This chapter is short, but eventful. I had an...interesting time writing this chapter. Yes, definitely interesting. I'm starting to slow down writing, though, since I'm trying to pinpoint the exact right way to get everything I want down. Then, of course, there are other scenes that I need to come up with transitions for that aren't boring and don't skip a ton. Writing is a ball, but it's complicated. It doesn't matter if you have talent. It's still difficult. Anyone can come up with a simple plot and give it an outline, but the true challenge is coming up with something unique and being able to draw your readers in. It isn't the information that comes across through the words, per say, but more the emotion. Can you use these twenty-six plus symbols to send emotions to the reader through a screen, or through a piece of paper. Therein lies the true struggle, and my ultimate goal.

So here is me, attempting to convey emotions to you without having ever even met you guys.

I brush off fallen leaves and support myself with the nearest tree. When did I come back to the forest? The fog wraps around me like fingers, grasping me, holding me in place. My feet won't obey my orders to move.

It must be night, since the forest is alight with a gentle glow. The mushrooms growing on the tree I lean on illuminate as if they were magenta fires, their light wafting into the air around it and mixing with the blue and purple rays given off from other species. The ground...unlike before, when it was a dark, healthy brown, it's...black. It's as if an empty abyss made its home in the forest, and I'm merely standing atop a sheet of glass to keep from falling. The trees seem to sprout from nowhere, not a blade of grass to be found. It must be the enchanted forest, but it seems so different. What happened here?

"Catch me if you can!"

The sound of a silver female voice draws my attention to a figure dashing into sight. Her hair is the light tan of dry grass during the summer, her skin a milky white. She wears the dress of a princess, silky smooth and reflective in the mystic lighting. She waves her delicate pale hand towards something behind her. Then she lowers it, having seemingly lost sight of her companion.

She calls, "Tamaki?"

A white beast bursts forth from the foliage behind her, skidding to a stop at her side. The unicorn lowers his head and taps his horn on her shoulder, snorting as if laughing.

"Fine, fine, you win!" she concedes, whirling to face him. She takes takes his head in her hands, leaning her forehead to touch his nose. "Where will you take me today, good sir?"

The unicorn transforms, becoming the same person the twins brought me to see. Considering the position they're in, you'd think they'd kiss, but instead he throws his arms around her and pulls her into an innocent embrace.

"Anywhere you want to go, my darling!" he exclaims, crushing her to him.

She laughs, a beautiful sound that resonates through the trees. "Show me a field of flowers! Show me the most beautiful plant in the entire enchanted forest, something no other traveler has seen! I wish to ride on your back, as well!"

As soon as her request is spoken, he steps back and transforms. She takes a single leap, swinging her leg over and sitting like a man on his back, disregarding the awkward spread of her dress. Then she grabs him around the neck, hugging the unicorn as he trots away.

I try to move to follow them, but my feet have faded into the blackness. Who was that girl? Is she Tamaki's lover?

And then the twins crash through the underbrush. Their dragon form takes up all the room between trees, their tail crooked to fit on the ground. On their back is the same girl from before. This time she faces my direction, and I'm able to see a streak of red on the underside of her hair.

"Flying is so much fun!" She squeals in delight. "You two are the best!" She slips from their back and rounds to the front to talk to them face to face. "You have to take me again, sometime, okay? I want a ride everyday!"

"Okay-"

"-if you make us your familiars."

Her smile falls. "I told you, I'm still deciding. I need a perfect familiar to do what I want. Keep in mind that a familiar also has to stay with me forever."

"Are you saying you don't want us?"

"You don't want to be with us?"

"I'm saying it's a huge decision, and I need more time to decide," she corrects stubbornly. "A life long partner is not to be taken lightly!"

"You're going to take Tamaki, aren't you?" One of the heads grumbles.

"I may. I like him a lot, but I'm just not entirely sure if he'll be able to complete the task I want yet. I'll wait and see, but me choosing him still seems likely." I actually feel the urge to slap her, even though I can't get any closer than I already am. Her words are as if she's making fun of them! She's dangling what they want in front of their faces and saying she's probably going to give it to someone else! She's worse than a spoiled rotten kid; she's sadistic! There's no way she's doing that unconsciously!

"But hey," she kisses each of the heads daintily, "you never know! I'll come back to your cave tomorrow for the next flight!" She practically skips away, leaving the two headed dragon alone with her words. I open my mouth to call out to them, to tell them to ignore what she said, but the fog rushes into my throat. Hacking, I crumple over.

And that's when it hits. My entire body trembles, my breath catching and the hair on the back of my neck hair standing on end. I gasp, eyes wide in terror as my scream refuses to leave my throat. The ground begins sucking me in, the black reaching up to yank me down. Everywhere it touches me stings as if cutting into my skin, but no blood spills. It presses in on me, trying to crush me into its nothingness. By the time my head is swallowed, tears moisten my face.

My own voice is what wakes me, but all I'm met with is darkness. Breathing hitching, I reach out in desperation to touch something. My hands meet with two foreign warm hands and I clutch them hard enough to hurt my own muscles, pulling them closer to me. Holding them to my chest, I force air in and out of my lungs, but I can't seem to calm down.

What was that? What was that horrible feeling? It was like it was eating me alive! I've never felt anything like that before! Oh, God, what was it? Make it go away! Somebody make it stop! Even the memory of it is plenty enough to render me immobile.

A light blinds me and I let out a small, reflexive screech. Someone has lit a candle. I'm vaguely aware of two figures on either side of my bed holding my hands, as well as smaller ones sitting up in beds, but none of their faces are legible through the blur. Streaks of warm and cold alike travel down my face, but I disregard the weird temperatures in favor for the presence of other people. They're here, they're with me. I'm not drowning in that void. I'm here, this is the orphanage, and I'm perfectly fine.

But whatever it was still lingers with me. I press the hands to my mouth, unsuccessfully willing myself to calm down. The two figures with me scoot closer on either side of me and I hide my head in one of their chests. Skin, soft skin. Don't think about that feeling, just think about this. I'm here, I'm alive, and there are people with me.

I don't know how long I'm in this position, but when the light is blown out and we lay back down I barely realize it. I latch onto the arms of the two people who've stayed with me, assuring myself that they're real. That I'm real.

I know, it's really short. I was considering pairing this with the next chapter, but I decided it needed to stand alone. What do you think? Was that a good decision? My gut says it was, but guts don't have brains to reason with. So, any impressions on this dream girl? Is she sweet, or sadistic? Or both? Mari seems to think she's sadistic, but she might just be jumping to conclusions. But then again, who knows what's behind that pretty face? And speaking of impressions, what do you guys think of Mari? I'm always curious as to how you guys view my main characters, but not many of you actually give descriptions. Do you guys like that I leave out the descriptions of physical appearance? I'm really asking a lot of questions this time, aren't I? Oh well. Maybe a few of you will answer before next chapter.

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!