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"We made it!” Devon said, relieved. He was looking at the forest in amazement.
Aurora was relieved too at being away from the demon infested river. She wondered about the others they left behind.
“Are the Circle members going to be ok?” Aurora asked, concerned.
“Yes. I told them to leave as soon as they saw us make it through the portal,” Devon said. “I have a feeling the demons would leave too. The creatures don’t like staying out in daylight. They only stayed there to stop us from coming to the forest.”
Aurora nodded in agreement. Devon checked their supplies to see what was remaining and wasn’t completely soaked with water. It surprised him to see that everything was bone-dry and intact. It was like the river had never touched them.
“Is this a bit of portal magic?” Devon asked, surprised. “Everything looks fine.”
Aurora nodded. Their horses also seemed in good spirits after their adventure in the river.
“Aurora, what were you saying back in the river?” Devon asked. “You kept saying the same phrase.”
“Abr a porta do bosque sen retorno. Déixanos pasar,” Aurora replied. “My fairy godmothers taught me the phrase. It means ‘Open the gate to the forest of no return and let us through’.”
“So, this is the forest?” Devon asked. “Odd. It doesn’t feel sinister at all.”
“The people who think that are the first to be trapped by the forest,” Aurora said grimly. “Don’t let your guard down.”
Aurora would have thought the same about the forest if she hadn’t heard the stories about it. She saw the golden trees surrounding them. They had leaves of silver and gold that shone with the bright sun. The forest had an ethereal, dream-like quality to it. A paradise, a sanctuary, an Eden to those unaware... but Aurora knew the dark truth of the forest.
Aurora and Devon passed by a giant, golden oak. There was a passage carved in the tree trunk wide enough for both of their horses to go through.
Something was amiss in the forest, Aurora thought, noticed only by those who looked closely. There wasn’t a fallen leaf anywhere on the ground. All the birds were singing the same melody with the same perfect notes. None of the objects cast any shadows in the bright sun... not even them.
It was eerily perfect.
“Are you sure this is the right forest?” Devon asked.
“Yes, I am sure of it,” Aurora answered.
“So the only way out of this forest is going straight through?” Devon asked. “What happens if I went a different way?”
“You will return to the same spot no matter which direction you take,” Aurora said.
“Not that I doubt you.... but I would like to see it for myself,” Devon said curiously.
Aurora gestured her hand as to say “go ahead”.
Devon took the path they had just come through, back towards the giant oak tree. She watched him disappear through the giant hollowed trunk. Aurora waited and waited. She was looking at the oak tree for any signs of his return, but Devon came back from the path that was ahead of her.
“Wait... how did I get here?” Devon asked, confused.
“Like I said, you will return here no matter what direction you choose,” Aurora said. Even though she didn’t say it out loud, she was relieved Devon had returned safely.
“Can I try one more time?” Devon asked.
Aurora wanted to hurry along, but she melted slightly, seeing the eager expression on Devon’s face. She agreed to let him try it again. Aurora watched as Devon took a different path, opposite from the oak tree.
Again, Aurora waited and waited. It took Devon much longer to return.
He was apologetic when he came back to her. “I am sorry, Aurora. I didn’t remember you were waiting for me.”
“We should find the lake,” Aurora said, alarmed. “It is best not to linger too long. The forest can alter memories and make us forget why we came here.”
On the way to the lake, Aurora saw rabbits that seemed to be made of pure gold. Their golden tails bobbed as they fled. On the lake, there were graceful swans, twice their normal sizes, with beaks and crowns of silver. The lake had lily pads of silver and waterlilies of gold. The creature here looked regal. But they were so cold, Aurora thought. They lacked the warmth and joy of the animals she grew up with in the enchanted forest.
The surface of the lake was perfectly still. Aurora looked at her reflection in the golden lake and was shocked by what she saw. She was wearing her mother’s crown and was dressed like a queen. She saw Devon’s reflection beside her own and he was dressed differently too. Devon was in a king’s attire, with a crown on his head as well.
“The lake gives everyone the royal treatment it seems,” Devon said.
He was looking at his reflection in the lake with a frown on his face, like the image of him as a king offended him. I guess Devon, being who he is, is the opposite of royalty, Aurora thought. She didn’t like seeing herself as a queen, either.
Once, it would have been her destiny, Aurora thought. Now it only felt like a distant remnant of her past.
Aurora tried to recall if the lake was anything like the mirror of truth. Did it show a person’s true self or did it show a distorted version of them?
Aurora startled back to reality when Devon spoke. “Aurora, I know what I agreed to before, but I want to go into the lake,” he said. “I should be the one to go.”
“You don’t even know where to find the mirror,” Aurora said.
“That shouldn’t be a problem if you tell me,” Devon said.
“That’s not it...” Aurora said, hesitating.
“What is it then?” Devon asked. “Tell me what you are thinking, Aurora.”
“You might not handle what you see in the lake,” Aurora said truthfully.
“Why not?” Devon asked.
“Are you ready to face your greatest fears?” Aurora asked. “Because that is what the lake will show you.”
“Yes, I can handle anything it shows me,” Devon said. Aurora wasn’t convinced.
“Are you sure?” Aurora said. “You won’t even tell me the secrets you shared with me while I was asleep.”
Aurora thought Devon turned pale.
“Do you remember anything I told you?” Devon asked, his voice wavering slightly.
“No, I don’t,” Aurora said. “Not yet, anyway.”
She thought Devon seemed relieved hearing that.
“I think I should be the one to go,” Aurora said again.
“Why do you want to go? The lake will show your greatest fears too,” Devon asked. “Are you ready to face them, Aurora?”
“All of my greatest fears have already come true, Devon,” Aurora said. “I have nothing left to lose.”
Devon opened his mouth to respond, but was speechless at her answer. He was trying to find the right words to say to Aurora, but didn’t know what to say to comfort her.
“You have me. I will be here waiting for you,” Devon said. “If you take too long getting back, Aurora, I will pull you out.”
Aurora nodded her head. She didn’t have time to ponder over her decision. They shouldn’t stay long in the forest, Aurora thought. She should get the mirror as quickly as possible.
With no further delay or hesitation, Aurora stripped down to her underclothes. She blushed and tried not to think about how Devon would react. She would find out soon enough, she thought.
Devon, to his credit, was trying not to stare. The tips of his ears, however, were blushing.
“I take it back,” Devon said.
“You take what back?” Aurora asked.
“I am glad you are the one going in the lake,” he said cheekily.
Aurora put her hands on her hips. She already expected his flirting.
“Why, Devon? Are you afraid of stripping down?”
“No, not at all. I am shameless, remember?” Devon said, smiling.
Aurora thought he would flirt more, so was a little surprised at his restraint.
“Aurora?” Devon asked.
“Yes?”
“Please be careful when you are in the water,” Devon said seriously.
Aurora felt a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach. It was easier to deal with Devon when he was flirting. At least she didn’t have to take him seriously. Devon, being sincere, caused her heart to flutter like crazy.
She nodded her head silently, not trusting herself with words.
Aurora walked to the edge of the calm lake and dipped her toes in the golden water. She tried not to shudder at the ice cold water. She looked back once at Devon, who was standing solemnly at the edge on the silver shore. Aurora then dove headfirst into the lake.
The water was cold... so very cold.
It was more than chilling. It seeped into her bones.
Aurora could hold her breath up to five minutes under water. She knew it would take a few tries to find the mirror. The water was crystal clear, but the lake was deep at points. At the deeper ends, Aurora could barely see anything in front of her.
Her fairy godmothers said she would feel it when she was getting closer to the mirror. That made finding the mirror slightly easier, but this was still the lake of fears.
Aurora felt like the lake was draining her soul the longer she stayed in it. She took a deeper breath each time she went back to the surface, but the air in her lungs was never enough. She saw Devon pacing on the silvery bank whenever she glanced in that direction.
In the water, Aurora felt very much like she was in the void again. In the dreamless state she was in when she was sleeping for a hundred years.
I could just stay here. No one would remember me.
I have no one left.
Aurora shook away the dark thoughts and dove deeper into the lake.
The lake turned darker with each passing minute. She could feel the darkness closing in on her senses, covering them like a blanket. There was nothing in the lake... nothing at all... but then Aurora saw the prince, and she stopped.
The prince was shining like a beacon in the abyss; a golden halo surrounding his body.
He looked as beautiful as the first time she saw him.
“My love, you have returned to me,” he said, extending his hand.
Aurora wondered what would happen if she took his hand.
He smiled, and Aurora felt an intense longing to be in his arms again.
“Come back to me, Aurora,” her prince said.
She couldn't do it.
I can’t stay here, Aurora pleaded. I need to find the mirror.
The prince looked at her with a wistful expression. He kept waiting for her to take his hand.
Aurora felt a pull from the lake’s bottom, a magical energy that called to her. She saw the glint of gold and the hilt of the mirror peeking from underneath the pebbles at the bottom of the lake. Aurora moved the pebbles, covering the mirror. She grabbed the mirror’s handle and made her way to the surface. The prince had thankfully gone.
She was nearly there. The surface was not too far away. She would reach it in a few strides... but then Aurora saw her parents appear beside her.
Aurora’s heart sank.
“Mother? Father?” Aurora thought. She knew she might see them in the lake, but still wasn’t prepared for it. She couldn’t speak to them under water but they seemed to hear her thoughts.
“Aurora! Dearest daughter! Stay with us. We have been separated for too long already,” they said.
How could I stay here? I only came for the mirror and I have found it.
I have to go back.
“Our dear child, we love you. We waited for you for years. We waited until our last breaths. Stay with us... don’t leave us again,” her parents pleaded to her.
Aurora sobbed.
Her parents. Her dear, loving parents. How she longed to see them again and to be with them.
It was too much for her to bear.
Aurora stopped swimming. She stopped resisting. She had only a few moments of breath, and then it would all be over.
Aurora could soon join with her parents.
She heard a voice screaming her name, but it sounded so far away. Aurora didn’t move at all.
She heard a splash and someone diving towards her. Someone pulled her hand and struggled to take her to the surface.
It is Devon, Aurora realized. If I don’t move, he will drown here with me!
Aurora finally moved her legs and swam to the surface. Both of them gasped for air.
“Aurora, what happened?” Devon asked. “You were taking so long. You could have drowned!”
He was visibly shaken.
He was right. Aurora had given in to the darkness, but he brought her back.
“I dropped the mirror,” Aurora said, realizing. “I have to go back.”
“Forget the mirror! We will find another way,” Devon said. “I don’t want you risking your life again!”
Aurora was touched. She felt less frightened knowing someone was still looking out for her and would find her if she got lost.
“Devon, I will be alright. I promise,” Aurora said. “Just let me get the mirror.”
Devon was reluctant to let her go, but he relented when she pleaded.
“Please hurry back,” Devon said, worried.
The lake must affect him too, Aurora thought. Devon looked so pale.
He shouldn’t stay in the water.
“I will come back. Go to the shore, Devon, and wait for me,” Aurora said.
Devon refused to leave, even when the lake of fears was making him shiver uncontrollably.
Aurora pleaded, “Please Devon? Trust me?”
She held his hand in the water.
Devon nodded his head and reluctantly made his way to shore. Aurora took a deep breath and dove again. Once again, she encountered her parents and the prince, pleading for her to stay with them, but she waved her hand dismissively and watched them ripple away.
Aurora dove to the bottom and grabbed the mirror. She swam as fast as she could to the surface. She saw Devon reach the shore and then turn to look for her in the lake. He sighed in relief as she swam towards him.
When she reached the silvery banks, Devon wrapped her in a cloak. Both of them sat side by side, relieved to be out of the water.
It was a few minutes before either of them spoke.
“I got the mirror,” Aurora said quietly.
“I don’t know how you did it, Aurora,” Devon said, pale. “I couldn’t stay in that cursed lake for even a minute.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you coming to help,” Aurora said. “Thank you, Devon.”
Devon nodded his head, but said nothing else. He still looked shaken. His breaths were uneven and his hands were trembling.
She had to know what affected Devon so much.
“What did you see in the lake, Devon?” Aurora asked.
“Nothing... but I heard my father’s voice,” Devon said, running a hand through his wet hair. “I haven’t heard his voice in two years. He hasn't spoken since he got the injury.”
Aurora’s heart broke seeing Devon’s sad expression.
“We will find a way to heal him, Devon... now that we have the mirror,” she said.
Devon nodded his head.
“What did you see in the lake, Aurora?” Devon asked. “Why did you take so long to come back?”
“I saw my parents... and I saw the prince,” Aurora said. “They were asking me to stay with them.”
“I am sorry, Aurora,” Devon said. “If I had known that the lake would be so terrible, I never would have let you near it.”
“I had to do it, Devon,” Aurora said. “We both need answers from this mirror.”
The mirror was glowing in her hand. It had an intricate carving of leaves and trees on the hilt and at the back.
“How does the mirror work?” Devon asked.
“We ask questions and see if it responds,” Aurora said. “My fairy godmothers said that it answers the right ones, or the ones it feels is most useful.”
“It is a riddle, then?” Devon asked. “What are you going to ask?”
“Everything,” Aurora said with a grim smile. “I should probably start with the basic questions.”
“Sounds good to me,” Devon said in agreement.
“Show me what happened in the past,” Aurora said to the mirror.
Nothing changed.
“No response,” Devon said.
“Too broad, perhaps? I need to be specific about whom and when,” Aurora said. Devon nodded.
“Show me what happened to my parents after I fell asleep,” Aurora asked the mirror.
The mirror shifted this time, and they could see an image forming. It showed Aurora’s mother crying and her father holding her in his arms. Aurora stifled a sob. The mirror shifted again, and it showed the headstones of her parents. The date only a few years after she fell in the cursed sleep.
“Oh!” Aurora said, as a tear fell down her cheek. “They died so soon.”
Devon wiped the tear from her face. “Their grief must have been too much. I am sorry, Aurora.”
Aurora felt numb. Devon’s gentle hand on her face was the only sensation that kept her rooted to the present world... that kept her from drifting away.
Her parents were gone forever.
This wouldn’t have happened if the prince had come to wake her, Aurora thought. Why didn’t he keep his promise?
She moved away from Devon.
“Show me why the prince didn’t come for me,” Aurora asked, her voice shaking.
The mirror shifted again. Aurora saw Malorna’s castle and the witch on her throne. Did she hurt the prince? The image panned to the seat beside Malorna. There, on another throne, sat her prince.
Aurora didn’t know what to think. The prince wasn’t captured or hurt. He looked healthy and well, and was dressed in royal clothes as he sat on the throne. The witch and the prince were wearing matching rings on their wedding fingers.
It was a black ring shaped like thorns with a single black stone at the centre.
Aurora knew what the rings meant.
Devon was the first to react. He swore loudly.
“That deceiving rat!” he said. “He left you in that cursed sleep while he... while he... “
Devon couldn’t finish the sentence, knowing it would hurt Aurora. Already she looked like her world had shifted and she was falling down a deep precipice.
“There is nothing I can do now about that,” Aurora said, her voice hollow. “Mirror, show me where my fairy godmothers are.”
The mirror shifted and showed the image of a cottage. Aurora looked confused.
“What is it? Where are they?” Devon asked.
“They are still in the cottage in the enchanted forest,” Aurora said.
“They are? Then why didn’t they come to look for you?” Devon asked.
“I don’t know,” Aurora said. “Mirror, show me what my fairy godmothers are doing now.
The mirror shifted and showed them the inside of the cottage where her fairy godmothers were. Luna and Celestia, her fairy godmothers, were both in the cottage’s kitchen. They were laughing. Luna with her star speckled blue skin and white hair. Celestia with her golden eyes and hair and ebony skin.
Aurora couldn’t believe her eyes. Was this the truth? Had her godmothers forsaken her too?
“I am doubting how much truth this mirror shows,” Devon said bitterly. Aurora was glad his thoughts were the same as her... that he didn’t quite believe the images the mirror was showing them.
“I will ask the mirror about your father,” Aurora said, remembering her promise to Castian. Devon nodded grimly.
“Mirror, how can we cure Devon’s father?”
The mirror shifted but showed the same image as before of her fairy godmothers.
Was the mirror not working?
“Perhaps we will find the answers at your godmothers’ cottage?” Devon asked.
“Yes, it seems so,” Aurora said with a sigh.
She was getting tired of the mirror. She asked it one last question, “Mirror, show us the way out of this forest.”
The mirror shifted and showed them the image of wild mushrooms. The mushrooms were gold with silver spots. Was the mirror telling them to follow them to find their way back?
Aurora wished the mirror could speak instead of just showing them cryptic pictures.
“We should get going then,” Devon said. “Now that we know how to get out of here, I don’t want to stay here a second longer. What are you going to do with the mirror now?”
“We can’t take the mirror with us,” Aurora said. “It belongs here in the lake. Only those that face the lake can use it but they need to return it back.”
“With pleasure. I never want to see that thing again,” Devon said.
Aurora agreed with him. She hated the mirror. She hated even holding it.
“Can I do the honors?” Devon asked. Aurora nodded.
Devon took the mirror from her hand and tossed it as far as he could. It dropped in the middle of the lake with a plop.
Devon had used considerable force before tossing it.
Aurora smiled. “Feeling better?”
Devon smiled, too. “Maybe slightly better. I would rather smash that cursed thing to pieces.”
“I think truth is a bitter thing to swallow,” Aurora said.
“I am not convinced how true it was... but we will find out,” Devon said. “Don’t think about what the mirror showed us until we find the whole truth for ourselves, Aurora.”
“At least we know the way out and our way forward,” Aurora said, her voice distant. “We have to go to my fairy godmothers’ cottage in the enchanted forest. I am glad to see they were ok.”
Devon raised his eyebrows. He said nothing, but only nodded.
The lake had definitely taken a toll on them both, and they wanted to leave immediately.
“Let us find those mushrooms,” Devon said. “We know what they look like, but how do they taste? I wonder if they are poisonous?”
“You should have asked that before tossing the mirror,” Aurora said, smiling. “I wouldn’t eat anything in the forest though.”
“Yeah. For all I know, I might start hearing the voices of my former lovers,” Devon said with a lazy smile.
“Lovers?”
“Yes. Why are you curious?” Devon said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Not really,” Aurora said huffily. “Maybe you should eat those mushrooms.”
Devon laughed. “I am starting to think you are curious, Aurora.”
He gave her a wink. Aurora glared at him.
It wasn’t long before they found the first golden mushroom. From then, they continued seeing them dotted along the forest. Aurora and Devon got back to their horses, which they had tied to trees nearby. The horses neighed happily at their return. The animals also wanted to get out of the cursed forest.
The sun continued to shine like nothing had changed, but Aurora felt her world had shifted. Devon, too, was quiet. The voices of their loved ones haunting both their thoughts. For a place that was so beautiful, the forest would hold terrible memories for them both.
As the day dragged on and they continued to follow the golden mushrooms, they noted it stayed bright in the forest. Perhaps it would stay that way? It surprised them when, moments later, the day switched to night with no sign. There were no sunsets here, they realized. No transitions to slowly ease into the night.
The golden trees of the day glowed silver for the night. The silver and golden leaves sparkled up above. There was no need to light a fire here, Aurora noted. The temperature stayed comfortable, and the silver glow of the forest was enough for them to see.
Both Aurora and Devon stopped to rest, but sleep was far from their minds. Their thoughts were a whirlwind from what they had seen and heard earlier in the lake. They only stopped because it was something they should do rather than wanted to do. Their bodies needed to rest, and they didn’t know what the journey ahead was going to be like.
Devon set up camp while Aurora watched the forest. She didn’t have to gather firewood, Aurora thought. She wasn’t sure if she would light a fire in this forest. She wouldn’t risk it. There might be creatures more terrible than demons lurking around here.
Aurora watched as an owl hooted from up above the silver branches. As the bird flew off, a single feather glided down. She picked up the feather when it reached the ground. It was white with the edges gilded in silver.
There were other creatures that came out at night. Silver foxes and coyotes made of mist and shadows.. Aurora noticed thousands of fireflies weaving their way around the forest floor. Their pinpricks of golden lights dancing in circles around the silver trees. The fireflies would have been enchanting if it weren’t for the hollow feeling in her heart.
The golden mushrooms they were following were also glowing faintly. Aurora and Devon could have continued following them at night. Perhaps it would have been better to keep moving than to stop and rest. Her mind won’t let her sleep.
After he set up their camp, Devon stayed awake too. She could hear him shifting restlessly throughout the night. She knew he had questions just like her. Both of them were being tested for their patience.
Aurora hoped they would pass whatever test the fates were putting them through.
Aurora wanted to go back to the tower. She couldn’t bear staying in the forest anymore. Aurora wanted to find her fairy godmothers again. Even that thought didn’t bring her any comfort.
What will I ask them when I see them again? Aurora pondered miserably. There was one question in the front of her mind but she didn’t know if she will have the courage to say it to them. She was afraid even to say it to herself.
My dear fairy godmothers, why did you forget me?