SailorStar9: This is Chapter 25 of this fic . (Sighs) Guys and girls, will it kill you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and the pairings.

Chapter 25: The Final Battle Begins

"Okay, we're moving out of here." Reborn took charge. "Can everyone move?"

"Everybody's hurt." Fuuta replied. "We won't be able to make it very far."

"Where should we go?" Tsuna wondered.

"Tsuna," Saori voiced. "Let's go to the forest."

"The forest?" Tsuna echoed.

"Yes," Yuni nodded.

"I'm fine to the extreme!" Ryohei insisted. "This doesn't hurt one bit!"

"Honestly, don't overdo it, onii-chan." Kyoko pleaded.

"We'll be done soon." Yuni assured.

"Stop struggling." I-pin chided.

"I'm not struggling!" Ryohei retorted. "I'm psyching myself up!"

"Stop moving around, onii-chan." Kyoko begged.

I took a hit to my back during the battle today. Gokudera mused.

"Pain is no longer painful to the extreme!" Ryohei insisted. "Painless things aren't painful either!"

"But you know, I never expected to come back to the forest where we arrived to the future." Tsuna admitted.

"We didn't have a choice." Reborn replied. "The realtor was burnt to the ground."

"That's true..." Tsuna nodded. Still, how did Yuni know about this place? He wondered.

"Tsuna-nii, what's wrong?" Fuuta asked.

"I was wondering why Yuni told us to come to this forest." Tsuna confessed.

"The town is in an uproar after the mess caused by our battles with the Milliefiore." Fuuta explained. "At the moment, we can't return."

"That's right." Tsuna remembered. "Were the people in the town okay? And I'm worried about the police finding the Vongola Base."

"Giannini said that he'd taken steps to prevent that from happening." Fuuta assured.

"Really?" Tsuna sighed in relief. "I hope Yamamoto and Hibari make it here soon."

"Man, what's with these kids?" Tazaru muttered. "Everywhere I turn, I see more kids. The Milliefiore was getting pushed around by this bunch? And I'm glad to see the Captain who once betrayed the Merone Base again."

"You also betrayed the Milliefiore!" Irie snapped. "I wasn't expecting to have to deal with your barbarians again!"

"What was that, you bastard?" Nosaru glared. "Trying to pick a fight with my bro?"

"Are you going to use violence?" Irie stammered.

"Stop, Nosaru." Yuni chided. "Get along with everyone."

"Princess..." Nosaru blinked. "We're getting along just fine!" he picked I-pin up. "See? Getting along!"

"Not getting along!" I-pin protested. "Let me go!"

"Nosaru!" Yuni scolded.

"Ah, sorry." Nosaru put the girl down.

"I'm sorry, Irie." Yuni apologized.

"No, I said some things I shouldn't have." Irie blinked.

Princess. Gamma mused.

"Here." Yuni offered Lal Mirch a glass of water.

"Thank you." Lal Mirch took the glass. "You certainly look just like your grandmother, Lucre."

"Right?" Reborn agreed.

"Uncle Reborn said the same thing." Yuni beamed.

"Yuni, do you know the story when the Arcobaleno were born?" Saori asked.

"Yes." Yuni replied. "It's in a fragment of my memory."

"Lucre had this mysterious intuition." Lal Mirch added. "Do you have something similar? A power to perceive the future?"

"A power to perceive the future?" Tsuna echoed.

"I did at one point," Yuni admitted. "But;s it's weakened as of late. But the same applies to Byakuran."

"Byakuran as well?" Irie gasped.

"I sense that his power is also beginning to weaken." Yuni stated.

"You mean the power to share his knowledge across parallel worlds?" Irie pressed.

"Yes," Yuni confirmed. "Now, it requires a great deal of stamina and he can only learn one thing at a time."

"Byakuran probably used his power to find us at Kawahira Realtors." Saori surmised.

"That should mean that he shouldn't be able to use his power for the time being." Yuni concluded.

"But why is he unable to do what he once could?" Tsuna wondered.

"I believe that we are running out of power and weakening." Yuni guessed. "People are born to die. This would happen sooner or later."

"It's true that the Sky Arcobaleno have traditionally lived short lives." Lal Mirch admitted.

Princess... you couldn't be... Gamma realized.

"And that's why Byakuran is so desperate to capture me." Yuni explained. "He's in a hurry to produce and obtain the true power of the 73 Policy. That's why Byakuran is growing impatient. There's no telling what Byakuran might do now. He'll do anything for the sake of capturing me and Saori."

"I had no idea..." Irie breathed. "So that's why he was growing impatient."

"But how did you know that Byakuran's power was also weakening?" Reborn asked.

"I can tell," Yuni smiled. "It's hard to explain, but he and I are alike. In a way, you and Byakuran are also somewhat alike." she turned to Tsuna. "And, there's something I must tell you. I will no longer run away."

"But you shouldn't give up!" Tsuna protested. "Not after we've made it this far!"

"I'm not giving up." Yuni corrected. "I've known this for a very long time. This is where the final battle with Byakuran will take place."

"And tomorrow, at dawn tomorrow, a battle will begin which brings an end to everything." Saori's eyes gazed over as she made her prediction.

"The final battle?" Gokudera echoed, upon hearing Saori's vision.

"Yes, Byakuran is growing impatient." Yuni confirmed. "He will stake everything on this battle."

"You're sure about this?" Lal Mirch asked.

"You can't tell who wins?" Irie pressed.

"I cannot." Yuni admitted. "For a long time, I've only been able to see this conversation and the beginning of the battle in this forest. Byakuran is able to share his thoughts and ideas across parallel worlds, but on the other hand, every incarnation of him is connected. So there's really only one of him. In other words, if we defeat him, they all die. He'll disappear in every parallel world, if we kill Byakuran here."

"So our greatest challenge is also our greatest chance." Reborn noted.

"Then, we should evaluate our current strength." Saori started, taking up the role of Mafia command-in-chief. "The people who are injured and won't be able to fight are Gokudera and Basil. Lal Mirch. Ryohei. Nosaru and Tazaru."

"We can fight!" Gokudera insisted.

"This is nothing!" Ryohei agreed.

"Don't group me with those kids!" Tazaru demanded.

"Enough of your crap!" Nosaru snapped.

"Shut up." Reborn silenced all arguments with a shot in the air.

"Thank you, Reborn." Saori sighed. "Then we'll figure out how many Box Weapons are functional."

"Hey there." Gamma cut in. "I saw the Rain Dolphin, Delfino di Pioggia, in our last fight, but whose was it?"

"That was my Alfin." Basil replied.

"Basil, has it gone through Brain Coating with any other Box Weapons?" Saori asked.

"Brain Coating?" Basil echoed.

"Oh, you don't know?" Gamma noted. "The Inter-Box Combination Operation System that is implemented in the highly intelligent Delfino di Pioggia. The Delfino di Pioggia's computational power and ability to project brain waves allow it to link the minds of friendly Boxes. And it can improve their ability to work together, on occasion giving birth to new lethal combination attacks."

"No point in ignoring this ability." Saori nodded. "Everyone should open their Boxes. Now we just need Delfino di Pioggia to use its Brain Coating technique." she turned to Basil after everyone released their Box Weapons."

"Then I'll get started." Basil nodded.

"Yuni, I'll leave this with you." Lal Mirch handed over Colonello's pacifier.

Got him. Lal Mirch mused, having wrapped the incoming Zakuro with Zamza, allowing Gamma to knock the Storm Milliefiore with his Lightning Foxes.

It worked. Gokudera smirked, adding in his 'Flame Arrow' for good measure.

"I'm a different caliber than Daisy and Torikabuto!" Zakuro opened his Carnage Box.

Be careful, everyone. Saori prayed. This is the final battle. We can't afford to lose.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.