Okay. So the ground was probably an easy forty or fifty feet down. There was no ladder. No rope. No stairs. No nothing to help Sunyoung get down. Going up was also a useless idea. It would only take her further from where she needed to go and make her more obvious. The maps nearby were also of no assistance. They had effectively accepted her as a non-dangerous addition to the area but were leaving her alone for the most part, though the one was still following her closely.

                “Think!” she told herself in frustration, beating her thighs with balled fists. Looking over her person, she had nothing that might help either. One shoe – with shoelaces – wasn’t going to accomplish much. Her skirt and blouse were less than useful for a great many things. And there was just… nothing! It wasn’t fair. How was she supposed to be brave, or anything else for that matter, when she was stuck?

The only thing she did have was the small crystal. With nothing better to do for the moment, she took it out of her blazer pocket and peered at it once more. It wasn’t like any gem she knew, though the color was similar to that of an amethyst. In her hand, it felt warm, and not just because it had been in her pocket. “What are you?” she had to wonder, running her fingertips over the irregular surface. “It would be nice if you were something actually useful. Like a rope or a ladder, you know…” she trailed off with a sigh, wishing she had either one right then.

Sunyoung froze when she heard a strange whispering sound nearby. Hoverboard? No. Too different. But then she felt a very slight vibration in the tree itself and something moved in her peripheral vision. Her eyes grew wide as she looked to see what appeared to be a rope growing out of the tree and slowly moving down the trunk. Slowly, she reached a hand up to smack her own cheek, just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming or seeing things. Nothing changed. The rope continued to grow.

                “How in the world…?” she wondered, taking a tentative step towards it. Pausing, she glanced at the crystal in her hands and inhaled slightly when it seemed to be glowing with a faint light. “You?” she asked, peering at the gem in her palm and then glancing at magically appearing length. “No way…” she exhaled, walking to the rope and taking a breath before she commanded, “Stop.”

                It did.

                “!” Sunyoung gasped, jumping back and practically flailing in place, one hand gripped very tightly around the crystal. When she took a peek, it was not glowing anymore. Edging back to the rope again, she knelt next to it and whispered, “Grow.”

                It did.

                Looking at the crystal once again, she saw that it had resumed glowing. “Oh my god,” she laughed once, touching the still growing rope tentatively. It felt exactly like she thought it would. “You are a magic crystal,” she whispered, staring at the light purple gem in her hand. “But why am I able to use you?” she couldn’t help but wonder. No answer came to her. It was apparently something she was not meant to know or would have to figure out on her own. She wasn’t a Royal and she wasn’t an Imago so she had no clue but… for the moment, her dilemma had been solved. She had a way out of the tree.

                With one eye on the rope to see when it would reach the bottom, she called for it to stop when it started coiling on the ground. Then, with a deep breath, fear in her belly, and the crystal back in her pocket, she carefully clambered over the side and started to slide down. Once more, she lamented her choice of clothing for the day…

                Her feet back on the ground and rope burn in uncomfortable places, Sunyoung grimaced but turned around determinedly. One problem solved. Now on to the next one. Amber was gone and while Sunyoung wasn’t quite sure where she’d been taken, heading to a Metropolis was probably a good bet. On the other hand, she didn’t know about, “Ren! Ren! Are you here?!” she called as she started to walk away from the tree, keeping her eyes peeled and her head on a swivel.

                The sound of her voice bouncing back to her from tree trunks was creepy to say the least. And there was no immediate answer from Ren either, which wasn’t entirely unexpected. Chances were just as good that he’d been captured as well, but it couldn’t hurt to check first. “Ren?!” Again, she listened to her fading voice in the woods and frowned. “Okay. Let’s try this,” she murmured, pulling the crystal out of her pocket. Envisioning more of what she wanted this time, Sunyoung whispered, “Help me find Ren.”

                As hoped, a glowing arrow hovered into view and swung from side to side, like a compass. She held her breath as it slowly came to a stop, pointing firmly in one direction. She didn’t know what direction it was pointing in – it wasn’t an actual compass – but if that was where it said Ren was, that was where she’d go for now. The arrow floated along with her as she walked, staying in front and shifting minutely when it seemed as if her target may have been moving too.

                To either side of her, the forest looked very much the same but also intimidating for that sameness. It would be so very easy to get lost here. And who knew what dangers lay hidden in the depths. Maps were well and good but what about things like the forest strider? Or other things she knew must exist but hadn’t seen. In fact, it was strange how few things she had seen. Not that she was upset about there being no mosquitoes so far… It made her wonder what the ecosystem was like here. Additionally, it made her more curious about Imagos as a whole too. Did they eat here? Did they need food the way humans did? There was just so much she didn’t know. She wanted answers and she thought about trying to use the crystal, but then the arrow stopped.

                “Huh?” Of course she stopped too and peered ahead at where it was pointing. “Ren?” she called out curiously, hoping he was close if the arrow was to be believed.

                “Sunyoung?” came a hesitant and disbelieving whisper. Sunyoung’s eyes widened in surprise when she watched as what looked like a shadow peeled away from the tree. It blended in so well with the trunk, she never would have seen it if she’d just been walking along, which was probably the point. “What… How… What is that?” he finally asked as he took on the form she was most familiar with.

                She ignored his questions first as she crossed the space between them and ran into him, hugging hard. “You’re okay!”

                He coughed in surprise and then wrapped his arms around her in return, holding firm. “So are you. But how?” he asked, pushing her back just enough so she could look up and see his face.

                Sunyoung sniffed and nodded once as she tried to collect her thoughts. She hadn’t really been sure this would work and now that it had, she didn’t know how to really explain everything. “We got caught but Amber cut the net and let me escape but then I got trapped in a tree. The hoverboard Imago couldn’t see me and I was invisible! But then I found this crystal and I think I used magic, but I don’t know how. How did I use magic if I’m not a Royal? But I found you! I don’t know how though. And what’s going on?” she rambled, fingers digging into Ren’s arms as she stepped back just enough to shift her grip.

                For his part, Ren’s eyes were wide and stunned as he tried to make sense of what he’d been told. Taking a small breath and blinking quickly, he started, “First. I’m glad you’re okay. It couldn’t have been easy to escape like you did. Second…” he trailed off, glancing into the forest. “If they have Amber, they’ll be taking her to Metropolis 1. That’s where the Royal she offended’s family is.” His gaze swung back to her now, expression a bit worried. “Third… if you used magic, we have to get you to safety as fast as possible.”

                “Huh?” she chirped in confusion, feeling as if he had just glossed over the most important thing. “No. We have to help Amber,” she stated firmly.

                “We do,” Ren agreed, even as he took Sunyoung’s hand and started to pull her along. “But the Royals can tell when magic is being used. It’s probably part of how they found us to begin with. Stupid Amber,” he mumbled, but there was no real heat in his words.

                “So why can I use magic?” Sunyoung asked as she let herself be dragged along, content to get answers as they moved. She wasn’t too keen on not being able to help though.

                “I don’t know,” Ren admitted with an obvious cringe. “But it will make you a much bigger target than just being a friend of Amber’s right now,” he added quietly, looking around suspiciously as he moved.

                “Can’t we just use magic to go get her back?” she wondered. It seemed too easy and it probably was but she didn’t see why it wouldn’t be possible since real magic was involved now. Perhaps.

                “Maybe, but if it works at all like for us Imagos, that much magic would likely kill you,” he reminded her with a pained expression. “As much as I like the idea of being able to use magic to try and get her out, I don’t want you dying to do it. And Amber would literally kill me if I let you.”

                Sunyoung expected him to laugh like it was a joke but his tone remained quite serious. “Oh,” she sighed instead, brow furrowed in thought. The idea of magic was so different in her world that she hadn’t even thought about the possibility of their being negative, much less fatal, consequences. Never mind they’d told her as much about the Imagos. It was just really frustrating. She actually had something she could do to help, but even then, it wasn’t enough. Or more likely it would be fatal and she wasn’t so sure she was ready to die either. “So what are we going to do then?” she asked, pulling on his arm just enough to make Ren slow down and actually look at her.

                He bit his lip and took a slow breath. “I am getting you to safety. Back to your world if at all possible,” he explained with a nod in the direction they were heading. “It’s likely they won’t even realize you’re the one that used magic and I won’t say anything to enlighten them.”

                “What about Amber?” she tried again, squeezing Ren’s hand hard in her worry.

                “Let us worry about Amber,” he murmured, reaching his free hand to brush her bangs away from her face. “I promise she’ll give them as much trouble as she can in the meantime. She probably won’t be able to get out on her own but it should be able to buy us time to figure something out. She doesn’t have many friends in high places but she does have many friends on this side,” he laughed as his head tilted to the side. “Knowing you’re safe will be one less thing for her to worry about.”

                “But I want to help, Ren,” Sunyoung complained, brow furrowing further. “Sending me back while someone I care about is in very real very mortal danger just feels… wrong.”

                “And that would make her very happy to hear, but the best place for you right now is still out of harm’s immediate way,” he stated firmly, tearing his attention away to focus on the surrounding area once more. “Come on. We’re almost there,” he added, tugging on her hand to get her moving again.

                Sunyoung wanted to fight or argue or something… but she didn’t know what else she could say. She didn’t know enough about the penalties of using magic and she didn’t know what she might be capable of. Nor did she know what she would be up against. And if most Imagos couldn’t use magic and they would be going up against Imagos that could… the odds were certainly not in their favor. On the other hand, sooner than she thought, the woods suddenly opened up. She gasped in surprise and forgot to breathe as a golden ray of sunshine pierced the canopy to make the lake in the center of the clearing glow.

                “We’re here,” Ren murmured softly, his voice unusually subdued as he walked them closer to the crystalline water.

                Blinking mesmerized eyes, Sunyoung followed the literal beam of sun into the water and smiled as it created a spotlight for the denizens of the water to dance in. Fish flickered beneath the surface, silver bodies glinting like coins. The surface, however, was completely still. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered, looking at Ren who was watching her with a happy, thoughtful smile.

                “I thought you might like it,” he responded quietly, pulling on her hand just a touch. “Over here,” he urged, nodding towards the edge of the water.

                As they got closer, Sunyoung could see little water lilies lining the edge, bright white blossoms in full bloom. Cat tails rose up in sparse patches and long grass limned the entire lake in emerald green. At the water’s edge, the sun’s light wasn’t touching it directly. Leaning over, Sunyoung could perfectly see her reflection, but she frowned when Ren’s was missing. “What-?” she wondered, turning to look and flinching when she saw him right there.

                “No reflection, remember?” he offered with a shrug and a bemused smile.

                “Oh yeah,” she mused, biting on her lip. They had told her that, but hearing it and seeing it were two very different things. Sunyoung reached as if to touch the surface but Ren stopped her, catching her hand in his and making her look at him again.

                “This is your way home,” he promised with a nod at the reflection.

                “But I want to stay,” she denied, expression firm and mildly defiant.

                “I know,” Ren admitted, smiling sadly. He hugged her close then, cradling her warmly. “I want you to stay too. And I know Amber does as well. But it’s not safe. For you or us,” he added, arms tightening just a touch more.

                “Then let me help,” Sunyoung pleaded into his chest.

                She had a brief moment of hope when Ren pulled away to hold her at arm’s length. His smile was promising, but he shook his head and whispered, “No.” Then he pushed her backwards and Sunyoung gasped, hands reaching for him reflexively.

                “Ren!” she cried out as her view shifted. Ren and trees gave way to the canopy and the sky above. Then a flash of light nearly blinded her as she hit something and then kept falling with her eyes shut. “Ren!” she tried again, flailing until she another surface. “Ugh…” she coughed, cringing as pain wormed its way through her back and head. “Ow,” she whined, prying open her eyes to see where she had ended up. “Huh?!” she yelped in surprise to see her bedroom around her and the mirror directly in front of her. Her reflection stared back at her, showing nothing but surprise. “No!” Sunyoung yelped, scrambling to her feet as she approached the floor length mirror and tried to step through.

                Reflective glass met her efforts and stopped her completely. “Move,” she growled at the Imago on the other side. Determinedly, she tried again, pushing against the glass pane. “Come on! Get out of the way!” she grumbled, shifting to try shouldering her way through or past the image. It didn’t work. “Seriously?!” Sunyoung fumed, stepping back and staring at her reflection angrily. “Ugh! This is not over yet,” she scowled, yanking the blanket off her bed and throwing it over the door to hide the surface. She needed to think again and it would help if she didn’t have a random Imago looking in on her…