Chapter Five:

Unexpected Everything

Mitzi stood at the top of the stairs for a while and looked out over the city. The temple was on a large hill right off of the city. This had been her home for three years and still it was foreign to her. Each direction had their own element and each shrine was to that very element. The shrines in each cardinal direction were quite a moderate size but nothing too large, around the size of a small garage. Earth in the north, air in the east, fire in the south and water in the west.

The sun was setting on the horizon leaving a fiery orange color to the sky. Mitzi sighed lightly and watched it for a couple minutes. She loved sunsets and most of the time after her long days, the sunset made a bad day worthwhile. Mitzi finally broke her gaze at the sunset and walked to the temple house. Walking in the door, she greeted Onaya and made her way back down a narrow hallway to the back room which belonged to her. She changed out of her school uniform and into something more comfortable. She didnt wear a shrine robe as Onaya would. She felt so held back when she wore those for some reason.

Mitzi slipped out of the house and made her way down a western path. The path before her was a little dark from the trees that lay over head and also due to the fact it was twilight. She didnt have to worry about getting lost because she knew the way better than a person with a map of the land. It was her free time now as well. She didnt have to do chores tonight and she wanted to just pass the time relaxing.

At the end of the path there was a small building with a pool out front. It was the west shrine, where the element of water was praised. Mitzi sighed slightly and felt a sudden rush of uneasiness. A feeling like she was being watched swept over her. She turned and looked about her but no one was there. Surely Juta isnt here, she thought. Shes not that sneaky. Shed come straight out and fight me instead of hiding like a coward.

She walked up to the door and opened both of the doors completely and as she went in she had that strange feeling again. Once again, she looked around behind her and found no one in sight. Its just my imagination, she thought. Onayas stories must be going to my head. Seriously, would anyone follow me anyway?

Mitzi walked into the small shrine and walked around the pool of water that took up the majority of the floor inside of the shrine. The water glistened slightly even with no light. Mitzi sat at the far edge and placed her feet down into the pool. Slowly she ran her fingertips through the surface of the water and closed her eyes. She began to give off a slight blue aura and when she brought her fingertips up out of the water, a small stream followed her hand. She began to make small movements with her fingers and shaped the water into a variety of different things.

Mitzi felt a presence again and opened her eyes quickly to find Asanuma standing at the door. Mitzi pulled her hand back and pulled her feet out of the water before the floating water hit back down into the pool. She stood up and her eyes went wide and enraged.

"What are you doing here?! Why are you here?!," Mitzi demanded.

"I.... I came to see.... yo.... I never knew you could do that," he replied amazed.

"What here to ridicule me next? Did your friends put you up to this? Your lower than I thought!"

"No wait!! Im not here to make fun of you or anything. I came here to talk to you--"

"Oh?! About what?! The way the world is? How I should be more normal? How I should drop to my knees and beg for you mercy just because Im something you dont like?!"

"Id never come to do that!! Your misunderstanding me!!"

"Oh do I? How do expect me to believe you when you just walked up on me? I never invited you!!! You of all people know that no one talks to me and you and your friends are the main reason behind that!!"

"What?"

"Dont give me this I dont know crap!!! You know perfectly well that Sayori and Satoshi both abandoned and betrayed me!!! And they fled to you!!!! They fled to you for a comfort and a reason to push me away more!!! Arent you the class president after all?! They have to protect you from me!!!"

"I dont care what you think Im here for, I know what Im here for and whether or not you believe me is your problem. Do you honestly think that I want to see you suffer? Why would I come here to do something like that? Im not like Sayori and Satoshi."

Mitzi stopped. This was pointless. She turned away and started going out, but Asanuma grabbed her arm as she passed. She shot him a look that would normally cause her to have her face slapped by other people.

"Get off of my arm."

"Dont just walk away from me. Would you just listen to me?"

"Why should I?"

"Because youve seen them hold me back."

Mitzi wrenched her arm free of Asanumas grasp. "You think thats enough to prove yourself righteous? If your so renown for knowing so many people and doing such good for people then why cant you do anything for me? Youve seen what they do to me yourself and still youve done nothing. Three years Ive lived with what you saw today and worse. They slap me, spit on me, beat me, destroy me in every way they can think of. You want to make up for something, take those days away, and even if you could, your too late. My life in any ones eyes isnt worth anything. Im hated wherever I go."

"You've got to have someone. A family member, a friend?"

Mitzis eyes watered slightly. "Would I say that if I wasnt?" she said as a tear slowly fell down her cheek. Mitzi dropped to her knees and sobbed. Enough was enough. She was so tired of fighting a meaningless battle. Everything was so hard and she had fought so long for no reason at all. Her family was dead. They had been dead for three years and still no one really remembered. It was the thought that she was a zephyr that had brought her life to a halt. Even though her family was no longer there, and everyone knew it.

Asanuma came over and tried to comfort her but she just pushed him away. "I dont need your comfort. I need no one."

"Mitzi, you need someone to befriend and to know. Well find that comfort in me. Im here."

"I dont need anyones pity, especially yours."

"Mitzi!" Asanuma screamed as he turned her to face him. She kept her face down despite his efforts to raise it. He caressed her cheek slightly and she brought her hand up to his. As another tear fell from her eyes and landed on his hand, she lowered it away from her face.

"You dont know me. You dont know my life, my people, or me at all. How can you even expect to know what to do for me?"

"I know that this is insane to put yourself through. I know your tired of everyone treating you like an animal. I know that you know I have an idea about what Im talking about. And I know that youll go insane if you dont have anyone to help you through this."

"So be it."

"Mitzi!!"

"I cant change the destiny set out in front of me. Ill fight, with three others, and Ill defeat Juta for good. And then Ill go far away into the sunset where no one can see me."

"And until your friends come what will you do? What if you never find them? They havent come yet so where are they? Oh Mitzi, you dont realize how much I long to comfort you and to be that friend you so desire. There is still so much to you that Ive yet to learn about, and so much I want you to learn about me."

Mitzi looked up and eyed him for a while. Does he know what he says, she asked herself. Does he even truly mean what he says? "Why Asanuma? Tell my why you wish to go against a fighting current and want to befriend me? There has to be some reason."

"Mitzi, cant you just believe that I want to be your friend? A person you can rely on and not have to doubt?"

"I could believe, but the people I once knew have beaten me down and now I dont see how I could again."

"So your heart is crying out for a friend, just as I suspected."

"You suspected?"

"Today when Satoshi said that to you, when he dragged me away, I could have hit him. He continually tells me that your evil and that you want to destroy everything. I know hes wrong. Whatever they say you are, a zephyr or whatnot, cant be as bad as the make it out to be. I know your not here to destroy anything. That painful ocean in your eyes is my proof."

Indeed Mitzi was crying. Her heart just wanted to jump up and beg for his friendship but her scared soul held her back telling her it was another trick. And besides, didnt the legend speak of how they would live in misery for their days? Befriending someone would be against that misery, wouldnt it?

"You still second guess me?"

"Asanuma," she cried as she looked up at him with anguish. "I second guess everything. Its been so long since Ive had any sort of relation with anyone. Ive been tricked and so scared that if I were to get another, I think I might die from the pain. And the legend..... it speaks of me and this pain and how I must live with it."

Asanuma smiled and laid his hand on her arm. "Maybe your legend writer forgot to put me in. Mitzi, come to me when you need me. I want to be the one you turn to. Ill always be there."

"Mitzi, Mitzi, Mitzi...... Really now," the cold and menacing voice of Juta rang. "Your making love in a shrine. You of all people I wouldve never expected to be so blasphemous."

Mitzi turned to find the familiar shadow of the cloaked Juta standing in the doorway. Mitzi scowled at the new guest they had received. "What do you want now?!" As Mitzi replied, Asanuma got up and stepped in front of Mitzi as to shield her.

Juta just laughed. "You foolish boy." With one sweep of her hand, Asanuma went flying against the wall.

"Asanuma!!!" Mitzi cried out and ran over to his side. After she saw that he was still conscious, she stood up and drew her sword, shielding Asanuma. "What do you want?!"

"I came to tell you that Im going to start looking. You know exactly what Im talking about. The four Relics of power and the remaining warriors. Ive given you three years to start and yet all you do is drown in your sorrows. I hope you at least trained your ability some, because if not then you are far behind. Im giving you the benefit of this knowledge simply because you still are weak. You need pawns in your game..... But also, know this. When the time comes, you and your warriors will lie dead at my feet, because there is no other way it'll end." With the last few words she simply vanished away.

Mitzi's sword vanished in a flash and she knelt down next to him. "Are you alright?"

"Im okay," Asanuma said in a painful manner, grabbing his arm and shoulder. "Just a bruise."

"Your just going to get hurt around me, its my fault your in pain now."

"Im sorry I couldnt protect you."

Mitzi looked up and into his eyes. Time just seemed to stop as the motionless silence hung for a couple minutes. A breeze blew outside and rattled the chimes before Mitzi was able to strip her eyes away and regain her departed breaths. "Why did you even try when you knew you couldnt stand against her?"

"Because I told you Id be here. And also because theres hope in me yet that maybe she wont win if I try hard enough."

Mitzi helped Asanuma up and led him out of the shrine. As she closed the door she thought to herself. He tried to protect me. No one has ever done that. Is he really true in his words? Who is he really?

"Mitzi?"

"Asanuma, Mitzi replied still facing the door. If I were to give you my friendship, you wouldnt take it for granted?"

"Of course not."

Mitzi turned and walked over to him. "Right now, I want this to be a secret between me and you. Our friendship is only known between us."

"But why?"

"This is a way that I can protect you. You wont be pinned down with my name because I wont let you be. At school, we dont know one another, but outside of those walls, we are friends."

Asanuma smiled and agreed to the terms. Mitzi managed a smile as well, something that hadn't crossed her face since the day she had her destiny laid before her.