Mizaki played with her hair, her long legs struggling to fit underneath the train seat. She groaned in frustration, giving up entirely and extending her legs in the space in front of her. She fidgeted a bit more with her hair, tugging at a few knots. She scrunched up her face in pain, irritably ripping at the raven locks.

The thought of Black Phoenix never left her mind. Saying goodbye to them was one of the hardest things she has ever had to do, though hopefully she appeared calm and composed during the departure. The mage wanted nothing more than to stay with them, but the Fifth Element was much more important.

Mizaki leaned her head back, staring out the window, memories from the guild sweeping through her head. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched though, getting to the point where it was making her paranoid. She turned her head to the other side, her black hair falling over one eye. She met the gaze of a middle-aged man sitting across the aisle, his eyes staring longingly into hers. Mizaki felt goose bumps creep up her arms as the man continued to stare, not blinking once. The man had dark bags under his eyes, laugh-lines barely visible in the many wrinkles that sat on his pale skin. His dry lips appeared to be in a permanent frown, along with his grey, bushy eyebrows.

Mizaki shuddered, unsure of why the man gave off such a creepy feel. She opened her mouth, becoming agitated with the stalker. "Oi, why don't cha' take a picture? It'll last longer." Mizaki snarled. The man shook his head suddenly, his amber eyes becoming less dull. He sat up straight, clearing his throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss." His voice came out groggy and scratched, as if he had spent years screaming. "I couldn't help but notice that Staff right there, are you an Elemental Mage?" Mizaki tilted her head, before turning to stare at her Staff. She felt slightly bad for jumping to conclusions about the old man, though he still seemed slightly suspicious.

"Yeah, I am. What's it to you?" She sneered, trying hard not to break her confidence. The old man only chuckled, running his fingers through his silver, thin hair.

"Nothing really, I'm just wondering if you're looking for the Fifth Element?" He asked, coughing in his hand moments after the sentence came out. She raised an eyebrow, many questions circling in her mind.

How does he know all this?

Is he an Elemental mage?

Where is his Staff?

Mizaki bit her lip, wondering if she should answer or not. "Yeah, I am. How'd you know that?" The man's eyes became distant as he turned his body, now facing the wall in front of him. Mizaki thought he had finished speaking, and went back to playing with her hair, until his voice sliced the silence once again.

"You look very determined, yet sad. Just like my wife when she left to find the Fifth Element." He chuckled, staring down at the gold ring around his third finger. He began to spin it around his skin, sighing softly.

Not that Mizaki cared much about his wife; she decided to see if he might know anything about the Fifth Element. The chance was slim, but worth a try. "Your wife, eh? She is an Elemental mage as well? When did she leave?" Mizaki crossed her fingers, hoping she could catch up with this woman.

"Ten years ago." The man smiled, his eyes set on the wall in front of him. Mizaki was taken aback, her hopes crushing under reality. She couldn't believe that this man was talking so calmly, when his wife is evidently dead. The girl opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off. "She always sent me postcards, but suddenly stopped eight years ago. It's okay though, she is probably really busy with her journey, she'll write back to my letters soon." His voice was even and filled with hope. He almost sounded as if the thought of his wife's death was completely improbable. Mizaki scratched her head, thinking of ways to fill the awkward silence settling over the room.

"Sorry to hear about that..." She trailed off, hoping the man would sense the mood and turn away. He only chuckled, though it began to turn into a cackle, a completely mad cackle. Mizaki slowly reached for her Staff in fear that the man would try and attack her.

"The Fifth Element is tricky business!" He laughed, slapping his knee. Mizaki flinched, her hand wrapping around her Staff. "My daughter went out to look for it as well, last year! She hasn't come back, or wrote to me...but she will!" His voice cracked, his eye beginning to twitch.

Mizaki felt a pang in her heart, another mysterious disappearance of or involving an Elemental Mage last year. Mizaki tried not to think of her year blank at all, but all the suspicious behaviour was making it difficult. This man's wife and daughter had both gone missing after looking for the Fifth Element, though the wife`s disappearance happen much before Mizaki started her search. The mage felt a small bit of relief tickle at her stomach as the man continued to laugh. She sighed, deciding to speak up, "Look, Guy, I don't care what you have to say about the Fifth Element, I will find it. I'm sorry about your loss, though." Mizaki covered her mouth as the man's eye twitched, the fast movement passing to his neck.

"L-Loss?! They aren't dead, got it?!" The man stuttered, raising his scratchy voice. Mizaki grabbed her Staff, shooting up from her seat. She watched the crazed man leap from his cozy little corner, towards the Elemental Mage. Before Mizaki could try and knock him out with her Staff, a woman came rushing out in a small white gown. Her golden hair bounced off her shoulders as she raced to the man's aid, sticking a needle into his arm.

The man groggily stumbled back into his seat, instantly passing out. The woman wiped her brow, adjusting her gown before turning towards Mizaki. "Are you alright? I'm so very sorry for him; he's a little shaken up ever since he lost his family." She explained, her worried, high-pitched voice squeaking. She jumbled around, searching in her small purse.

Mizaki placed her Staff down hesitantly, still staring at the small nurse-like woman. "Hey, it's fine." Mizaki sat back down, rubbing her temples before looking back up at the woman. "Do you know how his wife and daughter died?" The woman blinked her face blank for a moment. She sighed, taking a seat opposite the man.

"I'm surprised that an Elemental Mage wouldn't know how they died. His wife was killed in a horrible accident a long time ago, and as for his daughter...well she was killed by..." The squeaky woman glanced around, leaning closer to Mizaki, a hand cupping one side of her small mouth. "Rose."

Mizaki bit her lip, her hands digging into her sides. Not only does she have to find the Fifth Element, she must figure out who Rose is, and what she did.

Is Mizaki Rose?