[Jaykobell]

"Honestly." Maggie answered, "I have no idea!" she admitted, and she squatted, putting her weight on her thighs and knees. "It looks like some sort of glass!" she observed, and she stretched a hand to touch it. Almost right away, the tiny glass shards melted.

Finn blinked at the display. "They melted!" he voiced, surprised. "So it's not glass..."

Maggie wiped her glove, and she straightened up. She put her hands to her hips, and she turned to face the forest just right ahead. "Whatever it is," she said, "there's a whole trail that's leading up to that forest!"

[Bonus - 15]

[Jaykobell]

Finn looked up at his aunt. "Huh?" he mused as he turned around to face the forest as well. "What do you..."

His voice trailed off as he finally understood, as he finally saw it all. A whole trail of those strange, fragile glass-like shards in neat little piles, leading straight to the forest. And that strange little sound, so close, yet so far — it was coming from the forest!

He excitedly took a few steps forward with a gasp. "The forest!"

[Bonus - 16]

[Jaykobell]

Maggie clapped her hands excitedly as she watched her nephew putting the puzzle pieces together. "Yes!" she praised, pride pouring out of her voice. "You get it now?"

"I've been hearing that noise since we got here," Finn admitted, and suddenly, the noise seemed so much louder, so much clearer. The little sounds even seemed to multiply now, and it was so obvious that they were coming from the trees ahead. "That's where we need to go!"

But as he spoke, something struck him. "Wait."

[Bonus - 17]

[Jaykobell]

"Auntie Maggie," Finn said, turning back to his aunt, "you knew it was coming from the forest?"

"Of course!" Maggie said with a confident grin. "I've known even before we actually physically got here, while we were on our way here."

The way she was saying it, it left Finn feeling like a fool. "That... that long?" he mumbled, fiddling with his hands and looking down. His aunt had figured out that long ago? And even now, with it right in front of them, Finn hadn't been able to figure out without her help.

[Bonus - 18]

[Jaykobell]

Noticing his crestfallen expression and body language, Maggie tilted her head. "What's wrong honey?"

Upon being asked, Finn felt his ears burn even more. "You had it figured out so quickly," he answered quietly. "We've been standing here, and I couldn't figure it out without you." His shoulders sagged. "What if someone was in danger? What if something or someone needed my help, and you weren't here to tell me what to do?" he lamented softly, a few emotions bubbling in his throat as he spoke.

[Bonus - 19]

[Jaykobell]

Maggie blinked at the outpouring of emotions from her nephew. "Oh, Finnie," she soothed, stepping forward to put her hands on his shoulders. "It's never quite that black and white," she explained. "Sure, something might call out to you in the future, but you're never obligated to help," she pointed out. "And if you do help, it's not quite that easy as one, two, three!"

Although what his aunt was saying made sense, Finn still felt ashamed, truly like a child embarrassing his parents. And Maggie felt much more like a mother than an aunt to him.

[Bonus - 20]

[Jaykobell]

Maggie tilted her head, trying to catch her nephew's eyes. "Your auntie's been a witch for a long, long time, honey!" she reminded the boy. "This is the kind of skill that comes with age!" she reassured him.

She delicately took ahold of his chin to force his head up, to force eye contact. "The fact you even felt something here all the way back home is incredible! You have raw talent, Finnie!" she praised him, and she put a hand on his head. "Now you just need to hone that talent!"

[Bonus - 21]

[Jaykobell]

Hearing his aunt's words helped alleviate some of Finn's stress and fears. "You think so?" he asked quietly.

"Of course I do!" Maggie promised him, grinning and running her hand through his hair — a deed done a little bit awkwardly when thick winter gloves were involved, but it was a kind, soothing gesture nonetheless. "Every experience that brings you out here will give you a chance to shape your talent into who you are!" And after a short pause, she confidently added, "Even if you fail sometimes. You still learn!"

[Bonus - 22]

[Jaykobell]

Finn turned his attention to the forest. The thought of failing was terrifying — whatever those little shards were, wherever they came from, what if he couldn't help whoever it was? Whatever it was? What would they find if they went onward to the forest?

Maggie looked over her nephew, still tormented by the weight of what this adventure and the potential for failure. Oh, how she remembered those days! To be young again! But Finn was lucky: he had his aunt to push him onward! "Well, no time like the present!"

[Bonus - 23]

[Jaykobell]

"What?" Finn said absentmindedly, turning back to face his aunt after she'd spoken.

"Let's stop standing around here, and let's get going!" Maggie pushed, and she reached for Finn's hand so she could pull him along with her onward. "We found where the feeling is coming from! And you've been hearing that sound! It's all from the forest, so let's go!"

"Ah!" Finn gasped, and soon enough, he had to awkwardly keep up with his aunt, to the point where he thought he were going to fall, his feet kicking up slow behind him.

[Bonus - 24]

[Jaykobell]

After a little while of walking, hand in hand, aunt and nephew reached the edge of the forest. The closer they got, the louder the little noise got, to the point where Finn could put a sort of image on it — it almost sounded like a tiny ringing bell. It was kind of surreal to be hearing a sound like that here, in nature.

They wasted no time stepping beyond and into the trees, both grateful for the protection against the harsh, cold winds of winter.

And almost as soon as they had entered, it appeared: an eerie, yet breathtaking Lunafly flapping glass-like wings of ice.

[Bonus - 25]