When the two girls entered the next room, a heavy machine-induced fog rolled around them, up to the middle of their torsos. A sickly green color seemed to thrum upon the walls. Slowly taking a nervous step inside, Mio found her hand slip off of Mugi's as her eyes widened in surprise: there were three doors. They could have gone in any one of them, and she and Mugi might very well have to check each one. It was not a proposition she was looking forward to. Tentatively walking towards the door farthest from her, she stood hesitantly in the entrance before Mugi's voice caused her to turn around. "Mio-chan, over here!"

Rushing over towards her friend, Mio noticed something in Mugi's hand: Ritsu's hairband! "Where did you find that?"

"I accidentally stepped on it!" Mugi pointed towards the ground below, just in front of the door that had been on their left. "She must have dropped it so we could find her!" That was actually pretty smart for Ritsu. With a nod, Mio walked through the doorless archway and into another darkened room. Fumbling for guidance, she felt her foot depress something upon the ground, and suddenly a voice sounded throughout the room. "Turn back now!" Mio let out a small squeak of fright as she jumped in surprise, and the room was silent once more. "Mio-chan?" The body of Mugi could now be felt bumping into Mio as the two friends found each other again in the darkness. Turning around, she could see the darkened outline of her blonde friend, and on instinct Mio grabbed her hand tightly before spinning back around and trekking forward once more. However, once more her foot found a difference in the floor, and again it pushed down and a voice called out in the room. "Only doom awaits you!"

Mio let out another small squeak, but this time she noticed something wasn't on the up and up. Testing it out, she lifted her foot and pressed it down one more. "Only doom awaits you!" It was just a false floor and some fake voice! Letting out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding in, she realized all she had to do was fill her mind with nothing but logic and reason. Everything here was just for show, nothing more. Well, that was easier said than done...

The two girls bypassed the room with minimal effort after that, Mio barely even jumping at a third false floor press. However, when they entered the next room, the door they'd just entered through slammed shut. Turning around with alarm, they stared at it before Mugi gave it an experimental tug. "It's locked," she whispered. 'Oh great.' Well, there was nowhere to go but straight now. The two started forward, but their progress was suddenly halted by the sound of an opening latch. Once more turning around, they couldn't tell fully what was going on in the dark, but soon what they'd heard was revealed. The door that had previously been locked burst open, and a tidal wave of roaring water rushed in, heading straight for them. With a scream, they began to run towards the open exit, but the water was fast approaching. As Mio felt herself about to be swept away, she felt something push her forward. Eyes widening in surprise, she fell through the threshold of the door and onto her front. Whipping her head around, she only just had time to see Mugi shut the door before hearing the water slam against the wall, her friend's scream quickly cut off.

"Mugi!" She tried the door again, but it was firmly shut: something was barricading it. Shuddering at the thought of what - or who, precisely - it was, she was now further determined to get out of her so she could send someone in to save Mugi. And what luck! Mio's eyes shined when she saw an open door leading to the outside world. This was it! It was over! Overcome with relief and joy, she started to run towards the exit, but two rough hands landed firmly on her shoulders, stopping her in place. A hedonistic, almost cruel voice entered her ears: "Hey there, sexy lady. Why don't you come with me and join your friends in my van?" Mio's heart leapt into her throat. It was the kidnapper, and now he had her! How could she save her friends if she was captured as well? Terror rocketed through her body, but she knew it was beyond important that she do something, anything.

"Kyaaa!" With a terrified shout, she kicked backwards at his leg, causing a low grunt to sound behind her, and the grip on her shoulders loosened. Using the returned freedom of her body as momentum, she whirled around and gave a hard karate chop to the top of her assailant's head, getting a 'kyaa!' in return. She froze; that voice sounded familiar... and she had expected him to be taller... and to look less... like...

"R-Ritsu?!" The shock on Mio's face could have lit up the room as her best friend rubbed the top of her head, muttering in pain.

"Ow ow ow... Geeze Mio, that hurt!"

"Wh-what in the world are you doing?! I thought you were kidnapped!" She... was kidnapped, wasn't she? She didn't...

"Oh yeah, that was my idea. Pretty good, huh? I knew you wouldn't be able to get through this place without a little push, and look! You made it!" Ritsu grinned like she deserved a medal. Mio thought she deserved something a little bit different.

"RITSUUUUU!" The scream nearly shook the house with its power, and when Mugi entered the room fresh off of her 'drowning', she was treated to the sight of Ritsu running as fast as she could out of the room, with Mio in hot pursuit, anger flashing in her normally calm eyes.

"Oh come on, Mio! It was a joke!"

"I have a joke for you, then! Just... stand... still!" Mugi stared after them with mild surprise, enough to where she didn't notice Yui standing next to her until the other girl spoke up.

"Mugi-chan, do you think Mio-chan is cured now?"

"Aheheh... Maybe." Mugi laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. It was a start, at least. "We'd better go catch them."