A/N: I just wrote my first dark SI over on Ao3, and it was kind weird to write it. .

I don't own anything except my idea. And Iemitsu fucks up again. More on that next chapter, along with headcanon on the Flames system.

There's some significance to what Kaneru says, and there's a reason why the guys are so interested when she speaks. You'll know when you see it.


Kaneru was not a happy camper. Not even remotely, because while the condescending Vongola Nono who was trying to feed her highly edited information, she could gather what he was trying so hard to dance around. And the information she found wasn't to her liking.

She had potentially bonded in some way to Tsuna, possibly stealing Mukuro or Hibari's Guardian positions (perhaps even both at once!) And she just may have bonded to Iemistu. Or she had bonded to both Tsuna and Iemitsu. Now they had to wait for the blonde to get here, from wherever he was, to conduct the test that show if she had bonded, and who she was bonded to if she had.

"You can speak English?"

She startles at Shamal's unexpected question, because Kaneru thought she had been silent, let alone speaking in English. She has no idea what she supposedly said, but she doesn't worry too much, because she had prepared for the day she made such a mistake. Kaneru had known she would slip up one day and revert to speaking her native tongue, and so, she had made plans.

She arranged it so she would be charged to look for babysitters and nannies for her parents as soon as she could, and they happily let her. They hired whomever she suggested, and never thought twice about it ever again. It was something they were grateful for, praising her for her filial devotion in taking care of the hassle for them, and they never questioned. All she had to do was purposefully pick out those with the capability to speak English (expensive to say the least) and bug them to teach her English. Add in some carefully worn books of Rosetta Stone guides to English, several notebooks filled with "practice," and her ability was explained away as best as she could.

If the mafia goes looking for, whatever reason, what they find should whet their curiosity.

"Yes I can; somewhat. Many of my babysitters were capable of conversing in English and I bothered them until they taught me."

Neither man seems to buy it, honestly she would be surprised if they did, but she doesn't make a fuss over their visible doubt. The Vongola Nono continued where Shamal left off.

"Your skill in the language is quite remarkable for someone your age, Kaneru."

"May I ask what I was saying?"

Shamal shrugged laconically.

"You've been reciting something under your breath for the past five or so minutes while Nono let you gather your thoughts and prepare yourself, but all I caught was There once was a maiden being repeated a couple of times."

"Oh. I was reciting some sutras then, and I'm pretty sure I could guess which ones I was repeating."

Nono looked honestly surprised this time, unlike most of his visible facial expressions, and he suggested,

"Kaneru, it doesn't look like our attempts to leave you to your thoughts is as calming as we had hoped it would be."

Well, they were right there, so Kaneru found it hard to relax when she knew they could kill her so easily.

"Since we're waiting for Iemitsu to get here to confirm once and for all if there are any bonds at all, would you recite some for us? It may soothe you to consciously say them."

Kaneru inwardly called bullshit on his reasoning, because she knew he was a canny old man who wouldn't let any supposed secrets or mysteries slide by him. Still, one or two sutras should help pass the time until Iemitsu finally arrived. And she knew which ones she would share with them.

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt. But I'll say it now; they aren't religious sutras."

Shamal looked to the older man, silently communicating something Kaneru didn't understand, before waving away her caution.

"I doubt you'll offend us Kaneru."

She nodded, closed her eyes, and took a deep, cleansing breath. She didn't notice how Mist Flames began to spark around her hands and Cloud Flames crept into the air as she recited the sutra.

" Once, there was a maiden...
...who struck an iron wall until it shattered her hand.
She did not stop, though cracks spread through her bones.
She did not stop, though blood sprayed her eyes.
She did not stop until she shattered the wall.
"Survival is fury," she said. "

Kaneru spoke in an even, measured tone, falling into a singsong cadence as Flames grew from sparks. She could feel her anger, irritation, and fear subside with every word she spoke, calm flooding her. She didn't see how the two men stared at her, watching how her Flames danced in time to the cadence, absorbing her words like they might have found something profound in them.

" Once, there was a maiden...
...who could not defend her people,
and could not conquer her foes,
and could not raise a nation.
So, she took up a plow and began farming,
and kings and queens begged her for her crops.
"Change is victory," said the Bright Maiden. "

She smiled softly to herself. Nono had been right, even if it had been an excuse to dig for information. Reciting the sutras, particularly ones she felt fit her situations, had dispelled her terror and calmed her down. They had helped remind her of her choice and why she had made it.

She didn't regret changing fate, and she didn't regret her determination. Even if it turned out that the worst had happened, she would adapt, learn to live with it, and move on as best she could.

Kaneru opened her eyes, and found the men were staring at her intently. She blinked at them in surprise, before the flickering indigo and purple Flames caught her eye and told her she was Aflame. She stared in awe at the manifestations of her willpower and determination filling the air in a soft corona and covering her hands, knowing her mouth was hanging open but unable to care when faced with such a sight.

Kaneru thought to herself, It's one thing to know such a thing exists, but it's different to know it's real because it's right in front of you.

Of course, that was when Iemitsu had to barge in and interrupt the first time she had ever seen something so blatantly magical. As soon as he entered the room, Kaneru could somehow feel the man, and promptly wished she couldn't. Sawada Iemitsu was revolting, repulsive, and nauseating to feel, and Kaneru felt physically ill as he walked closer.

When he sat down in one of the chairs by her bed, she felt herself gag at the hideous feeling coming so close. But when he picked up her hand to introduce himself, Kaneru was physically overwhelmed. She threw her upper body to the side of her bed and vomited all over his shoes.