Warning: Mention of blood, and minor gore (briefly mentioned)

            Four tugged the contestant along, not caring if anyone could see. This had grown beyond a point where it could be swept under the rug.

          The situation couldn't be kept a secret anymore. And the first to find out was going to be a wild card. Four didn't know how Firey would react.

           He was nervous. On one hand, he could care. He knew this for a fact, but just didn't know if this Firey would be like the others. On the other hand...

Firey could make things worse.

              It was a risk to even try, and Four hated it. But because of the disguise 'he' chose...there was no other way around it. Leafy had put all her trust into Firey.

              Leafy now depended on her "friend" to feel safe. Out of all the objects to be caught in this situation, it just had to be her. Four sighed slightly, glaring to the side.

He hated feeling helpless like this.

                "Where are we going, exactly?" Firey asked, slightly annoyed. Four turned to look at him. "We're almost there." He told him. The familiar blue house was in sight.

                 As they started to approach it, Four suddenly stopped. Firey rose an eyebrow in confusion, but before he could say anything, Four suddenly turned around.

                "Don't fuck this up." He growled slightly, before turning away, and continuing towards the house. Firey glanced to the side nervously.

                  X fidgeted with hands slightly, a little bit calmer after the discovery. For Taco...he couldn't really say. He knew she was going through intense emotions.

               You fall in love with a person, and they return the feelings, only for their memories to be torn out. It would be more concerning if she were completely fine.

               He shifted in his seat, staring at the two out of the corner of his eye. Taco's smile was starting to crack, tears visible in her eyes. She was going to break any moment now.

               Quickly turning away from Leafy, X saw Taco cover her eyes. But something happened that made his head turn completely.

"...W-Why are you c-crying?"

              Taco and X both froze, as Leafy hesitantly put her hand on Taco's back. Leafy, while still having a slightly frightened expression, was looking at Taco with worry.

Genuine worry.

              Unable to contain herself any longer, Taco spun around, wrapping her arms around Leafy. She sobbed into her arms, and Leafy flinched.

              However, she did not push her away. X felt a small spark of hope flicker in his chest. While it was clear Leafy still didn't remember, it seemed her mannerisms were still intact.

At least that part hadn't been erased.

              Suddenly, the door opened. X glanced at it as Four and Firey walked in. As soon as Firey saw Leafy, a flash of emotion flickered in his eyes for a moment.

              Taco let go of Leafy, turning to look at the two. Four gave her a slight look of sympathy, once he noticed the tear stains on her face.

              "Here he is." Four said, motioning to Firey. "I told you he would be right back." Firey gave Four a look of confusion. "So, who is that?" He asked, pointing to Leafy.

              X tsked, quickly standing up. "Drop the act for just a second, you piec-" Leafy stood up. X paused, turning to look at her. She was staring at Firey with a confused expression.

             "...This isn't him." She said, backing away slightly. Firey's mouth fell open in shock. She stared at him in fear. "F-Firey doesn't have all these b-bright colors..."

              Leafy was starting to slip back into the trance. "O-Or...such s-sharp teeth..." She backed into X, and let out a yelp, running towards the door.

             Four was quick to stop her, holding her wrist as she struggled against him. Firey stared at her with concern, his hand covering his mouth.

            "She...doesn't remember me...?" He asked, sounding slightly hurt. Before anyone else could say anything, he quickly approached her.

            "Dream island? Tic Tac Toe? The Ferris wheel?!" She flinched as he got closer. "...Anything...?" Leafy paused for a moment. "Dream...Island...?"

              His face paled. "She really doesn't..." Turning away from her, he looked at X with pleading eyes. "What the hell happened to my friend?!"

             X glared at him slightly, crossing his arms. "Oh. So now you recognize Leafy as your friend." He scoffed. Four quickly interrupted him, hoping to stop an potential argument.

              "Leafy is under a very powerful amnesiac, we're currently looking for a way to reverse this." He sighed. "We thought you would be able to keep her calm, but it's clear this won't be the case."

              Four glanced at Leafy, who was visibly shaking now. "She's been tricked into thinking she's safe with her "best friend"." He frowned slightly.

              "I bet you can guess what he looks like." Firey looked down at the floor. "...me..." Leafy tried to pull away from Four again. "L-Let me go!"

               Firey shook his head slightly. The entire world seemed to shatter around him, as he started to realize the severity of the situation he had been brought into.

                 Just for a moment, the thought of what the others would think was pushed to the back of his mind. He had to find a way to help. "Leafy..." He said, trying to sound soothing.

                  "Everything's going to be fine. You just need to trust us." He smiled at her, reaching for her hand. She stared at him in fear.

SHATTER

                    Firey's hand was quickly pushed away. He let out a cry of pain, clutching his hand. Four quickly wrapped his arms around Leafy protectively, frantically scanning the room.

                   His eyes landed on the now broken picture beside him, and his face paled. Glass shards littered the floor, one stabbed into Firey's hand.

                  A few drops of blood had splattered against Leafy's face, as she stared at him in horror. Four quickly carried Leafy away from the portrait.

                  "He's getting stronger! We need to leave, right now!" He told the others, glancing at every window in a paranoid manner. "Leafy my dear..." A familiar voice spoke.

                    However, it wasn't the same voice Four and X were used to...

It was Firey's.

                    "You look so scared...they aren't treating you well, are they?" The voice said, as the lamp shattered, creating a sudden darkness.

                    A sharp pain caused Four to let go of Leafy, as he cried out in pain. "Return to me..." The room lit up again, thanks to X using the last bit of his energy to create a light source.

                   He glanced around, before his face paled.

Leafy was missing.