The Vongola Ring Arc starts...yeah...
I had to make up a ring for Mori! And an opponent! I feel guilty for changing the plotline like that, but...Mori must be included! And I couldn't very well kick one of the original guardians out! That'd be even worse!
Chapter 34: Rings
Mori gets mail! Which is very, very rare...because she really doesn't have that many correspondents other than those stalker fangirls. Ok. Let me rephrase this. Mori gets mail that's not stuffed with hearts and confessions! Now that was rarer...
The mail was actually a package. Hm...Stamped with some funky seal that she dimly recalled was the sign of the...Vongola family? Goodie. More trouble for her.
It was...a ring. At least, half a ring by the looks of it. A note came falling out of the package as well.
Fujisaki Mori
I picked you out as the Ring Guardian of the Wind for Tsuna's family. I suggest you start preparing for battle, cause this probably isn't decided just yet. You've got competitors, so I suggest you watch out.
Reborn
Competitors? Mori frowned and glanced at the ring. Wait...now that she had a closer look at it...wow... "It's pretty!" She poked it with a toothpick. "I don't wanna hand it over!" She thought for a moment. "Hm...I wonder if Kyouya got one...cause Reborn said that I was one of the guardian peoples..."
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Ten minutes later...in the reception room...
Kyouya looked at her. "What?"
"I was wondering if you got one of these thingies!" She held up her ring half.
"..." He frowned before picking something up from the couch arm and tossing it at her. Another ring half! Identical except it had an inscription of a cloud on it and Mori's had...a bunch of funky lines... "The infant sent it."
"Kyouya's a cloud person?"
"..."
"Somehow, it suits Kyouya." She chirped.
"Don't you have anything else to do?"
"Yes."
"Then go do it."
"Mou..." She sighed. "Alright...I still have to go meet Reborn anyways..."
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"We have a problem with you." Reborn told her. They were stuck in Tsuna's house, with everyone including Tsuna himself and his mom, mysteriously absent. Reborn was drinking coffee.
"What did I do?"
"We need to get you a tutor."
"Eh? But my grades are still high!"
The infant shook his head. "No, a fighting tutor that can properly guide and help you develop your skills."
"Why?!! I don't wanna learn!"
"You missed it, but earlier today, we encountered one of our opponents for the Ring Scramble."
"What ring scramble?!"
"Apparently, Tsuna isn't the only eligible 10th generation boss for the Vongola family. The Ninth has a son called Xanxus."
"Then why is Tsuna eligible in the first place?"
"It's complicated, but the point is, to determine the one worthy of forming the 10th generation family, it's been decided by the 9th to hold a competition for the position of 10th boss and his guardians."
"Uh...ok..." She was scribbling things down on her hand. "I think I got that...wait...how do you spell Xanxus?"
He spelled it for her.
"Ok...so...why should I be training for this?"
"Xanxus's chosen guardians are elite fighters with much more experience than any of you." Reborn said seriously. "Today, one his top fighters assaulted Basil-"
"Who's Basil?"
"Someone assigned to get our half of the rings to us." So it was half a ring after all. "Anyhow, you say you've been in the Mafia before. Right?"
"That's what everyone says."
"Then you must've heard of Superi Squalo?"
She thought for a moment. "Oh! I remember him! I met him once. He kept yelling really loud during this one time and sliced apart the guards that tried to drag him out of the building with this weird sword!"
"Sounds like him."
"He needs a haircut."
"It's even longer now."
"Wow...did he bleach his hair or something?"
"Dunno. I think it was always like that. You can ask Dino. They're somewhat acquainted." Reborn told her. "Anyways, I've assigned a tutor for you."
"..."
"An Acrobelo like myself. Her name is Lal Mirch."
"Sounds like a foreign name."
"Yes. She was Colonello's"
"Who?"
"Another Acrobelo and Ryohei's tutor. She was Colonello's instructor in COMBUSTIN, the Mafia navy force."
"Wow...she sounds strong..."
"She keeps saying she's the weakest Acrobelo though. Don't listen to that."
"Hn...?"
"The official battle starts ten days from now, but she'll only be able to train you for 8 days before heading back to Italy for other business. Try training yourself for the last two days."
"Er..." Her left arm was already covered with scrawling and she's on her right arm (she can write with both hands, Muhahahahaha). "'kay...when do I get to meet her?"
"She should be at your house by now. Why don't you go meet her?"
"Uh huh...oh wait!" She was about to get up. "Who's training Kyouya?"
Reborn smirked at this. "Dino."
"..." She nearly died laughing. Dino? That soft hearted guy? He wasn't going to survive this. Right?
Apparently, she was wrong. Dino can teach Kyouya a thing or two after all. But she'll never know that.
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So...
Lal Mirch turned out to be an infant no taller than Reborn with black hair that was longer than Mori's and dark goggles and a funky cloak thing.
"Uh..." Mori blinked. "So you're supposed to be my tutor?"
"Yes."
"Uh huh..." She thought for a moment. "Ok! What should we do?!"
"You're a lot more eager than I expected." Lal Mirch commented. "From what I've heard from Reborn, you're hard to control."
"I know, but Reborn says that if I lose, then I'll have to give up the ring and I like the ring cause it's pretty."
"..." She shook her head. "Maybe this is going to be harder than I thought after all..." And sighed. "Alright, Mori, is it? I don't have much data on you, so you'll have to tell me your skills and powers and such for me to make something out of you."
"Ok...uh...should I call you Lal Mirch sensei?"
"Whatever's fine?" Steely glare from behind the goggles. "But I warn you, I'm a strict trainer and I will not tolerate disrespect."
"Alright, alright...I never disrespect people." Mori said cheerfully. "At least, not on purpose. But it's the thought that counts, right?"
"Sure. Anyways, list your skills."
"Uh, now?"
"Yes now!"
"Alright! Sorry!" She thought for a moment. "I have decent aiming, gravity controlling powers, and...I can use the gravity thingy to enhance physical strength..."
"You're eye?" Lal Mirch gestured to the freakishly discolored red orb floating behind Mori's glasses.
"Oh yeah! That too!"
"Not a bad arsenal. What about weapons?"
"Bazooka and guns." She pulled out her guns from her pocket. "I nabbed these from the black market."
"Hm..."
"Actually, I stole them from the black market." Wow. Now that's something.
"I heard you wore glasses, so I ordered contacts for you." Lal Mirch threw a case at Mori.
"But I don't like contacts!" She protested, catching the case.
"Your glasses will break too easily. Just wear the contacts for the training and the fighting."
"Mou...fine..."
After a lot of turmoil where Mori was running around, yelling about how her eyes were being torn out, and rubbing her eyes and crying, Lal Mirch finally revealed that they were going to be training in an underground facility in...
"CHINA?!!!"
It appears the Vongola has branches around China as well. So Mori was stuffed into a first class private jet and shipped off to China.
They landed in an area around Shanghai.
"Why me? I don't even know how to use long distance calling. No Kyouya for ten days?" Mori wailed as she followed Lal Mirch.
"Deal with it. If you lose this, then your precious boyfriend will be killed along with you and your boss, as well as the entire family."
"What?!"
"The opposing side is made of the most ruthless members of the Vongola family." Lal Mirch said, not slowing her pace. "Led by Xanxus, they are an elite faction of assassins and such called the Varia."
"Aw...just who am I up against?"
"Definitely not Xanxus, that's for sure. He'll be reserved for Sawada. The 7 other members are Squalo, who I'm sure you've heard of."
"Sure."
"There's Levi, who is probably the thunder guardian because of his powers. So you don't have to worry about him. There's that Belaphor, but if you fight him, it'll be an easy win."
"How does she know all this?" Mori thought.
"Just hope you don't fight Neo. He'll rip you apart in five seconds."
"Neo? What kind of name is that?"
"He's an aerial fighter. You'll never be able to even reach him."
"Then he can't reach me!"
"His attacks are long ranged and his accuracy is better than anyone else's in all of the Mafia."
"And then I came." Mori thought to herself dryly.
"We're here." They stopped at a huge, double door entrance.
"Wow."
Lal Mirch walked up to a computer keyboard pad and typed something really long in. There was sound of mechanics and stuff and the doors gave a lurch before sliding open in a very slow manner. "This is one of the most advanced training facilities that the Vongola has, armed with various terrains, traps, even holograms. The floors are set with land mines, loose areas that break into spike covered grounds, and there's a particular area that is dug almost 1 mile vertically under the facility. The place is loaded with motion sensors and laser barriers and such. Even a breath can set off a whole field of explosions."
"...and I'm training here?"
"Yup." Lal Mirch actually looked proud of herself. "It took a long time for me to get this area since it's so popular."
"This place is a death trap! I don't want to be disintegrated by lasers or blown up by land mines!"
"Too bad. We need to get you ready as soon as possible. This training facility will at least speed things up a little. We're starting now. Are you fully armed?"
"Yes. Oh, wait..." Mori first emptied the barrels of her gun. A bunch of bullets clattered onto the metal floor.
"What are you doing?! You need your bullets for this!"
"Not really." She picked the bullets up and dropped them into her bag...which doubled as her bullet holder. "I never really use bullets. My firepower is different."
"..." Lal Mirch sighed. "Whatever. As long as you can fight."
"Yay!"
"We'll be working on your speed first. Get ready. And..."
"Huh?"
"Don't you have anything better than those slippers to run in?"
Mori looked down at them. "Uh...yeah!" She took them off. Her feet? Lovely.
"..." Well, at least there wasn't gonna be anything to trip over.
So, Mori's second Acrobelo training begins. Hopefully, Lal Mirch can do a better job than Reborn.
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It was...painful...to say the least.
So, first. Mori had to run like what...50 miles? On a path of land mines and underground dynamite, being chased by a 60 mph bulldozer that seemed more proficient at dodging the explosions than herself.
After that, she had to dodge bullets from 50 machine guns, as well as the underground bombs again...lovely...
And after that!!!!
Ten minute break.
"T...tired..." Mori dragged herself out of the training areas, covered head to toe with blood and dirt. "...Uh...my feet hurt..."
"You're not bad." Lal Mirch commented, handing her a glass of water...before dumping an entire bucket onto her. "Feel better?"
"Mildly."
"I'm surprised you even managed to survive. That was a level 7 training course I gave you."
"Eh? How many courses are there?!"
"Fifteen."
"..."
"Don't worry. The highest that anyone even managed to live through was level 11 and that person was permanently incapacitated. Lost both his legs. I think it was one of the 7th generation guardians or someone like that."
"Then has anyone even seen level 15?"
"Only the people who designed this area. And I heard they were killed during the construction of the 15th course."
"That's terrible!"
"Well, my goal is to get you to level nine. But at this rate, you might be able to progress to the tenth course. For the rest of today, we're going to do another 7th course."
"Another?!"
"There are multiple terrains for each course, with the exception of the last three. They each only have one because...I think the designers ran out of ideas."
"..."
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So it went on. With Mori progressing quite rapidly. It helped that she was able to recover so quickly with a bit of a boost from her illusions. For the first two days, there wasn't really a noticeable amount of improvement. But gradually...perhaps she was getting...a tad bit faster?
It was the third day when everything came crashing down.
Mori was walking to the training area after a nice long stay in her room (which were like 5 star hotel places! Seriously!) and was just about to turn a corner when...she bumped into someone. And like all bumping into cases for her, she was the only one that fell over. "Oops. Sorry." The place was surprisingly populous. Lots of scientists and random people around.
Well, this guy definitely wasn't a scientist. He was tall, green haired, decked out all in black leather and was carrying what looked like...a...scythe? Who did he think he was? The Grim Reaper? Anyhow...the guy looked like he was...hm...older than Kyouya and...younger than Dino. That seemed about right.
"You should be more careful where you're walking."
"Uh..."
"I'm kidding. No worries. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes." He said cheerfully, offering a hand.
"Um...ok. Thanks."
"I haven't seen you around before, little girl. Are you someone's daughter?"
"I'm not a little girl!" She thought sourly. "Uh...no...my...trainer person sent me here to...train."
"I see. Are you here to shape up for some contest?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, that's cute. You take martial arts or something?"
"Not really. It's for the Vongola Ring contest!" She said pointedly. "At least...that's what Reborn said." Perhaps she said something wrong. Because the man looked a bit surprised.
"Oh, you're a ring guardian?"
"Uh huh...I'm serious! I'm not lying!"
"I never said you were." He pointed out. "Besides, I heard the other side was full of kids anyways."
"Other side? Does that mean..."
"Which ring are you?"
"Uh..." Mori thought for a moment. "Wind...I think..."
"Hm? Interesting." The man took out a charm from a chain around his neck and showed it to her. Identical to hers. "It looks like you'll be going up against me."
"EH?!!!"
"I'm Neo." Neo smiled charmingly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fujisaki Mori."
What was he? A mind reader?!
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"I met Neo." Mori told Lal Mirch. "He seemed really nice."
"WHAT?! AS IN ONE OF THE GUARDIANS FROM THE VARIA?!"
"Well, he had a ring."
"What kind? Which element?!"
"Same as mine."
Lal Mirch groaned. "That's it. At this rate, you'll be ripped to shreds!"
"Is he that bad? He was really nice." Except she wasn't a kid!!!
"Don't be an idiot! That bastard may seem nice and charming, but he's the most sadistic member of the entire lot! He won't even kill you straight off! You know what he did to his last opponent?"
"Eh..."
"He cut him into pieces while still managing to keep him alive. Stabbed out his eyes, and skinned whatever he had left!"
"Ew..." Mori winced.
"That guy's a maniac."
"Ok. That's nice, but..."
"Talking about other people behind their backs isn't nice." A sly voice called out behind them. It was that scary Neo guy again. "But considering how you're talking about me right in front of me, I suppose it's alright." Still smiling that disarming smile.
Mori and Lal Mirch weren't exactly moved. "Scary guy!" Mori tugged at Lal Mirch and pointed.
"Pointing is rude, little girl."
"I'M THIRTEEN!!"
"Oh, my bad. How about young lady."
"No! That's even worse!" Mori stuck out her tongue. "It sounds so PROPER!"
"You're picky, aren't you?" He laughed a rather Mukuro like laugh. The scary, polite kind. They would get along well, Mori thought dryly. "Anyhow, I was going to ask you something."
"What?"
"Would you like to have a little spar?"
"Absolutely not!" Lal Mirch interrupted before Mori could speak. "The fight's in 8 days. You can wait until then."
"Let her speak for herself." And for the first time, she caught a rather maniacal gleam in his eyes.
"Uh...what if I say no?"
"Oh, that's perfectly fine! I was just suggesting."
"Hn...a spar? Nothing serious?"
"Of course not. We can save all that for later."
"Then I guess it's ok!" Mori said cheerfully, ignoring Lal Mirch's warning gestures. "Is there an arena around here?"
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There was. Actually, more like a stadium. A big stadium. Really big! Lots of light.
"You haven't been to a place like this, have you?"
"No." Mori looked around. "It's big..." She looked at Neo, and blinked. "Uh..."
"Is there something wrong?"
"Do your eyes change colors or something?" She could've sworn they were a light teal shade a moment ago. Now they were...black. Scary. As in pure, dark black."
"Sometimes."
"..." Suddenly, Mori had a bad feeling when she looked at his eyes. Something really strange. "Mou!"
"Something bothering you?"
"WHY ARE YOU SO TALL?!!" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Just cause I'm short, it doesn't mean you have the right to be a foot taller than me!"
"Uh, sorry?"
"It's not fair. Why is everyone taller than me? Even Sawada san..." She cried, hanging her head.
"Well, it's all in genetics, isn't it?"
"MUKURO'S TALL TOO! HE'S TALLER THAN KYOUYA!!!! AND HE'S RELATED TO ME!!"
"Um..." Neo frowned. "Should we begin?"
"Uh huh..." She sniffed. "I need to start standing on my toes more often."
"Be careful!" Lal Mirch yelled from the stands. Strangely enough, there were other people around too. Neo must be a hit in the stadiums.
"I'm starting." Neo called from the other side of the field, twirling his scythe casually.
"Uh...ok..." And she realized she was talking to thin air.
"A bit...slow, aren't you?" A rather maniacal voice said behind her. She turned around instinctively, only to barely dodge a lethal swipe from that scythe of his.
"I thought this was only a spar!" She stammered, feeling a small cut opening in her cheek.
"It is. I just didn't realize how inexperienced you are." He said tauntingly, leisurely wiping the blood of his blade.
"Lal Mirch was right. He is nuts." Mori gulped. "Wait...Lal Mirch said that he was long rang attacker. How's that scythe going to..."
Wait. Where did that scythe go? Mori looked around, confused. "Didn't you..."
"I put it away." Holy crap! He was floating in mid air! What the hell!!!
"How are you floating?!" She pointed. How rude.
"You forget, sweetheart (Mori!!!! EW!) I'm the guardian of wind and I was chosen for that position because of my ability to actually control the flow of that element."
"But there is no wind! This is indoors!"
"Forgive me." He laughed good naturedly. "I forgot, I can CREATE and control wind. My bad. I should've mentioned that."
"What...? How's that..." She shook her head. "Mou! This is making my head hurt! What are you going to do up there anyways? You can't even reach me with your scythe!"
"Oh, that thing? That's just for small play. I hardly ever use it except on things not worth my time."
"Hey! You used it on me!"
"Well, you seemed to be such a fragile thing that I thought I wouldn't be needing anything else. But the way you dodged that last blow was simply marvelous. I thought I'd give you some credit for that." What a...nice way of putting things.
NOT!
"Then what do you use?"
Neo must've pulled a leaf out of Fuuta's book. Cause he pulled out an entire bow and quiver of arrows from his pocket, much like how Fuuta keeps his big book of ranking. Mori shook her head. "I have to ask them how they do it someday..."
"Does that answer your question?"
"Uh...sure..." She backed away. "I really thought you weren't going to be serious."
"I'm not! I suppose it's just your level that makes it seem so."
"I mean I thought you weren't going to skewer me or something nasty like that!"
"Don't worry. I won't abuse you like that. You're such a cute thing that I thought that I would add you to my collection of corpses." This guy was way worse than Mukuro. At least Mukuro didn't preach about how he was going to kill her when he complimented her.
Why, oh why did Mori always attract nutcase, perverted pedophiles like him? (Even though he was quite a charming young man).
"Ew! Corpses rot after time!"
"Not mine! I have tricks that make them retain their figure forever!"
"Just what kind of corpses do you collect?"
"Any woman that strikes my fancy."
Mori nearly gagged. "Are you serious?! That's disgusting!"
"Though I wouldn't mind a man if he's exceptionally good looking."
"Er..." Awkward moment.
"I'm sorry. That seemed rather strange if you didn't personally know me." Neo apologized. "I mostly prefer women, but I find that men can suit my tastes perfectly fine sometimes." Okay, he was bi. Mori wasn't really prejudice about those kinds of people. She considered them perfectly normal. But this guy...was...really scaring her. Mainly cause he was making a body collection! "We're digressing. Shall we continue with the fight?" He strung his bow and aimed.
"Oh shit." She saw black energy gathering and transferring into the arrow. She jumped back out of instinct. But instinct wasn't fast enough, apparently. There was a huge explosion as the attack hit her, full force.
"Damn it, a direct hit will kill her!" Lal Mirch yelled. "What was he thinking, using an attack of that magnitude." Probably to show off.
Too bad that attack was a direct hit after all.
The entire stadium was filled with smoke. No signs of life. Or Mori. Neo smiled complacently and was about to put away his weapons when...
"I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T GOING TO CRUSH MY BODY!" A voice yelled from below and the dust cleared. Mori was crouched on the floor, coughing, bleeding. She had multiple wounds on her and her vest had been completely demolished, leaving her with her shirt and the top half (thankfully) of her pants.
"Well, that attack didn't. Did it?" Neo smiled. "I could tell those fabrics that made up your clothes were protective clothes that could withstand a surprising amount of damage and those wounds won't permanently scar your skin. But I wasn't counting on you to survive that." And paused for a moment, before adding rather sadly. "Or for your clothes to still remain intact."
Silence. Then...
"...that's just sick." Mori shook her head before pulling out...oh! It was her guns again! Long time no see. "I really don't like you."
"Well, after this. You won't be able to have an option on me anywhere else besides hell!" Another aim. This time, Mori didn't dodge. She deflected with two shots of her own. Hopefully that can adjust the gravity of the arrow and...
The arrow pierced straight through. Mori gave a start. She really couldn't dodge this. Crying about how this wasn't supposed to happen, she aimed and shot at the ground. Part of the floor cracked apart from the rest and floated upwards, effectively taking the blast. "This is not what I signed up for." Mori cried, falling backwards into a sitting position.
"Did that..." Neo flew closer. "Just adjust the gravity?"
"Wha...?"
"That's quite something special you have there, Sweetheart (Mori: Quit calling me that!). No wonder they made you the Wind guardian."
"What? What does gravity have to do with Wind?"
"Oh, nothing really! Forget I said anything." He flew back again. "But I'm a bit disappointed. I expected more from someone who was a ring guardian, even though they are all made of little kids."
"Thirteen." She yelled mentally. "I'm thirteen." She was nearly on the verge of tears.
"Anyways, fighting you have lost it's fun. To tell you the truth, I'm interested in your body than your actual skills, but it really seems I can't finish you off quickly without wrecking you up. I'm sorry that sounds so offending, but it's the truth." Pedophile. "Let's finish this, shall we?"
Mori couldn't even answer when she felt a cold blade slice straight through her shoulder, making a jaggard cut through what would've been her heart. "...!"
"Since you're such nice eye candy, I won't do anything mean like cutting you apart." Neo said sweetly, removing the scythe from her body.
"..." The cut was too deep for any human to survive. Liberal amounts of blood splattered noisily onto the ground. She couldn't even hear Lal Mirch yelling or the commotion in the crowd, or Neo laughing maniacally. "I guess I'm more useless than I thought." She thought dimly.
Dead or not, Mori had lost all consciousness before she hit the ground.
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Poor Mori. She got completely owned.
Neo's so cruel. Why'd I make such a mean guy?
Mori: SO I CAN BEAT THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF HIM LATER!!!
That may be it.
I'd appreciate if you'd review! Just to let me know what you think of this rather twisted chapter. Cause I never really wrote anything where my main character is actually completely run over like that.