The sounds of laughter filled the air, as well as light clinking. Leafy opened her eyes, surprised to find herself at the head of a long table.

      Discolored contestants talked among themselves, wearing fancy clothing and sipping some sort of beverage. Some of them were eating.

      She stared at the sight in confusion, before looking down at herself. Leafy was wearing a dress with many frills and ribbons, giving off a "lolita" feel.

       Suddenly, someone placed a hand on her head. She jolted, turning to find Firey. He smiled at her, saying something she couldn't understand.

       He laughed, handing her a glass. Leafy stared at the contents. Some sort of green liquid was bubbling rapidly inside, making her feel uneasy.

       Firey's face suddenly fell. "Drink it." He said, his voice finally becoming more clear. Leafy stared at him in confusion. "W-What?" She asked, and he glared at her.

       "Drink. It." He hissed, forcing the glass to her mouth. Leafy nearly screamed, trying to push his hand away. Firey stepped on her foot, causing her to yelp in pain.

         The liquid slid into her mouth, burning her tongue. He covered her mouth, tilting her head back. Leafy choked slightly, trying not to swallow the mysterious drink.

          She coughed, feeling her lungs inhale a bit of the liquid. Her breathing became shallow as her coughing grew worse, until finally-

X jolted awake, gasping for air.

       The first thing that Leafy felt was a throbbing, aching pain everywhere in her body. Her eyes teared up, as she tried to sit up. Someone gently pushed her back down.

        "You need to lie down." A familiar voice echoed, as she looked up. Firey stood above her, slightly blurry to her eyes. He stared down at her in concern.

          "I thought I told you not to go into that room..." He scolded slightly. "Why didn't you just stay in bed?" Leafy winced, feeling another wave of pain rush through her.

            "I was worried...about you..." She admit, trying to push past the pain. His eyes softened, and he placed his hand on hers. "You don't need to be." He told her.

          "I don't want you going around the mansion without me by your side anymore." Leafy's eyes widened. "Now wait just a minute-" She started to protest, before being stopped.

          "No." Firey said, staring at her with a disapproving gaze. "This happened because of me. And I'm not going to let it happen again." Leafy tried to sit up again.

            Firey used both hands to push her down. "Stay in bed!" He raised his voice slightly. She flinched, and he stared at her with a guilty look. "I'm sorry..."

          He sighed. "I just hate seeing you like this..." She stared up at him, as he started to exit the room. "...Please, get some rest..." He said, before leaving her in the room.

       Taco walked through the woods, trying to see where Leafy was. She wanted to hang out with her today, hoping to find out why the other contestants shunned her.

        That, and Taco just wanted to hear her voice again. She couldn't help but notice how cute it was the last time she heard her speak. She shook her head, her face flushing red.

        Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. Right now, Taco just had to focus on finding Leafy. She walked though the woods, glancing around.

           She remembered Leafy had mentioned a random mansion out in the woods, but so far, she couldn't find it. Curiously, she looked around, trying to find any trace of it,

        Taco glanced down after a moment, stopping dead in her tracks.

There were several large marks in the ground.

Almost like something was being dragged.

       Leafy sighed, sitting against the headboard of the bed. Her monochrome plush friend sat in front of her, a bowl in his hands. He smiled, lifting a spoon up.

       She flushed slightly. "Uh, Firey..." She started. "I can feed myself." He chuckled, setting the spoon down. "I know, but I still feel guilty about earlier."

        Leafy sighed. "Firey. It wasn't your fault. I chose to go explore while you were asleep." She said, as he passed the bowl to her. "While that might be true, I still feel responsible."

       She grabbed the spoon, trying to lift it up. She dropped it by accident, managing to splash a bit of soup on her face. Wincing, she sat the bowl on her lap.

       Firey handed her a napkin. "Careful." He said. Leafy nodded. "I know, I'm trying my best." He sighed. "It would be easier to just let me do it..." He told her.

          Leafy looked at him, trying not to get flustered. Her cheeks still burned slightly red. "No." She told him, as he smiled. "Come on! Please?" He asked.

           Leafy stared at him, not even trying to hide her embarrassment anymore. "You trust me...right...?" He asked her, and her blush started to fade away.

...Did she trust him...?

            Leafy thought for a moment. It had only been a few days...but she couldn't lie.

She felt safe with him.

            "Of course." She answered him, her tone genuine. He smiled. Picking up the bowl. "I'm happy to hear!" Firey said, lifting the bowl to her lips. "It's easier to drink it straight from the bowl."

Four faced X, shaking his head in disbelief. "No. That can't be right..." He mumbled, sitting down on the ground. X looked away.

"It wasn't just a dream..." He told him, clenching his fists. Four suddenly stood up, grabbing X's shoulders. "Are you positive it was a vision?!" He rose his voice.

X shook his head, and Four's face paled. His grip tightened, and his hands shook. "...This isn't good..." Four spoke after a while.

"Leafy is in serious danger."