"Just a few more days," Yukari said, eyes tightly shut as she placed her fingers on her pounding forehead. She didn't want to be stuck in a meeting, arguing with her father and Mew about her friends. "Please."

"No," said Mew, cold, harsh. "They have already stayed for too long. These humans corrupt our forest with their taint."

Yukari felt her lips pull back in a snarl at the insult to her friends, but she got a hold on herself. She glared at Mew. "They have corrupted nothing. Why can't you at least allow Luka to stay a couple more days to recover? She spent months being tortured and you all can't even allow her the courtesy of healing?" Every day it was the same arguments, but for all the effect it was having, it was like running into a brick wall.

"Yukari," said her father, head buried in hands. "Oh, how the humans have corrupted you..."

Yukari whirled around and glared at him. "They haven't corrupted me. I have seen cruelty in my travels, but we have also been cruel to the humans, before."

"We have never tortured," her father said, slowly, sadly. "Never."

Yukari laughed, bitterly. "Never tortured? Not in the way the humans have, but we have buried them alive, left them to the mercies of the forest. These trees weren't always trees. Sometimes," Yukari's voice dropped and she looked down at the carved oak table, "sometimes I hear them scream."

"The screams are from the humans cutting them down, invading our land," Mew interrupted. "These deformed mockeries, taking our home, forming hideous little towns, perverting nature..."

"That's not true!" Yukari's hands were in fists. "You're too blind, you can't even see how similar we are!"

"We are nothing like them," said her father.

Mew's eyes were sad, disappointed. "You have spent too much time with them...it was a mistake to have allowed you out of here in the first place."

Yukari gaped at her. "Wh-what? Neither of you ever took the time to talk with them-"

"We tried," said her father, wearily. "We tried and they slaughtered us. Never again will we be tricked by those beasts."

Yukari scowled. "According to the books I read, the elves were the ones who tried to drive the humans out of the only fertile land in Elphegort."

"Humans always rewrite things to make them seem better," Mew sniffed. "And we are getting off the topic. These humans in our forest need to leave. Their stench invades my nose even here. They must leave. Now."

Yukari scowled at her. "No. They're my friends."

Mew glanced at Yukari's father, and he nodded. Mew took a deep breath and turned to Yukari, eyes suddenly gentle and understanding.

"The humans have bewitched you," said Mew, softly. "Don't worry. We will make things right. Ask your friends to leave and things will end well. They will be safe."

Yukari met her eyes levelly, and when she spoke her voice brooked no argument. "No. Two more days."

Mew's eyes hardened. "Too long. They leave now."

-o-o-o-

Luka and Miku were still sitting together by the lake, feeling comfortable, safe even. In this magical place it seemed as though nothing could possibly harm them. In Luka's mind, Meiko and Kaito were miles away. All that mattered was the here, and now, and how she was with Miku, and how they had just confessed to each other. The serenity was thick in Luka's chest. The forest really did smell nice, she thought, dreamily. She could stay here forever.

Turning to Miku Luka opened her mouth to say something, but then Miku stiffened, eyes wide and alert, darting about. After a few milliseconds Miku got to her feet, yanking Luka up.

"We have to go," Miku said. "It's not safe here."

Luka could hardly believe her ears. "Not safe? What are you talking about? Look!" Luka spread her arms and gestured at the healthy green forest around them. "Where could there possibly be a safer place than this?"

Miku barely spared the forest a glance. "It's not safe. Luka, we have to get Lily and leave."

Luka frowned. She trusted Miku, but for some reason, she didn't want to leave the forest. It smelled so nice here, and the water looked so welcoming. Luka stared longingly at the clear blue surface. It looked fun to swim in. "Miku, stop it. You're just paranoid again."

"No," said Miku, her voice low, wary. "No."

Luka rolled her eyes and let go of Miku's hand. "Well, I'm going to go for a swim," said Luka, walking over to the calm, placid lake. She glanced back at Miku, but Miku was rigid. Luka shrugged and easily shrugged off her shoes before seeing something in the water. A blink later, it was gone.

Luka shook her head and stared at the water. Once again, the clear surface of it beckoned. Luka felt that desire creep in her mind again, and smiling at the water, finding it so much like a friend, or a brother even, she reached out. Her hand hovered over the surface and as she drew it near, there it was again. The something that was gone in a blink of an eye.

"Luka," said Miku, voice low. "We should go."

Luka's mind felt as though it was stuck in a pink haze. Miku's words were foggy in her mind. "Wait..."

"Luka, there's no time," said Miku. "We have to go. Put on your shoes."

Luka slowly reached for her shoes, but they seemed a million miles away. Her mind felt as though it was drowning. "I...I can't."

"Why not!" Miku's voice was high, agitated. "Come on, Luka!"

"I can't reach my shoes," Luka whispered, eyes wide. Her nose felt clogged, as well as her throat. "I can't reach my shoes, I can't...I can't..." Luka realized and her hands shot up to her throat. "Can't breathe."

Miku was there as quick as a flash and dragged Luka away from the lake, forcing her shoes on. The farther Luka was from the lake, the more her throat and nose eased, the easier she could move. When they were a good distance away, Luka immediately shot up to her feet, all thoughts of staying forgotten. The forest, which once looked so welcoming, no longer looked so.

"Wh-what was that?" Luka stammered, hand over the hilt of her sword.

"The forest," said Miku, slowly, realization dawning on her face. "The elves. We have to escape."

Luka nervously looked around at the looming trees. In the distance, she thought, she heard screaming, and shivers ran up and down her spine at the sound. "Wh-where's Lily? We have to rescue her!"

"Back at the village," said Miku, and immediately the two of them ran for the village, but as they did, a thick, suffocating mist engulfed them. The mist, thought Luka wildly, was definitely not there before. The air itself smelled old and musty, and soon enough Luka could not even see the trees. She could hear Miku behind her and, for an instant, feared that they could get separated in the mist. Luka quickly drew her blade with her left hand and stayed close to Miku.

"Miku?" she asked, timidly into the mist.

"I'm here," said Miku, quietly. A nervous hand grabbed onto Luka's right, and Luka squeezed it reassuringly.

"What's with this fog?"

"I...I don't know," said Miku, helplessly. "Th-there's some kind of spell. The elves don't want us in, and-ah!"

"What is it?" Luka stammered, turning around, still holding onto Miku's hand, and saw through the thick fog some kind of thorned vine, snaked around Miku's leg, pulsing. Immediately Luka slashed at it, and as the vine broke she saw a glint of red in the break. A glint of red...

Luka's breath hitched. Blood? Vines bleed? Miku's breath was shaky now and Luka saw that part of the vine was still wrapped around her leg, and gently Luka cut it off. It fell without resistance and Luka saw four small puncture marks on Miku's ankle.

"We need to go," Luka whispered, and immediately she ran, still holding tightly onto Miku's hand. They crashed through the fog, branches and bushes whipping Luka's face, the vines, sentient, conspiring to trip the two up. Luka's face was cut, bleeding, but she didn't stop running. The fog seemed to stretch on endlessly and Luka began to, to her alarm, tire, her breaths heavy and legs burning. Even Miku sounded a little ragged, now, but they kept running, kept running until their feet no longer touched soft dirt but instead, soggy undergrowth. Moisture pervaded the mist and fog.

"Wh-where are we?" Luka said into the fog.

Miku was practically huddled behind Luka now. "I don't know..."

Luka took a deep breath of the wet air. She had to be brave, she told herself. Brave for Miku. That in mind, she stepped deeper into the fog, Miku in tow.

-o-o-o-

"Lily," said Yukari, softly, walking towards Lily. The engineer was hunched over a map in the cabin, blue eyes scanning it restlessly. Gently, Yukari put a hand on Lily's shoulder. "Lily...we have to leave now."

Lily looked up at her, not very surprised. "Elves finally told us to get out, huh?" she got up, rolled up the map. "Did you tell Luka and Miku?"

Yukari shook her head. "I...I haven't seem them. Not anywhere in the village, and I've already looked. You don't think they're in the forest, do you?"

"The forest?" Lily echoed, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What's wrong with the forest?"

Yukari hesitated, conflict written all over her elfin face.

Lily was beginning to get worried now, and her voice reflected her urgency. "Yukari. What's wrong with the forest?"

"There's a mist," said Yukari, quietly. "A mist in the forest. Activated when the king says so. The forest...the forest eats people when the mist comes. If they're in the forest, then..."

"How could a forest eat people?" Lily stammered.

"It makes them part of it," said Yukari, eyes slightly glazed. "A tree, maybe, or a deer. Or part of the mist. We don't activate it often. Because the forest eats elves too. But in war the mist has always been our greatest defense."

"Luka and Miku are in there," said Lily, suddenly horribly aware of this. "Why would your king activate the mist? Why can't he just tell us to leave, no bloodshed or crazy people-eating forest?"

Yukari was trembling and her ears were down. She looked as though she was about to cry. "Because," Yukari stammered. "Because it's all my fault. I wanted you all to stay, an extra two days at least, but then my father and Mew s-said that...that..." Yukari started to cry in earnest now. "That I was 'too attached' n' that I...I have to be taught that...survival...humans aren't worth anything if they don't listen or if they don't survive or something, I f-forgot but it's all my fault, I should've just agreed and...and-"

Lily suddenly brought the elf girl close to her in a hug. "It's not your fault," Lily said, quietly, blue eyes staring into the forest. "It's not your fault at all. But...we need to go. Now."

"Into the forest?" Yukari asked.

Lily swallowed. The forest looked threatening, despite its apparent tranquility, now that Lily knew the truth of it. But Miku and Luka were in there. "Has anyone ever left the mist alive?"

"I don't know," said Yukari, softly.

Lily frowned and she pulled away from the hug, grabbed her pack and food, checked her weapons. "Okay."

Yukari looked at her. "What're you doing?"

"We're going to rescue them," said Lily, throwing Yukari's bow at her and walking over to open door. The forest loomed, but Lily did not allow herself to feel fear. She glanced back at Yukari. "Are you ready? You don't have to come, if you don't want to."

Yukari stared down at the bow and then at Lily. In her lilac eyes was determination, strength. "I'm ready. Let's go."