"But I want it!" Mizaki whined, stomping her rubber boots against the mud.
"Yes, but you don't need it." Lilia started, crouching down and holding her daughter's face in her hands. She wiped the smudge of dirt from the child's face and smiled. She looked into Mizaki's big, blue eyes, reflecting her own. The mother kissed Mizaki's forehead, "Remember what I taught you about values?"
Mizaki pushed away, crossing her arms and storming off into the forest. She sat in a pout under a tall, oak tree. She examined her dirty fingernails, mud encasing her skin like a self-tanner. She tugged at her pig-tails, relentlessly keeping herself busy. There was nothing to do but apologize, but her stubborn attitude pushed the thought away. She made a plan to sleep under the tree all night, or at least until her mother realised she was wrong.
Vines wrapped around Mizaki's ankles. She hadn't noticed until it was too late, they had already tightened and dragged her away from the trunk. She scratched at the muddy ground, crying out in anger. She kicked and screamed, her small body sliding easily through the mud. She tried to break away as rough hands wrapped around her waist and lifted her up. She scrunched up her face, eyes closed as she repeatedly hit the person in the face. A low chuckle was the only reaction to her hissy fit. She opened her eyes to her father, a smug smirk on his unshaven face.
"Be grateful for what you have. You will have your own staff one day, but you're too young right now." He poked her nose, laughing as she tried to bite it. He dug one hand into her side, earning giggles from his daughter. Mizaki laughed aloud, pulling her father's hair. She nodded in response to the words he told her every time she greedily wanted something. He spun her around, before slipping in the mud and falling on his back. Mizaki plopped on top of him, painting her father with muddy hand prints.
"I'm grateful, Daddy."
Mizaki felt hands grabbing at her clothes and hair. They were cold and damp, like corpses raised from the grave. She stirred in her sleep, suddenly remembering her whereabouts. She bolted awake, the pain that had disappeared making a comeback. She groaned, rolling over and her stomach and shakily getting to her knees. The Elemental mage rubbed her head, dry blood flaking onto her palm. The black scarf was sticky, attached to her wound like a new layer of skin. She dared a glance to her wrist, puffing out and darker than her clothing. She gagged, taking deep breaths through the pain.
Footsteps caught her attention. Mizaki snapped her gaze to the shadows in front of her, where two figures stood nervously in a pair. She tilted her head, squinting as they revealed themselves. Her jaw dropped, focusing on her parents as they moved towards her. She felt her heart leap from her chest, stomach flipping. Her back straightened out and she rubbed her eyes, expecting them to disappear. They stood tall and strong, not daring a word as they stared down at their daughter.
Mizaki was the first to speak, "M-Mom...D-Dad...?" She stuttered, clutching the staff her mother had given her all those years ago. She swallowed hard, a dull throb in her muscles still tugging at her attention. She didn't know what to say or do, only sit in confusion. Tears stung at her eyes as the memory of their burning bodies took place. She could see them struggling with everything they had to control the flames, though it wasn't enough.
"Rose...sweetie?" Her mother - Lilia - called out, using the old nickname that was poisoned by the WRA. She walked towards Mizaki, reaching out to touch the daughter she hadn't seen in years. Mizaki was frozen, staring up at Lilia with wide eyes. Her mouth was slack, words drowned out by the beating of her heart. Mizaki relaxed as she felt her mother's touch on the top of her head. She sighed in relief, sudden nostalgia healing the intense pain that raced through her weak body. She closed her eyes, tears running down her face. She missed her mother more than she had realised. All it took was a touch to remind her of the love she held for her mother and father.
The touch turned from warm to hot. Light burst out suddenly, Mizaki's eyes shooting open. Her mother's smile was replaced with a twisted look of horror. She held hatred in her eyes as flames engulfed her body. She stumbled away from Mizaki, holding her face and screaming shrill cries. Her skin bubbled and blistered, her hair singed and burned away. She pierced Mizaki with her blue eyes, shakily pointing. She screamed over and over, her father – Hikaru – watching with a blank expression. Lilia cried out over and over, sinking to the ground as the flames ate her up. She scratched at the ground, her screams mixing in with words, "YOU KILLED ME! YOU KILLED ME! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Mizaki watched in horror. The words pierced her heart like a knife. She felt her mind reel, her breath knocked out as if she had taken a blow to the gut. I didn't kill you, I didn't... Mizaki searched desperately for oxygen, watching as her mother burned to death. She pulled her hair, listening to the screams as they snaked their way into her ears. She couldn't block it away, the phrase repeated over and over inside her head. She slammed her cut hand against her forehead, trying to knock herself away from the situation.
She felt her father's hands on her shoulders, suddenly behind her. Mizaki turned away, looking up to see Hikaru, watching as his wife burned away. The flames reflected in his dark eyes, his expression hard and pained. He looked down at her; meeting her eyes with such ferociousness Mizaki almost didn't recognize him. Hikaru shook his head in disappointment, beginning to squeeze her shoulders harder and harder. Mizaki winced, whimpering over the dulled screams of her mother.
"You killed her...You killed us," He whispered, "How does it feel, Mizaki, to kill. Did you need it or did you just want it."
Mizaki whimpered, her vision blurred with tears. She could feel her father's fingers digging into her skin, tearing and ripping open old wounds. She tried to speak, but the words caught at the edge of her tongue. She felt her stomach hitch, though there was nothing left to puke up. Her mind was fried; emotions plummeted to depths she didn't know existed. She was frozen in fear, confusion and horror. Fear laced every blood cell that sailed through her, freezing her body in terror. She had no energy or the mental capacity to speak, only listen to the low growls of her dying mother.
"Answer my question, Mizaki. WHY DID YOU KILL US?"Hikaru screamed, his body bursting into flames. The cold expression remained engraved on his face as the orange flames licked up his body. He shook his head slowly, stepping back and walking towards Lilia, now a bloody mess crumpled on the floor. The flames mixed with each other, filling the top floor with smoke. Mizaki's face twisted with fear, watching as blisters lined her father's skin. He continued to slowly shake his head in disapproval.
Mizaki had to do something.
She leapt forward, staff at the ready. She flung herself into the flames, water pooling at both ends of her trusted weapon. She felt the heat grab at her skin, burning the already raw wounds that lined her body. She gritted her teeth, wrapping an arm around her father. Though he didn't budge, and Lilia remained still on the ground, Mizaki persistently screamed in his ear. She was unsure of the words escaping her mouth over the excessive ringing in her ears and roaring of flames that engulfed the little family. Hikaru only stared forward, eyes dark and brooding. Mizaki shut her's tightly, screaming as water sprayed in a wall out of her staff. She pushed her magic through her already tired body, hands twitching. The flames continued to rage on all around them, yet didn't do much damage to Mizaki.
Hikaru tightened one arm around his daughter's shoulders. Mizaki looked up, the water thinning until it only dripped from the end of her staff. She sniffed, staring longingly into his cold expression. She wanted to see the familiar smirk that she had taken as her own signature. She wanted to feel the warmth of his skin and the comfort in his big arms. None of this was present through his disappointment. He opened his mouth, his voice echoing through her head, breaking through the ringing, "I hate you."
The ringing began as Mizaki sunk down, her arms wrapping around his burning knees. She stared up at him, eyes wide and mouth completely dry. Salty tears found their way to her tongue and off the edge of her chin. She refused to let go of her father. She felt empty and lost, as if the man in front of her was a stranger. She shook her head slowly, twitching through her tears and sobs. She smacked her hand against her head repeatedly, breaking from the frozen position. She felt her sanity burn with the fire as she continued to hit herself harder and harder. She cried out, desperately beating herself. She hated that he said that, the words she never imagined to hear from her own father. With every hit she could feel herself numb away into nothing. He always loved her, they always loved her. It was her mother that told her to run that night, so how could she hate her for that very reason?
It hit Mizaki harder than herself. She sat in the fire, watching as her father began to char away. She turned her head to look at her mother, hair burned away and skin completely raw. Mizaki wouldn't be able to recognize her if it weren't for the intense, blue eyes. Lilia blinked back, face turned to a hard glare. Mizaki shook her head, letting her arms drop to her sides. She slid away from her parents, the heat never erasing from her skin. She watched them burn, staring back at them with that same blank expression. Soon, Mizaki was standing unevenly, leg bent in a limp and broken wrist hanging from her side. Her eyes narrowed and she raised her staff towards the flaming pair. Fire ignited at the end of her staff, swirling and growing with the rage that rose in her gut.
Hikaru shook his head, holding up his hand in defense. "Don't do it, Mizaki," He began, "Don't kill us."
Mizaki bit through the pain, trying hard to swallow the lump in the back of her throat. Her hand shook, gaze switching from her burning family and the same flames dancing at the end of her weapon. She shut her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her charred cheeks, "You're not my dad..." She opened her eyes, glaring coldly back at her mother, "You're not my mom. My parents loved me, and they still do. I never killed them but...I'll gladly kill you."
"MIZAKI!" They screamed in unison just as the flames shot out, mixing with the fire already set. It burst into a great explosion, violently shoving Mizaki back. She clutched her staff, the air being knocked out of her lungs. The flames roared with anger, expanding to impossible heights. Mizaki hovered just over the pit that lead to the ground floor, air swirling form under her staff. She climbed over the weapon so she sat facing the flames, tears dried and face burning.
A bright light began to eat up the flames and heat. The burning melted off Mizaki's skin and she felt a soft breeze kiss her body. She closed her eyes, breathing in the suddenly fresh air. The pain leaked away and she felt the hurt of her parent's faces dissolve in her memory. Her staff slowly floated towards the bright light, killing off the darkness that once surrounded her. Mizaki couldn't feel anything except the numbness of her heart beating against her chest. She let out deep breathes, suddenly forgetting the world around her as she moved closer and closer to the light. Soon her body disappeared, and she was one with the air around her.
"Mizaki Rose Ome," An echoing voice called. It was full of power, a godly force, "Congratulations on achieving the last clue, Aer. You have fought you're greatest fears throughout this journey, and only have one more stop to go." The voice floated around the air, intertwining with Mizaki's soul. She felt reborn, rejuvenated.
"To find the Fifth Element, go where your heart lays to rest. Home."
Mizaki breathlessly stumbled onto Tamaki's lawn. Her wounds had miraculously healed when she was in the void of light, giving her more energy to fly back. Her muscles felt brand new and indestructible. She ran as fast as she could down the walkway, where weeds pushed up and curled. The house was as uninviting as ever, with more garbage at the curb and door hanging open in the breeze. The wind howled through the old building, but Mizaki didn't care. She raced up the stairs, plugging her nose from the foul smell of the first floor. The steps creaked and whined with her weight, but she ignored every little sound.
Home. Mizaki knew where she needed to be, but she needed Tamaki first. They could finally leave together; finish the journey like they had wanted to almost three years before. She could fulfill her promise to her friends and family, prove her strength. She could fight on, one more battle to face and she was there. Mizaki could feel her heart beat out of her chest in excitement, she was finally ready.
She turned the corner, stumbling to a halt in front of Tamaki's door.
It was wide open.
Mizaki felt her heart drop to her stomach as the door swayed back and forth, creaking slightly. She grabbed her staff from its sling and crept silently toward the door. Her mind was racing and the excitement she had felt before was a million miles away. She bumped the door completely open with her hip, holding her breath.
Banners hung from the walls reading: Happy Belated Birthday! Champagne and trays of food sat abandoned on the dining room table. Mizaki felt a large smile creep up her face. Tears fell down her face and she laughed through small sobs. There were balloons and streamers hanging off the furniture, the house decorated in every colour imaginable. Tamaki must have planned to do this all along. Mizaki's gaze searched the food and ribbons, only one thing missing: Tamaki.
That's when she caught sight of a trail in front of her. She looked down, gasping in horror at the trail of white rose petals. They scattered the clean floors, blindingly white and intimidating. Her heart raced and she put up her staff in defense. Her eyes followed the trail through the dining room, disappearing past the wall into Tamaki's bedroom. She followed the petals, her ears ringing and goose bumps forming on her skin. Her mouth tasted like copper and her legs didn't want to move. She wanted to turn and run, but she had to face whatever was hiding at the end of the trail.
She felt her stomach flip as she got closer and closer. The petals were splattered with red, at first only a few stained every white surface, but it started to grow and grow. Her eyes caught sight of a mix in red and white, though none of the red stained the floor. The spots branched out along each petal, dying it a deep scarlet. Mizaki swallowed hard, desperately trying to rip her eyes from the petals.
She stopped in front of Tamaki's bedroom door along with the petals. They were almost completely red by this point, but spots of white shone with bright contrast against the dark colours. Mizaki shakily turned the handle, her heart pounding in her ears. She didn't move for what felt like forever, too scared to open the door. She wanted everything to be okay, but whatever was on the other side, would change her. She closed her eyes, holding up her staff and kicking the door open.
There, Tamaki lay in a bloody heap, a dark red rose clutched in his cold hands.