Kyandi: Greetings, all!
Roksana: Kyandi-sama has been impressed by the guesses some have made as to what my box weapon will be.
Kyandi: There were some pretty good guesses as to what animal it will be, but what some have failed to realize is...
Roksana: I have three boxes.
Kyandi: And there's a reason for that. Which you will all see in the next few chapters.
Roksana: Some of you, though, will probably be able to guess the reason for yourselves.
Kyandi: They are clever like that.
Roksana: Well...they know how to make you laugh.
Kyandi: That, they do! Also, this chapter is going to end with another plot twist for all of you.
Roksana: Can't wait to see how they handle this.
Kyandi: We'll see. Everyone, enjoy and review!
Roksana: Kyandi-sama does not own Katekyo Hitman REBORN.
Chapter 31 Five Days
Roksana returned to her training after the meeting, staring down at the three boxes she had managed to open, her hands on her hips. She had five days to figure out how to make the three different boxes work for her and her fighting style. Given how she had fought her whole life, the newness of these box weapons which were a completely different way of going about combat than she was use to, she had a feeling that it might be time to consider changing fighting style.
Just a little.
She didn't have the time to completely overhaul her fighting style. That being said, she had a good idea on how to go about it and still be prepared in time for the raid, but she had a lot of work ahead of her if she wanted to make it in time.
She was in the process of doing just that the next day, when Hibari came bursting into the room, his expression dead set like something was wrong. Roksana looked up from where she was fiddling with her boxes. She opened her mouth, to ask if there was a problem, but Hibari merely took hold of her wrist and started dragging her after him. Roksana barely had the time to snag her three boxes before he pulled her away from them.
"Hibari? Hey! What's going on?" she demanded as he pulled her into the elevator.
He didn't answer as they rode the elevator up. The whole ride, he didn't let go of her wrist. It didn't look like he was trying to start a fight, which had Roksana worried that something was really wrong. Hibari didn't do things like this for no reason. Either he wanted to fight or something was wrong. If he wasn't trying to start a fight, that only left her with the latter.
When they reached the floor he wanted, he pulled her after him. Roksana, after a couple of days making her way back and forth through the base's halls, recognized where they were before Hibari swung open the door to the base's infirmary with a little more force than was necessary.
Tsuna, Bianchi and Reborn looked up as Hibari made his way into the room, dragging Roksana behind him.
"Our of the way." Hibari told Tsuna, swatting him aside as he yanked Roksana up to Chrome's bedside.
Roksana instantly saw what the issue was. Chrome's internal organs, created by Mukuro, had vanished, the girl's mid-drift sinking inward and causing her to cough of blood. Whatever was going on with Mukuro, wherever he was, he wasn't able to supply Chrome with the organs she needed to survive. As Hibari made his way to the other side of the bed, slipping a hand under Chrome's head to lift her slightly off the bed, Kusakabe ushered everyone, but Roksana out of the room.
Roksana looked back at Tsuna, who glanced over his shoulder at her with a questioning look, but all he got from Roksana before the door closed, was a shrug of confusion. Tsuna, Bianchi and Reborn retreated to the meeting room with Ryohei, Lal, Giannini, Fuuta, Gokudera, and Yamamoto. There, they waited to hear news of how Chrome was faring. They didn't have to wait long before Kusakabe joined them.
"Chrome Dokuro is out of immediate danger for now." Kusakabe told them.
"Really!? That's wonderful!" Tsuna exclaimed.
"What did you do to pull her through that condition?" Reborn asked.
"With the combined efforts of Roksana-sama and the Vongola rings." Kusakabe answered. "Kyo-san pressed Chrome to draw out the power of the Vongola ring, and to live under her own power. Right now, Chrome is using her own illusions to make up for her missing organs."
"Is-is such a thing possible?!" Gokudera asked.
"With the added assistance of Roksana-sama and her Vongola ring, yes." Kusakabe confirmed.
"Roksana? What did she do?" Yamamoto asked.
"Roksana-sama's Moon flame has the characteristic of rebirth." Kusakabe explained. "Just as the moon moves through it's phases, only to be reborn as the new moon at the start of each month, Roksana-sama, with the help of her flame, is able to imbue new life into lifeforms who are on the edge of death. In this case, with some coaching from Kyo-san, she was able to lend new life to Chrome's body while the girl used her own power to make new organs. She is, in essence, supplying Chrome with the life force to keep up her illusions. However, Chrome's present strength and Roksana-sama's inexperience, is insufficient to complete the illusion...Chrome is just barely hanging on. For the moment, Roksana-sama is continuing some of her training from Chrome's bedside, so she can help."
"Uhm...then...what's happened to Mukuro?!" Tsuna asked.
"With regards to Mukuro's movements, I think...Sasagawa-san, who was with the Varia, would know more than us." Kusakabe replied.
"The instructions Mukuro gave to the Varia was one-sided, was what I heard. I trusted the instructions and followed it, but where Mukuro was and what he was up to, I have no idea myself." Ryohei replied.
"If he's cut off all the power he was channeling to Chrome, we must face the fact that the worst has befallen Mukuro." Bianchi warned.
"How could that be!" Tsuna gasped.
"Boss! That Mukuro is one persistent guy. We don't know anything for sure yet." Gokudera said, trying to ease Tsuna's concern.
"In any case, it looks like Chrome won't be joining the battle in five days time, and, if she has to remain by her side...neither will Roksana." Reborn said.
Chrome was one thing. She was strong, skilled with illusion, and they could really use her help, but they would find a way to manage without the help from Chrome that could really help them.
But Roksana?
To have half of their strongest fighting pair out of the battle...Tsuna and the others could already tell that things were going to be just that more difficult for them. As strong as Hibari and Roksana were apart, together, they were a force best not reckoned with. Tsuna and his friends had been counting on that fierce pair to be part of their driving force, but if Roksana had to stay behind with Chrome, then things were going to be more difficult than Tsuna really wanted to consider.
"Don't worry. I will stand in for Chrome." Lal said.
Tsuna, who had seen the woman collapsed on the floor just earlier that day, really didn't think that was a good idea. Thankfully, Reborn voiced a complaint for him.
"There's no way we can count on you for that. Right now, you're exhausted just from sitting down." Reborn remarked.
"What did you say?!" Lal demanded.
"Don't force yourself. I can tell just by looking at your face. Your body has absorbed too much of the non-Tri-ni-sette radiation. It's breaking down, isn't it?" Reborn asked.
"Shut up! What do you know!? You came from the past!" Lal snapped at him, everyone else looking between the two.
"I do know. I have experienced enough of the non-Tri-ni-sette radiation above ground. I also know of your recklessness in everything you do." Reborn told her.
"But, the ones emitting the non-Tri-ni-sette radiation are the Millefiore! If we don't take down those people, this world will never return to normal!" Lal yelled
Silence spread over the room, everyone casting looks between the quarreling Lal and Reborn. It was Giannini speaking that finally broke the silence.
"Uh...regarding that...we haven't been able to identify what is causing the non-Tri-ni-sette radiation contamination above ground. While we think the source is most likely the Millefiore, there's no definite evidence." Giannini said.
"We concur." Kusakabe added.
"No! Those people are responsible! For Colonello, and Viper, and Skull...those people killed all of them!" Lal screamed before a sharp pain sent her crashing to the floor.
Several of them rushed to help her, Lal yelling at them not to touch her.
"Sawada," Tsuna looked up at Ryohei. "It's five more days. With all of our fighting power under such terrible conditions, I can guess what you're going to say. I will convey the message to the top to cease battle operations."
"It's just anemia!" Lal insisted.
"Don't over strain yourself, Lal-"
"No...let's do it." Tsuna said, cutting Ryohei off. Everyone turned surprise looks on Tsuna. "If we go to the enemy's hideout, we may be able to return to the past. But, it's not just that...I think we'd be able to get a lead on Mukuro as well. And, we might also be able to understand what this non-Tri-ni-sette is all about. But, I feel that if we take our time for either, we may already be too late. Besides, I feel that...I don't want to prolong the current state of affairs any longer. For all our friends here in Namimori, of course, and for Chrome, and Lal Mirch...things are not supposed to be like that at all!"
Finally realizing what he had just said, Tsuna grew embarrassed, waving his hands in front of him. He hadn't meant to do that, it had just...slipped out.
"That's just what I feel...I mean..."
"Spoken like a true man, Sawada!" Ryohei cheered.
"Or a brat." Lal retorted.
"In any case. We only have five days left. Don't waste even a moment of it." Tsuna said.
The others agreed, everyone heading off back to training. Hibari, who had walked in about half way through Tsuna's little speech, watched as Tsuna ran off to return to his training. In that moment, he decided it was time he told at least Tsuna the truth.
Someone had to know.
-0-0-0-0-
Later that afternoon, after finishing his training with Hibari, Lal gave Tsuna a break to rest up. Tsuna decided to take that time to check up on Roksana and Chrome. When he entered the infirmary, he was surprised by what he saw.
A mix of indigo and silver flames filled the room, twisting together and moving in almost a dance between the two. It created a soft glow in the room as they danced. At the center of the flames, sat Roksana at Chrome's bedside. Both girls had their eyes closed, the hands that bore their Vongola rings entwined, their individual flames bright around their rings. Tsuna was so transfixed by the sight that it took Roksana speaking to snap him out of it.
"She's resting right now."
"O-oh, umm...I just wanted to see how you two are doing." Tsuna said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.
Roksana opened her eyes then, fixing them on Tsuna from across the room. Maybe it was the two flames playing tricks on his eyes, but in the light of those silver and indigo flames, the green streaks in her eyes looked far more vivid and eerie.
With her free hand, Roksana gestured him forward, signalling for him to keep his voice down so Chrome could continue to rest. Tsuna joined her, pulling up a stool on the other side of the bed from Roksana. He took a seat as Roksana focused her eyes back on Chrome's sleeping face. The girl, at least, looked better than she had when he had seen her earlier, coughing up blood.
"She's doing better than she was when I arrived here. I'm still trying to grasp how to use my flames this way, and since the organs are missing, there's not much I can do for her except continue to lend her new energy so she can keep up what she's doing. Any news on what happened to Mukuro?" Roksana asked.
"None."
Hearing the solemn, almost depressed sound of Tsuna's tone, Roksana looked up at the boy.
"You shouldn't worry so much, Tsuna." Tsuna looked up at Roksana. "You know Mukuro as well as I do. He's hard to kill. He is, in every way, like a tarakan."
"A what?" Tsuna asked.
"A cockroach."
Tsuna probably could have guessed that. Roksana didn't exactly have a fondness for Mukuro, not that he blamed her given how their first meeting went. That being said, he didn't really feel better about the whole situation upon hearing her words.
"Do you really think so?" Tsuna asked.
Roksana glanced up at him, seeing the dejected look on Tsuna's face. Heaving a silent sigh, Roksana shifted in her seat, rolling her neck to loosen the muscles before she spoke.
"You can try crushing that man's head beneath your heel, but he's not going to die, the annoyance. But in all honesty...I don't know, Tsuna. I just get the feeling that he's not dead. Some deep rooted instinct is yelling at me that he's too sly and clever to be dead, and that something else had to have happened. I couldn't begin to tell you what that could possibly be, but my instincts have rarely lead me wrong and they're telling me that that annoyance of a man is still alive and kicking." she told him. "I wouldn't be so lucky to be rid of him so easily."
Tsuna looked up at Roksana, a little bloom of hope sprouting in him, despite the horrible joke on the end of her words. He trusted Roksana's opinion. If she was sure that Mukuro was alright, than he was inclined to believe her. Even though things weren't looking too great at the moment.
Then again, nothing had looked too great since they had arrived in the future.
"Whatever is keeping him from helping Chrome, don't worry about it. Chrome and I, together, are capable of handling this, and I think I've figured out how to store my flames in another box that one of the others can open and release, that way, they can use that on Chrome when we have to launch the raid." Roksana told him.
"You can really do that!?"
"I'm working on it. Tsuna," Roksana reached out with her free hand, taking hold of his hand and making him look her in the eyes. "You might be the boss, but don't think you have to shoulder this whole burden alone. That's why your guardians exist. We're all here for you, we're all here fighting along side you. Just calm down, breathe, and think rationally, alright? No one will be saved by you losing your head. We're all making our own strides to figuring this out, and when the time comes, just as we always have, we'll power through. As long as we're fighting together, supporting each other, I have a feeling deep in my gut that we'll be alright."
She gave him a smile and gave his hand a pat before releasing his hand. She turned back to concentrating on Chrome, her calm and at ease expression telling him that she truly believed what she had said. If she thought so, than maybe he could stop worrying and thinking negatively and start thinking a little more positively.
"Anyway...I hear you snapped and yelled at Haru and Lambo this morning." Roksana said, making Tsuna wince.
The boy hung his head as he recalled the way he had snapped at Haru and Lambo, making the both of them cry. He really hadn't meant to be so mean to them, or to make them cry. It just made it worse that Roksana had heard about it.
"Yeah, I did." he said lowly. "How did you find out?"
"Reborn told me."
Tsuna didn't even want to think about how Reborn had come across the information. Then again, he had probably seen the whole thing go down. The real question was...why did he go and tell Roksana about it?
"Why did he tell you?!" Tsuna asked.
"Because, out of all of your guardians, I am the only one that is going to understand how Haru and Lambo are feelings right now, because I am the only one that is both a girl and understands emotions like that." Roksana told him.
"Oh..."
So basically, Reborn had told Roksana, hoping she would give Tsuna a lecture over it. Judging from the way she looked at him, he had a feeling that was exactly what she was about to do. Especially when she heaved a sigh.
"You know you need to go apologize. I can understand being frustrated and overwhelmed, but its no reason to take it out on Haru and Lambo, who are doing their best in their own ways. Especially since Lambo is only five and doesn't know better." Roksana told him.
"Yeah, I know." Tsuna replied.
"Well, then...what are you waiting for?" Tsuna looked up at Roksana, who gave him a small smile. "I got things here. You need to go mend what's been broken. I'm sure you'll figure out how to do that on your own."
Smiling back at her, Tsuna nodded and got to his feet. Roksana was right, he knew. He had a lot to work on, and one of those things was being patient and understanding with those around him. So, leaving Roksana there, he hurried off, Roksana shaking her head as he closed the door behind him.
Sometimes, she felt like she was a mother to her friends.
-0-0-0-0-
"What the hell is going on here?"
Kusakabe looked up when he heard Roksana's voice, finding the girl standing in the doorway, staring at the scene in front of her. To Kusakabe, the girl looked exhausted, but she still managed to glare at the two men standing in the middle of the large room, staring each other down.
"Oh, Roksana-sama, you're back. Is everything alright with Chrome?" Kusakabe said, Roksana glancing down at him.
"She's resting peacefully, for now. I was able to pour enough of my Moon flames into her that she should be alright through the night. Now, care to explain what's going on here?" Roksana asked, pointing to where Hibari and Ryohei were glaring at each other.
When she had headed back to the Foundation residence, she certainly hadn't been expecting to walk in on this. It really was the last thing she wanted to deal with when she felt tired to the bone.
"Well..."
"In that case, we'll settle this with fists and boxes!" Ryohei yelled then, cutting off Kusakabe.
"That's fine with me." Hibari replied.
"Nothing can stop me to the extreme!"
Roksana heaved a sigh. Whenever she heard Ryohei's voice, she had to wonder if the guy even knew what an "inside voice" was, or if he had yelled himself deaf and no longer could tell how loud he was. Either way, it was giving her a headache right then.
"No such thing. I've been stopping you since just now! The guardians should not be fighting over such a senseless reason. Please stop." Kusakabe called out to them.
"What do you mean by senseless reason!? Why am I allowed into the residence but the kids are not? What's that all about! Don't you want Ryoka to have friends!?" Ryohei shouted.
"Truth be told, you're not welcomed either. Just looking at you dampens my will to fight." Hibari retorted.
"I'm pissed off to the extreme!"
Roksana heaved another sigh. She so did not have the energy to deal with this. She was half tempted to smack both Hibari and Ryohei over the head with her shoe, but the more the thought about it, the more that idea seemed like way too much work to bother with at the moment. She wouldn't be able to put enough energy into it to make it a satisfying smack.
"Alright, alright. Let me take Lambo-san and I-pin-san back to their hideout along with Ryoka and I'll play with them over there. Please, just let it rest already." Kusakabe said, trying to calm the situation.
"Oh well...we'll have one round then." Ryohei said.
"That's fine with me." Hibari agreed.
"You will not! Please talk only! No fighting!" Kusakabe insisted. "Roksana-sama, please, do something!"
All eyes turned to Roksana who simply turned on her heels to head across the room to the door that would let her into the hall leading to her bedroom.
"I'm too exhausted for this. I don't know what you expect me to do about those two knuckleheads. Honestly, those two are so perfect for each other that if Hibari wanted a child, he should of had it with Ryohei, not me." Roksana retorted sliding the door open and vanishing beyond it before Hibari could get angry and throw something at her.
Exhausted from having to use her flames for so long, Roksana barely changed and fell into bed before she was out like a light. She missed the meeting that night that discussed the Millefiore blueprints they had obtained. Hibari didn't even try to wake Roksana and wouldn't let Kusakabe, or anyone else wake her.
He didn't need her awake and have her possibly walk in on the conversation he was about to have.
After the meeting, Hibari called out Reborn and Tsuna. Making sure they were isolated and no one would over hear them, Hibari turned to face Tsuna and Reborn.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Tsuna asked, a little worried that Hibari was going to beat the crap out of him again when he was sure he hadn't done anything.
"You need to know the truth." Hibari said instead.
"The truth about what?" Tsuna asked, surprised.
Hibari wasn't really one to lie, and he wasn't really one to correct a misconception, unless it was about who was stronger. To hear him say something like that now...Tsuna didn't know what to expect from Hibari. He certainly didn't expect what left Hibari's mouth next.
"Roksana's death."
Tsuna was shocked, glancing down at Reborn before turning his eyes to Hibari.
"I thought you said she died protecting your daughter." Tsuna replied.
"She did. That isn't the truth I'm talking about." Hibari told him.
"Then what is it?"
Tsuna was confused. What was there to the story that he hadn't been told? Sure, Neither Hibari nor Kusakabe had really gone into details about what had happened, but they had all assumed she had died in the Vongola hunt that had wiped out a good number of the Vongola family.
Hibari was quick to correct him.
"The first thing you need to know, is that it wasn't Millefiore that killed her." Hibari told them.
"If it wasn't the Millefiore, then how did she die!?" Tsuna asked, confused.
"The day Ryoka was born, Roksana was attacked." Hibari said.
Tsuna had a bad feeling he saw where this was going and it put a sense of dread in his gut. He hated to ask his next question, and hated to hear the answer even more.
"Wha-what does that have to do with her death?" Tsuna asked.
The answer he got, was the exact one he didn't want to hear.
"Sawada Tsunayoshi, in this era, Roksana has been dead...for nearly nine years."
END
Kyandi: And there's a new twist for all of you.
Roksana: I bet most of them didn't see that coming.
Kyandi: Well, I never, anywhere in the chapters, confirmed that you died during the Vongola hunt.
Roksana: Sneaky.
Kyandi: Why, thank you! I strive to please!
Roksana: You only strive to leave people hanging and to blind side them.
Kyandi: I know. It's a talent of mine.
Roksana: Oy vey.
Kyandi: Anyway, I have the next chapter to work on, so if any of you have guess about what really happened to Roksana, or what her box animals are, be sure to leave them!
Roksana: We're interested in seeing what you think.
Kyandi: Everyone, enjoy and review.
Roksana: We'll be back tomorrow.
Kyandi: Bye-bye!