A/n: Hello, my lovely Dragons! I'm not dead! I have the end of this story planned out now, so I know where it's going now! Yay! I hope y'all enjoy this chapter, as I'm aware that the last one I posted was sub-par. Here ya go!

A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, especially the guest who reviewed three chaps in one go!

Everything was happening so fast. Just a few weeks ago he had had only himself to rely on. Now he had Hibari, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Lambo, and Ryohei. And they were his. Just his.

On one hand, he disliked the thought of people being bound to him for eternity, but on the other, he found himself getting possessive whenever other people got close to them. And then there was what had been happening lately.

Hibari hadn't been showing up to lunch very often, which was concerning. After Tsuna had felt their bond 'click' into place, Hibari had shown up to lunch everyday without fail. Except for the past two days. The only reason they hadn't dragged him back was because they couldn't feel anything bad (pain, anger, fear, etc) over the bond.

They had discussed what to do about it, and decided to do nothing unless the situation changed and something happened to Hibari. This was seeming more and more likely as members of the Disciplinary Community kept showing up injured. He had asked Harry about it, but all he said was 'I can't help with this unless it gets out of hand.'

Reborn had said much the same. So they were left to figure it out on their own. He sighed as he set down the bento he had brought for Hibari. Still no sign of the panther. Well, not-so-panther now.

And then, everything froze for just a second as a bolt of pain shot down the Guardian bonds. Anger followed soon after, a contrast to Hibari's normally cool countenance, and they all (everyone who was there, which meant all the Guardians but Lambo) scrambled to their feet as they searched for the threat. An image of a teen who was around their age flashed into their mind before the bond went dark.

Tsuna's mouth firmed into a thin line. A bond had never gone dark before, so he was guessing that Hibari was either unconscious, or something equally bad had happened. Either way, they needed to find him. He turned to his Guardians, all traces of the laughing and joking that had been going on gone. "We're going to find Hibari. Ready?"

A chorus of shouts went up, and they sped off the roof, down the stairs, and out of the school building. Hibari, if he were there, would have threatened to bite them all to death for running in the halls, but he wasn't, so he didn't.

And that was exactly why they were going to find him.

Line-Break

When Tsuna first saw Rokudo Mukuro, the real Rokudo Mukuro, he saw someone who was loyal to a fault, someone who would do anything for the people he cared for, even if he didn't let them know it. Once he saw that, everything became clear. The murder of the Estraneo that the thugs outside had been talking about, all the theft, the breaking out of the strongest prison, everything had been for his friends.

Even this was for his friends. He was trying to make sure that anyone who would know about them and their stint in prison was indisposed and unable to throw them back there. And Tsuna felt his Flames reaching out to the tired (Mukuro felt so tired, like he just couldn't rest) soul in front of him.

Then their Flames touched, and Tsuna saw everything. He saw what the Estraneo Family did, taking a soul that was ready to rest, a soul that had already gone through all it's lives, and then shoving it into a new body. He saw every past life he had gone through, just flashes, but he still saw them, and even that much was too much for him to process.

And Mukuro saw everything that had happened. He saw Tsuna's binding, the subsequent troubles that he went through, and then him being saved by Harry and Reborn. He saw Tsuna meeting him, Rokudo Mukuro, saw his first impressions, saw himself through another's eyes.

Then they were both overwhelmed by their minds crashing together, and the effect rippled through the bonds connecting Tsuna to his other Guardians. Each and every one of them dropped like puppets cut from their strings. Darkness greeted them, broken only by seven flickering Flames.

Line-Break

Mukuro looked around in this strange darkness, and reached forward to poke at the indigo Flame hovering in front of him. He did so, and it felt like he was poking himself. He poked it again, wondering at the strange feeling. He moved to the side to poke at the yellow Flame hovering to the left of him in the circle of light, and the orange Flame poked back.

Then he poked the blue Flame to his right, and it poked back too. He occupied himself with this for a minute, and only really started paying attention when the Flames started to look like people. They were looking at him, every single one of them, and one was even moving toward him. It looked like Tsuna (he couldn't bring himself to call him Sawada, not when they knew each other), and the figure held out his hand.

He radiated warmth, the kind that only someone who loved you could have. But it wasn't a romantic love, it felt more like the acceptance of a someone who had just found their lost brother and was welcoming him back home. It didn't judge, it didn't say anything but that there was a place for him if he wanted it. The other figures didn't move, didn't say anything, but he knew they were watching.

If he made a step out of line, they would bring him back, show him the ropes, and then give him a chance. Maybe it was that feeling that he could be himself, sarcastic and bitter as he was, that let him accept the bond. And he was glad he did, even as the sudden rush of emotions and memories dragged all of them into true unconsciousness, not this dream-land that was somewhere in between.

Line-Break

Mukuro groaned as he swam back to a more awake state. The bed, the sheets, the comforter, it was all unusually soft. He wasn't back with Chikusa and Ken, was he? No, that's right. He had bonded with Tsuna. He raised his heavy eyelids, and stared at the ceiling. The soft buzz in the back of his head was the only sign of his bond being active.

He looked to the side, eyeing the note on the bedside table. Was it worth it to move from the soft warmth to read it? Probably. Oh well, he would have to get up at some point anyway. He sat up and grabbed the note, pulling it open as he moved. Just in case he hadn't guessed it was for him, his name was printed in big friendly letters on the front.

Mukuro,

I'm sorry we couldn't be there when you woke up, but we do have school, and we have to figure out how to keep you out of prison. Again. Harry thinks he knows how, but he won't tell us. Also, if you're having trouble with the whole multiple lives thing, you should try talking to the crow in the kitchen. It will help.

Tsuna

The crow in the kitchen? Was that some kind of code? Well, there was no harm in making sure that he wasn't being literal. Plus, he was getting hungry. This way he would kill two birds with one stone. He snorted at his own internal joke.

He stood up and idly wondered who had changed him. It didn't really matter to him, living several lives tended to ruin your modesty, but the thought of Hibari changing his clothes was amusing. He wandered down the stairs to the area that he assumed was the kitchen, and sure enough. There was a crow. Well, might as well talk to it. (It looked like the crow that got chased by the panther)

"So, you're the crow in the kitchen. I wasn't really expecting that to be literal, but then again, who knows. This world is strange. Stranger than any of the ones I've been in before. You wouldn't happen to know the cause of that, would you Mister Crow?"

"Nope, not a clue." The crow turned toward him with a sunny grin (how did that come across on a crow? It made no sense) and hopped over. "You wouldn't happen to be having trouble with having had multiples lives, are you? I happen to have some experience on that subject, and I've seen somethings over the years. I can help you."

"A crow? Help me? Ha!" Mukuro gave a short barking laugh, "How could you help me? I was on my way to finally be at rest when they pulled me into a new body, one that already had a soul. Do you know what happened to that boy? Do you? I crushed him. I crushed his soul. He'll never see the sunlight, never know what it's like to have a family. He'll never love anyone. I crushed him. I crushed him!"

Mukuro burst into insane laughter that was tinged with hysteria. The crow hopped onto his shoulder and nudged his cheek with it's beak. "You know, his soul is fine. It got taken to purgatory, and is in the line to get another shot at life. You didn't crush him. He's fine. He met his mom for a bit, and his dad. They are all fine. None of it was your fault. I asked him, and he said he didn't blame you. You didn't choose to be put into his body. He said he wants you to live his life for him, to be happy. That will be your way of repaying him. Understand?"

The boy who's life he took...didn't blame him? Why? He killed him, sent him to another life, why wouldn't he blame him? But...but if he could repay the boy for taking his life by living...then maybe he should. He could have a family, he could have a life, he could...be happy.

"You are having issues with the constant bombardment of memories, right? I can help with that. Once a week, you will meet with me, and I will teach you how to create a barrier between your previous lives and your current one." The crow raised his wing as if he was checking a watch. "Starting...now. Today, we'll be doing meditation," said the crow, an evil grin (again, crows and expressions?) spreading across his face.

Mukuro felt a chill run up his spine, just like the first time he had encountered Death (and Death's Chair. Death was very possessive over that chair). It also reminded him of France. France...was something that he didn't want to remember...

Line-Break

Harry groaned as he perched on a tree. Helping Mukuro (or, as he knew him, Umbra) sort through the onslaught of memories had brought his own memories rushing back. Mukuro's childhood had reminded him far too much of his own time spent with the Dursleys. After Umbra's stint helping Death, he had been looking forward to resting, only to be pulled into a new body.

It really was too bad. Umbra had been Death's favorite helper. He made sure everything got done on time, even if he had to do it himself, and he had a spectacular imagination that he used to motivate all his underlings. Death had liked him enough that he gave him his own Chair. They had all been sad when he went missing.

And then Harry (Potter luck struck again) just stumbled upon him. Except... Umbra's (no, Mukuro's) mind was shattered, overwhelmed by too many memories all at once. Death had a policy, where if a soul was reborn with it's memories intact, then they would regain them slowly. It was far too easy for someone's mind to crumble underneath the weight of previous lives.

So since Mukuro didn't have the chance to have his memories slowly filtered back to him, instead Harry was helping him build barriers that would function the same. They would slowly weaken over time and let his mind adjust. They would still be there if he actively thought about them, but they would no longer be constantly making him remember.

It was the exact same thing Harry had had to do when he woke up from his retreat into himself. He had had to sort through his memories, which, while unpleasant, had given him the experience to help others. And himself. He still used the same tricks when he wanted to avoid thinking about it. Like the memories of the Dursleys. Those were shoved deep in the back of his mind, because it was in the past, and he didn't want to remember it.

And then there was the fact that Hermione had contacted him and told him that she and Luna were very close to figuring out the Arcobaleno Curse. They just needed to break through the wall that was constantly blocking them from figuring it out, and then they would be home free. Which was good. It really was. He was just...he kept wondering if maybe the Curse wasn't what they thought it was.

Oh well. They'd figure it out. It would help if the Ministry of Magic would stop trying to track his magical signature so he could Apparate again. Part of the reason he wasn't over there helping was because Tsuna and Mukuro both needed help, and it took far too long to fly over to them and back. Which meant he wasn't going to.

And he needed to figure out when they were going to hold the next meeting, so they could all see each other again and reassure themselves that no-one had died yet.

He sighed. So much to do, so little time.

P.S. How many people want to know what happened in France?