Pink . . .

     It had seemed like ages, of awkward silence, before Maila finally spotted something familiar. Maila nudged Airibone's elbow andsmiled ecstatically.

"Airibone!" she stage whispered. "This is the place! Well, almost. We're almost there!" Airibone sleepily smiled up at her and followed where Maila was looking.

"A bunch of tangled vines, uh-" Airibone seemed lost. "What about them, I've seen tons of these on the way." Maila shook her head and turned to look at Airibone.

"No, these are the vine I slept in last night!" Airibone gave her a quizzical look.

"Why did you sleep this deep into the forest?" that was a good question.

"I- I just got lost, and ran? I don't really know. I didn't really know how far I went, I guess." Maila unsurly answered.

They looked at each other for a moment, then-to break the tension-Airibone burst out laughing.

"This is stupid!" she giggled. "I don't know why, but we're treating each other like awkward strangers, because of an appearance!" Airibone dipped into Maila's arms for a hug.

"I'm sorry Maila, I don't even know anymore." she said recovering, wiping her eye dry. Maila shook her head, slightly laughing too.

"No, I get it. It's fine." She assured her friend. "Look, d'ya see that big dark rock, at the top of that hill?" Airibone nodded, realization and aw, flooding into her face.

"Is that it! Maila, the-" Airibone dove up the hill in excitement.

"Yup! We're here!" she affirmed. Airibone looked as though she may start vibrating with excitement. She joined her friend at the top of the hill, and together, they gazed down into the canyon. Maila reminded Airibone that the only way to get down, was to climb. So, they dug their claws into the side of the clay walls, and began to head downward.

When they had reached the bottom, Airibone fizzed with overwhelming joy.

"I can't believe that I'm actually here!" She beamed. "Maila! I am standing in your magical story place." Maila giggled, and looked around, to see that the canyon had not changed one bit. She noticed that she had never explored the white, glowing, cave on the left side of the canyon.

"Airibone, I'm going to go over there for a minute, do you want to come?" Maila asked, determined for a yes.

"Sure, why not!" Airibone optimistically agreed. Maila grinned and leaped over the river to get to side where the cave was. A few electric zaps flew up from the water as Maila gasped, and Airibone leaped after her, narrowly missing a shock to the belly.

When they entered, the white light faded, and retreated back, further into the cave. Maila and Airibone exchanged glances, and sprinted after it. The light seemed to have been coming from a glowing pedestal, in the center of the back wall of the cave.

As they drew closer, they saw that there were ten, grey gems, embedded into the surface. Maila looked at them for a moment before realizing, that one of the gems were yellow. As she poked it, it light up vibrantly with colour, and began to glow.

"Whoa!" Airibone exclaimed. "Sick, lemme try!" and Airibone tapped on gem with an unreadable expression. Maila looked down where she a touched a gem, with no result.

"Hrmm," Airibone sighed. "I think I have an idea..." Airibone spun around and took a few steps towards the exit. But, just as Maila went to follow her, Airibone whipped her head around, and stopped Maila in her tracks.

"I need you to just stay here, and watch the gems for a sec." Maila hesitated, before nodding her head, and turning back to face the pedestal. She heard Airibone call 'tanks!' down the tunnel like cave. Maila responded with a 'no problem.' and rolled her eyes.

A few minutes passed, as Maila sat down, halfheartedly gazing at the ten, grey and yellow gems. But then, suddenly, Airibone let out a yelp from outside, as one of the gems spiraled into a sharp, eye-popping pink!

Oh no! Did Airibone touch the pillar! Maila worried. Wait, why would that be a bad thing? She realized, blinking at the pink gem. That would actually be a great thing!

Maila bounded out of the cave! Oh boy, oh boy, oh- Airibone looked at her with an expression that said it all!