And here's the second promised chapter!
In the short window of time I had to stipulate because I needed to sleep, else I crashed down on my PC, some of you reviewed which was just Wow. And yes, I am late, no need to remind me. I deleted the chapter I had previously written and dearly regretted it later.
So... Onwards to the reviews!
Prince -"My first P-" pACK MEMBER? PARTNER IN CRIME? whaaaaaaaaaat is ittttttt i neeeeed tto knowwww
You're such a cruel author ;'(
Also, wow two in one day? i'm surprised i caught the update so quickly, too... i must have certain update-sensing-powers! I was having a pretty bum day too... this really helps ovo"
My response: Nope, I'm not revealing that yet! Soon! Sorry, I got late with this chapter. Gomenasai~! And yes, you were the first comment of the last chapter!
mirrorthatreflec -"For the orange flame, well, we did know it. You've portrayed him as basically the sky of the Storms all along, it makes perfect sense that Natsu's got sky flames as well. And I forgot about Natsu's eye, he can't see any colors except for flames from one eye, right? Great job with this chapter!"
My response: Yes, I was bias towards Skies. Because that's honestly all that we have in regards of how to identify a Sky, well... that and clumsy. But then you have Xanxus (though I'm going to attribute his 'temper' on the storm part of his flame). Yes, Natsu has one eye that's fully colorblind, leaving half-blind in direct sunlight and can see flames (active flames!) with it. Thank you!
Gooest -"I don't get it, what's with the trope of females being reborn as males... Is there something satisfying about becoming male? I don't really like reading female SI because they all seem to have the same angsty cliches. Idk if this story will be good, but I'll give it a chance. It seems promising so far at least. Hopefully it doesn't devolve into a clusterfuck that SIs normally seem to fall into."
"Wow 26 chapter for ages 0 - 3..."
"It's a little long... Well nice reading, so bye~"
My response: In regards to this story that trope is inverted. Natsu has always been a boy, if anything he's a guy turned girl turned back into a guy. In regards to there being any satisfaction in being male? I have no idea, I'm biologically a female but I mostly associate myself as gender neutral. It matters little to me. Are you sure that the angst-y clichés are not part of the characters being teenagers? There's a lot of angst during that time period.
That and maybe, just maybe, you are reading the cliché type stories out there. That's also possible, I prefer to never discard any type of story just because I've read one or two that were bad or annoying. I mean, "Keeping your Character" by Insanity-Red certainly perked my interest in Lambo (and he's certainly not a character I'm looking forward to write) and it's a SI story of the likes that is rarely done and even rarer done well, it's also a gender-bender of Lambo (so male character turner female).
Oh no, my story develops into "Kyoko" by Discoabc proportions of confusing, plot-filled nonsensical ramblings of a mad KHR lover.
Yes, I like long stories with so many chapter.
No story is ever too long when people enjoy it.
Love -"I love you so much for writing a story like this! Thanks for the update! I can't wait to read the next chapter."
My response: Thank you for your review!
Madness-Is-Insanity -"Wow Natsu is going to have a hard time dealing with Yurei. I can't wait, cause it seems like their relationship will be both funny and dangerous. I'm guessing that the word is "Partner?" Unless it's more than one word. Chiyo's plan reminds me of my friends and I because we come up with plans to kidnap our other friends that live away. I enjoyed the chapter so thank you."
My response: Oh yes, Natsu and Yurei butting heads is going to become a rather frequent scene. Nope, the word is not Partner, close though, and you are correct. It's two words, that need to be together in order for it to have meaning, and I'll be mostly writing it in english and not italian, as I was tempted to do.
Thank you for your review!
"Hi?" I smiled, internally freaking out because 'Oh my god, another Storm was HERE' and, to make matters worse, was Kyoya's cousin.
"His golden eyes were trained on me and I felt like a rabbit under a predators gaze, the only visible emotion on his face was anger, but his eyes...
His eyes...
Uncaring golden orbs focused solely on me, peeking Kyoya's curiosity regarding mine and Yurei's reactions.
I was about to reach out for him, just as I had done with every single other Storm so far, my core sang a mournful song of longing, wishing to be reunited with its Tormenta, its Blizzard, and I knew my eyes were blazing orange as I tried to drew closer to him.
But that was not meant to be.
Something similar to fear flashed in his eyes before my mind halted and screeched at me.
DUCK!
I dropped to the ground on instinct, avoiding the flying kick that Yurei had threw at me with a feral cry.
"Hey!" I yelped.
GET AWAY!
I rolled to my left successfully dodging the kick that would've met my head had I not got out of the way. The anger in those golden eyes only grew as I avoided any and all hits he then tried on me.
"What did I do?!" I yelped again, barely avoiding the punch he threw, jumping away from him and behind Kyoya.
"What are you doing here?" He growled," You are weak! Why should I listen to you? Why should I care?!" He grunts.
"Stand down, Yurei." Kyoya speaks evenly, his voice a tad uncaring and equally cold.
A mask, my mind whispers, he was putting on a mask.
"No! I will not listen... No... No! You are weak! Weak... Weak... You are so WEAK!" He yowls and charges straight at me, ignoring Kyoya completely.
There's this burst of dark swirling purple flames in his eyes when he charges, the flames spreading outwards to the rest of his body and I feel a chill running down my spine and through me. The hairs at the back of my neck stood on end...
His form shimmered, my mind is filled with this haze, and I see it shift into Raniero's form.
But this is not the Raniero I know from memories... This Raniero is younger... rougher...
He's...
I'm snapped out of my daze when my focus is brought back to the present, in a flash Kyoya had grabbed Yurei and threw him onto the floor, holding his hands behind his back and successfully pining him down.
But the younger boy kept trashing around, fighting the grip Kyoya had on him, yowling and growling epithets that would've left Grandma blushing, further raising Kyoya's hackles.
In the pit of my stomach the stone inside got ice cold and heavier and heavier with each word he shouted, it sank lower and lower with each vile shout he spat out in utter fury.
... Wild.
I didn't realize I was crying until my sight blurred and the two boys still in place, fall silence and stare in amazement at the sight before them. (*)
Tears stream down my face and, for a reason unfathomable to me at that point in time, I feel as if my core was being gripped by someone's cruel fist and crushed.
I didn't know I was crying out because of the pain Yurei had reflected in his eyes.
The pain that haunted him.
I didn't know I was mourning another cycle of pain my Tormenta always survived in.
But most of all, I was crying out in misery, my core desperately trying to reach out and shelter this Storm, protect its' Storm...
Heal him...
"Weak... Crying... like that..." Yurei's voice sounded so cold, so hollow, void of emotion," A weakling like that..."
It hurt. His words cut at my core, though they had no leverage over my mind, his words shook me, and prevented me from reaching out
"I'll never follow you!" The boy suddenly yells," WEAK! You are weak!"
He does not get the chance to speak another word as Kyoya knocked him out then. I wanted to reach out but I stayed my hand, rubbing my eyes instead.
Kyoya made a motion with his hand and maids poured into the room, starting to get the place cleaned up while another took Yurei away.
"Come." Kyoya said, a hand on my shoulder pushing me out of the room and into another where a maid was setting down a tea tray and a first aid-kit on the low coffee-table.
"...Take off your shirt." He says once the door closes.
I blink at him before morosely doing as he said, Kyoya would rip the hoodie off me if I didn't take it off of that I was sure, and remained silent as Kyoya started cleaning and dressing the scratches and abrasions, a frown worming its way on his face.
"You can dodge... Why did you let me hit you?" Kyoya asked.
"You didn't hit too hard, not like you do those who break rules, and you weren't going to harm me beyond bruises and scratches." I answered quietly," You wouldn't kill me."
"And Yurei would?" Kyoya asked, not in anger or annoyance but merely in curiosity.
"Not intentionally." I answered," He can't control his anger nor his strength, right?" I smile sadly at him.
Kyoya stills.
"Hn." He silently answers.
"He can't help it, don't blame this on him, it's not his fault." I tell him," He's..."
"Angry?" Kyoya suggests, seeing me search for a word.
"No... More like, it's like he's..." I start off,"...Scared." I whisper.
"Scared of what?" Kyoya frowns.
I stare off into the wall beside me I could still feel Yurei's presence on the edge of my awareness, the aura he carried was cold and ruthless, a haze of bloodthirsty uncontrollable fury that had no outlet tainted his core. Picked at it and kept shaving off layers of it, his power was fighting itself, self-destructing and hurting him.
The stone in my stomach only gets heavier.
A memory brushes against the forefront of my mind and my eyes dull.
"I don't know." I answer with a tired sigh.
"But you want to know." Kyoya says," You still want to help, even after meeting him." He adds.
"I do." I agree with him," I have to help him."
"Why?" Kyoya, his tone losing that loose air of casualness and turning very serious.
I shift in place, before turning back to face him, my gaze stared heavily into the eight year old's and I internally sigh.
- Do not tell him. - The whisper stops me from replying.
Why?
- Beware those you trust. - The whisper answers.
Kyoya would never hurt me, of that I am certain.
- Maybe so, but beware Temporale, broken trust is not a lesson easily forgotten. - The whisper tells me before fading.
Ghost pains flicker into life at the reminder.
A memory best forgotten and left alone.
"I... cannot tell you, not now at least." I answer to him.
"Will you ever tell me?" Kyoya asks, his silver eyes were piercing but no anger or any dangerous intentions could be felt by me.
"I don't know, Kyoya..." I answer truthfully," I cannot give you an answer when I fear I might lie if I do."
Kyoya looks ready to protest, to grumble and pester me about my 'non-carnivore' behavior but he stops and thinks my words over.
"Will you help Yurei?" He then asks.
"Yes." I promise him.
"Will he ever be... normal?" He chooses his words loosely.
"No." I immediately answer," And I wouldn't recommend ever letting him leave Namimori."
This makes Kyoya pause, his eyes questioning, before he comes to some conclusion and starts pouring tea into two cups.
"Why?" He asks as he pours.
Huh, how to explain this...
"Well?" Kyoya raises an eyebrow in waiting, a teacup already in his hands and another in front of me.
"He can't leave, cannot, else he might get hurt." I answer," Trust me on this, Kyoya, when I tell you he's safer here than anywhere else in the world." I add, mentally pleading with every single god and deity that nothing would lead my Tormenta out of my reach.
Kyoya sips on his tea, his eyes never leaving mine, before continuing to speak:
"My father assured his parents that remaining here would be beneficial for Yurei, but for him to remain here permanently then it would have to be Yurei, and only Yurei, to make that request." Kyoya said.
I nod, slowly drinking the tea he had given (nudged my way) me.
"Yurei never reacted that way to anyone before." Kyoya starts," He destroys the room he's in and everything in it but never does he actually dare to try and harm anyone who is in it, unless they attack him first."
"Aah..." I murmur," He probably felt endangered." I answer.
It was like that the first time around too...
"Endangered by you?" Kyoya's obvious disbelief is palpable and it makes me smirk (which I hide behind my teacup).
"I'm more dangerous than you give me credit for." I enigmatically tell him.
A thin raised eyebrow is my only response.
Papa had an earful to give me by the time I was brought home, by one of Kyoya's family maids that lived nearby, along with Chiyo and Takeshi who had been understandably worried sick about my vanishing, Taro and Elias had already been picked up by their families and (Taro at least) would join us again tomorrow.
I didn't tell Chiyo about Yurei, not when I still hadn't settled that matter inside my head, and merely laid the blame of my late arrival on my run-in with Kyoya (which probably wasn't the wisest choice), but Papa's questioning gaze made me pause before I shrugged off his questions and went about to set the table with Chiyo.
I would answer his questions later, once I had time to review and understand what I had just witnessed.
I hoped that it wasn't what I thought it was, because Isaia's memory of said event (even if it was mostly just speculation) painted a grim picture for the possible answer of this problem.
I wasn't sure the town would still be standing if it was.
Dinner was a quiet affair, or as quiet as you could get in the Yamamoto household, with Seth either curled up around one of my ankles and lazily circling around the table. I had to withhold a snort when I see Papa's back stiffen and his smile become frozen on his face when Seth decided to curl around his ankle.
Papa had never felt comfortable around the large snake.
And that was so funny.
Chiyo was morose by the time Papa had told us to go to bed and get some sleep, training took a lot of energy out of her (and so did my sword training, when I trained that is) and Takeshi was more than happy to offer her a piggy-back ride up the stairs. Who knew a tired Chiyo could act so cuddly...?
I had a hard time falling asleep that night. Something inside of me hurt and cried its' anguished thrill, begged for something to be returned to it but which was refusing to come back.
I softly rubbed my hand over my chest, the moonlight created shadows on the bed curtain and my eyes followed them in a lazy and tired attempt at not letting my mind ponder on the events of that day.
Truth be told, today's events had drudged more than it's fair share of memories best left forgotten, none of them mine. The whispers advice, or warning depending on how you took it, had brought into my awareness a memory belonging to Asa that I was very uncomfortable with to let myself focus on it.
Then Yurei's powers popped up in my train of thought and I groaned, thinking about that was exactly what I didn't want to do.
His power... Even if I had absolutely no idea what was really going on, was unstable. It was running rampant because Yurei couldn't control it.
It was too strong.
How could I help him?
- Do what has been done before. - The wispy voice said.
What has been done before?
- Yea', do wha' other Temporales hav' done! - The darker one said with a crackle.
- Give him what all Tormentas need but lack. - The wispy one added.
What they need but... lack?
- Yes. What all Tormentas require to live and survive like the rest of the Storms, but that which they lack and suffer for its absence. - The wispy one answered.
- Do ya' know wha' it is? - The other asked.
No. What is it?
- Balance. - The two of them answer, their voices cracking like lightning.
Darkness and haze fogged my mind.
I was back into the mindscape, still in complete darkness with the exception of the sole bright star above me. Nothing had really changed since I had last been here, but the air was slightly warmer yet still cold which I didn't really saw as relevant.
As I looked around I started to wonder what would appear here. What would materialize next?
What could I give?
- Whatever you want to give it. - The wispy voice spoke, - Whatever you wish or promise to give it. - It adds.
"Maybe a full sky, that star looks lonely." I smile," Or maybe somewhere you could sit or lay down?" I wondered.
- Company or comfort? - It murmured,- Then how can you give it? -
I shrugged. I had no idea how.
- You gave that star. You created it. - It said,- How? -
"I saved Elias." I answered.
- You wanted to save her and you did. - The whisper replied, - And by doing so you created that star by giving determination, will and hope to this Dreamscape.-
"Hope? That star means hope?" I asked.
- That one yes, but not all stars represent hope. Some burn brighter, some are dimmer, and none two stars are the same... - The whisper answered.
"So, for me to give company or comfort to this place, I must do something that represents that?" I asked.
- Yes and no. You must give what in your heart perceive as having an equal value of what you wish to materialize here. - The whisper answered patiently.
Aah...
"Earlier... What did you mean by 'Balance'?" I asked after a moment of silence.
- Tormentas lack balance, their cores are wild and unfocused, they fight for control of something neither side can quite grasp, and they pay dearly for it. - The whisper replied.
"Why?" I questioned.
The whisper went still for a moment.
- Tell me, Temporale, do you know what your core is? What it is made of? - The whisper asked in lieu of answering.
"No, it's made of colorful flames." I frowned," Purple, blue and green... In the inside it's orange." I added.
- But do you do not know what those flames are, correct? - The whisper questioned.
"No." I reluctantly shake my head.
- Those flames are... - The whisper starts to explain when it's interrupted by this cold wave of... something that makes it pause.
"They're what?" I pressed, pleading for the whisper to answer.
- He has a right to know... We can't keep him in the dark forever. He's closer to the answer himself, no matter what we do now, he'll figure it out. - The whisper answers to someone other than me.
-... Too' early... - The other frequent whisper mutters back.
- That's not your decision to make. We are here to advise and guide, to reason and help him, not to make decisions for him or to keep things from him once it reaches the point where he needs that information. - The whisper replies back.
- King's too youn'..." The other argues.
- If he's already opened up his core he might as well start working with it! The sooner the better, you know that! - The other continued on with the same tone.
There's this huff of indignation before a quieter mutter is heard.
- The' keep gettin' young'r each time... - The other says, clearly unhappy.
- I know. - The other sighs.
I blink and try to process their words.
"You've met other Temporales?" I asked.
Quiet answers me.
- You could say that. - The wispy one answers.
- Nah' like we had a choice. - The other grumbles.
"Will you tell me now what you were going to tell me?" I decide to just get this done before I tried to shoulder on more doubts and questions.
- I'mma gonna go... Can't stan' t'is part. - The other mumbled before vanishing.
-... Such a softie he is... - The other sighs, before turning more serious,- Where was I?-
"You were saying that the flames were...?" I said.
- Elements. The flames represent elements, who themselves belong in different groups of Flames. - The whisper continued immediately,- So far there are only two recognized groups of Flames, Flames of Sky and Flames of Earth. -
Suddenly there's this flutter in my mind, like a memory trying to come out. A word at the tip of your tongue you're struggling to remember.
- There are seven flames in each group. - The whisper started to explain.
"One for each Storm?" I interrupted in question.
- No, Storms do not belong in either of these groups, though they affect and take influence from both. - The whisper answered, taking my interruption in stride,- Storms only represents themselves and can only be grouped with their own flames.- It added in a serious tone.
"Why? Why are Storms so different?" I asked.
- They are different because they were not meant to exist, if they had been then there would've been many more Storms. - It answered,- I believe you already know why only seven Storms exist in every generation, why a new one only appears when its predecessor dies. - It added.
"Yes... Because the power broke off from a bigger chunk of power." I answered.
- Exactly, and that power they broke off is the power that the other flames are grouped in, divided into two groups, seven types each. - The whisper seemed kind of proud to be explaining this.
"But... Are there really no flame similar to ours?" I asked.
The whisper went quiet and seemed to be pondering something.
- There is a... 'flame' similar to the Storms, but still far different from it. - It answered, unsure about how to explain.
"What flame is it?" I asked, eager to know.
- Flames of Wrath. - The whisper answered,- A vile creation of hate and anger, tainting such pure core element, made possible by... His anger. - It spat out in disgust.
That name... It nudged that memory piece a bit more.
"Is there... Anyone who can use this flame now?" I asked.
I hear nonsensical muttering and grumbling.
- One, and you will not be pleased to hear who it is. - The whisper assures me.
"Who?" I asked.
- One of Vongola Nonos' sons. - The whisper said,- The youngest whose name is Xa-...- It started to add.
"Xanxus." I instantly recall.
Wait... Recall? I've never heard of that name...
But...
A memory trembled and shifted in the forefront of my mind, begging to be noticed, recognized... Remembered.
Xanxus... Nono's youngest son... Vongola's...
A flash of angry red eyes flashes before me and I blink, startled.
It was not the same red eyes as the ones in my dream, similar but not the same, and yet...
I recognized them.
And I felt something creeping over me.
"Those elements... What are they?" I asked quietly.
Flames of Sky... Flames of Earth... They sounded very familiar as well, but not from Isaia's perspective, no...
Something far more troubling...
- The Flames of Sky, the ones you see around you and are extremely common and easy acessible, are Mist, Cloud, Sun, Thunder, Storm, Rain and Sky. - It answered.
And just like that I was plunged into ice.
Before my eyes I saw images roll and phase through me, the feeling of paper on my fingertips, the sounds of laughter and silly cartoon sounds resounded inside me. A memory popped up and unfolded, forgotten but remembered, and I shivered in realization.
'Asa, you should see this manga I have here!'
'Why? What's it about?'
'Mafia! You'll love it!'
'I don't think so. But, I'll give it a try.'
'Great! Then, next time, you can tell me what you thought of it!'
Those voices... Those are mine and... Hugh's...
I thought I would never heard them again...
It's been so long since I last heard them.
What's going on? I remember this... back when I was Asa... Back before I was here...
How... Can this be?
How can I exist in...-
'Hey, Asa! So, what did you think?'
'It was really great! Did you see how Tsuna handled it in that chapter?'
'Yeah, he was awesome. I wanna be like him, except not as wimpy...'
Chapter... It was the chapter of that manga Hugh had wanted me to read. The one he let me borrow, the one he later gave me...
It's name was...
Dread started pooling around me.
'What's your favorite element then?'
'Huh? You're asking me?'
'Duh, who else would I ask? We're the only ones here.'
'Oh, yeah, I forgot. Well, I would say I am a... a Sun!'
Hugh...
'Why a Sun?'
'Because, Asa, I brighten up your day all the time!'
Hugh... Please... Don't...
'That's not a very good reason...'
It really wasn't... But that didn't mean it was any less true... Oh, Hugh...
'Then, what about you? What's your element?'
'Oh? I think I'm more of a mist...'
Because I always lied. Because I always created and invented a new illusion to blunt my reality, to muffle the sounds of hate and criticizing...
To help me face a new day...
'A mist? Not a chance! You're a sky, one hundred percent!'
Oh, Hugh... Did you really believe that?
'A sky? I'm not that great, nor am I as cool as Tsuna...'
I really wasn't... and yet...
You smiled so brightly.
"This world..." I started to say, my voice breaking with emotion.
- You've realized? Do you remember? - The whisper quietly asked.
"This is a manga... An anime... I've seen this, yet..." I was picking at straws and I knew it.
- Yes, it is all that, but, at the same time, this world is not any of those. - The whisper said,- Do you know why?-
I looked up at the single star shining down on the dark void.
"Because we do not exist in any other world..." My eyes widen," We were never meant to exist." I whisper.
- That's right, Temporale. - The whisper says,- You know this world by watching others, so you know what will happen soon, but have no references or support to help you choose what you wish for the Storms to become, for they do not exist.-
I start picking up facts from both memory veins, mine and Asa's and I start to compare them. And sooner than I want I come to the realization that...
"We are in Vongola soil. This is Primo's land..." I clutch my head in despair," Vongola's future heir is here?! Tsuna! That kid! The empty kid!" I shriek," Vongola...!"
And then it hits me.
Takeshi... Kyoya... Ryohei... They are Vong-!
- Not yet. - The wispy voice interrupts my inner freak out,- You may still change that if you wish. There's nothing stopping you, right?-
That's right, but...
"It's like a butterfly effect, just by exist we are already creating ripples... The bridge incident is an example, Mama still died but it was... different." I started to calm down," If I change things... what else can go sideways? I have no idea or way of knowing..."
- No, but you might want to change things in favor of keeping family and friends from joining the mafia. - It reasoned,- Besides, look back and think about all the things you've already changed. You do not need to worry about these things now, you still have time, and far more pressing matters to deal with.-
Yurei.
Our powers.
Vasco.
The missing Storm.
...
"Takeshi is... almost seven years old." I started," The mafia arrive when he's... fourteen? I can't remember correctly." I frown.
- Around that time. - It answers.
"That's seven years, almost six." I glare at the nothingness in front of me," That is not a lot of time!"
- More time to prepare than you've been alive. - It shrugged,- You've always felt that a confrontation was going to happen sooner or latter.-
I glared harder.
Closing my eyes I took a deep breath.
"We are going to return to this topic later," I glared," Now... Can we please get back on track, I'm starting to get a headache." I sighed tiredly.
- Of course. - The whisper had the audacity to seemingly smirk knowingly.
We were so dead... Why just why did I have to remember this now?!
It helps but still!
Oh Kami, how will I explain this to the others?
How will I be able to look at Kyoya and Takeshi without immediately thinking they are Vongola Guardians?
Speaking of Guardians... Kyoya was...
I choke on my laughter.
Oh God! He's Alaude's descendant!
And Takeshi is Asari's!
Wait... My laughter dies a terrible death.
That makes me he's descendant also... We belong to one of Vongola's lines...
Seriously?
That's not as funny as it is ironic... (**)
"I already get the gist of it with the elements, so I guess we can skip that, so..." I prompt.
- Why are Storms so different than simple flame users? - It asks.
"Yes, why?" I ask.
- Because flame users have only one flame, even in the rare occasion where one has more than one flame frequency, and they only utilize one flame at a time. - It started to explain,- Storms are combination of flames, they cannot separate these elements and so their flames are automatically more dangerous and a lot more stronger.-
"So... Yurei's uncontrollable power is because it's a mixture of elements?" I ask.
- Yes and no. It's the element that's mixed with that's causing the problem. - The wispy one answers,- What can you now say about your core? Knowing flames and their properties?-
Huh... I frowned trying to remember the faded information from Asa's memories.
"I have... Cloud flames, along with Rain and Thunder flames... and... Sky?" I say unsure.
- Correct. And what of their properties?- It asks.
"Cloud is... Propagation. Rain is Tranquilization and Thunder is Hardening." I slowly answer," Sky is easy enough to remember, Harmonization."
- And what do those properties do? - It then asks.
I frown harder, what did that have to do with anything.
"Sky turned things to stone, Thunder made things harder, like a shielding and stuff, and Rain made things slow down. Or put people to sleep." I answer," Cloud..." I stop to ponder on the stray thought of Kyoya covering the whole town with hedgehogs," Multiplies." I finish.
- And Suns have Activation, they heal things, Storm is Disintegration, it makes things brittle and decompose, Mist is Construction, it creates things, real or not. - It adds,- Of course, there are characteristics and traits that, usually, all flame users have in common, depending on their type, can you recall them?-
"Skies being silly and clumsy? Mists being really creepy? Things like that?" I ask it.
- Yes! Can you remember what Clouds were like?- It seems anxious.
"Ruthless. Vicious..." I frown," Territorial?" I add.
- That one. - It says,- Kyoya is Cloud, and you also possess that element, as does every single other Storm as it is their core element, the one where all other elements rotate and function around.- It starts to explain.
- Yurei is a Tormenta, and, as 'luck' would have it, all Tormentas draw the short straw in regards to their powers. - It continues,- Unlike other Storms, except the Temporale, it only has one element, but two cores.-
"But... You just said Tormentas have Cloud! That means he has..." I hesitate.
- It means he has two Cloud cores, and that's where the problem lies. - It sighs,- Clouds are possessive and territorial and, even if they belong to the same user, do not tolerate another core encroaching on it, so... they fight.-
"But that only makes matters worse!" I yell.
- Yes, but they are sentient (even if unemotional and unresponsive) power manifestations, they don't know better. - It admonishes me,- They fight and the only way to make them stop is one of two options. -
"And what are those options?" I wearily ask.
I can almost imagine its' smirk.
- Fight them and tire them out. - It says, - Giving them a way to release that energy that has no outlet. Or...-
- Tranquilize them with a Rain element. - It seems to shrug.
Rain element... Blue flames... That would mean...-
"YOU WANT ME TO TOSS TARO IN FRONT OF YUREI?!" I shriek again.
That's literally like tossing an innocent lamb to the wolves?!
- Well, you could try and harmonize with him... But that might not work, so... - It counted off,- You have to fight him and tire him out.-
...
"You're kidding me..." I gape at it," You want me to 'fight' a guy who not only is a Cloud, he's a dual Cloud core?! Are you crazy?!"
- My sanity is not to be question by the likes of you, *hmpf* - It huffed in indignation,- Oh look at the time, best you be off then!~-
"Oy! This is not ov-..." I started to yell.
Light flooded and the next thing I know I'm opening bleary eyes to the sunlight bed curtain of my bunk bed.
"You've got to be kidding me..." I grumble.
- Well, that went better than expected. - A voice cheerfully commented.
- Yah', and ya' managed nah' ta' tell King abou' dat' Sky he 'as...- The second one grumbles in agreement.
- He never asked. - The other answered.
Both voices burst out laughing.
I knew I was pacing even before Chiyo hit me with her sneaker and told me to sit down and stay still. Unfortunately for her, her threats had long since lost their overwhelming sense of fear, so I just tossed the sneaker back and kept pacing.
It was not that Chiyo was no longer terrifying, because trust me she was, it was just that I had grown familiar to her presence and mood, the slight changes in her demeanor that symbolized danger to me or others, so I knew how far I could push her temper before I was splattered on a damn wall.
"What's into you anyway?! You've been like that since yesterday!" She grumbled.
"I just realized something... And..." I start scratching the back of my neck.
"And what?" She asks, more out of habit than actual curiosity.
"I met another Storm." I 'casually' answer.
Chiyo freezes mid-step, turning to me with horrified eyes.
"That makes... Six Storms found?" Chiyo whispers," Did you meet him in your dreams too?" There was a hopeful note in her voice.
"No, he's already here..." I can feel a grimace take over my face," It's Kyoya's cousin."
Oh, God I do not like that look in her eyes.
Wait... That's it!
I turn to her, my eyes glinting with mad pleasure and I have a really large grin on my face right now.
"Chiyo~" I start with the 'Yamamoto style' cheery tone of voice.
She looks really unsure at the moment, a million possibilities flooding her mind.
Good, I can be just as terrifying as her, if for all the different reasons.
"How interested are you in a really 'all-out' battle between Kyoya, you, Yurei (that's the new Storm) and I?" I cheerfully ask her.
Her 'smile' just makes me regret this decision a 'little' bit.
Oh well...
I hope the town is still standing after this...
Alright, this chapter is vastly different from what I had planned but, oh well... I'll just have to drag those plans to the next chapter.
I'll clear a few things now before moving on to explain sections of this chapter.
Temporale have three elements: Cloud (a core every single other Storm has); Thunder (Lightning, whatever you wish to call it) and Rain.
Sandstorms have two elements: Cloud and Mist.
Hurricanes have two elements: Cloud and Sun.
Ice-Storms have two elements: Cloud and Rain.
Lightning-Storms have two elements: Cloud and Thunder.
Blizzards have one element: Cloud (core 1) and Cloud (core 2).
Firestorms have two elements: Cloud and Storm.
Storms (the group) do not possess any type of Sky flame. Sky flames are not in any way to be associated with Temporale flames. Therefor, Natsushi having Sky flames, is not connected to his powers or birth family. I also have to note that Isaia has, so far, not showed any 'orange blazing eyes' either.
Tormentas (Blizzards) tend to be very, very violent due to their powers driving them into a 'unstoppable battle-rage' mode, they sure didn't help Storms try to show people they are not dangerous, since a simple argument would 'trigger' them.
The 'Well, that escalated quickly' phrase can describe them fairly well...
The (*) is because I didn't want to add an A/N there to say they were stupefied with the sight of cute cuddly Natsushi's big eyes filled with tears, that's like kicking a puppy. Except this 'puppy' is a frikin' powerhouse that could and would wipe the floor with you.
In a few years...
(**) - A/N: I was laughing madly behind the screen writing that. He has no idea.
And yay! Natsushi has realized he's in KHR! (Though he'll try to ignore that tidbit of info until he has absolutely no other choice than to face it)
He's also finding it pretty hilarious that Kyoya and Alaude are related. Especially since Natsushi has memories of Alaude and not just a vague mention of who he had been.
Tsuna and what Natsu feels about the situation will be explored later, as well as the issue of canon starting in 7/6 years from this chapter.
I'll also add that Blizzards will most likely be called Tormentas fairly frequent, I'll further that thought next chapter, or in the near future. One or the other.
You can reread that memory of Asa in Part I - Chapter 12, and you can see that the names and you'll check that the words 'mafia' and 'manga' are cut, as well as 'Tsuna'. That's because Natsu obviously didn't remember Asa back then.
Also Hugh.
A word of advice, as the ordinary person who likes this story and not as the author that has to write said story, do not like him or sympathize with him. You'll know why later.
I guess you could call him an Avatar of someone I knew, and I maybe shouldn't have included such bias character in this story but meh, I needed someone for that role and guess what?
He frikin' fit.
(Sorry, writing that scene will either cause me an emotional breakdown or me throwing my PC out of my window in frustration, ignore my rather moody self in said occasions. I apologize in advance.)
Okay, and so... I'll see you next chapter?
P.S- If you haven't noticed both voices/whispers are jerks.