Ellie heard the alarm clock go off, and she shut it off. She knew this was a very important day for her.
        From downstairs, her father yelled, "Breakfast is ready!"
        "On my way, Dad!" Ellie changed into her clothes for this special day, her clothing consisting of a short-sleeved pink shirt and comfortable white slacks. After putting on her glasses, she came down to the kitchen, ready to eat breakfast for that energy boost she would need for the long day ahead.
        "You responded fast, pumpkin," Mr. Peterson said happily.
        "Well, I need all the energy I can get."
        "Some toast, eggs, lean bacon, and homemade apple juice will hit the spot, right?"
        "One of my favorites! Thanks, Dad."
        As Ellie was enjoying her breakfast, she told him about the details of the dream, including the seventh birthday and finding the key to free the voice in the room, as she referred to it.
        "Well," her father said, "things are beginning to fall into place for you. You were given a special present on your seventh birthday, but you still don't know anything about it?"
        "I'm not so sure I don't know. I wrote 'seventh birthday' on my memory list, and I'm thinking there's a connection between that birthday, the crystal, and the words 'Most Important of All. "'
        "You believe the crystal was the most important present given to you on your seventh birthday, right?"
        "Exactly. The only question is, what kind of crystal am I looking for?"
        "I don't know, but you can't worry about that question now. I need to get you to the festival before the rest of the crew gets all over us for being late."
        "You're right, Dad. I'll be ready in a few minutes."
        They quickly jumped into the truck and took off for the forest festival.
        Ellie knew in her heart she was heading for a time of fun and new responsibility. She also knew she could be trusted by everyone on the committee, for her heart belonged to those in the children's hospital.
        They arrived at the festival five minutes before 7:00. At the gate of the festival was a tall gentleman dressed in a brown sheriff's uniform. "Harold," he said, "good to see you."
        "Dan, how are you?"
        "Good." The sheriff then looked at Ellie and said, "It's so great to see you again, young lady."
        "Same here, Sheriff," Ellie said. "In a way, it's a payback for you getting me adopted by Dad here."
        "I'm glad you feel that way." He pointed his right finger to the north and said, "Roll call is that way."
        "Thank you." Ellie turned to her dad and said, "I'll see you tonight."
        "I'll be here, pumpkin." He turned to Sheriff Sanderson and said, "Better go, Dan. I've got some harvesting to do with some of my working boys today."
        The sheriff waved his farewell to Mr. Peterson. He could not forget about where he came from.

        Sheriff Daniel Sanderson was always the fair-and-just type, always giving people the benefit of a doubt. Being the sheriff
for 12 years, he was easily one of the most popular people in the community. With light brown hair and brown eyes, Sheriff Sanderson was friendly, but in dangerous situations, he truly had the cunning of a fox and the attitude of a tiger. He dedicated his career to protecting the people of Gurney from harm, but he did have unusual circumstances which led to his interest in the law.
        He had worked on Mr. Peterson's farm and became good friends with Peterson because of his hard work. One day, however, Dan was really able to prove his worth when someone tried to steal some money from Peterson's safe. Dan caught a thief trying to take a day's worth of earnings from the safe. The thief was armed with a knife, but Dan was able to pry the knife away from the criminal and hold him until the authorities arrived at the farm. From that moment, Dan worked hard to earn enough money to go to college and major in justice and public safety.
        When he finished college, he quickly ran through law enforcement basic training and graduated at the top of his class. By the time he was 28, he became the youngest sheriff in the history of Gurney.
        The sheriff was also responsible for getting Ellie legally adopted by Harold Peterson. He made sure Ellie did not match any fugitive on the run, and that she was not taken to a psychologist, fearing she could be planted with lies. He got the two through the adoption process, and he quickly established a good friendship with Ellie.

        On this day, though, the sheriff thought more of Ellie's responsibilities at the forest festival.
        After the roll call, everyone went to their stations to prepare for the wave of visitors.
        As for Ellie, she was given exact instructions on how to care for the money properly. She learned about which part of the box to put the bigger bills, a tally of how many tickets were bought, and what to do when there was too much money in the box, which was going to happen because a large crowd was expected to come through the festival during the day.
        When the festival opened, people flooded into the area like water coming off a dam.
        Sheriff Sanderson and Ellie had their work cut out for the first couple of hours. Fortunately, by lunch time the number of visitors slowed to the steady pace.
        The sheriff looked at his watch and then at Ellie. He asked, "Are you feeling hungry?"
        "Actually," she replied, "my stomach is growling loudly."
        "Okay, how about some lunch?" He took some money out of his right pocket. "Use this 10 dollars to get me a burger with the works and a cola while you get whatever you like."
        "Why, Sheriff, are you treating me to lunch?"
        "Sure, you've done a great job so far. Consider it as a reward for good work."
        Ellie thanked the sheriff, stepped away from the money table, and walked up to the lunch booth.
        Valerie Wilder, a sophomore cheerleader at rival Vagley High, was serving lunch when Ellie came to the booth. "Hey," Valerie said, "it's the festival treasurer."
        Ellie took it as a compliment. "Hi, Val. It looks like you got your hands full here like the sheriff and I have had at the gate."
        "You're not kidding, Ellie. It's been crazy from the start, and it won't be getting any easier."
        "Hey, who said fund-raising was supposed to be easy?"
        "Hmm, true. So, you breakin' for lunch?"
        "Yeah, I'm starving. Let's see, I need a burger with everything on it and a cola for the sheriff. For me, I would like a sausage dog with ketchup and onions, as well as an orange soda."
        "Ah, who's treating who to lunch?"
        "The sheriff's treating me," Ellie replied as she moved her eyebrows up and down.
        "Oooh, how sweet. Now, let's make sure the order's correct. You need one burger with the works, a sausage dog with ketchup and onions, a cola, and an orange soda."
        "Exactly right. Have you gotten every order right today?"
        "That's why I have Rob and B.J. helping me over here, to keep the orders on the right track."
        "So, what do I owe you?"
        Tallying the cost, Valerie said, "It'll be $5.50."
        When Ellie gave her the $10 bill, she got the change and the two meals in about one minute.
        After discussing plans about the big football game between Vagley and Gurney in a couple of weeks, Ellie left the booth to return to the money table.
        Unfortunately, she did not take more than seven steps when someone knocked the food and drinks out of her hands and onto the ground.
        Ellie was shocked. "Oh, no! Ifve lost the sheriff's lunch, and mine's ruined, too!" She kneeled to the ground to try to get the meals recovered.
        "Aw, isn't that too bad?" a mean female voice said.
        Ellie looked up and noticed the culprit. "Misty?! What are you doing here?"
        "Come to settle a little score with you, loser! You made me look like a fool the other day!"
        "Oh, and how did that happen?" Ellie asked sarcastically.
        "First, you chicken out of our fight, and then you tattle on me to Stanton, getting me in trouble!"
        "Hey, I did not chicken out, Misty! I had to attend a mandatory forest festival organization meeting in room 238 at 3:00, the same time you wanted me to fight you. I had no point being at the fight, since I knew the meeting was far more important.
        "As for tattling, I know the difference between a tattletale and a concerned person. I told the principal the truth because I believed it was the best solution. Don't you know fighting solves absolutely nothing?"
        Misty became angrier. "You're wrong, nerd! Fighting is the only solution for you!" Clenching her right hand into a fist, she yelled, "Prepare for a knuckle sandwich, wimp!"
        When Misty swung her right fist toward Ellie, she ducked down and grabbed Misty's arm with both her hands. She then threw the bully a good 10 feet.
        One of the deputy sheriffs came up to ask what happened, and the crowd told them about Misty nearly punching Ellie.
        The deputy held Misty until Sheriff Sanderson arrived on the scene. "Good timing, sir," the deputy said.
        "What happened here?" Sheriff Sanderson asked frantically.
        "According to these witnesses, Miss Ziegler wanted to start a fight with Miss Peterson here. Thankfully, Ellie successfully defended herself and sent Misty flyin'."
        As the sheriff confirmed the truth with the witnesses, the principal came to the area of arousement. "Well, I see there's trouble again," said Mr. Stanton. "And look who's in it one more time."
       "NO!" Misty yelled adamantly. "Those hairbrained witnesses are lying! Ellie started it!"
        Stanton bellowed, "Quiet, young lady, unless you want me to change your one-week trip in the alternative classroom into a one-week suspension for trying to start a fight at a school-sponsored event!"
        "Not only that, Misty," Sheriff Sanderson added. "You have ten seconds to get out of here, or I'll place you under arrest for attempted aggravated assault! It's your choice."
        "I didn't do anything!" Misty continued yelling.
        "All right, Deputy Simms," said the sheriff. "Escort her out of this festival and to the jail. Maybe she'll think about what she's done behind bars."
        "If she's still got the attitude," Mr. Stanton noted, "I'll have no choice but to suspend her for that one week."
        Ellie stood up and said, "It seems Misty's been trouble for both of you lately."
        "You're right," Sheriff Sanderson said somberly. "She's been in trouble with both of us the last two years."
        "Maybe she needs to make a talk show appearance," Mr. Stanton said, "with out-of-control school bullies." He looked at the time and spoke, "I need to get to the dunking booth. It's my turn to take a dip in the water."
        The sheriff wished Stanton well and then turned to Ellie, who looked down at the wrecked meals. "Ellie, what's the matter?"
        She was upset with herself. "Oh, Sheriff, I'm so sorry about your lunch." She had a tear go down her face.
        "Ellie," Sheriff Sanderson said, trying to cheer her up, "you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You did the best you possibly could in avoiding conflict with Misty. When she gave you no other alternative, you were able to defend yourself without other people getting hurt. You did good here."
        Ellie smiled and said, "Thanks, Sheriff. I just don't like it when one person tries to ruin the fun for everyone else."
        Mysteriously, she suddenly experienced another flash in her mind. Like before, it lasted only seconds, but she saw a group of people holding weapons, ready to defend themselves against something. She also noticed the same young woman with purple hair and green gloves.
        She shook off the flash and returned to reality. "Oh, boy. Not this again."
        The sheriff looked at Ellie with some concern. "Are you all right? You look pale."
        "Oh, yeah," she responded. "It's just a headache. Maybe I'm getting too hungry, but now I don't have enough money for lunch."
        Then, Valerie came up from behind with two plates and said, "Here, you two. Have these lunches on the house."
        Ellie was surprised to see it was the same meals she ordered only minutes earlier. "Val, thank you. However, I really need to pay for the meals."
        "No way, Ellie. When a bully ruins a friend's lunch, I make sure to give her a back-up meal."
        "Valerie," said the sheriff, "it's people like you who make my job much easier and make me proud to serve this community."
        "Well, I believe in fairness and being nice to the people who are having a good time."
        Val said good-bye and returned to the lunch counter whereas Ellie and Sheriff Sanderson went back to the money table.
        Later that afternoon, Carrie spoke into the P.A. system with a big announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, we still have a couple of hours left in the festival, and I am pleased to report that we have reached our goal of $25,000!" As the crowd let out a celebration cheer, she yelled, "The Children's Hospital at Duke University will receive that new wing and more money for life-saving equipment. Give yourselves a round of applause. We, the members of the festival committee wish to thank Richard Stanton, Andrea Shields, and Fred Cranston, principals of Gurney, Radler, and Vagley High Schools for all their help in making the festival a big hit. Seize the rest of the day and enjoy the festival; you earned it! "

        A half-an-hour later, Rob came by the money table to see his best friend. "Wow! Ellie, you've done wonderfully here! We were right to choose you for the job on such short notice."
        Sheriff Sanderson agreed. "She's not taken one cent out of the box at all. I'm proud of her, too, for her unselfishness. I know she really came through for us today."
        Ellie, flattered by their comments, blushed. Then she asked, "Rob, why aren't you at the lunch counter with Val and B.J.?"
        "Simple. There's no food left; we sold out of meals." He turned to the sheriff and asked, "Would you mind if I took Ellie for a little walk around the festival?"
        "I don't see why not," Sheriff Sanderson replied. "Ellie, go ahead and take the rest of the day off."
        "Are you sure?" she asked curiously.
        "Yeah, you deserve it. You've done a great job here."
        Ellie thanked the sheriff and left the table to go on that walk with Rob.
        During the walk, Ellie noticed an assortment of beautifully hand-crafted crystals. As she was looking closely at an emerald, she had another flash run through her mind. Only seconds long, she saw a similar emerald crystal on the forehead of a girl with purple hair. Although she could not see the complete face, she saw the eyes open, only to discover they were purple, exactly as the hair was. She also heard the girl say one thing: "My time is near; I shall come very soon."
        Rob noticed Ellie's head looking weird. "You okay?"
        "Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she replied, shaking off the flash from her conscious. "It's just that this emerald seems very familiar to me, but I don't remember where or how."
        "Would you like me to buy it for you? After all, I think it is perfectly suited for someone who shined so brightly today."
        "Oh. no. no. no. It's ten bucks. Please, don't go to all that trouble."
        "I insist, Ellie." He then whispered, "Besides, this may be what you need to figure out your past."
        "You think so?" After Rob nodded she said, "Well, okay, if you really want to buy this for me, I'll accept it."
        Rob bought the crystal and gave it to Ellie as a momento of the forest festival.
        At that exact moment, Rob noticed another young woman pacing around the festival. "I don't believe it!" he exclaimed. "Kara, is that you?"
        Kara then noticed Rob and Ellie and came up to them. "Hi, guys!"
        Rob gave her a big hug and asked, "Are you feeling okay?"
        "Yeah, I'm fine. The doctors released me yesterday, and the first thing I wanted to do was to get here and see how things were going." Looking at the turnout, she added, "It looks as if the festival is going to be a big success."
        "It already is," Ellie said. "We still have some time left, and we've achieved the goal. What more could you ask for?"
        Kara replied, "That's for sure. It's also obvious the committee found a great person to take my place."
        "I hope you don't mind I did take your place."
        "That's okay, Ellie. The committee members knew that only a truly trustworthy person could be the treasurer, and you've done a tremendous job."
        "I'm just glad I could do my part to help."
        Kara gave Ellie a hug of support. "You've got some serious potential, girlfriend. Just hone on your talents, and you'll be someone special later on down the road."
        "Well, I'm just happy to see you on your feet, considering the severity of that bee sting reaction. Are you taking anything for it?"
        "Yeah, Rob's mom put me on a ten-day prescription, so I'll be fully recovered in that time."
        "All right," Rob said happily. "We'll see you at school on Monday morning."
        Rob and Ellie parted ways with Kara as they continued walking around the festival.
        For the rest of the festival, Ellie could not help wondering about the crystal Rob bought for her. Could this emerald possibly hold the key to unlocking her lost past? And what about the voice that said, "My time is near; I shall come very soon?" She was unable to shake the thoughts from her mind.
        After the festival ended and all the helpers gave themselves a round of applause, Ellie's father came to pick her up. She and Rob hugged each other for the great success the festival turned out to be. She jumped into her dad's truck and told him everything that happened at the festival, including the near fight with Misty and the two flashes.

        When Mr. Peterson and Ellie came home, he said, "I am very proud of you for all the hard work you put in, helping out at the moment the festival needed it and making it a big triumph for the children's hospital."
        "I'm so glad I took part in this event. I feel a whole lot better, knowing I did something to make a difference."
        "You're just like my wife. She always believed in helping others all the time. She'd be proud of you, Ellie."
        "I know, Dad. Your wife would be happy to know I did help in benefiting those children in the hospital."
        Mr. Peterson then changed the subject. "Now, about the two flashes you had at the festival. You saw the same girl with the purple hair and green gloves."
        "Yeah, but I have some more clues to my mystery. The girl's got purple eyes, and she has a crystal similar to this one." She took the emerald out of her right pocket.
        After a careful examination of the crystal, he said, "Do you think this crystal belongs to you?"
        "I'm not so sure, Dad, but there's one more thing I need to tell you. I heard the girl say, 'My time is near; I shall come very soon.' It was eerily sounding like my voice. What does all this mean to me?"
        "It means your past may be starting to come back to you." Ellie gasped and said, "Dad, what if I'm this mystery girl? What if the two in the balcony, the king and queen, really are my parents? What if I discover the truth and freak out? What am I supposed to do!?"
        Her father placed his right hand on her left arm and calmly said, "It's all right, Ellie. I know you're getting confused by all this, but you have to place the pieces together one at a time. If you think about each one and find out where they fit, you will figure out your childhood. Just take your time in doing it; don't worry about anything."
        Ellie gave a heavy sigh and said, "You're right, Dad. I just need to take it easy arid go one step at a time. Maybe when this mess is solved, it may not be so bad. The only question is, how long will it be before I learn my true identity?"
        "It depends on how much effort you put into it; however, you shouldn't allow it to control every aspect of your life."
        "Thanks, Dad. You're always giving me the best advice when I really need it."
        "That's a part of the job of being 'a parent."'
        Ellie laughed at the comment, but she felt more at ease because she was with an adoptive father who had a heart of gold.

        A few hours after all the festival booths were removed from the forest to make it normal and clean again, an oddly dressed man walked around with a can in his right hand. The man was dressed all in black, with a ski mask to conceal his face and gloves to hide his fingerprints.
        Although it appeared to be just a teenager's funny prank, the man actually had a more nasty agenda in mind. "Why would there be a festival for such a ridiculous forest?" he said to himself as he continued to pace the area. "This place has no need for this bunch of trees. Being an expert on flames, I need to spice up the level of excitement around here!"
        As he went on walking, he opened the container and began to pour a substance all around the zone. Keeping it up for a couple of miles, he kept pouring until the can was empty. He threw the container back at the last tree he poured over and then took out a match box.
        Opening it, he took one single match out, gave it a fast rub on the abrasive side, and lit up the little piece of wood. "I'll be glad to see another festival in this forest, dedicated to its memory, that is!" he said with a sinister laugh. He then threw the lit match to where he had thrown the container.
        In a matter of seconds, trees themselves became matches as they quickly started to catch fire.
        "There hasn't been a lot of rain in the last two months," the man said, "so this forest should go up in about three hours!" He then ran off to escape from the fire before he got trapped. He reached his getaway car and revved away in plenty of time.

        Meanwhile, at Rob's home, he told his mother about the success the festival was. He also explained about buying the crystal for Ellie.
        His mother said, "Honey, why did you buy her the crystal? Is she now your girlfriend or something?"
        "No, Mom. I wanted to get it for her as a way of remembering the festival."
        Kimberly Walker, a registered physician at Gurney Hospital, was a stern mother who took life a little tough when her husband was killed in action during the Persian Gulf War. She tended to be very protective of her son, at times overprotective. "Look, I don't want you to get a gift for someone you barely know."
        "Barely know!? Mom, Ellie and I are best friends; we've been like that since the first day of school. I feel comfortable when I talk about my problems to her and vice versa."
        "You listen to me, young man," the mother with green eyes and red hair said. "I don't want you to do anything that'll get you into trouble."
        "Ellie is no troublemaker. She's just a shy, quiet girl who knows how to pitch in and help. Anyway, she didn't take any money from the festival. Being a member of the festival committee, I'm so glad she was chosen on such short notice."
        "Why, so you can get a quick girlfriend?"
        "Mom, Ellie's a wonderful friend, and I want to help her get her memory back."
        "I don't care if she finds out she's a doctor or whatever, I just don't want you to get involved with her if she turns out to be a bully or a drug dealer."
        Rob did not take that comment well at all. "How dare you say she's a drug dealer! She probably doesn't even know the names of any street substances; how can you be so cold on one person, just because she's not the prettiest girl I've ever seen?"
        "Rob, I just want you to be careful, that's all."
        "You've been like this to me for years ever since Dad died, and I'm really getting sick of it! I've been able to see the fact Dad is gone, but you still haven't gotten the message! Can't you understand I'm not Dad, I'm growing up, and I have a right to pick my friends!"
        "Of course You can choose your own friends, but what if Ellie decides to turn on you and go behind your back?"
        "That's it, I've had enough of this nonsense!" Rob angrily walked out the front door and stepped into his brown two-door car.
        "Where are you going?" Mrs. Walker asked in concern.
        "A place to think and far away from you!" he replied loudly. "I am not going to be treated like I'm still a bully!"
        When he sped off in anger, his mother made a turn to look at the family photo, the last one taken before the father was killed in war. "Oh, Mark," she said to the picture, "have I been trying to make Rob into you instead of letting him become the person he wants to be? Maybe I have been far too overprotective of my son, but I just worried he may be going in with the wrong crowd, with the possibility of him reverting to his bullying. What can I do?"
        Mrs. Walker could not hold back her tears as she said, "I've gone too far this time. How will I ever communicate with him if I don't give him a chance?"

        At Mr. Peterson's house, Ellie was in her room, looking intently at her ever growing list in her notebook. She added the words "defend," "purple eyes," and "time is near."
        She then went to the window, holding that emerald from the festival. She looked out into the stars and tried to think about everything that came to her in the past few days. Grasping the crystal tightly, she thought to herself, "Could this crystal help me unlock my hidden past? Can it help me discover the truth as to who I really am? I wonder if--"
        Her thinking was temporarily interrupted when she noticed a brown car passing by very rapidly on the road just outside of the farm grounds.. Even though it blurred by, she was able to see Rob in the driver's seat. "He sure looks upset over something. Maybe I better find out what's going on, see if I can help him."
        She took her pen and paper and wrote a quick note to her dad. She then folded the paper and placed it on her bed. "I hope Dad can understand what I'm doing."
        She next proceeded to tie her blanket and beach towel into a square knot and threw it out her second story window. She quickly climbed down and went on her red bicycle. Putting on her helmet, she wheeled away, she not realizing she dropped the crystal on the ground when she climbed down.
        Mr. Peterson came into Ellie's room to check on her, only to find out she was not there. "Ellie, where are you?" He noticed the window open and the impromptu rope hanging out. He saw the note on her bed, took it fast, and opened it.
        Just before he read the note, he said to himself, "I wonder why Ellie would do something like this. She's never done it before. Maybe she's figured out the truth about her childhood."
        He opened the note, which read, "Dear Dad, saw Rob in his car, visibly upset. Have followed on bicycle and will return as soon as possible. Hope you understand. Ellie."
        "I do understand, pumpkin, but just be careful." He worried about whether Ellie would be all right at this hour of the night, but little did he know that something this night would change the lives of himself, Rob, and especially Ellie, forever . . .

        Rob stopped his car at the forest's eastern edge. Walking at least a mile after leaving his car, he felt angry and confused as he tried to sort out his feelings. "I just don't understand why Mom's trying to protect me like I'm going back to the wrong crowd, and why she thinks Ellie would do something bad! She's never done anything to hurt a soul. When I try to speak my mind, Mom doesn't let me get a word in edgewise! I don't know why I have to put up with her about who I am and what I like. I'm running my life, not Mom. Why is she doing this to me?"
        A soft voice said, "Maybe she's afraid of losing you like she did her husband, your father."
        Rob suddenly turned around and noticed who spoke. "Ellie, is that you?"
        "Of course it's me."
        "How'd you know where I was going?"
        "I saw you driving past the house, angry, so I climbed down and followed on my bicycle. Are you okay?"
        "Yeah, I'm fine."
        "No, you're not, Rob. I could see and hear that out of pure concern. You're angry at your mother because you believe she's treating you like a kid. Why is that?"
        "It's probably because she's afraid I'll end up like my dad, as in dead and coming home in a coffin."
        "She must still be having a hard time coming to terms with the death of someone so close to her, and you."
        "Yeah, and every once in a while she'll take that grief out on me."
        "There has to be a communication problem between you and your mom. You've got to take a chance in trying to talk with her and her with you on level ground. What you both need is some time to figure out what you want to say. Then, when the time's right, you and your mom can speak calmly about each other's problems, like you're doing now here, with me."
        "That's what I've always liked about you, Ellie. You're a true friend, always there when t need help. I feel so comforted when I can talk to you about my problems."
        "Same way for me with you. I'm still trying to figure out my past, and you've been at my side since the beginning. I'll always be grateful for the help both you and Dad have given me."
        "Speaking of your past, have you had any more clues about the lost childhood, besides the crystal I gave you?"
        "Well, just after the near fight with Misty, I had a flash involving defending something. Also, in the crystal flash, I saw the purple-haired girl's purple eyes, and she said, 'My time is near; I shall come very soon.' It sounded like my own voice."
        When she mentioned the crystal, she suddenly realized about Rob's gift. "Oh, no! I dropped the crystal on the ground when I climbed down from my room."
        "Don't worry about it. I guess you were in such a hurry to help you forgot you had it in your hand and therefore dropped it."
        "Yeah, but the mystery's getting much closer to being solved. I think I'm a real princess, but I don't know from where. Also, the matter of the purple eyes, purple hair, green gloves, and the crystal. What do they and the trapped voice all have to do with me possibly being a princess?"
        "I don't know, but if this is true, am I going to have to say 'Princess Ellie'?"
        "Robert, please." Ellie put her head down in shame.
        "Ellie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"
        "It's all right. I know you were just joking, but if I learn I am a princess, there's one thing I would never want changed."
        "What is it?"
        "Our friendship. It means so much to me because you've been there for me since the first day we met, and thanks to you, I have some other friends now."
        "Well, I also owe you. until I met you, the only people who believed I was no longer a bully were Mr. Stanton and the sheriff. When I got a chance to talk to you during study hall on the first day, I felt more' alive than ever before. You helped me to believe in myself, a feeling I lost for seven years."
        "Hmm, I guess fate has its ways of surprising us, but--"
        "Ellie, is something wrong?"
        She inhaled a deep breath through her nose to check something strange in the air. "Rob, I don't know why, but I smell smoke."
        After he took a whiff, he agreed. "What's going on here?" He looked up and was shocked to see what was happening. "Ellie, I think we're in big trouble."
        "Why do you say that?"
        Rob asked her to look into the sky and then said, "Oh, no. This forest is on fire! We have to get out of here, fast!"
        "Can we get to the car and bike in time?"
        "No, we're too deep in the forest to get there. We'll have to find shelter and quickly."
        "How? There's nothing for shelter around here."
        "No, there is one place we can go. There's a cabin about a mile-and-a-half to the northwest of here. Being involved in the forestry program, I know where all the cabins in the forest are."
        Ellie started to hear the crackling fire approaching from the south. "We have no other choice; we must take refuge in the cabin before we get trapped!"
        Rob and Ellie took hands and started running for their lives, hoping to find the cabin and safety from the flames. They gave up much of their energy trying to reach the only possible safe place from the fire.
        As the flames were catching up with them, Ellie experienced another strange flash. She had to shake the flash out much faster this time, for any slow-down would get her trapped in the forest fire.
        About ten minutes later, she spotted the correct destination. "There it is!"
        They immediately ran inside the cabin. Rob locked the door behind him and joined her at the center, the safest part of the quarters.
        She was somewhat worried about their safe surroundings. "I hope this cabin holds up against that fire outside."
        "This cabin has withstood fires for over 150 years. Made of solid oak, we'll be safe in here, as long as we don't open any of the doors and windows. Otherwise, the backdraft will finish us."
             Ellie then walked up to the window and looked outside at the fire. She suddenly felt stranger than she had ever been in her life. Grabbing her head with both hands, she let out a hard and painful groan because she started having the same flash she had only minutes earlier when she ran. This flash was like no other she had previously, stronger and more gripping. "The-the flames. They're so familiar to me. How? How do I remember these flames?"
        Rob looked at her with the back of her head facing him. He asked, "Ellie, what's wrong? Is there something here making you remember your past?"
        "I don't know!" she answered in yelling. "I can't shake the flames from my mind! Why is this fire so important to me!?"

        At his office in town, Sheriff Sanderson was working a quiet night shift, that is until he heard the fire alarm bell. "Uh-oh, sounds like there's a fire somewhere."
        He immediately got on the telephone to Gurney's local fire department. "Fire Chief Ryan?"
        At the other end, the chief of the fire department said, "I was just about to call you and inform you about a forest fire that has just gotten out of control. The winds are driving the fire in a northeasterly direction, and the lack of rain is spreading the fire onto the dry trees. Parts of the town may be threatened if we don't contain the situation."
        "All right, get your men out there; I'll join you as soon as I possibly can."
        Just as he hung up the phone and was about to go to the scene of danger, two people quickly ran into the office. "Harold, Kim. What are you doing here?"
        Mrs. Walker frantically said, "It's my son, he's run away, and I donft know where he's gone."
        "And," Mr. Peterson added. "Ellie saw Rob pass by the house, so she took off on her bike to try to help him. Now I don't know where she is."
        "That's great," the sheriff said sarcastically. "Now I have to find Rob and Ellie, but it'll have to wait until after putting out the forest fire."
       "What!?" the two concerned parents exclaimed.
        "According to Fire Chief Ryan, a huge forest fire is becoming uncontrollable, and the Winds are spreading it rapidly."
        "Wait a minute, Sheriff," Mrs. Walker said. "I think I know something. When Rob needs to think, he likes to go to the forest, so he can have some peace."
        "Kim's right," agreed Mr. Peterson. "Ellie once told me the forest is Rob's one place of sanctuary and thought. Do you think they both--"
        "Oh, my God!" Sheriff Sanderson interrupted. "Harold, I know what you're about to say. Rob and Ellie are trapped in the forest fire, and they're running out of time!"
        "What can we do?" Mrs. Walker asked in tears.
        The sheriff replied, "Don't worry, Kim. If I know Rob, his expert knowledge of the area should get him and Ellie safely to a cabin. We'll make sure they're returned safely, before it's too late. I need to get out there, but you two must wait here. It'll be too dangerous for you, so wait here until you get a call from me. Harold, try to keep Kim as calm as possible."
        "Count on it, Dan. Go on out there, and be careful."
        "Thanks, buddy. I'll pay you back for this somehow. "
        When the sheriff grabbed his special fire suit and ran off, Mrs. Walker confessed something to Mr. Peterson. "Harold, I hate to tell you this, but I've put your adopted daughter down. I've even gone as low as calling her a drug dealer."
        "It's all right, Kim," Mr. Peterson said, trying to comfort her into not worrying about her son. "You're just trying to protect Rob from going back to the wrong crowd, but you're going at it too hard."
        "Do you think I'm trying to turn my son into my husband? "
        "Are you still having difficulty letting go of your husband and taking out the grief and anger on Rob?"
        Bursting into tears, she said, "Yes, it's true. I guess I have to take it out somewhere, but I don't mean to do that on my son."
        "I know. When people lose someone as close, it can still be depressing, even long after the so-called 'period of grief.'"
        "I don't understand you sometimes, Harold. Your wife died a year ago, yet you almost never show any grief."
        "Oh, I still grieve at losing Eleanor, but I can talk out my grief with Ellie. She has some of Eleanor's aspects within her: her warmth, compassion, wit, and love. In a way, you could say Eleanor's come back to me, through Ellie."
        "You're very lucky to have adopted a daughter who's also a good listener."
        "Ellie always has an open ear for discussion, especially if someone close to her has a problem."
        "Yes, but right now I just hope she and Rob are all right."
        "Don't worry, Kim. I'm sure they're safely inside a cabin, wherever in the forest they are."

        Meanwhile, as the logged sanctuary taken by the two teenagers started to overheat from the fire outside, Ellie grew more confused and frightened than ever before. Still grasping her head, she kneeled to the ground in excruciating pain. Her mind racing with the sudden combination of all the dreams and flashes, she let out a long, harrowing scream. "What's happening to me?!" the girl yelled.
        Rob heard the cries of his closest friend and decided to turn away from her to think.  "Oh, man," he thought, "Ellie's really scared right now, but what can I do to help her?"
        Ellie, trying to understand what was happening, said in her mind, "My only hope of getting us out of this is to put the pieces of the puzzle together and solve the mystery of my past."
        With that thought, she closed her eyes and calmly focused her mind on placing each dream and flash into place, in order to learn the truth about her childhood.
       Going one step at a time, her mind placed her in the castle she had dreamed about so often. The difference this time: it was burning, like the forest. "Oh, no! I have to get everyone out of here before it's too late!"
        Ellie ran up the stairs and reached the balcony room, where the mumbling king and queen were in her dreams. She frantically knocked on the door and said, "Open up, please! We have to escape before this fire kills us all!"
        The door opened by itself this time. However, Ellie's king and queen were not shadowed; in fact, their faces became clearly visible to her. "I don't believe this!" she exclaimed.
        The king had a clean-shaven face with purple eyes and dark blue hair. He went to the window and looked outside to see a horrific sight. "Our world is doomed," he said as he saw fires and exploding volcanoes. "There is nothing we can do now."
        The queen's facial features were heavenly, as she had light blue hair and the same purple eyes. Dressed in a elegant formal jade-green gown, she clasped her hands, looked at her royal husband, arid said, "Oh, Argon, we must do something, at least save our daughter from the cataclysm."
        Ellie calmly walked into the room, at last knowing who her parents were and being able to hear their distinctive voices. She looked at them and said, "Mother, Father?"
        The pair looked at her, surprised at knowing her voice. "Our daughter!" King Argon exclaimed. "You are here!"
        As the king and queen hugged the blue-eyed brunette, Ellie experienced that feeling of warmth again, positive she knew part of the truth. "You are my real parents! I now know I am a real princess!"
        "Yes, you are," said the queen. "I am Queen Hydrana, your mother, and he is King Argon, your father."
        Ellie then returned to the situation at hand. "We have to get out of here, now."
        King Argon shook his head. "No, my daughter, you have the best chance of escaping this disaster."
        "Argon is right," noted Queen Hydrana. "You are the only one who can get away before it is too late."
        "No," Ellie said. "I can't just leave you here to suffer. I need you to come with me."
        "It is dangerous for you to stay here," King Argon said with a stern sound in his voice. "Besides, you must protect this." He gave his daughter a small gift box.
        On the tag attached were the words "Most Important of All," the same words she had seen in the fight/meeting dilemma flash.
        "Is this the special present given to me on my seventh birthday?" Ellie asked curiously.
        "Yes," replied Queen Hydrana. "It is also the key to saving the trapped voice."
        "Oh, the voice in that room!" Ellie shouted. "I have to get to her quick!" She took one last look at her parents and asked, "Are you sure you won't come with me?"
        "We cannot," King Argon said somberly. "This is all in your mind, and we are already dead."
        "Oh, my God! How can I be so sure?"
        "Open the present, my daughter. You will remember when you see its contents. Now, go! Save the voice and learn your true identity!"
        "I will. Father. I'll open the box when I get to the door. Hopefully the gift will get me into that room."
        "You will be surprised about your present. Now, you must go, and may your gift protect you."
        Ellie ran out of the room only seconds before it exploded! She screamed, "Mother! Father! NOOO!" She was about to cry when she remembered, "The voice! She'll be next if I don't get to the room she's trapped in!"
        She ran as fast as she possibly could back down the stairs to reach the room where the voice was coming from.
        When she got there, she called out to the voice. "Hey, are you still in there?" Not receiving a response, she had only one option left. "Father said this present is the key, so I guess I better open it."
        She took the lid of the box and dropped it onto the ground. Within the box was a beautiful crystal, which almost looked exactly like the emerald Rob bought for her at the festival.
        As soon as she took the crystal in her hand, it began to glow brightly. "This crystal," she said to herself.  "I have a strange feeling about it, like I've known about it for so long."
        She opted to place the crystal near the key hole to try and open the door.
        Mysteriously, the emerald emitted a strange beam directly at the keyhole, allowing the door to open!
        Ellie next entered the room and tried to find that person who told her to find the key. "Hello, is anyone here, besides me?"
        As she proceeded, the crystal glowed brighter and brighter, as if it were a homing device. "I must be fairly close now."
        Two steps later, the crystal emitted another beam of light, showing Ellie exactly where the voice was.
        She ran in the direction of the light. At the end, she was able to see a body on the ground.
        Ellie came up to the person, a beautiful woman with pink hair and green eyes and wearing a gorgeous white dress.
        As she lifted the woman into a "sit-up" position, she had a feeling like she never had within herself. "It's weird," she thought. "I don't know who this person is, but in my heart I can sense this bond between us, like she's a part of me."
        She took her right hand with the crystal and made a grasp of the woman's left hand.
        Suddenly, both of them felt a surge of power and feeling the likes of which were never experienced.
        In the confusion, the woman muttered, "The crystal. The Nature Crystal. You have the ancient Nature Crystal!"
        Ellie stuggled as much at getting her words out of her mouth. "Th-the spirit. The great spirit of the Nature Crystal, guiding teacher and friend. I know who you are."
       "Our bond grows stronger once more," the woman communicated to Ellie telepathically.
       "Yes," Ellie responded by thought. "Our thoughts and feelings are linked as one."
        The two opened their eyes and looked at each other for the first time.
        The spirit gasped at the sight of Ellie. "You do not look like her, but in my mind and my heart, I know you are the daughter of King Argon and Queen Hydrana."
        "Yes, I know I'm a princess, but of what country?"
        "No, dear princess, not of what country, but of what planet."
       "What!?" Ellie shouted. "You mean to say I'm an alien princess?"
        "Yes. You are Princess Elementa of the planet Naturia, the heiress to the throne and possessor of Naturia's most important treasure."
        "Of course," the young woman said, "everything is falling into place. When Naturia was about to explode in the great tragedy, my parents wanted to send me away to preserve my future. Please tell me, my friend, did my parents escape?"
        The spirit shook her head. "I am sorry, Princess. You were the only survivor of the great explosion."
        Ellie put her head down in sadness. "I know what they had to do. I just wish they could--"
        "Princess, your parents had to sacrifice themselves to save you. You tried to convince them otherwise, but--"
        "I remember. My father emitted a sleeping gas, knocking me out. Unfortunately, the next thing I knew, I was in the escape ship. And then, I saw Naturia explode. I went back to sleep, but I don't even know how I got to Earth safely. All I remember is wandering down the road and meeting who would later become Dad."
        "I could tell you, but right now I sense you and your friend are in terrible danger."
        "Oh, my God! The forest fire! What can I do?"
        "Princess, do you not remember about your destiny?"
        "My destiny?"
        "Think about this. Why did your father give you the crystal on your seventh birthday?"
        "I remember! He said I would have to use the crystal one day to defend Naturia! He also mentioned the crystal had the powers of the universal elements, although I can't tap into those elements themselves."
        "Yes, Princess. Even though you never had a chance to fulfill your destiny on Naturia, you can now do that here on Earthl"
        Ellie's mind jolted back into reality, finally knowing her real identity.
        "My past," Ellie said calmly. "I remember my past now!"
        Rob heard her and quickly came up to her. "Do you have your memories back?"
        "Yes," she replied excitedly, "I remember everything now. I know where I came from, I know who my parents were; it's all coming back to me." Slowly standing up, she started to feel a surge of confidence within herself. In a low and serious tone she said, "I also know how to put a stop to this forest fire."
        "Wait a minute. You can stop the fire?"
        "Yes, I can."
        Ellie looked out the window of the cabin to see the flames, only to bring back the frightening memories of what had happened to her home world. She closed her eyes in intent thought. "My planet was destroyed in a similar situation, but I will not let it happen here." Opening her eyes, she said, "I have a destiny that must be fulfilled."
        Taking two steps back, she determinedly said, "I shall do this, starting right here right now, for at long last, my time has come!"
        She placed her arms in front of her, crossing them left wrist over right. Showing a face of true determination, she chanted in such a way her heart spoke for her. "O ancient Nature Crystal, by my royal birthright, I, Elementa, Princess of Naturia, hereby call upon your power!"
        Out of nowhere, a sparkling emerald crystal and a jade-green headband appeared on Ellie's forehead!
        Rob, in all the excitement, could not believe his eyes as to what he actually saw. "What's happening to Ellie?" he thought as he watched his best friend's incredible transformation.
        Various elements spread throughout her body as she changed into her true identity. Flames came down from her neck, changing her shirt and jeans into a dark-purple jumpsuit. Snow covered her arms and legs, becoming jade-green gloves at arm-length and jade-green boots as high as her thighs. Wind conformed at her upper body and created a turquoise mini-dress with jade-green shoulder sleeves. A fast bolt of lightning came around her waist, which formed into a purple belt. Finally, water went up and around her head, and upon its passing her purple glasses were gone while her blue eyes and brown hair were now purple eyes and purple hair.
        Rob was totally appalled by her metamorphosis from best friend to powerful princess. "Ellie, is that you?"
        Turning to face him, she replied, "Yes, my friend. It is I, the real I."
        "Just who are you?"
        "There is little time for formal introductions, but I will tell you. I am Princess Elementa, sworn protector of the innocent and defender of justice."
        "Oh, man. Is this your true identity?"
        "Yes, Robert, this is who I really am. Right now, though, there is a more important matter at hand: putting out the forest fire." Looking around the cabin, Elementa asked, "Is there any other way out of this cabin besides the doors and windows?"
        Rob quickly responded, "The fireplace! It's the best place to go without fear of a backdraft effect."
        "Brilliantly thought, Robert," Elementa said excitedly. "Let us look at the fireplace."
        The pair went into the living room quarters with the fireplace near the west side.
        Rob was a little worried about the small fitting space in the fireplace. "Um, Ellie--I mean, Princess Elementa, how will you be able to get out here? It's way too small for you to fit through."
        "In my present form, yes, but not for long." She focused her concentration on the crystal and chanted, "Nature Crystal, I call upon you to transform me into the wind itself, so I may get outside to stop this forest fire!"
            Following the princess's command, the crystal created winds which surrounded her body until there was nothing but wind.
        The wind spoke. "I promise, Robert, I shall return as soon as I can." It then blew out the fireplace and into the sky.
        After the wind calmed down, he softly said, "I'll be waiting for you, Princess Elementa. Be careful out there."

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