( Thanks for reading this so far! My apologies for any mistakes I have made about the geography of the area surrounding Fujiyoshida including Kawaguchiko, the Kawaguchi Asama Shrine, Mt. Fuji and Aokigahara. I've looked at a lot of maps and tried to figure out where the shrine was in relation to the surrounding area, but I think I may have made some mistakes. So as I said, my apologies! )

Logan was impressed - maybe there was more to these supposed exorcists after all. He wasn't sure exactly where they were, some shrine - but outside he could see the mountain - and beneath, the forest. Aokigahara. That's where Yukio was.

Behind him, Okumura was giving out orders and looking as pissed off as usual. Logan was grateful the kid had delivered him to the forest, but he wasn't thankful enough to hang around and treat the pipsqueak like his teacher. As soon as he saw an opportunity, he quietly slipped outside and slunk into the surrounding woods. With that stickler four-eyes running the show he knew it wouldn't be long until they noticed he had gone, so he started off running. The familiar scents of the forest filled his senses, the earthy smell of decaying leaves and fresh soil, fresh air moving through the mossy trunks - but at the same time it was completely new. Pretty soon he came to a road and followed it into town. The view, he had to admit, was impressive. A broad, sparkling lake stretched out before him, almost as if to frame the massive snow-capped peak looming over the opposite shore. It was lucky such a massive landmark stood next to the forest, otherwise Logan would have been at a loss. All the signs were in Japanese - he didn't even know what town he had stumbled upon.

"Maybe I should take Yukio up on those Japanese lessons," he grumbled to himself, trying to scout out a car that wasn't too in the open. Trying to recall some of the words she had tried to teach him, he sauntered over to a small red vehicle parked in the shade beneath some overhanging trees.

Only one word stood out in his memory - baka.

"Idiot," he chuckled. At first he had thought it was a nickname she had come up for him, with how often she called him that.

Without further ado, he smashed the window in and crawled in the tiny car, quickly hotwiring it while cursing quietly, hoping no one saw his suspicious behavior. By now those kids had noticed he was gone, but he wondered if they would even bother coming after him.

Looking up at the setting sun, he doubted it. Okumura had all those brats to watch out for now - he wouldn't abandon them to come after some stranger, and he wouldn't lead them into the forest, either. Not with how shaken he had appeared at the mere mention of it.

Finally the car started up and Logan hit the road, heading towards the mountain. According to Okumura, the Suicide Forest lay on the northwest side of the mountain, which meant he was heading straight for it. At last he felt like he was getting somewhere. But as excited as he was to find Yukio, a chilling sense of dread was settling over him. And as the last golden rays of the run disappeared over the horizon, he couldn't help but acknowledge the small pit of fear that was broiling in his gut.

After too long of speeding down dark, unfamiliar roads in a cramped car, Logan finally reached the forest. He stood at the entrance - it looked like any other hiking trail. The wide dirt path was littered with dead leaves, and the trees above formed a natural canopy that cast the forest into pitch black darkness. A brown sign framed in simple wooden boards stood near the beginning of the trail, filled with Japanese characters he couldn't make heads nor tail of.

As far as he knew, it read "Turn back now if you want to live."

Without thinking, his claws slid out from between his knuckles.

"Stupid kids," he spat. They had gotten him all tense over nothing - there was no thing as ghosts. Or demons.

Then what had that monster been from before?

He shook his head - didn't matter. He was just going to find Yukio and get out of this god-forsaken forest. Even though the moonlight didn't pierce through the thick roof of twisting branches and rustling leaves, his heightened senses allowed him to navigate the trail fairly easily. Despite the even looking ground, the floor was riddled with holes and unexpected hollows, as well as twisting roots diving under the dirt like a sea serpent. He had started out at a brisk jog but was forced to tread more cautiously the further into the forest he got.

The darkness was pressing in on all sides, seeming to dampen his senses and tighten his chest.

Rustle, rustle.

He spun around, jabbing his claws in the air - but there was nothing there.

"Damn it, Logan. Keep your shit together," he growled, but his heart was still racing. He kept walking.

The wind was whistling through the trees, tossing sounds and shadows into places they shouldn't have been and setting his teeth on edge.

Something white hovered in the corner of his vision and he spun around, but it suddenly vanished.

"Shine."

Logan could feel the breath on the back of his neck as the voice whispered - he whirled around, slicing through the air with his claws - but once again there was nothing there but darkness.

"Shee nuh?" Logan muttered to himself. He had no clue what the word meant, but it made his hair stand up straight.

Suddenly, he saw it. It was hovering about three yards away dressed in a ragged white robe; greasy, tangled black hair hanging down over its face and shoulders, trailing all the way to the figure's waist.

"Who are you?" he shouted. The figure titled its head at an unnatural angle, exposing cracked lips and a dark mouth. It released a groan that seemed to echo from every tree in the forest, rattling through Logan's bones and wrapping a cold hand around his heart. Without hesitating, he charged at the floating figure and slashed his claws through it -but it merely dissipated like smoke. Dropping into a defensive stance, his eyes flashed around his surroundings wildly, trying to spot the strange creature.

Cautiously, he took a step backwards and heard something crunch under his boot. Looking down, he saw a broken skull grinning back.

"Jesus Christ," he barked, kicking the bones away - but some long locks of black hair still attached to the skull had tangled around his shoe. With a frustrated shout, he slashed the hair with his claws and scrambled away.

Breathing hard and scanning for the disturbing figure in white, he slowly turned back towards the trail - only to find the ghost standing directly in front of him. He stabbed it with his claws but it didn't even react, raking her ragged nails across his face with a bone-rattling scream. Gritting his teeth, he jumped away and felt the rent flesh already reforming, closing over the gashes as if they had never been there.

She charged again, aiming for his throat. He jumped out of the way at the last moment, but she reappeared right behind him. He spun around and swiped his claws through her chest, but she didn't even flinch, instead stabbing him in the abdomen with her bare hand.

Gagging and coughing blood, he jerked away - the wound was healing, but she was already attacking again. His adamantium claws, which had taken care of every foe he had crossed up to this point, were useless.

Cursing, he braced himself for her next move - it was going to be a long fight.