The Guardian Vesuvius: Chapter 2: An Unexpected Answer
Another day passed. Misaro had realised that ever since he had read Fayth's diary, things had become even less bearable for him. His love and admiration for her had never been so complete, some may say it was out of control. He was amazed how she could seem so happy, how she could be such a radiant and bubbly girl, when inside she lived in a hell that dwarfed the suffering he went through. He felt pathetic, being so weak and upset over his pain, when she managed to get on with her life despite the terrible torture she had to deal with. He looked out that evening to see the stars in all their beauty, not a cloud in the sky, and decided he would go and see his mother.
He headed out through the night streets, crossing the roads to and fro to avoid having to walk past people. He eventually came to sit down on a roadside bench, the diary with him. He took it out of his coat pocket and looked about the cover. It was decorated with flowers, rainbows and happy faced animals. Misaro held it to his chest and sighed. "Just like her.... so beautiful and warming on the outside, but inside there are secrets of a life so horrid." Misaro looked up to the stars. "It makes me regret that I ever wished on the stars... if they have any power they should be using it to help people like her. Mother… I know I've made a lot of wishes, but I'd take them all back if you could just grant this one.... help Fayth... please, help her."
Lost in his wishing, Misaro did not notice the five figures that were approaching him from behind, the dim light of the streetlamps drawing long shadows across their faces, wrought with malicious intent. One of them pushed Misaro violently. Completely taken by surprise and being far from strong, Misaro fell from the bench to the floor, the diary flying from his hands. Misaro curled up into a ball on the floor, shaking in fear… he had forgotten how dangerous it could be at this time around here.
His voice was quiet and whining like an upset or frightened dog, he daren't look at his assailants. "Ahh!... please... leave me alone."
The five figures did not speak, save for their laughing amongst themselves. They closed in on Misaro, who curled up tighter and tighter as their voices came closer and thier shadows loomed over him. Then suddenly the laughing was interrupted by a yell of alarm. Misaro looked up and gasped at the sight, it seemed he had been saved. One of the men had been lifted right of his feet and was then thrown across the road with unbelievable force, falling heavily on the pavement on the other side.
The other four men turned to see the one responsible. A tall, broad man stood before them, his long hair and tattered cape flowing with the wind. His face was completely covered by the shadows apart from cold, merciless eyes that struck fear into the group. However after the initial shock wore off, one of the thugs threw a clumsy punch at the shadowy figure. He dodged the blow with ease and swung a punch of his own, so fast Misaro and the other men didn't see it happen. The thug gagged as the force of the blow lifted him from the ground. He collapsed into a limp heap on the floor. The shadowy figure backflipped an astounding distance into the air when one of the remaining men tried to stab him in the back with a knife. The thug stumbled forward as the figure leapt over his head. Already off his balance, he fell flat on his face when the figure kicked him in the back of the head on his way down.
Already having seen enough, the other men ran off the way they came. Misaro was amazed at the display and he sat up slowly, speechless. The figure watched the men leave then turned and went towards Misaro, helping the shaken boy to his feet. His voice was low and dull, like he was speaking only subconsciously
, but it was clear this was a young man. "You shouldn't be out in these parts at this time, it's very dangerous."
"I'm... I'm sorry." Misaro apologised almost instinctively, then his face lit up with a smile. Misaro was about to thank the man for saving him when the figure suddenly turned and leapt off, bounding so far he landed on the rooftops on the other side of the road. Without even so much as wave, he left.
"W...wait," Misaro called, but the man was already long gone from sight. Misaro fell back onto the bench, still in shock at what just happened. "Who was he? How did he do all that? He was incredible.... why did he help me?" Misaro looked about, dazed. He saw Fayth's diary on the floor and nearly shrieked at the thought of losing it. "Oh!" He picked it up and brushed off the dirt lovingly. Despite all the pain the little book had caused him he could show it only the utmost care. After all, it belonged to Fayth. Satisfied with how clean it was, he started to put it back into his coat, then realised something that made his eyes widen. He slowly brought it back out. Could it be? He looked up to where the figure had disappeared.
"He could.... could he be my wish? I have to find him."
Several days passed. Misaro had just left the CityLight nightclub and Fayth hadn't noticed him at all, like the events of last week had never happened. Not that he had made an effort to be noticed. But that wasn't bothering him at that moment, this night had revealed something else.
When he saw her now he wasn't warmed anymore, he wasn't lost in her beauty and wonderful smile. Now he saw past all that, he saw her torment and pain, he even felt it. It was terrible for him. Misaro's only release had been to admire Fayth from a distance, but now he couldn't do that. All he could think about was helping her, and how that man he saw might be able to do just that. Unable to make himself feel better anymore, Misaro was getting worse and worse each day. He even started crying for his mother again, which he hadn't done in a while.
Again the sad child sat himself on a bench, this time on a main street. He looked around, making sure no-one was going to attack him again, then rested back onto the bench.
"The police drive through here a lot, I should be okay for a bit." Misaro once again brought out the diary. He had developed a habit for taking it everywhere. He had intended to give it her back tonight but, like many of his intentions, had failed at the critical moment. He sighed as he began to think about the contents of the little book. "It must be so hard for her… it's just not fair. I have to hurry and find that man soon before..." Misaro stopped his train of thought when it ventured into a possibility becoming ever more likely, but that he didn't dare think about. " NO! I won't let that happen, never."
His thoughts were interrupted by what sounded like a girl screaming. "Oh, god… what was that?" Misaro hesitantly decided to see what was happening. He made his way unsurely towards the noise and looked around the corner into an alleyway to see none other than Fayth, surrounded by three large men. They were dressed much like Mafia hit men but there was no mistaking who they were. Misaro's face screwed up in anger, an anger that the face could never do justice. His fists clenched, his body tensed and his blood raced. "That must be them… those monsters… I have to do something." Misaro tried to act but found he was unable to move, he was just too afraid. What could he do? Doubt suddenly rushed in, quickly replacing the anger. There was no way a tiny boy like him could make a difference against the huge men surrounding Fayth. As the thoughts overtook him, he welled up with tears and his body went limp.
He fell to his knees in despair, " Ahh... I can't do anything… I'm so useless. I can't believe this." Misaro was about to collapse into tears when he saw a shape quickly move past him in the corner of his eye. It gave him quite a shock, but it didn't take him long to recognise it. It was the man that had saved him days before. His cape billowed behind him as he ran down the alleyway with impressive speed, his figure a blur. The large men surrounding Fayth turned to see what the approaching noise was. They frowned at the interruption and one of them yelled at the figure.
"Hey! If you know what's good for you you'll get the fuck outta here!!" The figure did not reply or slow down, those same cold eyes fixed on the men as he charged headlong at them. His swift, unfaltering advance intimidated the men. "AHH! wh… wh… stay away!" The man took out a gun from his suit. Misaro screamed at the sight of it, covered his face with his hands and hid back around the corner. He feared for Fayth but couldn't go to her. There was no way this coward of a child would take another step towards the armed man. The man shot but the figure had already reached him. He ducked to avoid the line of fire and slid to a stop, sliding past the gun. He punched the man square in the stomach with some kind of huge gauntlet, his opponent seeming to bend around his fist, then the gauntlet surrounding the figure's fist revealed its purpose, seemingly coming to life with movement and noise. Gears span and sparks flew as a metal weight slid incredibly fast down a rail on the gauntlet and slammed into the chest of the man with a deep thud. The large man was thrown clear off his feet, flying through the air before he collided hard with a rubbish skip, the metal clang thundered through the narrow street and the man fell unconcious almost instantly..
The other two men gawked for a second at thier partner, unsure of what had just happened. Regaining focus they took out their own guns, but the time they had spent staring had sealed their fate. The figure had already leapt into the air, landing on the extended arms of the men in a handstand. He twisted his body, dislocating both of their shoulders as they were spun off the ground, falling in an awkward pile on the floor. Then, still in the air, the figure flipped upright and bent both his legs. As he came down he stamped with tremendous force onto the legs of the two men. A simultaneous pair of sickening cracks sounded out, echoing down the lonely alley. Two screams of pain quickly followed, then it was over.
The three men crawled away in fear for their lives. This strange man was indeed a fearsome sight; even the one he had saved was shaking in terror of him. Without a word he suddenley jumped, bounding between the walls until he reached the roofs then disappeared. Fayth hadn't moved an inch through this ordeal but now fell to her knees, crying. Misaro, hidden around the corner, noticed the sudden silence that had fallen, save for the tears of the distraught girl. Misaro gasped and shot to his feet when he realised who it must be. He hesitantly made his way bak into the alley and towards her. Each step he made closer to her made his heart leap and each was more difficult to take than the last. Eventually he reached her, it took quite a few attempts but finally Misaro spoke his first ever proper words to the light of his life as he cautiously knelt next to her.
"Fayth... I... uh…" Even after giving himself time to think he still had to consider what he said. His priorities had changed… it was now her safety that mattered most, not his confession. "Do you want go home?"
She looked up at him from her hands. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "…Who are you?"
How strange this was, Misaro thought. All through the six years he had known her he had wanted to introduce himself to Fayth, but for all the times he had played this moment through in his mind and dreams, never had he imagined it would be like this. Despite the fluttering of his heart, Misaro managed to keep in mind the circumstances and kept the safety of Fayth at the forefront of his mind. "M-my name is Misaro. I've come to get you somewhere safe."
Fayth started crying again, burying her head back into her hands. "Nowhere is safe for me...You don't understand."
"But..." Misaro began, but then stopped to think. Yes, yes, he did understand. He knew all about what was going on here, but Fayth couldn't know that. He was, after all, not supposed to know. "Uh… I'm sure we can get you somewhere safer at least." Driven by a desire to help her Misaro helped the weeping girl to her feet, fighting against the swirling emotion in his heart.
Once Fayth had found her balance, she looked at Misaro for a moment, then shook her head slowly, backing away from him. "No... no... just stay away from me." She turned and ran, her faint sobbing quickly fading.
Misaro reached out and called to her, but despite wanting to, could not go after her. The sight of her fleeing from him seemed to rob him of all will. "Fayth, wait, I...." He stopped talking and finished the sentence to himself. "I.... can't do that, I wont leave you like this."
"If I were you, kid, I'd just drop it now and forget about it."
Misaro spun round to see who was speaking to him. He recognised the voice. He looked around frantically, finally having to look up to see the source of the voice. It was the strange man. Apparently he hadn't left completely. He was sitting on a balcony half way up the walls of the alley, his arms folded, staring down on Misaro with those piercing eyes.
"Aaah! Its you!"
"You cannot help her."
"W…what do you mean?" Misaro was half shocked at who he was speaking with and half shocked at what he was being told. Typically, he had already decided that he couldn't help her, but to have somebody else say it hurt him.
"I meant what I said, kid, you can't help her."
"Why not?" Misaro started to get a little cross. Who did this guy think he was, pretending that he knew what Misaro could and couldn't do?
"Her's is a problem much greater than you know. Trust me kid, you have no idea..."
Misaro had had enough of this talk. Usually he just accepted any insults or criticism thrown his way, but when it concerned Fayth his heart took over his head. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW?! I KNOW EXACTLY.... !" Half way through his outburst the figure moved toward him at incredible speed, and in a blink of an eye was right in front of Misaro. The shocked boy gasped and fell backwards.
The figure sighed at the child. "Listen, kid.... you should just stay away from this or you'll end up getting killed."
"B…but I can't just leave her like this." Misaro pulled out Fayth's diary to prove what he knew. "I don't care how dangerous this is, I just can't let it go on. I have to do something ".
The figure noticed the book, knowing straight away what it was. "So… you do know, then."
Misaro looked up at him "Yes... but... how do you know?"
The figure dismissed his question completely, like it was something he didn't think Misaro was worth telling, saying only, "I just do..." He turned away and started to walk off. "If you know what's going on you should be able to see that this is beyond anything you could affect. Just go home and forget about it. You should just leave that diary too, if you haven't got the guts to return it."
Misaro had started crying. The figure's words were tearing apart all his hopes. Like somehow he knew all of Misaro's thoughts and feelings. He stood up and yelled at the figure once again, "Maybe I can't do anything about it, but what about YOU!?"
The figure stopped. Without turning to face Misaro and speaking in a very dismissive tone, he said, "I took out those guys, but in order to really start making things better for her, I would have to take on a lot more thugs than that. More importantly, I would compromise my identity and make a very powerful enemy if I start trying to get to involved in this girls dilemma. It would mean a lot more trouble that it's worth."
Misaro was getting hysterical; not comprehending what he was being told, "than its worth?! she...SHE IS WORTH IT!".
The figure sharply turned round, the shadows turning his angered expression into a near demonic face. His voice, however, remained cool and calm. "You are letting your feelings misguide your judgement, kid. You can charge into this with all the love in the world, it wouldn't mean a thing. You will just die. That would be the end of it and you will accomplish nothing."
Misaro looked away, defeated. The mysterious man was right, of course. He was powerless to help. But he simply could not ignore this, his heart would punish him forever if he did. "I...I just can't walk away... I don't care if I die, I won't just let this happen. It doesn't surprise me that you don't understand, no-one seems to understand real..true love anymore."
The figure shook his head. "It's no use talking to you, kid, you just won't get it with your attitude." With that he started to leave again. "Do what you want. At the end of the day, it's your choice."
Misaro quickly stood upright, realising what could be the only thing in the world that could save Fayth was leaving him. "Wait! Won't you help me? I can't do this without you."
The figure didn't turn round, he just spoke as he left. "Hah! Don't be ridiculous, kid, you won't drag me into this. I don't care for this fools errand."
Misaro shouted louder as the figure went further away. "You can't say that. You do care, otherwise you wouldn't have saved her."
The figure vanished into the shadows without another word. Misaro wanted to scream to him but he was far too exhausted and defeated. All he could muster was a desperate whisper as he started to cry once more. "Please... please, help me... please, help her. I...I need your help... Oh, god, please, don't let her… don't make me live with this... n…no."
The mysterious figure stopped when he reached the top of a tall building. Looking down he saw Misaro. With a heavy sigh he sat himself down at the rooftop's edge and rested his head in his hand. "You're right, kid... I do care, but I can't save her, I just can't... and I can't help you, kid. I'm sorry."
Thanks for reading *cuddles*, feel free to comment good/bad.
Chapter 3: The Fools Errand
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