Sora walked uncertainly down the steps outside the school. She glanced back and forth, keeping an eye out. No reason to be afraid of your own best friend, she told herself. But she was. She winced just thinking back.

She had been on the bus when the boy had started teasing her. She got so angry she let it slip about the boy Blue, her best friend, liked. By this time, the rumors would have flown on wings and definitely reached Blue’s ear by now. No reason to be afraid. Blue was only going to fry her alive.

She walked timidly to the stable near the school. Here was where every day after school she met Blue and they went horseback riding. They each owned a horse here, even though they lived quite a ways away. Maybe Blue wouldn’t be there. Maybe Blue went home.

But just then she rounded the corner to where Flare, her horse, was, she spotted Blue standing next to where her horse was, Cloud. Sora jumped, her red ponytail bobbing. Blue, angry eyes burned at her as Blue walked closer. It was like seeing her own death walking, slowly, unstoppably toward her. Yep, Blue had definitely heard.

Sora walked quickly up to Flare’s stall. She always felt braver and safer when she was near Flare. To her, it seemed like Flare was supporting her and backing her up.

She turned so that her back was to the horse, but she could still hear the horse's heavy breathing. Blue rounded on her.

“So was it you who let the cat out of the bag?” Blue asked, her voice cold. It reminded Sora of the calm before the storm.

Abruptly Sora realized she was wringing her hands like a girl with her hand in the cookie jar. She reminded herself it was only an accident, but she just couldn’t meet those blue eyes. Instead, she whirled and started getting Flare ready.

“Um, let’s talk while we ride. We’re just wasting time here. Much better to talk with the wind in our faces,” she babbled hurriedly. At least this put facing Blue off for another few minutes. At least.

She grabbed Flare’s reins, now that she was finished, and glanced around. Blue was already mounted. And still glaring.

Sora swallowed and pulled herself up onto the red mare’s back. She followed Blue out of the stable, staring at Flare’s rusty red mane, trying to decide what she was going to say to Blue.

“So, we’re riding. It had to have been you. I told no one else.”

Sora jumped. She hadn’t realized that Blue had ridden up next to her. All of the excuses and explanations she had been thinking of vanished like smoke.

“It was me. I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t mean to! I was just so mad, and so I, I. . .” She looked into Blue’s eyes. Shouldn’t have done that. “I, I’m really sorry,” she finished weakly. It was more of a whine than anything else.

“Sorry? Sorry doesn’t cut it Sora! Now I’m ruined. I’m so mad at you!” she said, finishing off by pushing Cloud into a full gallop.

“Blue? Blue! I’m sorry!” Sora cried, taking off after her. Flare was faster than Cloud - Blue had to know that. So where was she going? Suddenly Blue turned and headed down one of the least-used of the many trails surrounding the stable. Sora grimaced and plunged in after her.

It was one that Sora had never been down before. And obviously no one else had been down there in a long time either. Branches nearly dislodged her from Flare’s back, and Flare regularly jumped over bushes and undergrowth that had taken over the path.

Come to think of it, Sora had never seen or heard of this path either. It must have been very old.

Suddenly Flare paused. Sora leaned over her horse’s shoulder to see a split in the path. One lead to the right, the other to the left. Both were overgrown and had no evidence that anyone had ridden through lately. Sora grimaced.

“So, right or left,” Sora murmured to herself, perplexed.

Flare gestured toward the left path with her head. She whinnied and stomped her foot. Sora grinned. Flare must have sensed her friend down that path. Or at least she must have sensed something. She urged Flare forward, down the left path.

Feeling confident, she urged Flare into a fast trot, hoping that Blue hadn’t heard her and gone into full gallop. Suddenly the thick undergrowth and forest ended so quickly that she hauled on Flare’s reins and was nearly pitched forward. She raised her face from Flare’s mane to gaze around in the fierce sunlight to see where she was.

She was in a large grove, with trees on every side. Flare whickered nervously at the steep descent in front of them - not steep enough that Sora couldn’t go down it, just a little dangerous for a horse. Grass and flowers of every color coated the ground. Butterflies fluttered elegantly in the sunlight.

She would have grinned and rolled in the grass if there wasn’t one thing missing. Where was Blue? She twisted around to see if Blue had walked off to the side, and her jaw tried to see if it could touch Flare’s red mane.

“I’d pinch myself to see if this is a dream, but legs are already stiff enough to tell me this isn’t,” Sora said, shocked. She hopped off Flare and dazedly lead her down the hill, feeling as if somebody had hit her over the head. Then she stopped in front of it and tried to touch it. It was real.

She only realized that she was standing there staring at it with her jaw down to her chest when Flare gently touched her hand with soft, warm nose. She gave a start and gently stroked Flare’s white triangle in the middle of her nose. She spotted a stream flowing next to where she was standing, and lead the mare over to it to have a drink. She herself knelt down and tossed some of the water into her face to wake her up. And then she glanced back. A real gingerbread house. A real, real, gingerbread house.

* * *

Blue glanced back. Sora wasn’t following. She had probably taken a wrong turn back there at the split. She had no idea why she had headed down that path. She had just felt compelled to. She would have taken the left turn at the split - she had felt that that was the right path there too - but she was afraid that Sora would have followed down there, feeling tugged down there too.

Cloud whickered happily. Blue glanced up and grinned. She was back at the stable, and Cloud was happy to be back with her fellows. She lead Cloud into her stall, washed her down and walked home. By tomorrow Sora would be so upset after thinking about what she had done all night, she might actually forgive her. Maybe.

But she glanced back. Why exactly had she been pulled down those paths? And where did the right path lead?

She shook her head. No reason to get all agitated. She would talk to Sora tomorrow. It was probably just stress.

Still, she glanced back uncertainly.

* * *

The gingerbread house was really just big pieces of gingerbread with frosting holding it together. A window in the side of the house was outlined by black frosting which must have been chocolate. Walking around, Sora counted five windows - two windows on each of the long sides and one in the back. The windows were open, but there were two of the long, chocolate covered cookies forming a “+” in the middle of each window. The roof was made of square chunks of chocolate, and the chimney was made out of multicolored Pez. She walked around to the front of the house. A large door, almost large enough to admit Flare, was in the front of the house. It was also made of gingerbread, with a strange, unidentifiable pattern made out of chocolate on the front. At first Sora thought that the doorknob was made out of wood, but at closer examination she realized it was really a nut carved into a doorknob.

She walked forward. The doorknob couldn’t really work. It was probably just some sort high school science project or something. She studied the door and the front of the house thoroughly for anything or anybody that might pop out. She noted that a corner of the house was frayed as if chewed on, but Sora doubted that that was anything that could harm anybody. Cautiously she turned the doorknob and pushed the door forward. It opened.

Sora gazed around. She was in what must have been the living room. A couch of Swedish fish sat in one corner. A recliner made out of taffy sat in another corner. A table made out of Milanos, vanilla cookies with chocolate in the middle, stood in between the two seats. At one end of the table a fireplace stood, the bricks made out of chocolate. A window above the sofa showed the meadow and Flare, grazing contentedly. Sora smiled. It sure was pretty.

A hallway lead out of one of the two doors in the living,room, no doubt to the bedrooms. The other door lead to the kitchen.

Sora decided to go into the kitchen. It would probably be more interesting that the bedrooms anyway. She walked into the kitchen.

The table was made of Milanos again, but every thing else was different. There were three chairs surrounding the table, made of what looked like chocolate-covered almonds. The counter was made out of chocolate chip cookies, the sink made out of . . . chocolate. The faucet looked exactly like a normal faucet, right down to the knobs you turned to make the water come in and out. Wondering if something made out of chocolate could really work, she turned one of the knobs. Liquid chocolate poured out, smooth and rich. Laughing, Sora cupped both her hands under the faucet, and, with her hands overflowing with chocolate, raised them to her mouth. The chocolate was as good as it looked!

She lifted her head up from the chocolate. There was nothing that a modern kitchen would have in here besides the faucet; no fridge, no stove, no microwave. There was a fire place in the corner like the one in the living room except for the cupboards above this one, but otherwise nothing. But then she grinned. Who need all those things when all you have to do was eat part of the house? She glanced back down at the chocolate to see that it had all drained down the sink. She frowned, disappointed. She was tempted to turn the knob again and see if more of the warm chocolate would run out, but she wanted to finish exploring the house. The kitchen was a dead-end - there were no other doors beside the ones from the living room. She almost walked into the living room, when she looked out the only kitchen window. The sun was almost down! She dashed out and onto Flare. She would come back after school tomorrow. And maybe, if she was lucky, Blue would forgive her and come with her.

* * *

Sora walked cautiously down the steps outside her school. Blue had ignored her all day, true, but maybe she would come along to see the gingerbread house.

Sora suddenly spotted Blue, and fell in alongside her. Blue was pointedly looking anywhere but at Sora. Sora took a deep breath.

“I found something cool yesterday,” she said cautiously, hoping that Blue would not just explode in her face. Blue said nothing, and continued ignoring Sora. It was all Sora could do not to sigh at Blue’s stubbornness. But doing that would be like throwing a match into bucket full of explosives. So she just continued trying to make a conversation.

“I would like for you to come with me to see the ginger- ah, the place I found.”

“Why would I want to go anywhere?” was Blue’s cold answer.

“It’s just really pretty and, uh, nice,” Sora said, unsure of what to say. If she told Blue about the gingerbread house she would either think Sora was crazy or she would think Sora was kidding her and get even madder. What could she do to make Blue come along with her?

“Oh, come on Blue. Please? I’m sorry. Just come along with me, Blue. Pretty please? Just this once.”

Blue gazed angrily at Sora for a second, then her expression softened.

“Oh, fine. I guess I will come along this once.”

Sora just stopped short of giving a sigh of relief. Now she could show Blue everything, and when she showed Blue the gingerbread house, her best friend would have to forgive her!

* * *

Sora all but skipped over to the stable with Blue trotting annoyed, but no longer angry, at her side. Sora quickly began to saddle Flare.

“I hope you know that this better be good, or else I’m going to be even madder at you for dragging me out there,” Blue said suddenly.

Sora couldn’t help but smile. Even though Blue sounded mad, she thought that it was all bluff - it would be just like Blue to drag out the grudge just to teach her a lesson.

“She’s a stubborn one, isn’t she,” Sora whispered to Flare. “At least now she’s closer to forgiving me than before.”

The horse gave a neigh of what could only have been of surprise.

“Tell me about,” Flare said, “But since when did you learn how to talk to animals?”

Sora nearly choked. Oh, she had always talked to Flare, but she had never thought that the horse had understood, much less that she would talk back. And according to Flare, she hadn’t been able to until very recently.

“Are you just going to stand there? I don’t have all day you know,” Blue said irritably.

Sora quickly mounted and told Blue, rather weakly, to follow her. She lead Blue down the path where she had gone yesterday, and if Blue thought anything or even noticed it was the same path she had been chased down yesterday, she said nothing.

“Can you really understand me?” she whispered to Flare, almost wishing that she would not answer.

“Can you really, finally hear me?” Flare whispered back.

Sora wondered, idly, if people who were mad really knew they were mad. Maybe they still thought they were sane, and believed all sorts of weird things. Like gingerbread houses. Like talking to animals. Maybe she should go ask for a strait jacket. Well, if Blue saw the gingerbread house, then she would know that it was real. That everything was real.

She came to the break in the path. She headed down the left path, just as she had the night before.

“Do you know anything about the house we stopped at yesterday?” Sora asked Flare cautiously.

“Nothing, besides that all the animals try and avoid it,” Flare replied, not bothering to lower her voice. Sora winced. Blue must have heard that.

“What house? We didn’t stop by any house yesterday. If you want to talk to me, stand straight up and-” Blue cut off abruptly as the entered the valley as suddenly as Sora had the other day.

Blue gasped and gazed around the valley wide eyed. Sora grinned. It was as beautiful as it had been the day before. Suddenly she realized that for Blue to have answered the way she did, she must not have heard Flare’s answer. Which must mean she really could talk to-

Sora’s train of thought was cut short as she realized that someone was making a choking noise. She glanced up when she realized that Blue must have found the gingerbread house.

Yep, Blue was gazing at the gingerbread, and it sounded like she was choking. As soon as Blue realized that Sora was watching her with an amused expression, she composed herself and walked towards the gingerbread house as if she had not just been gaping a moment ago.

“So is this what you wanted to show me,” Blue asked, all traces of anger and contempt replaced by wonder. “Is it real?”

“As far as I’ve explored it, it is,” Sora replied. “Do you want to continue exploring it with me?”

“Of course!” Blue said, walking quickly down the hill. Sora moved to follow her when something grabbed her shirt. She turned to see Flare holding on to her shirt.

“There’s something wrong with that house!” Flare said urgently, “You mustn't go in there!”

“Of course there is something wrong with it! It’s a gingerbread house! It’s made out of candy! And I went in there yesterday, and nothing happened. Trust me, nothing will hurt me in there.” She pulled her shirt free. Flare gave a nervous whicker, which Sora ignored. What could hurt her in a gingerbread house?

Blue was already standing in front of Sora’s discovery when she caught up with her. Blue was giving the front of the house a through looking-over. The little chewed on corner was gone, Sora noticed. Maybe the gingerbread house could regenerate itself. Blue heard Sora approaching and turned around.

“Can we go in?”

“Yep,” Sora said proudly, turning the door knob.

Blue gave an appropriate gasp when she saw the living room. Sora was rather proud that she could just act like the room was nothing special while her friend gaped.

Blue flung herself on top of the Swedish fish couch and looked around.

“This could have been built in the eighteenth century,” Blue noted, “If it was, I wonder why no one has discovered it except us. After all, this is the twenty-first century.” Us? Sora wondered. I only let you in on the secret because you were my friend. Maybe it wasn’t just Blue who like to keep grudges. But if Blue noticed her friend’s wondering she gave no sign. She continued right on. “And why didn’t all the candy go bad before this?”

Sora shrugged, “It must be magic then. How else do you explain it?” Something tickled the back of her mind, some sort of connection, but it vanished as soon as she investigated it.

“Let’s go into the kitchen,” Blue said suddenly, looking at the kitchen with a big smile on her face. Sora grinned. If she didn’t watch it, Blue would end up eating the gingerbread house before they got to explore all the rooms!

Blue shone a big smile around the kitchen. Quite well aware that Blue was also licking her lips, Sora said hurriedly, “Don’t break - or eat - anything, Blue.”

Blue frowned. “Have you eaten anything, Sora?” she asked.

Sora blushed. “Just some of the warm chocolate that pours out of the faucet,” she admitted, “But maybe we should explore all the rooms before we eat anything.”

Blue spun on her heel. “Oh, well. Maybe they have even more chocolate in those new rooms.”

Sora groaned. Well, at least Blue had forgiven her. Or maybe she had just forgotten to be mad. Sora hurried after Blue before she could remember that she had any reason to be mad at her.

Sora hurried down the narrow hallway after Blue. The hallway was just gingerbread with a bit of chocolate decorating the edges, but at the end of the hallway there were two doors made of graham crackers. They had the same kind of door knob as the front door, but these doors had no decorations. Blue was turning the knob on the left door.

Sora caught up with Blue just as she was entering the door. The room beyond definitely was a bedroom. A bed stood in the corner of the rather small room. It appeared to be made out of chocolate. No . . .Butterfingers. Butterfingers, shaped to be the posts and the bottom of the bed. Pulling back the red and black inter-woven licorice that made the blanket, Sora saw that the mattress of the bed was made out of Sour Patch Kids, and the pillow was a marshmallow. It must smell pretty good at night! thought Sora. She definitely would not mind living here!

“Ugh! I think I hurt my teeth. This thing’s as hard as a rock!”

Sora turned around to see Blue sitting in front of the chocolate bureau, rubbing her teeth. In front of a chocolate bureau with teeth marks in it. Blue produced a pocket knife from somewhere and began sawing at the corner of the bureau.

“Blue!”

“Don’t ‘Blue!’ me! I’m hungry! You had your chocolate, now it’s my turn!”

Sora sighed. Blue glared at her, and then with a loud crack, the chunk of chocolate fell into Blue’s lap. Blue dropped the knife and grabbed the piece of chocolate. On the inner part of the chocolate was peanut butter. Not a bureau made out of chocolate, a bureau made out of Reese’s! Sora grinned despite herself. This house was great!

“Mmm . . .this Reese’s is even better than the normal candies,” Blue cried happily.

They couldn’t sit here all day. If they went back to the kitchen, surely Blue could find enough candy there to satisfy her sweet tooth. Then they could explore the final room. Sora was just about to open her mouth to say as much when Blue glared up at her.

“There’s no need to be so hasty. Fine, let’s go back to the kitchen,” Blue said, annoyed. She got up and stalked back to the kitchen.

Sora stood there. She was sure she hadn’t said anything. Very sure. she had just thought it. So how had Blue known what she was about to say?

Sora walked quickly into the kitchen after Blue. Blue was sitting in one of the three seats which were just big chocolate-covered almond carved into a chair. Sora walked over.

“Did you notice the cupboards above the fireplace?” Blue asked, “I wonder what’s in them.” She stood up and walked over to the cupboards. Blue opened them carefully, and then suddenly grinned. Sora leaned over Blue’s shoulder to look in.

It was full of utensils! They were all made of chocolate, bowls, forks, plates, everything except for the glasses. They at first looked like stained glass, but the cups were really big, hollowed out Jolly Ranchers!

Blue held out her hand and the cup started floating to her hand.

“Blue!” Sora cried, nudging her friend whose eyes were still glued to the cabinet.

Blue looked down and gave a cry. The cup stopped in mid-air. Then Blue looked at Sora, swallowed, and concentrated. The cup continued floating all the way to Blue’s hand.

Blue sank down into her chair, and shot a fearful glance at Sora.

“I, I have no idea how I did that,” she said, frightened.

Sora just stared. How could her friend do something like that? It had to have been . . .magic. But why start now?

“You didn’t speak back there, in the bedroom, did you Sora?”

“No. Blue, I have been able to speak to animals ever since this morning. I think that both of these things are magic.”

“Of course! Now I see it! You said that you drunk some of the chocolate yesterday, and I just ate some Reese’s. The magic must came from eating parts of the gingerbread house!”

“Blue, you’re a genius! But why did it affect us differently?” asked Sora.

They both sat there and thought about that. Then Sora sprang up.

“Oh, no! Our time’s almost up! If we plan on getting home on time, we’d better explore that last room!” Sora cried, walking quickly to the final room.

They both walked quickly to the door. Then Blue took the door handle and slowly opened the door.

The room was a complete wreck. The room would have been almost identical to the other one, except maybe being a little bigger and having a closet. But in this room the bed was in shreds, little chunks of Butterfingers and Sour Patch Kids all over the place. There were also little chunks of chocolate which took Sora a while to identify as the bureau. The gingerbread walls had huge gouges in them, as did the floor and ceiling. And there, in the center of the room, stood what had caused it all.

A rat. A rat whose back touched the ceiling, it’s long, dripping fangs about as big as either one of the thirteen-year-old year old girls standing in the doorway. It had wicked, curved claws. And it didn’t look happy. Its red eyes flicked to the friends.

And suddenly the spell was broken. Sora started racing back down the hallway, but Blue ducked down and grabbed something off the floor. The rat was nearly on top of her, but in one swift, smooth motion Blue threw whatever it was at the rat. The rat gave a scream and was flung backwards against the wall, electricity flickering around it. Sora grabbed Blue, images of being hacked apart by a rat where no one could find them dancing through her head, and raced down the hallway. What was that that Blue had thrown at the rat?

“A Shock Tart,” Blue replied. Sora gave a start. She had forgotten about Blue’s new-found psychic abilities. “I figured maybe it would work, when I saw them on the floor.” Sora smiled - count on Blue to think of something like that.

But the Shock Tart didn’t hold the rat for long. Soon there was a screech of anger and the rat was barreling down the hallway after them at a terrifying speed. How could they lose it? It would even outrun Flare and Cloud!

Suddenly she had an idea. They were almost at the door when she dropped down and rolled, coming up with what she had guessed would be under the doormat - a key. A chocolate key, but if it fit into the lock . . .

As soon as they were out the door, they slammed it shut behind them, but the rat crashed straight into the door, sending Sora flying into the grass. But Blue was still standing there with her back to the door. Suddenly Sora realized Blue was using her psychic power to hold the door shut.

Sora glanced down to realize she no longer held the key. It was somewhere in the long grass. If only some one would help her look! Blue certainly couldn’t - she had her hands full with the door. But if she could contact some of the animals . . .

Sora concentrated with all her might. She looked up to see Flare, Cloud, as well as several other birds, foxes and other animals searching through the grass. She started to look around desperately. A glance told her Blue would not hold out much longer!

Suddenly a beautiful golden falcon dove from the heavens. She hadn’t realized that she had watchers from the sky, too! The falcon came up from the grass with the chocolate key in it’s talons, and landed on her shoulder to drop the key into Sora’s hands. Sora gave a cry of relief and dashed towards the door, shoving the key into the lock. Please don’t break, Please don’t . . .

Click! The door locked just as Blue was flung away from the door. the rat continued to batter the door. Suddenly a claw slashed through the door - only the tip of it, but the gingerbread walls weren’t indestructible. Sora and Blue rushed to Flare and Cloud, and Sora only noticed once they mounted that the falcon was still clinging to her shoulder. She smiled up at it.

“Thank you,” she told it, “If you would like to come home and live with me, you are more than welcome.”

“I would love to. I can’t hunt in my valley safely anymore with the gingerbread house and the rat there, and I have seen a beautiful pasture full of mice and rodents next to your house.”

Sora smiled. She followed Cloud out of the valley. She was just entering the path when the rat burst free of the gingerbread house, the door exploding splinters. Sora cried out and Cloud and Flare went full gallop. By the time the rat had come to its senses, the magic-wielders were well away, and it was alone in the valley.

* * *

Sora was sitting in class with Blue the next day. The teacher was correcting the just-handed-in tests. It was the last period of the day.

Sora looked at Blue, who was sitting right across from her, and formed a question in her mind. What were the scores?

Blue focused on the teacher. Quickly she wrote on the piece of paper what she had read from the teacher’s mind. She passed the note to Sora:

You got an A; I got one too. Drew a map of how to block off all routes to gingerbread house. I figured it out about the gingerbread house and the rat. Tell you after.

Sora grinned. Suddenly the teacher looked up.

“Sora! Blue! Passing notes? Well, bring it here and I will read it in front of the class!”

Sora’s heart froze. If the teacher read that note, the entire class would know how to get to the gingerbread house, about how they had special powers, about . . .

She forced her limbs to move. She handed it to the teacher, who started to unfold the note. Blue was grinning. Grinning! At a time like this!

Suddenly Sora realized it. Of course. Use her powers.

Sora closed her eyes tight and concentrated. An animal that would get everybody out. Only a few minutes until the bell. If it was chaos until then . . .

Suddenly somebody screamed, “A skunk!” And everything went into pandemonium.

A white and black animal waddled towards Sora, and did what Sora thought must have been a skunky grin. It was rather cute, she thought. Obviously everyone else had a different opinion, the way they were dashing towards the door.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew the test papers right off the teacher’s, along with the note in her hand. No. Not a gust of wind. Blue was grinning to widely for that.

The bell rang, on top of everything else, and Sora and Blue grabbed their stuff and raced out the door.

Blue was laughing and laughing. It took the time to walk to the stable for her to catch her breath.

“Oh, that was gooooood!” Blue laughed as they mounted their horses. “As I was saying in the note, all we have to do if block off all the routes to the gingerbread house and we’re home-free.”

“What makes you think its safe to go there with the rat around?” Sora asked.

Blue drew a newspaper clipping out of her saddlebag.

A hugmongus rat was killed on the spot by a farmer yesterday in the woods. All scientists say physically impossible for a rat to grow that large, but are still investigating. They believe the rat may have come up from the depths of the sewers . . .

Sora didn’t bother reading on. She handed the clipping back and smiled. “Ok. But what was that about knowing about the rat and the gingerbread house?”

“The type of candy you ate from the gingerbread house that decided what powers you would get. I ate the Reese’s, and I have psychic powers. You ate the chocolate ‘water’ and you can talk to animals. The rat ate part of the gingerbread and grew huge,” Blue explained proudly, “Which is why it was good that you told the animals to stay away from the gingerbread house. Now, with the gingerbread house gone, I guess life is going to go back to normal,” Blue said sadly.

The golden falcon, who Sora decided to name Duskrider, landed on Sora’s shoulder as she rode out of the stable. She smiled, remembering the events in the classroom. No, Blue was wrong. Things would never be the same.

They lived happily (and excitedly) ever after.