The Wonders of Love

Second Chances

Mitsuhide POV

I wake up around 3:30 am to ready for my day. I get myself ready in my usual uniform and as I am leaving I am carefully not to wake up Zen. Now time to start the morning off with my morning run to wake me up. I get ready and as soon as I turn the corner I run into someone.

"Ah"! I shouted

"Hello Mitsuhide". Kiki said

"Kiki what are you doing you scared me half to death". I said quietly

"Only half to death Mitsuhide. Haha, I'm kidding I was just about to go for a morning run care to join me"? Kiki questioned

We ended up running around the village together.  Kiki and I often do a morning run together back in Clarines. Its one of the few times during the day we can just relax and be ourselves before we go to work.  Of course usually when we do run it's in the morning like this okay well maybe not quite this early but you get the idea.  First, we run around the outside of the village and then once that is done we run on the inside.  Halfway through the inside of the village, I tell Kiki that I will catch her later and head off to the meeting. Once I am at the meeting point I look at the prints for the layout of the obstacle course they are working on building right now.

"Wait is this here a body of water of some kind"? Mitsuhide questions

"That's the river that is between the village and the small mountain. Since it has been storming a lot recently the water level has risen quite a bit so getting past it can be difficult". Taiga said

I decide to take a closer look at the space for the duel will be held at.  From what I can tell the obstacle course part one will happen straight through the village starting at the Chieftess house.  According to the prints, there will be there the main area she will have to get through.  Looking at it and I am reminded of the training sessions we do in Clarines.  We always prepare ourselves for many different areas than just the place we live in.

"It's my job to protect Claire so what items can Claire use that will not get her disqualified from the duel"? Mitsuhide asks himself

"Well if I was Claire I would invest in something that's like out of the ordinary for a weapon. I mean I have heard that anything could be used as a weapon.  So if anything can be used as a weapon then anything can be used to help protect yourself.  Anything that could be used to protect oneself but doesn't hurt someone I feel would be nice to have handy. Well, your time is up so I hope you have enough information to help Claire". Taiga said

I process the information I have gathered from the meeting this morning. I can't go into any shops yet because it is still early for shops to be open.  I decide to head back to the small homes that we are staying in to take a closer look at something. I remembered that when we left the castle Claire had a bag with her but I have no idea what was inside. Once I get back I grab the bag from the room Zen and I share. I open the bag and find a bunch of stuff inside then I get a great idea.

A few hours later I head out to go wake up Claire for this crazy day that we have. However, when I arrived she was no insight. There was something in most cases I would do immediately if I didn't find Claire which would be to the alarm. But we aren't at home and with everything going on I don't believe that I have to sound that alarm. So I decide to set out and look for her myself.  I finally end up finding her in the very last place that I could think of.

Claire POV

I woke up early in the morning to start preparing for the duel tomorrow.  I may not still be 100% after what Sakura did to be but that's no reason to give up.  No matter what people might say about me I can do this and I'm not going to stop till things are made right. While I am practicing I hear the sound of footsteps. I hide and pick up a stick that is sitting on the ground near me.