A/N: Before we begin, I'd like to thank all the authors for pointing out mistakes in editing and making this story a worthwhile read! Also, I think the readers should know that the names above each portion of the chapter (Flyne, xInSaNexBlOoDyxPrInCeSs, etc.) are not the names of the characters in the story. They are the author's pen names. Each author focuses on his or her single character, so that you won't be confused as to what's going on in whose point of view. Sorry for the delay, please enjoy the story!

Part I: How It All Began
Chapter 1: Introductions

Flyne

Palcor wandered through the forest, quite alone despite the rumors of danger in the forest. He had entered as a personal trial a few days ago to prove to himself and to his father that he was capable of bearing a man's responsibilities. Though well past his fifteenth birthday, which was the traditionally date of manhood in his village, Palcor's father still refused to accept him. Palcor didn't mind. He loved the forest anyways, away from "civilization". Pah. The forest was by far more civilized than his village. Still, the rumors of lost travelers that never returned and foul beasts must have made him nervous, as he was constantly fingering the bow on his back.

xWhit3StaRx

"I didn't steal it!" A young girl of only fourteen struggled helplessly against a beefy man's iron grasp. "Let. Me. GO!" She beat her free hand uselessly against the man's chest, but only received a harsh slap across the cheek.

"You little bitch!" The man snarled. "Tell me where you hid the meat!" When she didn't respond, he dragged her inside his store and grabbed a butcher knife. "Tell me or I'll hack you to pieces!"

"Go to hell!" She spat, her voice quivering slightly. He raised his hand to slap her again, but stopped when he saw the glint of fierce defiance in her eyes. "I don't know why they call you Elvira! You're nothing but a stupid, worthless, dirty piece of shit!" He threw her ruthlessly to the ground, his face twisting into a devilish sneer.

Elvira didn't answer. Her usually pale face was crimson with rage, but she bit her tongue to keep the vile words she wanted to speak inside her. One lashing would be enough for the day and there'd be no telling what her "mother" would do to her if she found out. The butcher gave her one last kick before swaggering away, a string of curses escaping from his fat lips.

The minute he was gone, Elvira got up off the floor. She winced slightly as she felt along her ribs, searching for broken bones. A bony, eight-year-old boy clutching a large, white package rammed into her, knocking her down. "Elvira!" She looked down at him, tears of pain welling in her eyes. "Alair," She gasped. "You're...hurting me...!" The boy let go of her immediately, worry apparent in his large, green eyes. "I'm sorry!"

Elvira smiled warmly at him. "Don't worry about it. Do you have the meat?"

He held the package up and beamed, a proud smile on his face. "Yup! I got it while the Lard wasn't looking!" Knowing he was referring to the butcher, Elvira grinned and ruffled his hair affectionately. She didn't want him to know that she had served as a distraction in the operation. The scrawny boy grinned back, innocence dancing in his wide eyes.

"Alair..." Elvira began.

"What is it, sissy?" He chirped.

"You can keep the meat for yourself."

He frowned, puzzled. "You don't want any?"

"I...I'm going away..." she explained.

"Where are you going? Can I come with you?"

She shook her head sternly before forcing a smile. "You have to take care of yourself while I'm gone, ok?"

He nodded hesitantly. "When are you coming back?" Tears began collecting in his emerald orbs. "You are coming back, right?"

There was a slight pause and she almost said no, but stopped herself when she glimpsed his sad, yet hopeful eyes. "Of course I am. And when I do, I'll have plenty of food and lots and lots of money for you to use!" Elvira hugged him to her, so he wouldn't be able to see her tears. "Don't worry about me while I'm gone, ok? You have to take care of yourself! Sissy won't be here to help you anymore..." She felt him nod and wiped away her tears before pulling him gently away from her. "You'll always be my little brother, no matter what they say! Now be a big boy and stop crying!" He sniffed and obediently began wiping away the salty tears.

"Go home, Alair." No movement. "Alair..."

He ignored her warning tone and stubbornly refused to leave. "When are you going to go?"

Elvira sighed. "Today."

"When today?"

"...Now."

"Oh..."

She nudged him slightly. "Hey, don't be sad. I'm coming back a rich girl remember?"

He smiled a little too forcefully. "Uh huh!"

"Now, be a good little brother and go home." She hugged him one last time before pushing him onto the dirt path that led to the small cottage in which he lived. "Don't tell my mom that I left, ok?"

He looked doubtfully at her. "Won't auntie notice?"

Elvira smiled sadly. "No, I don't think she will..."

xInSaNexBlOoDyxPrInCeSs

It was uncommon to see a sword, even in the run-down museum at the front of the city. It was even more uncommon to see someone with a sword. How uncommon it was to see a girl with a sword! How...bizarre.

She carried herself like one with a fine self-importance. Her strides were long, her chin high, her long hair held in a high ponytail to keep it out of her way. Oddly enough, she wore a Chinese kimono-style outfit-uncommon enough on the streets of Silla.

But what was most unusual about her was her hair. Not only was it impossibly long, it was blue-the exact shade of a sapphire on the emperor's golden crown. It matched her eyes, and protruding from the hair there were two pale yellow whisker-like objects.

At the age of seventeen, Surin had learned that she was a foreigner to these people. She spoke the language of the people well, but with a slight Chinese accent-they thought that was odd, too.

She shrugged. She would go and see her brother.

SunJewel

A young girl at the age of fourteen raced across the city village, her father's enemy chasing after the last member of her family with his army. Her.

The wind whipped around her face, her white hair lashing out like agitated snakes. She pushed past a villager holding a large bin full of water, causing the man to stumble and curse. Lord Kaisha's personal army was gaining on her, their sharp pointy swords gleaming viciously in the sun.

Lia gasped for breath, her sides heaving. A stitch was made at her side. She neared the forest edge, the very forest where many travelers supposedly got lost...or so they said...

Gathering her courage and the last of the luck she had, she burst into the forbidden forest. It was awfully silent. There was only the chirping of distant birds, warning each other as if they had sensed an intruder.

Lia walked calmly along, knowing the wretched army would never follow her here. The springy floor of the forest was strangely inviting and mysterious at the same time. Her clear blue eyes gazed up towards the canopy of the forest. As she brushed her sweat covered white hair away from her face, she smiled. A challenge. Her favorite.

Fenrir

... And did the moon elves' magnificent cities fall to the serpentine demons, leaving lost ruins as the only hint of their previous presence...

Talio sighed as he recited the old legends of the Maerorian people. His mind constantly wandered in the varied woodland: humid one moment, frigid the next. He found it hard to focus upon his task, as there seemed to be hidden activities of the forest at every turn, millions upon millions of distractions.

As the young mage walked briskly through the "forbidden forest", he began to daydream about finding the lost civilization of the moon elves, and of the naga in the myth...and repressed his thoughts immediately. He scolded himself for such unrealistic visions; he had a duty to the academy, and he meant to fulfill his task and please the elders. Once again, Talio sighed.

So excited to be of service to the elder magi was he, yet now he trudged through these emerald woods, bored out of his mind, the monotonous task wearing down heavily upon him. Botanical ingredients, they had said, but the apprentice mage had only found a small selection of near useless herbs: daze weed, miser's leaf, quies root, and bloodflower. Plants that only had potency as decorations. Yet Talio, being ever so obedient to his elders, continued hiking instead of turning back and throwing a patch of "quies" at the elder's face. He toyed with the idea for a while.

When Talio first came to the Maeror Forests, he had jumped at every small noise. The forest was supposedly cursed, and only the bravest souls dared let it's "darkness" (the forest canopy actually allowed more green light to show through than a large window) entangle them. Now, almost nothing surprised him. It was a normal forest... and then he heard the noise. Running water, and close by, too.

He leapt up and almost cheered before catching himself. Talio dashed to the river, all the while praising Aetas for placing a stream there. The young mage had been hiking since morning, and the sun was now setting, the clouds red. When he had reached the banks, his eyes sparkled. He ran to the edge of the river and began splashing the cool water onto his face. He gave a small yelp of delight at this. Eventually, the initial wave of pleasure and accomplishment gave way to his natural calm, and he sat sipping the cool, sweet water from one of his crystal vials, which were usually for his eccentric alchemic projects.

Perhaps the forest wasn't so bad.

A/N: The 6th character will be introduced soon.