Chapter Two: Bones of pain, blood of tears.

(Mizura's POV)

I watched my teammates disperse. I remained there, though. I had managed to summon dark memories, and I wanted to make sure that my face would betray none of that before I left.

An image of Mia before she had been possessed flashed before me. She was smiling, of course. Mia had had a smile for everyone.

That was the trigger. I felt tears coming and had to struggle fiercely to keep them bound.

These moments had been occurring more and more often. Each time I felt that I was drawn closer to the pit of despair. I knew that I was drowning in my own incompetence, that if I wanted a chance to save Mia I would have to get better!

Stronger.

I would sharpen my Kekkei Genkai to the point that I would be able to hold Mia still. Then, when the spirit tried to move her, it would move itself partially out of her body, giving Mia the upper hand.

Or at least, that's my hope.

It isn't much of a hope.

I don't know how long I sat there, trying to contain my pain, but when I finally focused of something but my own misery again..... I realized how long the shadows were.

I sighed and stood up. Then I began to run. If I was careful, I could still get home before dark. I didn't exactly have electricity-I was living in a run-down shack out of the main part of town. If I wanted food, I would have to hurry.

Nobody would care if I went hungry anyway, so I had to look after myself. I'd been teased in the academy for my weakness-I couldn't do anything good in close-combat, but I was okay from long distances. The other students found this cowardly.

I tried to convince myself that it was sensible, since there was no chance of my ever improving my close-combat, but the words still remain in me.

Coward.

Weak.

Helpless.

Pathetic.

Shrimp.

This last, being from Taaya, made me flinch. I tripped on a root and went flying into a tree.

I picked myself up without a word. I knew that I would be bruised and scraped a bit-I was far too delicate to be a ninja. I have bones of pain an blood of tears-I'm fairly useless. But I tried anyway, and I would heal eventually. I could rest and examine my injuries once I was home.

Home.

Curses!

I began to run again, and picked up my pace when I saw the evening star. I knew that it was hopeless and would be dark when I got back.

As I reached the door of the (ancient, detrimental to my health) building-if it can be called such-that I called "Home," I happened to look at the sunset-I had gotten back sooner then I thought I would. My hand touched the doorframe (that was more triangular than rectangular) just as the sun went down, and a flash of green light illuminated the sky for a brief second, startling me.

I tripped again only to fall through the broken door, hit my head on the frame and crash into my makeshift table.

I lay there among the debris for a minute or two in a sort of dazed stupor. Then I remembered that night comes early once the sun is below the horizon! Sitting up quickly, I succeeded only in forcing my forehead to collide violently with a piece of broken "table." Tears came to my eyes at the pain, but I wiped them away before they could fall.

No crying, remember? Your promise?

I know. I won't burden others with my inability to care for my own self. I won't burden them with my useless emotions. I burden them too much already with my supreme weakness.

I stood more carefully this time, managing (for once) to not injure myself on the various pieces of what passed for furniture. It was too late to have anything substantial, so I ate some fruit that I managed to keep cold using my Kekkei Genkai.

Finally I crawled (walking was too painful) over to the pile of various dried leaves and pine branches that I slept on. I pulled my tattered blanket over myself to attempt to fall asleep. Eventually I drifted off, after slowly discovering exactly which parts of me were bruised, cut, scraped, or a combination of the three.