GREEN

"Ahiru, wait!" Fakir yelled after her quickly receding back. "Please wait..."

His fists clenched in mild anger and irritation. The emotion he felt foremost was shame: He was ashamed he'd yelled at Ahiru, and caused her to run away.

'Idiot, concentrate!' She was. 'You're doing it incorrectly.' He hadn't been helpful or corrected her. 'You're useless, at this rate you'll never get it.' That wasn't true and it was his fault she wasn't getting it. He was letting his emotions, his uncertainties, doubts, and his fears rule him.

"Why do I always push her away like this?" He asked himself. Gritting his teeth, he ran off after her. It didn't take long for Fakir to pick up his pace; as soon as he saw where Ahiru's footprints were headed he knew she was heading to a dangerous place.

"I won't let me actions hurt her more," he promised aloud, his heart thumping loudly in time with his every footfall.

She didn't know where she was going, only that her feet were rapidly taking her away. Even as she began to tire, her feet as heavy as her heart felt, she kept running. The dust and debris she kicked up clung to her tear stained cheeks and eyes, making it hard to see in the already dark forest.

When she was finally out of breath and her muscles twitched uncomfortably, she stopped. Leaning forward with her hands on her knees, she panted. She did not immediately notice her surroundings as she concentrated on calming her breathing and heart. Once they both returned to normal she looked up and gasped at what she saw.

Everything was... green!

There was absolutely no other color; green was everything and everything was green. Even the bit of sky that glimmered through the trees was a soft, ethereal and unreal green glow. Ahiru couldn't believe her eyes.

"What do you seek here?"

Ahiru gulped nervously, a sick feeling of dread settling in her stomach, "w-who's there?"

"I am here, I am beside you. I am everywhere, for this is my forest." The voice said softly.

Heart pounding from being startled, the young redhead looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"I don't get it, I can't see you. How can you be everywhere?" She looked for a person or even a personified animal, but saw no one.

"This forest is as I am, alive and conscious. I exist all around this clearing."

"Yeah, okay," she said after a moment, "but where are you?"

She looked around from the green moss covered trees to the algae laden pond, to the green colored rocks but again saw no one to talk to.

"Step forth child and touch the trunk of the smallest tree. Then you will know to whom you speak."

Debating for a moment, she decided it couldn't hurt to do as the voice said, "Alright," she said with a shrug, and stepped forward.

_

Fakir ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He'd known Ahiru was fast, but the rate at which he lost sight of her was ridiculous. She'd had no more than a minute's head start, yet he'd lost her almost immediately. He wasn't worried about finding her, however, because he knew where she was being led and by whom she was being led. The Ancient Oak tree had her attention without her knowing it, which was dangerous for someone who didn't know and could not control the power that flowed through it.

Huffing and panting, Fakir crashed through the forest, desperate to get to Ahiru before something bad happened. By the time he had reached the edge of the Oak's forest, he could hear her luring Ahiru towards the Ancient Oak itself.

"Ahiru, no!"

_

Soft fingers reached out to rough bark, ears unhearing of the crashing footsteps heading towards her. By the time anything other than the small tree in front of her registered, it was already too late. Fakir's desperate cry reached her ears as her palm rested comfortably on the warm (warm?) bark, a beautiful soft, light green glow surrounded her body. The glow intensified then slowly dimmed and Ahiru was no longer there.

Fakir stepped into the clearing too late. Hands on his knees panting, he grit his teeth, "damn it!"