80 on Granny's cake this year..." Franklin said with a sulk.
Cherry looked to him and soon looked down as her Aunt Dorothy was 79 when she died.
"Um, how's about we talk about something else?" Mo suggested.
"If you believe the talisman will save your granny, you must find it." Old Turtle advised.
"Can't you just give us one?" Bear asked.
Snail nodded in agreement.
"I'm afraid not," Old Turtle frowned. "They were made centuries ago, and handed down for over generations. This is the only one I have left."
"Then I guess we have to find the time capsule." Mo said.
"Unless we could borrow hers?" Sam suggested, gesturing to Old Turtle.
Old Turtle looked to them and soon held out the talisman and the butterflies carried it towards Franklin. "If it would help your grandmother, you may take it..." she then said softly, though a bit reluctant, but if it meant that much to them, she would allow it.
"Wait, ma'am, if we take your talisman, what will happen you?" Mo asked.
"Oh, you don't have to worry much about me..." Old Turtle said softly.
"But... We can't take your talisman..." Junior said. 'This is yours, we can find Granny's, and this belongs to you, we can't let you get sick."
"That's right." Gloriosa nodded.
The butterflies soon gave Old Turtle her talisman back.
"The talisman belongs here." Franklin agreed.
"Then, I will do what I can to help." Old Turtle said as she took her talisman back.
"We just hope that the map can help us find the time capsule." Patch said.
"Shh." Cherry said.
"She shushed me!" Patch complained.
"Patch... Shh..." Atticus said as the butterflies seemed to be doing something for Old Turtle.
"Okay." Patch whispered.
The butterflies flew all around outside.
"I see... A rainbow..." Old Turtle said as she held her talisman and her eyes were shut. "And beneath that, a sunflower..." she then let out a very breathless and exhausted gasp.
"Is that all you can tell us?" Franklin asked.
"Oh, my powers are not what they once were..." Old Turtle said softly. "But come tomorrow, that is what you must seek."
"Yes, ma'am." Mo nodded.
"Thank you, Miss Old Turtle, for everything." Junior added politely.
As it was late, they soon camped out and went to get some sleep.
'This is just like the last time I was here,' Junior thought to himself. 'Except no one's life was at stake.'
"You doing okay, JJ?" Mo asked her little brother. "I know this adventure must be pretty scary, but... You seem to be handling it okay."
"This is the second time I've been sent here." Junior told her.
"I guess that would mean that it would be almost like a cake walk for you." Mo giggled.
"Who would wanna walk in cake?" Junior pouted.
"No, no," Mo chuckled. "A cake walk is basically something that's easy for someone."
"Ohh..." Junior said. "Well... I guess so, but... Granny's sick... She wasn't sick when I came here last time."
"Well, she must have been healthy last time." Mo said.
"Momo..." Junior said softly. "Is she going to die?"
"Well... We can hope she doesn't..." Mo told him.
"Do you know anyone who died?" Junior asked.
Mo looked back, she let out a soft sigh as it was just the two of them. "JJ, you might not remember this, but... When you were very young, do you remember when Scamp ran away from home, and I came back with him and Angel?" she then asked, though he was very young at the time and probably wouldn't remember.
"Yeah?" Junior nodded.
"Well... You see... I was a street urchin..." Mo said. "I was an orphan who didn't have a home... I always traveled with Angel."
"What about Mom and Dad?" Junior asked. "Did you run away from them?"
"Well... Actually... We have different parents..." Mo told him. "I was actually adopted when we brought Scamp back home to you... I lost my real parents a long time ago."
"Oh..." Junior frowned.
"Now, JJ, I know that death sounds scary, but you shouldn't let it worry you..." Mo said. "Think positive on this adventure."
"I will." Junior nodded.
"Would you like a lullaby?" Mo asked.
Junior looked up to her and looked over. "What if Sam calls me a little kid?" he then asked.
"Oh, who cares what she thinks?" Mo comforted. "Besides, you're very smart for your age, you'll probably graduate high school at my age."
Junior smiled as he was happy to have a sister like Mo. Mo smiled back and soon sang him an old lullaby that she memorized, and the song began to help him get to sleep. Junior smiled before yawning. Mo then tucked him in and went to get some sleep herself.