I held the cloak tight around my body, letting my bangs hang over my eyes. Yaya and Rima kept the hoods of their cloaks off, complaining that there was no point to them being hidden; just me. I just shrugged; I liked it better this way. My scent covered, my hair hidden within the confines of the cloak...yes, this was fine indeed.

We'd already made it halfway through the forest when a sudden chill racked through my body. I kept glancing about, straining my ears for any unusual sounds. Nothing.

Yaya ran off ahead, turning to shout back to us. "We'll be there super soon! Then you'll be happy! The meadow is super pretty!"

I gave her a light smile, while Rima just rolled her eyes in exasperation. Yaya had the attention span of a squirrel, so the whole trip had been rather slow. The sun was already heading downwards. I checked the height of it; there was still quite a while before we'd have to worry.

Rima knelt down and picked up a brightly colored leaf. Smiling softly, she whispered, "Pretty."

I decided to let my hood down, allowing my hair to cascade down my back, just hitting my hips. I breathed in the glorious smell of fall, twirling in sync to the falling leaves. It was like an intricate dance between me and the nature surrounding me. I'd always been happiest like this.

I stopped, noticing that Rima and Yaya were smiling my way. "What?"

Rima laughed quietly. "It's nothing, but it certainly has been awhile since I've seen you smile so happily. It makes your whole face light up."

I blushed slightly. I knew the translation of her words; 'You've been so depressed lately. It's great that you can finally let yourself go'.

Yaya clapped her hands. "Hurry, hurry, hurry up! We have to make sure Amu is settled in, then go home!"

Rima pursed her lips, but I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder before she could comment.

"Yaya's right. If you guys don't get home before nightfall, it'll seem suspicious. Besides, I couldn't sleep well knowing you guys were in the forest alone."

Rima shrugged me off, choosing to continue forward while staring at the ground. "I know that. I just really don't like leaving you there alone. Now that I think about it, I don't like leaving you alone in that house. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..."

I bit my knuckle nervously.

"Rima, this was the only thing we could do. Kukai won't lay off. Even if we went back now, he'd never leave me alone again! You know that."

She grimaced. She didn't like it, but knew that I was right. Yaya stepped up beside her.

"But, Kit, Rima is right, too. You're gonna be right near the forest. It could be kind of dangerous."

I was barely listening. My eyes were to the sky.

"We don't have time to hesitate. You guys have to get back. Now."

Rima jerked up her small head, her eyes meeting mine defiantly. "No way are we leaving you to go the rest of the way alone!"

I sighed in irritation. "We don't have much of a choice. We've been stalling too long."

Yaya looked up and reflected on the setting sun.

"Why don't we all just go back and try again tomorrow?"

Rima and I glared at the younger girl. "Then this journey was for nothing."

I sighed. "We have to figure out what to do. Staying in the middle of the forest isn't safe..."

Rima and Yaya just blinked at me. I had to remind myself that they didn't understand the whole situation. Not that I did, either...

A rumble caught our attention. I eyed a seemingly far off cloud that had grown dark. A small flash of light protruded from said cloud.

I began to feel uneasy. "Ok, guys, decision's gotta be fast, now. What do we do?"

Yaya trembled. She'd always been afraid of thunderstorms, and even in the past few years of her aging, it hadn't changed a bit.

"M-Maybe we should go to the cottage. It's closer."

Rima narrowed her eyes at Yaya's shaking form.

"No way. Town may be farther, but it's also safer. It won't be out in the open."

They both glanced at me. I just sighed. Really, they decide now that the decision is mine to make?

"I move to go to the cottage. It is closer, and Kukai won't be able to get to me. What else need be said? I'll have a message sent to your parents to let them know where you are-"

"But Amu", interrupted Yaya, "Then they can tell Kukai."

I blinked. "Oh, right."

Stupid me.

Rima's eyes flickered between us, the setting sun and the clouds, nerves beginning to set in.

"I don't know what we should do."

I huffed irritably.

"I just said, we're going to the cottage."

"But our parents..."

"Rima!"

Thunder crackled, louder than before. Yaya yelped, and even I couldn't help but shiver. Rima closed her eyes in hesitation, grabbing at her hair.

A voice came from beyond the trees. Female.

"If I promise to take care of your friend, will you two go away? You're all so noisy."

I peered into the darkness. A tall blond girl approached, staying just within the tree-line.

"Well?"

I noticed her eyes first. They had a slight glow in the coming darkness. I didn't understand completely, but I trusted her. Moreover, my friends had to get home before the storm.

"I'll go with you."

Rima moved to object, but I quieted her immediately.

"Sshh, you can come see me when the storm passes. By then, I'll be at the cottage. Ok?"

Rima's eyes fought mine, but when Yaya tugged at her cloak, she sighed in defeat.

"Fine, but if she doesn't keep you safe, she'll have to deal with me."

The blond scoffed, quieting after I gave her a harsh look. I gave my friends a final hug before disappearing into the forest with the stranger.

When we'd gotten well into the forest, I stopped to address the blond.

"You're a werewolf, right?"

She just nodded, continuing to push through the branches.

"Ugh, so many damn bushes!"

I followed after her, yelping when my hair got caught. Grunting, the blond came back to help me.

I looked into her eyes. "Name?"

She freed my abused hair. "Utau."

I kept up with her, deciding to follow her footsteps to keep from hurting myself.

"Do you know a guy with blue hair?"

She scoffed. "Only one like him. Werewolf, right?"

I nodded. She sighed in irritation.

"What, did that idiot show up in your village?"

I shrugged. She already knew the answer. Apparently, she also knew about the village. Thankfully, no explanations were needed on either side, and we were both content with that.

I fingered a leaf that had fluttered into my hair.

"You guys in the same pack or something?"

She turned to look at me, keeping her pace steady, her footsteps soft. "Unfortunately."

I grimaced slightly. I wasn't getting far with her. If they were in the same pack, I needed to let her know that I couldn't be near the guy.

She suddenly leaned near me, giving a delicate sniff. Whatever scent she caught made her smile. I couldn't help but smile as well; she didn't look as depressed with a smile on her face.

"You smell really nice."

I twisted a lock of hair around my finger. "Thanks."

I saw a cave up ahead, then stopped in my tracks. It caused Utau to stop as well. She turned to look at me curiously. "Well? Come on. The storm's going to hit soon."

I chocked on my words. "The whole pack sleeps in the same cave?"

She laughed kindly.

"Oh no, just families keep a cave. There are just a few families in the pack, so there's no need to share. This cave is just for me and my brother."

I relaxed and smiled, following her into the entrance. "Oh, alright. You have a brother?"

I couldn't see well until she lit a small lantern. A glint of blue caught my eyes.

"Yeah, this is the dork, right here."

I almost gaped; at the back of the cave, in what looked like a heap of straw, lay a grinning, perverse werewolf known by the name of Ikuto.