You take a steady breath and step back onto the Crystal Path. After a few minutes you reach the squirrel and rabbit. They are still arguing, their voices bouncing off the crystals. "You never ask before you take things!" the squirrel snaps. "You never say when you're done with them!" the rabbit shoots back. You raise your hands. "Wait," you say calmly. "Let's slow down." Both animals pause, surprised. "Can you each explain what you meant, without interrupting each other?" you ask. "Just listen first." The squirrel hesitates, then nods. "I thought the acorns were gone forever. I was saving them." The rabbit's ears droop. "I thought you didn't want them anymore. I should've asked." For a moment, the world seems to hold its breath. Then the crystals shimmer. Their spinning slows. The zigzags smooth into a straight, glowing line. The hills stop sliding, and the sky settles into a gentle swirl instead of a rewind. "Oh," the squirrel says softly. "I didn't know." "Me neither," the rabbit replies. "I'm sorry."