Fume and Ivy were both in awe at the dark skinned lady with short curly hair that formed around her head. Her dress was an earthy red that hung off her one shoulder and wrapped around her body. By the lack of shock from Cocoa it seems that they had met before. What really shocked me was how there was no dirt on her. She really just came out of a hole in the ground but looked spotless.

"Sorry, Alga worked me up into a storm." Tide responded to Mother Earth with a shrug.

"Alga?" She said looking around. "My what a group we have. It has been a very long time since I have seen this many spirits in one spot. We even have some young ones that I have not met." She said facing Fume sitting in the fire pit and Ivy and Rine next to her. "I am Terra, the earth spirit." She said with a small bow.

""Mother Earth,"" Ivy and Fume whispered at the same time.

She then turned the rest of the way to me. "Are you going by Alga again?" She tipped her head. "You only evolved into Laurel a few million years ago. If you want to go back to the sea I do not mind," she said with a smile.

"It has been more than 100 million," I said under my breath. Mother Earth was never the best at keeping track of how long ago things were.

"I doubt it," Tide said forlornly. "I called you because Laurel needs our help."

Cocoa was a little surprised by Tide's forcefulness. But really what did she expect from Tide. "Tide, we can't just force this on Laurel. Remember what I said on our way here. You need to find out what-" Cocoa called out but was interrupted by Tide.

"I am sorry Cocoa, but I could not heed your advice. Laurel is going to get my help whether she wants it or not."

Being unconcerned with the serious air between Cocoa and Tide, Rine flew off Ivy's shoulder and hovered in front of Terra, "A human has kidnapped our friends. We need your help getting them back,"

"I am sorry," Terra said with a frown. I knew what was coming next, it was always the same. "I do not intervene in disputes involving mortals."

"Then why did Mother Sea call you here to help?" Rine said, clearly not understanding.

"I told you she would not help," I said in frustration. "I could never understand how you two got along. One of you never moves to help even when begged and the other is all over you trying to help even when no one wants it." Terra and Tide both looked at me in shock. Even I had to admit I was acting a little childish for someone over 1,000,000,000 years old.

Giving the ground another punch. This time with my full strength, sending a wave of power into the earth. I hoped that Terra and Tide could feel my frustration I had laden that punch with. Was it that hard just to get a push in the right direction?

The punch sent shockwaves through the soil as the ground gave way and started to crumble around me. Dusting the dirt off of me I started to climb out of the hole I formed. I cast my eyes glaring at the oldest two. "I am going, I have wasted enough time on this. I need to find my friends. I do not know why you even bothered to try." I saw Terra raise her hand as if she wanted to stop me, part of me wanted more than anything for her to stop me. But like always, her feet never moved. Seeing that my emotions got across to them, I turned and started toward my companions.

"Wait," Tide called after me once she shook loose of my anger. But I did not stop to listen. I had no more time to spare. A flare of power flew in front of me as a wall of ice blocked my path. "Just give me two minutes," she pleaded. "Even for you that is not too much time."

I stared at her hard. Now she was trying to keep me from finding my friends. I was about to tear down this wall. "Just listen," Cocoa called out to me. "She helped you save Ivy. Give her at least this much." Why did Cocoa have to do this to me? But she was right, I could at least listen to Tide. Tide was the only one that Terra ever seemed to listen to. Maybe something would come of this.

Seeing my eyes soften a little, Cocoa took it as my a.s.sent and turned to Tide and Terra. "Please hurry, Laurel's friends might be in grave danger."

"Can you help me locate a spirit? The water sprite that lives in this pond has gone missing," Tide entreated Terra. How would Mother Earth be able to find Mist now? Tide had been resting by this pond for much of the day. Her much greater strength would have quickly overwritten any signature left by Mist. I was about to rebut her idea, sending my powers into the pond to prove her wrong and I felt... Mist?

Not her spirit, but Tide had isolated and stabilized the signature left by Mist. I had been so focused on finding Maximus that I did not notice what Tide had been doing in the pond.

"Tide." Terra looked at me and then Tide sadly. "You of all people should know why I do not mingle with mortal affairs. I want to help. But it turns out bad when I lift my hands." Tears were rolling down her face as she looked at her hands. I knew the blood that she felt she bore and in her mind she was trapped by her own power.

"I am not asking you to interfere." Tide said laying her hands in Terra's upturned hands. "But Laurel's dear friend is still young, just a little baby. We just want to find her and take her back home. Can you please help us find her?" She then pulled Terra into a tight hug not minding Terra's tears.

Terra's determination to not get involved crumbled. "I am only going to help you find where she is?"

"That is all we are asking for," Tide said with a smile. "You don't need to worry about any harm using your powers could bring?" Hearing Tide's words a smile spread over Terra's tear stained face. The image of Fume first learning how to use her powers for more than just burning flashed in my mind. Fume was not the only one that felt trapped.

Why was Terra only willing to help Tide out? I was there too back when Terra set that rule. It was frustrating, Tide always knew just how to ask Terra. After Terra had shut herself off when I was a young sprite I would try and ask Terra for help and she would refuse. It was like a tree falling in your path every single time.

Tide, on the other hand, would try to help but would end up doing everything for me and lecturing me on what to do next time. I just wanted a little nudge in the right direction. But she would not leave anything for me to figure out on my own. It ruined all the fun. Eventually I just stopped asking either of them.

No surprise to me, Terra groaned for a moment and then said, "If it is just finding the water sprite, I guess that would not lead to any harm to the mortals. She is a spirit after all."

I did my best not to get angry. She was going to help. I would be able to find Mist. But why did I always feel like an extra saddle bag with those two?

As I was calming myself down Terra closed her eyes and sent out her powers. A clear shudder spread over the inhabitants of the forest. The only ones that seemed to not be affected were Tide and myself. We both had experienced this many times.

"She is southeast of your woods but still on the move," Terra said after a few moments. "She is weak, but still alive. Every morning before you head out for the day send me a message and I will let you know which way to go. The distance you are going will be too much for me just to point from here." Terra smiled, clearly delighted she could be involved without causing landslides.

I did my best just to let the relief show. Knowing that Mist was currently alright was amazing. But Terra's stubbornness hurt. I was still frustrated about the obvious difference that existed between how Terra treated Tide and myself. Or was it just in our abilities to b.u.t.ter her up? Also I could not help wondering, How could she have gotten so far already that I will need more directions? when I said, "Thank you for your help."

Not trusting myself to say more I turned to Ivy, "Please rest and get feeling better. Do not worry about the state of my woods. I will be able to fix it in a few years." A quick flash of power over my wood and felt I had to augment my statement, "or decades." Fume sunk a little lower causing me to cringe. Was I always this callous? I tried to give Fume a comforting smile but I was not sure on the results. Giving up I looked around my pond. With that I felt I said everything that was needed and turned and left.

"Laurel, let me come with you," Tide called after me once again. "If the man is as strong as you say it would be good to have all the strength we can get." Despite all her faults, I was strongly tempted to take her offer. I needed to set my pride aside to get Mist and hopefully Faun back.

"You can't do that," I said after thinking it over. "We will be on land for a long time. By the time that we finally find Mist, you would have no power left to help."

Tide was disappointed but not to the point I was used to when I had rejected her help. "She did not say no!" Tide said in excited whispers to Cocoa.

"Cocoa, can you watch over Ivy? Part of me wants to take Fume with me since it seems that Maximus can not harm her but," I nearly lost the train of my comment at seeing Fume's face brighten. "But I think it would be even better to leave her here to keep Ivy safe. Can you make sure they stay under control?"

Fume's face fell a little when she heard she would not be coming with me, but it seemed I did not need to console her at all since Ivy whispered to her, "That means we can practice cooking some more." Fume's face shone even brighter than when I said I was thinking of taking her with me. What had gotten into these two? That gruel that they made was barely able to be considered food.

"Are you sure you don't want my help?" Cocoa asked back, ignoring the younger two.

"I would like it, but every time someone has gotten hurt it was because I was somewhere else. I will be more at ease if you are together so Maximus does not stand a chance."

Cocoa nodded to me, "Good luck. Come back soon." I gave her the most confident smile I could. Though in my heart I knew it was fake and likely did not convince the others. Not giving them a chance to comment I turned and started on my way. But I only made it a few steps before I remembered something.

"Oh, Rine, can you tell the elves and humans what happened?" I said over my shoulder as I headed into the woods. I did not stop to listen to the grumbles that I knew would be coming. But despite all his complaints I only ever had to ask him once.