Tsuna wasn't sure what to expect. Here she was, standing right beside the killer of her parents, and he was inviting her to dance with him. Was there a rule about who she was allowed to dance with first at her introduction ball? Giotto hadn't asked her to dance like how fathers dance with their daughters at their weddings, so maybe there was no rule? But the terror made her stomach do a painful somersault. This guy was an insane murderer who killed her parents and didn't snap until she arrived in the picture, she had every right to be scared. But Byakuran was waiting for a response, she had to answer him soon.
"S-Sure…" she stuttered, holding out her hand and letting Byakuran seize it. He smiled kindly at her, almost fooling her into believing he wasn't psycho. But her memories told her otherwise. In a matter of seconds, Byakuran had gripped her hand and was pulling her out onto the dance floor. Tsuna really hoped all her dance practice would pay off now. Soon she found herself swaying around and being led in a waltz by Byakuran, all across the dance floor.
"I must say, you've grown a lot since I last saw you. The last I saw of you was thirteen years ago, when you were only three years old. You've grown into quite the beautiful young lady, even more beautiful than your mother" Byakuran complimented her, earning a roaring blush to coat Tsuna's face. He chuckled, smirking more as he twirled her around, continuing to lead her. Tsuna frowned, pouting a little.
"Enough, didn't you say you'd tell me some stuff about my mother?" Tsuna complained, diverting the conversation. Byakuran chuckled in response, nodding his head.
"Very well Lady Vongola. If it is your wish, I will tell you. Your mother, Ginevra, was the definition of beauty. She was originally from Japan, did you know that? Your father was an Italian man and he met your mother while abroad in Japan for business. Ginevra was the daughter of a flower shop owner in Namimori, and she was due to take over the business one day. You wouldn't believe it, but she had at least several confessions of undying love said to her every day, she was that popular!" Byakuran explained, making Tsuna's eyes widen in shock. Her mother was really that beautiful? And she came from Japan? Is that where her name came from?
"If you're wondering how I know all this, let's just say that when I came over a lot to see Giotto in our childhood, Ginevra would be explaining things to the both of us, like how popular she was as a child and showing us her photo album. Giotto didn't seem to pay much attention, much to her annoyance" Byakuran explained, chuckling more as Tsuna couldn't help but let out a giggle. Wait, she couldn't let her guard down! This guy was dangerous! She couldn't let him distract her!
"As for how they actually met, it took several meetings for the two of them to actually hit it off. Ginevra was very, very obstinate and hot headed. She and Ieyasu clashed heads a lot at first. The first time they met was at the business party. Ginevra was there to deliver the flowers for the party. Ieyasu caught sight of her and stopped a mafia boss who was trying to hit on her. She'd told the man over and over again that she wasn't interested, but he just kept nagging her. After Ieyasu saved her, she thanked him, but they got into an argument straight after that" Byakuran explained, laughing. The dance had finished, but Byakuran began leading Tsuna away so he could explain his story more. Tsuna didn't protest, she was curious to know more. After they found a spot near the wall, Byakuran let go of her hand and faced her, smiling.
"That mafia boss didn't learn his lesson though. That night, he had his men kidnap Ginevra and take her to his mansion. Ieyasu had an idea that the guy wouldn't learn his lesson, and luckily set up someone to watch over Ginevra despite the fact that they got into a huge argument. And it was a good thing he did, that person then informed Ieyasu and you won't believe what Ieyasu did. He stormed into the mansion all on his own!" Byakuran stated, bursting out into laughter. Tsuna watched him wide eyed, not having expected such a thing to have happened.
"What happened after that!?" Tsuna asked, balling her hands into fists as she urged Byakuran to continue the story. Byakuran looked at her in slight shock before smiling.
"You really want to know? Well, by the time Ieyasu made it to the room the Boss and Ginevra were in, he found out it was too late. He burst into the room, about to make some big declaration only to discover the Boss was unconscious on the ground and Ginevra was standing there with a large pot in her hands. She'd beaten the crap out of him the moment she'd recovered consciousness. Ieyasu explained his true identity after she questioned what was going on, and she actually laughed" Byakuran explained, seeing the shocked look on Tsuna's face. Her mother had saved herself? And what was even more shocking, was just how much Byakuran seemed to be enjoying this story.
"So after she thanked him, you wouldn't believe it, but they got into another huge fight! Ieyasu said that he wasn't going to save her anymore and left Japan to return back to Italy, but every Valentine's day he received a bouquet of flowers from someone marked as a 'mystery sender'. His butler knew of course, so he'd get his butler to send back a pure white rose every White Day. This went on for about three years until Ieyasu went back to Namimori for a business meeting. They ended up meeting again and conveniently it was on White Day. He saw her open the small box he'd sent with the white rose and instantly realized she was the mystery sender. It took a while after that, constant asking her out on dates and stuff like that, but eventually they fell in love after that and got married. They had Giotto and when he was ten, they had you" Byakuran explained, smiling gently at Tsuna as he concluded his story.
"Wow, I never imagined their meeting was like that! Thank you Byakuran, I'm grateful you told me this story" Tsuna thanked, laughing happily as she smiled brightly up at him. Byakuran smiled back, bowing politely to her.
"The pleasure was all mine. If you ever want more stories, you know where to find me" Byakuran replied, standing upright with a smile and turned, heading back into the crowd. Tsuna looked around, unsure what to do now. She'd been lead here by Byakuran and now she didn't know what to think anymore. She knew what her memories were telling her, that Byakuran was a crazed psychopath and the most likely person to have killed her parents, but she knew what impression she'd gotten from him now. He was polite, friendly and kind. What was she supposed to do now? The plan was getting screwed over all because she couldn't figure out her own feelings. Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes as she let the cold feeling of the wall cool her a little as she sighed.
"What do I do now?" she asked herself in a whisper, opening her eyes again to scan the crowd of people. She spotted Giotto talking to his guardians and several heads of other mafia families. The Varia were scattered along the walls of the giant grand hall in the Vongola Castle. Xanxus still was at the buffet table, looking pissed off about being there. Letting out another sigh, she spotted her guardians scattered throughout the room, observing and interacting with the guests. Shaking her head, Tsuna scolded herself. Her guardians were out there in the danger zone of guests, she couldn't slack off either. Stepping away from the wall, she ventured back into the field of guests. Squeezing between people and excusing herself, she continued to work her way through the crowd. Suddenly a guest stepped on the back of her dress, catching Tsuna off guard as she stumbled, falling into another guest and making them tip their drink over, it spilling over the floor. The man turned to glare at Tsuna, clearly unamused by her bumping into him. Tsuna let out a shocked gasp, bowing her head to him.
"I'm so sorry!" Tsuna apologized, looking back up to see the man still looked pissed.
"This wine was expensive! I think a sorry isn't going to be enough, little Vongola" he replied, suddenly smirking as if he were struck with a brilliant idea. Tsuna blinked, stepping back in fright.
"Excuse me, that incident was my fault" called out a female voice that could rival bell chimes. Both Tsuna and the man looked at the source, seeing a young girl about Tsuna's age walk up to stand beside her. She had black hair which was chopped to chin length and the back was in a waist long pony tail. Her eyes were large and blue and a small orange flower shaped tattoo sat under her left eye. She smiled kindly at the two of them, bowing her entire upper half in apology to the man.
"I truly am sorry for the inconvenience I may have caused" the girl apologized, standing upright and smiling brightly at the man.
"Hmph. Just don't let it happen again" the man grumbled, turning and walking away in disgust. Tsuna blinked, watching him leave in a stunned stupor. She'd handled that so well, just who was she?
"I do apologise for his behavior young Vongola, please don't think too badly of him" the girl apologized, stepping closer to Tsuna and grabbing her hands in her own, squeezing them tightly.
"You look pale, come. Let's talk some out on the balcony" the girl offered, beginning to lead Tsuna through the maze of people and towards the balcony window. She opened the glass doors and Tsuna felt the cold air hit her like a smack to the face. The wind blew their dresses around madly, almost pushing them back into the room. The girl practically skipped up to the railing of the balcony, throwing her arms out happily as she soaked up the cold air. Tsuna watched her before stepping out onto the balcony with her.
"We never got the chance to introduce ourselves. I do apologise. My name is Yuni, you are Tsunayoshi, yes?" the girl stated, turning around to look at Tsuna. Tsuna watched her silently before nodding silently. There was just something about this girl. She was so friendly, so cheerful, and so warm, Tsuna couldn't help but stop and stare at her majestic nature. She was more fit to be in the Vongola family than Tsuna was. No, she had to stop thinking about herself like this! Looking up at Yuni, she smiled brightly.
"It's nice to meet you Yuni. You can just call me Tsuna though, everyone else does" Tsuna replied, walking up to Yuni and standing alongside her against the railing. Yuni giggled, smiling at her before looking out at the night sky.
"That's not what your guardian Mukuro told me. He continuously called you Tsunayoshi" Yuni teased, making Tsuna's cheeks flush red. Yuni giggled, watching her reaction before placing a hand on Tsuna's shoulder.
"Hey, do you like any of them? It's okay, you can tell me" Yuni asked, still smiling brightly. Tsuna's face flushed pure red as she looked away shyly.
"L-Like any of them? I-I wouldn't know… I don't know… I understand what Mukuro's been through to get where he is today. I know of his pain and suffering… He can be flamboyant and flirty, but he means well. It's just his way of coping with the scars he will always have. But I also feel drawn towards Hibari for some reason. He's standoffish and is mean and scary, but he's not to me. He lets me into his space and actually talks to me, unlike anyone else. I think he suffers from anxiety, and hides it with his violent behavior to everyone. But when he talks to me, he's kind and reassuring. He always knows just what to say. And then there's the issue of my own behavior as well. When I was showed Mukuro's past, I full on snapped at our attacker. And when Hibari was struck by some bullies, I full on snapped at them as well. I don't understand my own feelings, yet alone theirs" Tsuna explained, looking down at her hands on the railing.
"It's tough, is it? I understand, you're uncertain at the moment" Yuni replied, smiling reassuringly at her. Tsuna smiled back, giggling a little as Yuni did the same. It was nice to have a girl around her age with her here at the party.
"Hey Yuni, I'm glad you're here. I would be feeling so out of place at the moment if you weren't here" Tsuna thanked, smiling gratefully at her. Yuni blinked in shock before smiling brightly, stepping to Tsuna and wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. Tsuna blinked in shock, unsure how to respond.
"If that's the case, I'm glad I came Tsunayoshi" Yuni stated, pulling away from the hug and giggling happily. The last thing Tsuna had been expecting tonight was to make friends with a girl her age. Stepping back to rest against the railing, Tsuna watched as Yuni babbled on about her own family and guardians.
"You have guardians too?" Tsuna asked curiously, tilting her head. Yuni laughed, twirling around to explain to her when she gasped in shock. Tsuna looked puzzled for a second before she sensed a presence behind her. Before she could turn to fight though, a hand clamped around her mouth, the other grabbing her wrist of her right arm. She let out a surprised gasp, trying to struggle out of the person's grip.
"Tsunayoshi!" Yuni called out in shock, looking around in a panic as Tsuna let out a muffled scream from under her attacker's hand. The attacker tried to pull Tsuna off the edge of the balcony, but Tsuna clamped her left hand to the railing tightly, refusing to be moved. Yuni raised her hands into her hair in panic before turning to the entrance to the ballroom.
"Someone! Tsunayoshi's in trouble!" she screamed over the crowd of guests. All heads shot to her before two people rushed through the crowd to Yuni.
"Tsunayoshi!?" Mukuro gasped, running up to Yuni as Hibari ran up beside him.
"Out there!?" Hibari asked, looking panicked as he brought out his tonfas and Mukuro summoned his staff. Yuni nodded, still panicked and frightened. Both boys ran through the doors and gasped at the sight. A person dressed entirely in black had hold of Tsuna and was trying to pull her over the balcony with him. He seemed to panic though when he spotted the two guardians. Tsuna's eyes widened when she saw them as she tried to scream out their names, only to have it muffled by her attacker's hand.
"Tsunayoshi!" both boys called out, running to them. The attacker seemed to be panicking, taking his hand off of Tsuna's mouth and smacking his fist down on Tsuna's hand which held the railing. She let out a yelp of pain, her hand going limp and practically signing her death warrant. The masked attacker managed to grab her, shoving her over the railing as he fell from the balcony as well. Tsuna's eyes widened as she let out a scream, her body falling over the railing. The world seemed to run in slow motion as she could see the ground coming up to meet her face. No! She wasn't going to die here! Seeing an opportunity, she managed to grab the bottom of the balcony with her right hand, catching herself from falling straight down to an instant death. But the force was too much and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold on for very long. Lucky for her, two sets of hands were offered to her in an instant. Mukuro grabbed her right wrist, pulling her up as she saw Hibari offering her his hand as well. Tsuna smiled in relief, lifting up her sore hand and placing it into his.
In a matter of moments, Tsuna had been pulled up over the railing and onto the balcony. She only managed to stand for a few seconds before her legs wobbled violently and she fell to her knees, shaking violently in fear.
"Tsunayoshi…" Mukuro whispered, kneeling to her level and placing a hand on her back, rubbing it gently. Tsuna tried to regulate her breathing, knowing she was in the first stages of a panic attack. Hibari looked down at the two of them, unsure what to do. So he knelt like Mukuro was doing, placing a hand on her hand and gently petted it. Tsuna looked up at him in confusion before letting out a small laugh. This seemed to relieve the two boys who stopped comforting her and stood back upright. Tsuna joined them, seeing Yuni standing there in fright.
"Yuni…" Tsuna started to say before Yuni burst into tears with a happy smile.
"You're alright!" she cried out, running to her and hugging her tightly. Tsuna blinked in shock again, but wrapped her arms around Yuni, gently petting her back.
"Sorry I worried you so much" Tsuna apologized, smiling gently. Their moment was ruined though when G walked up to them, scratching his head in confusion.
"Hey, anyone know where Giotto cleared off to? He's disappeared…" G asked, being followed by a man who was wearing a strange uniform, most likely from another mafia family.
"G? Master Giotto is just in a meeting with my Boss, I do apologise for the lack of communication. Ah, you must be the young Vongola. It is a pleasure to meet you" stated the man, offering Tsuna his hand. Yuni pulled away from the hug, stepping away as Tsuna smiled politely, accepting the man's hand and giving it a shake. She froze to the spot though as she saw images flash through her head, a small gasp escaping her.
She saw Giotto entering a room after following a man down the hallway. He appeared to be confused for a few seconds, turning to yell to the man before turning to look back into the room in horror. Lots of goons suddenly appeared out of their hiding spots in the room, armed with guns and all fired at Giotto. She saw Giotto's body get hit by multiple bullets, blood spraying all across the room, his body collapsing to the ground in a bloody mess.
Tsuna let her hand fall from the man's, her shoulders shaking as her eyes widened to painful sizes, her breathing shaky. She backed up a step, muttering protests to herself as she wrapped her arms around herself. What was that? A vision? This man's true intent? Was it seeing through his lie? All she knew was Giotto was about to die.
"No! Big Brother! No!" Tsuna suddenly screamed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she shoved the man aside, taking off into the crowd of people, shoving people aside as she went, and running into the maze of hallways. She was in a race now to save Giotto, she had to hurry!